Podcasts about Bonneville Power Administration

Ready to stop being your own worst critic and become your biggest champion? In this inspiring episode of the Marli Williams Podcast, I sit down with bestselling author and keynote speaker Dorice Horenstein, whose powerful new book, “Choose to Be Your Own Champion,” is about reclaiming your inner power. From stories of leadership in the Israeli army to moments of personal reinvention, Dorice reveals her transformative six-step playbook for self-leadership and decision-making. Together, we explore the difference between listening to society's noise and honoring that quiet inner whisper telling you you're meant for more. Plus, discover how embracing your energy, honoring your emotions, and cultivating true self-awareness can open doors to growth. Tune in for a conversation packed with practical wisdom, empowering mindsets, and a deep dive into living with clarity, purpose, and authentic leadership. Are you ready to reimagine what's possible for your life?About Dorice:Dorice Horenstein, the Oy to Joy Champion Catalyst, is an international resilience speaker and Positive Intelligence expert who turns theory into action! A best-selling author and Top 25 Global Thought Leader in Coaching (Thinkers360), Dorice empowers individuals and teams to build resilience, clarity, and joy. With 30 years in education and leadership, she has trained organizations like Bonneville Power Administration, CREW, and Standard Insurance. Her dynamic talks at MDRT Dubai, HR Cruise, and BPAA leave a lasting impact. Her upcoming book, Choosing to Be a Life Champion, offers a six-step roadmap to thriving in life and work.Facebook: SpeakerdoricehorensteinLinkedIn: doricehorensteinInstagram: @doricehorensteinWebsite: doricehorenstein.comFree resource: Choosing CardPlace your pre-order on B&N Books will be available on October 14: HereJoin the Free ambassador program: HereMarli Williams is an international keynote speaker, master facilitator, and joy instigator who has worked with organizations such as Nike, United Way, Doordash, along with many colleges and schools across the United States. She first fell in love with transformational leadership as a camp counselor when she was 19 years old. After getting two degrees and 15 years of leadership training, Marli decided to give herself permission to be the “Professional Camp Counselor” she knew she was born to be. Now she helps incredible people and organizations stop waiting for permission and start taking bold action to be the leaders and changemakers they've always wanted to be through the power of play and cultivating joy everyday. She loves helping people go from stuck to STOKED and actually created her own deck of inspirational messages called StokeQuotes™ which was then followed by The Connect Deck™ to inspire more meaningful conversations. Her ultimate mission in the world is to help others say YES to themselves...

Over the last 10 years Washington has passed a bevy of climate laws aimed at reducing the state’s carbon emissions. That includes a carbon auction, a ban on coal in the state’s energy mix, and a requirement that the state reach net zero emissions by 2045. But during that same period, energy production from renewable sources has actually declined slightly. Oregon has set its sights on net zero emissions by 2050. It, too, has seen sluggish growth in renewable energy. Both states rely on the Bonneville Power Administration to move energy across the state. A new investigation from Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, found that the Bonneville Power Administration's aging grid may be stymieing decarbonization efforts in the Northwest. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Guests: Monica Samayoa, climate reporter at OPB Tony Shick, investigative editor and reporter at OPB Links: How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apartSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in Power Episode 8: NewsData Reporter Roundtable! Looking to update your knowledge of emerging Western wholesale energy markets? This episode of People in Power features three experts on the topic, California Energy Markets Managing Editor Jason Fordney, Clearing Up Editor Steve Ernst and California Energy Markets Associate Editor and Southwest Editor Abigail Sawyer. They discuss both the California Independent System Operator's extended day-ahead market and the competing proposal from the Southwest Power Pool, Markets+. You can hear about the latest dynamics around the markets, from solving the thorny governance issue to the effectiveness of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative to where the Bonneville Power Administration will land. This is a critical listen for anyone involved in Western energy markets! 

Nicole Hughes, executive director of Renewable Northwest, talks with NPM's Jillian Ward about the recent Bonneville Power Administration layoffs and what this means for the Pacific Northwest grid.Hughes has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry including work in project development, construction, finance, permitting, and policy for utility-scale wind and solar. Previously, she worked at AWS Truepower, HDR, RES Americas, and the Bonneville Power Administration.She also currently serves on the board of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies.NPM is a leading data, intelligence & events company providing business development led coverage of the US & European renewable energy & data center markets for the development, finance, M&A and corporate community.Download our mobile app.

The Bonneville Power Administration is among the federal agencies currently being gutted by Elon Musk at Pres. Donald Trump’s direction. The ostensible reason for federal government layoffs and buyouts is to save taxpayer dollars. In the case of the BPA, it’s funded by its ratepayers, not taxpayers, but that hasn’t stopped the departure of hundreds of the agency’s skilled and specialized workers. And additional staffers who were considered probationary were let go without notice last week. And that has industry watchers, including two former heads of the BPA, sounding the alarm about the potential catastrophic impacts on the power grid and the people who rely on it. Steven Wright and Randy Hardy wrote a joint article in an industry newsletter Friday detailing those possible threats.The BPA can be thought of as the backbone of the Northwest power grid. It sells wholesale electricity to the utilities, companies and other entities that sell power to residents all over the region. Sources include hydropower from Columbia River dams and the region’s only operating nuclear power plant. It also transmits energy through 15,000 miles of high voltage lines.The thousands of BPA employees perform tasks from engineering and line work to complex demand modeling and resource planning. That planning includes decisions around sources of power and how to prioritize and price the power. Energy consultant and former BPA administrator Randy Hardy joins us to discuss the details and possible impacts of the Elon Musk-led reductions on the Northwest

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially daily special, Tarrytown Chowder Tuesday is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, Trump spent President's Day pretending to be a tough guy by posting pictures of his mug shot and taking about a dozen mulligans playing golf.Then, on the rest of the menu, both Oregon senators called Trump's dramatic reduction in the workforce at the Bonneville Power Administration, “not only reckless but also financially ludicrous;” Trump has given US schools a deadline to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money; and, Musk fired the FDA officials regulating his brain implant company.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where downloads of China's DeepSeek AI apps are paused in South Korea over privacy concerns; and, JD Vance doubled down on his claims Germany is “criminalizing speech” and warned that its restrictions on his neo-Nazi friends might put a “real strain” on relations with the MAGA White House.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.” -- Ernest Hemingway "A Moveable Feast"Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special Daily Special, Blue Moon Spirits Fridays, is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, “The principled resignation era is now upon us.”Then, on the rest of the menu, Trump-forced Bonneville Power Administration staff departures are raising concerns about the agency's ability to ensure the reliability of the Northwest electrical grid; with a nationwide surge in influenza, the Louisiana Surgeon General ordered a stop in media campaigns and community health fairs that encourage vaccinations; and, a state MAGA lawmaker says Pride flags are verbotten, but Utah schools can let their Nazi and Confederate freak flags fly.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where NATO is testing its ability to rapidly deploy across eastern Europe, without direct US assistance; and, under Trump's orders, Department of Defense schools serving US military families around the world, are purging books on Ruth Bader Ginsberg from its libraries.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!“Structural linguistics is a bitterly divided and unhappy profession, and a large number of its practitioners spend many nights drowning their sorrows in Ouisghian Zodahs.” ― Douglas Adams "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe"Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

Chris comes to us from NEEA, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. Energy savings from LED‘s is pretty much tapped out. Chris explains how utilities are now looking at lighting controls as the next evolution in conserving energy, and how they reach their goals. He enlightens us on how switching the time out on an occupancy sensor from 7 to 5 minutes can make all the difference in reaching the savings target. And please, if there's a projector in the room, don't place the occupancy sensor too close to it. Spoiler alert: the sensor sees hot air movement. For over 25 years Chris Wolgamott has worked in the utility business in the Pacific Northwest, as a program manager, energy efficiency engineer and product manager. Mr. Wolgamott is recognized as a subject matter expert (SME) for LLLC (Luminaire Level Lighting Controls). He works extensively with lighting manufacturers on where the future of lighting and controls are headed. His work in the utility business has allowed him to gain vast knowledge on how incentive programs are developed and run. As the Senior Product Manager for Commercial, Residential Lighting and Commercial Efficient Rooftop Units (eRTU) with NEEA, Chris works with manufacturers on increasing the efficiency of lighting, lighting controls and natural gas rooftop units. Chris leads all emerging tech research on lighting products to support transformation of the commercial and residential lighting markets. Chris is the SME for the natural gas Efficient Rooftop Unit program and High Performance HVAC program, working with industry to transform the commercial HVAC market. Chris started his energy efficiency career at NW Natural Gas Co. working with residential and commercial customers to find ways to more efficiently use natural gas. After 6 years in the natural gas industry he decided to switch and went to work for Eugene Water & Electric Board, a local public utility. Chris worked with the commercial energy efficiency department to promote electric conservation. It was during this time that he found his passion for lighting. 7 years later he moved to Portland OR to work as a contractor for Bonneville Power Administration. During his 3 years at BPA Chris was the commercial lighting energy efficiency engineer for the Energy Efficiency department. His time as the lighting engineer was spent working with the utilities of the Northwest to promote high quality and efficient lighting. 

The BPA owns 75% of the transmission lines in the Northwest. It has proposed 13 new projects to upgrade and expand the region’s power grid to accommodate growing energy needs. Oregon and other Northwest states have ambitious carbon emissions reduction targets that they can’t hit unless the power grid expands. Those goals will be impossible to meet without much more energy generated from renewables or other alternatives to fossil fuel. CEO John Hairston joins us with all the details.

Today - we're discussing a lawsuit filed by three public utility districts in Washington State against the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. And later - Dutch Bros Coffee is set to expand its presence in the Wenatchee Valley with a fourth location. The new store is currently under construction on Easy Street in Wenatchee and is expected to open in October.Support the show: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s Trending: Customers of Bonneville Power Administration are slated to pay $100k in damages after some of their power lines were deliberately sabotaged. Yet another problem has struck Alaska Airlines. The founder of Hims outed himself as an antisemite after he offered jobs to anti-Israel protesters for their “moral courage.” // Big Local: King County is asking the public to stay away from areas that the last missing North Bend zebra has been spotted. Kent is hosting a nerdy camp. Two more suspects have been arrested in connection with a gang that is targeting Asian and Indian homeowners. // The United States Air Force has launched an AI-controlled fighter jet.

A long-simmering dispute over the Lower Snake River dams burst onto the headlines in November with news of a backroom deal between the Biden administration and plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Bonneville Power Administration and other agencies that manage the dams. The deal has raised fears about the possibility of breaching the dams and compromising the availability of reliable, carbon-free electricity. Hear from NRECA's Louis Finkel and Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative's Bryan Case.

