Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The Energy News Digest for February 12, 2025

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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Court Filing Accuses Southern California Edison of Tampering with Possible Eaton Fire Evidence (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via DNYUZ)

https://dnyuz.com/2025/02/11/court-filing-accuses-southern-california-edison-of-tampering-with-possible-eaton-fire-evidence/

DOE Restores $1.44 Billion Loan for Montana Clean Energy Project (E&E News – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-restores-1-44b-loan-for-montana-clean-energy-project/

Groups Support Glen Canyon Dam Legislation (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/groups-support-glen-canyon-dam-legislation

Washington Moves Forward with State-Funded Electric Vehicle Infrastructure After Federal Pause (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/washington-moves-forward-state-funded-030100050.html

Podcast: Washington Has a Data Center Problem (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-has-a-data-center-problem

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Court Filing Accuses Southern California Edison of Tampering with Possible Eaton Fire Evidence

2.      California Utility Sued for Falsely Claiming It Could Mitigate Wildfire Risk

3.      Alaska: Tyee Hydro Power Maxed Out & Needs to Add Third Generator

4.      NW Natural Pushes Back on Bill That Would Require Notifying Customers About Use of Hydrogen

5.      EIA Revises Forecast for 2025 U.S. Natural Gas Prices, Leaves Other Forecasts Largely Unchanged

6.      Transformer Supply Bottleneck Threatens Power System Stability as Load Grows

7.      Existing U.S. Grid Can Handle ‘Significant’ New Flexible Load: Report

8.      Uncertainty Clouds Northern U.S. Grids Amid Canada Tariff Threat

9.      Trump Spending Freeze on Rural Electric Co-ops Could Raise Energy Costs

10.   DOE Restores $1.44 Billion Loan for Montana Clean Energy Project

11.   $156 Million Solar Power Grant Reopened for Washington Amid Federal Funding Turmoil

12.   Nevada’s $156 Million ‘Solar for All’ Grant Is Frozen Again. No One Knows Why

13.   States Aim to Cut Energy Costs for Low-Income Households with Community Solar Projects

14.   WA State: H.B. 1253 Expands Energy Production & Storage

15.   President Trump Vows to Undo Biden’s Light Bulb, Showerhead, Toilet Rules

16.   Oregon: Portland Pushes for State Land-Use Exemption to Thwart Bull Run Water Treatment Plant Challenge

17.   Northern California’s Famed ‘Glory Hole’ Spillway Is Used for First Time in Years

18.   NOAA Told to Search Its Grants for Climate Change Terms

19.   Washington Moves Forward with State-Funded Electric Vehicle Infrastructure After Federal Pause

20.   Oregon Expects to Get $26 Million for Electric Vehicle Chargers, But It’s Not Clear If the Federal Government Will Keep Its Promise

21.   Are Typos Lethal in a Work Email? Nine Digital Communication Tips from an Expert

22.   Groups Support Glen Canyon Dam Legislation

23.   WA State: Griffey Targets Telecommunications Cable Thieves, Buyers in Pair of Bills

24.   Eastern Storm Cuts Power to Tens of Thousands as California Braces for Flooding

25.   Podcast: Washington Has a Data Center Problem

26.   Editorial: Washington Voters Committed to Climate Act

27.   Podcast: The Epic Forces That Shaped the Columbia River

Word of the Day

Serendipity \sair-un-DIP-uh-tee\ Noun - The faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also: an instance of this.

     Serendipity

     Dorito with extra “cheese”

     A tasty tidbit

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Court Filing Accuses Southern California Edison of Tampering with Possible Eaton Fire Evidence (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via DNYUZ)

https://dnyuz.com/2025/02/11/court-filing-accuses-southern-california-edison-of-tampering-with-possible-eaton-fire-evidence/

2.      California Utility Sued for Falsely Claiming It Could Mitigate Wildfire Risk (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/11/edison-international-los-angeles-fires

3.      Alaska: Tyee Hydro Power Maxed Out & Needs to Add Third Generator (Wrangell Sentinel, AK)

https://www.wrangellsentinel.com/story/2025/02/12/news/tyee-hydro-power-maxed-out-and-needs-to-add-third-generator/14206.html

4.      NW Natural Pushes Back on Bill That Would Require Notifying Customers About Use of Hydrogen (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/02/12/nw-natural-pushes-back-on-bill-that-would-require-notifying-customers-about-use-of-hydrogen/

5.      EIA Revises Forecast for 2025 U.S. Natural Gas Prices, Leaves Other Forecasts Largely Unchanged (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press565.php

6.      Transformer Supply Bottleneck Threatens Power System Stability as Load Grows (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-transformer-shortage-nrel-niac/738947/

