Grounded: a Podcast by the Oregon Department of Energy

On this interactive episode of Grounded, we sit down with ODOE’s Director, Janine Benner, and walk through the Oregon Energy History Timeline section of the 2020 Biennial Energy Report. Visit https://energyinfo.oregon.gov/blog/2021/4/23/grounded-podcast-back-in-time-with-janine-benner for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_Fo…Free/Layers/If

On this special episode of Grounded, we meet up with ODOE’s Senior Energy Policy Analyst, John Cornwell, who takes us through the fundamentals of the exciting renewable energy resource that is biomass. Then we’ll dig deeper into to the electricity potential for Oregon with Oregon Torrefaction’s CTO, Dr. Wayne Lei. Visit https://energyinfo.oregon.gov/blog/2021/3/17/grounded-podcast-biomass-special for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_Fo…Free/Layers/If

On this episode of Grounded we meet with Charles Sekafetz, the Program Chair for Chemeketa Community College's Electronics Program, and learn about the Renewable Energy Management path. As the renewable energy industry continues to grow, so do these specialized jobs. We learn from Charles what the program offers and how this new wave of energy workers are preparing for the future.  Visit https://energyinfo.oregon.gov/ for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_Fo…Free/Layers/If

On this episode of Grounded we meet DEQ's Clean Fuels Program Manager, Cory Ann Wind, and learn about the program's work towards decreasing the amount of pollution allowed from transportation fuels in Oregon. In fact, their goal is 25% by 2035! Cory Ann shares with us some of the program's growing pains, how their clean fuel incentives work, and a few unexpected successes. The program also just launched a new website which can be found here: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/cfp/Pages/default.aspx Visit energyinfo.oregon.gov for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_Fo…Free/Layers/If

Grounded is back this month with a new episode so we can bid a fond farewell to Oregon Department of Energy's own Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ken Niles. After 31 years with the agency, Ken is retiring and moving on to new adventures! Join us as we talk to Ken about his time with ODOE and his thoughts on what is to come for Oregon and the Hanford cleanup. Learn more and see photos: www.energyinfo.oregon.gov Learn more about us: www.oregon.gov/energy Music: "If" by Broke For Free, freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/

We’re in Portland for our latest episode of Grounded, talking with TriMet, the metro area’s public transit agency. TriMet has been helping Oregonians on the move for 50 years – and they’re on the leading edge of sustainability in transportation. Public Information Officer Tia York tells us all about the agency’s latest electric bus pilot, mini wind turbines, and more. See photos and get helpful links at https://energyinfo.oregon.gov. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

Everybody poops. On our latest episode of Grounded, we’re joined by Paul Suto, Engineering Manager with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services. BES is working on its “Poop to Power” project, which will convert methane from wastewater treatment processes into useable, renewable energy. See photos and get helpful links at https://energyinfo.oregon.gov. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

Today on Grounded, we’re talking to Matt Teske, founder and CEO of Chargeway, an Oregon-based company focused on making it easy to charge your electric vehicle. Chargeway’s innovative platform takes the guesswork out of how and where you charge your electric vehicle, using color-coded plug types and simple numbers for charging speed. Visit energyinfo.oregon.gov for helpful links. Download Chargeway’s free app at www.chargeway.net. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_Fo…Free/Layers/If

On our latest episode of Grounded, we’re talking solar energy and virtual net metering in Ashland, Oregon. Stu Green, the City of Ashland’s Climate and Energy Analyst, talks about the city’s bold strategy for expanding access to renewable solar electricity to more Oregonians. Ashland is committed to fighting climate change, and was an early adopter of solar policies in the 1980s – they are walking the talk to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve community resilience. Visit energyinfo.oregon.gov for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

For our latest episode of Grounded, we are in Southern Oregon at Rogue Disposal and Recycling. This episode was a fun one to record on site at Rogue’s White City transfer station – so don’t be surprised if you hear a collection truck or two traveling by! It might seem unusual to be talking garbage and landfills on an energy podcast, so get ready to geek out about some of the amazing things this company is working on to improve its services, harness energy, and protect its environment. Visit energyinfo.oregon.gov for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

On our latest episode of Grounded, Alan Johnston, Senior Engineer for the City of Gresham Wastewater Treatment Plant, is with us to talk about the plant’s operations (everybody poops!), and how they’ve implemented energy projects onsite that end up producing more electricity than the plant can even use. Gresham has also become the first certified facility for Renewable Energy Certificates for thermal energy. ODOE REC expert Rebecca Smith joins the episode later to talk about what that means. Visit https://energyinfo.oregon.gov for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at https://www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

We’re in Northeast Portland this week, talking to Carolina Iraheta Gonzalez, Verde’s Community Energy Advocate. Verde is part of the Living Cully collaborative, an effort to boost sustainability as an anti-poverty strategy in the Cully neighborhood. Living Cully released its Community Energy Plan earlier this year – Carolina tells us about in this week’s episode. Visit https://energyinfo.oregon.gov for helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

We are in Lebanon, Oregon this week, interviewing Brian Trice, Executive Director for the Columbia Willamette Clean Cities Coalition, a nonprofit focused on boosting alternative fuels in our state. Brian dives in to the Coalition’s work in Oregon, how the Advanced Transportation Technology Center at Linn-Benton Community College plays a role in alternative fuels, and his upcoming Green Transportation Summit & Expo. Not to mention: an epic race battle between Ford F-150 and a Nissan Leaf. Visit https://energyinfo.oregon.gov for photos and helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

Grounded is back with a new season – and we are jumping right in with the fascinating, innovative work NuScale Power is doing in Corvallis, Oregon. NuScale was borne from research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through Idaho National Environment & Engineering Laboratory, with support from Oregon State University. Today, the company is nearing certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its small modular nuclear reactor technology. Dr. Jose Reyes, NuScale co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, joins us for today’s episode to talk about NuScale’s work and what it means for worldwide energy – and what it could mean for Oregon. Visit http://energyinfo.oregon.gov for helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

When you flip on your light switch at home, do you ever think about where that electricity came from? Energy facilities like wind farms and power plants are spread out among our communities, producing energy to keep our state running. The birth of an energy facility – and its lifespan – is dependent on a governor-appointed body by called the Energy Facility Siting Council. Their complex work is supported by staff at the Oregon Department of Energy. On this latest episode, ODOE Siting Division Administrator Todd Cornett gives us an energy facility siting 101 lesson. Visit http://energyinfo.oregon.gov for helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If