PODCAST · science
Dam!
by Northwest RiverPartners
Welcome to the official podcast of Northwest hydropower! Yes, you read that right. We’ll be covering hydropower, plus energy and environmental issues, while sharing the stories of the most interesting folks you’ve probably never heard of—from salmon scientists and policymakers to the heroes of public power. Now fire up those water-powered devices and get to listening!Hosted by Austin Rohr. A Northwest RiverPartners production.
Episodes
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Ep.54 Interviewing the host
The tables have turned! On this special episode of Dam!, Northwest RiverPartners' staff and former guests, Clark Mather and Victor Valerio, sit down with the host of the podcast, Austin Rohr, to find out more about him, his career, and what it's like running the official podcast of Northwest...
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Ep.53 Washington's hydro-powered potatoes
Idaho may get all of the fame, but Washington's significance in the world of potato growing is equally impressive. The link between potatoes and hydropower may not be immediately evident, but between irrigating, storing, and processing spuds that feed the world, the power required for those tasks...
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Ep.52 A timely chat with John Hairston
From professional baseball to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and now Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), John Hairston's career is illustrated by his ability to lead, be a team player, and understand the delicate balance of family and life outside of work. His time as administrator...
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Ep.51 New hydro in the Northwest!
When you think "hydropower" in the Northwest, you probably think about the region's legacy, decades-old dams. The days of building new, largescale hydroelectric dams might be behind us, but technologies like pumped storage hydro offer new ways to add more water power to our grid. Recently, Rye...
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Ep.50 Every dollar matters: Energy costs on Washington's coast
Along the sandy shores of Washington's coastline, change is constant. Just as the pounding waves and gusty winds that roll off the Pacific change the landscape every second of every day, the people who call this rugged area home have endured economic and political changes time and time again....
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Ep.49 Fighting the affordability crisis
Alan Walker is a hero. He's many other things, too (namely, the executive directer of the Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council and president of the Washington Community Action Partnership), but the work that he does is essential to help thousands of residents in the Northwest meet their basic...
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Ep.48 Inside scoop on AI
What's the deal with all of this AI? From an energy perspective, our exposure to this emerging technology often comes in the form of the demand it places on the grid via data centers. However, it's rare that we hear about the technology side of AI development and the practical use cases for it....
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Ep.47 Welcome to the team
Meet the newest member of the Northwest RiverPartners team, Victor Valerio! On this episode, you’ll hear about Victor’s background before coming to the organization, the lessons he’s learned along his path in life and his career, eye-opening experiences since starting his new job, and the unique...
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Ep.46 "POWERING ON" Grant PUD's history in the words of John Harrison
On this very special episode of the podcast, we're joined by Grant PUD's senior manager of external affairs and communications, Chuck Allen. He shares the story of their recently released history book, "POWERING ON: The can-do legacy driving Grant PUD into the future by Grant PUD." While the...
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Ep.45 Not your average port
Dam! heads to the mighty Palouse to get the scoop on the Port of Whitman County. Executive director Kara Riebold and commissioner Kristine Meyer make the perfect duo to tell the story of multi-modal transportation, recreation, improvements to the community, and of course, the value of the river...
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Hydro 101: Lock in on locks
Class is in session! The fifth episode of Hydro 101, a sub-series of the Dam! podcast, has arrived. Hydro 101 aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of hydropower and how it interacts with energy and the environment–particularly in the Northwest. This episode explores the...
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Ep. 44 Fight for the system
The Columbia-Snake river system, that is. Neil Maunu, executive director at the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, gives us the rundown on the integrated system of infrastructure that makes the Columbia and Snake rivers navigable. From locks and dams to dredging and jetties, it's an all…
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Ep.43 Wheat's the big deal?
There's a unique relationship between agriculture and hydropower that we've yet to fully explore on the podcast. That all changes with this latest episode, as Michelle Hennings from the Washington Association of Wheat Growers–a farmer herself–joins the podcast to discuss the multitude of benefits...
