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.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Power Bills Could
Jump 17% Under Proposal to Help Salmon at WA Dams, Feds Say (Tri-City Herald,
WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/power-bills-could-jump-17-220020851.html
U.S. Orders Unit at
TransAlta Coal Plant in Washington State to Stay Open (Reuters – Via MSN News)
California Got a
Record 52.3% Of Power from Renewables in 2024: Report (S&P Global)
Pacific Northwest
Just Finished Warmest Fall on Record, Scientists Report (Oregon Capital
Dispatch)
Wind Gusts Up to
100 MPH Hit Washington State, Idaho & Oregon, Knocking Out Power to
Hundreds of Thousands (AccuWeather)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Power Bills Could Jump 17% Under Proposal to
Help Salmon at WA Dams, Feds Say
2.
Feds: Salmon Suit Out of Bounds
3.
Oregon/Washington Litigation Represents a
‘Hidden Tax’ on Electricity, Increased Threat of Blackouts
4.
U.S. Orders Unit at TransAlta Coal Plant in
Washington State to Stay Open
5.
Oregon: Utility Watchdogs Accuse Portland
General Electric of Skirting New Law Meant to Make Data Centers Pay for Rising
Demand
6.
Montana Public Service Commission Withdraws from
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Case Over NorthWest Energy
7.
Trump’s Rush to Build Nuclear Reactors Across
the U.S. Raises Safety Worries
8.
California Got a Record 52.3% Of Power from
Renewables in 2024: Report
9.
New England Eyes Canada for Energy as U.S.
Offshore Wind Flounders
10.
Clean Energy Job Growth Expected in Washington
11.
Vacuum of Power: What Happens When the U.S.
Steps Back from Clean Energy
12.
California’s Plan to Boost Plug-In Heat Pumps
& Induction Stoves
13.
Seattle Says Heat Pump Conversions Top 300,
Keeping 2030 Oil-Free Goal on Track
14.
How to Cut Your Power Bill While Keeping Your
Holiday Lights
15.
Rains Help Fill Reservoirs, But Warmer Storms
Have Put Oregon in a Snowpack Deficit
16.
California, The Biggest Water User in the Basin,
Pitches Colorado River Framework
17.
Water Is for Fighting: Colorado River Group
Describes History of Water Disputes, Looks for Solutions
18.
Pacific Northwest Just Finished Warmest Fall on
Record, Scientists Report
19.
Orange Rivers & Melting Glaciers: Federal
Report Shows Rapid Change in the Arctic
20.
FCC Cuts ‘Independent’ from Mission Statement
After Chair Refuses to Discuss Trump’s Influence
21.
U.S. Senate Democrats Press Tech Giants on Data
Center Energy Use, Rising Electricity Bills
22.
Ford Takes $19.5 Billion Charge in Hybrid Pivot,
Cancels F-150 Lightning Electric Vehicle, Launches New Battery Storage Business
23.
Tesla Faces California Sales Halt Over Marketing
of Autopilot
24.
16 States Sue Trump Administration Again Over
Billions in Withheld Electric Vehicle Charging Funds
25.
Washington U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse Not Running
for Reelection
26.
Wind Gusts Up to 100 MPH Hit Washington State,
Idaho & Oregon, Knocking Out Power to Hundreds of Thousands
27.
NBA to Make Decision on Possible Expansion in
2026 with Seattle, Las Vegas Top Candidates
28.
Guest Essay: Data Centers Need Electricity Fast,
But Utilities Need Years to Build Power Plants – Who Should Pay?
29.
Podcast: Along Those Lines – Electric Co-ops
Manage Unprecedented Data Center Growth
Word of the Day
Obstreperous • \obb-STREP-russ\ • adjective – 1: marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness; clamorous 2: stubbornly resistant to control; unruly
Bartholomew's holiday frustration was palpable. After ten minutes of trying to cram the obstreperous string of Christmas lights back into its original box, he gave up, wadding them and stuffing them into a beat-up plastic grocery bag. Unfortunately, in the next season, he had the unenviable job of untangling the mass of green wires and clanking little bulbs into a manageable, coherent line for easy hanging.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Power Bills Could Jump 17% Under Proposal to
Help Salmon at WA Dams, Feds Say (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/power-bills-could-jump-17-220020851.html
2.
Feds: Salmon Suit Out of Bounds (Lewiston
Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.lmtribune.com/local-news/feds-salmon-suit-out-of-bounds-21062305
3.
