The Energy News Digest for July 21, 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.

Last Call for Future Utility Leaders—FUEL Is Nearly Full!

Do you have your sights set on an executive leadership position in the electric utility industry? If so, take the next step toward your goal by immersing yourself in NWPPA’s Future Utility Executive Leadership (FUEL) program. The FUEL program will equip you with the industry knowledge essential for utility leaders to succeed. This year’s program will take place from October 20 to 24 and November 17 to 21 in Vancouver, Washington. Just a few seats are left, so don’t wait to secure yours! Apply now at www.nwppa.org/fuel.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Microsoft Alerts Businesses, Governments to Server Software Attack (Reuters)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-alerts-businesses-governments-server-000040886.html

Small Modular Reactors Are Gaining Steam Globally. Will Any Get Built? (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/small-modular-reactors-are-having-a-moment-will-any-get-built

Washingtonians Rush to Go Green Before Federal Tax Incentives Expire (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/16/washingtonians-rush-to-go-green-before-federal-tax/

A Plan to Shoot 450,000 Owls—To Save a Different Owl—Could Be in Jeopardy (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2025-07-owls-owl-jeopardy.html

Oregon Wildfire Burns Almost 100,000 Acres, Approaching Rare Megafire Status (NBC News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/oregon-wildfire-burns-almost-100k-193233436.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Small Modular Reactors Are Gaining Steam Globally. Will Any Get Built?

2.      News Release: Idaho National Laboratory Collaborates with Microsoft to Streamline Nuclear Licensing

3.      As Building New Power Gets Harder, U.S. Utilities Seek Record Rate Increases

4.      A ‘Penultimate’ Milestone: BC Hydro’s Peace River Dam Is Almost Complete

5.      China Begins Building World's Largest Dam, Fueling Fears in India

6.      Oregon: How Lane County Electric Utilities Deal with Wildfire Danger

7.      Wildfire Mitigation: Co-ops Battle an 'Existential Threat'

8.      States Rush to Protect Grid as Artificial Intelligence Booms

9.      Washingtonians Rush to Go Green Before Federal Tax Incentives Expire

10.   Solar, Wind Projects on U.S. Lands Will Get Extra Scrutiny

11.   Along Those Lines: How Co-ops Are Educating Their Members on Rooftop Solar

12.   Puget Sound Energy, Washington's Biggest Utility, Pays Customers to Save Energy During Heat Wave

13.   Bonneville Power Administration Supports Local Beverage Company with Juicy Energy Efficiency Project

14.   A Plan to Shoot 450,000 Owls—To Save a Different Owl—Could Be in Jeopardy

15.   50 Years After the Snake River Dams Were Completed, Can They Continue to Coexist with Salmon?

16.   Thirteen Montana Rivers, & Three Yellowstone National Park Waterways, Under Fishing Restrictions

17.   Port Angeles, WA Lifts 'Do Not Drink' Water Order After Fuel Tanker Spill

18.   Oregon: Willamette Falls Locks Take a Hit with No New Funding from the Legislature

19.   FCC To Eliminate Gigabit Speed Goal & Scrap Analysis of Broadband Prices

20.   Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Works Great If Hardly Anyone Uses It

21.   FCC Focuses on Satellite Growth as BEAD Changes Loom

22.   New Proposed FCC Pole Rules

23.   Microsoft Alerts Businesses, Governments to Server Software Attack

24.   What to Know About a Vulnerability Being Exploited on Microsoft SharePoint Servers

25.   Oregon: ‘It Blocks Out the Sky’ – Data Center’s Big Plans Rile Neighbors in Small-Town Forest Grove

26.   Meta Investors Settlement with Zuckerberg Takes Heat Off Delaware, Averts $8 Billion Trial

27.   California: Newsom Commits to Reaching Grid Regionalization Deal This Session

28.   President Trump Taps Project 2025 Contributor to Fill Vacant FERC Seat

29.   With One Call, Trump Alters the Fate of a Contested Power Project

30.   Oregon Wildfire Burns Almost 100,000 Acres, Approaching Rare Megafire Status

31.   Lightning & Thunderstorms Over & East of the Cascade Crest

32.   Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After Briefly Grounding Fleet, But Delays May Linger

33.   Guest Essay: The Power Grid Battle That’s Dividing California Environmentalists

34.   News Release: Host Of Organizations Strongly Oppose Privatization of the Tennessee Valley Authority: Public Power Belongs to the People

35.   Guest Essay: Trump Administration & Tennessee Senators Right to Call for Tennessee Valley Authority Reform

36.   Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration Adds to Long History of Poor Resource Management

Word of the Day - The Horrible Haiku Edition

Nervy /NURR-vee/ Adjective - 1 archaic: sinewy, strong 2a: showing or expressive of calm courage: bold b: marked by effrontery or presumption: brash 3: excitable, nervous.

