McMinnville Water & Light Hosts Tour for ODOE Staff
Inside Riverbend Renewable Gas Plant.
Earlier this month, members of the Oregon Department of Energy team spent a day touring the McMinnville Water & Light facility, Cascade Steel Rolling Mill, and the Riverbend Renewable Gas Plant. The immersive tour included stops inside a power transformer yard, the operation center of a landfill that turns gas into electricity, and most impressively, as close as you can get to an electric arc furnace that uses electric power to heat scrap metal to over 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The day started at the McMinnville Water & Light Facility where the group was met by General Manager John Dietz, Electric Division Manager Scott Rosenbalm, and Power Resource Manager Jaime Phillips. After a brief presentation, everyone received personal protection equipment and guidance for the upcoming Cascade Steel Rolling Mill tour. This state-of-the-art steel manufacturing facility is focused on sustainability. Recycled metal, which might otherwise be destined for landfills, creates the new steel products. The energy used for this process is mainly electricity sourced from carbon-free hydroelectric power generated by the Columbia River Dam System.
The first site of the steel mill tour was the ferrous scrap metal yard where large overhead cranes loaded the metal into a “charge bucket,” which was then brought into the melt shop. The group was able to view the melting process high above the yard, where the scrap metal was unloaded into the electric arc furnace. The viewing was on a darkened platform with an up-close view of molten metal explosions.
After viewing how the melted scrap metal was milled into steel, the tour headed back to the McMinnville Water & Light facility for an outdoor education on power transformers and the equipment and teams that keep them nimble and modern. During lunch, McMinnville staff gave an in-depth presentation on how the utility is leading energy conservation efforts with energy programs, audits, and conservation service loans for their customers.
The tour concluded at the Riverbend Renewable Gas Plant with a discussion on turning waste into energy. The Riverbend Landfill accepts primarily household waste and collects enough gas to generate renewable energy to power approximately 2,500 Yamhill County homes.
Each of these facilities are leading their industry in energy conservation, innovative technology, and customer service. It was a highly educational and exciting day, and the ODOE team enjoyed learning about their work in person. The tour was also joined by Governor Brown’s Mid-Valley Regional Solutions Coordinator and McMinnville Water & Light Commissioner Jody Christensen, McMinnville Water & Light Commission Chair Tom Tankersley, and the Director of the Oregon Municipal Electric Utility Association, Jennifer Joly.
To learn more about these facilities and their sustainability efforts visit McMinnville Water & Light, Cascade Steel Rolling Mill, and Riverbend Renewable Gas Plant.
