Dam!

Dam! hit the road and headed to Seattle, Washington, to record this special episode on site at the 2024 US Society on Dams annual conference. We opened up the guest chair to anyone looking for their "15 minutes of fame" on the podcast, and the lineup did not disappoint. Listen in to hear from the likes of Jeremy Begley, Dr. Nathaniel Gee, and Dr. Robert Hall and enjoy their expert insights and stories!

Fears of drought, extreme weather, and a future full of uncertainty are not without reason. Climate change is front of mind for many, and reinforced by an onslaught of headlines and social media content. All of this begs the question, can our hydropower resources in the Northwest survive? If anyone is qualified to answer that question, it's Erik Pytlak, who manages weather and streamflow forecasting at the Bonneville Power Administration. On this episode, Erik shares the ins and outs of making forecasts and predictions, and answers our burning questions about the future of hydro as we know it.

On this episode of Dam!, we're joined by Rebekah Anderson, senior manager of communications at Tacoma Public Utilities and author of The Grand Promise. Her award-winning fiction novel captures life during the construction of Grand Coulee dam and illustrates the positive and negative impacts that it had on nearby communities. Of course, you'll have to read the book for yourself to get the full story, but Anderson shared the inspiration and history that were instrumental to the narrative, her writing process, how it changed her perspectives on hydropower and public works as a whole, and much more.

To know of hydropower and to love it go hand-in-hand. Today, the challenge is that less and less people actually know much about hydropower at all. The Foundation for Water & Energy Education, or FWEE for short, is tackling that challenge head on by bringing hydro to the classroom in creative and exciting ways. Sheila Corson, serving as acting the acting board chair, joins Dam! to share the important mission of FWEE, how they educate educators, the numerous ways students can get engaged and identify potential career paths, and the power of the PowerWheel and its ability to bring joy and excitement to people of all ages. Listen on, and you'll also hear how you can get involved and help bring hydro education to your community!

In January of 2024, a blanket of extreme cold and ice was cast over the Northwest. The winter storm presented many threats, and our grid was not immune to them. Despite extremely high energy demand, our abundance of hydropower ensured we never faced shortages and rolling blackouts. We reached out to the Bonneville Power Administration, who supplies that energy to public utilities across the region, to get the full scoop. On this very special episode, we were joined by Michelle Cathcart, vice president of generation asset management, who provided her insight and expertise on the January storm, how BPA tackles storms as a whole, and what lessons we can learn from this event.

Clearwater Power's Bob Pierce is not just their COO–he's also the author of "Ask Bob." In this podcast, we ask Bob what "Ask Bob" is, how he got started answering questions from the community, and revisit some of his most popular questions over the years to get his take. As you'll hear, there's a Dam! good reason he's the guy to go to when you've got questions about energy and hydropower!

Class is in session! "But hold on, what happened to my Dam! podcast?" Hey, no worries, Dam! isn't going anywhere. This week, we're releasing a special episode as part of a new sub-series of the regular podcast that aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of hydropower and how it interacts with energy and the environment–particularly in the Northwest. That fundamental understanding is essential to grasping the more in-depth discussions we love having with our expert guests. We welcome those new to hydro and our regular enthusiasts alike, and hope you all learn a little something from tuning in.

We're joined by Bree Mendlin, program director at the Hydropower Foundation, to discuss the various pathways and opportunities available to those interested in joining the waterpower workforce. Along the way, we take a deeper dive into the education efforts, STEM programs, competitions, and college clubs all helping guide students on their career journey, and hear about those who have successfully made that transition from student to employee.

What do the three subjects in the title of this podcast have in common? They're all important aspects of the work being done by Sean Simmons and Angler's Atlas. On this episode of Dam!, Sean explains Angler's Atlas, discusses the importance of citizen science, how the MyCatch app and angling tournaments are bringing in valuable fish data, and how he hopes to use similar methods with the Salmon Prize–a competition aimed at producing models that can better predict salmon returns.

In our final episode of the year, we introduce Dam! listeners to Northwest RiverPartners' new interim executive director, Heather Stebbings. Transitioning from her prior role with the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Heather brings a wealth of knowledge about the lower Snake River dams issue to the table. We discuss her background, her plans as interim, and the continuity she hopes to provide to the organization during this time of transition.