     Get outta my way!

     Behold the nervy Karen

     Demands first in line

https://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Small Modular Reactors Are Gaining Steam Globally. Will Any Get Built? (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/small-modular-reactors-are-having-a-moment-will-any-get-built

2.      News Release: Idaho National Laboratory Collaborates with Microsoft to Streamline Nuclear Licensing (Idaho National Laboratory)

https://inl.gov/news-release/idaho-national-laboratory-collaborates-with-microsoft-to-streamline-nuclear-licensing/

3.      As Building New Power Gets Harder, U.S. Utilities Seek Record Rate Increases (Latitude Media)

https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/as-building-new-power-gets-harder-us-utilities-seek-record-rate-increases/

4.      A ‘Penultimate’ Milestone: BC Hydro’s Peace River Dam Is Almost Complete (Renewable Energy World)

https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydro-power/a-penultimate-milestone-bc-hydros-site-c-is-almost-complete/

5.      China Begins Building World's Largest Dam, Fueling Fears in India (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-begins-building-worlds-largest-082938942.html

6.      Oregon: How Lane County Electric Utilities Deal with Wildfire Danger (KLCC-Radio, Eugene, OR)

https://www.klcc.org/environment/2025-07-21/how-lane-county-electric-utilities-deal-with-wildfire-danger

7.      Wildfire Mitigation: Co-ops Battle an 'Existential Threat' (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.cooperative.com/remagazine/articles/Pages/Wildfire-Mitigation-Co-ops-Coast-to-Coast-Battle-Existential-Threat.aspx

8.      States Rush to Protect Grid as Artificial Intelligence Booms (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2025/07/17/states-rush-to-protect-grid-as-ai-booms-00459312

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

9.      Washingtonians Rush to Go Green Before Federal Tax Incentives Expire (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/16/washingtonians-rush-to-go-green-before-federal-tax/

10.   Solar, Wind Projects on U.S. Lands Will Get Extra Scrutiny (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/solar-wind-projects-us-lands-will-get-extra-scrutiny-2025-07-17/

11.   Along Those Lines: How Co-ops Are Educating Their Members on Rooftop Solar (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.electric.coop/along-those-lines-how-co-ops-are-educating-their-members-on-rooftop-solar

Conservation & Efficiency

12.   Puget Sound Energy, Washington's Biggest Utility, Pays Customers to Save Energy During Heat Wave (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-s-biggest-utility-pays-customers-to-save-energy-during-heat-wave

13.   Bonneville Power Administration Supports Local Beverage Company with Juicy Energy Efficiency Project (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20250714-bpa-supports-local-beverage-co-with-juicy-energy-efficiency-project

Fish & Wildlife

14.   A Plan to Shoot 450,000 Owls—To Save a Different Owl—Could Be in Jeopardy (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2025-07-owls-owl-jeopardy.html

15.   50 Years After the Snake River Dams Were Completed, Can They Continue to Coexist with Salmon? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/20/50-years-after-the-snake-river-dams-were-completed/

16.   Thirteen Montana Rivers, & Three Yellowstone National Park Waterways, Under Fishing Restrictions (Idaho Capital Sun)

https://idahocapitalsun.com/briefs/thirteen-montana-rivers-and-three-yellowstone-national-park-waterways-under-fishing-restrictions/

Water, Water, Anywhere?

