Oregon’s Solar Industry Hosts Largest Member Meeting Ever

This year OSEIA is telling a different story than they have told in the past. Solar is growing in Oregon, and growing quickly. The industry has never been as cohesive as it is today.

“I was completely stunned,” noted Craig Ernst, OSEIA’s development director. “We have never seen this type of participation. We had over 11 folks running for 5 open board seats. I barely recognized half of the attendees. We are onto something!”

OSEIA members and industry stakeholders heard from a wide range of presenters on topics that included but were not limited to the current legislative session, PUC issues and OSEIA’s Oregon Solar Plan which outlines strategies to increase solar deployment in Oregon to enable the state to generate 10% of its electricity from solar energy in ten years.

Jon Miller, OSEIA’s executive director from 2002 – 2008 exclaimed, “It was impressive to see so many people, so many new members. I think OSEIA had over 24 new members in 2016, that's awesome! It looks like many of the new faces are working in the large scale and utility PV sector which has seen a tremendous surge here in Oregon.”

As the solar industry continues to grow, OSEIA grows with it. This legislative session we are fighting to extend the residential energy tax credit, a unique program that has created hundreds of jobs across the state and allowed thousands of homeowners to save money on their electricity bills while making a smart investment in the future.