Clean Energy Blog
Stay up to date on the latest news related to clean energy in our region and beyond.
As We Close – the Director’s Blog
By Monica Brummer, Director of the Pacific NW Center of Excellence for Clean Energy One of the most difficult moments I’ve faced has been sharing news with our staff, advisory board members, supporters, and champions that the Center of Excellence is closing. Yet even...
U.S. Dept. of Energy Releases Finalized Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the finalized Fusion Science and Technology (FS&T) Roadmap, a national strategy to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy on the most rapid, responsible timeline in history....
Concerns Over a Proposed 100-mile Transmission Line That Could be Built Under the Columbia River
Oregon’s Bonneville Dam is the last of 14 dams on the Columbia River before it empties into the Pacific Ocean. (Courtesy of the Bonneville Power Administration) Developers are thinking about building a new transmission line to help meet the Northwest’s energy needs; a...
Potential for Geothermal in the Mid-Columbia Region
May 17, 2017 - Blue Mountain Geothermal Plant, Nevada Geothermal Power (NGP), Humbolt County, Nevada. Production well. (Photo by Dennis Schroeder / National Laboratory of the Rockies, 048293) Chelan, Douglas and Grant PUDs are considering a partnership to explore the...
Spokane’s New Microgrid at the MLK Community Center – an Energy Resiliency Hub
Solar panels being installed on top of MLK Community Center. (Courtesy of Avista Utilities.) This year, the first community-based microgrid in Eastern Washington began powering the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center (MLK Center) in East Central Spokane....
JCB Targeting New Speed Record Using Its Hydrogen Engines
JCB Hydromax on the Bonneville Salt Flats. JCB Photo. JCB is planning another attempt to break a world speed record, this time with a hydrogen-powered car. The 32-foot-long JCB Hydromax is being prepared to travel over 350 mph, equipped with the British...
Meet Helion’s New Fusion Testbed- Tiny Merge
Helion Energy is building Tiny Merge, a fusion device that is one-eighth the size of its seventh generation prototype and will serve as a testbed for faster iterations of its designs. (Helion Photo) Helion makes big bet on ‘Tiny Merge’ fusion testbed to meet...
WA Dept of Commerce Awards $60 Million for Clean Energy Projects
The Washington State Department of Commerce recently awarded $60.4 million in investments for nearly 100 clean energy projects across the state. The investments support 96 awards for solar, battery storage, grid upgrades, and predevelopment planning in 33 of...
Ford Energy: The Launch of Battery Energy Storage
Ford Energy photo. Ford Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. For the past year, Ford has operated to build a foundation for this business; planning, securing supply chains, readying manufacturing sites, and aligning their technology with the...
Washington’s Electric Grid Tradeoffs: More Spill, Less Hydropower
Oregon’s Bonneville Dam is the last of 14 dams on the Columbia River before it empties into the Pacific Ocean. (Courtesy of the Bonneville Power Administration) In litigation over Columbia Basin salmon, federal agencies began spilling more water last month to comply...