This year has been a pivotal year for energy innovation in the Tri-Cities, solidifying the region’s status as the clean energy powerhouse of the Pacific Northwest. Driven by strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts, industry leaders, regional institutions and local communities have united to build on a legacy of innovative, coordinated approaches to clean energy solutions. 

These advancements reflect the local commitment to securing clean, reliable and affordable energy while creating significant new opportunities for economic development. The progress made this year reinforces the Tri-Cities’ mantle as a leader for the nation in securing a clean energy future.

Hydrogen hub collaboration

One of the critical – and exciting – developments of 2024 is the ongoing progress in the advancement of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2), a key consortium in the federal initiative focused on establishing a hydrogen production and distribution network across our region. 

With projects spanning Washington, Oregon and Montana, the PNWH2 is poised to deliver carbon-free energy to key sectors, including transportation, manufacturing and heavy industry. 

The Tri-Cities stands at the epicenter of this groundbreaking effort. 

A centerpiece project, the Atlas Agro Pacific Green Fertilizer facility in Richland, will revolutionize the fertilizer industry as the world’s first at-scale, low-carbon production facility. This innovative plant will reduce the carbon footprint of traditional fertilizer production processes by 99% while decreasing reliance on foreign imports. It’s a game-changing project for the nation, right here in our backyard.

A rendering of Atlas Agro's proposed Pacific Green Fertilizer facility in Richland.

| Courtesy Atlas Agro

Washington State University Tri-Cities plays a crucial role in the PNWH2 by leading the community benefits plan for the hub, ensuring local communities in the Pacific Northwest have a direct say in the development of the initiative. 

In July, it was announced that AtkinsRéalis, a project management and professional services company, will manage the hub contract from its newly completed AtkinsRéalis Technology Center in Richland – again underscoring our local community’s importance in this national effort. 

Advancing new nuclear energy

The state Legislature’s $25 million investment in Energy Northwest’s advanced reactor project was another landmark development this year – one that seemed unlikely just a few years ago. The Legislature’s recognition that advanced nuclear technologies must play a major role in our clean energy planning is a critical advancement, not just for Tri-Cities, but for the greater region, the nation and the world. 

As the United States works to meet its 2023 pledge to triple nuclear energy production by 2050, Energy Northwest’s project exemplifies how communities like the Tri-Cities are leading the charge in advancing state, national and global clean energy ambitions.

Building on this historic investment, October brought monumental partnerships between Amazon, Energy Northwest and nuclear technology innovator X-energy. These agreements are paving the way for the development and deployment of Energy Northwest’s planned Xe-100 advanced reactor, a cornerstone project for delivering low-carbon power and bolstering grid reliability across the Pacific Northwest.

Amazon’s commitment to the Xe-100 highlights a groundbreaking collaboration that could accelerate the deployment of this transformative technology – not just in the Tri-Cities but for communities on a global scale.

Energy Northwest and X-energy have been working on plans for an SMR facility using the Xe-100 design for some time. A joint development agreement was announced last year. Amazon also is investing in X-energy. 

| Courtesy Amazon

The Tri-Cities also is strengthening its role as a hub for the nuclear sector’s manufacturing supply chain, a critical component of the industry’s future. 

This year, Framatome announced multiple partnerships with Washington-based nuclear energy companies Terrapower and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. 

As these companies work together to develop next-generation nuclear fuels in the Tri-Cities, they are further positioning our community as a global center of excellence for advanced nuclear technologies. These collaborations are creating significant economic opportunities, driving job growth and reinforcing the community’s position as a global center of excellence for advanced nuclear technologies while supporting clean energy generation efforts.

Clean energy education

As these projects and collaborations advance, local businesses and institutions are preparing for the workforce demands of the future. 

Pasco’s Columbia Basin College this year led a successful grant application for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Community Capacity Building Grant program, proposing the creation of a Clean Energy Learning Center to train the next generation of clean energy professionals.

Together with partners including Energy Northwest, CBC is “walking the talk” in demonstrating the region’s commitment to preparing our workforce for the energy landscape of tomorrow.

WSU Tri-Cities in Richland opened the doors to the new Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) this fall, serving as an important hub for collaboration between industry, academia and public partners to drive innovation in energy technologies. 

The excitement around the ribbon cutting was amplified by the announcement that INEF will house an Xe-100 simulator in partnership with CBC, Energy Northwest and X-energy. This simulator will prepare future reactor operators, positioning the region as a leader in building a highly skilled nuclear energy workforce.

Renewable, grid-reliable

Another innovative project announced this summer was Hecate Energy’s solar and storage project as part of the DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative.

The project, which could become the largest of its kind in the country, will transform up to 8,000 acres at the Hanford site into a solar photovoltaic system with battery storage expected to deliver at least 1 gigawatt of clean energy. 

DOE’s decision to move forward with this project in a manner that honors the community’s input and long-term vision for the adjacent corridor – one that we hope will be the site of a world-class manufacturing and clean energy park – is a testament to the power of local input in federal decision-making.

Another achievement of 2024 was the August ribbon cutting for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL). This new facility will accelerate the development of advanced grid storage technologies, which are essential for integrating renewable energy sources into the grid. 

Officials cut the ribbon for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's new Grid Storage Launchpad Aug. 13. The facility will help accelerate clean energy solutions.

| Courtesy Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

As more renewable energy projects are added to the grid, the ability to store energy efficiently will become increasingly important for ensuring grid reliability and resilience. The GSL will provide a testing ground for new energy storage solutions, driving innovation in this critical area.

It can be difficult to cover just how transformational the past year was for the Tri-Cities’ clean energy innovation developments. Collaborative partnerships among industry leaders, educational institutions and local communities were the driving force behind this progress. These partnerships will continue to shape the region’s clean energy future and build upon our community’s record of leadership.

Sean O’Brien is the executive director of the Energy Forward Alliance, a clean energy nonprofit subsidiary of the Tri-City Development Council.