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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Electricity Prices Soar as U.S. Regional Grids Wobble from
Extreme Heat (Reuters)
Court Fight Looms After Trump Nixes Pacific NW Salmon Pact
(Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/06/25/court-fight-looms-after-trump-nixes-nw-salmon-pact
Montana: For Massive Great Falls Data Center Proposal,
Energy Supply Is Crucial to Push Project Forward (Montana Free Press)
Electricity Prices Soar as U.S. Regional Grids Wobble from
Extreme Heat (Reuters)
Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Release
Electric Vehicle Charger Funding in 14 States (Associated Press)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Electricity Prices Soar as U.S. Regional Grids
Wobble from Extreme Heat
2.
Locals Remain Skeptical of On-Hold Plan to
Breach Lower Snake River Dams
3.
Idaho Authority to Sell $90.2 Million of Taxable
Bonds for Transmission Assets
4.
Hydropower Growth Continues, Though Policy
Challenges Loom in U.S.
5.
How Wall Street Hedge Funds Are Gambling
Millions on Eaton Fire Insurance Claims
6.
Idaho National Laboratory Steps Up – DOE-Led
Nuclear Licensing Gains Traction Under Trump
7.
Power Utility Built $95 Million 500-Megawatt
Power Substation for Intel’s $100 Billion Ohio Fab, But Six-Year Delay Leaves
Substation Capable of Powering 500,000 Homes Idle
8.
Utilities Can’t Discipline Their Way to a Safety
Culture: Snohomish County PUD’s John Haarlow
9.
Support For Solar Energy & Offshore Wind
Falls Among Democrats & Independents, AP-NORC Poll Says
10.
Why Some Companies Want You to Switch to an
Electric Grill
11.
Court Fight Looms After Trump Nixes Pacific NW
Salmon Pact
12.
New Paper Continues Debate Over Link Between
Lice from Salmon Farms & B.C. Wild Salmon
13.
Killer Whales Seen Grooming Each Other With Kelp
in First for Marine Tool Use
14.
Alaska Wildfire Smoke Reaches the Pacific
Northwest
15.
King County Sues Homeowners After 140 Trees Cut
Down
16.
Switzerland’s Ebbing Glaciers Show a New,
Strange Phenomenon: Holes Reminiscent of Swiss Cheese
17.
How Electric Co-Ops Are Impacting the Broadband
Landscape – Report
18.
Montana: For Massive Great Falls Data Center
Proposal, Energy Supply Is Crucial to Push Project Forward
19.
Exclusive: New Report Reveals Fiscal Impact of
Microsoft’s Data Centers in North Central Washington
20.
Audio: Artificial Intelligence Could Mean Fewer
Tech Jobs in Seattle
21.
Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to
Release Electric Vehicle Charger Funding in 14 States
22.
U.S. Senate Republicans Cannot Force Postal
Service to Scrap Electric Vehicles, Parliamentarian Says
23.
Cargo Ship Carrying New Vehicles – Including
Electric & Hybrid – To Mexico Sinks in the North Pacific Weeks After
Catching Fire
24.
Oregon Bill Intended to Make Big Tech Pay for
Local News Hits Roadblock
25.
Secretary of Energy Discusses Hydropower,
Nuclear Energy at Senate Hearing
26.
Proposal To Sell Millions of Acres of Public
Lands May Be Cut from Trump’s Mega-Bill
27.
Department of Homeland Security Issues National
Terrorism Advisory Bulletin in Wake of Iran Conflict
28.
WA State: Copper Thieves Disrupt Light Rail
Service for Second Time in Less Than a Week
29.
PNW Reflects on Anniversary of Historic Heat
Dome as Summer Weather Kicks Off
30.
Police Agencies Across Western Washington Warn
of Text Scams
31.
The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Is a Key Moment for
the U.S. Hydropower Industry
32.
Guest Essay: Why Utility Deregulation Is the
Worst Way to Generate More Electricity
Word of the Day
Petrichor /PET-truh-core/ Noun - A distinctive, earthy, usually pleasant odor that is associated with rainfall, especially when following a warm, dry period, and that arises from a combination of volatile plant oils and geosmin released from the soil into the air and by ozone carried by downdrafts.
The soft rain’s
patter
Reveals petrichor’s
perfume
My nose celebrates
https://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Electricity Prices Soar as U.S. Regional Grids
Wobble from Extreme Heat (Reuters)
2.
Locals Remain Skeptical of On-Hold Plan to
Breach Lower Snake River Dams (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_48844ff0-1ea7-498a-b5d7-2c6b63415dd1.html
3.
Idaho Authority to Sell $90.2 Million of Taxable
Bonds for Transmission Assets (Morningstar)
4.
Hydropower Growth Continues, Though Policy
Challenges Loom in U.S. (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/hydropower-growth-continues-though-policy-challenges-loom-in-u-s/
5.
How Wall Street Hedge Funds Are Gambling
Millions on Eaton Fire Insurance Claims (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wall-street-hedge-funds-gambling-100000328.html
6.