John Hairston returns to discuss what BPA is doing to navigate an era of transmission expansion for the grid.John Hairston, the CEO and Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, shares his enthusiasm for transmission and people in an interview with Paul Dockery and Crystal Ball. The interview is wrapped in informative discussion on energy industry news, research, and reflection by Ahlmahz Negash, Conleigh Byers, Farhad Billimoria, and Paul Dockery. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are energy enthusiasts, like us!01:36 - How transmission is addressed in seminal textsPower System Economics: Designing Markets for Electricity by Steven Stoft Imperfect Markets and Imperfect Regulation: An Introduction to the Microeconomics and Political Economy of Power Markets by Thomas-Olivier Léautier05:23 - Short-to-Ground; a segment where we blow a fuse covering the news.Wednesday February 28th the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hosted the eighth public meeting of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric TransmissionRob Gramlich and his team at GridStrategies released a report in February titled “Fostering collaboration would help build needed transmission”Utility Dive published an opinion piece by Will Kenworthy and Boratha Tan titled “Advancing energy justice: A new paradigm in grid equity and reliability analysis”The Bonneville Power Administration identified 14 new transmission projects costing an estimated $3.9 billion in its 2023 TSR Study and Expansion ProcessThe Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC or Commission) has released a draft determination on a 'flexible trading' ruleThe Western Transmission Expansion Coalition announced the members of its Regional Engagement CommitteeSpot market power in the U.S.Wholesale spot prices for the National Electricity Market (NEM)Energy Information Administration's Natural Gas Weekly Update17:17 - John Hairston's interview with special-correspondent Crystal Ball41:00 - John Hairston's analogy; the electric system is like golf45:24 - Crystal Ball's analogy; the electric sector is evolving like the eras of Taylor Swift1:17:33 - Updating our priorsRisanger, Simon, and Jacob Mays. "Congestion risk, transmission rights, and investment equilibria in electricity markets." The Energy Journal 45.1 (2024). Baker, Erin, et al. "Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana." Energy Research & Social Science 73 (2021): 101933.1:15:22 - ESA (Energy System Analogies) World Cup StandingsPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Nick Johnson, environmental protection specialist at the Bonneville Power Administration, discusses his work for BPA in helping to determine the viability of pollinator habitat within BPA rights-of-way and facilities.

Dams are more common than you think. Author Steven Hawley reports that 58,500 large dams worldwide have trapped 3,155 gigatons of sediment, meaning they are rapidly filling up and will eventually become useless for storing water or generating electricity. Steven's new book, Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World, was published by Patagonia. A wide-ranging study of the many impacts of damming rivers, Cracked explores the social displacement and economic harm dams do to people and the environment, including climate warming methane emissions and direct harm to wildlife, especially fish and migratory birds.In 2022, the Bonneville Power Administration, the largest dam management agency's electricity prices ranged between $0.0349 and $0.0788 per kilowatt hour. By comparison, the global average cost of the same kilowatt hour of solar power was $0.48, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. When you add in the dire environmental consequence of dams, like the 99% decline in salmon runs over the past 100 years, the era of dams needs to end. Yet, dam projects are still being built in other countries, like China and Vietnam. Perhaps the United States can help other nations avoid the long-term consequences of dams by leading the dambusting movement.Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World is available at Amazon, Powell's Books, and local bookstores.

Transmission experts talk about horror stories from permitting Idaho Power's Boardman to Hemmingway transmission line and react to a regional planning organization scorecard--------------------Adam Richins, Christina Hayes, and Pam Sporborg join Paul Dockery at Paddy's Bar & Grill for an after-hour conversation about transmission in the West. The recording starts with another edition of Energy Enthusiasm, Distilled where the experts distill complicated topics in infotaining ways while on a clock. The conversation then tackles the 3Ps of transmission policy (Planning, Permitting, and Paying-for) and closes out with a new, unscripted game: FERC-for-a-Day. Permitting: Horror Stories from Boardman to Hemmingway (B2H) Planning: Transmission Planning & Development Regional Report Card Paying-for: Importance of transmission to Clean Energy Pathways We also discussed briefly the cultural importance of the Bonneville Power Administration's rate hearing room for the energy community in the northwest, which led me (Paul) to bring up an Ezra Klein podcast about cultural evolution. A link is included here for those who want the background information.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

In the latest episode of the Energy West podcast, Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about concerns that CAISO's extended day-ahead market could short-circuit the Western Resource Adequacy Program, Energy Northwest and X-Energy's plans to build 12 small modular nuclear reactors, CAISO's new subscriber-funded model for new transmission lines, Bonneville Power Administration sizing up day-ahead market offerings from CAISO and the Southwest Power Pool, and more.Read more about what's happening in the power industry in the West at Newsdata's Clearing Up and California Energy Markets.Follow us on Twitter: @CUnewsdata, @CEMnewsdata, @dcatchpole and @fordneyenergy.

In the latest episode of the Energy West podcast, Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about about the state of transmission planning in the West, California's (good) battery boom, Bonneville Power Administration's announcement of $2 billion in transmission system upgrades, fewer public safety power shut-offs in northern California, and more.Read more about what's happening in the power industry in the West at Newsdata's Clearing Up and California Energy Markets.Follow us on Twitter: @CUnewsdata, @CEMnewsdata, @dcatchpole and @fordneyenergy.

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) celebrates the opening of the Ross Complex Technical Services Building in Vancouver, constructed through a progressive design-build project delivery method, leading to cost savings and improved resource management. https://tinyurl.com/msjpx3vb #BonnevillePowerAdministration #BPA #RossComplex #TechnicalServicesBuilding #DesignBuildProjectDeliveryMethod #MultiYearRedevelopment #BPACampus #DGAArchitects #OpsisArchitecture #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

Debra Smith, Randy Hardy, Bill Drummond, and Steve Wright recorded an info-taining conversation live on-stage at NWPPA's 83rd Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Debra hosts the three former Administrators of the Bonneville Power Administration who continue to engage in energy policy. The discussion ranges from greatest regrets to reasons for optimism, and proudest moments. At the end Paul Dockery joins to facilitate an energy inspired game called Energy Enthusiasm Distilled.The episode was edited prior to the news of Debra Smith's surgery. For updates on her recovery you can find updates on Caring Bridge. Her electric utility enthusiast friends wish her a speedy and full recovery!You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

Pam Sporborg, Spencer Gray, Joe Taylor and Paul Dockery debrief and synthesize the discussion from an SPP Markets+ Leadership Forum hosted by Tacoma Power, NV Energy, and the Bonneville Power Administration on May 12th, 2023.05:04 - Benefits, Opportunities and Barriers to Market Expansion18:18 - Long-run resource portfolios adapted to market design30:00 - Seams41:49 - The toughest outstanding issues for market expansion in the west56:13 - Final PredictionsYou can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

With quotes from the hit comedy “Shrinking”, Paul navigates the vibes after a Regional Expansion Summit hosted by Seattle City Light, Portland General Electric, and the Bonneville Power AdministrationJan Smutny-Jones, Mary Wiencke, Jim Shetler, and Chris Robinson join Paul Dockery to debrief and synthesize the participants shared understanding after a California/Northwest Regional Expansion Summit hosted by Seattle City Light, Portland General Electric, and the Bonneville Power Administration on March 10th, 2023.In true Public Power Underground fashion the topics were introduced with quotes from the first two episodes of the new Apple TV comedy Shrinking starring Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, and Harrison Ford who all play psychologists. The timestamps for the quotes are included in the show notes, just in case you want to get some laughs before diving into the discussion.05:03 - History of Market Development in the West“Classic compassion fatigue, we ask questions, listen, stay non-judgmental and you don't make that face” - Dr. Paul Rhoades played by Harrison Ford (Episode 1, 10:13)19:12 - Benefits, Opportunities and Barriers“Look, I don't have people in my home, it's not that I'm antisocial. I know that you do this [referring to Jimmy and Gaby asking probing questions] to shame me because I'm a somewhat private person, but it just strengthens my resolve. I'm pro boundaries, my family is for me, my home is my fortress of solitude” - Dr. Paul Rhoades played by Harrison Ford (Episode 2, 7:54)48:12 - Decarbonization pathways and the role of Regional Markets“I know someone does [i.e., who “gets it”], he's tall and he calls me too much.” - Dr. Paul Rhoades played by Harrison Ford (Episode 2, 17:16)1:03:55 - A shared understanding of the mutual benefits of ongoing collaboration“Hey, anybody that helps us raise our kids with love and respect, we should be grateful” - Dr. Paul Rhoades played by Harrison Ford (Episode 2, 12:43)You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

