(Credit: Standard Solar)Microsoft, Nike, and Common Energy are partnering to subscribe to a solar community project in Oregon to help increase the use of renewable energy in the area.
The project is Standard Solar’s first community solar energy project in Oregon and will produce 3.6-gigawatt hours of clean energy each year, according to the developers. The Skyward Community Solar project is located in Clackamas County and will have commercial and residential components.
Ten percent of the project will be allocated to qualified low- and moderate-income users. Oregon’s Community Solar Program allows corporations to subscribe to up to 50% of a project, and Microsoft will make up the commercial allocation of the energy. Nearly 100 Nike employees have also subscribed to a residential portion of the project.
All subscribers will receive renewable energy credits proportional to their share of the project’s energy generation, as well as contracted discounts on electric bills. The energy generated from the project is expected to replace fossil fuel generation, which will lower emissions in the area.
“At Microsoft, part of our vision for a sustainable future is advocating for innovative technology that empowers and benefits everyone,” says Katie Ross, the company’s global sustainability program manager.
Community solar projects are intended to bring renewable energy to areas, businesses, and households that otherwise could not implement or afford the systems. Projects often are planned for low-income or disadvantaged communities to make access to solar energy more equitable while also increasing its use and adding resilience to the grid.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there have been 5.3 GW of community solar installed in the United States through the third quarter of 2022. There are 41 states and the District of Columbia with at least one community solar project online, and 19 states have community solar as part of their energy policy and regulations.
California earlier this year passed a community solar law that requires access to solar to businesses whether they rent or own their facilities. It also requires the state’s public utility commission to provide financing of viable community renewable energy resources as well as financial incentives for operations that have low-income subscribers or for organizations that serve disadvantaged communities.
The Kresge Foundation is also investing millions of dollars in organizations and businesses that provide solar energy projects in communities of color and low-income areas across the US. The Department of Energy has formed the National Community Solar Partnership to increase access to affordable renewable energy.
Oregon is requiring 50% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040, and Standard Solar says the project is a way to move closer to that target and help businesses and the community with access to the clean energy. Standard Solar, which also has several community projects in the eastern US, Minnesota, and Colorado, says it plans to support more solar projects in the state.
Common Energy is a community solar provider and manages projects worth more than 200 megawatts across the US. The company says it hopes Microsoft's and Nike's involvement in the project encourages other businesses and organizations to support similar efforts across the country.
