Blue Sky community project applications

Schedules and the availability of funds are subject to change. Please note: Submitting an application by the published deadline and meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding.

*Extensions may be considered for projects associated with the construction of a new building or structure.

Eligible renewable energy technologies

• Wind

• Solar PV

• Geothermal

• Low-impact hydro, certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI)

• Pipeline or irrigation canal hydropower

• Wave energy or tidal action

• Low-emissions biomass based on digester methane gas from landfills, sewage treatment plants or animal waste and biomass energy based on solid organic fuels from wood, forest or field residues or dedicated crops that do not include wood pieces that have been treated with chemical preservatives such as creosote, pentachlorophenol or copper chrome arsenic. 

Project requirements

• Project must be new or a new addition to existing project using new equipment.
• Grid-connected following interconnection guidelines as established by Pacific Power (for small generation projects, typically smaller than 25 kilowatts, a net meter is required) 
  
• Site served by Pacific Power (View service area map)
• Locally-owned
• Non-residential (for multi-family housing projects, the renewable energy project can only serve the common loads of the facility)
• Capacity less than 10 MW
• Completed within one year of notice of award.  If project is associated with the construction of a new building or structure, a one-year extension may be considered on a project-by-project basis.
• Equipped with electronic monitoring system to collect inverter energy production data for a period of at least five years. The monitoring system must consist of a production history electronic database and a public web link to be added to Pacific Power’s website for educational purposes.
• Applicants are expected to enroll as a Blue Sky business partner as of the date the funding award agreement is signed. Installations that provide direct financial benefit to a for-profit business may be considered, but only if the organization is a Blue Sky participant at the Visionary level. 
• Energy Trust of Oregon cover sheet. All solar projects receiving funds from Energy Trust will receive a cover sheet as part of the Solar Development Assistance application process and must include this in their Blue Sky application. Contact Energy Trust for more information at solar@energytrust.org

Funding is not available for:

• Off-grid projects

• Heat generation systems – geothermal, passive solar, solar thermal or biomass

• Residential installations

• Projects that have received funding through other Pacific Power’s programs such as the Oregon Solar Incentive Program and the California Solar Incentive Program. 

• Activities not directly related to the capital costs of new renewable energy systems, such as:

  • Structural improvements or other site preparation that would be considered general facilities maintenance (e.g.re-roofing, upgrading an overloaded electrical panel, tree removal or trimming, construction of a carport or other facility that will host the renewable energy equipment). Site preparation activities that are only required for the renewable energy project and are otherwise not required for general facility maintenance (e.g., ballast rock removal, roof reinforcement, trenching a new wire run exclusively for the solar array), may be considered an eligible expense on an individual basis.
  • Administrative or project management cost
  • Construction bond costs, interest and warranty charges
  • Ongoing system or facility maintenance or repair costs
  • Donated, in-kind or volunteer labor or materials
  • Engineering/design costs incurred to date (e.g., site evaluations, estimates/bids). Reasonable design costs proposed for the purpose of optimizing the facility’s energy production and finalizing system design may be considered; however, Blue Sky funding may not be used to recoup the costs for preliminary designs incurred prior to application submission.
  • Interconnection studies
  • Advertising and marketing, other than approved on-site educational signage

If your project is selected for funding, you will be subject to certain requirements to maintain your project’s eligibility. The following describes the current award requirements, which are subject to change without notice:

Project reports

1. Submit quarterly progress reports on the 15^th day of the month following the close of each calendar quarter until the project is completed and on-line. Failure to submit reports may delay the processing of future reimbursement or for the award offer to be rescinded.
2. Notify Pacific Power as soon as possible in writing of any change in project scope via the project change request form. You must receive approval from Pacific Power prior to altering the scope of the project. The original level of funding awarded will be reevaluated at that time against the new project scope.
   
3. Submit a final report and final detailed financial summary, and supporting documentation, upon completion of the project, summarizing the project specifications, completion date, anticipated electricity production, educational components and community benefit, etc. as well as documentation that verifies completion (definition below) and detailed renewable energy project costs.
4. Provide documentation of any funding sources not secured at the time of application submission.
5. Keep the Blue Sky funding award administrator and local utility contact apprised of project updates and opportunities to participate in celebrations and news/press announcements as your project develops and upon project completion.  
   

