Wind power in Oregon

Laws passed by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1999 and 2007 have aimed to encourage both small and large wind projects. Oregon passed a net metering law in 1999 that helped encourage installation of small wind power systems.[http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/astate_template.asp?stateab=or Oregon Wind Activities] As of 2008, a handful of Oregonians have installed small-scale wind-power systems to reduce their carbon footprint.{{cite news

|title=Oregon farmer cuts costs with wind power

|first=Dana

|last=Tims

|work=The Seattle Post Intelligencer

|date=June 22, 2009

|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Oregon-farmer-cuts-costs-with-wind-power-1277300.php

}}

Under Senate Bill 838, wind, solar, geothermal and other types of renewable power must account for 25 percent of an electric utility's retail sales by 2025. Intermediate requirements set the standard at 5 percent by 2011, climbing gradually until 2025.{{cite news

|first=Gail

|last=Kinsey-Hill

|url=http://www.solaroregon.org/about/news_folder/power-bill-glides-through-senate/?searchterm=landmark

|title=Power bill glides through Senate

|date=April 11, 2007

|work=The Oregonian

|location = Portland, Oregon

}}

In 2016, Oregon's RPS requirement target was raised to 50%, as two companies must supply 50% of Oregon's power as renewable by 2040.[https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2016R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB1547/Enrolled Oregon Senate Bill 1547] The US Energy Information Administration expects this to increase windpower in Oregon, as older hydropower is exported to California and not eligible for the RPS.{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=25932 |title=Higher Oregon renewable portfolio standard targets likely to boost wind power|publisher=US Energy Information Administration |date=April 26, 2016|access-date=April 26, 2016}}

Vestas, the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world as of 2009, has its North American headquarters in Portland.{{cite news |url=http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/07/19/daily25.html |title=Vestas lands record turbine order |author=Williams, Christina |newspaper =Portland Business Journal |date=July 21, 2010 |access-date=July 28, 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/216073-vestas-breaks-u-s-wind-market-lull |title=Vestas Breaks U.S. Wind Market Lull |author=Schreyer, Andreas |publisher=Seeking Alpha |date=July 23, 2010 |access-date=July 28, 2010}} Iberdrola Renovables, one of the larger wind farm operators, also bases their American offices in Portland.

File:Oregon wind resource map 50m 800.jpg showing Oregon's estimated wind power resources]]

Estimates from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory showed that Oregon has potential to install over 27,000 megawatts of onshore wind power.{{cite web|url=http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/docs/wind_potential_80m_30percent.xls|title=State wind energy potential (2010)|author=National Renewable Energy Laboratory|author-link=National Renewable Energy Laboratory|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy|date=February 4, 2010|access-date=March 27, 2010}} The offshore wind potential is estimated at 225,000 MW, and would be capable of generating 962,723 million kWh.[http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html Renewable Energy Technical Potential]

Installed wind power capacity in Oregon saw large growth from 2007 to 2012. Oregon ranks among the top ten states with the most wind power installed. Climbing from 1 percent in the early 2000s (decade), wind power accounted for 12.4 percent of total electricity generated in Oregon during 2013.{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/wind_powers_success_spurs_new.html |title=Wind energy's success creates a power grid challenge|author=Preusch, Matthew |newspaper =The Oregonian | location = Portland, Oregon |date=October 29, 2009|access-date=March 27, 2010}}{{cite web

| url=http://www.awea.org/MediaCenter/pressrelease.aspx?ItemNumber=6184

| title=American wind power reaches major power generation milestones in 2013

| date = March 5, 2014 | publisher = American Wind Energy Association}}

In 2009, 691 MW of wind-powered capacity was added in Oregon, the fourth biggest increase in the U.S. that year.{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/oregon_fourth_among_states_for.html |title=Oregon fourth among states for new wind capacity |last=Preusch |first=Matthew |date=January 30, 2010 |work=The Oregonian | location = Portland, Oregon |access-date=January 31, 2010}}

In 2009 GE Wind Energy was awarded a $1.48 billion contract to build the Shepherds Flat Wind Farm.{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/idahosportugal/index.ssf/2009/12/general_electric_lands_14_bill.html |title=General Electric lands $1.4 billion contract to build wind farm in Oregon |author=Brown, Tim |newspaper=The Oregonian | location =Portland, Oregon |date=December 15, 2009 |access-date=March 27, 2010}} The 845-megawatt project uses over 300 turbines and spans across {{convert|30|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}} of Gilliam and Morrow Counties in north-central Oregon.{{cite news |url=http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/14-billion-oregon-wind-deal-announced/ |title=$1.4 Billion Oregon Wind Deal Announced |author=Galbraith, Kate |work = New York Times blog |date=December 10, 2009 |access-date=March 27, 2010}} When it was completed in September 2012, it became the largest wind farm in Oregon, and the second largest in the world, although many larger ones are planned. It was completed in 2012 to take advantage of the 2.2 cent/kWh Production Tax Credit.[https://techland.time.com/2011/04/19/google-invests-100-million-in-oregon-wind-farm/ Google Invests $100 Million In Oregon Wind Farm][http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/wind/article323349.ece Shepherds Flat wind farm fully operational in US with 845MW]

{{-}}

About four gigawatts of new wind energy development in Eastern Oregon and Washington has not been built due to the interference it could cause with aviation radar. The radar in Fossil was upgraded in June 2015 to stop "radar clutter" caused by nearby wind farms.{{cite web

| url = http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/local-news/20150611/radar-upgrade-in-fossil-to-lessen-conflict-with-proposed-wind-farms

| title = Radar upgrade in Fossil to lessen conflict with proposed wind farms

| author = George Plaven

| work = East Oregonian

| quote = [FAA] says they've developed a radar upgrade ... that will minimize conflict with proposed wind farms. ... the outdated radar was holding back nearly 4,000 megawatts of new wind energy development in Eastern Oregon and Washington.

| date = June 11, 2015

| access-date = 2015-06-14

}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

Source:{{cite web

|title=Electricity Data Browser

|url=http://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/

|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy

|date=March 28, 2018

|access-date=August 27, 2021

}}

File:Oregon Electricity Generation Sources Pie Chart.svg

{{col-end}}

{{Portal|Renewable energy|Energy|United States|Oregon}}

• Solar power in Oregon
• Energy in Oregon
• Wind power in the United States
• Renewable energy in the United States

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.northwestwind.org/index.html Northwest Wind Industry Alliance (NWIA) official webpage]
• [http://www.eere.energy.gov/states/state_specific_information.cfm/state=OR Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Oregon]
• [http://www.awea.org/projects/projects.aspx?s=Oregon U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Oregon]
• [http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/astate_template.asp?stateab=or Oregon Wind Activities]

{{Wind power in the United States}}

{{Energy in the USA}}

{{Oregon legislation}}