Wednesday, November 26, 2025

The Energy News Digest for November 26, 2025

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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Montana: FERC Urged to Reject 370-MW NorthWestern Colstrip Power Purchase Agreement (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-northwestern-energy-colstrip-ppa/806412/

WA Policy Center Warns: Wind & Solar Can’t Meet Peak Demand, Energy Shortages Loom (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/john-curley/energy-shortages-washington/4164092

Consumer Product Safety Commission Issues Warning Over Some Rad Power Bikes Batteries (KSL Broadcasting, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://www.ksl.com/article/51410477/consumer-product-safety-commission-issues-warning-over-rad-power-bikes-batteries

Department of Energy Launches Artificial Intelligence Initiative in Richland (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/department-of-energy-launches-ai-initiative-in-richland/article_fd8d1205-5e8c-4d1c-8166-7ea2e090ce3f.html

Scientists Capture the Crackling Sounds of What They Believe Is Lightning on Mars (Courthouse News Service)

https://courthousenews.com/scientists-capture-the-crackling-sounds-of-what-they-believe-is-lightning-on-mars/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Montana: FERC Urged to Reject 370-MW NorthWestern Colstrip Power Purchase Agreement

2.      DOE Large Load Interconnection Proposal Sparks Federal-State Jurisdiction Concerns

3.      ‘Ghost Projects’ Haunt Power Grid Planners & Taxpayers

4.      Portland General Electric Apologizes After False River Mill Dam Breach Alarm Spurs Evacuations in Oregon

5.      A Scenic Los Angeles Suburb with Ocean Views Went Off-Grid. How Are Residents Surviving?

6.      The Head of BC Hydro on Wind Power, Dam Megaprojects & More

7.      Avangrid's Hydropower Project Gets Final Maine Permit Despite Losing

8.      Missouri: Teen Dies After Being Electrocuted by Sagging Powerline While Hunting

9.      Can The Power of a Star Lower Our Electric Bills?

10.   Hydropower Helps Feed Thanksgiving Feasts

11.   WA Policy Center Warns: Wind & Solar Can’t Meet Peak Demand, Energy Shortages Loom

12.   Wind Power to Drive Canada's Renewable Energy Growth Through 2030

13.   Solar-Panel-Covered Canals Have Their Day in the Sun in California

14.   Alaska’s Commercial Salmon Harvest Rebounds After Ultra-Low Harvest Last Year

15.   Washington Department of Ecology Explains Air Quality Oversight for Data Center Backup Generators

16.   Oregon: ‘The Precedent Is Flint’: How Oregon’s Data Center Boom Is Supercharging a Water Crisis

17.   Great Salt Lake Is Rising Again, But It’s Going to Need a ‘Really Big’ Winter to Avoid Concerns

18.   Ambitious Plan to Store CO2 Beneath the North Sea Set to Start Operations

19.   Department of Energy Launches Artificial Intelligence Initiative in

20.   The Big Data Center Buildup

21.   Consumer Product Safety Commission Issues Warning Over Some Rad Power Bikes Batteries

22.   ChatGPT May Help You Find Information Faster, But You Learn Less

23.   Scientists Capture the Crackling Sounds of What They Believe Is Lightning on Mars

24.   Kilowatts or Connections? Trump’s Favored Nuclear Start-Ups Soar to Riches.

25.   Energy Dominance Collides with Tribal Sovereignty

26.   How Will Weather Impact Thanksgiving Travel in the Pacific Northwest?

27.   Oregon Senators Urge Feds to Fund Columbia River Gorge Fire Recovery

28.   National Parks Announce 'America-First' Fee Surges for International Tourists

29.   Thanksgiving is the Number One Day in the U.S. for cooking Fires

30.   Opinion: Hydro Won’t Hack It Much Longer to Feed Canada’s Energy Needs

31.   NRECA Urges ‘Whole-of-Government Approach’ to Help Co-ops Serve Large Loads

32.   Guest Essay: Farmers Can Advance Washington State’s Energy Needs

Word of the Day

Lachrymose \LACK-ruh-mose\ Adjective - 1: given to tears or weeping: tearful 2: tending to cause tears: mournful.

Lachrymose – End of “Old Yeller,” “the end of ET,” the last scoop of sherbet, and for entirely different reasons, the lame end of “Lost.”

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Montana: FERC Urged to Reject 370-MW NorthWestern Colstrip Power Purchase Agreement (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-northwestern-energy-colstrip-ppa/806412/

2.      DOE Large Load Interconnection Proposal Sparks Federal-State Jurisdiction Concerns (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-large-load-interconnection-ferc-naruc/806278/

3.      ‘Ghost Projects’ Haunt Power Grid Planners & Taxpayers (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_9e08c6e7-e86c-4686-acda-4b2966b4ecc2.html

4.      Portland General Electric Apologizes After False River Mill Dam Breach Alarm Spurs Evacuations in Oregon (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/11/false-alarm-wakes-estacada-residents-to-dam-breach-warning-order-to-evacuate.html

5.      A Scenic Los Angeles Suburb with Ocean Views Went Off-Grid. How Are Residents Surviving? (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/general/general/a-scenic-l-a-suburb-with-ocean-views-went-off-grid-how-are-residents-surviving/ar-AA1R2EqQ

6.      The Head of BC Hydro on Wind Power, Dam Megaprojects & More (The Tyee)

https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/11/25/Glen-Clark-Interview/

7.      Avangrid's Hydropower Project Gets Final Maine Permit Despite Losing Referendum (Associated Press)

https://www.ktvb.com/article/syndication/associatedpress/avangrids-hydropower-project-gets-final-maine-permit-despite-losing-referendum/616-8e831d40-d587-491a-ac2e-0c20e99be104

