Local utilities host clean energy expo at Pybus Public Market

Local utility districts in North Central Washington brought the potential future of energy to the community Wednesday at a Clean Energy Expo at Pybus Public Market.

The free event, organized by the Chelan, Douglas, and Grant County PUDs, featured panels and roundtable discussions, covering everything from hydropower to advancing energy technologies in the Pacific Northwest.

Rachel Hansen, Chelan County PUD spokesperson, said community events are important as utility districts look at the next chapter of clean energy generation.

"Our three public utility districts, Grant, Douglas, and Chelan, brought some of the nation's leading energy experts to explain things like geothermal and fusion energy, and all these up-and-coming technologies that are being talked about right now as the next generation of clean renewables," Hansen said.

The expo also featured booths from the PUDs and energy companies, educating attendees on battery storage, carbon capture, geothermal energy, hydropower and more.

Kurt Miller, the executive director of Northwest Public Power Association, kicked off the expo with a keynote presentation on the evolving energy landscape.

"Most people don't understand that supply and demand on the electric grid have to be in perfect balance essentially every second of the day," Miller said.

Hansen said those challenges are becoming more urgent in the Pacific Northwest as demand for electricity continues to grow.

"In Washington and Oregon, we're facing a potential for an energy shortfall, with demand rising faster than we can bring new clean energy online," Hansen said.

A recent study by consulting firm Energy + Environmental Economics predicted an energy shortage by 2030, projected to reach about 5 gigawatts in Washington and Oregon, and about 9 gigawatts across the broader Northwest, including Idaho and Montana.

"Chelan County, in particular, we're a winter peaking utility, which means that we use the most energy on the coldest days of winter," Hansen said. "We're looking at base load kinds; there are different attributes we're looking for in a clean energy source, but having that 24/7 availability is important. Some of the other attributes we're looking for in clean energy are affordability, how much land it uses and the environmental impacts."

Earlier this week, the mid-Columbia PUDs announced that they are considering a partnership to explore geothermal energy due to a predicted energy shortage. Geothermal energy is produced when hot water from the earth reaches the surface, and the steam is run through a turbine.

According to the study, the shortage reflects a combination of variables, including rising electricity demand, electrification, new large loads and retirements of firm generation across the region.

Wenatchee Valley College student and Link Transit employee Anivan Estrada attended the expo as part of the school's Earth Day and sustainability efforts.

Estrada said he came to learn more about emerging clean energy technologies and how utilities are working to reduce their environmental impact.

"I think what I'm trying to learn is what I don't know," Estrada said. "There are a lot of companies here talking about different energy sources like hydrogen and fusion. I've heard about them, but I wanted to understand what's actually working in practice."

He said he was particularly interested in how new technologies could shape transportation and infrastructure, pointing to Link Transit's electric buses powered by hydropower-sourced electricity.

Seeing the industry firsthand, Estrada said, has also influenced his thinking about a possible career in energy or engineering.

"Everybody I've spoken to seems happy and passionate about their accomplishments," he said. "It really motivates somebody, young like myself, to want to learn more about energy."

Estrada said events like the expo help connect different parts of the community to the broader energy conversation.

"There's development and research that takes place in all the different fields of energy, including energy storage, which might be the future of energy," he said.

Meaghan Vibbert, spokesperson for Douglas County PUD, said the region's public utilities are working together to serve their communities and keep energy reliable and affordable.

"It was a great opportunity to visit with our community about the important role hydropower plays in the overall energy future," Vibbert said. "Exploring these new technologies is only possible because of the reliable, affordable resource we have in hydropower."

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