We bid farewell to our executive director, Kurt Miller, on our 21st episode of Dam! On this one, Kurt shares the memories made and lessons learned leading Northwest RiverPartners, where he's headed and what he'll be up to next, and he shares incredibly valuable career and personal advice that you won't want to miss. Of course, there are plenty of laughs and good times along the way.

We welcome a very fitting guest to Dam! this week with Brenna Vaughn, executive director of the Northwest Hydroelectric Association–or NWHA. As you can imagine, we covered all things hydropower advocacy, education, the challenges and opportunities that hydro faces, and compared and contrasted the work of both organizations.

This very special episode of Dam! features Thomas McAndrew, founder, president, and CEO of Enchanted Rock, who flew in from Texas to join us in studio with his good friend Kurt Miller, executive director here at Northwest RiverPartners. We discuss the various microgrid solutions that Enchanted Rock provides, the benefits of renewable natural gas and how it works (at a fifth grade-ish level), the challenges the grid faces and what solutions might help us get out of the woods, and we get a double dose of life advice.

Okay, maybe they don't like being called "little." You may know them better as small modular nuclear reactors, and they could just be the big breakthrough we need to reach our clean energy goals. Luckily, our friends and member, Energy Northwest, knows a thing or two about this topic and could educate us on all things nuclear. On this episode, Greg Cullen, vice president of energy services and development, fills us in on SMRs here in the Northwest and discusses the challenges we face as well.

What's a microgrid? Why put it in a box? How does this all tie in to hydropower? These are all great questions you're probably asking, and to help answer them, we pulled together not one, but three expert guests for this special episode of Dam! To explain the project and how it works, Thomas Mosier and Kurt Myers from Idaho National Laboratory join the podcast. And, to gain a public power perspective, we also brought in Ted Austin from Fall River Electric Cooperative–the utility that participated in the demonstration with INL.

Dam! returns for another excellent episode with the Port of Lewiston's general manager, Scott Corbitt. Thanks to Scott, we get the full scoop on inland ports, barge transportation, the movement of agriculture products and goods on Marine Highway M-84, why the lower Snake River dams are essential, and so much more.

What is grid modernization? How does one go about it? Why do we need it in the first place? All great questions someone might ask if they were going to do a podcast with Bryce Yonker of Grid Forward. Luckily for you, this is that podcast, and we asked all of those questions, and more! Strap in and get ready to learn about smart meters and thermostats, demand response programs, how drones help utilities manage power lines, the role of rooftop solar and EVs as grid assets, and how recent federal policies have paved the way for modernization to take place.

Billy Terry of Consumer's Power Inc. appears on this episode of Dam! to share his experience as chief operations officer before, during, and after wildfires scorched the community of Detroit Lake in Oregon. We dive into his utility background and getting his start in California, the changes he's witnessed to Northwest summers as a result of climate change, the work Consumer's did to prepare for wildfires, the experience of living and working through the Beachie Creek Fire, how hydropower serves as a "fireproof" energy resource, and what's next as his utility faces the enormous challenge of replacing all of the infrastructure that was lost. Plus, he gives us his advice on what to do to prepare yourself in the event that wildfire ends up at your own doorstep.

We're joined on this episode by none other than Malcolm Woolf, president and CEO of the National Hydropower Association. Malcolm gives us valuable insights into hydropower advocacy at the national level, the ground being made on energy policy, finding common ground through uncommon dialogue, what makes hydropower the "unsung hero of the grid," and why telling water power's story is so important. As a bonus, you get his take on marine energy and pumped storage!

If you didn't piece it together from the episode title, on this special episode of Dam! we hear from our neighbors in California on the current state of hydropower. Nick Dominguez of Lassen Municipal Utility District shares the unique challenges California utilities face, gives us a lay of the land for Lassen's service territory, breaks down the energy supply from hydropower and other resources, and we compare and contrast how all of this relates to the Pacific Northwest.

