Women’s History Month: Women in Energy

As we kick off Women’s History Month, we like to look back at the important contributions women have made to the science and energy landscape.

Oregon Department of Energy Conference Room Meitner

Did you know that in addition to being a 1940s movie star, Austrian-born Hedy Lamarr was also an inventor? She pioneered technology used in today’s Bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi systems. Dr. Maria Telkes was nicknamed the “Sun Queen” for advancing solar energy at the University of Delaware in the 1970s. In 1918, Katharine Burr Blodgett became the first women scientist hired by General Electric Research Laboratories, working on molecular glass coatings that were foundational to making glass more efficient, including for solar panels. And today, Jennifer M. Granholm serves as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, becoming just the second woman to lead the department since its founding. In Oregon, we celebrate many women leaders in energy, including: Oregon Department of Energy Director Janine Benner; two of the three Commissioners serving the Oregon Public Utility Commission, including Chair Megan Decker; Portland General Electric CEO Maria Pope; and our own Governor Kate Brown… among many other trailblazing women who are making and will make history.

Here at the Oregon Department of Energy, we also pay homage to another woman in energy history: Dr. Lise Meitner. Her research led to the discovery of nuclear fission in the 1930s — but like many women in early science careers, her work wasn’t truly acknowledged in her lifetime. Today, in addition to our Meitner Conference Room, she also has an element named for her: meitnerium.

Many other women have left an indelible mark on energy history – and will continue to make strides as we work to build a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.