Clean Energy Blog
Stay up to date on the latest news related to clean energy in our region and beyond.
Details on How Power Generation Maintained Reliability During Cold Snap
The Pacific Northwest recently experienced a cold snap that brought below-freezing temperatures to the region for four days- increasing the area's energy demands. According to BPA, the area's load peaked at 11,396 megawatts, which is a modern era energy demand record...
New consumer bundle: EV + solar panel
Automakers have begun selling electric vehicles (EV) bundled with home energy products and services, such as home solar panels. Hyundai recently announced the rollout of Hyundai Home, a service to help the company’s customers match up with installers of EV chargers,...
NSF-DOE internship program to support geothermal energy workforce
A new internship program will support the Department of Energy's (DOE) Enhanced Geothermal Shot initiative. In collaboration with the National Science Foundation's (NSF) INTERN program, it will support 10 to 20 six-month research internships per year to work in the...
How nuclear technologies can help provide reliable power
Many utilities have begun exploring the potential of a new generation of nuclear technology to help them meet their clean energy and reliability needs, amid growing consumer demand. New nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMR) can help utilities address...
Recap of Washington’s energy strategy: A model for other states
Washington State's 2021 State Energy Strategy (SES) provides a roadmap for it to meet critical and ambitious energy and climate goals. Its approach is that energy transformation strategies must be grounded in the lived experiences of communities most at risk of...
DOE opens applications for funding to enhance power grids
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $13 billion in new financing opportunities for the expansion and modernization of the nation’s electric grid. The bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Grid Resilience Innovative Partnership (GRIP) program and the...
Nuclear plants to produce clean hydrogen
In power generation, hydrogen is one of the leading options for storing renewable energy and can be used in gas turbines to increase power system flexibility. Four U.S. nuclear power plants will begin producing hydrogen as a clean energy source. The DOE will be...
Snohomish PUD completes microgrid and clean energy center
The Snohomish County PUD recently completed its Arlington Microgrid and Clean Energy Center, which utilizes multiple energy storage sources, including utility-scale battery energy storage, residential battery energy storage and vehicle-to-grid charging systems. Its...
Washington state at forefront in transition to clean energy
Washington state has adopted a suite of aggressive policies to transition to 100% clean power, decarbonize buildings and transportation, and establish a new cap-and-invest program. Recently, it became the first and only state in the nation to require heat pumps in all...
DOE’s $43M funding to support projects for clean energy transition
This week, the DOE announced $43 Million to fund research projects in states and communities across the country for clean energy transition. The projects focus on energy planning, increasing grid resilience, and restoring power after disasters. The money will support...