Washington · Regional Lead · 2026-10-05
Washington teams selected for three hydropower testing projects
Chelan County’s utility and the University of Washington will test repair, bearing and water-quality technologies with federal laboratory support.
The Energy Department selected three Washington-based projects for proposed assistance through the Hydropower Testing Network.
Chelan County Public Utility District plans tests of grease-free wicket-gate bushings and a low-temperature cold-spray method for repairing turbine components. The University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory will assess the durability of a lower-cost water-quality sensor with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The selections begin voucher negotiations for technical support. Testing still must establish whether each technology performs reliably enough for wider use in hydropower facilities.
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Business · 2026-10-05
Canada prepares $1 billion fund for food distribution infrastructure
The Food-Link Canada Fund will accept initial applications for terminal and regional hub projects from October 14 through December 11.
The Canadian government announced the planned launch of a C$1 billion Food-Link Canada Fund, part of its broader National Food Security Strategy. The program is intended to strengthen the infrastructure that moves food from producers and processors to retailers, institutions and communities.
A Food Terminal Fund will focus on larger wholesale facilities, while a Food Hub Program will support regional storage, processing, aggregation and distribution projects. Both streams are designed to improve market access and reduce bottlenecks in the domestic food system.
Read articleBusiness · 2026-10-05
SBA adds five insurers to small-business surety program
The new partners expand access to federally guaranteed bid, performance, payment and maintenance bonds for eligible contractors and suppliers.
The U.S. Small Business Administration approved five additional insurance companies for its Surety Bond Guarantee program during the 2026 fiscal year. The program helps eligible small firms obtain bonding needed to compete for construction, manufacturing and supply contracts.
The new participants are Merchants National Bonding and United Fire & Casualty in Iowa, RLI Insurance in Illinois, and Capitol Indemnity and Platte River Insurance in Wisconsin. Their approval expands the network of sureties that can issue bonds backed in part by an SBA guarantee.
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