By Frances WhiteElectric cars with significantly smaller, lighter and less expensive batteries could be on the horizon if a new national research effort achieves its ambitious goal of significantly improving upon the batteries that power today’s electric vehicles.Led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, the Battery500 consortium will receive up...

By Frances WhiteA dozen clean energy technologies that enable everything from lightweight, fuel-sipping cars to the expansion of renewable energy and cleaner fossil fuel use are getting a boost at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.DOE is awarding PNNL about $4.4 million to bring the 12 technologies closer...

By Don C. BrunellSince the construction of Grand Coulee and Bonneville dams, Washington has enjoyed an abundance of low cost, reliable hydropower. It has been one-key competitive advantage for energy intensive industries and now it is vital to our state burgeoning “clean-tech industries.”Hydropower, along with nuclear, solar and wind, produce...