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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
NWPPA Announces Three Back-to-Back Conferences in January 2026
Kick off 2026 with three powerhouse events in one week! NWPPA is bringing together Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know (Jan. 27), a new Data Center and Load Growth Summit (Jan. 28), and the Power Supply Conference (Jan. 29)—all at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.
By stacking these events back-to-back, NWPPA is making it easier and more affordable for members to attend. Register for two of the events and receive 10% off, or attend all three and save 20%.
The week will also feature two evening networking receptions, plus lunch included at each event. And for those who want to start early, the Environmental Task Force will meet Jan. 26. Registration opens this fall, but mark your calendar now for this can’t-miss week of public power learning and connection.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Montana: NorthWestern Anticipates Spending $18 Million
Annually on Operation & Maintenance for Avista’s Share of Colstrip Coal
Plant (Montana Free Press)
Private Equity Sees Profits in Power Utilities as Electric
Bills Rise & Big Tech Seeks More Energy (Associated Press)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/private-equity-sees-profits-power-040127661.html
Federal Tax Credits on Electric Vehicles Expire Tomorrow
(Public News Service)
Oregon: Irrigators, Tribes & Local Officials Push Back
Against State Proposal to Curb Groundwater Crisis in Harney Basin (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/29/harney-basin-curb-groundwater-crisis/
Guest Essay: Collaboration, Not Litigation, Can Support Both
Salmon & Hydropower (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Montana: NorthWestern Anticipates Spending $18
Million Annually on Operation & Maintenance for Avista’s Share of Colstrip
Coal Plant
2.
Private Equity Sees Profits in Power Utilities
as Electric Bills Rise & Big Tech Seeks More Energy
3.
Analysts See Possible Early Signs of Demand
Growth in EIA’s Latest Update
4.
New Data Reveals Which U.S. States to Be Hit
Hardest with Electricity Price Increases: ‘We’re Just Not Ready to Handle
[This]’
5.
Wyoming, Utah & Idaho Push for Nuclear
Energy Renaissance
6.
$375 Million Lawsuit Faults Portland General
Electric, Property Manager in Portland Power Line Collapse That Killed 3
7.
Washington Utilities Hope New Laws, Concrete
Blocks Will Curb Copper Thieves
8.
How To Make Electricity in the West Cheaper
& More Reliable
9.
New Solar Farm Will Power More of Amazon’s
Oregon Data Centers
10.
Oregon’s $100 Million Wave Energy Test Site
Nears Operations as Federal Funding Concerns Loom
11.
A Tiny Tag Could Be a Big Solution for an
Invasive Fish at Northwest Dams
12.
Oregon: Irrigators, Tribes & Local Officials
Push Back Against State Proposal to Curb Groundwater Crisis in Harney Basin
13.
Energy Dept. Adds ‘Climate Change’ &
‘Emissions’ to Banned Words List
14.
Alaska’s BEAD Plan Includes Eye-Popping
Per-Location Costs
15.
BEAD Cost Caps
16.
Sam Altman’s Artificial Intelligence Empire Will
Devour as Much Power as New York City & San Diego Combined. Experts Say
It’s ‘Scary’
17.
Washington Ranks Among Top States for Artificial
Intelligence Use
18.
Federal Tax Credits on Electric Vehicles Expire
Tomorrow
19.
Oregon: ‘Made My Heart Sink’ – Buyers of
Electric Vehicles Discover They May Not Get $7,500 Tax Credit
20.
Electric Vehicle Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles
in California
21.
WSDOT Doodles Make Drivers Laugh — And Pay
Attention
22.
Guest Essay: Collaboration, Not Litigation, Can
Support Both Salmon & Hydropower
Word of the Day – Origin Stories
Gesundheit /guh-ZOON-hite/ Interjection – Used to wish good health, especially to one who has just sneezed.
When English speakers hear “achoo,” they usually respond with either “gesundheit” or “God bless you.” Gesundheit was borrowed in the early 20th century from German, where it literally means “health”; it was formed from gesund (“healthy”) and -heit (“-hood”). Wishing a person good health when they sneeze is historically believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends. Gesundheit was once also used as a toast when drinking (much like its English counterpart, “to your health”), but this use is now largely obsolete.
