Clean Energy Blog
Stay up to date on the latest news related to clean energy in our region and beyond.
NREL Leading Research to Boost Performance of Solar Cells
A gloved hand holds a perovskite solar cell. The performance of the perovskite solar cell improved with the addition of an ionic salt. (NREL photo) Scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are using an ionic salt to replace the fullerene layer in...
255-MW U.S. hydro portfolio sold to Hull Street Energy
A U.S. private equity firm, Hull Street Energy, has sealed a deal to buy a 255-MW portfolio of 31 hydroelectric facilities from a joint venture between Enel Green Power North America and GE Energy Financial Services. Read more: Enel, GE JV sells 255-MW US hydro...
Solar panels that generate electricity at night?
Researchers from the University of California, Davis explain in a recent paper, published in the journal ACS Photonics, that if you want to create a solar panel that generates electricity at night, you have to create one that operates the exact opposite way solar...
Hydrogen: A green and sustainable energy source?
Hydrogen could be a feasible alternative to fossil fuels because of its affordability and environmental friendliness. It is found throughout the environment, but producing it involves efficiently separating it from other compounds. There are currently a number of ways...
William Westmoreland, new director of PNCECE
William Westmoreland, the new executive director of the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy, brings more than 15 years of experience in program development, system integration, and community engagement. William plans to increase awareness of the...
What you should know about hydropower
Hydroelectricity is a form of renewable energy. That means its source — water — is naturally renewing and doesn’t get used up in the process of generating power. Other renewable energy sources include solar power, wind power, biomass, and increasingly, geothermal...
TransAlta adds 119 MW of wind power in U.S.
Two U.S. wind farms with a total capacity of 119 MW, operated by TransAlta Corp., became operational in December 2019. The 90-MW Big Level wind park in Pennsylvania started commercial operation on December 19. It sells power to technology giant Microsoft Corporation,...
Wind farms in Montana could deliver enough energy to power large city
Site preparation has begun on the 114-turbine Pryor Mountain Wind Project in Montana. At least four wind farms are in various stages of development and combined could deliver up to 480 megawatts of capacity, enough to power a large city. Pryor Mountain Wind "is a...
74% of U.S. coal plants more expensive than new renewables
New research from Energy Innovation and Vibrant Clean Energy (VCE) shows the U.S. has officially reached the coal cost crossover point, where fast-falling wind and solar prices make simply operating three-quarters of all existing coal generation plants more expensive...
Washington statewide low-carbon fuel standard promoted by governor
At a recent visit to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Gov. Jay Inslee said a low-carbon fuel policy would increase access to biofuels for the aviation industry. The aviation industry is a portion of the economy that’s particularly challenging for reducing...