The Energy News Digest for April 30, 2025

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.

For the digital experience, visit the online version of The Energy News Digest.

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

The Energy News Digest is edited by Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Spanish Blackout Caused by Extreme Weather & a Major Renewables Failure for the First Time (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/spanish-blackout-caused-by-extreme-weather-and-a-major-renewables-failure-for-the-first-time/ar-AA1DVSHk

Electricity Demand in Pacific Northwest Could Double in Next 20 Years, Forecast Finds (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/04/29/electricity-demand-in-northwest-could-double-in-next-20-years-forecast-finds/

Loss of FEMA Program Spells Disaster for Hundreds of Communities & Their Projects (Associated Press)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/loss-fema-program-spells-disaster-114543764.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Baby Salmon Head Out to Sea. Then They Do Something Unexpected, New Research Shows (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/seattle/article305386021.html

High Forecast of Pink Salmon Could Overwhelm Local Fishermen, Stress Processing Capacity (Cascadia Daily)

https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2025/apr/27/high-forecast-of-pink-salmon-could-overwhelm-local-fishermen-stress-processing-capacity/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Spanish Blackout Caused by Extreme Weather & a Major Renewables Failure for the First Time

2.      Electricity Demand in Pacific Northwest Could Double in Next 20 Years, Forecast Finds

3.      California: Guilty Plea Announced in San Jose Electric Transformer Bombings

4.      Energy Northwest Plans $951.2 Million Bond Sale for Refinancing, Columbia Nuclear Plant

5.      Update on Western Area Power Administration’s Project Work & Workforce Capacity from the Administrator & Chief Executive Officer

6.      Utilities Are Planning to Bury Power Lines After the Los Angeles Fires. Should They?

7.      More Power Grid Teamwork in West Could Supercharge Clean Energy, UCSD Study Finds

8.      Texas A&M Senior Research Engineer Describes the Kinds of Risks Facing Power Grids

9.      Rural Electric Co-ops: Protect Hydropower

10.   A Key Player in Moving Interior Alaska Off Fossil Fuels? Multibillion-Dollar Mining Corporations.

11.   Baby Salmon Head Out to Sea. Then They Do Something Unexpected, New Research Shows

12.   High Forecast of Pink Salmon Could Overwhelm Local Fishermen, Stress Processing Capacity

13.   Columbia River Anglers Battle Growing Sea Lion Invasion: ‘The Devastation’

14.   WA State: Annual Salmon Summit Makes Educational Splash in Kennewick

15.   EPA Canceling Nearly 800 Environmental Justice Grants

16.   Amazon Launches First Kuiper Internet Satellites, Taking on Starlink

17.   Google Warns of Data Security Risks If Chrome Is Sold Off

18.   Washington Legislators Just Passed a New Tax That Only Impacts Tesla, for Now

19.   How a Chance NFL Game Moment Changed an Author & Coach’s Career

20.   ‘A Heartbreaking Loss’: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Loses Funding in WA

21.   State, U.S. Department of Energy Waive Nuclear Agreement for Idaho National Lab Study Waste

22.   Loss of FEMA Program Spells Disaster for Hundreds of Communities & Their Projects

23.   New Washington Energy Chair’s Industry Ties Raise Ethics Questions

24.   NRECA CEO Jim Matheson Details Electric Co-ops’ Top Legislative Goals

25.   U.S. Storm Leaves About 500K Customers without Power. Officials Report Three Deaths

26.   Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake Rocks Alaska Amid Volcano Eruption Fears as Residents Warned of Aftershocks

27.   Underwater Volcano in the Pacific Northwest Shows Signs of Eruption

28.   Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake Could Be Even Worse Than Feared

29.   Climate Change Is Making Coffee More Expensive. Tariffs Likely Will Too

30.   Bonneville Power Administration Urged to Focus on Salmon, Clean Energy in Market Choice

31.   Modernizing Hydropower to Maximize Its Potential

Word of the Day

Trichotillomania \trick-kuh-till-ah-MANE-ee-uh\ Noun - An abnormal desire to pull out one’s hair.

