PGE funds big dreams
PGE donates to renewable energy program at regional college

In February, a team of PGE employees visited the Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles to present the college staff with $100,000 as part of the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm Strategic Investment Program (SIP). The money will go toward funding the college’s Renewable Energy Technology Program.

Located in the heart of Oregon’s wind farm country, the college offers the West Coast’s first Wind Energy Technician Program, with one- and two-year associate degrees that help prepare students for employment in a broad range of industries, including wind generation and, in the near future, solar array technology.

“This contribution from PGE is absolutely vital to help us meet the urgent need for wind energy technicians in our region. Our industry partners, including PGE, helped us design an instructional curriculum that ensured students would have the right skill set to enter this field,” said Dr. Frank Toda, president of Columbia Gorge Community College. “Our program is the only one of its kind on the West Coast, but industry support is critical if we are to grow our program quickly enough to meet the wind industry’s pressing need for skilled employees.”

“We are proud to support this important program, which provides students with the skills necessary to get a job in the fast-growing field of renewable energy technology,” said Gary Hackett, plant manager of PGE’s Biglow Canyon Wind Farm in nearby Sherman County, Oregon. “Workforce training programs such as this will play a critical role in the success of the renewable energy industry in this country.” Find out more information on the college’s Renewable Energy Program. You can also see a recent Oregon Public Broadcasting video on the college.