State group honors Energy Northwest as employer of the year

Energy Northwest of Richland was named the Employer of the Year by the Association of Washington Business.

It was picked for its commitment to not only serving 1.5 million customers, but its support of employees and the Tri-City area community, the association said.

Energy Northwest produces electricity from nuclear, hydro, wind and solar projects and distributes it at cost to Northwest public power utilities.

It adopted an “excellence model” to select and retain the right people, the association said.

“This award also acknowledges the importance of promoting workforce diversity through hiring programs, such as internships and veteran hiring,” said Mark Reddemann, Energy Northwest chief executive.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland was one of two finalists for another of the six awards presented by the association. The Department of Energy national laboratory was a finalist for the Achieve Award, which recognizes an employer that has excelled in creating or supporting a high-caliber education or workforce development program.

This story was originally published December 6, 2016 at 11:27 AM with the headline "State group honors Energy Northwest as employer of the year."