Definition of futility: A bald man with trichotillomania.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Spanish Blackout Caused by Extreme Weather & a Major Renewables Failure for the First Time (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/spanish-blackout-caused-by-extreme-weather-and-a-major-renewables-failure-for-the-first-time/ar-AA1DVSHk

2.      Electricity Demand in Pacific Northwest Could Double in Next 20 Years, Forecast Finds (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/04/29/electricity-demand-in-northwest-could-double-in-next-20-years-forecast-finds/

3.      California: Guilty Plea Announced in San Jose Electric Transformer Bombings (KNTV-TV, San Jose, CA)

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/guilty-plea-san-jose-electric-transformer-bombings/3856196/

4.      Energy Northwest Plans $951.2 Million Bond Sale for Refinancing, Columbia Nuclear Plant (Morningstar)

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/2025042916185/energy-northwest-plans-9512-million-bond-sale-for-refinancing-columbia-nuclear-plant

5.      Update on Western Area Power Administration’s Project Work & Workforce Capacity from the Administrator & Chief Executive Officer (Western Area Power Administration)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/04/update-on-wapas-project-work-workforce.html

6.      Utilities Are Planning to Bury Power Lines After the Los Angeles Fires. Should They? (Laist)

https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/burying-power-lines-after-the-la-fires

7.      More Power Grid Teamwork in West Could Supercharge Clean Energy, UCSD Study Finds (San Diego Times, CA)

https://timesofsandiego.com/tech/2025/04/29/more-power-grid-teamwork-in-west-could-supercharge-clean-energy-ucsd-study-finds/

8.      Texas A&M Senior Research Engineer Describes the Kinds of Risks Facing Power Grids (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5379916

9.      Rural Electric Co-ops: Protect Hydropower (Renewable Energy World)

https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydro-power/rural-electric-co-ops-protect-hydropower/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

10.   A Key Player in Moving Interior Alaska Off Fossil Fuels? Multibillion-Dollar Mining Corporations. (Northern Journal, Anchorage, AK)

https://www.northernjournal.com/a-key-player-in-moving-interior-alaska-off-fossil-fuels-multibillion-dollar-mining-corporations/

Fish & Wildlife

11.   Baby Salmon Head Out to Sea. Then They Do Something Unexpected, New Research Shows (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/seattle/article305386021.html

12.   High Forecast of Pink Salmon Could Overwhelm Local Fishermen, Stress Processing Capacity (Cascadia Daily)

https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2025/apr/27/high-forecast-of-pink-salmon-could-overwhelm-local-fishermen-stress-processing-capacity/

13.   Columbia River Anglers Battle Growing Sea Lion Invasion: ‘The Devastation’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/life/animals/columbia-river-seal-lion-battle-salmon-fishery-fishermen-legislation/283-ec3ecccd-54d8-4df2-a7ff-79d25e7d1e58

14.   WA State: Annual Salmon Summit Makes Educational Splash in Kennewick (KAPP-TV, Yakima, WA)

https://www.applevalleynewsnow.com/news/annual-salmon-summit-makes-educational-splash-in-kennewick/article_9ae1d609-3ba7-4dd0-9bd7-8ae327735c09.html

Environmental Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three

15.   EPA Canceling Nearly 800 Environmental Justice Grants (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5273712-epa-canceling-nearly-800-environmental-justice-grants/

London Calling –Telecommunications

16.   Amazon Launches First Kuiper Internet Satellites, Taking on Starlink (Reuters)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/amazon-launches-first-kuiper-internet-satellites-taking-on-starlink/ar-AA1DQhE2

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

17.   Google Warns of Data Security Risks If Chrome Is Sold Off (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/google-warns-of-data-security-risks-if-chrome-is-sold-off/

I Sing the Car Electric

18.   Washington Legislators Just Passed a New Tax That Only Impacts Tesla, for Now (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/washington-legislators-just-passed-a-new-tax-that-only-impacts-tesla-for-now/ar-AA1DMHXG

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

19.   How a Chance NFL Game Moment Changed an Author & Coach’s Career (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/29/nx-s1-5358412/how-a-chance-nfl-game-moment-changed-an-author-and-coachs-career

20.   ‘A Heartbreaking Loss’: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Loses Funding in WA (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/local/imagination-library-dolly/4081587

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

21.   State, U.S. Department of Energy Waive Nuclear Agreement for Idaho National Lab Study Waste (Boise State Public Radio, ID)

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/environment/2025-04-30/inl-lab-nuclear-fuel-spent-idaho-falls