17.   Port Angeles, WA Lifts 'Do Not Drink' Water Order After Fuel Tanker Spill (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/port-angeles-wa-issues-not-230813767.html

18.   Oregon: Willamette Falls Locks Take a Hit with No New Funding from the Legislature (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/21/willamette-falls-locks-navigational-boats-infrastructure-seismic-earthquake/

London Calling –Telecommunications

19.   FCC To Eliminate Gigabit Speed Goal & Scrap Analysis of Broadband Prices (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/07/fcc-to-eliminate-gigabit-speed-goal-and-scrap-analysis-of-broadband-prices/

20.   Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Works Great If Hardly Anyone Uses It (Washington Post – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-s-starlink-internet-works-great-if-hardly-anyone-uses-it/ar-AA1IRysn

21.   FCC Focuses on Satellite Growth as BEAD Changes Loom (Fierce Network)

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/fcc-focuses-satellite-growth-bead-changes-loom

22.   New Proposed FCC Pole Rules (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/07/17/new-proposed-fcc-pole-rules/

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

23.   Microsoft Alerts Businesses, Governments to Server Software Attack (Reuters)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-alerts-businesses-governments-server-000040886.html

24.   What to Know About a Vulnerability Being Exploited on Microsoft SharePoint Servers (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-sharepoint-zero-point-vulnerability-65ebcae88267e1aa375013adaa283765

25.   Oregon: ‘It Blocks Out the Sky’ – Data Center’s Big Plans Rile Neighbors in Small-Town Forest Grove (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2025/07/it-blocks-out-the-sky-data-centers-big-plans-rile-neighbors-in-small-town-forest-grove.html

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

26.   Meta Investors Settlement with Zuckerberg Takes Heat Off Delaware, Averts $8 Billion Trial (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-investors-settlement-with-zuckerberg-takes-heat-off-delaware-2025-07-21/

Politics, Governance, and Management

27.   California: Newsom Commits to Reaching Grid Regionalization Deal This Session (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/newsom-commits-to-reaching-grid-regionalization-deal-this-session/

28.   President Trump Taps Project 2025 Contributor to Fill Vacant FERC Seat (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/white-house-ferc-lacerte/753339/

29.   With One Call, Trump Alters the Fate of a Contested Power Project (New York Times – Via DNYUS)

https://dnyuz.com/2025/07/17/with-one-call-trump-alters-the-fate-of-a-contested-power-project/

Other Things to Know About Today

30.   Oregon Wildfire Burns Almost 100,000 Acres, Approaching Rare Megafire Status (NBC News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/oregon-wildfire-burns-almost-100k-193233436.html

31.   Lightning & Thunderstorms Over & East of the Cascade Crest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/07/lightning-and-thunderstorms-over-and.html

32.   Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After Briefly Grounding Fleet, But Delays May Linger (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2025/07/alaska-airlines-resumes-flights-after-briefly-grounding-fleet-but-delays-may-linger.html

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

33.   Guest Essay: The Power Grid Battle That’s Dividing California Environmentalists (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, CA)

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/opinion/roth-the-power-grid-battle-thats-dividing-california-environmentalists/

34.   News Release: Host Of Organizations Strongly Oppose Privatization of the Tennessee Valley Authority: Public Power Belongs to the People (Appalachian Voices)

https://appvoices.org/2025/07/18/tva-privatization/

35.   Guest Essay: Trump Administration & Tennessee Senators Right to Call for Tennessee Valley Authority Reform (Knoxville News-Sentinel, TN)

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/07/21/trump-and-tn-senators-right-to-call-for-tva-reform-opinion/85212703007/

36.   Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration Adds to Long History of Poor Resource Management (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-bpa-adds-to-long-history-of-poor-resource-management/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Visitor Tears Hole in 17th-Century Painting at Uffizi Galleries

https://hyperallergic.com/1022201/visitor-tears-hole-in-17th-century-painting-at-uffizi-galleries/

Largest Piece of Mars on Earth Fetches $5.3 Million at Auction, But Young Dinosaur Steals the Show

https://apnews.com/article/mars-rock-meteorite-auction-dinosaur-sothebys-01d7ccfc8dc580ad86f8e97a305fc8fa

Rosebud, Iconic Sled from ‘Citizen Kane,’ Sells for $14.75 Million at Auction

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/rosebud-iconic-sled-citizen-kane-003356489.html

He Who Must Not Be Named: Bigfoot 'Hairy Creature' Emoji Coming Soon

https://mashable.com/article/bigfoot-emoji-coming-soon-hairy-creature

Song of the Day

Bernard Herrmann – Citizen Kane Overture (Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ew3g8x4XSY&list=RD8ew3g8x4XSY&start_radio=1

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can 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 July 16, 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.

Last Call for Future Utility Leaders—FUEL Is Nearly Full!

