• Strackers Operate Where Fixed Solar Cannot: Dense Cities and Productive Farmland • Strackers Elevated Dual-Axis Tracking Delivers 70% More Power Using 90% Less Space • New Oregon Law and Oregon-Based Stracker Set National Precedent for Microgrids • Stracker Microgrids with Control Energy Costs, Ease Grid Strain, and Keep Power On During Power Outages

ASHLAND, OREGON — As the U.S. electric grid strains under surging demand—from aging infrastructure and climate-driven extremes to the explosive rise of data centers—the urgency for resilient, localized power solutions has never been clearer. Oregon's landmark microgrid law, signed this summer by Governor Tina Kotek, arrives at a pivotal moment. The law dismantles long-standing utility obstacles, clearing the way for microgrids to deliver reliability, cost control, and energy independence across public and private sectors.

Rising Pressure on Oregon's Grid from Data Centers
Data centers now account for roughly 11% of Oregon's electricity consumption, with expectations of continued growth pushing infrastructure and ratepayer burden to new heights. Reports confirm that costs to serve these massive energy users are increasingly spread across all consumers, contributing to rising bills—some up 50% over the past four years—and an alarming increase in utility disconnections. Western grid authorities likewise warn that new data centers are outpacing the region's capacity to build a reliable energy supply and transmission .

Microgrids: The Ultimate in Energy Security
Against this backdrop, microgrids emerge as a foundational solution—providing energy security, autonomy, and resilience for businesses, municipalities, and government agencies. By generating critical electricity on site, microgrids immunize essential services (from wastewater plants to emergency operations) against widespread outages, while reducing dependence on the strained broader grid.

Microgrids Enhance Overall Grid Resilience
Distribution grid tied microgrids not only protect local users—they fortify the regional grid by smoothing demand peaks, reducing strain during extreme weather, and enabling flexible energy flows. Their decentralized nature mitigates systemic vulnerabilities in aging infrastructure and improves adaptability to evolving threats.

Oregon's Microgrid Law: Leading the Nation
Oregon's new framework stands as the first in the nation to explicitly authorize customers to "self perform" microgrid development—freeing municipalities, businesses, and agencies from utility delays or vetoes. This streamlines deployment, shrinking project timelines and unleashing resilient infrastructure investments.

Stracker Solar: Elevated Dual-Axis Tracking—70% More Output, Zero Land Loss
Ashland based Stracker Solar is primed to lead this microgrid revolution. Its extreme engineered, elevated dual axis solar trackers offer up to 70% greater energy yield compared to traditional fixed systems—all while preserving the land beneath for agriculture, parking, or community use.

Stracker's technology is well-proven in the field. The company collaborated on the creation of the first agrivoltaic microgrid in the United States at Our Table Cooperative in Sherwood, Oregon—an innovative system that demonstrated how elevated, dual-axis solar trackers can deliver both resilient power and productive farmland use on the same footprint. This nationally significant proof-of-concept showed that Strackers and agriculture can thrive side by side while delivering reliable, on-site energy security.

Building on that success, Stracker has deployed municipal microgrids for the cities of Talent and Ashland, ensuring local resilience in the face of outages and wildfire risk. Beyond Oregon, a Stracker-powered microgrid drives an off-grid robotic dairy in California's Antelope Valley, providing continuous, renewable power for a fully automated agricultural operation. Today, the company is advancing a new project in Coburg, Oregon, where up to 12 Strackers will power a wastewater treatment plant microgrid, protecting emergency operations at this critical public facility.

Founder Jeff Sharpe emphasizes, "Strackers were engineered with microgrids in mind…for maximizing distributed grid output and optimizing microgrid placement, there's simply no better way to mount solar panels."

A Strategic Asset for Critical Services & Commercial Continuity
When the grid fails, microgrids keep essential systems alive—powering 911 dispatch centers, water treatment, cold chain logistics, hospitals, and more. For businesses, a big box store outfitted with 60 Strackers (1MW) and battery storage could operate entirely off grid: lights, registers, refrigeration—business continues uninterrupted. That's not just resilience—it's competitive advantage.

Conclusion—Microgrids as National Model
With an increasingly vulnerable transmission grid and the explosive energy appetite of data centers, the time to act is now. Oregon's microgrid law sets a national precedent; Stracker's elevated dual axis microgrid systems offer unmatched efficiency and versatility. Together, they carve a path toward a more resilient, secure energy future for business, government, and community alike

About Stracker Solar
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Ashland, Oregon, Stracker Solar specializes in manufacturing elevated dual-axis solar trackers that enhance photovoltaic efficiency by up to 70% compared to traditional fixed systems. Their innovative single-pole design maintains a 14-foot ground clearance, allowing for continued land use beneath the installations, making them ideal for parking lots, agricultural settings, and various commercial applications. By continuously aligning with the sun's position, Stracker's systems maximize energy output per square foot, providing a sustainable and space-efficient solution for renewable energy needs.