Politics, Governance, and Management

22.   Loss of FEMA Program Spells Disaster for Hundreds of Communities & Their Projects (Associated Press)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/loss-fema-program-spells-disaster-114543764.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

23.   New Washington Energy Chair’s Industry Ties Raise Ethics Questions (Cascade PBS)

https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/04/new-washington-energy-chairs-industry-ties-raise-ethics-questions

24.   NRECA CEO Jim Matheson Details Electric Co-ops’ Top Legislative Goals (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.electric.coop/nreca-ceo-jim-matheson-details-electric-co-ops-top-legislative-goals

Other Things to Know About Today

25.   U.S. Storm Leaves About 500K Customers without Power. Officials Report Three Deaths (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/severe-weather-pennsylvania-electrocuted-a92cf8d973f8992b6672b1fed75424d2

26.   Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake Rocks Alaska Amid Volcano Eruption Fears as Residents Warned of Aftershocks (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/magnitude-4-7-earthquake-rocks-alaska-amid-volcano-eruption-fears-as-residents-warned-of-aftershocks/ar-AA1DP4SK

27.   Underwater Volcano in the Pacific Northwest Shows Signs of Eruption (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/uw-scientists-expect-underwater-volcano-to-erupt-this-year/281-22bce3bb-a552-46f2-8244-3c778648cd89

28.   Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake Could Be Even Worse Than Feared (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cascadia-subduction-zone-earthquake-could-201203027.html

29.   Climate Change Is Making Coffee More Expensive. Tariffs Likely Will Too (Associated Press)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/climate-change-is-making-coffee-more-expensive-tariffs-likely-will-too/ar-AA1DVmIQ

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

30.   Bonneville Power Administration Urged to Focus on Salmon, Clean Energy in Market Choice (Public News Service)

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2025-04-29/environment/bpa-urged-to-focus-on-salmon-clean-energy-in-market-choice/a96514-1

31.   Modernizing Hydropower to Maximize Its Potential (Power Magazine)

https://www.powermag.com/modernizing-hydropower-to-maximize-its-potential/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Broken Car Mirrors - A Woodpecker Has Invaded a Massachusetts Neighborhood. Residents Are Taking It in Stride

https://apnews.com/article/woodpecker-rockport-massachusetts-car-mirrors-afd3f553060a32baac2172f60856259a

‘Prophetic’ Letter Written by Titanic Survivor Sells for Nearly $400,000 at Auction

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/27/prophetic-letter-by-titanic-survivor-sells-for-nearly-dollar400000-at-auction/

United Kingdom – Sycamore Gap Tree Took More Than a Century to Grow & Less Than Three Minutes to Fell, Prosecutors Say

https://apnews.com/article/uk-court-sycamore-gap-tree-trial-afd8f5d99b67f4daf434c4ff085654fa

World’s Tallest & Shortest Dogs Have Puppy Playdate in Idaho

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2025/4/the-tallest-and-smallest-dogs-in-the-world-meetup-for-adorable-doggy-playdate-in-america

Song of the Day

James Horner – Titanic Main Title (Movie Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8BrQuCocfs

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 experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookie files may help you access some paywall sites.

The Energy News Digest for April 28, 2025

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors the Energy News Digest. 

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Major Power Outage in Spain & Portugal Knocks Out Subway Networks, Traffic Lights & ATMs (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/spain-portugal-power-outage-electricity-b0c5fbca49b8422248c4f933e20303b3

Tacoma Man Charged with Sabotaging Power Grid Six Times. No Neo-Nazi Link Found (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/tacoma-man-charged-with-sabotaging-power-grid-six-times-no-neo-nazi-link-found

Feds Put Review of Columbia River Hydropower System on Ice (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA - Paywall Advisory)

https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/northwest/feds-put-review-of-columbia-river-hydropower-system-on-ice/article_10dac153-ab2b-5516-95f2-0ef65cea1dbb.html

A Dry April Lowers Water Supply Forecast (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.lmtribune.com/local-news/a-dry-april-lowers-water-supply-forecast-19309957

U.S. Wants to Slap Tariffs as High as 3,500% on Solar Panels from Southeast Asia (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/business/us-tariffs-southeast-asia-solar-panels-intl/index.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Tacoma Man Charged with Sabotaging Power Grid Six Times. No Neo-Nazi Link Found

