HB 4037 Directs Oregon Business Development Department to establish incentivize solar energy program.

Free Markets: Bill creates a program that will incentivize generating electricity from solar energy, an effort that incentivizes an agenda rather than following a free market policy. Qualified facilities can be investor-owned or publicly-owned and must be located in Oregon, have a nameplate capacity of at least 2 megawatts but not more than 10 megawatts, be connected to the electrical system of a utility and must have a meter that monitors and measures the quantity of electricity generated. Once accepted into the program, the department will make monthly payments to the enrollee for 5 years. The rate will be ½ cent per kilowatt of electricity generated. (This rate would amount to $10 at 2Mwt and $50 at 10MWt.) Enrollment of new applicants will close on the date that the total nameplate capacity of all enrolled fields reaches 150MWt or 1/2/23.

Fiscal Responsibility:   With a capacity of 150MWt being generated by all enrollees, the payout will be $18,250 per year.  The bill establishes a Solar Incentivization Fund but does not allocate money to the fund.  It does allow the department to accept grants, donations or gifts of money for deposit in the fund