For this Hacks & Wonks week-in-review, political consultant and host Crystal Fincher is joined by metro news columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune in Tacoma, Matt Driscoll!  They start the show reviewing the criminal trial of elected Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer. Troyer is charged with false reporting and one count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant in relation to his alleged harassment of Black newspaper carrier Sedrick Altheimer. This week, the trial revealed discrepancies in Troyer's account of the incident compared to the police report. This case hinges on whether the state can prove Troyer's actions were criminal, and it's anticipated that the trial will be sent to the jury next week.  Next, Crystal and Matt recap a new investigative report from ProPublica and The Seattle Times that reveals how deeply the state's schools are failing students with complex disabilities, sending many of them to for-profit entities with little oversight, leading to instances of mistreatment and abuse. In housing news, the Pierce County Council will vote next Tuesday on an affordable housing sales tax. The county needs more funding for affordable housing, and even though a sales tax is a regressive tax, it's the best available option the council has to generate additional revenue for affordable housing projects. The tax will require five votes to pass from the Council that includes four Democrats and three Republicans. In other Pierce County Council news, Crystal and Matt discuss the retirement of Council Chair Derek Young. They explore his political career, talk about his impact, and share their appreciation for how he handled the responsibility of being an elected leader. The trend of dangerous, sometimes violent protests against drag shows and drag story time events came to Renton this week, which saw a local brewery get shot at before their Drag Queen Story Hour event on Thursday. It's part of an increase of anti-LGBT and antisemitic hatred and violence happening across the country. The incident in Renton comes alongside  concerning reporting from KUOW revealing that the electrical grid in Oregon and Western Washington has been attacked six times since mid-November, with at least two of the attacks resembling the incident in North Carolina last Saturday. It's a foreboding sign of the rise of domestic terrorism in this country fueled by right-wing hate. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Matt Driscoll, at @mattsdriscoll. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.   Resources “TPD officer testifies that Troyer reported no death threat to him. Next, defense's turn.” by Jared Brown from The News Tribune   “WA's schools are failing students with complex disabilities. It's happening in Tacoma too.” by Matt Driscoll from The News Tribune   “‘Kids Seem to Be a Paycheck': How a Billion-Dollar Corporation Exploits Washington's Special Education System” by Lulu Ramadan, Mike Reicher and Taylor Blatchford from ProPublica    “At Washington special education schools, years of abuse complaints and lack of academics” by Mike Reicher & Lulu Ramadan from The Seattle Times   “Pierce County needs an affordable housing sales tax. Will it get one next week?” by Matt Driscoll from The News Tribune   “Pierce County Council Member Derek Young Retires from Politics for Unknown Future” by Sara Thompson from Key Peninsula News   “Renton Brewery Shot Up before Drag Queen Story Hour” by Will Casey from The Stranger    “String of electrical grid attacks in Pacific Northwest are unsolved” by Conrad Wilson & John Ryan from KUOW   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Full text transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Today, we are continuing our Friday almost-live shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's cohost: metro news columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune in Tacoma, Matt Driscoll. [00:00:56] Matt Driscoll: Hello, thanks for having me - it's good to be back. [00:00:59] Crystal Fincher: It's great to have you back - enjoyed your commentary and insight last time, excited for it today. Well, there's a lot of news that we need to get to this week. I think the first thing that we will start off with a recap of is the trial of Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer. What is he on trial for and what has happened so far? [00:01:23] Matt Driscoll: Yeah. Well, first just a shout out to my colleague, Jared Brown, who's been in court covering this thing, following it on Twitter, and writing daily recaps - they've just been doing an incredible job in the courthouse. But yeah, our sheriff down here in Pierce County, Ed Troyer, he's on trial for two misdemeanor counts - one of false reporting and another of making a false or misleading statement. The reality of this - in general terms, if this was anyone else is - if convicted, he's facing maybe a little bit of community service and maybe a fine of some sort. It's not a big deal, in the sense of he was just an average person. But of course, it is a very big deal because he's our sheriff down here in Pierce County and there are a lot of complicated aspects of this case. Just to - if folks aren't following the case or haven't heard, which I kind of doubt at this point, but basically this all stems from an interaction he had with a newspaper delivery carrier. It's been so long now - I don't even remember exactly when that was, but I guess it was January - looking it up now - of 2021. A Black newspaper carrier in his neighborhood - Troyer basically saw him, thought he looked suspicious, started following him around. Confrontation ensued, Troyer ended up summoning a police response saying he had been threatened. It sparked a massive response, which was quickly kind of downgraded to a smaller response. But still, the bottom line was you had a huge police response, guns-drawn situation with a Black newspaper carrier who felt in danger for his life. And so that story, thanks to the reporting of folks at The Seattle Times and then at The News Tribune, got a lot of attention and led to the governor calling for an investigation into it. And eventually it led from charges from the state AG's office. So there's no charges down here locally, but Bob Ferguson jumped in and filed these misdemeanor charges. And that was a long time ago, and we're finally at the trial now. So we've been following it here for a couple of weeks - jury selection took a while, and now we're into actual testimony. And actually, Ed Troyer was on the trial, or on the stand, yesterday. So that was the latest interesting event in an interesting case, that's probably the most high-profile misdemeanor trial I can recall. [00:04:01] Crystal Fincher: Yeah. So Ed Troyer is an elected sheriff, not an appointed sheriff, like currently exists in King County - also makes just the issue of accountability more challenging. It's not a situation where - in the midst of this, there were inconsistencies that were revealed between Ed Troyer's initial account and what actually seems to have taken place, or what ended up in the police report about this. And in those situations, often - I won't say oftentimes - but in other situations, sometimes that could lead to accountability or discipline locally. That's a whole different issue when you have an elected public official and not someone who is subject to interdepartmental discipline or anything like that. So this trial is basically the accountability lever and - to the point of independent oversight - had to be initiated externally, because it wasn't happening just from the agencies in the jurisdiction. The prosecution presented their case and rested. The defense is now presenting their case. There were questions about whether Ed Troyer would take the stand in his defense. He has done so. And up until this point, where we're recording on Friday morning, the defense questioned him and now he is getting ready to face questioning from the prosecution. So we will see how this turns out, we will continue to follow this along. I don't think the trial is expected to last more than a few more days before it goes to the jury. Is that correct? [00:05:45] Matt Driscoll: It's been slow going - I think that's the expectation. They don't - there are no trials on Friday, no trial on Friday - so the next action will be Monday. You'll have the state cross-examining Troyer. And I should mention - that was a shoddy recap, I guess - because I've been living it down here in Pierce County for so long, it just feels like coming up. But the crux of this case basically is - when Troyer summoned police response, he said that his life had been threatened. And then when cops arrived, he told them that wasn't the case. So that's the crux of it - is whether he made a false statement, a false report that summoned this huge police response. It's almost like a swatting, mini-swatting situation. So it kind of hinges on that. At the end of the day, I think, there's going to be a big burden on the state to prove that this was more than - and I guess I'm a columnist, I can share these sorts of opinions - whether this was more than Ed Troyer being stupid, right? Like I think it's established that - what he, at least in my mind - his actions on that morning were not the smartest thing to do and were not what he should have done. But is that criminal or not? I think that's going to be that's kind of the crux of it. And I think it's going to be interesting to see what the jury decides there. My gut tells me it's going to be difficult, just given the nature of things to get all jurors to agree one way or the other, but we'll see. And that's why we follow it. [00:07:20] Crystal Fincher: It is why we follow it. Certainly I'm sitting here as a Black woman, who has seen these situations unfold, and feels that this newsletter, newspaper carrier was fortunate to escape this situation with his life. The kind of call and the kind of accusation made initially in the call is the kind of pretext to death and shootings - shootings called justified because they felt that they were threatened, particularly from Black men. So this call was - if this indeed happened the way it's alleged to or appear to have happened, was a risk to this Black man's life. And by just doing his job - to have someone who felt uncomfortable with this Black person in their neighborhood - followed them, basically stalked them down the street, and then initiated a confrontation - is just beyond the pale. And one, for anyone in that situation - he could have been any other resident on the street calling and saying their life was threatened by this person, and it would invite a massive police response - certainly for the sheriff of the entire jurisdiction. And is this behavior that we want to see, that we are comfortable with from the head of all law enforcement in that jurisdiction - even in the most charitable interpretation of this possible, which you kind of recap, where he's just being ignorant and ridiculous. Do we want this ignorance leading this agency? Is this the head that we want? Regardless of the outcome of this trial, I think those are important questions to examine and ask - for us to ask ourself - where is the bar that we hold elected officials and public safety officials to? And I personally feel that Pierce County deserves better, but we'll see how this trial turns out and we'll continue to follow it throughout. Also want to talk about a story that you talked about - that came from ProPublica, The Seattle Times also wrote about it - but about Washington schools failing students with complex disabilities. What's happening here and what have you seen in Tacoma? [00:09:52] Matt Driscoll: Yeah. I mean, this is just an incredible story. And first and foremost - I guess I did this last time too - but credit where credit's due - the reporting team there on Seattle Times and ProPublica on this story. It's just a jaw-dropping story. This is one of those stories where my wife and I were sitting - because they'd hit on Saturdays - and we're sitting around in the living room and she's actually reading the excerpts from the story because we're in such disbelief of what's transpiring. But the long and short of it is basically the state is obligated to provide basic education to students with complex disabilities. They're required to require basic education to all students, but including those with disabilities. And in certain cases, you've got children, students with disabilities that make it really difficult, if not impossible, to do that in a standard classroom or a standard school building. Districts across the state have done a lot of work to try to integrate students with disabilities as much as possible into regular classrooms. As a parent of a child with disabilities, I know the system well. But in some cases, when you're talking about - sometimes severe behavior stuff, sometimes it's medical, feeding tubes - any number of things that can require a situation where - what the state needs to provide can't be done in a classroom. So, long story short, districts don't have a lot of money. We don't fund education anywhere near as much as we should, and they have this obligation to serve these students. So what has transpired basically is a system that we've created in the state where these students are often - that work is outsourced to other schools. Many times they're for-profit schools - they're publicly-funded private schools, so private entities that then receive state funding to do this work. Districts send their challenging students there, the students that need this there. But with the story, the ProPublica-Seattle Times piece really revealed is just the incredible lack of oversight that happens there. It's basically on the districts to monitor each of their students, and the oversight from the state as a whole is really lax. Maybe districts know what's going on with their individual kids. Maybe they've got a couple in these situations, but the full picture is really hard to see. And that's what this investigation revealed. And what it revealed, shockingly enough, is that when you welcome in for-profit entities to serve our most vulnerable children, bad stuff happens sometimes. And there's some really bad stuff in this story. Some allegations of abuse and mistreatment, just some anecdotes that I won't - you should read the story, but some of the situations painted specifically in one of these schools, the Northwest, the acronym is SOIL - I'm going to of course forget what it stands for at the moment - but it's the largest one of these in the states. It's got three campuses, including one in Tacoma. Long story short, Tacoma has relied heavily on this school in particular over the years, going back to 2015. It has sent basically more funding to this Northwest SOIL school than any district in the state by a wide margin. And the unsatisfying answer here is - when talking to district officials, it's essentially - this is the system we have. It's not great. We would like to see it better, but we don't have the means to serve these students and we're reliant upon it. And so that's a really unsatisfying answer. It's an unsatisfying answer to parents, I'm sure, but I think the bigger picture is until we reimagine them and blow up this system we've created in this state, where we're essentially outsourcing this work to for-profit corporations and publicly-funded private schools where - we basically welcome situations like this, in my opinion. So that was a lot of rambling, but this story, it pissed me off. It makes me really, really mad. [00:14:10] Crystal Fincher: It's a shame. And the state unquestionably has a responsibility to provide an appropriate education, in the least restrictive means possible, to all students - including those with disabilities and complex disabilities. Funding has been a continual conversation in this. And the fact is these programs don't currently exist in public schools to the degree they need to serve all the entire population of students, including those with complex disabilities, because they don't have the funding to implement and support those. And as we see too often in these situations, if you ask me, for-profit companies then are there to fill that gap, they say. But what we see is that when profit is a main driver and not an outcome from a student is the main driver - predictably, obviously - we're going to see profit prioritized ahead of these students. And we're seeing them in these situations with shocking and abhorrent and abusive and harmful consequences. And are we comfortable? In the column that you wrote, you asked a very appropriate question. Are we comfortable abdicating our responsibility as the state to for-profit entities who already have a record that is troubling? Are we comfortable with this? Because this is the system that we have and there are reasons, multiple reasons, to be uncomfortable. Are we prepared to confront the questions about funding that are related to this? Are we prepared to meet the responsibility as the state ourselves, or continue to check a box saying - oh, we handed the student over to the Northwest SOIL School, which seems like an appropriate acronym at this