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Ep.42 Dam! Year in Review
With Dam! winding down for 2024, we wanted to spend some time revisiting an incredible year of storytelling. You'll hear snippets from a handful of episodes, starting with our most-listened to of the year, that capture some of the most impactful moments shared on the podcast. For both those who...
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Ep.41 Salmon rejoice! Reintroduction on the Green River
While we love hydropower stories, we know that dams serve a multitude of purposes. In fact, many dams generate no power whatsoever. And, likewise, the community-owned, not-for-profit utilities that serve the Northwest offer more than energy. What remains the same is the universal commitment to...
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Ep.40 Telling "The Whole Dam Story"
Just hearing mention of the four lower Snake River dams can stir up strong feelings for people who fall on either side of the debate over their future. Yet, it's rare to find someone who's actually stood atop–or within–these dams and spoken with the people who work at them at length. Ryan Hall,...
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Hydro 101: What is a watt?
Class is in session! The fourth episode of Hydro 101, a sub-series of the Dam! podcast, has arrived. Hydro 101 aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of hydropower and how it interacts with energy and the environment–particularly in the Northwest. This episode takes a deep dive into...
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Ep.39 The silent service of the sagebrush sailors
From deep into the interior Northwest to the mouth of the Columbia, river transportation is a vital yet overlooked service to the nation and the world. Rob Rich, vice president of marine services at Shaver Transportation, joins Dam! to shed a light on this "silent service," speak to the true…
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Ep.38 Now hiring! (For the clean energy future)
The future of hydropower and the utilities who depend on it across the Northwest rests in the future of our workforce. In the case of Grant PUD, that workforce is challenged by looming retirements and gaps in education and training. Yet, the utility is rising to meet those challenges head on, and...
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Ep.37 Cost Cap: Setting the record straight
"Misinformation does not serve our region or policymakers and doesn’t recover salmon." That's the message Northwest RiverPartners executive director, Clark Mather, delivered in a recent statement. That statement was in response to a campaign aimed at undermining bipartisan legislation simply…
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Ep.36 Cause for celebration
Put your party hats on! President and CEO of the National Hydropower Association, Malcolm Woolf, returns to Dam! to hype us up for National Hydropower Day and the upcoming celebration. He also provided us with updates on the state of hydropower in 2024, the challenges and opportunities ahead,...
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Ep.35 Hydropower on the small screen
If you've ever wondered what the deal is behind the "Our Power is Water" campaign we've been running here at Northwest RiverPartners for the past four years, this is the podcast for you! We caught up with North's CEO, Rebecca Armstrong, to discuss digital advertising for a good cause, the nuance…
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Hydro 101: A brief history on Northwest hydropower
Class is in session! The third episode of our new sub-series of the regular Dam! podcast is here. Hydro 101 aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of hydropower and how it interacts with energy and the environment–particularly in the Northwest. On this installment, we walk through…
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Ep.34 Designing fish-safe hydropower
Fish passage is a serious matter for hydropower–especially for our Federal hydro system in the Columbia River basin. Like the dams themselves, maintaining and updating fish passage infrastructure is essential to achieving the best possible results for our aquatic friends. One of the leaders in…
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Ep.33 Charge! Funding the future of battery storage
Energy storage is not only essential to meeting our growing electricity needs, it also ensures a reliable grid. And, in places where even accessing that energy is a challenge, energy storage can alleviate the pressure on transmission infrastructure. Ravalli Electric Cooperative's slice of rural...
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Ep.32 Forecasting our clean energy future
The first step to solving a problem, is admitting you have one. We've known the demand for energy is outpacing our ability to build new generation, all while coal is retiring at a swift pace. Now, PNUCC's 2024 Northwest Regional Forecast is showing a clear gap in where we're headed, and where we...
