Energy Trust Home > Renewable Energy Programs > Wind

Wind Power Programs

Energy Trust provides resources and cash incentives to help homeowners, farms, ranches, businesses and government entities install wind power projects of up to 20 megawatts. We offer cash incentives, development assistance and help obtaining project co-funding. The Wind Power Program is broken into the following sections:

photoSmall Wind Program

Energy Trust’s Small Wind program is ideal for rural homeowners, small agricultural operations, or other rural businesses interested in offsetting all or a portion of their electrical power use. The program supports small wind systems of up to 50 kilowatts. Participants must own at least one acre of land and have a strong wind resource (a yearly average wind speed of 10 mph or more).

photoCommunity Wind Program

The Community Wind program supports commercial, municipal and community wind installations. This program is intended for larger-scale wind development projects of up to 20 megawatts.

USDA Grant Assistance

USDA Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPGs) and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants and loans can help eligible participants fund wind projects. Energy Trust offers financial assistance to help pay for writing of applications for these USDA programs.

Combine HillsHistorical Utility- Scale Projects

Prior to the passage of Oregon’s Renewable Energy Standard in 2007, Energy Trust supported large, utility-scale wind projects with capacities of hundreds of megawatts. This section describes Energy Trust’s historical achievements in this program.

Photo Top: In 2005, Energy Trust collaborated with PGE on their 75 MW expansion to the Klondike Wind Farm near Wasco, Oregon. The project consists of fifty 1.5 MW GE turbines and produces enough energy to supply electricity to more than 18,000 homes.