It's unofficial: Idaho Falls Dutch Bros No. 1 to be open by early May

All smiles with the Dutch Bros crew on Woodruff Avenue. Though there is nothing official, word is they will be open by the first week of May.

For those of you who can't get enough news about Dutch Bros Coffee: I noticed people in the new store on Woodruff Avenue while leaving Winco Saturday, so I decided to go over and ask what's up. First things first: It smells really, really good. I poked my head through to chat and did not want to leave. Training is going on, and a crew has been hired, although they are still taking applications. Here's a link to the pdf: https://www.dutchbros.com/public/images/careers/Employment_Application_2018.pdf

The manager was not present, but the word from the crew was that while no official opening date has been set they are shooting for the first week in May. We will be monitoring this news as it develops, because we know how important it is to all of you. Since we posted the news on Nov. 1 it has received 63,772 pageviews, more than anything else we've ever posted, including Hobby Lobby.

INL develops new petrochemical process involving less energy consumption, lower CO2 emissions

INL researchers Ting He (left) and Dong Ding have developed an electrochemical process for creating synthetic fuels and plastics that uses 65 percent less energy.

A team of Idaho National Laboratory researchers has pioneered a process they say could cut the energy consumption in petrochemical manufacturing by 65 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 98 percent.

Since the early 20th century, everything from gasoline and diesel fuel to plastics has been made by cracking complex hydrocarbon molecules found in oil, coal and natural gas with tremendous amounts of heat and pressure. In an article published last week in the scientific journal Energy and Environmental Science, the INL researchers report they’ve hit upon an electrochemical process for converting ethane in natural gas liquids to ethylene, which is used to make polymers for everything from cellphone cases to disposable diapers.

Ethane offers a simpler hydrocarbon to refine than oil. It can be converted to ethylene thermally, at temperatures of up to 850 Celsius, the same way as with oil. But the new process involves much lower temperatures, hence much less energy consumption, as it feeds ethane to the anode in an electrochemical membrane reactor. Electricity in the reactor separates protons (hydrogen ions) from the molecules, leaving ethylene. The protons themselves migrate through a dense electrolyte to the cathode, where they combine with electrons to form hydrogen gas.

INL's research is being conducted in conjunction with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Wyoming. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced in February that the project would receive funding as part of $35 million being awarded to early-stage innovative technologies for advanced manufacturing.

Several factors are driving the project, said INL researcher Dr. Dong Ding.  First, the shale gas revolution has provided a plentiful supply of natural gas at historically low prices. Second, the declining cost of electricity makes electrochemical refining more economically feasible.

Theoretically, if the process was to be powered by a renewable source and the captured hydrogen was incorporated into fuel cells, there could be a net gain in process energy, he said. From a CO2 standpoint, using a non-carbon source of electricity — nuclear, hydro, wind or solar — could cut the carbon footprint down to 2 percent of traditional production methods.

The INL team will focus next on how to convert methane into ethylene. Methane is also found in natural gas — more plentifully than ethane, in fact — but its carbon-hydrogen bond is harder to break, Ding said.

Peer reviewers for the Energy & Environmental Science article called the work "convincing," "timely," "original" and "highly interesting."

Battelle, DOE, extend INL operating contract to 2024

In December, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) decided to extend its contract with Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) to manage and operate Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This week, DOE officially approved the contract modification that enables a five-year extension through Sept. 30, 2024. This followed a successful negotiation between DOE and BEA on terms and conditions of the INL contract.

The contract extension complies with an executive order issued in February 2017, directing agencies to eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens. “The agreed-upon terms bring clarity to what is expected of BEA and INL in the next several years,” INL Director Mark Peters said. “The ultimate outcome is that INL is even better-positioned to serve the American taxpayer by helping resolve the nation’s big energy and security challenges.”

DOE originally awarded BEA the management contract in November 2004, creating Idaho National Laboratory and separating the cleanup work to form the Idaho Cleanup Project. That contract ran from until Sept. 30, 2014, at which point, DOE exercised a five-year option period that was set to expire Sept. 30, 2019. With the new five-year extension, BEA is contracted to operate and manage INL through 2024.

Key INL initiatives during the term of the contract extension will include:

• Revitalizing the nuclear energy sector in the United States through research conducted at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT), and the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC).
• Continuing research and development on advanced reactor designs, including partnering with the private sector to develop and demonstrate microreactor technologies for potentially powering remote communities and military bases around the world. This work will also include partnerships with industry and other stakeholders to develop and deploy the next generation of nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors (SMRs).
• Improving upon INL’s world-leading cyber security capabilities and expertise, including efforts to make the nation’s power grids, transportation and water systems more resilient from cyber, physical and natural threats.
• Extending the electric vehicle corridor in the west, including longer-lived batteries and improved charging infrastructure.
• Developing integrated energy systems to stabilize the power grid and increase energy storage capabilities.
• Continuing support for biofuels research and turning captured carbon into usable products, something that could help the nation’s coal plants reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Promoting STEM education and working with college and university partners to fill the pipeline of potential future employees with talented scientists, engineers, technicians and support personnel.
• Productive partnerships with academia, industry, and federal, state and local governments that allow us to solve complex problems while driving economic growth and making American industry more competitive on a global scale, now and into the future.

