Morrow County energy project will bring surge of funding to schools
The major energy project slated for Morrow County is going to have a ripple effect — with the capacity for more battery storage than any other facility in the country. With that surge in power storage will come funds for local schools' science, technology and art programs.
Portland General Electric and NextEra Energy Resources have partnered to build the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility, which combines wind, solar and battery power. As of Wednesday, the Morrow County Board of Commissioners approved an updated agreement that will include the capacity for solar and battery power at that facility. The previous agreement included plans for a wind energy project, but no plans for solar and battery had yet been finalized.
Doherty said that aspect of the agreement started with visits to Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, whose district covers the northwesternmost part of the state, including a portion of the Portland-Metro area. Doherty said when he first began looking into a project getting funding for STEM in the area, he heard Bonamici, an advocate for STEM, speak, and presented some of his own ideas to her.