Washington State University Tri-Cities and its Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) are not just engaging academics and industries in the possibility of a carbon-neutral future\u2014they\u2019re inviting the community to be part of the journey. On Nov. 6, INEF leaders, faculty, staff, and students from WSU Tri-Cities connected with local residents at the Richland Public Library to share insights and initiatives aimed at addressing clean energy challenges.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event drew a diverse audience, including community leaders like Rep. Stephanie Barnard, students, educators, and residents passionate about clean energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Noel Schulz, INEF\u2019s Inaugural Director and Bob Ferguson Endowed Professor shared the institute\u2019s vision and outlined its systems\u2019 approach to clean energy.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cINEF is bringing together professionals from across the WSU system to collaborate and find industry and research partnerships,\u201d she explained. \u201cExperts are working to tackle clean energy challenges, from developing new technologies to increasing building efficiency and optimizing operations with AI. Combining these efforts can make the sum greater than the parts.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chad Kruger and Yonas Demissie, assistant directors at INEF, shared their expertise on agriculture electrification and water use considerations\u2014two critical areas for the region\u2019s future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kruger introduced innovative ideas such as agrivoltaics, a practice that combines solar energy production with agricultural activities. \u201cThese solutions can support local fruit farmers while contributing to the clean energy transition,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demissie highlighted the importance of water management in energy systems, noting that sustainability efforts must consider water usage as an integral part of the equation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Workforce development was also highlighted as a key factor in the transition to clean energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report<\/a>, clean energy was the driving factor for growth in the energy sector. In 2023, jobs in clean energy grew by 4.2%, more than twice as much as the job growth rate of 2.0% in the overall economy.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two key programs at WSU Tri-Cities are central to these efforts:\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n INEF\u2019s posters, including several showcasing CEAN student projects, were displayed in the library\u2019s foyer, offering visitors a closer look at WSU Tri-Cities\u2019 work. After the presentation, students engaged with attendees, explaining their projects and discussing their ideas for the future.\u202f Clean energy projects included ideas as diverse as imagining a microgrid, recycling an internal combustion engine, home improvements, and career awareness.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n The INEF posters will remain on display in the Richland Public Library entryway through Nov. 30.\u202f <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Washington State University Tri-Cities and its Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) are not just engaging academics and industries in the possibility of a carbon-neutral future\u2014they\u2019re inviting the community to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=541"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":920,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/541\/revisions\/920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wsuwp.tricities.wsu.edu\/inef\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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