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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Energy Department: U.S. Heading Toward More Blackouts by
2030 (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
https://capitalpress.com/2025/07/24/energy-department-u-s-heading-toward-more-blackouts-by-2030/
Bonneville Power Administration & Customers Settle on
Strategic Rate Increases to Meet Customer Load Growth & Connect New
Generation (News Release – Bonneville Power Administration)
Irrigation Canal Critical to Yakima Valley Is at Risk of
Failure After Wildfire Damage (Washington State Standard)
Will Cuts in Federal Solar & Wind Energy Incentives Doom
Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm? (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/136/p/feds-cut-solar-wind-farm-credits/
RFK Jr. Contradicts Trump, Talks Salmon Preservation at Nez
Perce Tribe Hatchery (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/24/rfk-jr-contradicts-trump-talks-salmon-preservation/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Energy Department: U.S. Heading Toward More
Blackouts by 2030
2.
PDF File – Resource Adequacy Report: Evaluating
the Reliability & Security of the United States Electric Grid
3.
Resource Advisory: Understanding Electricity
Generation Capacity in the United States
4.
Bonneville Power Administration & Customers
Settle on Strategic Rate Increases to Meet Customer Load Growth & Connect
New Generation
5.
Two Dams in Northern California Could Be Razed
Under Pacific Gas & Electric Plan
6.
Wyoming Lawmakers Consider Nuclear Waste Storage
as Tensions Rise Over Microreactor Plant Proposal
7.
California: Edison Offers to Pay Eaton Fire
Victims for Damages, in Move to Avoid Litigation
8.
WA State: Inland Power Strategically Expands
Underground – Electric Co-Op to Invest About $41M Annually to Bury Power Lines
9.
Northern Wasco PUD to Supply Power to Google
Data Centers
10.
Will the Tennessee Valley Authority Be
Privatized? Trump’s Efforts to Control the Utility, Fire CEO Spark Speculation
11.
IEA Report Says Global Demand for Natural Gas
Will Rise in 2026
12.
Western Energy Markets Governing Body Approves
Important Market Reliability Feature
13.
Will Cuts in Federal Solar & Wind Energy
Incentives Doom Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm?
14.
Fresno County Will Be Site of CA’s Largest Solar
Project. How It Impacts Residents
15.
Oregon: 1,800,000 MWh & 338 Wind Turbines ―
The Core of Energy Under This American State
16.
Commercial Building Owners Want to Save Energy
Star
17.
Massachusetts: New Smart Meters Give Electric
Customers Power to Save
18.
RFK Jr. Contradicts Trump, Talks Salmon
Preservation at Nez Perce Tribe Hatchery
19.
California: First Adult Salmon Spotted in the
McCloud River in Nearly 100 Years
20.
Over Two Dozen Rare Bees Discovered in
Washington
21.
How Much Does Your State Spend on Wildlife? Not
What You Think
22.
U.S., Mexico Sign Pact to Solve Border Sewage
Crisis
23.
Irrigation Canal Critical to Yakima Valley Is at
Risk of Failure After Wildfire Damage
24.
Wind, Snake, Bear Rivers Hit Record Low Flows as
Wyoming’s Summer Drought Gains Steam
25.
Oregon: Salem Considers Declaring Drinking Water
Emergency Ahead of Detroit Lake Deep Drawdown
26.
Lake Mead Water Projections Raise Red Flags
27.
Oregon: Multnomah County’s $52 Billion Lawsuit
Against Big Oil Could Face Further Delays Under Trump
28.
Energy Companies Seek Dismissal in Hawaii
Climate Lawfare Case
29.
Nevada’s Data Center Boom Is a Power, Water
Conundrum
30.
California: San José and Pacific Gas &
Electric Strike Deal to Attract Data Centers to South Bay
31.
Electric Vehicles Had a Decent Quarter. The Next
Could Be Record-Breaking.
32.
Northwest Rain During the Driest Time of the
Year
33.
FEMA Public Assistance: Powering Recovery for
Rural America
34.
Drop In State Funding for WA’s Work to Prevent
Severe Wildfires Is Stoking Concerns
35.
Oregon Wildfire Survivors to Pay Federal Taxes
on Settlements Next Year After State Bill Failed
36.
Opinion: Where Does Washington State Spend the
Carbon Dioxide Tax Revenue? More Government
Word of the Day - Horrible Haiku Edition
Götterdämmerung \gher-ter-DEM-uh-roong\ Noun – Collapse (as of a society or regime) marked by catastrophic violence & disorder; broadly: downfall.
Götterdämmerung
Bad music. Unlike
Wagner
It’s more like Spike Jones
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Energy Department: U.S. Heading Toward More
Blackouts by 2030 (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
https://capitalpress.com/2025/07/24/energy-department-u-s-heading-toward-more-blackouts-by-2030/
2.
PDF File – Resource Adequacy Report: Evaluating
the Reliability & Security of the United States Electric Grid (U.S.
Department of Energy)
3.
Resource Advisory: Understanding Electricity
Generation Capacity in the United States (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press572.php
4.
Bonneville Power Administration & Customers
Settle on Strategic Rate Increases to Meet Customer Load Growth & Connect
New Generation (News Release – Bonneville Power Administration)
5.
Two Dams in Northern California Could Be Razed
Under Pacific Gas & Electric Plan (San Francisco Chronicle, CA – Via MSN
News)
6.
