Columbia County Secures Grant for Solar Panels and Battery Storage at the John Gumm Building and Civic Center

ST. HELENS, Ore., August 11, 2026 — Columbia County has been awarded a $994,931 grant from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to install solar panels and battery storage systems at the John Gumm Building and Civic Center in St. Helens.

The project will include 67 solar panels and two battery storage systems. The solar panels will help reduce the building’s electricity costs. At the same time, the battery systems will store energy that can be used to keep the facility powered for a period of time during a power outage. Together, the improvements will reduce ongoing energy costs and strengthen the resiliency of this important county facility.

The grant was made possible through House Bill 2021 (HB 2021), which established funding for community renewable energy and energy resilience projects throughout Oregon.

“This nearly $1 million investment is a great opportunity for Columbia County to improve one of our public facilities while bringing outside funding into our community,” said Commissioner Margaret Magruder. “It will help lower ongoing energy costs while also giving the John Gumm Building an added level of protection during power outages. This is exactly the kind of long-term investment we want to make in county infrastructure.”

The project reflects Columbia County’s ongoing effort to responsibly maintain and improve public facilities while pursuing state and other outside funding opportunities to reduce the local cost of major capital improvements.

For additional information about the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, visit: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/incentives/pages/crep.aspx.

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