Central Electric Cooperative’s Bend office is a couple of months away from unveiling solar panels members can sponsor and in return receive a reduced bill.

The member-owned utility, based in Redmond, plans to have about 700 solar panels generating electricity as early as November at the office and maintenance facility on SE 27th Street.

Installation by Bend-based Sunlight Solar Energy will begin in early October, Jeff Beaman, Central Electric’s project manager, said Wednesday.

The Central Electric project is one of several recently proposed solar panel installations near Bend. Cypress Creek Renewables and Oregon Solar Land Holdings are each attempting to develop solar farms off Neff Road on 70 acres. A Deschutes County hearings officer is still reviewing those proposals . The permit applications received opposition from some residents concerned about the panels being incongruent with surrounding agricultural uses.

Deschutes County planners approved a permit and site plan for the Central Electric project Aug. 27.

The cooperative provides electricity to about 25,000 members in Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Linn, Wasco and Lake counties.

Beaman said the utility surveys members every two years. Comments received in 2014 urged Central Electric to explore alternative sources of energy.

The cooperative’s energy sources are predominantly emission-free, Beaman said, coming from hydropower, nuclear energy and wind. But there was a growing expectation among members that solar needed to be encouraged and developed for the future, he said.

“This is our first time, and we felt it was what we needed to do as an energy provider,” Beaman said.

On Wednesday, Winter Creek Restoration & Nursery salvaged native grasses at the site where panels will be located.

Central Electric is seeking grants to fund installation of the solar panels. A green energy program, which utility members fund, will also be used.

The remainder of the costs will be shouldered by members who volunteer to pay for about 350 of the panels. A credit will be disbursed on those members’ monthly bills.

Each solar panel will be able to generate about 300 watts for a total capacity of more than 200,000 watts.

The triangle-shaped cooperative property east of Bend is nearly 23 acres. Solar panels, as well as metering equipment, a transformer and inverters, will occupy 3 acres of the property.

The member-owned utility plans to install the solar panels incrementally after initially setting them up on the western portion of the property. The panels will be directed to the east and west.

The county-approved permit and site plan allow for the utility to reach an energy-producing capacity of 500,000 watts from the panels if the utility wants to continue adding to the facility.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, tshorack@bendbulletin.com