2.      Feds Put Review of Columbia River Hydropower System on Ice

3.      Bill Blocking Utilities from Passing Wildfire Costs to Consumers Passes Oregon Senate

4.      WA Bill Signed into Law Adds Oversight to Private Utility Wildfire Protection Plans

5.      California: SoCal Edison Starts Work to Remove Idle Power Line in Eaton Canyon

6.      Oregon House Passes Bill Making Large Data Centers Pay for Power Grid Costs

7.      Big Tech’s Soaring Energy Demands Are Making Coal-Fired Power Plant Sites Attractive

8.      Smaller, Public Utilities See Growth Potential in Data Centers, But There Are Risks: APPA

9.      Pacific Gas & Electric Foresees ‘Bright Future’ with Lower Prices, Higher Demand

10.   At The Bonneville Power Administration, DOGE Cuts Are Having a ‘Compounding Effect’ on Staffing the Grid

11.   Demand for Electrical Engineers Is Surging

12.   Oregon Electric Utility Asserts Willamette Falls Land Rights in Court Battle

13.   California: Palm Springs Neighborhood Launches First-of-Its-Kind Utility Undergrounding Project

14.   Rising Utility Bills Have Americans Worried

15.   U.S. Wants to Slap Tariffs as High as 3,500% on Solar Panels from Southeast Asia

16.   ‘Repowering’ Era for America’s Aging Wind Energy Industry Begins, Despite Trump’s Effort to Kill It

17.   California Utility Executive-Turned-Lawmaker Seeks to Slash Energy Credit Benefits for Rooftop Solar Panels

18.   Grand Valley Power to Power Homes with Hydropower After Purchasing Agreement with Redlands Water & Power

19.   Washington Legislature Passes Columbia Endorsement; Next Heads to Governor

20.   ODFW Monitoring After Sick & Dead Brown Pelicans Found on Oregon Coast

21.   $19 Million Snoqualmie River Restoration Project Sees Early Success for Salmon, Flood Safety

22.   WA Environmental Legislation Passed This Year That You Should Know

23.   A Dry April Lowers Water Supply Forecast

24.   A Rare Glimpse Inside the Mountain Tunnel That Carries Water to Southern California

25.   Trump Administration Minimized Federal Climate Scientists’ Findings of Record Carbon Dioxide Growth

26.   WA State: Grant PUD Unveils Plan to Upgrade Fiber Network for Faster Speeds & Future Demand

27.   Oregon: Fraudster Tries to Steal $6.7 Million from City of Portland, in Phishing Scheme Targeting Huge Construction Project

28.   Bezos-Backed Slate Auto Unveils $20,000 Electric Truck as Competitor to Musk’s Tesla

29.   Tesla Profits Plummet 71% Amid Backlash to Elon Musk’s Role with Trump Administration

30.   April Showers Bring ‘Dirty Rain’ to New England After Storm Absorbs Desert Dust 2,000 Miles Away

31.   Nearly $78 Billion Budget Sent to Gov. Ferguson as WA Leg Session Ends

32.   A Mass Exodus Begins at the U.S. Department of Energy

33.   Republican Lawmakers Face Clean-Energy Conundrum as They Work on Tax Bill

34.   Major Power Outage in Spain & Portugal Knocks Out Subway Networks, Traffic Lights & ATMs

35.   Oregon Wildfire Forecast Is Looking ‘Eerily Similar’ to 2024’s Record-Breaking Year

36.   Army Corps Cuts Back Washington Camping & Recreation Access

37.   Washington’s Only Nuclear Power Station Will Be Shut Down for Two Months. Can Wind Energy Fill the Gap?

38.   Canada: I Mourn the Decline of Atlantic Salmon. I Need Politicians Who Get What’s at Stake

Today is National Great Poetry Reading Day

Excerpt from The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-great-poetry-reading-day-april-28

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Tacoma Man Charged with Sabotaging Power Grid Six Times. No Neo-Nazi Link Found (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/tacoma-man-charged-with-sabotaging-power-grid-six-times-no-neo-nazi-link-found

2.      Feds Put Review of Columbia River Hydropower System on Ice (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA - Paywall Advisory)

https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/northwest/feds-put-review-of-columbia-river-hydropower-system-on-ice/article_10dac153-ab2b-5516-95f2-0ef65cea1dbb.html

