Related News
Related News
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National Preparedness Month: Older adults take control in 1, 2, 3
We know older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the extreme weather events and emergencies we face, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, depend on electricity for medical needs, or live in rural areas.
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Women in STEM: EWEB Engineer Laura Ohman's second degree brings a lifetime of benefits
EWEB Engineer Laura Ohman shares how getting her second degree was one of the most difficult and rewarding things she's ever accomplished.
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Bethel neighbors boost emergency preparedness during Emergency Water Station event
Staff gave out about 300 emergency water containers to enthusiastic community members eager to learn more about the water station.
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Stay cool during extreme heat events
With temperatures forecasted to reach over 100 degrees over the next several days, we've prepared some tips and tricks to help you stay cool.
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Women in STEM: Meet our servant leader and maker of tough decisions
Karen Kelley, Chief Operations Officer at EWEB, describes herself as a "servant leader," offering support and mentoring to four division managers at EWEB.
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EWEB establishes multipronged resiliency policy
Disaster recovery and prevention are being embedded in all operations and processes.
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Women in STEM: Meet the water quality specialist who ensures the safety of Eugene's drinking water
Brenda Casarez began working at EWEB in 2009, collecting samples from all over the water system testing for different contaminants.
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EWEB will close College Hill Reservoir site for Fourth of July
EWEB will continue the annual closure of its College Hill Reservoir over the Fourth of July holiday. For the past several years, EWEB has restricted access to the reservoir surface around the Fourth of July to ensure people do not set off fireworks which can damage the roof and potentially impact drinking water quality.
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EWEB and City finalize sale of former riverfront headquarters
The two buildings on 4.4 acres will transformed into Eugene's new City Hall. EWEB and the City signed closing documents and officially handed over the site keys on Tuesday.
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EWEB begins major water pipeline upgrades
This summer, EWEB is launching several construction water pipeline projects to enhance the reliability and earthquake resiliency of drinking water service for Eugene residents.
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Currin Substation - the origin of the name
Hugh Currin was hired as an engineer at EWEB in 1923. Later, he became the chief engineer for the utility.
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EWEB Safety Tip: Celebrate responsibly with balloons
If your graduation celebration involves balloons, make sure they are secured with a weight. Otherwise, they can float away and come into contact with overhead power lines.
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EWEB programs make electric mobility more accessible
Electric mobility seems to be everywhere these days, but does availability equal accessibility? Here at EWEB we’ve determined that the answer is ‘no’ and are working to bridge that gap through EV car shares, community grants and electric bike rebates.
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Lead Green annual summary
In Eugene, we take pride in knowing we have one of the cleanest power portfolios in the nation. Roughly 90% of Eugene's power comes from carbon-free hydroelectric energy. And EWEB has a long history offering robust conversation programs. But we wanted to do more, so we launched Lead Green, a suite of programs for climate innovators looking to support renewable energy and take action on climate change. In the year since Lead Green was launched, we've accomplished a lot we can be proud of.
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EWEB Education Programs Invest in Eugene’s Future
Learn some of the many ways EWEB customers support local schools and help inspire kids to explore the wonders of watershed health and clean energy resources.
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Powered by People Like Brian
January 17, 2020
To talk about Brian, you have to employ superlatives. He is the friendliest, the nicest and the humblest of people. Walking through the halls of EWEB with him is like a flashback to high school. We all remember that kid that everyone knew and everyone liked-somehow knowing everyone's name and greeting each person he passes. At EWEB, that's Brian.
As a teenager, Brian would spend summers with his uncle in Hermiston.
"He was a lineman with Umatilla Electric Co-Op and I got to go on ride-alongs. It piqued my interest," recalls Brian.
After attending a year of college, Brian told his parents he wanted to leave and go to line school in Idaho.
"They had an early-out program. PG&E called and listed off locations in California I didn't know anything about. When they mentioned Oakland, I thought, that sounds good. Everyone made fun of me for it since I passed up all these fancy northern California cities, but it turned out great," says Brian.
Brian started with PG&E as a truck driver and quickly moved into a position as an apprentice lineman. In 1999, he was hired on with EWEB as an apprentice. After a few years, he moved to Bend taking a position with Central Electric Co-Op, but eventually found his way back home to Eugene and EWEB.
Since then, Brian has put in the hours and the effort advancing to Crew Leader II with EWEB's apparatus crews that work primarily on EWEB's downtown network.
The configuration of the downtown electric network results in ultra-high service reliability, which takes specialized equipment. The crews Brian leads perform the maintenance and technical work on that equipment.
"When I first started with the apparatus crew, it was completely new to me and challenging. The downtown network serves some really big customers, who rely on a high level of service. In the beginning there was a lot of maintenance work that hadn't been done in a while. We'd open vaults up and not know what we were going to be getting into," says Brian.
Brian is a glass half full kind of guy. It's easy to get the impression that he sees opportunity where others see obstacles and with his goofy, playful demeanor his enthusiasm for the work is infectious.
"It's been a pretty incredible opportunity to work in the power industry," says Brian. "You want to come see some of the equipment we work on?" And he grins.
Thank you Brian for your role in providing customers with vital services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.