Recent population leaps in the greater Tri-City region show no signs of abating.That’s the takeaway from the demographers of the Washington Office of Financial Management (OFM). In its Growth Management (GMA) forecast released before Christmas, OFM now puts the likely total headcount of the two counties in 2025 at nearly...
The La Niña weather pattern is delivering adequate precipitation going into 2023 for some of Washington state’s leading crops, say some industry experts.The 12-month forecast for some of the state’s leading agricultural products, including hay, cherries, potatoes, and wine have profitable outlooks, according to a report from Northwest Farm Credit...
Demand for electric vehicles (EV) is soaring, accelerated by climate change concerns.EVs reduce tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and buses which are responsible for 30% of our greenhouse gas pollutants.The switch to EVs is worldwide and growing. The Simply Insurance website projects by 2040, 58% of global vehicle sales will...
For more than 80 years, the Bonneville Power Administration has supported local economies and regional growth by providing affordable, clean energy to consumer-owned utilities such as Benton Public Utility District, Benton Rural Electric Association, the city of Richland, Franklin PUD and Columbia REA.Today, BPA is taking steps to meet the...
Every day there is a new article or study proclaiming an urgent need for climate action, with myriad proposed solutions praising renewables as the cure-all.However, the realities of decarbonizing the electric grid are often far more complicated and nuanced than portrayed.Wind, solar and battery storage technologies are important, and deployment...
Research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has contributed for decades to the region’s leading role in clean energy technology development and deployment. The laboratory, based in Richland, has made advancements in energy storage, energy efficiency, clean energy and chemical production and electricity grid innovation. Today, our region has the potential to...
When it comes to heavy industry and manufacturing, low-cost electricity and the power sector are foundational to producing competitively priced goods and products.The Tri-City area is increasingly on the radar of companies looking for communities to bring new industries and jobs, the kind of jobs that include good wages and...
The decarbonization of the electric grid seems to be the topic of news stories across the country.The call for replacement of the fossil-fuel infrastructure, that was built over centuries, with clean-energy alternatives is the mantra of this generation.This decarbonization effort will require an unprecedented amount of investment, planning and skill...
When I’m home, like everyone else, I flip on the light switch and expect my lights to come on without giving a thought about if there’s enough electricity available.That’s the way it should be. People are busy and shouldn’t be concerned about there being enough electricity to keep the lights...
Seventy years ago, the soldiers of Camp Hanford built a giant Santa Claus and placed him, his sleigh and his reindeer on the main building of the post.It was a cheerful addition to Camp Hanford in Richland, which served as headquarters for the Army’s 5th Anti-Aircraft Group, which was charged...
