Beginning June 1, Energy Trust of Oregon will be using new income eligibility guidelines and requirements for all income-based programs.

What is changing?
Energy Trust will transition from using State Median Income (SMI) thresholds to Area Median Income (AMI) for Solar Within Reach and Income-Qualified Battery Storage incentives.

State Median Income (SMI) is the income level in which half of households earn more and half earn less by state, while Area Median Income (AMI) is by county. Energy Trust currently uses 120% SMI as the maximum threshold for moderate income programs.  Starting June 1, Energy Trust will use 150% AMI as the maximum threshold for moderate income programs like Solar Within Reach.

Switching to AMI will improve Energy Trust’s ability to more equitably serve customers with our income-based offers. Because AMI is determined on a county-by-county basis, it better incorporates economic variation between regions. Many existing partners of Energy Trust and other programs also already use AMI to determine customer eligibility. This transition will make combining various funding streams more seamless for trade allies, community partners, and customers.

What’s next?
New income tables and forms will be shared soon for all impacted programs and must be used for all projects with a completed install date of June 1 or after. For any questions in the meantime, please contact your Account Manager or solar@energytrust.org.