Clean Energy Blog
Stay up to date on the latest news related to clean energy in our region and beyond.

Columbia Generating Station Spring Refuel
Energy Northwest Photo Last month, Energy Northwest operators successfully disconnected Columbia Generating Station from the power grid. This was the beginning of its biennial spring refueling outage, which is scheduled to last for 56 days. The outage allows operators...
Snohomish PUD Recognized as a Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3)
Snohomish PUD recently announced that they have been recognized as a Platinum Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) by the American Public Power Association (APPA) for providing reliable and safe electric service to customers. The honor of the award is given to...
Self-Charging Drones Win 2025 Environmental Innovation Challenge at UW
University of Washington students with the startup Voltair won the top prize at the UW’s 17th annual Environmental Innovation Challenge. (UW Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship Photo / Paul Gibson) This year’s Environmental Innovation Challenge at the University of...
New Wave of Smaller, Cheaper Nuclear Reactors
The AP300 Small Modular Reactor (Photo: Business Wire) With the promise of newer, cheaper nuclear power on the horizon, U.S. states are vying to position themselves to build and supply the industry’s next generation as policymakers consider expanding subsidies and...
PGE Upgrades Hydropower Facility, Leads to Record High Energy Generation
Faraday Powerhouse, PGE photo Five years ago, Portland General Electric began investing in the Faraday Powerhouse, part of the West Side Hydropower project. Now, PGE is celebrating a five-year high in emissions-free power generated from its Clackamas River facilities....
TerraPower Building Next-Gen Nuclear Plant in Wyoming
TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque, right, spoke with Joe Fain, president and CEO of the Bellevue Chamber, at a luncheon event hosted by the chamber. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) Late last week, the Bellevue Chamber hosted a luncheon and fireside chat with TerraPower,...
Dept. of Commerce Awards Building Owners $55.5 Million For CBPS
Photo by Joshi Prateek, NREL 84326 The Washington state Department of Commerce recently awarded seventy building owners across Washington with $45 million in Clean Buildings Performance Grant funding. The funds, awarded to both private and public entities, will use...
Constellation Ahead of Schedule at Crane Clean Energy Center
Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant (Credit: DOE) Five months after announcing a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Microsoft to restart Three Mile Island Unit 1 and launch the Crane Clean Energy Center (CECC), Constellation provided updates on hiring and site...
Scholarship Deadlines Approaching- Apply Now!
Now is the time for students to apply for scholarships and monitor approaching deadlines. Previously covered scholarships such as the PSE Foundation "Powerful Scholars" program are available through scholarship applications at the institution you are attending. For...
Lawmakers Warned of Load Growth & Need for Reforms
Industry stakeholders brief Congressional lawmakers on challenges related to load growth and reliability on March 5. Source: House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A panel of power and utility industry stakeholders met last week with Congressional lawmakers and...