Oregon Utility Petitions Public Commission to Forbid 'Third-Party' Solar Deals, Stirring Anxiety in Solar Industry. By Gail Kinsey Hill, Portland Oregonian, June 12, 2008. "Oregon's solar boom -- a cornerstone of hope for renewable energy -- may go bust over concerns raised by utility Pacific Power... Cities and counties, because they do not pay taxes, cannot enjoy the tax breaks offered by federal and state government for renewable energy development. But there's no shortage of eager partners among private businesses... And that's the match that concerns Pacific Power. It's called the 'third party' deal -- where a private company generates power a city couldn't and sells it to the city for distribution to customers. Such tax incentives are behind the surge in solar installations. The tax breaks, along with grants from the Energy Trust, can cut payback periods for multimillion-dollar projects to five years, even less. Third-party deals have allowed tax-exempt entities to put in solar panels -- on rooftops or on the ground -- and transfer the tax credits to outside parties... Pacific Power's questions are outlined in a petition submitted to the Public Utility Commission last month. The commission is expected to rule in one to two months... Portland General Electric, Oregon's largest utility, hasn't joined Pacific Power in its petition."
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