This week on Inland Journal, three segments about energy.
We talk with Kim Pearman-Gillman and Dale Silha, two of the creators of Spokane’s new Novara Energy Alliance. It’s an organization developed by three companies to research and solve tough energy supply and demand problems and then get community buy-in.
"We're really thinking about some of the energy challenges that we have today around affordability, reliability, and just the impact of increasing demand across the region, so things like the rise of AI, the build of data centers, you know, we're thinking there might be a 30% shortage in energy over the next five years. Compounding that with weather impacts, electrification, and so many things contributing to this means we need big solutions."
With gas at more than $5 a gallon and diesel at more than $6, electric vehicles may look more attractive to businesses. We’ll learn about a new program that allows business owners to test drive electric vehicles before they decide whether to plug in.
"It's a two-to-four-week pilot program. So we provide a vehicle, we provide the charging expertise, we collect data during the rental period. So at the end of the rental period, that fleet owner will understand how this truck or this SUV will operate within their business operations and how much money they could save."
We’ll learn about the new non-profit Washington Builds bank, which provides money for renewable energy projects in homes and businesses.
"The idea is, how do you take public sector dollars and use them to leverage private sector investment? So you're really looking to make the public sector dollars, like, work harder. So the Connecticut Green Bank, for example, has a seven to one leverage ratio. So for every dollar the state of Connecticut gives the Connecticut Green Bank, there's seven dollars in private sector investment. So it's a really successful model."
