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.

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 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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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

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.