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Gov. Jay Inslee, UW and industry unveil open‑access battery testbed to speed commercial scale-up
Summary
University of Washington leaders, industry partners and Gov. Jay Inslee opened an open‑access battery testbed designed to let companies prototype and validate full cells and packs at scale; officials said the facility is backed by state Climate Commitment Act funding, federal grants and private investment and will support workforce training in Eastern Washington.
At an event at the University of Washington, Governor Jay Inslee and university and industry officials unveiled an open‑access battery testbed at the UW Clean Energy Institute aimed at helping developers move battery materials and designs from lab coin cells to full-scale, tested cells and packs.
Dan Schwartz, Boeing Center professor of chemical engineering at the University of Washington and director of the Clean Energy Institute, said the facility is intended as a public resource that balances university research and external industry use. "It's a facility that was created to provide really open access," Schwartz said, noting more than 150 companies and over 800 trained researchers have used the institute. He said the testbed expansion was supported by a roughly $7.5 million investment from the Climate Commitment Act to build out prototyping and testing capabilities.
Governor Jay Inslee framed the testbed as a critical piece of statewide clean‑energy strategy. "This is a joyous morning for all of us," Inslee said, citing Washington's rapid growth in solar deployment and falling costs as reasons why advanced battery technology is needed to capture renewable energy. Inslee pointed to federal and state investment in battery manufacturing and said those public funds are catalyzing private capital and job creation across the state.
Rick Looby, chief executive officer of Group14, said independent, third‑party cell fabrication and testing at an open facility are essential for convincing customers and investors that new materials perform as advertised. "You have to prove it in a cell at an independent facility," Looby said, arguing the testbed will supply the credible data that many developers lack.
Sarah Thompson Tweedy, president of Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, stressed workforce ties to the testbed. She described programs aimed at preparing Spanish‑ and Ukrainian‑speaking communities, GED holders and other underserved groups for technical training and family‑sustaining jobs connected to the battery industry.
Devin McKenzie, technical director of the testbeds and Washington Research Foundation professor of clean energy at UW, described the facility's instrument suite and a planned process line to help scale materials into pilot manufacturing. McKenzie said the testbed supports federal CHIPS and Science Act goals and will explore AI and machine‑learning tools to accelerate materials discovery and qualification.
Organizers said a small media tour of the lab would follow the remarks, and wider demonstrations and user access will begin this summer. Officials emphasized safety and PPE requirements for lab tours. The event closed after brief tours and a ceremonial acknowledgment presented by Governor Inslee.
