Grounded: a Podcast by the Oregon Department of Energy
Grounded is a podcast by the Oregon Department of Energy. Here on Grounded, we're talking energy – from renewable energy and the history of nuclear power… to utilities, businesses, nonprofits, schools, and Oregon families going green and making a difference.
Episodes
September 23, 2026 • 23 mins
School season is all year round for ODOE’s schools program team. School districts in Portland General Electric and Pacific Power territories, like Bend-LaPine, are eligible to use Public Purpose Charge Schools Program funds for energy audits, projects, or for electric vehicles or chargers. Energy efficiency is a key part of the Oregon Energy Strategy and provides a more comfortable learning environment for students and teache...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 26, 2026 • 9 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. Just what are heat pumps and what is a mini split? Get introduced to heat pumps -- an efficient way to heat and cool your home.
Guest: Stephanie Kruse, ODOE facilities engineer
Resources:
• Hub for Information and Incentive Programs in Oregon: https://incentives.oregon.gov/
• Home energy tips and heat pump resources: https://incentives.oregon.go...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 8, 2026 • 22 mins
Portland General Electric and Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative discuss how they are planning for an increasing number of electric vehicles plugging into their networks and incentives available for customers.
Guests: Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative Marketing and Member Services Manager Keith Buchhalter and Portland General Electric Transportation Electrification Manager Karla Hendrickson.
Grounded music by PaulYudin
Sound Effect ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 3, 2026 • 36 mins
ODOE’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan is out now, and our guests walk us through the plan, sharing their hopes of how it will strengthen the agency’s efficiency and effectiveness as we work as a cohesive unit to address our greatest energy challenges.
Guests: ODOE Director Janine Benner and Associate Director for Strategic Engagement Ruchi Sadhir
Grounded music by PaulYudin
Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay
...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 4, 2026 • 19 mins
All around us, natural and working lands – from forests, to crops, to wetlands, and parks – are putting in work to benefit Oregonians.
Dig into natural and working lands and natural climate solutions on this episode of grounded.
Guests: ODOE’s Elizabeth Ruther, Senior Natural & Working Lands Policy Analyst, and Jason Sauer, Natural & Working Lands Analyst
Grounded music by PaulYudin
Sound Effect by fr...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 8, 2026 • 18 mins
The Olympic Pipeline brings 90 percent of our transportation fuels from Washington into Oregon. In November 2025, the pipeline was shut down to repair a leak, causing a fuel emergency declaration. In this episode, we’re reflecting on Oregon's response to the incident.
Guests: ODOE’s Energy Security Manager Traci Naile, and Mike Freese, of Romain and Freese representing the Oregon Fuels Association
Grounded music by P...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 18, 2026 • 36 mins
Fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are powered by electricity, so they need to “fuel up” at charging stations. While as much as 80 percent of charging happens at home, public chargers allow those without access to home charging and those traveling farther distances to recharge their batteries.
On this episode, we discuss EV charger availability and reliability and get a first-person perspective of EVs in rural O...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 18, 2026 • 9 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Geothermal
Guest: Rob Del Mar, ODOE senior policy analyst
Resources:
• Geothermal Energy in Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Pages/Geothermal.aspx
• Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries’ interactive map of geothermal springs and wells in Oregon: https://...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
January 21, 2026 • 9 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Biomass.
Guest: Michael Freels, ODOE senior policy analyst
Resources:
• Oregon State University’s Oregon Wood Innovation Center: https://owic.oregonstate.edu/
• Origin of Charcoal Briquettes: Collection: https://scua.uoregon.edu/repositories/2/resources/9251
• Bioenergy in Oregon: State...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
December 3, 2025 • 34 mins
In counties around the state and at ODOE, we’re planning for events we hope don’t happen: emergencies disrupting energy and fuel supplies. Climate change, extreme weather, and cyber risks and straining our energy systems and furthering the need for energy resiliency.
In this episode, we dive into energy resiliency (one of the Oregon Energy Strategy’s five pathways) as it relates to ODOE’s role in fuel emer...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
November 19, 2025 • 9 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our new mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Wind.
Guest: Todd Cornett, ODOE assistant director for siting
Resources:
• Explore wind facilities in Oregon with the Oregon Renewable Energy Siting Assessment Tool: https://oregon-explorer.apps.geocortex.com/
• Siting information hub: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/faci...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
October 22, 2025 • 44 mins
2025 marks 50 years of Oregon Department of Energy public service. As we continue leading Oregon to a safe, equitable, clean, and sustainable future for the next 50 years (and beyond!), we’re taking time to look back and reflect on what got us here.
In this episode of grounded, we’re joined by five former directors and current Director Benner, who each share memories of their time at ODOE as we highlight key moments fr...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
September 17, 2025 • 9 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our new mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Hydropower.
Guest: Joni Sliger, ODOE senior policy analyst
Resources:
• ODOE’s website on hydropower: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Pages/Hydropower.aspx
• Where hydroelectricity is generated in the U.S.: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/where-hydropower...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 27, 2025 • 41 mins
Could Nuclear Power be a solution to increasing electricity needs in the state and the nation?
In this episode, we learn about the nuclear topics considered during the 2025 legislative session and Oregon’s nuclear future. We also hear from a company developing small modular reactors about their technology and potential roles for nuclear power.
Guests: Max Woods, ODOE Assistant Director for Nuclear Safety and Energy Securi...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
August 14, 2025 • 50 mins
ODOE released a draft of the Oregon Energy Strategy on Aug. 14, 2025, and opened a public comment period through Sept. 22, 2025. So, what is the Energy Strategy and why should you take the time to comment?
We dive into an overview of the report and the five pathways outlined that represent the direction Oregon needs to go to meet the state's energy goals. As you will hear from our guests, the Energy Strategy is not a plan, but rat...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
July 16, 2025 • 27 mins
Oregon's is now the fourth state to focus on energy efficiency in existing buildings with ODOE's new Building Performance Standard Program.
Starting in 2028, the program implements energy efficiency compliance deadlines for Oregon's existing commercial buildings. In this episode, learn about the program and its benefits, and how Oregon is addressing energy efficiency in state-owned buildings.
Guests: Madeline O'Dwyer and Aman...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 25, 2025 • 6 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our new mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Nuclear energy.
Guest: Joni Sliger, ODOE senior policy analyst
Resources:
• Trojan Nuclear Site: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/facilities-safety/facilities/Pages/TRO.aspx
• Trojan Nuclear Site Spent Fuel Storage: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/safety-resiliency/Pages/Trojan-Site.aspx
• ...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
June 4, 2025 • 9 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our new mini-episodes series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: petroleum fuels.
Guest: Michael Freels, ODOE senior policy analyst
Resources:
• Oregon Energy Security Plan: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/safety-resiliency/Pages/Energy-Security-Plan.aspx
• Oregon Fuel Action Plan: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/safety-resiliency/Pages/Petroleum.aspx
Qu...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
May 14, 2025 • 10 mins
Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our new mini-episodes series. We're moving through Oregon's energy sources one at a time to learn more about how they serve Oregon and all of us. Up first: solar.
Guest: Rob Del Mar, ODOE senior policy analyst
Additional resources
• ODOE's Solar for All program: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/Incentives/Pages/Solar-for-All.aspx
• Energy Hub for Oregon incentives: https://incentives.oregon....
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 23, 2025 • 26 mins
Energy efficiency is found in government policies, it’s also found in our homes, technology and actions. Learn more about energy efficiency, some of the benefits, and things you can do to improve efficiency and decrease energy bills.
In March, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked Oregon at No. 9 in its nationwide State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which measures policy and program standards that suppo...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.