Oregon/Washington Litigation Represents a ‘Hidden
Tax’ on Electricity, Increased Threat of Blackouts (Northwest Public Power
Association)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/12/oregonwashington-litigation-represents.html
4.
U.S. Orders Unit at TransAlta Coal Plant in
Washington State to Stay Open (Reuters – Via MSN News)
5.
Oregon: Utility Watchdogs Accuse Portland
General Electric of Skirting New Law Meant to Make Data Centers Pay for Rising
Demand (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
6.
Montana Public Service Commission Withdraws from
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Case Over NorthWest Energy (The Daily
Montanan)
7.
Trump’s Rush to Build Nuclear Reactors Across the
U.S. Raises Safety Worries (National Public Radio)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
8.
California Got a Record 52.3% Of Power from
Renewables in 2024: Report (S&P Global)
9.
New England Eyes Canada for Energy as U.S.
Offshore Wind Flounders (E&E News/Politico)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/new-england-eyes-canada-for-energy-as-us-offshore-wind-flounders/
10.
Clean Energy Job Growth Expected in Washington
(KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
11.
Vacuum of Power: What Happens When the U.S.
Steps Back from Clean Energy (Powerful Web)
Conservation
& Efficiency
12.
California’s Plan to Boost Plug-In Heat Pumps &
Induction Stoves (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/california-plug-in-heat-pumps-induction-stoves
13.
Seattle Says Heat Pump Conversions Top 300,
Keeping 2030 Oil-Free Goal on Track (The Center Square)
14.
How to Cut Your Power Bill While Keeping Your
Holiday Lights (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/12/16/holiday-lights-energy-cost-saving-tips
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
15.
Rains Help Fill Reservoirs, But Warmer Storms
Have Put Oregon in a Snowpack Deficit (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/16/oregon-pacific-northwest-rains-snowpack-deficit/
16.
California, The Biggest Water User in the Basin,
Pitches Colorado River Framework (Utah News Dispatch)
17.
Water Is for Fighting: Colorado River Group
Describes History of Water Disputes, Looks for Solutions (Courthouse News
Service)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
18.
Pacific Northwest Just Finished Warmest Fall on
Record, Scientists Report (Oregon Capital Dispatch)
19.
Orange Rivers & Melting Glaciers: Federal
Report Shows Rapid Change in the Arctic (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/16/nx-s1-5639224/arctic-climate-change-noaa-report
London
Calling –Telecommunications
20.
FCC Cuts ‘Independent’ from Mission Statement
After Chair Refuses to Discuss Trump’s Influence (Forbes Magazine)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
21.
U.S. Senate Democrats Press Tech Giants on Data
Center Energy Use, Rising Electricity Bills (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5651358-democrats-tech-giants-data-center-electricity-bills/
I
Sing the Car Electric
22.
Ford Takes $19.5 Billion Charge in Hybrid Pivot,
Cancels F-150 Lightning Electric Vehicle, Launches New Battery Storage Business
(Yahoo! News)
23.
Tesla Faces California Sales Halt Over Marketing
of Autopilot (Bloomberg News – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-faces-california-sales-halt-022416369.html
24.
16 States Sue Trump Administration Again Over
Billions in Withheld Electric Vehicle Charging Funds (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/states-sue-trump-administration-again-over-a21246393
Politics,
Governance, and Management
25.
Washington U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse Not Running for
Reelection (Washington State Standard)
Other
Things to Know About Today
26.
Wind Gusts Up to 100 MPH Hit Washington State,
Idaho & Oregon, Knocking Out Power to Hundreds of Thousands (AccuWeather)
27.
NBA to Make Decision on Possible Expansion in 2026
with Seattle, Las Vegas Top Candidates (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
28.
Guest Essay: Data Centers Need Electricity Fast,
But Utilities Need Years to Build Power Plants – Who Should Pay? (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, WA)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/data-centers-need-electricity-fast-but-utilities-a21238707
29.
Podcast: Along Those Lines – Electric Co-ops
Manage Unprecedented Data Center Growth (National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association)
https://www.electric.coop/along-those-lines-electric-co-ops-manage-unprecedented-data-center-growth
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
The Queen of Disco: Donna Summer Is Posthumously Inducted
into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
‘Flood of Slop’: Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word of the Year
Takes a Dig at Artificial Intelligence
Why 696 Pennies Sold for More Than
$16.7 Million
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-696-pennies-sold-more-113000293.html
Washington, D.C., Makes Kiss-Story with Record Number of
Couples Under Mistletoe
Song of the Day
Donna Summer – MacArthur Park Suite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zue7wsi_xeo
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause 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 cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.
