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The Energy News Digest is edited by Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus.
NWPPA’s Annual Conference & Membership Meeting
Join us as we raise a glass to 85 years of public power excellence at our Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Santa Rosa, California. Mark your calendars for May 19-22, 2025, as utility executives and policymakers convene in Sonoma County to celebrate this historic milestone and shape our industry’s future.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Thunderstorms
Poised to Roar into Western Washington as March Defies Weather Adage (KOMO
News, Seattle, WA)
British Columbia
Energy Minister Says Columbia River Treaty Not a ‘Bargaining Chip’ in U.S.
Trade Dispute (Vancouver Sun, BC)
Oregon: Gov. Tina
Kotek to Utility Regulators – Lower Utility Bills, Reduce Greenhouse Gases (The
Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN News)
DOE Withdraws,
Postpones Multiple Appliance Energy Efficiency Rules (Utility Dive – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/doe-withdraws-postpones-multiple-appliance-102508425.html
Supreme Court Takes
Up $8 Billion Phone & Internet Subsidy for Rural & Low-Income Areas
(Associated Press)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Oregon:
Gov. Tina Kotek to Utility Regulators – Lower Utility Bills, Reduce Greenhouse
Gases
2. Montana:
As Coal Fades, Lawmaker Looks to Nuclear Power
3. Natural
Gas Initiative Backers Plan to Take Their Case to WA Supreme Court
4. Downed
Municipal Power Lines May Have Caused LA’s Palisades Fire, Lawsuit Claims
5. Idaho
Power Reportedly Agrees to $800,000 Valley Fire Settlement
6. FERC’s
Annual Report Highlights Conditions & Trends in Electricity, Natural Gas
Markets
7. U.S.
Manufacturing Energy Consumption Has Continued to Increase Since 2010 Low
8. California:
Consortium Looks to Expand Canal Solar Projects Statewide
9. Study
Tests Maximizing Hydropower Efficiency with Hydrogen Production
10. Renewables
Surged Globally in 2024, New Data Shows
11. DOE
Withdraws, Postpones Multiple Appliance Energy Efficiency Rules
12. Utility
Energy Efficiency Investment Hit Record $8.8B in 2023: ACEEE
13. Washington
State University Warns of Severe Honeybee Losses in 2025
14. New
Orca Calf Born to Descendant of Whale Once Captured & Held by SeaWorld
15. A
‘Good’ Water Year in Central Oregon Comes with Murky Political Forecast
16. British
Columbia Scrapping Consumer Carbon Tax Altogether on April 1, Government Says
17. Supreme
Court Takes Up $8 Billion Phone & Internet Subsidy for Rural &
Low-Income Areas
18. U.S.
Commerce Secretary Tells Rural Broadband Leaders to Prioritize Starlink
19. Musk’s
Broadband Satellites Have Long-Term Costs, States Say
20. It’s
Official: Copper Retirement Reform Has Landed in the U.S.
21. USDA
Scrubs Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Criteria from Rural Broadband Grant
Programs
22. WA
Gov. Ferguson Announces Formation of Data Center Workgroup
23. Canada
Freezes Rebate Payments to Tesla, Bars It from Future Programs Due to Tariffs
24. FBI
Launches Task Force to Crack Down on Attacks Against Tesla
25. Speaking
into a Microphone? Your Audio Quality Can Impact the Way People View You
26. British
Columbia Energy Minister Says Columbia River Treaty Not a ‘Bargaining Chip’ in
U.S. Trade Dispute
27. Thunderstorms
Poised to Roar into Western Washington as March Defies Weather Adage
28. Cliff
Mass: Thunderstorm to Shake Up Rush Hour Wednesday
29. Editorial:
Columbia River Treaty Reversal Requires Explanation
30. Podcast:
It’s Not Easy Going Green
31.
Commentary: Labor-Industry Collaboration Is Key
to U.S. Energy Security, Dominance & Job Growth
Word of the Day
Tempus Fugate \temp-uss FYOO-jet\ “Foreign Term” - Latin - Time flies
The days they fly by
Tempus Fugate, won’t come back
Find treasure each day
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Oregon: Gov. Tina Kotek to Utility Regulators –
Lower Utility Bills, Reduce Greenhouse Gases (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via
MSN News)
2.
Montana: As Coal Fades, Lawmaker Looks to
Nuclear Power (The Missoula Current, MT)
https://missoulacurrent.com/nuclear-power-montana/
3.
Natural Gas Initiative Backers Plan to Take
Their Case to WA Supreme Court (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_cf9b94e2-c6ff-4219-abde-48b2f32a9aa7.html
4.