7.      Existing U.S. Grid Can Handle ‘Significant’ New Flexible Load: Report (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-grid-headroom-flexible-load-data-center-ai-ev-duke-report/739767/

8.      Uncertainty Clouds Northern U.S. Grids Amid Canada Tariff Threat (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/northern-united-states-energy-grids-canada-tariff-threat/739801/

9.      Trump Spending Freeze on Rural Electric Co-ops Could Raise Energy Costs (Scientific American)

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-spending-freeze-on-rural-electric-co-ops-could-raise-energy-costs/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

10.   DOE Restores $1.44 Billion Loan for Montana Clean Energy Project (E&E News – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-restores-1-44b-loan-for-montana-clean-energy-project/

11.   $156 Million Solar Power Grant Reopened for Washington Amid Federal Funding Turmoil (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/11/156m-solar-power-grant-reopened-for-washington-amid-federal-funding-turmoil/

12.   Nevada’s $156 Million ‘Solar for All’ Grant Is Frozen Again. No One Knows Why (Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV)

https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/energy/nevadas-156m-solar-for-all-grant-is-frozen-again-no-one-knows-why-3287429/

13.   States Aim to Cut Energy Costs for Low-Income Households with Community Solar Projects (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/12/nx-s1-5116561/states-aim-to-cut-energy-costs-for-low-income-househods-with-community-solar-projects

14.   WA State: H.B. 1253 Expands Energy Production & Storage (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)

https://610kona.com/ixp/1134/p/h-b-1253-expands-energy-production-and-storage/

Conservation & Efficiency

15.   President Trump Vows to Undo Biden’s Light Bulb, Showerhead, Toilet Rules (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/11/trump-vows-to-undo-bidens-light-bulb-showerhead-toilet-rules-00203554

Water, Water, Anywhere?

16.   Oregon: Portland Pushes for State Land-Use Exemption to Thwart Bull Run Water Treatment Plant Challenge (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/portland-pushes-for-state-land-use-exemption-to-thwart-bull-run-water-treatment-plant-challenge/ar-AA1yM7tD

17.   Northern California’s Famed ‘Glory Hole’ Spillway Is Used for First Time in Years (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/northern-californias-famed-glory-hole-021801208.html

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

18.   NOAA Told to Search Its Grants for Climate Change Terms (Axios)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/noaa-told-to-search-its-grants-for-climate-change-terms/ar-AA1yHQqI

I Sing the Car Electric

19.   Washington Moves Forward with State-Funded Electric Vehicle Infrastructure After Federal Pause (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/washington-moves-forward-state-funded-030100050.html

20.   Oregon Expects to Get $26 Million for Electric Vehicle Chargers, But It’s Not Clear If the Federal Government Will Keep Its Promise (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/11/oregon-26-million-ev-electric-vehicle-chargers-trump-federal-funding-freeze/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

21.   Are Typos Lethal in a Work Email? Nine Digital Communication Tips from an Expert (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/feb/11/digital-communication-tips-work

Politics, Governance, and Management

22.   Groups Support Glen Canyon Dam Legislation (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/groups-support-glen-canyon-dam-legislation

23.   WA State: Griffey Targets Telecommunications Cable Thieves, Buyers in Pair of Bills (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

https://masonwebtv.com/archives/59468

Other Things to Know About Today

24.   Eastern Storm Cuts Power to Tens of Thousands as California Braces for Flooding (Associated Press)

https://www.wdbo.com/news/eastern-storm-cuts/5EBJKNSUFJEO3JIWEZ5G4HNHVU/

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

25.   Podcast: Washington Has a Data Center Problem (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-has-a-data-center-problem

26.   Editorial: Washington Voters Committed to Climate Act (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/feb/11/in-our-view-washington-voters-committed-to-climate-act/

27.   Podcast: The Epic Forces That Shaped the Columbia River (Cascade PBS)

https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/mossback/6/2/podcast-epic-forces-shaped-columbia-river

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Monty the Giant Schnauzer Wins Westminster Dog Show

https://apnews.com/article/westminster-kennel-club-best-show-ec5dd7767afc63f1a658f2ec3040503a

A Joke Petition Asks for Signers to Help Denmark Buy California as President Trump Eyes Greenland

https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-california-75f1521f32871069e9840069e829e4dc

With Metal Detectors & Patience, Amateur Treasure Hunters Unearth Pieces of British History

https://api.courthousenews.com/with-metal-detectors-and-patience-amateur-treasure-hunters-unearth-pieces-of-british-history/

Couple Finds Moth Infestation in $40.2 Million Mansion. Judge Says They Can Hand It Back

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/11/uk/couple-refund-moth-infested-mansion-intl-scli/index.html

Song of the Day

Adron & Blair Crimmins - ‘Galaxy Song’ (from Monty Python)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeXj1vWm0Uc

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.

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