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Jefferson County moves to apply for state community renewable energy planning grant
Summary
The board authorized staff to submit a planning grant application to the Oregon Department of Energy for a county energy-resiliency plan. Staff recommended starting with a planning grant to improve chances for later construction funding and to prioritize county facilities for backup power.
Jefferson County commissioners authorized staff Aug. 13 to submit a letter of support and apply for the Oregon Department of Energy's Community Renewable Energy Project grant to develop a countywide energy resiliency plan.
Why it matters: A planning study would guide future construction projects such as solar-plus-battery systems at key county facilities and emergency gathering places. County staff said a completed planning document strengthens construction grant applications and helps focus investments on essential services.
What staff said
- Derek Payne, community development director, recommended the county seek the planning-tier grant before attempting construction grants. "My recommendation is that we move forward with the planning process," he told the board, noting the planning grant can be funded at up to 100 percent. He said securing a plan increases the county's competitiveness for later construction dollars.
- Staff discussed possible scope: a county-focused plan that prioritizes critical county facilities (fairgrounds, emergency operations center, community buildings) while allowing for a community-wide focus if commissioners prefer. Derek said planning could identify strategic sites for solar-plus-battery installations and microgrids to provide redundancy to the grid.
Key details discussed and next steps
- Funding and match: Staff told the board the planning grant can be up to 100% funded; construction grants typically require a local match (staff cited examples of 80/20 or 60/40 grant-to-match scenarios). The planning grant would minimize upfront county match for the study itself.
- Timeline: Derek said the application closes in September (staff expected to complete the application before the deadline) and that award notices would likely arrive in January. The board approved signing the county's letter of support and moving forward with the application.
- Implementation focus: Commissioners and staff discussed prioritizing county-owned properties that serve essential functions during outages (fairgrounds, community centers, EOC), while also assessing whether to include broader community sites in the plan. Emergency management staff said the Tri-County resiliency data collection (underway) would be useful to inform the plan.
Ending: The commission voted to authorize submission of the planning grant application; staff will prepare and submit the application and return to the board with updates if the county receives an award.
