LEVERAGING SOLAR ENERGY SOURCES IN OREGON

The growing levels of carbon dioxide present an opportunity to find new ways of creating energy. The state of Oregon currently depends on fossil fuels to generate the electricity that other renewable energy sources cannot produce. Fossil fuels, such as coal, make up roughly 45.86% of the State of Oregon's electricity production (Energy in Oregon, 2018). One approach to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is to leverage the use of solar energy. Leveraging solar energy sources in Oregon is directly linked to the NAE Grand Challenge of “Developing Carbon Sequestration Methods” (National Academy of Engineering, 2019). Intel is one of the largest manufacturers in Oregon and possess the resources to switch from fossil fuels to exclusively solar energy. Relying exclusively on solar energy, Intel could reduce Oregon’s carbon dioxide production between 9.98% and 14.97%. The amount of avoidable carbon dioxide is dependent on the solar array operating performance ratio. The concern with Intel relying exclusively on solar energy is the amount of space needed to install a solar array large enough to support Intel’s demand.