Do you have your sights set on an executive leadership position in the electric utility industry? If so, take the next step toward your goal by immersing yourself in NWPPA’s Future Utility Executive Leadership (FUEL) program. The FUEL program will equip you with the industry knowledge essential for utility leaders to succeed. This year’s program will take place from October 20 to 24 and November 17 to 21 in Vancouver, Washington. Just a few seats are left, so don’t wait to secure yours! Apply now at www.nwppa.org/fuel.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Power Prices Are Expected to Soar Under New Tax Cut & Spending Law (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/15/red-states-could-see-a-sharp-jump-in-power-prices-under-new-law/

Audio: Oregon’s NuScale Power Receives Regulatory Approval for Modular Reactor Design (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/15/think-out-loud-oregon-nuscale-power-receives-regulatory-approval-modular-reactor-design/

Conservation Group Slams Rollback of Key Marine Habitat Protections (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/conservation-group-slams-rollback-of-key-marine-habitat-protections/

Oregon DOJ Says Public Officials Exploited Nonprofit to Cash in on Amazon Data Centers, Reap Millions for Themselves (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2025/07/oregon-doj-says-public-officials-exploited-nonprofit-to-cash-in-on-amazon-data-centers-reap-millions-for-themselves.html

Oregon’s Largest Active Fire Explodes to 28,000 Acres (KXL Radio, Portland, OR)

https://www.kxl.com/oregons-largest-active-fire-explodes-to-28000-acres/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Power Prices Are Expected to Soar Under New Tax Cut & Spending Law

2.      Audio: Oregon’s NuScale Power Receives Regulatory Approval for Modular Reactor Design

3.      Why NuScale Power Stock Jumped Today

4.      Wyoming: Bar Nunn Residents Say ‘No’ Again to Radiant Industries’ Nuclear Plans

5.      Paywall Advisory: BPA Cuts Payments for Tribes, Salmon Restoration Under Revised Cost Projections

6.      Two Renewable Natural Gas Projects Go Online in Tri-Cities

7.      Oregon Legislature Passes First-In-Nation Microgrid Framework

8.      Indian Affairs Announces $42 Million from President's Investing in America Agenda for Tribal Dam Safety, Water & Power Projects

9.      Is Google’s Big Hydropower Deal a Sign of Things to Come?

10.   California: Local Watchdog Group Releases Report on Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire

11.   Damaged Turbine at Wild Horse Wind Farm to Be Removed

12.   California Solar Bill Amended, Preserves 20-Year Rooftop Solar Agreements

13.   Bureau of Land Management Continues Geothermal Energy Support with Planned Lease Sales

14.   U.S. Renewable Power Transmission Project Under Fire from Farmers

15.   “Solar Panels Are Suffocating”: This Alarming Saharan Dust Crisis Threatens to Halve Vital Energy Output Across 1,000 Square Miles

16.   British Columbia Government Rolls Out New Heat Pump Rebate Up to $5,000 to Keep Condos Cool

17.   Conservation Group Slams Rollback of Key Marine Habitat Protections

18.   $30M to Remove Salmon Barriers Across Washington

19.   The Science Behind Eastern Washington’s Big Aquifer

20.   The Deepening Water Shortage Row Between the U.S. & Mexico

21.   The White House Took Down the Nation's Top Climate Report. You Can Still Find It Here

22.   Oregon DOJ Says Public Officials Exploited Nonprofit to Cash in on Amazon Data Centers, Reap Millions for Themselves

23.   Amazon Plans to Offer Satellite Internet Service in Late 2025

24.   Astound Broadband Brings Broadband to Life in Washington’s Rural Clallam County

25.   There Aren’t Enough Artificial Intelligence Chips to Support Data Center Projections, Report Says

26.   Digital Campaign Landing Pages Convert Interest into Action

27.   Largest Ever Merge of Two Black Holes Detected by Observatory in Eastern WA. ‘Extraordinary & Puzzling'

28.   USDA Abruptly Cancels Rural Energy Grant Application Window

29.   DOGE Told Regulator to ‘Rubber Stamp’ Nuclear

30.   Oregon’s Largest Active Fire Explodes to 28,000 Acres

31.   Eleven Wildfires Burning Across WA, Four Classified as ‘Large’

32.   Video Feeds from Washington’s Wildfire Detection Cameras Available Online

33.   WSP Troopers Arrest Suspects for Vandalizing Eastern Washington Electrical Boxes & Stealing Copper Wire

34.   Guest Essay: Trump Foils Plan to Take Down Lower Snake River Dams

35.   Guest Essay: Sarah Dyrdahl – Reimagining the Columbia

36.   Guest Essay: Nuclear Power Is a Key Piece of Washington's Clean Energy Future

37.   Guest Essay: Crucial California Energy Reform Hinges on Critical Fix to Senate Bill 540

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Power Prices Are Expected to Soar Under New Tax Cut & Spending Law (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/15/red-states-could-see-a-sharp-jump-in-power-prices-under-new-law/