CEI names Lori Barber dean of general education

Lori Barber

Lori Barber has been named the dean of general education for College of Eastern Idaho (CEI). The college’s hiring committee chose Barber for the position, the first to be announced by CEI, after an extensive search and interview process that consisted of two interviews and a forum.

Barber comes to the job with more than 20 years in curriculum development. She earned her bachelor's degree in history from ISU in 2013, and while pursuing her master’s in history and anthropology at ISU, she worked as managing editor for the journal Peace & Change: A Journal of Peace Research. Upon graduating, she accepted a lectureship and taught the history and culture of food, the history of food and agriculture, and women in U.S. history.

She joined the CEI staff in June 2017, developing the Associate of Arts Degree program. In August, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter appointed her to the State General Education Committee of Idaho. Barber will begin working on her doctorate at ISU this fall. She is also a freelance writer, yoga instructor, health and wellness coach, and blogger.

“I have a passion for education, social justice, health and wellness, and encouraging others to live life abundantly,” she said on her LinkedIn profile.

EIRMC names new chief operations officer

David Hoffenberg

Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center has added David Hoffenberg to its administrative team as chief operations officer. Hoffenberg comes to EIRMC from Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, in Las Vegas, Nev., where he served as the vice president of operations and ethics and compliance officer.

While at Sunrise, a two-hospital 690-bed medical center, Hoffenberg led capital improvement projects totaling more than $25 million and had responsibility for several service lines including oncology, bariatric surgery, telemedicine, imaging, laboratory, environmental services, food and nutrition, and communications.

Prior to his experience at Sunrise, Hoffenberg was the associate administrator at Wesley Medical Center, an 800-bed multi-campus health system  in Wichita, Kan. He has also held administrative roles at Skyridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colo., and at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond, Va. Hoffenberg holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from University of Oregon and a Master of Health Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. A native of Colorado, he is looking forward to getting back to the mountains and enjoying skiing at Grand Targhee and some of the other resorts in our region.

Goodwill Industries plans store in old Hastings location

It looks like there is going to be no shortage of second-hand stores on 17th Street. In addition to the new Deseret Industries in Ammon, due to hold its grand opening March 22, Goodwill Industries has filed with the city of Idaho Falls Building Department to remodel the old Hastings store in the Albertson’s shopping center.

The March 8 permit application was filed by Wind River Construction, which was already at work on the site Thursday, according to our faithful BizMojo scouts, Andy and Aubree Fox.

Goodwill has four stores in the Boise-Nampa area, one in Twin Falls and one in Pocatello, but this marks its entry into the Idaho Falls area. The non-profit organization dates back to 1902, when it was founded in Boston by the Rev. Edgar J. Helms. Since then, it has expanded into 17 countries, and in 2012 it posted $3.53 billion in revenue. In addition to second-hand goods, Goodwill provides vocational rehabilitation for disabled persons.

Broadway underground parking garage being capped this week

An artist's rendition of what the Broadway project in Idaho Falls will look like.

Sometimes, the direction of progress is down.

This morning around 6:30, construction crews began capping first underground public parking garage in Idaho Falls. When completed, the work will mark completion of the underpinnings of The Broadway, the development project currently under way at the corner of Broadway and Memorial. With a scheduled October opening, the facility will be home to 49 below-ground parking spaces.

“We’re really excited to get this first phase completed,” said Oppenheimer Development Corp. Vice President Jeremy Malone. “It won’t look like much from the surface, but to the people who use it, this parking garage will be a huge step forward in downtown parking.”

During the excavation phase more than 25 million pounds of rock were removed. They were replaced with 150 mixer-truck loads of concrete and 18 miles of steel rebar and reinforcement cable.

The Broadway will also offer 24 above-ground public spaces.

This is the Boise-based Oppenheimer Development’s first project in Idaho Falls. The project incorporates nearly 40,000 square feet of retail and commercial business space; a public plaza featuring a fountain in the summer and planned skating rink in the winter.

Approximately two-thirds of the rental space in The Broadway has already been leased. The list of tenants includes Bank of Idaho, Lucy’s Pizzeria, Smokin Fins, and Parsons Behle & Latimer.