Clean Energy News

Washington state noted for clean energy economy by U.S. News & World Report

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Cleaner energy along with its tech sector are helping Washington state to lead the nation in the 2019 U.S. News Best States ranking.

According to the U.S. News’ Best States ranking of economic growth, cheap, climate-friendly electricity drives Washington’s economy. The tech-heavy state’s expectedly strong broadband network sits atop one of the nation’s best electrical systems, one well-positioned as the country shifts away from coal- and natural gas-generated electricity. The state expects to be coal-free by 2025, while still charging rates among the nation’s lowest.

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Director, Center of Excellence, Centralia College

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Applications are open to fill the Director of the Center of Excellence at Centralia College. Barbara Hins-Turner, current director of the Center of Excellence for Clean Energy, will be retiring June 2019.

Centers of Excellence are guided by industry representatives to lead collaborative and coordinated statewide education and training efforts to build a competitive workforce in a global economy.

Washington’s Centers of Excellence are flagship institutions that build and sustain the state’s competitive advantage through statewide leadership. Each Center focuses on a targeted industry that drives the state’s economy and is built upon a reputation for fast, flexible, quality education and training programs. A targeted industry is identified as one that is strategic to the economic growth of a region or state.

To apply or find out more about the position, go to the Director, Center of Excellence position announcement.

BPA to open apprentice jobs in May 2019

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Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will post job vacancy announcements May 6-21, 2019, for Apprentice Linemen, Apprentice Electricians, and Apprentice Substation Operators.

The vacancies will be merit promotion announcements, so military veterans qualify as do current and former federal employees, and diversity candidates are welcome.

The vacancies will be posted on USAJOBS.GOV (search ‘Bonneville Power Administration’).

As a federal agency, the BPA hiring process can be lengthy. Candidates are pre-screened for minimum qualifications, and eligible candidates will take the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) test on June 28 or 29.

Interviews will be held during the week of August 26, 2019.

The official start date will be January 19, 2020.

More information: BPA Careers

Oregon company designing for small scale nuclear

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Jose Reyes, a nuclear engineer and cofounder of NuScale Power, in Portland, Oregon, says he and his colleagues can revive nuclear by thinking small. Reyes and NuScale’s 350 employees have designed a small modular reactor (SMR) that would take up 1% of the space of a conventional reactor. A typical commercial reactor cranks out a gigawatt of power, and each NuScale SMR would generate just 60 megawatts. For about $3 billion, NuScale would stack up to 12 SMRs side by side.

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1700-acre solar project proposed near Columbia River

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One of the Northwest’s most ambitious solar projects has been proposed for 1,700 acres of private and public land in Klickitat County near the Columbia River.

The project by Portland-based Avangrid Renewables is one of the largest yet proposed for Washington. The site would include an operation and maintenance building and a collector substation. The plan calls for an estimated 515,700 solar modules.

The surge in interest of building solar farms in the Pacific Northwest and expanding wind power has been helped along by state lawmakers’ consideration of legislation to require utilities to clamp down on carbon emissions generated by coal and natural gas fired power plants.

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Washington approves bill to commit to 100 percent clean energy

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On March 1, the Washington State Senate approved an historic bill to commit the state to 100 percent clean energy from renewable and zero-emission sources.

Senators voted 28-19 in favor of Senate Bill 5116, sponsored by Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle). The bill would require all electric utilities in Washington to transition to a 100 percent, carbon-neutral electricity supply by 2030 and to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045.

The bill is part of a wider package of Senate legislation to make a meaningful reduction in Washington’s carbon footprint.

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Shoreline’s Solar Institute offers educators hands-on teaching experience

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Middle and high school STEM teachers can apply now for the Washington STEM Educator Solar Institute held Aug. 13-15 at Shoreline Community College.

The three-day training covers solar energy concepts that can be used in the classroom to engage student interest in green energy, and includes lesson plans, videos, and teaching resources to take home.

The priority deadline to apply is April 1.

For more information, see Washington STEM Educator Solar Institute.

Washington State leads nation in energy efficiency jobs

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Energy jobs in Washington State comprise 2.8 percent of the entire country’s energy efficiency workforce, making it the leading state in the country in energy efficiency jobs, according to the latest U.S. Energy and Employment report.

Explore the full report and the state-by-state comparison, as reported in the Washington State Wire, Washington leads nation in energy efficiency jobs.

BPA energy efficiency program receives national recognition

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Recognized by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the Bonneville Power Administration’s Energy Smart Industrial program has saved nearly 1.4 million megawatt-hours of verified energy since 2009. That’s enough energy to power over 130,000 average U.S. homes for one year.

The Energy Smart Industrial program offers support and provides rebates to more than 110 enrolled BPA electric retail utilities and their industrial customers.

ACEEE first recognized the Energy Smart Industrial program as an exemplary program in 2013.

Read more at The Energy News Feed.

Advanced solar panel production starts at SunPower in Oregon

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The California-based solar manufacturer SunPower has begun making its more advanced solar panels in its new Hillsboro, Ore. facility, four months after purchasing the former SolarWorld factory.

SunPower plans to make the advanced “P-Series” solar panels at the Hillsboro facility and has indicated it hopes to add workers as production of the new panels ramps up.

Read more in OregonLive.