Home / News / Celebrating Solar Wins in Oregon on Clean Energy Week

As National Clean Energy Week kicks off today, we’d like to recognize the families, businesses, and policymakers who are helping to move the needle on solar and renewable energy in 2025.

Even as federal policies introduce uncertainty to the solar industry, the wins here in Oregon and across the nation are adding up. With every rooftop, community solar installation, and new policy, Oregon is making clean energy history. Here are a few of these wins.

Oregon’s Ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standard

Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) has raised the bar for clean energy in our state. Adopted in 2007, the RPS set clear goals for utilities: starting in 2011, they needed to get at least 5 percent electricity from renewable resources, ramping up to 25 percent by 2025 for most utilities, and, thanks to a 2016 boost, 27 percent for large, investor-owned utilities like Pacific Power and Portland General Electric. According to the Oregon Department of Energy, “Policies like the Renewable Portfolio Standard support Oregon’s equitable transition to a clean energy future.”

In 2025, for the first time, Oregon’s smaller utilities also had to show they source at least 5 percent of their electricity from renewables such as wind and solar. The standard “incentivizes the use of renewable resources like wind and solar over fossil fuel resources like coal or natural gas,” according to the state’s energy office. These milestones are making the clean energy marketplace more diverse and reliable for everyone, whether in large cities or small rural communities.

More Than 25,000 Oregonians Embrace Solar at Home

“You can reduce your home’s impact on the environment and take control of your energy costs with clean, renewable energy from the sun,” explains Energy Trust of Oregon. We’re pleased to see that a growing number of homeowners in our state are answering this call, with more than 25,000 households in Oregon generating their own clean power via solar. This marks an important step toward energy independence.

For those seeking even more resilience, solar-plus-storage systems offer emergency backup power (and peace of mind) during power outages. Battery setups keep lighting, refrigeration, and even medical equipment running at these times, which is a valuable upgrade amid wildfire and storm risks.

Affordable Solar WITH Incentives and Financing

Thanks to the solar incentives offered in Oregon, this type of clean energy is easier on the wallet than ever before.

Residents and businesses can tap state incentives, federal tax credits (still available to homeowners through the end of 2025), and Energy Trust cash-back offers to cut solar or solar + storage installation costs by about one-third. For income-qualified households, special programs like “Solar Within Reach” deliver even higher rebates, supporting equity across Central Oregon.

For solar and battery storage, Energy Trust provides an extra incentive per home (with amounts depending on your household income and your electric utility). According to Energy Trust, “Your Energy Trust cash incentive will be paid directly to your contractor, who will deduct the incentive amount from your invoice, reducing the upfront cost of your solar installation.” This makes the entire process easier and more accessible to more families.

The flexibility continues in how households can pay for these systems.

Energy Trust states, “If you have the savings available, paying for your solar installation with cash will typically provide the highest return on investment and the quickest payback. Many homeowners use a loan to pay for some or all of their solar project… [or] a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA), paying little or nothing upfront.”

Oregon’s Community Solar Expands Access

Not every Oregon resident can put panels on their own roof, and that’s where community solar comes in. With Oregon’s Community Solar Program, renters and homeowners alike can subscribe to locally generated solar projects and get monthly credits on their electric bills. Households meeting low-income guidelines also receive subscription discounts and guaranteed savings.

This program creates more equitable access to clean energy. Greater participation from low-income families, communities of color, and renters means solar’s benefits reach farther than ever before.

Solar Innovation and Recommendations for Resilience

In addition to everyday adoption, Oregon is investing in research and innovation. State-backed initiatives are supportive of new technology, grid modernization, and battery storage, which are all critical advancements for weathering outages and smoothing peaks and valleys in energy demand.

Energy Trust also recommends that homeowners “consider solar + storage (you can also add storage to existing solar systems),” adding that “stored solar power can keep lighting, refrigeration, medical equipment, well pumps or other essentials operating during an outage.”

Every Win Matters

Every Oregon solar installation, every household bill credit, and every innovative policy brings us closer to the clean energy future highlighted during National Clean Energy Week.

So whether you’re powering your home with the sun, subscribing to community solar, or simply cheering on your neighbors who go solar, you’re making a positive impact in Oregon and beyond.

Ready to join Oregon’s clean energy movement? Get started with rooftop solar by contacting us for a free estimate.