Project Funding

The Dairy Incentive Spreadsheet Tool calculates the funds Energy Trust may contribute to your dairy power project.  

To use this spreadsheet tool, your project MUST:

• Be located in Oregon
• Employ standard complete-mix or plug-flow digester technology to create biogas from manure
• Serve a dairy with a herd of at least 250 animals and less than 3500 animals
• Be located at the dairy site, receiving only manure created by that dairy’s operations
• Use the biogas to generate electric power for sale to an Oregon electric utility
• Be owned by the dairy, rather than an independent project developer

If your project does not meet these conditions, Energy Trust may still be able to fund it, but the calculations in the spreadsheet may not be applicable. 

This spreadsheet tool estimates possible Energy Trust incentive funding for qualifying projects. It calculates a qualifying project’s “above-market cost.”  This is the amount that would be required to earn a financial return within the standard range for this type of investment.

Please note that the tool does not represent any obligation to fund a project, or any guarantee of funding by Energy Trust. Any commitment by Energy Trust for funding will require a written funding agreement signed by you and Energy Trust.

For projects that do not qualify for the Dairy Incentive Spreadsheet Tool, but which nevertheless meet Energy Trust’s program goals, Energy Trust may calculate above-market costs on a case-by-case basis.  

Energy Trust may fund all or a portion of the above-market costs of a project. There is no fixed percentage for the amount of the above-market costs Energy Trust will pay.
 

Feasibility study funding

To help you decide whether a dairy power project makes sense for your dairy, Energy Trust may be able to share the cost of feasibility studies. Funding for feasibility studies is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Funding from other sources

Energy Trust may be able to help you learn about and secure grants, loan guarantees and other project assistance from other organizations, such as federal and state agencies, not-for-profit foundations or private sources.

For more information, please contact Thad Roth at 503-445-7632.

Dairy Initiative

How to Participate in the Dairy Initiative

Photo Top: Guy Graham, Gresham’s wastewater services division manager, stands by the fuel treatment section of the city’s new combined heat and power system. The system helps the city turn a byproduct of sewage treatment into energy.