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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)
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)
2.
News Release: Idaho National Laboratory Collaborates
with Microsoft to Streamline Nuclear Licensing (Idaho National Laboratory)
3.
As Building New Power Gets Harder, U.S.
Utilities Seek Record Rate Increases (Latitude Media)
4.
A ‘Penultimate’ Milestone: BC Hydro’s Peace
River Dam Is Almost Complete (Renewable Energy World)
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)
7.
Wildfire Mitigation: Co-ops Battle an
'Existential Threat' (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
8.
States Rush to Protect Grid as Artificial
Intelligence Booms (Politico)
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)
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)
13.
Bonneville Power Administration Supports Local
Beverage Company with Juicy Energy Efficiency Project (Bonneville Power
Administration)
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)
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)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19.
FCC To Eliminate Gigabit Speed Goal & Scrap
Analysis of Broadband Prices (Ars Technica)
20.
Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Works Great If
Hardly Anyone Uses It (Washington Post – Via MSN)
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)
25.
Oregon: ‘It Blocks Out the Sky’ – Data Center’s
Big Plans Rile Neighbors in Small-Town Forest Grove (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
26.
Meta Investors Settlement with Zuckerberg Takes
Heat Off Delaware, Averts $8 Billion Trial (Reuters)
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)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
33.
Guest Essay: The Power Grid Battle That’s
Dividing California Environmentalists (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, CA)
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)
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
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
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