REGION
Friday, March 18, 2016
Solar energy bill adds incentives
for developers of large projects
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Industrial-scale solar farms are
getting a big ¿nancial push in Oregon
after Gov. Kate Brown signed House
Bill 4037 Wednesday in Pendleton.
The bill directs the Oregon Business
Development Department to establish
incentives for projects between 2 and
10 megawatts. It takes roughly 8.3
acres of solar panels to generate a
megawatt of electricity, according to a
2013 report by the
National Renew-
able
Energy
Laboratory.
“These are not
the systems you
see on businesses
and houses,” said
Jeff Bissonnette,
executive director
of the Oregon Brown
Solar
Energy
Industries Association. “If something
is 2 to 10 megawatts, these are fairly
large facilities.”
Qualifying projects will receive half
a cent per kilowatt hour of electricity
they produce for ¿ve years. Applica-
tions will be accepted until the program
reaches a maximum of 150 megawatts,
or by Jan. 2, 2017 — whichever comes
¿rst. Projects must have a deal with a
commercial utility or electric coopera-
tive to distribute the power.
Bissonnette ¿gures about 16-18
projects could potentially bene¿t under
HB 4036.
“It really is targeted at projects that
are shovel-ready,” Bissonnette said.
“As UEC’s load grows and we continue to add
new renewable resources, we’ll be looking for
programs that will beneit our members.”
— Steve Meyers,
Umatilla Electric spokesperson
“They might need just one more boost
to get them over the ¿nish line.”
State
lawmakers
allocated
$951,561 toward the Solar Incentiv-
ization Fund during the 2017-19 bien-
nium, which includes the cost to hire a
new program manager with Business
Oregon. HB 4037 passed the House
by a vote of 51-4 and 22-6 in the
Senate. Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove,
and Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, both
voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Greg
Smith, R-Heppner, was excused from
voting.
Maximum payments over ¿ve years
are estimated at $8.22 million. The
fund sunsets after Jan. 2, 2023.
Bissonnette said the bill is a major
win for the Oregon solar industry,
especially after the legislature passed a
much larger, much more controversial
bill requiring Portland General Electric
and Paci¿c Power to double its renew-
able energy mandate by 2040.
In order for a solar array to
qualify under HB 4037, it must be
located within Oregon. Assuming
the program reaches its full potential,
Bissonnette said the state could almost
double its current solar capacity of 85
megawatts.
“That’s a big step,” he said. “Those
types of industrial projects will work
hand in hand with smaller resources
located on homes and businesses
across the state.”
Currently, just .07 percent of
Oregon’s electricity comes from solar.
But there are some larger industrial
developments on the horizon for
Eastern Oregon, including a 6-mega-
watt project near the Eastern Oregon
Regional Airport in Pendleton.
The Umatilla Electric Cooperative
has also purchased 80 acres from the
Port of Umatilla to invest in future
solar projects. Since HB 4037 is a cash
payment rather than a tax credit, the
co-op would be able to participate, said
spokesperson Steve Meyers.
“As UEC’s load grows and we
continue to add new renewable
resources, we’ll be looking for
programs that will bene¿t our
members,” Meyers said.
Bissonnette foresees more potential
for solar in the region, given the area’s
ample summertime sun and swaths of
undeveloped land.
“Solar has a big part to play in
Oregon’s energy future,” he said.
———
Contact George Plaven at gplaven@
eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825.
Hermiston students compete in
school’s ¿rst agriscience fair
By JENNIFER COLTON
East Oregonian
More than 200 Herm-
iston High School students
put agriculture science into
practice this quarter and, for
the ¿rst time, the students
could show off their projects
in a school agriscience fair.
“We really want to do
projects that are learning by
doing and are application
based,” HHS agriculture
teacher Leah Smith said
Thursday. “What better
way to teach the scienti¿c
method than by doing it?”