Downed Municipal Power Lines May Have Caused LA’s
Palisades Fire, Lawsuit Claims (Reuters)
5.
Idaho Power Reportedly Agrees to $800,000 Valley
Fire Settlement (Idaho Capital Sun)
6.
FERC’s Annual Report Highlights Conditions &
Trends in Electricity, Natural Gas Markets (Daily Energy Insider)
7.
U.S. Manufacturing Energy Consumption Has
Continued to Increase Since 2010 Low (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64804
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
8.
California: Consortium Looks to Expand Canal
Solar Projects Statewide (Turlock Journal, CA)
https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/local/consortium-looks-to-expand-canal-solar-projects-statewide/
9.
Study Tests Maximizing Hydropower Efficiency
with Hydrogen Production (Power Engineering International)
10.
Renewables Surged Globally in 2024, New Data
Shows (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/26/renewables-record-growth-solar-wind-power
Conservation &
Efficiency
11.
DOE Withdraws, Postpones Multiple Appliance
Energy Efficiency Rules (Utility Dive – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/doe-withdraws-postpones-multiple-appliance-102508425.html
12.
Utility Energy Efficiency Investment Hit Record
$8.8B in 2023: ACEEE (Utility Dive)
Fish & Wildlife
13.
Washington State University Warns of Severe Honeybee
Losses in 2025 (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
14.
New Orca Calf Born to Descendant of Whale Once
Captured & Held by SeaWorld (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
15.
A ‘Good’ Water Year in Central Oregon Comes with
Murky Political Forecast (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/24/water-central-oregon-irrigation-federal-cuts-trump-drought/
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
16.
British Columbia Scrapping Consumer Carbon Tax
Altogether on April 1, Government Says (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-scraps-carbon-tax-1.7493181
London Calling
–Telecommunications
17.
Supreme Court Takes Up $8 Billion Phone &
Internet Subsidy for Rural & Low-Income Areas (Associated Press)
18.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Tells Rural Broadband
Leaders to Prioritize Starlink (Gizmodo)
19.
Musk’s Broadband Satellites Have Long-Term
Costs, States Say (Bloomberg News – Via MSN)
20.
It’s Official: Copper Retirement Reform Has
Landed in the U.S. (Fierce Network)
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/its-official-copper-retirement-reform-has-landed-us
21.
USDA Scrubs Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Criteria from Rural Broadband Grant Programs (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/usda-scrubs-dei-criteria-from-rural-broadband-grant-programs/
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
22.
WA Gov. Ferguson Announces Formation of Data
Center Workgroup (KIT Radio, Yakima, WA)
https://newstalkkit.com/ixp/1134/p/ferguson-announces-formation-of-data-center-workgroup/
I Sing the Car Electric
23.
Canada Freezes Rebate Payments to Tesla, Bars It
from Future Programs Due to Tariffs (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-freezes-rebates-tesla-1.7493434
24.
FBI Launches Task Force to Crack Down on Attacks
Against Tesla (NBC News)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-launches-task-force-crack-attacks-tesla-rcna197932
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
25.
Speaking into a Microphone? Your Audio Quality
Can Impact the Way People View You (National Public Radio)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
26.
British Columbia Energy Minister Says Columbia
River Treaty Not a ‘Bargaining Chip’ in U.S. Trade Dispute (Vancouver Sun, BC)
Other Things to Know
About Today
27.
Thunderstorms Poised to Roar into Western Washington
as March Defies Weather Adage (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
28.
Cliff Mass: Thunderstorm to Shake Up Rush Hour Wednesday
(KTTH Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/mass-thunderstorm/4067641
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
29.
Editorial: Columbia River Treaty Reversal
Requires Explanation (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/mar/26/in-our-view-river-treaty-reversal-requires-explanation/
30.
Podcast: It’s Not Easy Going Green (Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/its-not-easy-going-green
31.
Commentary: Labor-Industry Collaboration Is Key to
U.S. Energy Security, Dominance & Job Growth (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/labor-industry-collaboration-exelon-butler-ibew-cooper/742709/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
This Week in History:
The Kingdome’s Rise & Fall
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/03/29/kingdome-demolition-history
Parade of 897 Wiener
Dogs Breaks Guinness World Record in Germany
Tiny Goat Is the
Shortest in the World at 1 Foot, 3 Inches Tall
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/03/25/india-Guinness-World-Records-shortest-goat/5551742925383/
Ontario Woman’s
Missing Cat Turns Up After Seven Years
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/03/18/canada-ontario-woman-reunion-cat/8301742318379/
Song of the Day
Perry Como – Seattle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NUzNtqu3zQ
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
Although I choose
stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
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