point in time. [00:16:12] Matt Driscoll: School of Innovative Learning, that's what it is. [00:16:16] Crystal Fincher: Yes, and so it's just really troubling. Right now, there are no other options - so families are faced with the prospect of their kids not getting their constitutionally mandated education, or sending them someplace where they're at risk - that's the plain truth - where they're at risk. They're certainly at greater risk than in the school setting and other settings for abuse. But if they're in another setting, they're at risk of not getting an appropriate education. That is a choice that no family should have or should face, and we have a responsibility to do better. We have to talk about revenue. We have to talk about funding as part of that. And I hope the Legislature takes this seriously and meaningfully addresses this deficit and these challenges, because it's going to take action there to help solve this. But man, this is troubling. I'm happy you wrote about it. I'm happy that ProPublica and The Seattle Times did this piece, with so much investigation and legwork that it took - just really troubling. We owe our kids, all of our kids, a better education than this. We can do better. [00:17:34] Matt Driscoll: No, you're exactly right. And I think your prescription for what needs to happen is exactly right too - that's one of the frustrating things - talking to the local district. I felt obligated to call Tacoma and basically be like - you read this story, WTF. But you do that, right? And it's not a problem that they can solve by themselves - they can't, given the current structure, provide the services that they need to because they don't have the money and they don't have the staffing and they don't have the resources to do it. So Tacoma can't solve it alone. The Seattle schools can't solve it alone. It really does require a state response and really a complete rethinking of the way we serve these students - and most of all, bags and bags of money. And you would hope that reading something like this would inspire us to have those difficult conversations and would inspire that change. But the political realities of it make me fear that we're going to take half measures, we're going to increase our oversight of these - when what I really think we need to do is blow it up and work on the thing. Because the only option is not just for-profit. There are schools that do this work that are not for-profit. There are other ways to do this. So there's a school in Puyallup - I think it's the Olympic Academy or Olympic something or other, and this is really wonky stuff - but basically there are education regions and they can band together and they can create these schools - and it's not a for-profit thing, there's more oversight, there's more involvement, there's more district involvement. So it's not an unsolvable problem - what it takes is political will and a lot of money. [00:19:25] Crystal Fincher: That is true. And once again to reinforce, they're constitutionally mandated to provide this. If our constitution means anything, then that should motivate working to fix this problem. Also want to cover an issue that you also wrote about - Pierce County needs an affordable housing tax. It is going to be up for a vote in front of the Pierce County Council next week. What will this do? And is it going to pass? [00:19:57] Matt Driscoll: No, I don't think so. But first I want to just get your - as a King County person, are you shocked by the fact Pierce County does not have this tax? Because most people, many counties do. This is not like some rare thing. Is it mind-boggling to you to hear that we're still fighting in Pierce County about whether or not we should build affordable housing? [00:20:20] Crystal Fincher: Well, I may be a bit more familiar with Pierce County than a lot of people, so I find it not surprising at all in any kind of way. I think Pierce County is moving closer to there. Are they at the point where they're ready to pass this now? Questionable. But this problem is just getting so much worse for everybody that it's getting undeniable. And we are seeing, more and more, that voters are voting for people who are saying that they're going to take action. And seeing pressure even from entities who traditionally rail against any kind of taxes - no matter what kind of benefits they have, especially if people with money need to pay more taxes - that they're feeling pressure to at least come up with rhetoric saying that they want to address this problem. Because before, several years ago, I think people were comfortable not addressing this at all, or maybe not characterizing this as a problem for everyone. That's not possible anymore. This is a problem for everyone. And so now it's just the question, what are they going to do about it? And is this something that they feel moved to do? But just backing up a little bit - [00:21:34] Matt Driscoll: Let me answer your original question - I apologize. But yeah, so basically, it's a one-tenth of 1% sales tax in Pierce County, which would raise about $20 million a year - estimated - cost the average Pierce County resident about $16 a year, that then that money could be used for affordable housing or related services. Tacoma already has this tax, so we already do it here in Tacoma. A number of cities and counties across the state already do it - conservative and liberal - I don't know the exact numbers off the top of my head, but I know Wenatchee has it. Ellensburg has it. Spokane has it. Snohomish has it. Thurston has it. As you pointed out, I think we've passed the point of this being a problem that elected leaders feel comfortable ignoring. I think they know they can't ignore it. So in Pierce County, to pass this tax, what it's going to take is a supermajority on the Pierce County Council. So current makeup on the council is four Democrats, three Republicans. In my opinion, as a columnist, the reason that you've seen Pierce County move closer, as you alluded to, is because we do have a Democratic majority on the Pierce County Council now. So I think that's sped up some of these talks, some of this action. We do have a Republican Executive in Bruce Dammeier. But regardless, it's going to take five votes, by our charter, to get a tax passed - so they're going to need a Republican to side with the Democrats to pass this tax. It was passed out of committee last Tuesday. It'll be voted on on the 13th if it all goes as scheduled. And I anticipate a split vote - I think this is going to be a 4-3 vote. I think this is going to be very similar, for those who follow it - in Pierce County, our long trod towards enacting a behavioral health sales tax, which is very similar. It was a very similar situation. Counties, cities across the state already had it. It's money that goes to behavioral health services, mental health and addiction services. Pierce County drug our feet for years. We literally debated it for years and years and years. And we finally were able to get that fifth vote on the council to make it happen in 2021. So it took a very long time. I anticipate this is going to be a very similar thing. I think what's going to happen is, Democrats are going to make the case next week. It's going to be a rock solid case because anyone who looks around, I think, can see where home prices are, where housing prices are, our lack of affordable housing. I think the estimate by the county's own plan to address housing is they need something like 50,000 units affordable to those at 50% of area median income or below by 2044 just to meet the need, which doesn't even consider the housing that's needed to meet those above 50% of area median income, which is very low. I don't know Pierce County area median income off the top of my head, but it's it's usually around $50,000-60,000 depending on whether you're looking at individuals or families. This is not a wealthy county. This is hitting us hard. This is hitting us in Tacoma. This is hitting us in rural places. It's clear we need some sort of answer from the county - both to build the housing itself, and to help get federal money to address the problem. But no, I don't think it's going to pass yet. I think it's going to take a long time. I think the Republicans are going to express the things they're uneasy about, and they're going to go through the process of trying to answer those questions. I also anticipate it becoming more of a political football. If you follow Pierce County - listeners - clearly, you're very familiar with Pierce County, so I don't mean to suggest you're not - but for listeners, I know sometimes it seems like a weird, far off place. There's a micro home village for the chronically homeless that Republican County Executive Bruce Dammeier and his team very much wants to build. There are some questions about what the funding would look like for that. The current plan, as it's been described as basically a one-time investment of ARPA funds and then hands it over to private folks and donations. I think one thing that's going to - that you might see - is Democrats saying, if you want to build this, we need the tax. I wouldn't be surprised to see that. I also think it's just going to be one of those long bureaucratic processes where the Republicans need to prove to their base that they're not gung ho for a new tax, and they need to be won over, and they need all these guardrails that we talk about to ensure that the money is spent wisely and yada, yada, yada. I think eventually we'll get there, but I don't anticipate it Tuesday. So it was a long answer, but I think that's where things stand. [00:26:21] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I think that's a decent read of the situation. What I would say - [00:26:25] Matt Driscoll: Decent, decent! [00:26:26] Crystal Fincher: I think it's a great, accurate read of the situation. I was about to say - I think you nailed it with its parallel to the behavioral health tax issue and debate, and how lengthy that was. And I think that's also instructive - for those who do want to see this implemented - on how to get that passed. As you talked about in your column, the pressure from the public was instrumental in getting that tax passed. And I think it will be instrumental in addressing this issue. And so for those who are listening, for the public out there - it is really important to contact your County councilmembers, to contact your elected leaders - even if you feel they're not inclined to vote for this, or if they are, to let them know what your situation and circumstance are, to let them hear your story. Anecdotes actually go a far way, a long way in addressing issues like this. A lot of times people don't understand the specific pain that is being felt by people put in these situations - how it impacts seniors on fixed incomes, veterans, those who are dealing with families with complex needs, the disabled community. People who are among the most vulnerable and in need of protection, who are some of the people who are least likely to be able to just meet an increase with a raise at work - if they're not working, if they're retired, if they're in different industries that are not keeping up with this kind of thing. A sales tax, I think across the board, you will find it's no one's favorite tax to implement. To be clear, it is a regressive tax. It is also the only lever that the county is afforded in this situation to be able to solve this. And until there are different avenues opened up at the state level, this is what the county is left with to be able to address this problem. And I think my read of the situation - a lot of people's read - is that this is the time to do everything possible at all levels to address this crisis, because it is a crisis. So it'll be interesting to see how this unfolds. It'll be interesting to hear, particularly what the Republican members of the council do say, as they deliberate this and discuss this in their meeting and in the public - and how they answer the concerns that their residents have. So we'll continue to follow this story also. [00:29:02] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, I agree. And just one quick point on that process - this is Hacks & Wonks. I was talking to some folks about the - why now, why we're doing it. And I think there is an importance, even if the tax isn't - even if it's not going to pass this time, I think it's helpful from a political standpoint to get the folks on that council on the record to say what their position is and why they're either supporting it or in some cases not supporting it, because that's exactly what we saw with the behavioral health sales tax is - once you publicly have that conversation and say what you would need to - because again, no one can deny the problem. Say what you would need to get there to support something like this - that kind of gets the ball rolling and you can start answering some of those questions. So I think it's, even if it doesn't pass next week, I think it's a starting point and it's a good first step. [00:29:56] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely agree. Another item I want to talk about today is with someone who the listeners of Hacks & Wonks are probably familiar with, because he has been a prior guest - is Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young is about to complete his final term on the Pierce County Council. He is being term-limited out and is stepping down and away from public life. And so I just wanted to just take a moment and see what your reflections on Derek and his term have been. How did you find his time in office to be? [00:30:37] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, it's an interesting discussion for me, in comparison for me, because he's been on the council for eight years now. So basically he arrived at his position about the same time that I arrived as a metro news columnist at The News Tribune. I'd been working at The Seattle Weekly previous to that, still lived down here - but so basically our tenure overlaps. So I basically covered him the whole eight years of his time on the council. And for Derek, for those who don't know - maybe it's been mentioned on the show - but he was essentially like the Parks and Rec's boy mayor of Gig Harbor on the council. I forget how young he was when he was first elected to the Gig Harbor City Council, but he was quite young. He did that and then later he ran for Pierce County Council and he's been there for eight years. So listen, from a journalism perspective, from a news perspective, I think we like to keep sources at an arm's length. We need to maintain skepticism, right? We can't become best friends with the people we cover. And certainly, Derek and I are not best friends by any means - but I will say - you interact with a lot of people in this job and you talk to a lot of people and you talk to a lot of politicians. And a lot of times they are, you can tell they're just feeding you soundbites, feeding you hot air, feeding you what the research says they should say. And Derek, I have just always found to be - one, he's really sharp on the policy stuff. He's one of those people that - I think it takes a special kind of person to get really into the mechanics of governments and just be really into it - excited about the procedures and the policy, but he's one of those people. He's really smart at that stuff and I just think he's really reasonable and really sensible, and those are things I appreciate in a leader. One thing about Derek is - there was a time when he was a Republican. And then he has since become a Democrat - now he's been a Democrat for many years now - but Pierce County is an interesting place, right? We've got Tacoma, which is this urban, progressive hub, and then you've got the rest of the county. And the bottom line with the rest of the county is it is either very moderate or red. And Derek is one of these people that can walk the line, that can get progressive things done in a county like Pierce County. And I think there's something to be said for that. I think we talked about the behavioral health tax already. I think Derek's a key reason that we got that. I think we're bringing up the affordable housing tax now, in part, because Derek's ending his term and they want to get a vote with him, even though his predecessor will likely - or the person who, I don't know, I always get those words mixed up - but the person who's filling his seat will likely vote the same way. I think it's as an honor to him - just the work he's done - they want to get a vote in before he leaves. So I think he's accomplished a lot. I think a lot of what he's accomplished has been behind closed doors in that kind of wonky way, that government work. I don't know how long we have to talk about this, but I was talking to Derek just last week about - I had an issue with a vote he took back in 2015 that would have allowed big box retailers up in Fredrickson. And I was all ready to rip him up on it because I was writing about Canyon Road and the way that has sprawl that's created. And I called him up and he was like - well, actually two years later we reversed that. It didn't get a lot of promotion because I didn't want to spike the football, but we