Wyoming Lawmakers Consider Nuclear Waste Storage
as Tensions Rise Over Microreactor Plant Proposal (WyoFile)
7.
California: Edison Offers to Pay Eaton Fire
Victims for Damages, in Move to Avoid Litigation (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/edison-offers-pay-eaton-fire-224938394.html
8.
WA State: Inland Power Strategically Expands
Underground – Electric Co-Op to Invest About $41M Annually to Bury Power Lines
(Spokane Journal of Commerce, WA)
9.
Northern Wasco PUD to Supply Power to Google
Data Centers (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/northern-wasco-pud-supply-power-google-data-centers
10.
Will the Tennessee Valley Authority Be
Privatized? Trump’s Efforts to Control the Utility, Fire CEO Spark Speculation
(WPLN Radio, Nashville, TN)
11.
IEA Report Says Global Demand for Natural Gas
Will Rise in 2026 (Daily Energy Insider)
12.
Western Energy Markets Governing Body Approves
Important Market Reliability Feature (American Public Power Association)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
13.
Will Cuts in Federal Solar & Wind Energy
Incentives Doom Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm? (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/136/p/feds-cut-solar-wind-farm-credits/
14.
Fresno County Will Be Site of CA’s Largest Solar
Project. How It Impacts Residents (Fresno Bee, CA)
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article309973295.html
15.
Oregon: 1,800,000 MWh & 338 Wind Turbines ―
The Core of Energy Under This American State (EcoNews)
https://www.ecoticias.com/en/the-core-of-energy-under-this-american/18267/
Conservation
& Efficiency
16.
Commercial Building Owners Want to Save Energy
Star (Clean Technica)
https://cleantechnica.com/2025/07/24/commercial-building-owners-want-to-save-energy-star/
17.
Massachusetts: New Smart Meters Give Electric
Customers Power to Save (MSN News)
Fish
& Wildlife
18.
RFK Jr. Contradicts Trump, Talks Salmon
Preservation at Nez Perce Tribe Hatchery (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jul/24/rfk-jr-contradicts-trump-talks-salmon-preservation/
19.
California: First Adult Salmon Spotted in the
McCloud River in Nearly 100 Years (KOBI-TV, Medford, OR)
https://kobi5.com/news/first-adult-salmon-spotted-in-the-mcloud-river-in-nearly-100-years-279926/
20.
Over Two Dozen Rare Bees Discovered in
Washington (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/two-dozen-rare-bees-discovered/
21.
How Much Does Your State Spend on Wildlife? Not
What You Think (Columbia Insight)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
22.
U.S., Mexico Sign Pact to Solve Border Sewage
Crisis (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_e05cada6-ddae-4c77-904c-b23fc5c27d33.html
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
23.
Irrigation Canal Critical to Yakima Valley Is at
Risk of Failure After Wildfire Damage (Washington State Standard)
24.
Wind, Snake, Bear Rivers Hit Record Low Flows as
Wyoming’s Summer Drought Gains Steam (WyoFile)
25.
Oregon: Salem Considers Declaring Drinking Water
Emergency Ahead of Detroit Lake Deep Drawdown (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/26/salem-drinking-water-emergency-drawdown/
26.
Lake Mead Water Projections Raise Red Flags
(Utah News Dispatch)
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/07/26/lake-mead-water-projections-raise-red-flags/
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
27.
Oregon: Multnomah County’s $52 Billion Lawsuit
Against Big Oil Could Face Further Delays Under Trump (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/25/multco-lawsuit-big-oil-trump-delays/
28.
Energy Companies Seek Dismissal in Hawaii
Climate Lawfare Case (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/hawaii/article_29683996-bb32-4ab0-be6e-6c4349daac28.html
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
29.
Nevada’s Data Center Boom Is a Power, Water
Conundrum (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
30.
California: San José and Pacific Gas &
Electric Strike Deal to Attract Data Centers to South Bay (KQED Radio, San
Francisco, CA)
https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay
I
Sing the Car Electric
31.
Electric Vehicles Had a Decent Quarter. The Next
Could Be Record-Breaking. (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electric-vehicles/ev-sales-tesla-big-beautiful-bill
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
32.
Northwest Rain During the Driest Time of the
Year (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/07/northwest-rain-during-driest-time-of.html
Politics,
Governance, and Management
33.
FEMA Public Assistance: Powering Recovery for
Rural America (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/fema
Other
Things to Know About Today
34.
Drop In State Funding for WA’s Work to Prevent
Severe Wildfires Is Stoking Concerns (Washington State Standard)
35.
Oregon Wildfire Survivors to Pay Federal Taxes on
Settlements Next Year After State Bill Failed (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
36.
Opinion: Where Does Washington State Spend the Carbon
Dioxide Tax Revenue? More Government (Clark County Today, WA)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Watch Out for ‘Hordes’ of Tarantulas Coming Soon to These
States
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/watch-hordes-tarantulas-coming-soon-100228837.html
‘Killed It on the Spot’: Infant Bites Cobra to Death After
It Coiled Around His Hands
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/infant-bites-death-cobra-coiled-110505046.html
Hershey to Increase Candy Prices by Double Digits as Cocoa
Costs Rise
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hershey-raise-candy-prices-225812602.html
Corvallis Roller Derby Was in a Jam. Now It’s Thriving
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/27/corvallis-sick-town-roller-derby/
Song of the Day
Jim Stafford – Spiders & Snakes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vudA72hibg&list=RD4vudA72hibg&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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