New Alliance Launches to Power Inland Northwest's Energy Future

SPOKANE, Wash. – May 07, 2026 – A new powerhouse organization has emerged in the Inland Northwest with a bold mission: to forge a resilient and sustainable energy future for the region. The Novara Energy Alliance officially launched this week, uniting innovators, industry leaders, and communities to confront a growing wave of energy and water challenges.

The alliance is the result of a strategic merger between two of Spokane's key innovation entities, Urbanova and INTENT. It launches with the significant backing of three founding mission partners: regional utility Avista, global technology firm Itron, and construction and energy services leader McKinstry.

“Energy is now central to how communities grow, compete and thrive. But the pressures facing the system are bigger than any single institution,” said Latisha Hill, Board Chair of Novara Energy Alliance and a vice president at Avista. “We’re building Novara around a simple belief: the future of energy will be shaped by people willing to solve hard problems together.”

A Unified Front for a Complex Problem

The formation of Novara comes at a critical time for the Inland Northwest. The region is grappling with a confluence of pressures that strain its infrastructure and impact residents' wallets. Regional energy demand is surging, driven by data centers, population growth, and increased electrification. Avista's service area alone has seen winter peak demand climb by over 12% in the last decade, and some forecasts project Washington's total electricity needs could nearly double by 2046.

This rising demand is compounded by the escalating impacts of extreme weather. Severe winter cold snaps test the grid's limits, while summer heatwaves and prolonged droughts threaten the hydropower systems that have long been the backbone of the region's power supply. These challenges are not abstract; they manifest in rising utility bills for residents. Spokane homeowners have seen steady increases in utility costs, with Avista itself seeking rate hikes to fund necessary infrastructure upgrades and its transition away from coal.

Novara Energy Alliance aims to be the region's central hub for addressing these interconnected issues. Its mandate extends beyond electricity to the critical water-energy nexus, recognizing that securing one resource is impossible without managing the other. The organization will act as a “problem solver, bridge builder and catalyst,” fostering collaboration on projects that improve energy affordability, reliability, and resilience.

Forged from Experience: The Merger of Urbanova and INTENT

Novara Energy Alliance, whose name signifies a “new horizon,” is not starting from scratch. It inherits a rich history of innovation from its predecessors, Urbanova and INTENT.

Urbanova was established in 2017 as a pioneering smart city collaboration, turning Spokane’s University District into a “living laboratory.” With founding partners that included the City of Spokane, Washington State University, and the same trio now backing Novara, it focused on deploying and studying technologies like smart streetlights and air-quality sensors. Over time, its mission evolved from infrastructure to insights, exploring how technology could equitably serve communities. This work was bolstered by a $1 million development grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2023, aimed at establishing the region as a grid modernization hub.

Born from that same NSF initiative, INTENT (Inland Northwest Center for Energy and Decarbonization) was created in 2023 to serve as the operational and industry-facing arm of the growing ecosystem. It brought together over 70 state, Tribal, utility, and academic partners to focus on an equitable transition to clean energy.

The merger represents a strategic consolidation, designed to sustain the momentum generated by the NSF award. By combining Urbanova's community-focused research with INTENT's industry-coordination role, Novara creates a single, streamlined entity with a clearer path to securing funding, scaling projects, and amplifying the region's influence on the national stage.

The Power of Partnership: Industry Giants Anchor the Alliance

The commitment of Avista, Itron, and McKinstry as founding partners provides Novara with a powerful foundation of resources, expertise, and strategic alignment.

For Avista, the alliance is a natural extension of its long-term strategy. The utility is pursuing ambitious clean energy goals, aiming for a carbon-neutral electricity supply by the end of 2027 and 100% clean energy by 2045. The collaborative innovation fostered by Novara is seen as essential to modernizing the grid and achieving these targets affordably.

Itron, a global leader in technology for managing energy and water, brings a different but equally crucial perspective. Headquartered in the Spokane area, the company is at the forefront of developing smart grid and data-driven solutions. “As an anchor member of Novara Energy Alliance... Itron is committed to addressing our region’s energy needs,” said Marina Donovan, a vice president at Itron and a Novara board member. “Together, we are advancing reliable, affordable access to energy—fueling economic vitality and innovation.”

McKinstry, a firm focused on efficiency and sustainability in the built environment, views the alliance as a vehicle for systemic change. “Our founding membership in Novara reflects our belief that meaningful progress happens through collaboration,” stated Dale Silha, a senior vice president at McKinstry and Novara's Board Vice Chair. “By thinking boldly... we aim to create positive, lasting impact for communities and the environment.”

Charting the Course: Leadership and Future Plans

The alliance will be governed by a newly formed board of directors that reflects its collaborative ethos, including leaders from the founding partners and experts in engineering and law. The organization is headquartered at the Scott Morris Center for Energy Innovation, a community-focused educational space in Spokane’s University District that was itself championed by Avista’s former chairman.

Immediate priorities for Novara include a search for a permanent CEO to succeed interim CEO Kim Pearman-Gillman, with applications closing May 17. The new leader will be tasked with steering the alliance's strategic direction and building its membership-based revenue model.

Looking ahead, Novara plans to convene a regional summit in the fall to align stakeholders on shared priorities at the intersection of energy and water. Following the summit, the alliance will form technical advisory groups to begin the work of transforming ideas into pilot projects and scalable solutions. This work will also include a focus on workforce development, ensuring the region has the skilled labor needed to build and maintain the energy systems of tomorrow.