were able to reverse that through just basic government maneuvering, the kind of stuff that most people don't see. And he's really good at that kind of stuff. So I think it's been a successful tenure and it'll be interesting to see what he does from here. [00:34:50] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. And from my perspective, especially looking at the politics of things, I think Derek is one of the forces most responsible for the Democratic representation and the increase in Democratic representation that we've seen in Pierce County, certainly on the Pierce County Council. He has always prioritized developing leaders, recruiting leaders, and supporting other leaders. Like you said, a lot of his work has been done behind the scenes, which is absolutely true. And I don't think people really understand how much work he has done, both to build Democratic leadership in Pierce County and just on the nuts and bolts of building better communities. One of the cities doing the best job in the state, actually, in meeting their comprehensive plan goals to accept density is Gig Harbor. It's not an accident that that comes in the wake of the work that Derek Young did in Gig Harbor. And just understanding the nuts and bolts of building community, of understanding how you have to adequately plan for growth - or else there are lots of consequences - how regional planning is important to local outcomes and results in feeling that responsibility. Absolutely, I don't think the behavioral health tax would have passed without him. And doing meaningful stuff - he has taken his responsibility as a steward of public health for the county seriously. And has had to fight against a lot of opposition and weird forces, including through the pandemic, to maintain the capacity and ability to deliver on that responsibility. So I just appreciate his thoughtfulness. We don't agree on everything, but the one thing that I always find is that he's coming with a great understanding after a lot of conversations with folks in and throughout the community, that he is not making decisions simply based on emotion or rhetoric or what's popular, that he's really thoughtful and processes information and community needs in a really serious way, and really focused on outcomes and accountability - and I think that has shown. And so as I see him leaving, it certainly leaves a legacy that I think he can be proud of and that others are building upon. I think Gig Harbor and Pierce County are better off for Derek Young having served. So I just wanted to take a moment to talk about that and say I personally appreciate what he has done, and see him as an example for others to follow as they look at being an elected official in public leadership. [00:38:02] Matt Driscoll: Well said. I'm not going to gush about the guy on record - I just think that I'd lose street cred as a journalist if I just, if I just gushed. But yeah, he's very thoughtful and I've enjoyed covering it. It's been - it's funny to see - eight years of the overlap that we've had, but I've enjoyed talking to him. He's been a good source. You can always call him and he'll explain something to you, which I always appreciate because I do the Columbo thing, right - where it's - oh, walk me through this. And he'll always walk you through it. And those land use things, he's really sharp on those sorts of things. So yeah, I agree 100%. [00:38:36] Crystal Fincher: Yeah. And he's younger than a lot of people who wind up long political careers, because he did start at 21 in Gig Harbor. So excited to see what is next for him. Now, a troubling story this week. One of a few troubling stories, frankly, but there was a Renton brewery that was shot up before a drag queen story hour. This is a story that we're seeing unfold across the country, and we're not immune from it here in Washington state. There are a number of drag queen story hours. This one in Renton was one that caught people's attention, that actually had a lot of chatter online about it from right-wing sources railing against this. There's been a lot of unfortunate, inaccurate characterization of people who are just existing as trans people in the drag community - and characterizing them and people who patronize, support, associate with them - as "groomers" or "pedophiles," or somehow degenerate, morally unfit - blah, blah, blah, blah. This being used as a political tool by many people - attracting a lot of hate speech, threats of violence, dehumanizing speech - which we all know incites violence. And predictably, this has incited violence. Now there's no absolute clear tie. We don't know who did fire this shot into this brewery, but we are seeing a familiar pattern of hateful rhetoric, violent rhetoric - followed by violent action. We've seen it at hospitals that treat the trans community and trans children. We've seen it at other drag story, drag queen story hours, and now we're seeing it here. To be clear, these stories - it is literally a story hour - it's just a drag queen reading some stories. There is this assertion by right-wing forces that basically just existing as a drag queen - and they also say for the trans community and it's extending to the entire gay community really - that just existing in drag is inherently sexual and immoral, which is not the case. That's like saying just existing in a heterosexual existence and in particular type of clothing is inherently sexual. It is not, but that is the assertion here and it's being used to pass laws in different states to basically keep people from being able to fully participate in society and to ostracize them. This is part of a coordinated effort and goal that we are seeing, and it looks like violence and really this is terrorism. This is politically motivated violence, is part of the overall strategies and tactics that are being used by right-wing forces to fight against this. This happened in Renton. This attracted a lot of sympathy and support obviously from the community coming together to say this is unacceptable. We support you. There's a talk about a rally to support that in the community. There's no question that the broader community finds this unacceptable and abhorrent. The question is - how diligent are we going to be as a society and are investigative and law enforcement entities going to be in combating this? I think that's the question before us right now as a community - how intense are we going to be in standing against this? But it's unacceptable. I am not shocked certainly, but dismayed to see this happen locally in Renton, as it's happening across the country. And I'm dismayed at the acceptance of blatant hate and dehumanization of certain groups, whether it's the drag community, folks within the LGBTQ community - principally the trans community at this point in time. I think this is absolutely related to the rise in anti-Semitic talk that we see openly, and accepted, and that's being platformed around this country. Openly racist talk - we are seeing a renaissance of hate, and it is really dismaying. And it's going to take people not tolerating this in all of the spaces that they are in. If someone's making a joke as you're at the gym, if you're talking with your friends, if you're at work - wherever you're at, we can't tolerate jokes. We can't tolerate casual statements of hate. We can't tolerate dehumanization and othering and we have to make it absolutely clear that it's unacceptable to say that in our presence. People who espouse hate should be more uncomfortable doing that than they currently are, and we all have a role to play in that happening. Wondering what your take is on this, Matt? [00:44:18] Matt Driscoll: Well, just a hard pro sign I guess on everything you just said. I think you summed it up really well. I guess I feel obligated to note that I've read the story about this. I don't know everything about this specific instance, but I think broadly speaking - the picture you paint is 100% accurate. You see hate, I think you see it fomenting online. I think you see the way that that turns into real action and real harm and real danger and real terrorism. I do think that this constitutes as terrorism when things like this happen. And going back to a conversation we had before we started recording - obviously, you alluded to other places across the country where you've seen laws passed and those sorts of things and certainly those things are happening, but I think a big part of this is - you called it a renaissance of hate and I think these are desperate actions by people who are losing. I mean I think they're losing, and I think they know it and they feel it - and I think that this leads to - and this doesn't excuse any of it, just in case that's not incredibly clear - but I think they're desperate and it generates hate speech. And when you add in the internet where people are able to silo themselves off and the stuff just grows and grows and grows and grows, it eventually - and none of us should be shocked by this - it eventually jumps off the screen and moves into real life. And people get hurt, and people get killed, and lives are altered, and lives are taken. So yeah, I agree with you. I think the general level of acceptance of this sort of stuff in our society, and the way we talk about it, and the way we report on it, and the way we discuss it, and the way we think about it - needs to be more clear just how unacceptable it is. [00:46:27] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely agree. And to the point you were just discussing and we discussed earlier - they are losing. They are absolutely losing. I think one thing that we do need to recognize is that when it comes to marginalized populations gaining rights in this country - and there are another number of countries where this precedent has been set, but we don't need to look any further than this country - terrorism has been employed as a response to that. Okay, we can't do it at the ballot box, we're losing - so we're just going to enact violence to attempt to fulfill our needs. I mean there was a statement made in North Carolina that these acts of violence and terrorism will continue to happen as long as drag queen story hours exist - it's a pretty clear statement of motivation and intent. And we need to not be surprised by this, but be prepared for it. And to effectively fight against it at all levels - to hold our elected officials accountable for fighting against it, to hold our institutions accountable for fighting against it, and to hold ourselves accountable for fighting against it - in all of the spaces that we inhabit, all the places that we are, and the people who we associate with in any way. That this is unacceptable in all of its forms because we're not done with this. It's predictable that it was going to happen. We know that rhetoric like this results in violence and it's escalating. And either we're gonna take steps to counteract it or we're in for a lot more. We have to address this. And related to that - seemingly, are stories about attacks on our electrical grid here in the Pacific Northwest as we saw back East. We have had attacks on our electrical grid here in the Pacific Northwest. What has happened with these attacks? [00:48:35] Matt Driscoll: Yeah. Certainly I've just been - I think this is one of the - I know as a news person you get this weird kind of callous nature where you're like - oh man, this is a really interesting story - when it's actually a terrifying story, a really alarming story. But yeah, this story is all of those things, and I've just followed it like anyone - but basically, what we're seeing is what appear to be at least somewhat coordinated attacks on power grids across the country. I forget - where was the, was it Carolinas that - yeah. So and then we've had some up in this area as well - I think it was - KUOW did a really good kind of look into what's happening. And again - similar - going back to your point, I've just read the stories everyone else read, but certainly what seems to be happening - at least to some extent - is extremist online groups being involved with encouraging and instructing folks how to do this. And the people who follow online extremist groups then going out and doing it. And I want to be careful - because I, again, I've just read this item - we don't have an exact answer to what's going on yet, so I don't want to jump to conclusions. But I do think we can say that you know there does seem to be some online extremist group involvement with this to - helping to perpetuate it - and people are doing it across the country. And it's terrifying, not just because of the prospect of losing power and what that could do - and when we talk about losing power, we're talking about a whole lot more than just your lights going off. There's a lot of fairly obvious reasons why electricity is very - it's crucial to a lot of folks, including in medical situations and what have you, but it's again - it's just terrifying for the way you see just belligerent hate, the kind of hate that if you encountered it in-person, it would be like one person ranting lunacy on a corner. But online, the way people can self-select and can group, it becomes incredibly, incredibly dangerous. So yeah, I think there are similarities between this story and the one we just talked about in the way that online extremism seems to be playing a role in it. [00:51:08] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And it was in North Carolina - after gunfire attacks on two electrical substations - resulted in tens of thousands of people being out of power for days. This was not a brief interruption - schools were closed, traffic lights were dark, people who relied on refrigerated medication had it spoil. It is a horribly disruptive situation - our society runs on power at this point in time, and this was an attack on that. Here locally, there were six separate attacks in Washington and Oregon - the Bonneville Power Administration, Puget Sound Energy, Cowlitz County Public Utility have reported different attacks involving cutting through fences into these facilities, attacking infrastructure with gunfire, setting fires - really seems to be employing a number of the same tactics that we saw in North Carolina. And across these six different attacks here in Washington and Oregon - employing similar tactics across those attacks - so this seems to be a coordinated effort that we're seeing. Some of these resulted in more disruptive power losses than others. This doesn't seem to be some super sophisticated entity doing sophisticated things to disrupt this - these are people crudely breaking in, shooting up these facilities. It does invite questions about what can be done to harden the security of these facilities, where else may we be vulnerable - there are lots of conversations about just our infrastructure in our community for basic services and what can be done to better protect those, because evidently there are groups that are seeing those as principal and primary targets, no matter how many people it impacts. And it does seem like this tactic has now shifted to - we're targeting specific communities, but we're willing to make sure everyone feels pain in order to try and help achieve our goals. And it's causing pain, and we're - this is the tip of the iceberg, it seems. And either we do something to intervene right now, or we see this get a lot worse. The FBI has declined to comment on whether or not they're investigating these, but it's an issue and we've had several attacks here locally and it's just troubling. [00:54:08] Matt Driscoll: It's, yeah - troubling is the word for it, I would say. It's just, it's so fascinating on a lot of levels because as you mentioned, sometimes you see terrorism and it has a really specific target - and kind of the purpose of it can - you see it. With this, it's almost just chaos. It's almost just like the unraveling of society around us. I think you're right - the sole purpose of it is to inflict just damage, just widespread damage and it's almost - it's not specific, it's just trying to disrupt and harm people and create havoc and chaos for - from a small, small minority of people - assuming what we have is accurate with the ties that - again, feel desperate and are led to do desperate things. So yeah, the year 2022 - the year we had to start guarding our electric grids. [00:55:17] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. [00:55:18] Matt Driscoll: If you had that on your bingo card, I guess, you win. [00:55:22] Crystal Fincher: I hope we don't have it on the 2023 bingo card - I will tell you that much - I would love to nip this in the bud and get real clear that this is unacceptable everywhere. And with that, we thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, December 9th, 2022. Hacks & Wonks is co-produced by Shannon Cheng and Bryce Cannatelli. Our insightful co-host today is metro news columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune in Tacoma, Matt Driscoll. You can find Matt on Twitter at @mattsdriscoll - that's two L's at the end. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks, and you can find me at @finchfrii, with two I's at the end. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

