| Renewable Energy Grant: CREFF |
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| Renewable Energy Feasibility Workshop-Eugene, April 2012 |
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The Department of Energy and the Northwest Energy Education Institute are co-hosting a two-day workshop to teach the technical foundation of renewable energy.
April 19-20, 2012
Lane Community College
Eugene, Oregon
Funded through CREFF, the workshop is designed for local governments and tribes. The curriculum consists of valuable technical information, useful tools and relevant resources designed to assist you in answering many of the initial questions that arise when designing and assessing renewable energy projects. Attendance is free, but space is limited to 25 participants.
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| Community Renewable Energy Feasibility Fund (CREFF) |
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The Community Renewable Energy Feasibility Fund, or CREFF, is a grants program that funds feasibility studies for renewable energy, heat, and fuel projects in Oregon. All grants have been awarded as of February 2011. There will be no more awards made until projects are completed and funds are repaid.
The fund is administered by the Oregon Department of Energy with two goals:
- Encourage widespread adoption of renewable energy projects that reduce Oregon’s dependence on fossil-based energy sources.
- Promote sustainable economic development within the state.
The CREFF program was established with a deposit of $1 million obtained through a legal settlement with Relaible Energy. If awardees construct their projects, they are required to repay the cost of the grant back to the CREFF fund. This will make the CREFF plan a revolving fund.
Review the 2010 CREFF Progress Report for a program overview, history, and all CREFF awards.
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| Awards |
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The Oregon Department of Energy announced awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011 to study the feasibility of specific and new renewable energy, heat, and fuel projects in Oregon. Twenty-six projects received funding, at a total commitment level of $1 million.
Awardee
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Study Type
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Location
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Year Awarded
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Amount Awarded
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Baker School District
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Biomass boiler
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Baker City
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2009
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$10,000
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Essential Consulting Oregon, LLC
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Dairy Digesters
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Grants Pass, Albany
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2009
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$50,000
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International Wood Fuels, LLC
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Pellet manufacturing
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Baker City
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2009
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$31,500
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Mason Wind Farm Project, LLC
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Wind
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Lexington
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2009
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$35,000
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North Unit Irrigation District
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Hydropower
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Madras
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2009
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$18,982
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Redmond Area Park and Recreation Dist.
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Solar thermal, biomass
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Redmond
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2009
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$25,000
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Philomath School District
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Solar array
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Philomath
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2010
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$22,500
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Crook County
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Solar array
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Prineville
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2010
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$20,000
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DH&G Cascades LLC
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Solar array
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Prineville
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2010
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$45,000
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City of Sisters
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Woody biomass heating and manufacturing
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Sisters
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2010
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$31,000
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Crane School District
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Wind and solar thermal
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Crane
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2010
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$31,000
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Old Mill Solar, LLC
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Solar array
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Bly
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2010
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$23,000
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Oregon Community Wind, LLC
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Wind farm
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Adel
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2010
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$40,000
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Town of Lakeview
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Geothermal
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Lakeview
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2010
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$40,000
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Mariah Wind, LLC
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Wind farm
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Lexington
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2010
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$50,000
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Wallowa Resources
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Biomass, combined heat-and-power
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Enterprise
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2010
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$20,000
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Sustainable Engineering
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Wind
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Paisley
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2011
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$5,200
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Central OR Irrigation District
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Hydropower
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Redmond
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2011
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$36,000
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Triumfus Onion Products
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Biogas
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Ontario
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2011
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$44,000
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Good Company
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Community solar PV
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Eugene
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2011
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$23,900
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Portland Public Schools
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Solar thermal greenhouse
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Portland
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2011
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$4,125
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Surprise Valley Electrification Corp.
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Geothermal
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Lakeview
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2011
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$43,000
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KWAPA
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Geothermal
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Klamath Falls
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2011
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$39,500
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Biomass
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Various
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2011
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$150,000
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Oregon Institute of Technology and Oregon Military Dept.
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Solar
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Christmas Valley
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2011
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$122,474
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Feasibility Tools Workshop
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2011
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$38,819
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TOTAL
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$1,000,000
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To see map of award locations, please see CREFF map.
To review program progress, please see the 2010 CREFF Progress Report.
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| What is a Qualifying Feasibility Study? |
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A feasibility study is a site-specific study of a renewable energy project that addresses the essential question of whether or not a project is possible and likely to take place.
Examples of eligible feasibility studies may include:
- Initial energy resource assessments
- Siting and permitting requirements
- Environmental surveys
- Transmission and interconnection issues
- Ownership structure and funding mechanisms
- Project costs and economic viability
- Financial incentives
- Available output contracts and price
- Fatal flaw analysis
Your project may be in the first stages of determining what is possible at a given site, or it may be a fully scoped project idea with a specific feasibility issue. Both of these feasibility needs are eligible under the CREFF program.
For a general sense of what is addressed in a feasibility study, please see our sample outline or the sample Renewable Resource Project Business Plan. We welcome suggestions for additions to this outline.
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| Feasibility Study Library |
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The Oregon Department of Energy has a library of renewable energy feasibility studies conducted in Oregon. Please visit our feasibility studies webpage to view the collected studies to date.
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| Key Points to Know if You are Awarded a CREFF Grant |
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If you were awarded a grant, congratulations! The CREFF process is very competitive, as we encouraged everyone with eligible projects to apply.
The study you produce with a CREFF grant will be owned by the Oregon Department of Energy. If your project is ultimately developed, you will be asked to return the seed money from the CREFF grant. By paying back the grant amount, the CREFF program will become a revolving fund and continue to offer grants to foster more renewable energy projects in Oregon.
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| Contact and E-mail List |
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To reach the Oregon Department of Energy about CREFF or to join the e-mail announcement list, please contact the Community Renewable Energy Feasibility Fund coordinator:
Rebecca Sherman
Direct line: (503) 373-2295
1-800-221-8035 Toll-free in Oregon
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