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| 23 Oct 2026 | |
| Written by Blake Myer | |
| Events News |
Andy Johnston is the Founder and President of Johnston Engineering, a mechanical engineering firm in Spokane, Washington focused on the development and commercialization of first-of-a-kind technologies.
Before founding Johnston Engineering, Andy spent 11 years at Isothermal Systems Research and on the Advanced Analysis team at Parker Aerospace, specializing in the design, analysis, build and test of first of a kind liquid cooling and packaging systems for military and aerospace electronics.
Today, Andy applies that same advanced engineering and analytical expertise to the development of emerging clean technologies, including fission & fusion nuclear energy, geothermal, solar, carbon capture, hydrogen, and a variety of novel energy storage technologies. Under his leadership, Johnston Engineering has supported more than 200 technology-development projects, helping companies and researchers overcome complex engineering challenges and advance their technologies from early-stage concepts through commercial deployment.
Beyond his engineering work, Andy serves as Board Chair of the WECAN Cluster within the CleanTech Alliance, Board Chair of the Evergreen Bioscience Innovation Cluster, Treasurer of the Novara Clean Energy Alliance, and board member of Eastern Washington University’s mechanical engineering advisory board.
Tell us about your current role and organization.
As President, owner, and Principal Engineer of Johnston Engineering, my role includes serving as a technical advisor across our engineering projects, overseeing project scoping and estimating, and leading a team of 23 engineers, designers, and technical professionals.
What accomplishment are you most proud of related to clean technology or innovation?
The most rewarding part is seeing these technologies progress beyond the laboratory, reach commercial deployment, and begin making a meaningful impact in the industries and communities they serve.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the clean technology sector?
It probably all stared by reading Deep Ecology and Social Ecology books and papers in high school, but at heart, I am an engineer and that drive me to be pragmatic. I've always enjoyed solving both meaningful and hard engineering problems, and clean technology presents some of the toughest challenges with the potential for the biggest impact. Solving these problems can make a real difference in our communities and help secure a better future for generations to come.
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for the clean energy economy in the Pacific Northwest?
I see a significant opportunity for carbon capture and sequestration in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Washington State, where we have extensive natural basalt formations. These formations have the potential to permanently store large amounts of captured CO₂ by converting it into stable minerals within the rock. I believe Washington has a unique opportunity to become the nation’s CO2 sink which will permanently sequester CO2 while simultaneously creating new industries, attracting investment, and supporting economic growth in our region. This is a win all the way around.
Clean, safe nuclear. We have multiple strong and visionary fusion energy companies in Washington state who are working to commercialize technologies that can provide tremendous energy with a very small engineering footprint. SMRs and inherently safe nuclear reactors that cannot melt down can offset fossil fuel production and provide the energy we desperately need. Washington is headed for brownouts which will be first seen in August and January design days and only get worse as demand outpaces supply. I would prefer to see large, clean power plants instead of burning fossil fuels.
Is there anything else you'd like the CleanTech Alliance community to know about your work or impact?
At Johnston Engineering, we're willing to work with companies of all sizes, from early-stage startups to large, established organizations. Sometimes we are part of a half a billion-dollar machine and sometimes we are working with a startup who just raised their first seed round. Our goal is to reduce engineering risks and help our customers achieve technical success with their products. This is critical for the technical success of the company and is needed to raise the next round of funding. We can start with nothing more than a napkin sketch and help develop a technology from the ground up, or quickly get up to speed and contribute specialized engineering expertise to a specific project within a much larger, existing system. We enjoy solving challenging engineering problems and helping innovators move their technologies forward.
