Nine non-profits receive solar panels to help offset energy costs
By Griffin Beach on Wednesday, October 8th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
BOARDMAN – On Monday the ribbon was cut on a community solar project through Amazon and GRID Alternatives, a non-profit installer of clean energy technologies, that installed solar panels on the roofs of nine non-profit organizations to help them lower their energy bills by helping to offset energy costs.
The solar installations are designed to generate 250 kilowatts of energy and plan to reduce energy bills by 80 percent over the next thirty years.
“The panels themselves will last to be very functional longer, though we just quote that because it’s the warrantied amount on the electrical equipment,” said GRID Alternatives Director of Strategic Initiatives Dan Dumovich.
GRID will manage the long-term maintenance and performance monitoring plans as well as remote monitoring. The recipients own the solar installations for as long as they choose.
The project began late last year, with the installations wrapping up this past summer and culminating in the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Boardman Senior Center.
“In the few months that we have had the solar panels provided by Amazon, we have already seen a significant reduction in our monthly electric bills,” said Rick Weiss, President of the Boardman Senior Center Board of Directors.
Morrow County Commissioner David Sykes spoke at Monday’s ceremony and talked about how contributions such as this help Morrow County communities.
“They plug a lot of the holes and things that don’t get done with taxes and things like that, that help our social fabric,” he said.
The nine recipients of the solar panels are:
- Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center (Hermiston)
- Agape House (Hermiston)
- Martha’s House Transitional Housing (Hermiston)
- Stepping Stones Alliance Homeless Shelter (Hermiston)
- Umatilla Center Head Start School
- Pine Tree Center Head Start (Umatilla)
- Boardman Senior Center
- Irrigon Emergency Assistance Center and Pantry
- Willow Creek Terrace Assisted Living Facility (Heppner)
The Boardman Food Pantry was also a recipient of solar panels, but the church that housed the pantry was destroyed in a July fire. Representatives from the pantry were still on hand for Monday’s ceremony, and Sykes mentioned that Amazon has been involved with efforts to help build a new location for the pantry which is currently housed at a temporary location.
Representatives from each of the solar panel recipients line up to cut the ribbon at a Monday ceremony at Boardman Senior Center
