WSU Tri-Cities perfectly poised to help WA state become a clean energy leader
The State of Washington is a national leader in tackling the challenge of decarbonizing energy systems. With state initiatives such as the Clean Energy Transformation Act and goal to be carbon neutral by 2050, the opportunity and urgency to innovate in the clean energy space and transform our approach to energy systems is clear.
The Tri-Cities, with its abundance of clean energy sources and a history of restoring the environment, coupled with Washington State University Tri-Cities’ scientific expertise, research partners and workforce-readiness programs, is the perfect environment for making the transition from an area known for environmental cleanup to a leader in clean energy.
The Tri-Cities is a region naturally rich in agriculture and low-carbon energy including nuclear, solar, hydro, biofuels and wind power. This abundance of low-carbon power already supplies much of Washington’s internal needs and is also widely exported to other western states. Agricultural byproducts and other sources of plant biomass provide high-value products for biofuels such as renewable bio-natural gas, sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen.
Located in the state’s energy hub, WSU Tri-Cities is exploring how to best advance a transformed energy ecosystem that connects researchers, policy makers, industry, and consumers. The Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) on the WSU Tri-Cities campus was created to help address the increasing demands for resilient affordable and available low-carbon electricity and transportation fuels.
INEF will provide state-of-the art energy systems analyses, focused on the integration of energy storage, distribution, and use. The institute will use a systems approach that includes technical, economic, environmental, and policy perspectives to help solve energy challenges. Such a systems view will be essential to growing Washington State’s energy presence and meet its decarbonization goals.
INEF’s location in the Tri-Cities leverages the energy research talent across the WSU system with three WSU-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory joint institutes focused on the energy sector: Advanced Grid Institute, Bioproducts Institute, and Nuclear Science and Technology Institute. The Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Lab (BSEL), also located on the WSU Tri-Cities campus, works to advance research in identifying capable non-energy products to promote energy sustainability.
In addition to supporting clean energy transformation through research, WSU Tri-Cities is taking every opportunity to build a ready workforce who will carry the clean energy vision into the future. Through several collaborations, WSU Tri-Cities students have access to applied learning opportunities with industry partners to help them become workforce-ready graduates.
With the combined strengths of our region’s energy assets, a campus known for research and innovation in decarbonization, and an Institute focused on energy transformation that will bridge science and policy with a systems approach, the Tri-Cities and WSU Tri-Cities are clearly ready to help integrate the region’s assets in energy and make the move from cleanup to clean energy.
This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 1:59 PM with the headline "WSU Tri-Cities perfectly poised to help WA state become a clean energy leader."