Institute for Northwest Energy Futures receives state funding

The state has earmarked $7.7 million for the 2023-25 biennium to hire researchers and staff and secure a new facility to house Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Institute for Northwest Energy Futures, or INEF.

INEF soft-launched last year as a new institute to use energy assets from across the WSU system and serve as broker for helping address the complexities of the changing energy landscape.

Researchers in this institute will use a systems approach to integrate existing and developing knowledge in engineering, earth sciences, economics, business, and society to help answer society’s most pressing questions about energy.

A systems view will help determine how clean energy technologies work together or compete, assess the impact of action or inaction, and address the intended and unintended social consequences of any planned interventions.  Researchers will use this knowledge to develop policies, programs and projects to bring about more sustainable and socially equitable results.

Eight scientists and engineers will be funded. Five, including the director, will be located at WSU Tri-Cities, and three will be at WSU Pullman.

Jonathan Male will serve as interim director of INEF. Male recently joined WSU as assistant vice chancellor for research and director of the Office for National Laboratory Partnerships in the Office of Research.

INEF joins three WSU joint research institutes working to address global energy challenges – the Bioproducts Institute, the Nuclear Science and Technology Institute and the Advanced Grid Institute, as well as the Bioproducts Sciences and Engineering Laboratory on the WSU Tri-Cities campus.

Survey: Agents, brokers find value in promoting energy efficiency in listings

A majority (63%) of agents and brokers nationwide said promoting energy efficiency in listings is very or somewhat valuable, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors.

The 2023 Realtors and Sustainability Report-Residential examines sustainability issues facing the real estate industry.

Half of Realtors surveyed said they were directly involved with a property with green features – on the buyer or seller side – in the past 12 months. Thirty-two percent of agents and brokers reported that their multiple listing service had green data fields, 37% of whom used those fields to promote green features, 24% to promote energy information and 14% to promote green certifications.

Vandalism, trash dumping prompt city to close road

The city of Richland has closed access to Bushwhacker Trail Road to unauthorized vehicles because of a significant increase in vandalism and trash.

Richland Parks and Public Facilities coordinated with the Army Corps of Engineers to close vehicular access. The closure begins just west of the Wye Park parking lot at Columbia Park Trail near Bateman Island.

The trail remains accessible to pedestrian traffic, including those accessing the river for recreational use such as fishing or kayaking.

There is no plan to reopen access to vehicles in the near future, the city said.

Sign up to make community a better place on June 16

Tri-Citians and area businesses are encouraged to work on a community service project of their choice from 8 a.m. to noon June 16 as part of George and Pat Jones Community Service Day.

Retter & Company | Sotheby’s International Realty will provide a picnic lunch at noon at Columbia Park, near the bandshell area, for the first 500 people who RSVP.

Here’s how it works: Your company picks a community service project. A variety of opportunities can be found at communityserviceday.com.

If you need additional people, make a note of that in the notes section of your reservation and the committee will try to see if it can help.

In 2019, more than 200 people came together to participate in the event, completing more than 20 projects in and around the Tri Cities.

Who are the Joneses? They are longtime community leaders and volunteers. George moved to the Tri Cities in 1947 and was an avid community volunteer and fundraiser. In 2004 he married Pat Johnstone and the two of them enjoyed volunteering together. He was named Kennewick Man of the Year in 1978 and Tri-Citian of the Year in 1997.

Pat also moved to the Tri Cities in 1974. She’s served on the boards of Trios Health Foundation, Second Harvest Tri-Cities, Benton Franklin Volunteer Center, Kennewick Housing Authority the Community Development Block Grant board for the city of Kennewick, Tri-Cities Cancer Center Guild, Hospice House and Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery.

She was named Kennewick Woman of the Year in 2007.