Science & Technology

Project Omega’s nuclear tech gets scientific boost from PNNL collaboration

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:30:00 -0400

A private East Coast enterprise is teaming up with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to recycle spent nuclear fuel – and the results could power endeavors like space exploration while making spent nuclear fuel less dangerous.

Amazon moves to close $36M land deal for Wallula Gap data center

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:30:00 -0400

Amazon, the company once shrouded in secrecy that wants to build a $5 billion data center at Wallula Gap, is looking to buy even more land for the project.

Business owner pushes back on automatic AI rollouts

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:30:00 -0400

How many times a day do artificial intelligence summaries of emails or Google searches pop up, unasked for and without the option to turn them off?
How often do users engage with images and videos generated by AI with no tags to identify the content as fake?
For one local business owner, the answer is: too much.

Data center tax break close to getting zapped by WA Legislature

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

As it stands, data center operators in most Washington counties do not pay the 6.5% sales tax on server equipment. That equipment is typically replaced every three to five years, and current law exempts sales tax on purchasing new or replacing old server equipment. It also doesn’t apply sales tax to labor hired to install the equipment.

It’s lights out for WA Legislature’s effort to regulate data centers

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Big technology companies scored a win in Olympia on March 2, as a sweeping bill to regulate data centers lapsed in the Washington state Legislature.

Researchers reimagine construction with living materials for a changing climate

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Scientists are embedding organisms like fungus and bacteria into building materials so they will provide structure while also doing things like capturing carbon or filtering wastewater.

Private sector partnerships propel Richland startup toward large-scale deployment

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Private companies and startups are partnering with this Richland-based company, setting the stage for it to apply its technology at scale.

Record $3.2 billion funding approved for Hanford

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Hermiston among communities cited in study on data centers, energy use

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Hermiston is featured in a recent study asserting Amazon’s data centers aren’t negatively affecting energy resources in the communities where they’re located and are instead actually lowering costs for residents and bringing other economic benefits.

How WA lawmakers are trying to regulate data centers

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:00:00 -0500

With data centers expected to become the largest source of electricity demand in the Pacific Northwest, Washington legislators are pressing ahead with a bill aimed at protecting the grid and offsetting potential hikes for utility ratepayers.

PNNL publishes interactive data center map

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

A new map of data centers and related infrastructure across the U.S. developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is being touted as a way to help utilities and communities anticipate and prepare for the potential impacts of the resource-hungry facilities.

Robotic arm gives Washington apples a helping hand

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Researchers at Washington State University, along with those at the Prosser Research Extension Center, have developed a low-cost robotic arm that can pick apples, potentially lending a mechanical hand to orchard workers and easing the crunch of seasonal labor shortages.

WSU researchers among key partners in sustainable aviation fuel incubator

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Washington State University’s leadership in research and development of sustainable aviation fuel, particularly at the Richland campus, is making it one of the main players at a recently unveiled facility in Everett aimed at wider adoption and production of the fuel.

U.S. Senate passes funding bills for Hanford, PNNL

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

A three-bill package that will pay for the cleanup at the Hanford site and research activity at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is headed to President Donald Trump’s desk.

PNNL, Hanford contractors earn millions in incentive pay

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

The Hanford site’s contractors and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s operator received much of their performance incentive payouts after facing uncertainty from a mercurial federal administration throughout 2025.

U.S. House passes bills funding Hanford cleanup, PNNL, dams

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0500

A three-bill package that would provide funding above 2025 fiscal year levels to the Hanford site and the nation’s national labs, including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has passed its first hurdle after receiving bipartisan support from U.S representatives.

Utility-grade battery tests begin at PNNL’s Grid Storage Launchpad

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are taking the next step in advancing the lab’s goal to help bring more large-scale energy storage systems to market.

O Christmas tree, thy smell is so...citrusy? Piney?

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Any Christmas tree’s leaves are unchanging, but for researchers at Washington State University, the smell of a Christmas tree is just as important.

WA joins states opposing Trump’s $100k H-1B visa fee

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Washington state is joining 20 other states in opposing the Trump administration’s move to increase the cost of H-1B visa petitions for high-skilled foreign workers to $100,000.

Top DOE commercialization officer visits PNNL

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

The federal official overseeing the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to bring research from its labs to market met with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory leaders on his first visit to the Tri-Cities.

AI takes center stage in PNNL’s new biotech lab

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has opened a first-of-its-kind automated biotechnology lab that places artificial intelligence at the center of biological discovery.

Vit plant produces 20 containers of vitrified glass

ty@tcjournal.biz — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

The state-of-the-art facility that began processing toxic waste at the Hanford site in mid-October has reached another milestone.

Data centers may help cut energy costs for Hermiston residents

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Hermiston residents may soon have data centers to thank for reducing their monthly electricity bills.

WSU nearly doubles royalty revenues in 2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

When it comes to research, Washington State University is getting dividends on the fruits of its labor.

PNNL researchers among world’s most highly cited

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0500

Thirteen Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff and two research affiliates are among the world’s most highly cited researchers.

PNNL lays off 68 employees

ty@tcjournal.biz — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:36:00 -0500

Affected positions range from those working in IT, software, mechanical and nuclear engineering, as well as roles connected to national security, cybersecurity research, chemistry, earth science and administration.

New LIGO research facility to pave way for future space discovery

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Plans are underway for a new research facility at the observatory scouring space for black holes and the experiments that are set to take place there will pave the way for future discoveries in space.

Framatome makes breakthrough in advanced nuclear fuel

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Framatome has taken another step to solidify its future as a fuel producer for the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Atlas Agro vows to complete fertilizer plant plus data center

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500

A Swiss company plans to invest half a million dollars to develop a Richland data center despite having $157.3 million in federal funding slashed for its zero-carbon nitrate fertilizer plant north of the city. Securing the power to power up both projects also continues to be a challenge.

Programs aim to bolster nuclear tech pipeline for next generation

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 -0500

With many retiring from the nuclear industry, preparing the industry’s next generation, especially with small modular reactors, or SMRs, on the horizon, is crucial.