Idaho National Laboratory Steps Up – DOE-Led
Nuclear Licensing Gains Traction Under Trump (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-led-nuclear-licensing-gains-traction-under-trump/
7.
Power Utility Built $95 Million 500-Megawatt
Power Substation for Intel’s $100 Billion Ohio Fab, But Six-Year Delay Leaves
Substation Capable of Powering 500,000 Homes Idle (Tom’s Hardware)
8.
Utilities Can’t Discipline Their Way to a Safety
Culture: Snohomish County PUD’s John Haarlow (American Public Power
Association)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9.
Support For Solar Energy & Offshore Wind
Falls Among Democrats & Independents, AP-NORC Poll Says (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/climate-ev-solar-wind-tax-fema-trump-5303f07c30f2cdbc9cf129f9928c8a32
Conservation
& Efficiency
10.
Why Some Companies Want You to Switch to an Electric
Grill (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
Fish
& Wildlife
11.
Court Fight Looms After Trump Nixes Pacific NW Salmon
Pact (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/06/25/court-fight-looms-after-trump-nixes-nw-salmon-pact
12.
New Paper Continues Debate Over Link Between
Lice from Salmon Farms & B.C. Wild Salmon (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/salmon-farm-wild-lice-new-paper-1.7560737
13.
Killer Whales Seen Grooming Each Other With Kelp
in First for Marine Tool Use (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/killer-whales-seen-grooming-other-150019871.html
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
14.
Alaska Wildfire Smoke Reaches the Pacific
Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/06/alaska-wildfire-smoke-reaches-pacific.html
15.
King County Sues Homeowners After 140 Trees Cut
Down (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
16.
Switzerland’s Ebbing Glaciers Show a New,
Strange Phenomenon: Holes Reminiscent of Swiss Cheese (Associated Press)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
17.
How Electric Co-Ops Are Impacting the Broadband
Landscape – Report (Light Reading)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
18.
Montana: For Massive Great Falls Data Center
Proposal, Energy Supply Is Crucial to Push Project Forward (Montana Free Press)
19.
Exclusive: New Report Reveals Fiscal Impact of Microsoft’s
Data Centers in North Central Washington (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
20.
Audio: Artificial Intelligence Could Mean Fewer
Tech Jobs in Seattle (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/ai-could-mean-fewer-tech-jobs-in-seattle
I
Sing the Car Electric
21.
Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to
Release Electric Vehicle Charger Funding in 14 States (Associated Press)
22.
U.S. Senate Republicans Cannot Force Postal
Service to Scrap Electric Vehicles, Parliamentarian Says (Reuters)
23.
Cargo Ship Carrying New Vehicles – Including Electric
& Hybrid – To Mexico Sinks in the North Pacific Weeks After Catching Fire (Associated
Press)
https://apnews.com/article/car-carrier-sinks-aleutian-islands-5eec64f6bad760cf3ebbb4c810f78b68
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
24.
Oregon Bill Intended to Make Big Tech Pay for
Local News Hits Roadblock (Courthouse News Service)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
25.
Secretary of Energy Discusses Hydropower,
Nuclear Energy at Senate Hearing (American Public Power Association)
26.
Proposal To Sell Millions of Acres of Public
Lands May Be Cut from Trump’s Mega-Bill (National Public Radio)
Other
Things to Know About Today
27.
Department of Homeland Security Issues National
Terrorism Advisory Bulletin in Wake of Iran Conflict (American Public Power
Association)
28.
WA State: Copper Thieves Disrupt Light Rail
Service for Second Time in Less Than a Week (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
29.
PNW Reflects on Anniversary of Historic Heat
Dome as Summer Weather Kicks Off (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/pnw-heat-dome/4102651
30.
Police Agencies Across Western Washington Warn of
Text Scams (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
31.
The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Is a Key Moment for
the U.S. Hydropower Industry (The Triple Pundit)
https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2025/hydropower-big-beautiful-bill/822761
32.
Guest Essay: Why Utility Deregulation Is the
Worst Way to Generate More Electricity (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/5367466-trump-electricity-utility-markets/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
A Revolutionary War-Era Boat Is Being Painstakingly Rebuilt
After Centuries Buried Beneath Manhattan
https://apnews.com/article/new-york-buried-boat-revolution-7751e21d35d49dfe27d255ec46048403
Ancient Canoe Replica Recreates a 30,000-Year-Old Voyage
https://www.popsci.com/science/canoe-replica-ancient-voyage/
Want to Own Napoleon’s Hat? Some of His Belongings Are Being
Auctioned
Stanley Cup Damaged as the Florida Panthers Celebrate a Second
Straight Championship
https://apnews.com/article/panthers-stanley-cup-crack-60bd5610c41f16885a09ade63557f880
Song of the Day
Beethoven – Emperor Concerto No.5. (Van Cliburn &
Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brkJWFXSnEI&start_radio=1
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