MIT engineers have developed a scalable fabrication technique to produce ultrathin, lightweight solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source. Some solar cells are so lightweight they can sit on a soap bubble.  Because they are so thin, these cells can be laminated onto many different surfaces.  

Where can utility-scale solar be developed in the Columbia Plateau region while also ensuring that important natural habitat, productive farmlands and ranchlands, and tribal rights and cultural resources are protected? The Washington State University Energy Program is leading a voluntary, collaborative, non-regulatory effort that engages relevant stakeholders, tribes, and key agencies in a conversation and process to identify least-conflict areas for utility-scale solar development. 

Crosscut recently reported that two greenhouse domes on the Colville Reservation will house the state’s first 'agrivoltaics' project, where food and electricity can grow in tandem on small acreage: Farms in Central Washington boost their yield with solar energy | Crosscut