Public Affairs

Strategic Partner: PGE

Overview

Portland State University and Portland General Electric formed a Strategic Partnership in 2010 to advance regional economic development goals related to renewable energy and urban sustainability. PGE is a private utility serving over 840,000 customers in 52 Oregon cities. The partnership showcases PSU and PGE as anchor institutions and innovators in clean technology research and practice.  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Presidents of each institution in 2010 to formalize the Strategic Partnership.

The partnership is organized through a Governance Committee that meets quarterly to define goals and objectives, develop and implement work plans and track outcomes. The Governance committee reports progress to the Presidents in an annual meeting of the Strategic Partnership.

Partnership activities revolve around three core themes: renewable energy research; smart grid technology; and new energy workforce. The partnership is supported financially through sponsored projects, gifts, in-kind support and significant staff time from both institutions to advance mutually beneficial and agreed upon goals. Since the partnership began, PGE has sponsored 41 research projects valued at $1million. In addition, PSU students have delivered 9 Capstone projects valued at nearly $300,000.


Signature programs and projects of the partnership include:

  • PREPHub Demonstration Initiative
    PREPHubs are a new urban infrastructure designed to promote community resilience in the face of natural disaster or external threat. PSU and PGE are partnering with the MIT Urban Risk Lab to deploy the first long-term PREPHub Prototype on the PSU Campus. Anticipated implementation is Fall 2019.
  • PGE Power Engineering Lab
    PGE invested in a hands-on laboratory where power-engineering students engage in industry-relevant, applied projects that complement class room studies. PGE enabled the purchase of laboratory testing equipment and supplies. The Lab is the focal point for power engineering students, providing relevant, hands-on, project experience for undergraduate and graduate students. These sponsored projects provide the basis for applied, student work ranging in duration from one term (10 weeks) to 2 years.
     
  • Energy Workforce
    PGE and PSU strive to train the next generation of engineers and projects managers through new curricular strategies that combine classroom experience, hands-on projects, and work experience. To date, 27 PSU interns have gained work experience at PGE and 90 PSU graduates have been hired.
     
  • Electric Avenue
    PGE, PSU and the City of Portland joined forces in 2011 to create the first all-electric avenue in the country. Located on the PSU campus, Electric Avenue served as a demonstration and test site for new, electric vehicles and charging technology. The three-year effort (2011-2014) garnered international attention and served as a new product launch site for Nissan, Ford, Mitsubishi and General Motors.
     
  • EV Roadmap
    PGE and PSU founded the EV Roadmap conference series to bring together EV early adopters and international experts to inform transportation electrification efforts across the nation. The conference is now produced by FORTH », an innovation and demonstration organization that advanced electric, smart and shared transportation in the Pacific Northwest and Beyond.