Washington Policy Center's new Eastern Washington director, Sean O'Brien, joins Dam! to give us some insight into the world of Northwest energy policy at a state and national level. We explore Sean's prior roles, including his time working for Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA), making a return home to the Northwest, his experience with AgForestry, and what's happening at the legislative and judicial level right now that could impact hydropower. Additionally, he shares a fascinating untold story of the aftermath of the Murray-Inslee process and the demands placed on the folks who depend on the Columbia and Snake river system as a result of the extensive studying of dam removal.

It's a meeting of the minds between two public power podcast hosts! We're joined on this special episode of Dam! by Danny Combs, corrective action program specialist and host of the Coworker to Coworker podcast at Grant PUD. Topics covered include the behind the curtain discussion of successfully creating and hosting the podcast, providing an answer to that "so what?" question that is often raised with regards to public power podcasting, a little history lesson, Grant's hydropower projects and the ways they enable the community to thrive and grow, and everything the utility is doing to solve problems and reach new heights.

Cam LeHouillier, manager of energy research and development at Tacoma Public Utilities, gives us the scoop on all things electric vehicles in this episode of Dam! We take a look at bringing electrification to both residential and commercial transportation, charging and energy infrastructure, the important role of hydropower and clean energy, what responsibility utilities have in carving out a path for electrification, utilizing batteries alongside hydrogen for heavy duty applications, the unique challenges in electrifying a major port, and Cam's personal advice on switching to an EV.

This time on Dam!, author and executive director of ORECA, Ted Case, schools us on the history of hydropower and rural electrification in the Northwest. We discuss the subject matter of his books, Power Plays and Poles, Wires, and War, as well as the public power's representation in US politics, presidential libraries, the value of these assets in the modern day, and where the political trends are headed on the subject. As a bonus, Ted gives us the scoop on ORECA's involvement in bringing a rural electrification movement to Guatemala.

In this episode of Dam!, we catch up with Katie Pfennigs, the manager of community relations at Flathead Electric Cooperative. She provides us with a Western Montana perspective on hydropower and the challenges of electric utilities in the Rocky Mountain region of the country. We also explore the fundamental value of communications, policy and government affairs work, Montana's housing crisis, freezing your face off, damaged line trucks in the height of the rut, and advocating on behalf of hydropower.

Dam! explores the topic of Northwest agriculture and where it intersects with hydropower with Blaine Meek of AgriNorthwest. We get to know what farming in Southeast Washington looks like and the community behind our agriculture, gain insight into the role of dams in irrigation and agriculture, explore the sticky subject of the lower Snake River dams and what breaching could mean for our farms, and compare and contrast the biological systems of crops, salmon, and our own human selves.

Energy GPS's Director of Market Analytics, Steve Edburg, joins the podcast to do take a deep dive into clean energy, hydropower, and much more. We discuss everything from what Energy GPS does to the studies they've completed for Northwest RiverPartners on the impacts of removing and replacing the lower Snake River dams. Steve also shares his data-driven perspective on our clean energy goals and the pace of renewable buildout, policy and electrification, and his outlook on where the Northwest's grid is headed. Analysis, energy, and integrity are the common threads that sew together this episode of Dam!

On this episode of Dam!, Douglas PUD's Gary Ivory fills us in on his utilities exploration into hydrogen and what it means for his community and beyond. We also explore what else Douglas has going on, from hydropower projects to hatcheries and even broadband internet! 

Benton PUD's Rick Dunn joins the pod to share his expertise on regional energy, grid reliability, and the technologies, including hydropower, that power his community. He also describes his passion for educating policymakers and the public on the importance of safety, affordability, and reliability when deciding how the Northwest will steer its clean energy transition. 

In this episode, Rye Development's vice president of development, Erik Steimle, joins us to talk all things pumped storage. We explore this "alternative" hydropower technology, how pumped storage facilities work, and why they're an important asset in the transition to clean energy. Additionally, Erik breaks down what it takes to build pumped storage and the benefits communities can expect. Get pumped!

Northwest RiverPartners executive director and hydropower advocate Kurt Miller joins the show for our very first episode of Dam! We break down whos, whats, whens, wheres, hows, and whys–and any other questions you can think of–regarding a Northwest hydropower podcast. Together, we also give you some insight into the organization and what we're all about.