Businesses Can Cash In on Incentives for Energy Independence
All three Central Oregon electric utilities offer some cash incentives to businesses (and homeowners) for utilizing conservation and renewable energy options. Customers of Central Electric Cooperative can receive cash discounts for efficient heat pumps, solar water heaters and Energy Star appliances.
Midstate Electric customers can receive rebates for high efficiency heat pumps, certified high efficiency electric water heaters, Energy Star clothes washers and fluorescent lighting fixtures.
Energy Trust of Oregon offers a wide variety of incentives to Oregon commercial and industrial customers of Pacific Power and Portland General Electric and to Oregon commercial customers of NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas. Participants can access incentives for improving the efficiency of their businesses, installing solar hot water or electric systems, installing biomass and combined heat and power systems, or building new highly efficient buildings.
In addition, the Oregon Department of Energy Business Energy Tax Credit provides a 50% credit for the incremental costs associated with certain conservation and weatherization measures, solar and fuel cell installations, purchase of hybrid vehicles and biofuel, lighting, and even home office applications. The Oregon Department of Energy also provides a low interest loan program for projects that conserve energy, produce energy from renewable resources such as water, wind, geothermal, solar, biomass, waste materials or waste heat, use recycled materials to create products, and use alternative fuels.
Federal incentives will now provide a tax credit of up to 35% for solar hot water and electric systems. The 35% is for the total cost of the system and does not discount for any state and utility credits that apply, so all combined it is possible to get over 75% of the cost of a solar energy system paid down.
Find out what’s currently available at:
• Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc, 1-866-368-7878, www.energytrust.org
• Oregon Department of Energy, 1-800-221-8035, www.oregon.gov/energy
• Pacific Power, 1-800-769-3717, www.pacificpower.net
• Midstate Electric Coop, 541-536-7232, www.midstateeelectric.coop
• Central Oregon Electric Cooperative, 541-389-1980, http://www.cec-co.com/
