Eastern Oregon is the largest and most sparsely populated region Energy Trust serves. It includes the diverse landscape and communities of 10 counties and more than 26,000 square miles. Depending on the location, the views range from wide open vistas to snowcapped mountains, and from rich farmlands and waterways to the depths of Hells Canyon. The region is a farming and agricultural producer for Oregon, including dry land wheat, alfalfa hay, grass seed, Hermiston watermelons, potatoes, onions, sugar beets, cattle ranching, grass fed beef and timber. Many communities don’t have natural gas service and many rural electric customers are served by consumer-owned utilities rather than the investor-owned utilities served by Energy Trust.
Varied Eastern Oregon terrain and climate offer numerous renewable energy opportunities, including wind, solar, small hydropower from piped irrigation systems, woody biomass and biogas. The solar resource is universally good, and many systems have been installed on home rooftops and commercial buildings.
Pendleton’s Blue Mountain Community College provides numerous regional education and business services from Boardman to Baker City.
Umatilla County is home to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Efficiency and renewable energy abound here, including community-sponsored solarize campaigns and one of the state’s first commercial windfarms, near the state line with Washington.
An increasing segment of energy needs in Wallowa County are being met with solar, woody biomass and now small hydropower. The county is a leader in irrigation modernization, which involves piping irrigation ditch systems to limit water loss to seepage and evaporation, to pressurize water for more efficient irrigation and at the same time produce electricity for local use and ultimately, leave more water for downstream fish habitat
We serve Pacific Power, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista customers in Eastern Oregon. Expertise for Energy Trust services in this region are provided by a combination of technical people in Eastern Oregon and additional technical staff who regularly travel through the region.
Energy Trust Investments Deliver for Eastern Oregon
County-Wide
| Locations Served | Participating Contractors | Annual Customer Bill Savings |
| 10,200 | 190 | $6 million |
Residential
| Solar Participants | Homes More Efficient | Incentives Received |
| 171 | 9,300 | $3 million |
Business
| Renewable Energy Systems | Businesses More Efficient | Incentives Received |
| 93 | 789 | $11 million |
Data from 1/1/2002-7/1/2017 for Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Wheeler counties.
Behind the numbers
We’ve helped Eastern Oregon communities, families and businesses like
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We have resources and tools to help communities advance their clean energy objectives, save energy and tap renewable energy resources.
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