To prepare for the
fair, each student in the
agriculture-science classes
picked a research project
and conducted an experi-
Staff Photo by Jennifer Colton
ment. Projects ranged from Jenna Holt, from left, Reed Middleton and Megan Baskins all took home ribbons
growing plants in different in Hermiston High School’s first agriscience fair.
lights to testing hair growth
Jenna Holt, ninth grade, This was over the course of gave credit for the fair’s
in cattle. Students were ¿rst place, best material for weeks. It was good to see success to their teachers.
graded not on “how cool” storing apple slices
“They make sure we do
how experiments develop
the project was but on
hands-on and we’re not just
Reed Middleton, 10th over time.”
data, conclusions and the grade, second place, soil
Baskins said she enjoyed reading out a text book,”
application of the scienti¿c type on wheat growth height being able to take initiative Middleton said. “We have
method.
Megan Baskins, ninth to create her own experi- great teachers and they
This week, students grade, third place, how ment, and all three recom- make sure we do the best to
presented their projects different ecosystems show mended choosing a project our potential.”
during the agriscience fair to erosion
Smith said she is already
you are interested in or have
coincide with parent-teacher
planning on bringing the
Thursday, all three background in.
conferences.
“There’s a wide variety of agriscience festival back next
students said the project
“It’s a positive for involved more work than things you can do. There’s a year, with a few changes.
parents when they come to they expected.
lot of hands-on experiments Next year, the project will
conferences to show what
“It was different than to do in ag science. I would give students a little more
the students are learning,” what we do in other classes,” encourage anyone to try ag,” time and will be earlier in the
Smith said.
Middleton said. “If we do Holt said. “Take hold of it year to allow for the winning
Students competed for get to do an experiment, it’s and have fun with it.”
students to compete at a state
cash prizes, which went to:
The three students also competition.
usually just in a class period.
Pendleton sued twice over same water main
East Oregonian
The Hunter family and
the city of Pendleton are
familiar foes in the court-
room, where they will meet
again next month.
Howard and Theresa
Hunter ¿led a $200,000
lawsuit against the city of
Pendleton Nov. 12, 2015
alleging that a leak from a
city water line that runs near
their 516 S.E. Third Street
home Àooded their property,
a suit not all that different
from the one the couple ¿led
against the city in 2007.
In the 2007 suit, the
Hunters allege a nearby
water main broke in both
2005 and 2006, causing
water to run down South Hill
and collect on their property.
The complaint states the
Hunter’s house sustained
damage to its yard, foun-
dation, retaining walls and
landscaping.
Howard and Theresa
Hunter each demanded
$50,000 for negligence,
$50,000 for the water tres-
passing on their property
and $100,000 for emotional
distress.
Representing the city,
Salem attorney Gerald
Tom Phelan
Warren
responded
by
writing that any damage
to the Hunters’ home was
caused by the house not
meeting city code.
The city would end up
settling with the Hunters for
$57,500 in 2008, but the two
parties ¿nd themselves in a
similar legal battle six years
later.
This time, the Hunters
are seeking $100,000 for
damages and $100,000 for
emotional distress for a
2013 leak.
Warren is again repre-
senting the city, which main-
tains the damage was caused
by the Hunters inadequate
drainage system.
Both sides will appear
in court April 3 for a status
check.
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
Tax exemptions
expire on $60M in
investments
HERMISTON —The
expiration of two enterprise
zone tax exemptions added
$60 million to Hermiston’s
tax rolls in 2015.
A $35 million investment
in 2009 by DuPont-Pioneer
Seed and $25 million by
Shearer’s Foods in 2011
both had their property tax
incentives expire on July 1,
2015.
The enterprise zone
was designed to encourage
economic development
by giving businesses in
certain industries a three- to
¿ve-year property tax break
on new construction or
equipment if the investment
adds new jobs to the
economy.
Both DuPont-Pioneer
Seed and Shearer’s Foods
still have enterprise zone
exemptions on other
investments, according to
a news release from the
city of Hermiston, and their
exemption claim forms
¿led for those projects show
they added a combined 51
new full-time jobs in the
Hermiston area in 2015.
