Science & Technology

Hanford site team, partners complete melter test ahead of schedule

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Hanford site contractors, U.S. Department of Energy officials and other partners recently completed a test of technology for the still-under-construction High-Level Waste Facility of the site’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant two months ahead of schedule.

PNNL, Amazon look at AI to solve grid challenges

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are teaming up with one of Amazon’s companies to find artificial intelligence tools that can help make the electric grid more reliable and secure.

WSU unveils AI-focused career certificate programs

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Washington State University’s Carson College of Business now has opportunities for those looking to bolster their skills or break into new roles in the realms of artificial intelligence, automation, analytics and project management.

Effort to end AI-driven Medicare program fails

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:00:00 -0400

A Medicare pilot program that uses artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions will continue to be used in Washington state for the time being.

A call to accelerate Hanford cleanup now

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

For the first time in years, we have a realistic opportunity to move much faster, without sacrificing safety or effectiveness. The only unacceptable option now is inaction.

PNNL, OpenAI team up on AI tool for federal permitting

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Environmental impact statements can take federal agencies months or years to draft. A new tool from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and OpenAI is testing whether AI can speed that process up – without cutting corners on rigor.

$51.3M deal advances Atlas Agro’s fertilizer plant, data center plans

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

A Swiss company’s plans for a zero-carbon fertilizer plant and a data center north of Richland are moving forward despite citizens voicing concerns about the projects.

A rare look at the lab driving Hanford’s cleanup

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Hanford’s 222-S Laboratory celebrates 75 years as nuclear waste cleanup accelerates and DOE moves toward a new operating contract.

Who needs an attorney when you’ve got AI?

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Be careful what you ask AI, because what you ask and what AI answers may come back to bite you later.

DOE pushes dual-path Hanford cleanup plan

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

Months after denying a strategy shift, DOE is advancing a plan to grout more Hanford tank waste instead of vitrifying it – drawing state and watchdog pushback.

Washington college grads adapt to AI-era job market

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Software development consistently ranks among the jobs that artificial intelligence is most likely to displace over the next decade, with customer service, graphic design, accounting and data entry also topping the vulnerability lists. Entry-level workers and those in Generation Z — people in their teens and 20s today — also could be hit hard, as experts predict AI will most easily automate the type of repetitive work they tend to do starting out.

Federal energy bill brings mixed news for Hanford, PNNL workers

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Thousands of Tri-Cities workers at the Hanford nuclear site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are watching a federal budget process that could determine whether a second consecutive year of deep job cuts can be avoided.

AI could help PNNL pack more nuclear waste into glass

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

With the help of artificial intelligence, research from scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland could help optimize the vitrification of nuclear waste at Hanford and other nuclear sites.

Pasco schools to begin $13.6 million in classroom upgrades

ty@tcjournal.biz — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Pasco School District has kicked off projects aimed at supporting career and technical education, or CTE, in its high schools using proceeds from the bond approved by voters three years ago.

PNNL, partners release guide for data center development

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400

As data centers increasingly dominate conversations around the country, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and two partners have published a one-stop shop to help guide development.

Data centers are driving demand for gas from Northwest utilities, reports find

abaumhardt@americanpublicmedia.org — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Umatilla Electric Cooperative in Hermiston is one of six utilities across Washington and Oregon that have absorbed the bulk of energy demands of data centers in the region. A growing number of utilities are using booming data center demand to justify skirting climate rules in both states that mostly ban the build-out of new gas infrastructure, citing the need for regional energy reliability.

Mixed bag for Tri-Cities in U.S. House bill for DOE funding next year

Wed, 20 May 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Federal lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, passed a proposal to fund many U.S. Department of Energy projects out of committee on Wednesday, and the bill has bad news and good news for the thousands of Tri-City workers at the Hanford site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

PNNL faces deeper workforce cuts under proposed federal budget

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400

The Tri-Cities’ largest employer eliminated an estimated 400 jobs last year amid federal budget cuts and shifting priorities. This year, it could be forced to cut more than twice that number.

This site offers one stop for Hanford job seekers

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400

A new jobs website aggregates job postings from every prime Hanford site contractor and other energy-adjacent employers such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Energy Northwest and Framatome.

Kennewick bans cryptocurrency kiosks

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Kennewick has banned kiosks that allow individuals to buy and trade various cryptocurrencies.

National construction spending, hiring up slightly thanks to data centers

Tue, 12 May 2026 21:00:00 -0400

A construction trades group is sounding the alarm on more communities restricting data center projects when such projects have boosted construction spending and hiring, shoring up declines in other parts of the building sector.

Report: Nearly half of Americans oppose data centers in their communities

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of daily life but the infrastructure that supports it is something many Americans want no part of.

WSU researchers find cheaper means to unlock the power of sewage

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

A team of Washington State University researchers, including some based at the WSU Tri-Cities campus, have found a new method to treat sewage that reduces the costs of wastewater treatment while also creating renewable natural gas.

State officials seek comment on potential energy impacts of data centers

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Have thoughts on how data centers could impact electric resources and consumers in Washington state? State officials want to hear from you.

Scaled solar system replica opening on Earth Day

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

The scale-model solar system that has been under development for years is celebrating a grand opening with a ribbon cutting and park cleanup on Earth Day.

Amazon plans another data center southwest of Tri-Cities

ty@tcjournal.biz — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Planning officials in Oregon’s Morrow County recently approved a proposal from Amazon to build a data center campus with buildings encompassing 816,000 square feet just east of the Boardman Airport.

Microsoft selects Kennewick schools for AI workforce initiative

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Kennewick School District is one of 10 Washington school districts selected for a Microsoft program to expand artificial intelligence skills among the state’s future workforce.

Kennewick gives sewage a second life

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:30:00 -0400

Kennewick is turning wastewater and sewage sludge into nutrient-rich Class A fertilizer using innovative greenhouse-based technology, creating a sustainable, revenue-generating solution for the city.

New Tri-Cities IT firm blends AI, cybersecurity for nuclear renaissance

rachel@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:30:00 -0400

OSC Technical Solutions is using AI and cybersecurity expertise to support the Hanford cleanup and prepare for the next generation of nuclear projects.

Federal funding hits record for Hanford, but billions more needed

ty@tcjournal.biz — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:30:00 -0400

Hanford remains the nation’s most expensive and technically complex cleanup project, and delays, legal obligations and debates over how to treat tank waste – including whether to vitrify or grout certain wastes – mean the site could still take decades and tens of billions more to fully clean up.