Tri-Cities – Washington State took a big step forward in becoming one of the nation’s leaders in clean energy today with the opening of a new Energy Sciences Center in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
Some of the work that will be done in the science center includes researching more efficient manufacturing methods and learning how to better store energy. One big goal for this facility is to to help decarbonize the global economy – starting first in the state of Washington.
Governor Jay Inslee said this center will help close a gap in the development of clean energy technology.
The center cost $90 million to build. It was paid for by the Department of Energy, the Clean Energy Fund of WA and Battelle, the company that manages PNNL.
This center is the largest investment the lab has made in the last decade but Roger Snyder manager for the PNNL office site said it’s something our nation needs.
“PNNL draws on capabilities chemistry, earth sciences, and analytics, to advance scientific discoveries and advance solutions in the nation’s toughest challenges,” Snyder said.
One of those challenges is climate change.
“We know to a moral certainty that if we are going to restrain climate change, if we are going to save ourselves, it depends on the development of net zero industrial capacity and that is going to be developed, you can take it to the bank, right here in this energy center,” Gov. Inslee said.
Harriet Kung from the Office of Science said the center will also help expand hands on learning in the lab.
“With an emphasis in reaching historically underserved rural communities in this way the ESC not only has an exciting future in research and development but also in training a diverse next generation of scientists and engineers,” Kung said.
The location is also designed to encourage collaboration with other researchers across a range of research areas.
The associate director for the lab and his team will be moving into the building to start their work in January.