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Hydro 101: How fish navigate dams
Class is in session! The second episode of our new sub-series of the regular Dam! podcast is here. Hydro 101 aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of hydropower and how it interacts with energy and the environment–particularly in the Northwest. As the title suggests, this one is…
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Ep.31 Who's in charge around here?
With the hiring of Northwest RiverPartner's newest executive director, Clark Mather, it was only a matter of time before we would introduce him to the Dam! podcast listeners. That time is now. You'll hear Clark describe his background, just how small the public power world really is, his views on...
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Ep.30 Live at the USSD 2024 annual conference!
Dam! hit the road and headed to Seattle, Washington, to record this special episode on site at the 2024 US Society on Dams annual conference. We opened up the guest chair to anyone looking for their "15 minutes of fame" on the podcast, and the lineup did not disappoint. Listen in to hear from the...
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Ep.29 Can hydro survive climate change?
Fears of drought, extreme weather, and a future full of uncertainty are not without reason. Climate change is front of mind for many, and reinforced by an onslaught of headlines and social media content. All of this begs the question, can our hydropower resources in the Northwest survive? If…
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Ep.28 Behind the story of The Grand Promise
On this episode of Dam!, we're joined by Rebekah Anderson, senior manager of communications at Tacoma Public Utilities and author of The Grand Promise. Her award-winning fiction novel captures life during the construction of Grand Coulee dam and illustrates the positive and negative impacts that…
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Ep.27 Elementary, my dear Waterpower
To know of hydropower and to love it go hand-in-hand. Today, the challenge is that less and less people actually know much about hydropower at all. The Foundation for Water & Energy Education, or FWEE for short, is tackling that challenge head on by bringing hydro to the classroom in creative and...
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Ep.26 How hydro powered through the January cold snap
In January of 2024, a blanket of extreme cold and ice was cast over the Northwest. The winter storm presented many threats, and our grid was not immune to them. Despite extremely high energy demand, our abundance of hydropower ensured we never faced shortages and rolling blackouts. We reached out...
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Ep.25 "Ask Bob"
Clearwater Power's Bob Pierce is not just their COO–he's also the author of "Ask Bob." In this podcast, we ask Bob what "Ask Bob" is, how he got started answering questions from the community, and revisit some of his most popular questions over the years to get his take. As you'll hear, there's a...
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Hydro 101: Introduction to Hydropower
Class is in session! "But hold on, what happened to my Dam! podcast?" Hey, no worries, Dam! isn't going anywhere. This week, we're releasing a special episode as part of a new sub-series of the regular podcast that aims to provide you with a fundamental understanding of hydropower and how it...
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Ep.24 Get a job... in hydro!
We're joined by Bree Mendlin, program director at the Hydropower Foundation, to discuss the various pathways and opportunities available to those interested in joining the waterpower workforce. Along the way, we take a deeper dive into the education efforts, STEM programs, competitions, and…
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Ep.23 Catch fish, win prizes, save salmon
What do the three subjects in the title of this podcast have in common? They're all important aspects of the work being done by Sean Simmons and Angler's Atlas. On this episode of Dam!, Sean explains Angler's Atlas, discusses the importance of citizen science, how the MyCatch app and angling...
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Ep.22 The show must go on!
In our final episode of the year, we introduce Dam! listeners to Northwest RiverPartners' new interim executive director, Heather Stebbings. Transitioning from her prior role with the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Heather brings a wealth of knowledge about the lower Snake River dams...
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Ep.21 Saying goodbye
We bid farewell to our executive director, Kurt Miller, on our 21st episode of Dam! On this one, Kurt shares the memories made and lessons learned leading Northwest RiverPartners, where he's headed and what he'll be up to next, and he shares incredibly valuable career and personal advice that you...
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Ep.20 It takes a water-powered village
We welcome a very fitting guest to Dam! this week with Brenna Vaughn, executive director of the Northwest Hydroelectric Association–or NWHA. As you can imagine, we covered all things hydropower advocacy, education, the challenges and opportunities that hydro faces, and compared and contrasted the...
