NewSun is driving sustainable economic growth in rural Oregon.
Local Jobs.
Local jobs strengthen communities by boosting wages and fostering economic growth.
Projects provide direct jobs, wages, and contracts during construction and beyond.
Construction phase creates high-demand opportunities for construction crews, consultants, and skilled labor.
Project development drives increased spending at local restaurants, shops, hotels, and suppliers.
Long-term roles in operation and maintenance ensure ongoing community benefits.
Tax Revenue.
Property tax income provides a consistent and reliable funding stream.
Tax revenue directly supports schools, emergency services, and other critical community needs.
Increases in tax revenue creates opportunities to fund costly improvements like roads and public facilities.
Stable funding drives community growth by enabling towns to invest in essential services and sustainable economic development.
Grid Resiliency.
Generating power close to where it is consumed builds resilient communities.
Grid resiliency means preventing or limiting grid outages or disruptions, such as those caused by fire and wind.
Battery energy storage systems can improve power supply and relieve congestion on the grid, ensuring consistent power availability throughout the day and night.
Generating and storage facilities stabilize and enhance the larger grid by diversifying the location of generating sources.
Harney County, Oregon
In 2020, NewSun built four projects in Harney County and tracked the economic impacts:
$4,000,000 in local contracts
$420,000 per year in property tax revenue
300,000 employment hours
Full resurfacing of Best Lane Road
Nine months full hotels and restaurants and increase in business in Burns and Hines
$400,000 in community investments, including the Harney District Hospital Specialty Care Clinic; scholarships; 4H/FFA and County Fair sponsorships. Learn more here.
Lake County, Oregon
In 2020, NewSun built four projects in Lake County and tracked the economic impacts:
Over $36,000,000 in wages paid
$280,000 per year in property tax revenue
300,000 employment hours worked during construction phase
Repairs and gravel replacement on Webster and Connley roads with direct funding, labor, and equipment
Increase in revenue for Lake County and La Pine hotels and restaurants during a nine-month construction period
$150,000+ in community investments, including Connley Caves research near Fort Rock, scholarships, 4H/FFA and County Fair, and FoodShare. Learn more here.
Oregon House Bill 2021 commits the state to 100% clean electricity by 2040, bans new fossil-fuel power plants, and supports community-based renewable energy projects.
Building an estimated 46 GW of clean energy in Oregon is projected to create thousands of jobs and generate billions in economic activity. EcoNorthwest estimates the economic impacts of meeting the statutory requirement are:
$15 billion in revenue for Oregon's economy
$10 billion in wages
$2 billion in tax revenue
8,300 average annual installation, operations, and maintenance jobs
Oregon House Bill 2021: A Path to Clean Energy and Economic Growth
A Landowner’s Story
In Fort Rock, Oregon, this solar project helped keep a family ranch profitable during the 2021 Bootleg Fire, when alfalfa and beef prices collapsed.
Renewable energy projects not only create clean energy, they give family farms and ranchers long-term fixed income sources to blend into their finances.