8.      Missouri: Teen Dies After Being Electrocuted by Sagging Powerline While Hunting (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/11/24/teen-dies-after-being-electrocuted-by-sagging-powerline-while-hunting/

9.      Can The Power of a Star Lower Our Electric Bills? (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/can-the-power-of-a-star-lower-our-electric-bills

10.   Hydropower Helps Feed Thanksgiving Feasts (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/552284/hydropower-helps-feed-thanksgiving-feasts

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

11.   WA Policy Center Warns: Wind & Solar Can’t Meet Peak Demand, Energy Shortages Loom (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/john-curley/energy-shortages-washington/4164092

12.   Wind Power to Drive Canada's Renewable Energy Growth Through 2030 (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wind-power-drive-canadas-renewable-153000201.html

13.   Solar-Panel-Covered Canals Have Their Day in the Sun in California (University of California)

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/solar-panel-covered-canals-have-their-day-sun-california

Fish & Wildlife

14.   Alaska’s Commercial Salmon Harvest Rebounds After Ultra-Low Harvest Last Year (Alaska Beacon)

https://alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alaskas-commercial-salmon-harvest-rebounds-after-ultra-low-harvest-last-year/

Environmental Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three

15.   Washington Department of Ecology Explains Air Quality Oversight for Data Center Backup Generators (KAPP-TV, Yakima, WA)

https://www.applevalleynewsnow.com/news/washington-department-of-ecology-explains-air-quality-oversight-for-data-center-backup-generators/article_32d8238e-4806-4139-81fe-983293c36a83.html

16.   Oregon: ‘The Precedent Is Flint’: How Oregon’s Data Center Boom Is Supercharging a Water Crisis (Rolling Stone)

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/data-center-water-pollution-amazon-oregon-1235466613/

Water, Water, Anywhere?

17.   Great Salt Lake Is Rising Again, But It’s Going to Need a ‘Really Big’ Winter to Avoid Concerns (Utah News Dispatch)

https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/11/24/great-salt-lake-needs-big-winter-to-avoid-concerns/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

18.   Ambitious Plan to Store CO2 Beneath the North Sea Set to Start Operations (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/ambitious-plan-to-store-co2-beneath-the-north-sea-a21208907

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

19.   Department of Energy Launches Artificial Intelligence Initiative in Richland (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/department-of-energy-launches-ai-initiative-in-richland/article_fd8d1205-5e8c-4d1c-8166-7ea2e090ce3f.html

20.   The Big Data Center Buildup (High Country News)

https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-big-data-center-buildup/

I Sing the Car Electric

21.   Consumer Product Safety Commission Issues Warning Over Some Rad Power Bikes Batteries (KSL Broadcasting, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://www.ksl.com/article/51410477/consumer-product-safety-commission-issues-warning-over-rad-power-bikes-batteries

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

22.   ChatGPT May Help You Find Information Faster, But You Learn Less (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/bobs-blog-chatbots-hurt-learning-9.6987998

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

23.   Scientists Capture the Crackling Sounds of What They Believe Is Lightning on Mars (Courthouse News Service)

https://courthousenews.com/scientists-capture-the-crackling-sounds-of-what-they-believe-is-lightning-on-mars/

Politics, Governance, and Management

24.   Kilowatts or Connections? Trump’s Favored Nuclear Start-Ups Soar to Riches. (Washington Post – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/kilowatts-or-connections-trump-s-favored-nuclear-start-ups-soar-to-riches/ar-AA1RbRix

25.   Energy Dominance Collides with Tribal Sovereignty (E&E News/Politico)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/energy-dominance-collides-with-tribal-sovereignty/

Other Things to Know About Today

26.   How Will Weather Impact Thanksgiving Travel in the Pacific Northwest? (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.koin.com/weather/how-will-weather-impact-thanksgiving-travel-in-the-pnw/

27.   Oregon Senators Urge Feds to Fund Columbia River Gorge Fire Recovery (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/11/25/repub/oregon-senators-urge-feds-to-fund-columbia-river-gorge-fire-recovery/

28.   National Parks Announce 'America-First' Fee Surges for International Tourists (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/national-parks-foreign-fees-2026/69553943

29.   Thanksgiving is the Number One Day in the U.S. for cooking Fires (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/local/thanksgiving-cooking-fires/4163384

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

30.   Opinion: Hydro Won’t Hack It Much Longer to Feed Canada’s Energy Needs (Yahoo! News)

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/opinion-hydro-won-t-hack-110040896.html

31.   NRECA Urges ‘Whole-of-Government Approach’ to Help Co-ops Serve Large Loads (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://courthousenews.com/scientists-capture-the-crackling-sounds-of-what-they-believe-is-lightning-on-mars/

32.   Guest Essay: Farmers Can Advance Washington State’s Energy Needs (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/11/25/farmers-can-advance-washington-states-energy-needs/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Archaeologists Lift the Lid on a 1,700-Year-Old Roman Sarcophagus

https://www.kcra.com/article/archaeologists-lift-the-lid-on-a-1-700-year-old-roman-sarcophagus/69520292

Tea Tariffs Once Sparked a Revolution. Now They Are Creating Angst

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/politics/tea-tariffs-once-sparked-a-revolution-now-they-a21203528

Theft of $24,000 Wine Bottle Spurs High-Speed Chase Through Va. Countryside

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/theft-of-24-000-wine-bottle-spurs-high-speed-chase-through-va-countryside/ar-AA1RcgUW

A Rare Copy of ‘Superman No. 1' from 1939 Sells for More Than $9 Million

https://apnews.com/article/superman-comic-world-record-auction-eadabeaadbb12e114623756ef0757244

Song of the Day

John Williams – Superman – Prelude & Main Title March (Movie Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmHhIDUrdVA

Links & Paywall Advisory

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