Wind
Please click a link below to jump to a specific part of this page:
General Information
Regional Wind Speed
Permitting and Infrastructure Issues
Incentives
Useful Links
General Information
Wind power in Central Oregon is a viable alternative but depends on the wind speeds at your location. For more information about wind speeds and general information about the cost of installing a wind turbine please refer to the information and useful links below.
Regional Wind Speed
Typically you will need to have wind speeds over 10mph to have sufficient energy output and to make it economical. Below is a list of the region’s wind speeds for certain tower heights according to FirstLook's online power assessment tool .
| Tower Height (meters) | 20m | 50m | 80m |
Wind Speed (miles/hour) |
|||
Alfalfa |
8.5 |
10.3 |
10.9 |
Bend |
10.3 |
12.0 |
12.9 |
La Pine |
7.3 |
9.2 |
10.1 |
Madras |
8.7 |
10.5 |
11.1 |
Powell Butte |
8.5 |
10.3 |
10.9 |
Prineville |
8.0 |
9.6 |
10.2 |
Redmond |
8.3 |
9.8 |
10.5 |
Sisters |
7.6 |
9.4 |
10.1 |
Permitting and infrastructure issues
A wind turbine will require a land use permit from your county planning department. You will also need to work with the local utility to hook your system into the power grid. Assess the site carefully as the transmission line costs can be prohibitive.
STATE
Oregon Business Energy Tax Credits: Qualifying renewable energy resource equipment, manufacturing facilities, and renewable energy resource facilities including high efficiency combined heat and power facilities, completed on or after January 1, 2007 are eligible for a tax credit equal to 50 percent of eligible costs. Qualifying homebuilders installed renewable energy facilities completed on or after January 1, 2007 are eligible for a tax credit of $9,000 and qualifying high performance homes completed on or after January 1, 2007 are eligible for a $12,000 tax credit. An Oregon business or non-profit entity qualifying for the tax credit may transfer the credit through the Pass-through Option in return for a cash payment.
FEDERAL
USDA Rural Development Agency’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program offers competitive grants for up to 25% of the costs of energy efficiency projects. Prior to applying, you must have an energy audit completed by a certified assessor. For more information go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html
USDA Rural Development Program, Value Added Producer Grant Program offers competitive grants for renewable energy projects. These grants can cover up to 50% of the eligible project costs, and can be used for planning (feasibility studies, business planning, marketing planning, etc) with a maximum of $100,000 per project, or working capital projects (purchase inventory, marketing campaigns, etc) at a maximum of $300,000 per project. For more information go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html
Useful links
American Wind Energy Association
State of Oregon Renewable Resources Information for Wind
First Look (online power assessment tool)
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Reference
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Opportunities for Oregon’s Agricultural Producers. Oregon Department of Agriculture