3.      Bill Blocking Utilities from Passing Wildfire Costs to Consumers Passes Oregon Senate (KPIC-TV, Roseburg, OR)

https://kpic.com/news/local/bill-blocking-utilities-passing-wildfire-costs-consumers-passes-oregon-senate-politics-money-people-fire-damage-rate-bill-pay-cost-living

4.      WA Bill Signed into Law Adds Oversight to Private Utility Wildfire Protection Plans (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_37c1e9cf-bfc6-4b5e-8fa1-1872bec56814.html

5.      California: SoCal Edison Starts Work to Remove Idle Power Line in Eaton Canyon (KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/california-wildfires/socal-edison-sce-power-lines-eaton-fire-altadena/3685140/

6.      Oregon House Passes Bill Making Large Data Centers Pay for Power Grid Costs (KCBY-TV, Coos Bay, OR)

https://kcby.com/news/local/oregon-house-passes-bill-making-large-data-centers-pay-for-power-grid-costs-electricity-money-consumers-cost-bill-politics

7.      Big Tech’s Soaring Energy Demands Are Making Coal-Fired Power Plant Sites Attractive (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/coal-electricity-artificial-intelligence-trump-power-energy-a3779aee7970dabded42d8d7b3ef3783

8.      Smaller, Public Utilities See Growth Potential in Data Centers, But There Are Risks: APPA (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/public-power-utilities-data-centers-appa/746254/

9.      Pacific Gas & Electric Foresees ‘Bright Future’ with Lower Prices, Higher Demand (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pge-wildfire-data-center-rate-case-earnings/746319/

10.   At The Bonneville Power Administration, DOGE Cuts Are Having a ‘Compounding Effect’ on Staffing the Grid (Latitude Media)

https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/at-bonneville-doge-cuts-are-having-a-compounding-effect-on-staffing-the-grid/

11.   Demand for Electrical Engineers Is Surging (Latitude Media)

https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/demand-for-electrical-engineers-is-surging/

12.   Oregon Electric Utility Asserts Willamette Falls Land Rights in Court Battle (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/oregon-electric-utility-asserts-willamette-falls-land-rights-in-court-battle/

13.   California: Palm Springs Neighborhood Launches First-of-Its-Kind Utility Undergrounding Project (Palm Springs Post, CA)

https://thepalmspringspost.com/palm-springs-neighborhood-launches-first-of-its-kind-utility-undergrounding-project/

14.   Rising Utility Bills Have Americans Worried (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/rising-gas-electric-bills-survey

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

15.   U.S. Wants to Slap Tariffs as High as 3,500% on Solar Panels from Southeast Asia (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/business/us-tariffs-southeast-asia-solar-panels-intl/index.html

16.   ‘Repowering’ Era for America’s Aging Wind Energy Industry Begins, Despite Trump’s Effort to Kill It (CNBC News)

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/27/wind-power-trump-climate-change-energy-policy.html

17.   California Utility Executive-Turned-Lawmaker Seeks to Slash Energy Credit Benefits for Rooftop Solar Panels (WRE News)

https://wrenews.com/california-utility-executive-turned-lawmaker-seeks-to-slash-energy-credit-benefits-for-rooftop-solar-panels/

18.   Grand Valley Power to Power Homes with Hydropower After Purchasing Agreement with Redlands Water & Power (KKCO-TV, Grand Junction, CO)

https://www.kkco11news.com/2025/04/25/grand-valley-power-power-homes-with-hydropower-after-purchasing-agreement-with-redlands-water-power/

Fish & Wildlife

19.   Washington Legislature Passes Columbia Endorsement; Next Heads to Governor (Northwest Sportsman)

https://nwsportsmanmag.com/washington-legislature-passes-columbia-endorsement-next-heads-to-governor/

20.   ODFW Monitoring After Sick & Dead Brown Pelicans Found on Oregon Coast (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/odfw-monitoring-sick-dead-brown-185658674.html

21.   $19 Million Snoqualmie River Restoration Project Sees Early Success for Salmon, Flood Safety (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2bc2b8e1-5a9e-45c9-8a2f-a382b65ff84a.html

Environmental Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three

22.   WA Environmental Legislation Passed This Year That You Should Know (Cascade PBS)

https://www.cascadepbs.org/environment/2025/04/wa-environmental-legislation-passed-year-you-should-know

Water, Water, Anywhere?