Since DuPont’s 2009
expansion, the two compa-
nies have added a total of
306 new jobs with a payroll
of $8.67 million in the
enterprise zone.
The property taxes paid
on DuPont’s $35 million
investment and Shearer’s
$25 million investment will
go to support the city of
Hermiston, Umatilla County
and taxing districts such as
Hermiston School District
and Hermiston Fire &
Emergency Services.
Hermiston slates
kinder registration
HERMISTON —The
Hermiston School District
will hold a spring kinder-
garten registration window
April 4-15 for students
entering kindergarten in
the 2016-17 school year.
Registration will be held at
each elementary school main
of¿ce from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. daily.
Parents/guardians must
register students at their
attendance area school. To
verify a boundary school,
adults may locate their
home address on the district
boundary map or call a
school directly for assistance.
Desert View: 1225 S.W.
Ninth St., 541-667-6900
Highland Hills: 450 S.E.
10th St., 541-667-6500
Rocky Heights: 650 W.
Standard Ave., 541-667-6600
Sunset: 300 E. Catherine
Ave., 541-667-6700
West Park: 555 S.W.
Seventh Ave., 541-667-6800
To be eligible for enroll-
ment into kindergarten for
the fall, students must be ¿ve
years old by Sept. 1, 2016, or
born on or before September
1, 2011.
Parents/guardians are
encouraged to bring the
student’s birth record
birth certi¿cate, baptismal
certi¿cate or passport
Social Security number
proof of residence and
health/immunization records
to complete the enrollment
process.
Spanish translation
services will be available.
Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com
ATHENA — The
Athena-Weston and
Milton-Freewater Uni¿ed
school districts will be
holding kindergarten
registrations in April.
Milton-Freewater will
hold its kindergarten drive
April 5 and April 7, from 4-6
p.m. at Grove Elementary
School, 129 S.E. 15th St.
Children must be ¿ve
years old by Sept. 1 to enroll
in kindergarten. Immuniza-
tion records and a state birth
certi¿cate must be provided
by parents. Interpreters will
be available.
For additional informa-
tion, contact Grove Principal
Ami Muilenburg at 541-938-
3233.
Further south,
Athena-Weston will hold
its registration day April 6
from 3:30-6 p.m. at Athena
Elementary School, 375 S.
Fifth St.
In addition to immu-
nization records and birth
certi¿cate, the district will
also evaluate children on
their kindergarten readiness.
Kindergarten enrollees
are required to turn ¿ve no
later than Aug. 31.
Parents can call Athena
Elementary School at
541-566-3581 to schedule an
appointment.
Undersheriff’s
retirement party
open to the public
BOARDMAN —
Morrow County’s long-
serving undersheriff is taking
off his star.
Steve Myren, 53, has
decided 30 years is enough
in law enforcement and
emergency services. He and
his wife, Mim Myren, have
invited the public to his
retirement
party
Saturday
from 1-4
p.m. at the
Port of
Morrow’s
Riverfront
Center,
Boardman.
Mim
Myren
Myren said
there will be snacks, ¿nger
foods and soft drinks, and
she would like folks to bring
their stories about Steve.
There also will be a plaque
presentation for Steve Myren
at 2 p.m.
Myren last summer
won $5.5 million playing
the Oregon Lottery. Myren
took the money in annual
payouts over 25 years. After
taxes, that’s approximately
$130,000 per year. He said
at the time the winnings will
make retirement easier.
Myren as undersheriff
was involved in many
criminal cases in Morrow
County, but he also applied
his expertise in emergency
management to help disaster
areas in the United States.
He also stopped a few local
disasters, such as in 2014
when he saved a Walla Walla
man from drowning in the
Columbia River before a
Fourth of July celebration.
Myren received Irrigon’s
Public Safety Person award
that year.
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