August 29, 2019 3:30 a.m.
Oregon State University will receive more than $400,000 for earthquake research.
A release from Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said the federal funds will be used to consider how large earthquakes, like ones that could strike in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, would affect the western electrical grid.
Wyden said that at a time when scientists are sounding the alarm about the potential for a devastating earthquake to one day hit Oregon and the entire west coast, “its vital to understand the risks of a quake of that magnitude, especially the possible effects on the electrical grid that keeps everything running”. He said the more information that can be gathered ahead of time, the more local communities can prepare to respond in the face of disaster.
Merkley said Oregonians, particularly in coastal communities, have long been preparing for the inevitability of a significant earthquake, including the risk to the power grid. He said the grant will allow OSU to conduct “critical research”.
The award came from the National Science Foundation for its “Earthquake Resilience of the Western Power Grid”.