2.      Audio: Oregon’s NuScale Power Receives Regulatory Approval for Modular Reactor Design (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/15/think-out-loud-oregon-nuscale-power-receives-regulatory-approval-modular-reactor-design/

3.      Why NuScale Power Stock Jumped Today (The Motley Fool – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/savingandinvesting/why-nuscale-power-stock-jumped-today/ar-AA1IB79W

4.      Wyoming: Bar Nunn Residents Say ‘No’ Again to Radiant Industries’ Nuclear Plans (Oil City News)

https://oilcity.news/general/2025/07/14/bar-nunn-residents-offer-resounding-no-to-radiant-industries-regarding-nuclear-plans-in-natrona-county/

5.      Paywall Advisory: BPA Cuts Payments for Tribes, Salmon Restoration Under Revised Cost Projections (RTO Insider – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.rtoinsider.com/110018-bpa-cuts-payments-for-tribes-salmon-restoration-under-revised-cost-projections/

6.      Two Renewable Natural Gas Projects Go Online in Tri-Cities (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)

https://610kona.com/ixp/136/p/2-renewable-natural-gas-projects-online/

7.      Oregon Legislature Passes First-In-Nation Microgrid Framework (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oregon-legislature-passes-first-in-nation-microgrid-framework/752932/

8.      Indian Affairs Announces $42 Million from President's Investing in America Agenda for Tribal Dam Safety, Water & Power Projects (Redland Nation News)

https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2025/07/15/news/indian-affairs-announces-42-million-from-presidents-investing-in-america-agenda-for-tribal-dam-safety-water-and-power-projects/132875.html

9.      Is Google’s Big Hydropower Deal a Sign of Things to Come? (Fierce Telecom)

https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/googles-big-hydropower-deal-sign-things-come

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

10.   California: Local Watchdog Group Releases Report on Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire (Santa Cruz Sentinel, CA)

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/07/15/local-watchdog-group-releases-report-on-moss-landing-battery-plant-fire/

11.   Damaged Turbine at Wild Horse Wind Farm to Be Removed (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)

https://www.yoursourceone.com/columbia_basin/damaged-turbine-at-wild-horse-wind-farm-to-be-removed/article_7b3ea120-f419-4ed0-8ddd-a4edfe99920d.html

12.   California Solar Bill Amended, Preserves 20-Year Rooftop Solar Agreements (KMIR-TV, Palm Springs, CA)

https://www.nbcpalmsprings.com/2025/07/16/california-solar-bill-amended-preserves-20year-rooftop-solar-agreements

13.   Bureau of Land Management Continues Geothermal Energy Support with Planned Lease Sales (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/blm-continues-geothermal-energy-support-with-planned-lease-sales/

14.   U.S. Renewable Power Transmission Project Under Fire from Farmers (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-renewable-power-transmission-project-under-fire-farmers-2025-07-15/

15.   “Solar Panels Are Suffocating”: This Alarming Saharan Dust Crisis Threatens to Halve Vital Energy Output Across 1,000 Square Miles (Energy Reporters)

https://www.energy-reporters.com/environment/solar-panels-are-suffocating-this-alarming-saharan-dust-crisis-threatens-to-halve-vital-energy-output-across-1000-square-miles/

Conservation & Efficiency

16.   British Columbia Government Rolls Out New Heat Pump Rebate Up to $5,000 to Keep Condos Cool (The Daily Hive)

https://dailyhive.com/victoria/bc-heat-pump-rebate-condos-apartments

Fish & Wildlife

17.   Conservation Group Slams Rollback of Key Marine Habitat Protections (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/conservation-group-slams-rollback-of-key-marine-habitat-protections/

18.   $30M to Remove Salmon Barriers Across Washington (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/salmon-habitat-restoration-grants-washington/

Water, Water, Anywhere?

