Pendleton, Oregon Cowboy Town, Promotes Solar Energy With No-Interest Loans

Huffington Post - A cowboy grasping the reins of a bucking bronco has long been the image of this farm and ranch town. It's the emblem of the annual Pendleton Roundup, a celebration of the city's colorful past, when pioneers on the Oregon Trail settled the prairie.

Today, solar panels might just outnumber cowboys.

Rural Pendleton is blazing an unlikely renewable energy trail, offering no-interest loans to spark interest in solar power and a group-buy philosophy to get better prices. More than 50 residents installed systems last year, and the program was expanded to more residents and to include businesses this year.

Oregon earned a reputation for being a green leader years ago, with adoption of the first bottle bill in 1971 to encourage recycling and efforts to keep its beaches public. Read more.