On the fourth installment of a special Grounded series called Oregon Energy Timeline Conversations, ODOE's director, Janine Benner, and I meet with Congressman Peter DeFazio. Congressman DeFazio tells the story around a major ratepayer lawsuit, the NW Power Act, and the region's “disastrous” efforts, led by the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS, or “Whoops) and Bonneville Power Administration, to build five nuclear power plants in the 1970s. You won't want to miss this story! Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_Fo…Free/Layers/If

Mortenson, a leading developer and design-builder in Oregon, along with Portland-based Opsis Architecture, California-based DGA Architects, and Wilsonville-based contractor and fabricator Western Partitions, Inc., completed installation in late October of a prefabricated building enclosure system on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Ross Complex Technical Services Building in Vancouver. http://bit.ly/3B1SFs3 #Business #BonnevillePowerAdministration #BPA #RedevelopmentProject #RossComplexTechnicalServicesBuilding #Mortenson #OpsisArchitecture #DGAArchitects #WesternPartitions #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

In this episode, our Managing Director in APAC and California, Hugo Batten and our CEO, John Feddersen are joined by Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). Elliot has had an impressive career in energy, spending time at Enron, 18 years at the Bonneville Power Administration where he rose to CEO, and over the last 3 years being the CEO of CAISO. Main topics include: • Californian energy markets - reality versus plans • Market design in CAISO evolving over the very long-term • Innovation in storage investment cases in CAISO

These days, utilities seem to have more potential threats to worry about than ever before: cyber attacks to equipment failure to big storms knocking down portions of the grid. But certain power companies, particularly those on the West Coast, must stay ever vigilant to a less common but higher priority potential disaster: earthquakes. Ensuring the grid infrastructure is prepared to handle the 'big one' that may always be a day away, as well as that the utility companies are ready to respond at a moment's notice after the fact, is a job for every day even if the earthquakes themselves are less frequent. Learning from how utilities and their equipment have fared in different earthquakes across the globe is the best way to prepare for the future. Assessing the results and the response from power companies all over the world is one of the key jobs of Dr. Leon Kempner, Principal Civil Engineer for Bonneville Power Administration and the industry-leading expert on preparing the power sector for major events like earthquakes. And one of the utilities that has regularly retained the unparalleled insights of Dr. Kempner is Central Lincoln PUD. Specifically, Shamus Gamache, the utility's Director of Engineering, has worked regularly with Dr. Kempner to prepare the Oregon utility to be prepared for the persistent threat of earthquakes and tsunamis off the U.S. West Coast. Both of these experts join podcast host Jason Price and producer Matt Chester to provide their keen perspectives on what it means to prepare for once-in-a-generation events. Key Links: Energy Central Post with Full Transcript: https://energycentral.com/o/energy-central/episode-102-%E2%80%9Cbig-one%E2%80%9D-coming%E2%80%94-your-utility-ready-shamus-gamache-central-lincoln Did you know? The Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast has been identified as one of the industry's 'Top 25 Energy Podcasts': blog.feedspot.com/energy_podcasts/

Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about the calls for more oversight of Pacific Gas & Electric, bold predictions for the future of wind energy, more money for Bonneville Power Administration's salmon mitigation programs, tech giants' turn toward renewable energy, and more.Read more about what's happening in the power industry in the West at Newsdata's Clearing Up and California Energy Markets. 

John Hairston, CEO and Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, joins Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series.Before John's recruiting pitch, Humaira Falkenberg opens with a message of change, a message of hope, and a message of inclusion in her cold open as the episodes celebrity guest host.Electric Utility Recruiting video seriesAttracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA's Annual Meeting in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions. We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes. You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and California Energy Markets' Jason Fordney talk about Dan's scoop that the Bonneville Power Administration is considering joining an informal group exploring regional market structures in the West, the hidden risk of sleeping cybersecurity intrusions, how state energy policies in California are falling short of long-term emissions goals, Newsdata's 40th anniversary, Jason's bands and more.Learn more about regional market conditions and near-term market outlooks at the 6th Annual Pacific Northwest Wholesale Power Markets Conference. The June 23-24 virtual event—co-presented by NewsData and CJB Energy Economics—will feature leading energy officials from around the Northwest and beyond.

Bonneville Power Administration and Energy Australia present case studies of their asset management successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Speakers: - Glenn Schumacher, Head of Engineering, Energy Australia - Stacy Webster-Wharton, Acting Asset Manager, Bonneville Power Administration - Peter Kohler, Director of the Asset Management College, Australia - Sally Nugent, Managing Director at Salyent Pty Ltd

This week, Clearing Up's Dan Catchpole and CEM's Jason Fordney talk about Western state regulators' wariness about FERC changing federal rules for transmission planning and cost allocation, development of small modular nuclear reactors, the Bonneville Power Administration joining the Western Energy Imbalance Market and much more. Newsdata and CJB Energy Economics are hosting the 6th annual Pacific Northwest Wholesale Power Markets Conference, June 23 and 24. The conference covers the latest on current energy market conditions and near-term market outlooks around the West. Find more information at Newsdata.com.Follow Newsdata's publications on Twitter: Clearing Up and CEM.Read more of Newsdata's coverage of energy in the West at Newsdata.com.

The U.S. Department of Energy is closing in on a timeline for disbursing $80 billion allocated to electric grid upgrades contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress. In this episode of Grid Talk, host Marty Rosenberg talks with Michelle Manary who is the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Resilience Division in the Office of Electricity at the U.S. Department of Energy. The discussion focuses on when and how the money from the infrastructure package will be spent.“I would love to see it [flowing] this calendar year. That is a goal but we'll see what happens there,” said Manary. There's a lot of planning that goes in to allocating the funding.“That hat $80 billion-ish to the DOE comes in several different flavors and so everything's kind of continuing on from solar and battery and kind of that generation or storage-side but you also have probably about $20-ish billion or so on the transmission side.”Manary also talks about the collaborative nature of the new programs. “We're trying to set this up, so it works for the industry.”Michelle Manary helps lead DOE's division focused on national transmission infrastructure policy issues in support of national clean energy objectives. She came to the Department of Energy from the Bonneville Power Administration where she served as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Manary joined BPA in 1998 and successfully held several management positions within the agency's Corporate, Power and Transmission organizations.Manary holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, and Master of Business Administration and Public Administration from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

The Northwest power system needs to decarbonize to fight climate change. That will allow transportation, buildings and other sectors to decarbonize, too. But how does the energy industry get there? Guest Steve Wright, former head of the Bonneville Power Administration and Chelan County PUD, talks to Newsdata reporter and host Dan Catchpole and co-host Josh Keeling of Cadeo Group about how the Northwest energy industry already is changing and how much more it has to evolve to meet new challenges, such as maintaining reliability when renewable energy resources make up the bulk of generation.

Guest: Jessica Matlock is LaPlata Electric Association's (LPEA) first female CEO in the co-op's 80-year history. Before this role, Matlock served as a member of the executive leadership team for 13 years at the nation's 11th largest public utility (Snohomish Public Utility District). In her last role – Assistant General Manager of Customer, Energy Services, and External Relations – she directed customer engagement, legislative and policy strategy, and the development and implementation of the utility's solar, electric vehicle, and demand response programs. Prior to this, Jessica worked as an energy expert for the U.S. Senate and held numerous positions with the Bonneville Power Administration. She has served in various board and leadership positions with the Large Public Power Council, National Hydropower Association, American Public Power Association, the Alliance to Save Energy, Washington State Clean Technology Alliance, and GridForward. Episode in a Tweet: Leadership is about being empathetic and knowing that you're not always right, and you must have the courage to admit you are wrong and then course correct. Quick Background: Jessica is a dear friend of mine and one of the most respected leaders in the power generation industry. Jessica recently founded and is the co-Chair of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Women in Power professional network. This group convenes women working in public power throughout the country to share ideas, develop professional connections, and support female advancement in a predominantly male industry. Let's just put it this way; she's a total rockstar. During our conversation, Jessica keeps it real. She shares how she gets herself back on track when she loses her way. Jessica talks about juggling what's fair with the reality of constraints and tradeoffs in both the industry and the workplace. She is candid about how her team gives her feedback and how she's learning how to respond to it with gratitude and action. Jessica also gives us an inside look at the innovative ways she looks at bringing traditional and renewable power to rural Colorado. She's truly a remarkable leader, and I'm confident you'll enjoy this interview.

Sharon Patterson Grant, LEED AP BD+C and Homes, has been providing green building consulting and education since 2006. She has consulted on over 100 LEED homes, neighborhoods and commercial buildings across the Pacific Northwest, and has developed and taught numerous LEED workshops. She has also consulted on dozens of projects to reduce energy use in buildings and green organizations, including the largest commercial property management firms in Idaho. Recently, Sharon has taken her expertise and gone all in on ESG (and Corporate Sustainability) with RE Tech Advisors. Sharon has specialized in energy codes, primarily through her work with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, Bonneville Power Administration and Office of Energy Resources to provide education, co-facilitate a statewide collaborative, perform cost analysis and conduct a statewide market assessment. She also worked on a white paper for PNNL on incorporating orientation into codes. The scope of projects expanded to providing strategic energy management for commercial property owners, cities and school districts. Cities have included Boise, Tacoma, Missoula, Eugene, Providence and Grand Rapids. For the USGBC, Sharon was chair and vice chair of the Idaho Chapter for 4 years,and currently sits on the West Regional Council and is national co-chair for the Build Better Codes campaign. Her other board positions include GreenWorks, Northwest Integrity Housing Company and Idaho Smart Growth. As a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor and a Healthy Homes Specialist, Sharon has taught at BSU and Maui Community College and presented at conferences such as Region 10 EPA, Sun Valley Sustainability and the National Environmental Health Association. As a Provider and Instructor with ID and WY Real Estate Commissions, she has provided green building classes to hundreds of real estate professionals. Sharon has degrees in Ecological Design and Business. Her work received Idaho Grow Smart Awards in 2008, 2009 and 2011 and a Better Bricks Award in 2010. She is a published author on green building topics and was host of “Building a Greener Idaho,” a weekly radio show on Radio Boise.   Show Highlights Benefits of a broad theoretical based ecological design degree. Calculated leaps, travel, and trying different things will shape your career path.  Meaningful impact with affordable housing to educate operational costing and provide training to residents. Green design provides solutions to the drain on our health care system. Whole Neighborhood LEED Platinum project that promotes the value for the environment and educates people to support.  Different ways to provide education to trades to encourage respectful relationships that promote the green building process. Challenges to do renewable energy in a conservative population that doesn't believe in climate change and has been “blacklisted.” Sharon shares what she is doing now, which has an impact across the nation. Practical business approach to climate change. “It's the most important and critical thing we can do in this day and age. If we don't change the amount of carbon emissions going into our atmosphere we're not going to have a future for our children and my son is eight. I want him to have a future. I want him to experience future generations and I want them to have a prosperous life.” -Sharon Grant Sharon Grant Transcript    Sharon Grant's Show Resource and Information   Meadow Ranch LEED ND Homes LinkedIn Eco Edge RE Tech Advisors U.S. Green Building Council     Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to www.gbes.com/join to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes.  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!   Copyright © 2021 GBES

Michelle Manary, Bonneville Power Administration's Chief Financial Officer who is on assignment to the Department of Energy as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Electric Delivery, joins Matthew Scroettnig (EWEB's Power Planning Supervisor & Staff Counsel) and Paul Dockery (Clatskanie PUD's Director of Energy Resources) to go deep into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, electrification's impact on long-term planning, how to prepare for grant funding, SEASONAL TIME CHANGE, and how much she misses all our wonderful workshops in the Pacific Northwest. If you watched s3e10, Infrastructure Week!, you have already heard the first part of the interview. The conversation picks back up in this video at 13:54. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

America's vast electric grid is about to go through a major evolution as it adapts to the looming electrification of transportation. In this episode of Grid Talk, we talk with Philip Jones who is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Transportation Electrification. Mr. Jones talks about the need for more generation and transmission.“We as a nation as we electrify transportation … there's going to be a significant increase in use, probably 15 to 20% over the next 20 years.” Jones said.  “This is a very substantial transformation.”He also talks about managing the system across different regulatory environments.“If we get 70; 50-60-70% of the fleet, light-duty and medium-duty electrified, we just need to have both these passive and active load management policies in place because otherwise, the system's not going to work.”“It's a much more complex system to run and manage for the utility and the grid operator but it offers a lot of load for a management flexibility.”Philip B. Jones is the president of Phil Jones Consulting LLC, where he provides consulting services to the energy industry. He serves as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Transportation Electrification.Jones previously served as a Commissioner on the Washington State Public Utilities Commission. From 1983 – 1988 Jones served as senior legislative assistant to Senator Daniel J. Evans, the former U.S. Senator from Washington State, and staffed him on energy policy issues before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  He was responsible for a broad range of energy issues, including hydroelectric re-licensing, nuclear waste management, energy conservation and renewables, and the Bonneville Power Administration.Jones graduated from Harvard with a degree in East Asian Studies in 1977.