19.   The Science Behind Eastern Washington’s Big Aquifer (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/14/the-science-behind-eastern-washingtons-big-aquifer/

20.   The Deepening Water Shortage Row Between the U.S. & Mexico (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0epzp21z47o

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

21.   The White House Took Down the Nation's Top Climate Report. You Can Still Find It Here (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/01/nx-s1-5453501/national-climate-assessment-nca5-archive-report

London Calling –Telecommunications

22.   Oregon DOJ Says Public Officials Exploited Nonprofit to Cash in on Amazon Data Centers, Reap Millions for Themselves (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2025/07/oregon-doj-says-public-officials-exploited-nonprofit-to-cash-in-on-amazon-data-centers-reap-millions-for-themselves.html

23.   Amazon Plans to Offer Satellite Internet Service in Late 2025 (PYMNTS)

https://www.pymnts.com/amazon/2025/amazon-plans-offer-satellite-internet-service-late-2025/

24.   Astound Broadband Brings Broadband to Life in Washington’s Rural Clallam County (Lightwave Online)

https://www.lightwaveonline.com/home/article/55302510/astound-broadband-brings-broadband-to-life-in-washingtons-rural-clallam-county

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

25.   There Aren’t Enough Artificial Intelligence Chips to Support Data Center Projections, Report Says (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/not-enough-ai-chips-to-support-data-center-projections-london-economics/752371/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

26.   Digital Campaign Landing Pages Convert Interest into Action (Pioneer Utility Resources)

https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/landdeals/

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

27.   Largest Ever Merge of Two Black Holes Detected by Observatory in Eastern WA. ‘Extraordinary & Puzzling' (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/largest-ever-merge-of-2-black-holes-detected-in-eastern-wa-extraordinary-and-puzzling/ar-AA1IIqXY

Politics, Governance, and Management

28.   USDA Abruptly Cancels Rural Energy Grant Application Window (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/usda-solar-rural-grants-uncertainty

29.   DOGE Told Regulator to ‘Rubber Stamp’ Nuclear (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/14/doge-to-regulator-rubber-stamp-nuclear-00450658

Other Things to Know About Today

30.   Oregon’s Largest Active Fire Explodes to 28,000 Acres (KXL Radio, Portland, OR)

https://www.kxl.com/oregons-largest-active-fire-explodes-to-28000-acres/

31.   Eleven Wildfires Burning Across WA, Four Classified as ‘Large’ (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/local/11-wildfires-wa-large/4110350

32.   Video Feeds from Washington’s Wildfire Detection Cameras Available Online (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/video-feeds-from-washingtons-wildfire-detection-cameras-now-available-online/

33.   WSP Troopers Arrest Suspects for Vandalizing Eastern Washington Electrical Boxes & Stealing Copper Wire (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.kxly.com/news/wsp-troopers-arrest-suspects-for-vandalizing-electrical-boxes-and-stealing-copper-wire/article_f7ab053a-b25d-4750-b61e-e1e3a7b4110a.html

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

34.   Guest Essay: Trump Foils Plan to Take Down Lower Snake River Dams (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, WA)

https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/brunell-july-2025

35.   Guest Essay: Sarah Dyrdahl – Reimagining the Columbia (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/16/sarah-dyrdahl-reimagining-the-columbia/

36.   Guest Essay: Nuclear Power Is a Key Piece of Washington's Clean Energy Future (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/nuclear-power-is-a-key-piece-of-washingtons-clean-energy-future-opinion/ar-AA1IIowT

37.   Guest Essay: Crucial California Energy Reform Hinges on Critical Fix to Senate Bill 540 (Fresno Bee, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/article310662350.html

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

They Cut Down England’s Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree. Now They Face Over Four Years in Prison

https://apnews.com/article/britain-sycamore-gap-tree-trial-sentencing-chainsaw-28a6db1552e6acea118aa7e8bcf69ecb

Small Child Climbs into Claw Machine at Ohio Community Center

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/07/11/Mason-Ohio-claw-machine-rescue/3951752253692/

British Chefs Cook Up World's Largest Scotch Egg

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/07/16/Guinness-World-Records-largest-scotch-egg/1951752684454/

California Woman's Home Flooded with Unwanted Amazon Packages

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/07/11/unwanted-Amazon-packages-San-Jose-California/1801752255748/

Song of the Day

The Carpenters – Please, Mr. Postman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyGWEq8IXlQ&list=RDfyGWEq8IXlQ&start_radio=1

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can 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.