Why not use wind power instead of solar power?
While wind turbines need sites with strong winds, solar arrays can be placed wherever there is good southern exposure to the sun. For that reason, solar arrays can be sited in communities where wind may not be possible. Siting solar resources in areas close to where the energy is used saves energy lost in transmission over long distances. Why can’t this installation be placed in eastern Oregon where there is more sunshine? Most of ODOT’s electricity load is in northwestern Oregon; ODOT gets more of its power to run the transportation system from PGE than any other utility in the state. With the West Linn site, each kilowatt hour produced by the solar array would be credited to ODOT, offsetting electricity ODOT would have needed from PGE. This is called net metering. Under Oregon law, an ODOT net-metered facility must be: 1.located in PGE’s service area; 2.on ODOT’s own property; and 3.for ODOT’s own use. The proposed West Linn site would meet all of the statutory requirements. A projec