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Ep.19 "Enchanted" grid resiliency solutions
This very special episode of Dam! features Thomas McAndrew, founder, president, and CEO of Enchanted Rock, who flew in from Texas to join us in studio with his good friend Kurt Miller, executive director here at Northwest RiverPartners. We discuss the various microgrid solutions that Enchanted…
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Ep.18 The little nukes that could
Okay, maybe they don't like being called "little." You may know them better as small modular nuclear reactors, and they could just be the big breakthrough we need to reach our clean energy goals. Luckily, our friends and member, Energy Northwest, knows a thing or two about this topic and could...
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Ep.17 Microgrid in a box
What's a microgrid? Why put it in a box? How does this all tie in to hydropower? These are all great questions you're probably asking, and to help answer them, we pulled together not one, but three expert guests for this special episode of Dam! To explain the project and how it works, Thomas…
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Ep.16 Rollin' down the river highway
Dam! returns for another excellent episode with the Port of Lewiston's general manager, Scott Corbitt. Thanks to Scott, we get the full scoop on inland ports, barge transportation, the movement of agriculture products and goods on Marine Highway M-84, why the lower Snake River dams are essential,...
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Ep.15 Moving the grid forward... with Grid Forward
What is grid modernization? How does one go about it? Why do we need it in the first place? All great questions someone might ask if they were going to do a podcast with Bryce Yonker of Grid Forward. Luckily for you, this is that podcast, and we asked all of those questions, and more! Strap in…
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Ep.14 Wildfire: A worst case scenario for public power
Billy Terry of Consumer's Power Inc. appears on this episode of Dam! to share his experience as chief operations officer before, during, and after wildfires scorched the community of Detroit Lake in Oregon. We dive into his utility background and getting his start in California, the changes he's...
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Ep.13 The unsung hero of the grid
We're joined on this episode by none other than Malcolm Woolf, president and CEO of the National Hydropower Association. Malcolm gives us valuable insights into hydropower advocacy at the national level, the ground being made on energy policy, finding common ground through uncommon dialogue, what...
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Ep.12 Boom or bust: There's water in them hills!
If you didn't piece it together from the episode title, on this special episode of Dam! we hear from our neighbors in California on the current state of hydropower. Nick Dominguez of Lassen Municipal Utility District shares the unique challenges California utilities face, gives us a lay of the…
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Ep.11 Policies have consequences
Washington Policy Center's new Eastern Washington director, Sean O'Brien, joins Dam! to give us some insight into the world of Northwest energy policy at a state and national level. We explore Sean's prior roles, including his time working for Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA), making a return home...
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Ep.10 Public power podcastin'
It's a meeting of the minds between two public power podcast hosts! We're joined on this special episode of Dam! by Danny Combs, corrective action program specialist and host of the Coworker to Coworker podcast at Grant PUD. Topics covered include the behind the curtain discussion of successfully...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to the official podcast of Northwest hydropower! Yes, you read that right. We’ll be covering hydropower, plus energy and environmental issues, while sharing the stories of the most interesting folks you’ve probably never heard of—from salmon scientists and policymakers to the heroes of public power. Now fire up those water-powered devices and get to listening!Hosted by Austin Rohr. A Northwest RiverPartners production.
HOSTED BY
Northwest RiverPartners
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dam! have?
Dam! currently has 60 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dam! about?
Welcome to the official podcast of Northwest hydropower! Yes, you read that right. We’ll be covering hydropower, plus energy and environmental issues, while sharing the stories of the most interesting folks you’ve probably never heard of—from salmon scientists and policymakers to the heroes of...
How often does Dam! release new episodes?
Dam! has 60 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dam!?
You can listen to Dam! on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dam!?
Dam! is created and hosted by Northwest RiverPartners.
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