Renewable Energy, Grid Transformation and Career Pathways

Join us in-person or over Zoom (stream link below).

Ryan Schalk, Director of Development at GridStor and Oregon State University alumnus, will discuss the rapidly changing energy landscape and the diverse careers helping build a cleaner, more reliable electric grid.

The OSU Career Development Center and the College of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) are sponsors of this event.

The Pacific Northwest is entering a period of significant transformation. A region historically defined by abundant hydropower and electricity exports is now being reshaped by renewable energy, battery storage, electrification, growing electricity demand, and an increasing need for grid flexibility. Ryan will explore the forces driving this transition, from artificial intelligence and data centers to transportation electrification and climate goals, and the challenge of meeting growing demand while maintaining a reliable and affordable electric system.

Drawing on his own career path, Ryan will share how studying in Environmental Science at Oregon State University, along with earning a GIS certificate, led to a career spanning environmental consulting, GIS and spatial analysis, and the development of wind, solar, and battery storage projects across the western United States. He'll discuss lessons learned along the way and highlight the wide range of backgrounds and skill sets that can lead to careers in the energy industry. The presentation will also offer a behind-the-scenes look at how large-scale renewable energy projects actually get built. From identifying a promising site to bringing a project into operation, energy development requires collaboration across engineering, environmental science, biology, GIS, law, finance, real estate, business, construction, public policy, and community engagement. Students will learn how developers bring these disciplines together to navigate site selection, land acquisition, grid interconnection, engineering and design, permitting, financing, construction, and long-term operations. More broadly, the session will explore an increasingly important question across industries: How do we build energy infrastructure needed for the next generation?

Whether you're interested in environmental science, GIS, engineering, natural resources, business, policy, or sustainability, this session will provide a practical look at the challenges, opportunities, and career paths emerging as the electric grid undergoes one of the most significant transformations in its history.