Oregon Department of Energy Launches Grounded, a New Energy-Focused Podcast

Contact:
Jenny Kalez, 503-480-9239
Rachel Wray, 503-689-0294

Inaugural episode highlights the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s emergency response to December 2016 ice storm.

SALEM — The Oregon Department of Energy is pleased to announce Grounded, a new podcast focused on behind-the-scenes energy stories from across the state. Episodes are available at energyinfo.oregon.gov, and downloadable via SoundCloud.com/oregonenergy. Listeners can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

Grounded’s inaugural episode highlights how the Eugene Water & Electric Board responded to a severe ice storm in December 2016. Over the course of more than a week, about a quarter of EWEB’s 90,000 electric customers lost power – mostly due to downed trees and ice.

Jen Connors, EWEB’s Communications Specialist, shares her experience during the devastating storm, including how EWEB interacted with the public on social media.

“We were impressed by EWEB’s communications response to the December ice storm,” said ODOE Director Michael Kaplan. “Their level of engagement with their customers and lessons learned can help Oregon communities better prepare for emergencies.”

ODOE launched the podcast to highlight the many ways energy shapes Oregonians’ lives. Grounded will feature strides people are taking to improve energy efficiency, build resiliency, and adopt cutting-edge energy innovations.

"Both inside our agency and out, really cool energy work is happening across the state," said Jenny Kalez, ODOE Public Affairs and Outreach Coordinator. "We look forward to celebrating these stories and the great work of our energy partners on future episodes."