OSSIA Can Pay Your Employees to Take Classes! New Earn to Learn Program
As Oregon’s solar industry prepares for major shifts in 2026, the Oregon Solar Energy Education Fund (OSEEF) is excited to launch the Earn to Learn program!
Earn to Learn helps solar workers continue their professional growth while earning wages and certifications that prepare them for the future of the industry.
Who Can Participate
- Rackers and Material Handlers currently employed by an Oregon solar company
- LRT Apprentices enrolled in the Limited Renewable Technician program
Compensation & Incentives
💰 Apprentices, Rackers, and Material Handlers:
- Paid at their current wage rate for class hours required for their course
- Employers are reimbursed for those class hours
- Tuition is FREE for approved coursework
🧰 Tool Card Incentive:
Participants who complete approved coursework (and have not previously received a Platt card) are eligible for a $200 Platt tool card
How to Apply
- Complete the OSEEF Earn to Learn Application Form
- Contact Erin Zygaitis, Program Manager at OSSIA, to learn more:
- 📧 ErinZ@orssia.org
- 📞 541-337-3452
2026 Call for Proposals Now OPEN
We are now accepting session proposals for the 2026 PNW Solar + Storage Conference. We invite industry leaders, innovators, policymakers and practitioners to submit ideas that share insights, best practices and emerging trends shaping the future of solar and energy storage in the Pacific Northwest.
Proposals may include:
- Technical deep dives
- Policy and regulatory updates
- Market trends and workforce development
- Case studies and project highlights
- Equity, resilience and grid innovation
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Registration is Open
Registration is now open for the 2026 PNW Solar + Storage Conference, hosted by OSSIA in partnership with WASEIA, taking place April 28–30, 2026, in Vancouver, Washington.
This three-day event brings together solar and storage professionals from across Oregon, Washington, and the greater Pacific Northwest for timely policy updates, technical and business-focused education, and meaningful networking with industry leaders. Attendees will have access to in-person and virtual sessions, expert speakers, and opportunities to connect with peers shaping the future of clean energy in our region.
Whether you’re an installer, developer, manufacturer, policymaker, or advocate, the PNW Solar + Storage Conference offers valuable insights, collaboration, and connections you won’t want to miss.
Email Kristi for the OSSIA member discount code
Registration is now open — we encourage you to register early and secure your spot.
Book Your Hotel Now
Oregon Legislative Session Starts!
How are OSSIA’s priorities doing?
It’s week two of the 2026 Oregon Legislative session and so far OSSIA’s priorities are on track! The state’s revenue forecast is slightly up, which is a good thing for Oregon and for solar.
OSSIA’s priorities update:
- Residential solar consumer protection – HB 4029
- OSSIA members worked to craft a residential solar consumer protection bill, mirrored on Washington’s law, to protect the good actors in the industry and our customers.
- HB 4029 had its public hearing on February 3rd. Big thanks to Reeves Clippard with A&R Solar for testifying!
- The bill passed the committee with bi-partisan support on February 10th.
- Solar + Storage Rebate Funding
- ODOE has around $1.5 M in leftover rebate funding
- The legislature has to act in order for those funds to be released
- After OSSIA sent a bi-partisan legislator letter of support for the funds, we heard from legislators that the plan is to give the approval to ODOE late in session. The good revenue forecast helps!
- This puts funds on track to be released in May
- Virtual Power Plants – SB 1582
- OSSIA is joined this year by a large coalition of climate and energy groups to support a comprehensive VPP bill that would allow third party aggregators
- We had a great public hearing on Monday, February 9th and the committee will discuss the bill on Monday February 16th.
- Temporary Siting Streamlining – HB 4031
- This bill allows large utility scale projects that would normally be sited through EFSC to be sited through the county for a two year period, in order to qualify for federal tax credits
- The public hearing was February 3rd – thanks to OSSIA member Stephanie Williams of MN8 Energy for testifying!
- The bill passed committee Feb 10th and is heading to the House floor
- OSSIA made the news in an OPB story about this bill
OSSIA Executive Director on the “Local Energy Rules” Podcast
OSSIA Executive Director, Angela Crowley-Koch, was recently featured on the “Local Energy Rules” podcast. The episode discussed Oregon’s performance-based ratemaking law and the Virtual Power Plant legislation currently being considered.
Listen here
Child Care for Construction
Attention construction families:
Financial assistance for child care is now available for registered apprentices and early career journeyworkers in construction.