In the latest Public Power Now podcast, John Hairston, Administrator and CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration, discusses BPA's recent decision to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market and details his priorities as Administrator and CEO.

In the spring of 1941, Woody Guthrie came to Portland for a one-month job. He was hired by the Bonneville Power Administration to write songs extolling the virtues of dams, irrigated land and federally subsidized hydropower. He ended up giving the government 26 songs in 30 days. Greg Vandy's 2016 book about the project is titled “26 Songs in 30 Days: Woody Guthrie's Columbia River Songs and the Planned Promised Land in the Pacific Northwest.”

In this episode of Grid Talk, Host Marty Rosenberg talks with Elliot Mainzer who is the President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (ISO). The discussion focuses on the effort to bring on more renewable generation in California and what that means for the delivery of energy. Battery storage will play a significant role in meeting peak demand.“The next five to seven years, California is going to be bringing on a monumental amount of new supply into the system. The amount of storage on the California grid this summer is going to be one of the largest in the world,” said Mainzer.Mr. Mainzer also talks about what's ahead for the evolving energy market in the West including the need for additional generation and new infrastructure.“There's just no way we're going to be able to meet our clean energy objectives reliably without additional transmission resource diversification.”The podcast ends with a discussion about the ongoing drought in the Southwest and the threat to the grid from wildfires.Elliot Mainzer took over as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Independent System Operator in September of 2020, following an 18-year career at the Bonneville Power Administration. The ISO is responsible for managing the flow of electricity that serves 80 percent of California and a small portion of Nevada. Mr. Mainzer earned his bachelor's degree in geography from the University of California, Berkeley. He has an MBA and Master of Environmental Studies degree from Yale University. 

Good Morning it's Thursday April 29th, and this is The Wenatchee World's podcast, Slices of Wenatchee. We're excited to bring you a closer look at one of our top stories and other announcements every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.    Today --- After eight years, General Manager Steve Wright is leaving the Chelan County PUD.   Today's episode is brought to you by Equilus Group Incorporated. Equilus Group, Inc is a Registered Investment Advisory Firm in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Equilus Group, Inc- Building Your Financial Success. Learn more at Equilusfinancial.com. Member SIPC and FINRA.   -   Now our feature story…   After eight years, General Manager Steve Wright is leaving the Chelan County PUD.   The announcement came on Tuesday. He said that the primary reason is simply that it's been long enough. He's spent 40 years in the industry and 20 years in leadership. Now, he wants the opportunity to try something new.   Wright's contract with the PUD to serve as the General Manager runs through the end of this year. And he's informed the Board that he doesn't intend to serve as the General Manager beyond that.   Wright said he made the announcement early to allow the PUD's board of commissioners time to search for his replacement. There will also be an overlap during the transition.   Shortly after, the commission announced they will begin a national search for a new general manager. They also noted that the public will have the opportunity to give input.   They also thanked Wright for his work, saying they'd like for him to stay longer.   So where is Wright headed? Well, he's not sure what's next yet. He has some thoughts but no firm plans.    First and foremost, he's focused on finishing strong at the PUD. He said that he's feeling very optimistic about Chelan PUD and Chelan County. Wright noted that he wants to make sure he's providing full effort until a replacement is on board. He said they'll keep doing what they've been doing, guided by their strategic plan…   What is that strategic plan? Here's Wright summarizing a few key points on the 2020 through 2024 plan.     Wright was hired by the PUD back in 2013 after a short-lived retirement from his previous position as head of the Bonneville Power Administration in Oregon.    He was replacing John Janney, who had resigned to spend more time with his family and church.   Wright's annual salary of $295,000 a year was a big leap from the $180,000 he earned at the BPA.    Wright had started at BPA in 1981 in an entry-level position. Then, in 2002 he became an intermediate leader there before being permanently appointed two years later. For more on this story visit us at wenatcheeworld.com.   --   Before we continue, a special thanks to our friends and sponsors at Confluence Health. The team at Confluence Health is grateful for the trust the community puts in them every single day. They are diligently working to improve the health and quality of life for our friends and neighbors. They are Grateful | They are Confluence Health.  Learn more by visiting them at ConfluenceHealth.com   --   Next, A proposal to send Wenatchee's middle and high school students back to classrooms full-time was met with opposition. Teachers and the majority of school board members were against the idea.   As a result, students in grades 6 through 12 will continue in hybrid instruction for the rest of the school year.   Board member Julie Norton, an outspoken proponent of bringing students back for full-time instruction, pressed the school board to make the change.   Local students also spoke up during the board meeting, and some brought up the issue of mental health as well. Here's senior Abby Danko.   The board had voted at the end of March to bring back K-5 students for full-time instruction but to keep 6-12 students in hybrid learning. That hybrid model has students on campus in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.   And during Tuesday's meeting Board President Laura Jaecks said since that decision in late March, they've all been watching the transmission numbers. And there has been a dip.   Norton argued that since that time, the numbers are below the CDC threshold to return 6 through 12 students. The health district had also issued a statement saying kids are safer in school.   She noted that schools around us have decided to open full time, and that's something that needs to be considered.   The Eastmont School District is one of them. They're working on bringing secondary students back to school next week.    But Wenatchee Education Board President Monica Christensen doesn't think that's the way to go. She presented a survey of teachers. She explained that 215 secondary teachers were surveyed on whether the secondary students should come back to school full-time. 17% were in favor while 83% were not.     Later, Michele Sandberg, a Wenatchee School Board member said that just because the board has the legal authority to open school back up doesn't mean they should do it.   She said that now, the board has to make smart decisions.   --   Before we go, some local history,  Wenatchee Valley History is brought to you by NABUR    Now, some history…   In late November of 1950 dedication ceremonies were underway for the new Columbia River Bridge. The new span, which cost about $2,800,000, was officially opened by State Highway Director William Bugge.    The first car in line on the bridge was driven by Mrs. Richard Barber. Barber was the wife of the local highway superintendent.    The bridge was built to continue Highway 2 across the Columbia River, replacing what is now the pedestrian bridge just upstream. When built, it was classified as the "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" by the American Institute of Steel Construction.   In 2000 it was renamed the Senator George Sellar Bridge. And then in 2010 an additional lane was added.   -   Thanks for listening. Today's episode is brought to you by Equilus Group, Inc- Building Your Financial Success. Learn more at Equilusfinancial.com.   The Wenatchee World has been engaging, informing and inspiring North Central Washington Communities since 1905. We encourage you to subscribe today to keep your heart and mind connected to what matters most in North Central Washington. Thank you for starting your morning with us and don't forget to tune in again on Saturday!   Support the show: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/site/forms/subscription_services/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first episode of our two-part series, we hear from new President and CEO of the California ISO Elliot Mainzer. After a longer career at Bonneville Power Administration, including the last seven years as Administrator, Elliot moved over to head up CAISO in October of 2020. Tune in to hear his thoughts on the roles of regional markets and the plans CAISO has for upcoming summer and beyond. Part 1 of a 2-part series. Produced by Grid Forward.

***Sponsored by Raycon. Visit buyraycon.com/trace to save 15% on a new pair of earbuds******Sponsored by Care/of. Visit TakeCareOf.com and use promo Trace50 for 50% off your first order.***Twenty-eight year old Julie Weflen worked for the Bonneville Power Administration in Washington state. While out on a routine task to repair a transformer, Julie mysterious vanished from the isolated substation.Investigators found a scene which seemed to depict a struggle and abduction and immediately launched a search. While the evidence was thin, police did manage to develop several theories including one which targets a person of interest with a connection to the disappearance of another woman.FB: https://www.facebook.com/TraceEvidencePod/IG: https://www.instagram.com/traceevidencepod/TW: https://twitter.com/TraceEvPodVisit https://www.trace-evidence.com for more information, case photos, contact information and more.Merch: https://traceevidence.threadless.com/ GetVokl: https://getvokl.com/channel/trace-evidence-1 (Weekly livestreams 7pm-8pm Eastern)Music Courtesy of: "Lost Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Julie Ann Weflen was a 28 year old from Deer Park, Washington. She worked for the Bonneville Power Administration and loved the outdoors. On September 16, 1987, on her way home, Julie stopped at a substation to make sure it was working correctly. Julie never made it home. She was never seen again. Charley Project: http://charleyproject.org/case/julie-ann-weflen http://charleyproject.org/case/deborah-jean-swanson http://charleyproject.org/case/kathryn-marie-rahe NAMUS: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/2816 https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/2073?nav https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/10414?nav Article: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2012/04/amateur_sleuth_says_case_of_mi.html If you have any information regarding the disappearances of these 3 women, please contact: For Julie Weflen: Spokane County Sheriff's Office (509) 477-2240 For Deborah Swanson: Coeur d'Alene Police Department (208) 769-2320 For Kathryn Rahe: Spokane Police Department (509) 755-2489 --Unfound supports accounts on Podomatic, iTunes, Stitcher, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify and Facebook. --on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET, please join us on the Unfound Podcast Channel on YouTube for the Unfound Live Show. All of you can talk with me and I can answer your questions. --Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast. You can also contribute at Paypal: unfoundpodcast@gmail.com --email address: unfoundpodcast@gmail.com --the website: theunfoundpodcast.com

Terry Oliver was the first Chief Technology Innovation Officer at Bonneville Power Administration where he was honored with BPA's highest award, the Meritorious Service Award. After a fantastic adventure of a career, Terry's is now retired, but not tired.

Host Marty Rosenberg talks with the Administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Elliot Mainzer. The discussion focuses on grid modernization and how BPA is keeping up with technological advances and changes to traditional business models in the utility sector. Elliot Mainzer manages the nonprofit federal agency that markets carbon-free power from Columbia River hydroelectric dams and the region's one nuclear plant. BPA also operates most of the high-voltage power grid across the Pacific Northwest, distributing wind and other energy to the region and beyond.Mainzer earned his bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of California, Berkeley. He has an MBA and Master of Environmental Studies degree from Yale University.

