Hydro Think Tank - The Pacific Northwest

hydro think tank-The pacific northwest

aug 13-15 HyDro Think Tank at Rocky reach dam

do you have what it takes?

The Hydro Think Tank brings together bright new workforce entrants to solve real world problems with a partner utility. The week-long research and educational forum addresses the needs of the hydropower industry by introducing a specific hydropower issue to have student solve.

This seminar is designed to help develop a sense of an engineer's business by working within a team environment while trying to solve a real-world problem. Developed to mirror Shark Tank, student teams from several university programs will be invited to participate in a problem-solving forum to develop and propose a solution to a plant problem.

the competition

Students from top universities bring their talent, ingenuity and cutting edge-technology, to see if they have what it takes to win the Hydro Think Tank. University Teams from Wazoo, Gonzaga, Washington State University, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington, Walla Walla Community College, Centralia College, Wenatchee Valley College, Big Bend Community College & Seattle University will be brought in for an intense week of hands on problem solving to give their best solutions to a pressing hydropower environmental issue. The week is filled with exploration, training, team work, meeting top researchers in the industry and senior level management for career development to compete for the grand CASH prize of an opportunity for an internship, and university credits.

the details

When: August 13-15, 2019
Where: Rocky Reach Dam 5000 State Hwy 97A Wenatchee, WA 98801, Students will stay at Wenatchee Valley College 1300 Fifth St, Wenatchee, WA 98801. Housing and meals will be provided for the teams.
Who: Students with experience in a mix of disciplines like: trades; engineering, science and environment, computer science, students interested in an internship in hydropower.
Participating Schools: Big Bend Community College, Centralia College Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, Seattle University, University of Idaho, University of Washington, Walla Walla Community College, Washington State University, and Wenatchee Valley College
Judging: Team efforts will be judged by a panel of industry executives, managers and Hydro Foundation members.
Incentive: The winning team will receive a cash prize, a great resume booster and have the potential for an internship with one of the organizations providing a hands-on experience like no other.

A qualifying team will be made up of 6 undergraduate/graduate students. Each individual member has unique skills, perspectives, and ideas. Students should have experience/coursework in a mix of disciplines like: trades; engineering, science and environment, computer science, students interested in an internship in hydropower. To work together, bringing out the best in each member will be key in winning the competition.

Teams will be judged by a panel of Executives, Managers and Foundation members on ingenuity, practicality of solution, and presentation.

This is the opportunity to practice real-life business and engineering skills, hone individual talents and apply knowledge to solve a pressing need in our river systems.

The 2019 Challenge: Register today!
There will be twists...there will be turns...welcome to the Hydro Think Tank.

Click Here to Apply!

think tank partners

We are a public electric utility serving more than 40,000 customers in Grant County. We own and operate the Priest Rapids Project on the Columbia River in Central Washington. The Priest Rapids Project, comprising Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams, has the capacity to produce more than 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable and reliable electricity. Grant PUD operates multiple generation sources and delivers power to more than 40,000 customers throughout the county.

We are an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating division that provides electric service to more than 600,000 electric and natural gas customers across 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon. Avista’s legacy of innovation is rooted in the renewable energy we’ve generated since our founding in 1889

The Rocky Reach Hydro Project is located in north central Washington state on the Columbia River, about seven miles upstream from the city of Wenatchee. By river, the dam is 215 miles below the Canadian border, and 473 miles above the mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, Ore. People throughout the Northwest benefit from clean, renewable energy produced at Rocky Reach. The project is also nationally recognized for efforts to protect the environment.

We specialize in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. While we are most well-known for adding beauty and structure to communities through high-performance buildings and smart infrastructure, we provide much more than that. We create an unshakable foundation for progress because our multidisciplinary teams also include scientists, economists, builders, analysts and artists.

McMillen Jacobs Associates is a multi-disciplined firm, with self-performing design-build capability. We are experts in tunneling and water resources and deploy this expertise to serve water, dams, energy, wastewater, transportation, aquaculture, federal, private, and regulatory clients using a wide range of delivery methods.