Hydro Think Tank - The Pacific Northwest

hydro think tank-The pacific northwest - August 13-15

Here is what happened:

congratulations to Tracy Pennell, Alysa Velez, Alex Junge and Nick zellerhoff for taking home first place for the 2019 PNW Hydro think tank!

the competition

What Participants said:

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 Big Bend, Wazoo, Gonzaga, Washington State University, University of Idaho, Eastern Washington, Walla Walla Community College and many more 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 Hydro Think Tank was a great experience experience where I could collaborate with peers from different backgrounds. Although I came in with little knowledge about hydropower, I learned enough during the week to work together with my team and take home 1st prize! The most rewarding part of my experience was meeting professionals in both hydropower and other water related fields and connecting with peers that I hope to see again during my engineering career." - Alex Junge

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, Wenatchee Valley College and more schools located in the PNW!
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.

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.