1.
Montana: NorthWestern Anticipates Spending $18
Million Annually on Operation & Maintenance for Avista’s Share of Colstrip
Coal Plant (Montana Free Press)
2.
Private Equity Sees Profits in Power Utilities as
Electric Bills Rise & Big Tech Seeks More Energy (Associated Press)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/private-equity-sees-profits-power-040127661.html
3.
Analysts See Possible Early Signs of Demand
Growth in EIA’s Latest Update (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/demand-growth-data-center-eia-rates/760956/
4.
New Data Reveals Which U.S. States to Be Hit
Hardest with Electricity Price Increases: ‘We’re Just Not Ready to Handle
[This]’ (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/data-reveals-us-states-hit-003500319.html
5.
Wyoming, Utah & Idaho Push for Nuclear
Energy Renaissance (Wyofile)
https://wyofile.com/wyoming-utah-and-idaho-push-for-nuclear-energy-renaissance/
6.
$375 Million Lawsuit Faults Portland General
Electric, Property Manager in Portland Power Line Collapse That Killed 3 (The Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
7.
Washington Utilities Hope New Laws, Concrete
Blocks Will Curb Copper Thieves (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
8.
How To Make Electricity in the West Cheaper &
More Reliable (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/articles/how-to-make-electricity-in-the-west-cheaper-and-more-reliable/
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
9.
New Solar Farm Will Power More of Amazon’s
Oregon Data Centers (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
10.
Oregon’s $100 Million Wave Energy Test Site
Nears Operations as Federal Funding Concerns Loom (The Registry)
Fish & Wildlife
11.
A Tiny Tag Could Be a Big Solution for an Invasive
Fish at Northwest Dams (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
12.
Oregon: Irrigators, Tribes & Local Officials
Push Back Against State Proposal to Curb Groundwater Crisis in Harney Basin (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/29/harney-basin-curb-groundwater-crisis/
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
13.
Energy Dept. Adds ‘Climate Change’ & ‘Emissions’
to Banned Words List (Politico)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
14.
Alaska’s BEAD Plan Includes Eye-Popping
Per-Location Costs (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/alaskas-bead-plan-includes-eye-popping-per-location-costs/
15.
BEAD Cost Caps (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/09/29/bead-cost-caps/
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
16.
Sam Altman’s Artificial Intelligence Empire Will
Devour as Much Power as New York City & San Diego Combined. Experts Say It’s
‘Scary’ (Fortune Magazine – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/sam-altman-ai-empire-devour-182519972.html
17.
Washington Ranks Among Top States for Artificial
Intelligence Use (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/09/22/washington-ai-usage-anthropic-report-claude
I Sing the Car Electric
18.
Federal Tax Credits on Electric Vehicles Expire Tomorrow
(Public News Service)
19.
Oregon: ‘Made My Heart Sink’ – Buyers of Electric
Vehicles Discover They May Not Get $7,500 Tax Credit (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
20.
Electric Vehicle Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles in
California (KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/ev-chargers-outnumber-gas-nozzles-in-california/
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
21.
WSDOT Doodles Make Drivers Laugh — And Pay
Attention (Axios)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
22.
Guest Essay: Collaboration, Not Litigation, Can
Support Both Salmon & Hydropower (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Anger in Egypt After Pharaoh’s Gold Bracelet Stolen from a Cairo
Museum Is Melted Down
‘Very Mean Squirrel’ Seeking Food Has Sent at Least 2 People
to the ER in a California City
https://apnews.com/article/aggressive-squirrel-hurt-people-43efad83aa78de39affc1b3cd3c93afe
Japanese Man Breaks Speed Record for Running on All Fours
Rare Orange Lobster Dubbed ‘Jean-Clawd’ Returned to Long
Island Sound
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/09/25/Long-Island-New-York-orange-lobster/6051758813614/
Song of the Day
The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramania
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWTJmrPa5TQ
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