Reimbursement process

Funds will be distributed once the award recipient demonstrates adherence to the requirements and eligibility and provides the following:

• Complete and accurate final report form and supplemental documentation
• Detailed invoicing that includes an itemized listing of all renewable energy project costs
• Documentation of all funding sources and final dollar amounts
• A fully executed Pacific Power net metering or interconnection agreement indicating approval of installation for operation
• Public web link to the inverter monitoring system displaying production data of the renewable energy installation
• Details of ongoing education plan with any supporting documentation such as signage, flyers, boards, blogs, and etc.
• Photos of construction, the completed installation, project kiosk/dashboard and project area (jpg format)

Communications

Funding recipients are expected to notify Pacific Power of all media, outreach and education pieces in advance and submit all collateral for review by the Blue Sky team. All correspondence regarding the project quarterly reports, project change forms, Blue Sky partnership enrollment forms and communication must be submitted via email to Pacific Power at blueskyprojects@pacificpower.net

Projects provide an educational opportunity for communities – raising awareness and understanding regarding renewable energy technologies and the Blue Sky program. As a result, we expect project sponsors to commit to the following:

• Permanent recognition: Develop visible, permanent signage that publicly recognizes the contributions of Pacific Power’s Blue Sky customers.
• Celebrations and publicity: Celebrate the project completion through one or all of the following: media event, tour, media advisory, press announcement, stakeholder communications. Blue Sky representatives must be provided an opportunity to participate celebrations.
• Project host website: Publish the Pacific Power Blue Sky logo and the online project monitoring tool on the project host’s website at the time of project completion. Note: monitors cannot be used for advertising purposes.
• Pacific Power website: Allow Pacific Power to include information regarding your project in customer communication material used by Pacific Power. This includes Pacific Power’s right to use photographs of the facility in brochures and internet pages for purposes of supporting the Blue Sky renewable energy program.
• Site tours: Allow Pacific Power and its customers and guests at least two tours each year, subject to 30 day advance notice by Pacific Power.

Media Toolkit

1. Introduction and Checklist
2. Blue Sky Messaging
3. Media Pitching Guide
4. Press Release for Project Announcement
5. Press Release for Project Celebration
6. Media Advisory
7. Project Fact Sheet
8. Event and Community Ideas
9. Social Media Outreach
10. Media Contacts

Renewable energy certificates

To the extent the project is able to generate renewable energy certificates (RECs), award recipients agree to grant Pacific Power's Blue Sky program the right to its proportionate share of the project’s renewable energy certificates – an added benefit for Pacific Power Blue Sky customers for the life of the project.  The share amount is expressed as a percentage of output when comparing Pacific Power’s Blue Sky program financial contribution to the overall cost of the renewable energy project.  Project owners may not make claims involving the environmental attributes of the RECs retained by Pacific Power's Blue Sky program. Pacific Power will also be given the opportunity to purchase additional renewable energy credits from the project, up to 100 percent of the project’s output.

Applications are evaluated by a diverse team of Pacific Power experts and a third party renewable energy consultant.  Evaluation is based on the application materials and an interview with the project team and project contractor/engineer.

After screening for requirements and eligibility, applications are graded on renewable energy project feasibility/readiness, costs, financing, additionality and community benefits and Blue Sky exposure. The evaluation methodology considers the following criteria, among others:

Preferred project characteristics

In addition, additional weighting is provided for projects that:

• Advance new and emerging technologies, including renewable energy systems tied to electric vehicle charging, energy storage systems or microgrid applications.
• Target underserved populations (low income or rural)
• Contribute to community resiliency and disaster preparedness
• Provide robust education and public engagement plans
• Are sponsored by a Blue Sky customer and/or community
• Hire minority- or women-owned businesses
• Have a host that is financially invested in the project. We recommend using the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) as a resource to identify other funding opportunities applicable to your project.