Financial assistance for child care is NOW AVAILABLE for all registered apprentices and early-career journey workers in construct
Are your children under the age of 12 (or with special needs under the age of 17) living at home and needing care from someone other than a parent? Are you spending more than 2-7% of your household income on child care?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, you may qualify for the Child Care for Construction Program. From the high cost of tools to daily living expenses, many apprentices face financial hurdles that can jeopardize their training and careers, especiallythose that are parents.
That’s why it is so important to support our Oregon workers where it matters most: family. Nobody should have to choose between a paycheck and child care. When workers thrive, Oregon thrives.
The Child Care for Construction programhelps eligible families access reliable, affordable child care, because strong communities start with strong families. CCC is a partnership between Business Oregon and the Bureau of Labor and Industries, fueling economic development by funding supports for the construction workforce.
For more information please contact CCC@boli.oregon.gov
Learn More or Sign Up
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity reopens the Beyond the Meter Prize
Now offering a larger prize pool of $3.4 million in cash prizes and $800,000 in vouchers to work with a national laboratory, competitors are encouraged to form coalitions to demonstrate their existing products and strategic plans to integrate and manage consumer-focused technologies into behind the meter energy storage systems. Through collaboration with consumer-focused technology vendors, teams will develop solutions that maximize the value and flexibility of new, innovative energy resources for both consumers and the grid.
This prize aligns with OE’s Energy Storage Division’s broader mission to advance tools and methods to improve and simplify energy storage integration across all levels of the grid, including generation, transmission, distribution, and consumer applications. By focusing on technology-neutral solutions, the competition aims to identify scalable approaches for improving control, integration, and interoperability.
For this prize, applicants will choose to submit their solutions to either the Residential Solution Track or the Commercial/Industrial Track. For both tracks, the solutions must be fully integrated behind the meter before connecting or interacting with the grid.
In Phase 1 of the competition, teams will present their products and outline strategic collaboration plans with customer-sited technology and product vendors. The winners of this phase will receive $50,000 each upon selection and an additional $200,000 each after highlighting their solutions at the OE Energy Storage Peer Review taking place in Summer. Phase 1 winners are also eligible to receive a $100,000 voucher each to redeem at a single DOE national laboratory.
In Phase 2, winning teams from Phase 1 will refine their solutions and demonstrate a commercially ready product capable of seamless integration with customer-sited technologies including BTM ESS. At this stage, the top two winners will each be awarded $950,000 each upon presenting their advanced products and plans at the OE Energy Storage Peer Review set for Summer 2027. The Phase 2 winners will also be awarded an additional $100,000 voucher at the conclusion of the competition.
The Beyond the Meter Prize updated submission deadline is April 30, 2026. Learn more about this competition, including key dates, updates to the rules, and submission details on HeroX, the official prize platform.
Energy Trust Mayfield Renewables Microgrid training – February 25
Energy Trust of Oregon is hosting Mayfield Renewables to give a one-day training on microgrid feasibility, codes and standards, and best practices. This technical training event will take place at the Power + Light Building on the 10th floor.
Mayfield Renewables is an Oregon-based engineering consultancy focused on complex commercial design and well regarded for their quality education. This day of training will provide an overview of microgrid system planning and design considerations as well as current electrical codes, standards and requirements for PV+BESS systems. Any solar trade ally staff are welcome to attend. The conversations may be most useful to individuals working in commercial design, technical assessment and sales, and electricians, but install crews are encouraged to attend as well. NABCEP CEUs are available.
The training will include the following classes:
- 9am: An Introduction to Microgrid Systems
- 10:15am: Microgrid Feasibility Studies & Modeling Overview
- 11:30am: Lunch
- 12:30pm: Large-Scale Fire Testing Updates for Energy Storage Systems
- 1:45pm: Key NEC and Fire Code Requirements for ESS
- 3:30pm: Design Considerations for Energy Storage Systems
This event is free to all Energy Trust trade allies and will include lunch. Feel free to attend for half the day if your schedule does not allow full day attendance. Please register to reserve a spot.
Please reach out to Shannon Wall with any questions.
Energy Trust of Oregon’s Net Zero Fellowship Grant Opportunity
Interested in becoming a Net Zero Fellow? Attend an informational session on March 3 where you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Net Zero Fellowship and hear firsthand insights from past Net Zero Fellow Chris Flint Chatto. You’ll also learn about the application process and key requirements.
The fellowship provides grant funding for professionals pursuing research over approximately a 12-month period that advances net-zero design and technologies, addresses potential barriers and helps grow community involvement in Oregon and/or Washington.
Don’t miss your chance to be considered for one of two $75,000 grants. The fellowship is open to professionals from any discipline; no architectural or engineering license is required.
When: Tuesday, March 3, 12-1pm
Where: Webinar presentation through Zoom.
