SB 1519 Community solar

Alan R.P. Journet Ph.D
Cofacilitator,
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
7113 Griffin Lane
Jacksonville OR 97530-9342
alan@socan.eco
541-301-4107
February 1^st 2022

Chair Lieber and members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment:

I write as co-facilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now on behalf of the over 1600 rural Southern Oregonians who are SOCAN. Our mission is to promote awareness and understanding of the science of global warming and its climate change consequences and motivate individual and collective action to address the resulting climate crisis.

In our effort to promote state action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, SOCAN has been promoting installation of alternative energy systems for generating electricity on a personal / residential or commercial basis. Fortunately, the legislature has assisted this effort by offering an exemption on property taxes for such installations. We recognize, however, that not every residence or commerce is able, for a variety of reasons, to install solar panels itself. This can be impeded by location or orientation in relation to solar access or simply the age of the building and roof. In such situations, the option for individuals or business owners wishing to address the climate crisis, is to contract with a community solar project to provide renewably-generated electricity to the grid to compensate for the electricity which they use.

SB1519 offers the same benefit to such individuals as the previous legislation offered to those installing solar on their buildings. Through SB1519, those installing or engaging with a community solar program are provided an equivalent property tax exemption. This makes community solar much more attractive both to potential project owners and therefore to potential investors in the system.

We know that collectively we must support all efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Even though HB2021 from 2021 will make retail electricity 100% clean by 2040, we also know that we need to proceed towards greenhouse gas emissions reduction as rapidly as possible. SB1519 makes this more economically practical and thus is to be encouraged.

For these reasons SOCAN, from rural Oregon, endorses SB1519 and encourages its enactment.

Respectfully submitted

Alan Journet Ph.D.
Cofacilitator
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now