Tom Sowa - Staff writer

Gov. Gary Locke launched a statewide effort Wednesday to ride the coming "revolution" in the energy industry to create new jobs and revenue.

Locke, appearing in Spokane with corporate and energy-industry leaders, said the new collaboration could help Washington and other Northwest states realize billions of dollars per year from new products tied to clean and efficient energy distribution and use.

"Washington is already a leader in software, aerospace and the biotech industries," he said in announcing the formation of the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative.

The nation and the world are seeing a "revolution in the development of clean energy and energy-efficient technology," he said.

The group will be an umbrella effort to pool experts, corporate talent, university research and state and federal initiatives.

The goal will be to make the Northwest the nation's energy-technology base, Locke said.

The five charter members of the collaboration are Avista Corp.; the Washington Technology Center; Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) in the Tri-Cities; the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI); and the Bonneville Power Administration.

Other organizations are expected to join over the next few years.

The groups will contribute money for an initial operating budget that will provide for a two-person staff, said Locke policy adviser David Danner.

A team approach to energy technology will turn out some of the key new products and services customers around the globe will need, said Locke and others during the ceremony at the Ridpath Hotel.

Fuel cells developed by Avista, for instance, might be the key power plants of the next generation of efficient cars.

Software combined with smart manufacturing equipment will help large and midsized firms save thousands a year in energy costs.

Technology developed at PNNL could help modern homes modify the use of appliances and energy consumption according to times of day, outside temperatures and occupancy.

Those technological breakthroughs might lead to new companies, or to new efforts for existing companies, said Jon Eliassen, Avista's chief financial officer.

"To us, it's all about jobs and building the economy," Eliassen said after the meeting.

The benefits of the collaboration can be wide, from increased funding for area research institutions to more high-paying jobs for the community.

"It's a potential gain for us, and for the entire Northwest," he added.

A formal agreement signed by the five founders pledges financial and in-kind support for the next five years.

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.