BY GARRETT ANDREWS A BUSY KLAMATH FALLS DENTAL OFFICE, a popular farm store in Gervais and a landmark Astoria craft brewery are among the recipients of $4.4 million in federal funding for rural green energy. Most of the 20 projects selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are photovoltaic displays in communities outside the Portland metro area, according to a list circulated this week by the offices of Oregon’s U.S. senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. The two projects valued the highest are both worth $1 million. In Burns, Burns Solar will get a 100-megawatt ground-mounted solar PV system that will produce electricity to be sold to residents through the Oregon Community Solar Program. In Astoria Fort George Brewery will install a 560-kilowatt PV system on its brewery roof. The array is expected to lower the brewer’s annual utility bill by $60,907. The remaining projects are worth $561,000 or less. The smallest is $12,000 allotted to the Dirty Cowgirl Saloon in Wasco to replace its diesel furnace with an energy efficient heat pump. That upgrade is expected to reduce the saloon’s annual energy bill by $2,581 or 25%. The grant money comes from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program which dates to 2008. REAP provides grants and loans to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase wind, solar and other green energy improvements. These upgrades are intended to help businesses strengthen operations, generate income and create jobs. Any small business or ag producer may apply for REAP benefits so long as they have no outstanding delinquent federal taxes, judgments or tax debt. REAP recipients have the hope of completely replacing their energy consumption with solar and saving thousands in energy costs, USDA’s Oregon state director, Margi Hoffmann, said in a statement. “With these grants, farms can cut emissions and grow resiliency while continuing to invest in innovative new products and attracting the best people,” she wrote. Wyden and Merkley trumpeted the awardees in Twenty Oregon Businesses Awarded Rural Energy Grants 62NW Staffing Resources Portland nwstaffing.com Oregon employees: 46 Overall score: 247.55 Staffing firm 63Bridgeway Community Health Salem bridgewaych.org Oregon employees: 146 Overall score: 246.86 Community health center providing addiction treatment and primary care 64Gee Automotive Companies Milwaukie geeautomotive.com Oregon employees: 1100 Overall score: 246.37 Automobile parts, sales and service shop 68PakTech Eugene paktech-opi.com Oregon employees: 275 Overall score: 243.61 Designer and manufacturer of recyclable injection molded handles from recycled materials 69S+B James Construction White City sbjames.com Oregon employees: 84 Overall score: 243.56 Design and build contractor 70Outlier Construction Medford outlierbuilt.com Oregon employees: 70 Overall score: 242.86 Real estate development and construction firm 71Eugene Mission Eugene eugenemission.org Oregon employees: 38 Overall score: 242.59 Faith-based social services nonprofit 72Tec Labs Albany teclabsinc.com Oregon employees: 51 Overall score: 242.51 Pharmaceutical and OTC medications manufacturer 73Summit Bank Eugene sbko.bank Oregon employees: 130 Overall score: 242.49 Bank 74Systems West Engineers Springfield systemswestengineers.com Oregon employees: 48 Overall score: 242.13 Engineering consultant 75Ausland Group Grants Pass, OR auslandgroup.com Oregon employees: 50 Overall score: 242.10 Design, build and development firm 76Avista Utilities Medford myavista.com Oregon employees: 60 Overall score: 241.95 Utilities company 65ACMS Northwest Portland acmsnw.com Oregon employees: 35 Overall score: 245.87 Civil engineering and construction management firm 66Holst Architecture Portland holstarc.com Oregon employees: 51 Overall score: 243.85 Architecture firm 67Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors Portland ecologyoutdoors.org Oregon employees: 5 Overall score: 243.83 Environmental education nonprofit 77Western Energy Institute Portland westernenergy.org Oregon employees: 21 Overall score: 241.82 Nonprofit trade association for energy industry 78David Evans and Associates Portland deainc.com Oregon employees: 321 Overall score: 241.77 Transportation, water, energy and land projects consultant 79Mt. Ashland Ashland mtashland.com Oregon employees: 200 Overall score: 241.74 Ski area offering snow-sports education for youth and community 80Child Foundation PORTLAND childfoundation.org Oregon employees: 10 Overall score: 241.51 International aid organization 81SBH Legal Portland sbhlegal.com Oregon employees: 67 Overall score: 241.04 Law firm 82Steele Associates Architects Bend steele-arch.com Oregon employees: 20 Overall score: 241.00 Architecture firm 83Olsson Industrial Electric Springfield olssonelec.com Oregon employees: 215 Overall score: 240.94 Electrical contractor 84Meadow Outdoor Advertising The Dalles meadowoutdoor.com Oregon employees: 27 Overall score: 240.85 Billboard advertising firm 85TMT Development Portland tmtdevelopment.com Oregon employees: 16 Overall score: 240.81 Real estate development firm 86Raphael House of Portland PORTLAND raphaelhouse.com Oregon employees: 45 Overall score: 240.44 Nonprofit serving families affected by domestic violence 87NeighborImpact Redmond neighborimpact.org Oregon employees: 115 Overall score: 239.77 Social services nonprofit 88Creative Supports Medford creativesupports.org Oregon employees: 29 Overall score: 239.57 Brokerage serving people with developmental disabilities 89McKenzie River Trust Eugene mckenzieriver.org Oregon employees: 19 Overall score: 239.20 Nonprofit land trust 90Matrix Networks Portland mtrx.com Oregon employees: 20 Overall score: 239.15 IT and communications company 91Rogue Valley Mentoring Medford rvmentoring.org Oregon employees: 12 Overall score: 238.98 Youth mentoring nonprofit The funding will allow Astoria’s Fort George Brewery to install a rooftop solar array, among other projects. 2024 100 BEST GREEN WORKPLACES IN OREGON 48
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