H.R. 4920 – Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting Preference Consistency Act (Rep. Takano – Veterans’ Affairs)  To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an exception to certain small business contracting requirements applicable to the Department of Veterans Affairs procurement of certain goods and services covered under the Ability One program, Agreed to by voice vote H.R. 4183 – Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act (Rep. Khanna – Veterans’ Affairs)  o direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on disability and pension benefits provided to members of the National Guard and members of reserve components of the Armed Forces by the Department of Veterans Affairs  Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 408 – 1 (Roll no. 685) H.R. 3530 – Improving Confidence in Veterans’ Care Act (Rep. Cloud – Veterans’ Affairs)  to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enforce the licensure requirement for medical providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 – 1 (Roll no. 686). H.R. 2726 – Banning Smoking on Amtrak Act of 2019 (Rep. Norton – Transportation and Infrastructure)  to prohibit smoking on Amtrak trains  Agreed to by voice vote H.R. 2548 – HELP ACT, as amended (Rep. Fletcher – Transportation and Infrastructure)  To modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard mitigation assistance programs,  Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 – 7 (Roll no. 688) H.R. 4719 – FISH SAFE Act, as amended (Rep. Golden – Transportation and Infrastructure)  To amend the Federal share of the fishing safety standards grants  Agreed to by voice vote.(text H.R. 3362 – Small Airport Mothers’ Room Act of 2019, as amended (Rep. Miller – Transportation and Infrastructure)  to require small hub airports to construct areas for nursing mothers  Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 4998 – Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, as amended (Rep. Pallone – Energy and Commerce)  To prohibit certain Federal subsidies from being used to purchase communications equipment or services posing national security risks, to provide for the establishment of a reimbursement program for the replacement of communications equipment or services posing such risks,   Agreed to by voice vote H.R. 4779 – To extend Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006 (Rep. McMorris Rodgers – Energy and Commerce)  To extend the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006  Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 4229 – Broadband DATA Act (Rep. Loebsack – Energy and Commerce)  To require the Federal Communications Commission to issue rules relating to the collection of data with respect to the availability of broadband services,   Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 4227 – MAPS Act (Rep. McEachin – Energy and Commerce) to prohibit the submission to the Federal Communications Commission of broadband internet access service coverage information or data for the purposes of compiling an inaccurate broadband coverage map.  agreed to by voice vote H.R. 2647 – SOFFA, as amended (Rep. Matsui – Energy and Commerce)  This bill adopts the California flammability standard as the federal standard for upholstered furniture. To meet the standard, the upholstered furniture must past a specific test of the materials’ ability to resist smoldering when a heat source is applied. agreed to by voice vote H.R. 3172 – Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2019, as amended (Rep. Cardenas – Energy and Commerce)  This bill makes it unlawful to manufacture, sell, or distribute inclined sleepers for infants. Specifically, inclined sleepers for infants are those designed for an infant up to one year old and have an inclined sleep surface of greater than 10 degrees.  Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 150 – GREAT Act, as amended (Rep. Foxx – Oversight and Reform)  This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget, jointly with the executive department that issues the most federal grant awards, to (1) establish government-wide data standards for information reported by grant recipients, (2) issue guidance directing federal agencies to apply those standards, and (3) require the publication of recipient-reported data collected from all agencies on a single public website.  Agreed to by voice vote. S. 216 – Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Act (Sen. Cantwell – Natural Resources)  This bill requires the Bonneville Power Administration to make specified settlement payments to the Spokane Tribe in relation to the construction and operation of the Grand Coulee Dam. Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 722 – Miracle Mountain Designation Act (Rep. Curtis – Natural Resources)  This bill designates a specified mountain near Elk Ridge City in Utah as “Miracle Mountain.”  Agreed to by voice vote. S. 50 – Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act (Sen. Merkley – Natural Resources)  This bill authorizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to assess sanitation and safety conditions on land set aside to provide Columbia River Treaty tribes access to traditional fishing grounds. The bill applies to land held by the United States for the benefit of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.  Agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 453 – Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act (Rep. Fleischmann – Natural Resources)  This bill takes specified lands and easements in Monroe County, Tennessee, into trust for the use and benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These lands include the Sequoyah Museum, the Chota Memorial, the Tanasi Memorial, and land to provide support for these properties and cultural programs.  Agreed to by voice vote. H.Res. 755 – Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors (Rep. Nadler – Judiciary) (Subject to a Rule)  This resolution impeaches President Donald J. Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors. The resolution sets forth two articles of impeachment of the President: (1) abuse of power by soliciting the interference of Ukraine in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and (2) obstruction of Congress by directing defiance of certain subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives.  On agreeing to Article I of the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 230 – 197, 1 Present (Roll no. 695).—–On agreeing to Article II of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 229 – 198, 1 Present (Roll no. 696). H.R. 5430 – United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (Rep. Hoyer – Ways and Means)  To implement the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada attached as an Annex to the Protocol Replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement. On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 385 – 41 (Roll no. 701). H.R. 5377 – Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act (Rep. Suozzi – Ways and Means) (Subject to a Rule)  This bill increases the tax deduction for state and local taxes in 2019 to $20,000 for persons filing a joint tax return. It eliminates the current $10,000 cap on the deduction in 2020 and 2021. The bill increases the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6% beginning in 2020, and reduces the dollar amount at which the increased tax rate begins.  On passage Passed by recorded vote: 218 – 206 (Roll no. 700). Support the show.

The Bonneville Power Administration, the government-owned “power marketing agency” that serves the Pacific Northwest, is facing a strong current of problems. As cheap renewables make hydro less competitive in the region, BPA is now bleeding money. There’s now concern that its utility customers will stop buying hydro after contracts expire.Meanwhile, the cost of rehabilitating salmon populations is mounting. As the power provider grapples with $15 billion in debt, some are calling for a reformation of BPA. How can the government prepare the hulking agency for the competitive clean energy future?We’ll talk to a Jeremy P. Jacobs, a reporter for E&E’s Greenwire, who’s been digging into the story. You can read parts one, part two and part three of his ongoing series.Then, climate strikes swept the globe last Friday, raising unprecedented media coverage. How is this different from previous mobilizations around climate? We’ll put this moment in the context of recent history.Finally, offshore wind is getting dirt cheap in Europe. According to Carbon Brief, recent offshore wind prices are set to compete with existing gas seven years ahead of schedule. We’ll venture out to the leading edge of offshore wind development.Read along with us:E&E News: Jeremy Jacobs’ reporting on Bonneville Power AdministrationNew York Times: Climate Protesters and World Leaders on Same Planet, Different WorldsGTM: UK’s Offshore Wind Auction So Successful It Might Have Made Itself RedundantCarbon Brief: Record-Low Price for UK Offshore Wind Cheaper Than Existing Gas Plants by 2023Support for this podcast is brought to you by Sungrow. With the world’s most powerful 250-kilowatt, 1,500-volt string inverter, Sungrow is providing disruptive technology for utility-scale projects.Subscribe to GTM podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you find your audio content.

Dr. Todd Conklin, a human and organizational performance consultant, visited Bonneville Power Administration to speak at the annual Stand up for Safety event and took a few minutes to answer some safety questions here on the podcast.

When folksinger Woody Guthrie strolled into the Bonneville Power Administration in 1941, he played a song or two on his guitar, filled out some paperwork, and was hired by the federal government to write songs about dams on the Columbia River. And then, just as abruptly as it began, this odd-couple story came to an end. The folk singer’s 30 days at BPA is considered one of the single most productive bursts in his fruitful songwriting career. We track down the man who rediscovered this complicated history and get to the heart of what caused the federal government to hire a “scruffy radical folksinger” and why he chose to come to the Pacific Northwest. Music and archival audio: Woody Guthrie - Library of Congress Recording Sessions, March 1940 with Alan Lomax. Woody Guthrie, Columbia River Collection - released 1988 by Smithsonian Folkways.

On another icy day our guests are Kevin Weigert from the Bonneville Power Administration on the Skamania County power outage and Don Hamilton from the Oregon Department of Transportation on the I-84 closure.

Star Percussionist Colin Currie Plays Our Studio —The Oregon Symphony welcomes Colin Currie back to the stage Oct. 22–24. We talk with Curry about how he’s pushing the boundaries of contemporary classical music, as a soloist and through commissioning new works for percussion and orchestra. Then we give him an assortment of office goods (think recycling bin, bucket, vase, Dragon Boat oar) and ask him to play a tune.Bravo Youth Orchestra —Oregon Art Beat brings us this profile of the first Oregon program based on a world-famous Venezuelan method of music instruction. El Sistema is the program that has brought high-quality musical education to hundreds of thousands of kids in Venezuela. Bravo is replicating El Sistema in metro Portland’s underserved communities.Tin House Fiction Contest Plot Prompt #1 —Ready to grind out 500 words of flash fiction in Tin House’s Plotto: The Master Contest of All Plots? Without further ado, here is the first prompt:“Character A, proceeding about his business and caught in a crowd, is confronted suddenly by a strange person, character B, who thrusts a mysterious object, X, into his hand and, without a word, disappears.”How to Succeed on Broadway With Lake Oswego–Native Brisa Trinchero —What do the hit Broadway shows "Hamilton," "Matilda," "Hedwig and the Angry Itch," and "Pippin" have in common? Lake Oswego native Brisa Trinchero. After working her way up to running the Broadway Rose theater in Tigard by her mid-20s, she made the big jump to Broadway itself. Now she splits her time between Portland and New York, where she produces plays, runs a boutique publishing company, and is working on a ticketing start-up.State of Wonder’s Aaron Scott caught up with her during a recent trip to the Big Apple to talk the business they call show, including the hottest ticket on Broadway (#YayHamilton) and her involvement in the touring production of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical."Beirut Wedding As A Model for Change —Local theater veterans Bobby Bermea and Jamie Rea talk about the company they founded to tell stories of women and people of color. Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project produces its first production Oct. 28–Nov. 10: Zayd Dorhn’s "Reborning” — a spooky-yet-sexy tale of a young doll maker who’s latest commission is pushing her over the edge.Between The World And Me: Artists Respond —A lot of northwest towns have community reading projects, but the University of Oregon is taking it one step further this year. Incoming undergrads were encouraged to read Ta-Nehisi Coates’ best-seller “Between The World And Me” — a meditation about being black in America. In tandem, the University’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is showing contemporary art that works in conversation with the book. Some real A-listers are represented: Kehinde Wiley, Theaster Gates, Kara Walker, and many others.Eastmoreland Controversy: Who Says It’s Historic? —Our columnist-in-residence Randy Gragg turns us on to an oddity of Oregon law that allows people to lobby for historic protections for whole areas, whether the people who live there want them or not. Catch is, once your house is designated historic, your abilities to change it become tightly restricted. The southeast Portland community of Eastmoreland has become the latest flashpoint for how this plays out. Woody Guthrie's Voyage through Oregon —In the spring of 1941, Woody Guthrie came to Portland to work on one of the most iconic public art projects of the West. The Bonneville Power Administration hired him to write songs for a movie about the virtues of dams, irrigated land and hydropower. Author Greg Vandy tells the story in his book, “26 Songs in 30 Days.”

Join Eagle Harbor Books on International Workers' Day - May 1st at 3pm - for a tribute to iconic folk musician Woody Guthrie. Seattle KEXP music radio DJ Greg Vandy will talk with Seattle Symphony bassist Jonathan Green about Vandy's new book, "26 Songs in 30 Days". It's the story of Woody Guthrie's songs to honor the hydroelectric and irrigation projects of the Northwest's largest river system, the Columbia, and the heroic workers and visions that transformed our region in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1941, Woody Guthrie wrote 26 songs in 30 days -- including classics like "Roll On Columbia" and "Pastures of Plenty" -- when he was hired by the Bonneville Power Administration to put to song the benefits of affordable hydroelectric power, irrigation, and the building of the massive Grand Coulee Dam. Today, Bonneville is still the northwest's main provider of low-cost, clean and renewable power, as was mentioned in a recent BCB podcast about the Island Power movement currently active on Bainbridge Island. "26 Songs In 30 Days" plunges deeply into the historical context of the transformative vision and the progressive politics that embraced social democracy during an era that led America out of the severe suffering of the Great Depression. For further information about Greg Vandy and events to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Guthrie's songwriting about the Columbia, see Greg's website at http://www.americanstandardtime.com/about/greg-vandy/ Credits: BCB host, audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters

In this Intel Grid Insights podcast, Jeff Kuechle, writer for the Intel “Grid Insights” blog, sits down with Terry Oliver, the Chief Innovation Officer for the Bonneville Power Administration, to discuss transactive energy and its future potential for the electrical grid. For more information see: intel.com/energy blogs.intel.com/energy GridInsights on Twitter

The global cleantech industry stayed on a bull run despite a shaky economy in 2008, but the momentum is bound to slow down this year. That was the key finding from a report released yesterday by Portland, OR-based Clean Edge, a consulting firm. The three major clean energy sectors—solar photovoltaics, wind power, and biofuels—saw their combined [...]Click here to play