23.   A Dry April Lowers Water Supply Forecast (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.lmtribune.com/local-news/a-dry-april-lowers-water-supply-forecast-19309957

24.   A Rare Glimpse Inside the Mountain Tunnel That Carries Water to Southern California (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rare-glimpse-inside-mountain-tunnel-100056601.html

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

25.   Trump Administration Minimized Federal Climate Scientists’ Findings of Record Carbon Dioxide Growth (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/climate/noaa-co2-record/index.html

London Calling –Telecommunications

26.   WA State: Grant PUD Unveils Plan to Upgrade Fiber Network for Faster Speeds & Future Demand (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)

https://www.yoursourceone.com/columbia_basin/grant-pud-unveils-plan-to-upgrade-fiber-network-for-faster-speeds-and-future-demand/article_68979139-aed4-4ff8-838f-eef3b7d97a34.html

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

27.   Oregon: Fraudster Tries to Steal $6.7 Million from City of Portland, in Phishing Scheme Targeting Huge Construction Project (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/04/fraudster-tricks-city-of-portland-to-redirect-67-million-meant-for-bull-run-vendor.html

I Sing the Car Electric

28.   Bezos-Backed Slate Auto Unveils $20,000 Electric Truck as Competitor to Musk’s Tesla (Forbes Magazine – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/bezos-backed-slate-auto-unveils-20000-electric-truck-as-competitor-to-musk-s-tesla/ar-AA1DCvnz

29.   Tesla Profits Plummet 71% Amid Backlash to Elon Musk’s Role with Trump Administration (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/tesla-profits-plummet-71-amid-backlash-to-musks-role-with-trump-administration/ar-AA1DpJwZ

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

30.   April Showers Bring ‘Dirty Rain’ to New England After Storm Absorbs Desert Dust 2,000 Miles Away (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/new-england-dirty-rain-e41de0976847af5458a796dbb1e2238a

Politics, Governance, and Management

31.   Nearly $78 Billion Budget Sent to Gov. Ferguson as WA Leg Session Ends (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_40b0927f-302a-45d8-b770-aeaa2c376552.html

32.   A Mass Exodus Begins at the U.S. Department of Energy (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/politics/a-mass-exodus-begins-at-the-energy-department

33.   Republican Lawmakers Face Clean-Energy Conundrum as They Work on Tax Bill (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/republican-lawmakers-face-clean-energy-conundrum-they-work-tax-bill-2025-04-21/

Other Things to Know About Today

34.   Major Power Outage in Spain & Portugal Knocks Out Subway Networks, Traffic Lights & ATMs (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/spain-portugal-power-outage-electricity-b0c5fbca49b8422248c4f933e20303b3

35.   Oregon Wildfire Forecast Is Looking ‘Eerily Similar’ to 2024’s Record-Breaking Year (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/04/oregons-2025-wildfire-season-could-be-as-bad-as-2024s-record-year.html

36.   Army Corps Cuts Back Washington Camping & Recreation Access (RV Travel)

https://www.rvtravel.com/army-corps-cuts-back-washington-camping-recreation-access/

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

37.   Washington’s Only Nuclear Power Station Will Be Shut Down for Two Months. Can Wind Energy Fill the Gap? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/04/washingtons-only-nuclear-power-station.html

38.   Canada: I Mourn the Decline of Atlantic Salmon. I Need Politicians Who Get What’s at Stake (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-person-election-roger-jenkins-fishing-1.7514380

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Puppies Steal the Show at Portland International Airport for a Good Cause

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/04/puppies-steal-the-show-at-portland-international-airport-for-a-good-cause.html

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2025 inductees are here. See who made the list.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-2025-inductees-are-here-see-who-made-the-list/ar-AA1DJarT

German Men with the Strongest Fingers Compete in Bavaria’s ‘Fingerhakeln’ Wrestling Championship

https://apnews.com/article/germany-bavaria-finger-wrestling-competition-championship-8297cc5045a6e939eecd4928bb44af5b

A Secret Note Hidden in Dachau-Built ‘Violin of Hope’ Tells a Tale of Survival & Craftsmanship

https://apnews.com/article/hungary-dachau-nazi-violin-note-franciszek-kempa-62782ac2443386b7194901c3c4d47ea0

Song of the Day

Joe Cocker - Feeling Alright

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LRRpKVObKk

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