The Oregon Department of Energy will temporarily reopen its Solar + Storage Rebate Program on June 15, 2026, offering up to $1.1 million in remaining funds. The program, paused since mid-2024 due to depleted funding, has reopened after administrative savings and canceled projects freed up funds. Homeowners can receive up to $5,000 for solar systems and $2,500 for storage, while organizations serving low-income communities are eligible for up to $30,000 for solar and $15,000 for storage.
Following SB 827, the program now also accepts applications for storage-only additions to existing solar systems. Rebates are issued through approved contractors and applied as upfront cost reductions. Officials expect demand to exceed available funds quickly. Since its launch in 2020, the program has supported over 6,900 projects, committing more than $23.5 million and leveraging $274 million in total investment.
US-based developer Longroad Energy has begun commercial operations at its Sun Pond project, combining 111 MW DC of solar with 85 MW AC/340 MWh of battery storage in Arizona. The electricity output has been secured under long-term agreements with Ava Community Energy and San José Clean Energy (SJCE). The project is expected to generate enough power annually for about 35,000 US homes while improving grid reliability through its integrated storage system, said Longroad.
Sun Pond forms part of the larger Sun Streams Complex in Maricopa County, Arizona, which will total nearly 1.6 GW of solar and storage capacity. The project used modules from First Solar, smart trackers from Nextpower, solar inverters from Sungrow, and battery systems from Fluence.
Meta and EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) have signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the 250 MW Cypress Knee Solar project in Arkansas. The deal supports Meta’s goal of matching 100% of its electricity use with new renewable energy.
The project is expected to be completed by 2028 and will add new generation capacity to the local grid. Once operational, it is projected to generate around $25 million in revenue for Chicot County and create local jobs. Cypress Knee Solar is the third agreement between the 2 companies, bringing their total contracted capacity to 545 MW.
Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E), a subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp., has announced a long-term agreement to supply electricity to 3 new data centers by Google in Muskogee and Stillwater, Oklahoma. Under the deal, Google will fully fund grid interconnection costs, pay its share of generation capacity, and cover all contracted costs regardless of actual electricity use. The agreement also includes provisions to add new power resources, including capacity from 2 solar projects under construction.
OG&E said the structure ensures strong consumer protections, helping maintain some of the lowest electricity rates in the US. The utility plans to use the model to support a new large-load tariff filing in 2026. The agreements will be submitted to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for approval, which will review potential impacts on customer rates and grid operations.
Renewable Properties has acquired 118 MW of Series 7 cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar modules from First Solar, produced at the latter’s US facilities. The modules will support solar projects under development and construction across 17 states. California will receive the largest share with 51 MW across 9 projects, followed by 20 MW in New York, 8 MW in Illinois, and 2 MW in Minnesota. The remaining 37 MW will be deployed across other projects in the company’s pipeline.
The deal highlights growing demand for domestically manufactured solar equipment as developers expand capacity amid rising electricity demand. First Solar, which operates major manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio, is also building a new plant in South Carolina, which is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026.
