Central Oregon Region Renewable Energy Development
Clearly a global industry on the rise, the Renewable/Alternative Energy sector has great promise in the High Desert. Central Oregon has a remarkable collection of assets, incentives and human technical talent to serve the industry. Within one hour of the region’s geographic center, significant wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric and major electric transmission exists. Adding to this collection is leading device and software technology being developed in mass energy storage, fuel cells, and plasma waste to energy conversion. In solar, the region has one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of grid-tied solar power inverters, Advanced Energy Industries (PV Powered). In fuel cells, IdaTech has pioneered new solutions in clean fuel reformation with patented molecular membrane technology. In addition to these OEMs, EDCO is currently working with several utility-scale renewable energy production projects in wind, solar, and geothermal.
While our renewable/alternative sector is still small in Central Oregon, it is remarkably diverse. Several companies are in development stage, but others have been in the space for several years with viable products. Below is a quick rundown with website links for further information.
Download a .pdf of the following information here.
SOLAR power
PV Powered is still one of Oregon's largest solar power OEMs, at least until Solarworld, xSunx, Solaicx, Sanyo, Peak Sun, SpectraWatt and some of the other projects in the western part of the state get up and running. The company was founded in Bend, and actually was the first winner of the grand prize for BVC back in 2003. Unfortunately for them, it was just monopoly money and not real cash. PV Powered is the largest U.S. manufacturer of grid-tied solar power inverters, and one of the top four companies in the world. Their technology has been developed in-house by a team of technical talent drawn from an interesting variety of high tech industries. www.pvpowered.com
A very small but innovative Bend-based company using off-the-shelf solar and LED technology is Startronics. The company's products are marketed throughout the U.S. via a relationship with Home Depot on storage shed lighting. www.startronics-solar.com
FUEL CELLS
A spinoff of longtime biotech/pharmaceutical research center, Bend Research, Idatech has been developing hydrogen and nitrogen fuel cells for the past decade and a half for the military and mobile telecom providers. The company's key IP has been in membrane exchange technology. The company recently won a big contract in India's telecom industry and is in the process of setting up a new manufacturing plant there. All headquarters and research and development activities are still here in Bend, where it was founded. www.idatech.com
WIND POWER
Parts of the Central Oregon region are being considered for a wind farm. Specifically, Pacific Wind Power, LLC is proposing a 200 Mw project in south Crook County that would require an investment of approximately $200 million when complete. www.pacwnd.com
Western Community Energy (WCE) is a community-based wind energy developer that relocated to Bend in late 2008 and is already expanding its headquarters to accommodate employee and revenue growth. WCE specializes in community-based wind energy projects, which are small- to mid-sized projects (from 50-kilowatts up to 40-megawatts) for private landowners, small businesses, and municipalities. By not leasing the land on which it installs wind turbines, WCE provides the landowner with up to a 50 percent equity partnership. Visit www.westerncommunityenergy.com
GEOTHERMAL energy
At the cost of $10 million each, Davenport Power is in the process of drilling several 10,000 foot deep wells over a well-know hot spot south of Bend. The company is hoping this exploration investment will provide the right conditions to build a new $200 million geothermal plant that will produce 120 Mw annually. www.davenportpower.com
PLASMA WASTE CONVERSION
ECO recently helped recruit the headquarters of INENTEC, which was founded by former Battelle Laboratories scientists in Washington's Tri-Cities area. The company uses a 20,000 degree F process to convert low grade nuclear, medical and common landfill waste into its elements which are distilled into marketable gases and fuels. The company has received considerable VC cash, and has operating projects in Asia, is currently building a production scale operation in Nevada and also has a project with Dow Chemical. www.inentec.com
BIOMASS fuel
Several companies are pursuing new power production plants using the region's considerable wood fiber from public and private forests and wood products companies. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs announced the first project, the development of which has been delayed for various reasons. For more info, visit: www.electricityforum.com/news/may05/Bendbiomassplant.html