Washington State Launches Northwest Energy Tech Collaborative

Washington Governor Gary Locke announced the formation of the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative (NWETC) at a signing ceremony on Wednesday attended by the founding members. The Collaborative is a joint, voluntary effort of business, government, nonprofit, industry and educational institutions in the Pacific Northwest — Avista Corporation, Bonneville Power Administration, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, and Washington Technology Center — who share the common goal to position the region as a recognized leader for innovative research, education and product development for energy technology markets around the world.

The NWETC believes that during the coming decades, the U.S. energy infrastructure must make a transition to incorporate innovations in operating strategies, technologies and business models to remain economically viable in today’s global economy. The Collaborative sees three primary national issues driving the need for this change:

• the 21st century global economy requires an energy infrastructure that is flexible, scalable and reliable;
• concerns about national security and economic stability require that U.S. reliance on foreign oil be reduced; and
• environmental impacts must be minimized to ensure the highest quality of public health.

As detailed in the NWETC agreement in principle, the Collaborative will invest financial and in-kind support for the next five years to accelerate the growth of the region’s energy technology industry. Current projects under consideration are primary market research, identification of intellectual property for commercialization, coordination of research and development efforts, and establishment of energy technology demonstration projects. Additional members from the region are anticipated.

More information is available at: http://www.nwetc.com/