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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
U.S. Senator
Cantwell (WA): ‘Bad Idea’ for Department of Energy to Sell Off BPA Assets (San
Juan Islander, Friday Harbor, WA)
PacifiCorp Appeals
Class Action Ruling Over 2020 Oregon Wildfires (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
DOE Tags 16 Federal
Sites for Artificial Intelligence Data Centers – Including the Pacific
Northwest (Energy Central)
https://energycentral.com/c/ec/doe-tags-16-federal-sites-ai-data-centers
WA Dept. of
Commerce Rescinds Funding for Tidal Energy Project After Tribal Objections
(Lynnwood Times, WA)
https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2025/04/06/tidal-energy/
Electric Vehicle
Market Growth Stalls in Washington State Amid Falling Tesla Sales (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/05/ev-growth-stalls-washington-tesla/
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. U.S.
Senator Cantwell (WA): ‘Bad Idea’ for Department of Energy to Sell Off BPA
Assets
2. PacifiCorp
Appeals Class Action Ruling Over 2020 Oregon Wildfires
3. Montana:
Energy Providers Look to Set Precedent for Wildfire Liability Law
4. Washington
Officials Recommend $5 Million Fine for Cascade Gas After Fatal Fire
5. Dirtiest
U.S. Coal Plant Tries to Remain Open
6. PacifiCorp
Throws Lifeline to One Wyoming Power Plant, Confirms End of Coal at Another
7. Utah:
Logan Council Disappoints Environmental Advocates by Buying into Idaho Natural
Gas Plant
8. WA
State: Two-Year Feasibility Study on Removal of Enloe Dam Nearing Completion
9. Massive
Peace River Dam Work Camp — Complete with Gym & Movie Theatre — Could Be
Headed to a British Columbia Landfill
10. News
Release: NRECA Commends Trump Administration for Meaningful Steps to Protect
Lower Snake River Dams
11. WA
Dept. of Commerce Rescinds Funding for Tidal Energy Project After Tribal
Objections
12. U.S.
Solar’s Hoarding Habit Will Help Blunt Sting from Trump Tariffs
13. Wind
& Solar Power Opponents Make Headway in State Legislatures
14. Colorado:
Comment Period Open for Proposed $2 Billion Pumped-Hydro Energy Project
Southeast of Craig
15. PacifiCorp
Aims to Add 4.7 GW Renewables, 1.7 GW Storage by 2031
16. ‘Oregon
Field Guide’ Special Explores Aftermath of Klamath River Dam Removal Project
17. California:
Gov. Newsom in Fight to Advance Plans for $20-Billion Water Tunnel in the
Sacramento Delta
18. DOE
Tags 16 Federal Sites for Artificial Intelligence Data Centers – Including the
Pacific Northwest
19. Electric
Vehicle Market Growth Stalls in Washington State Amid Falling Tesla Sales
20. Fusion
Power Project Legislation is Passed by Washington State Senate
21. WA
Commerce Secretary Reviewing Digital Navigator Program Grants, Citing Audit
Concerns
22. Leaked
Doc: 56% Of DOE Employees ‘Essential’
23. Guest
Essay: Pro-Business Energy Policy Is Good for Utah
24.
Podcast: The Beginning & End of the Columbia
River
Word of the Day
Psithurism /SITH-yuh-rizz-um/ Noun – A rustling or whispering sound, such as leaves in the wind; susurration.
Soft forest breezes
Sweet, sighing psitherism
Trees’ whispered love song
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
U.S. Senator Cantwell (WA): ‘Bad Idea’ for
Department of Energy to Sell Off BPA Assets (San Juan Islander, Friday Harbor,
WA)
2.
PacifiCorp Appeals Class Action Ruling Over 2020
Oregon Wildfires (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
3.
Montana: Energy Providers Look to Set Precedent for
Wildfire Liability Law (Montana Free Press)
4.
Washington Officials Recommend $5 Million Fine for
Cascade Gas After Fatal Fire (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/5-million-fine-cascade-gas/4072098
5.
Dirtiest U.S. Coal Plant Tries to Remain Open
(MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dirtiest-us-coal-plant-tries-to-remain-open/ar-AA1CeLWM
6.
PacifiCorp Throws Lifeline to One Wyoming Power
Plant, Confirms End of Coal at Another (WyoFile)
7.
Utah: Logan Council Disappoints Environmental
Advocates by Buying into Idaho Natural Gas Plant (KNVU Radio, Logan UT)
8.
WA State: Two-Year Feasibility Study on Removal of
Enloe Dam Nearing Completion (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
9.
Massive Peace River Dam Work Camp — Complete with
Gym & Movie Theatre — Could Be Headed to a British Columbia Landfill (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/site-c-work-camp-demolition-end-of-life-1.7500296
10.
News Release: NRECA Commends Trump
Administration for Meaningful Steps to Protect Lower Snake River Dams (National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
11.
WA Dept. of Commerce Rescinds Funding for Tidal
Energy Project After Tribal Objections (Lynnwood Times, WA)
https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2025/04/06/tidal-energy/
12.
U.S. Solar’s Hoarding Habit Will Help Blunt
Sting from Trump Tariffs (Bloomberg News – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-solar-hoarding-habit-help-133224834.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
13.
Wind & Solar Power Opponents Make Headway in
State Legislatures (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/wind-solar-opponents-states
14.
Colorado: Comment Period Open for Proposed $2
Billion Pumped-Hydro Energy Project Southeast of Craig (Steamboat Pilot &
Today, Steamboat Springs, CO)
15.
PacifiCorp Aims to Add 4.7 GW Renewables, 1.7 GW
Storage by 2031 (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pacificorp-2025-irp-resource-plan-wind-solar-coal/744195/
Fish & Wildlife
16.
‘Oregon Field Guide’ Special Explores Aftermath of
Klamath River Dam Removal Project (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
17.
California: Gov. Newsom in Fight to Advance
Plans for $20-Billion Water Tunnel in the Sacramento Delta (Los Angeles Times,
CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/newsom-fight-advance-plans-20-100043647.html
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
18.
DOE Tags 16 Federal Sites for Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers – Including the Pacific Northwest (Energy Central)
https://energycentral.com/c/ec/doe-tags-16-federal-sites-ai-data-centers
I Sing the Car Electric
19.
Electric Vehicle Market Growth Stalls in Washington
State Amid Falling Tesla Sales (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/05/ev-growth-stalls-washington-tesla/
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
20.
Fusion Power Project Legislation is Passed by
Washington State Senate (American Public Power Association)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
21.
WA Commerce Secretary Reviewing Digital
Navigator Program Grants, Citing Audit Concerns (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
22.
Leaked Doc: 56% Of DOE Employees ‘Essential’ (E&E
News – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/leaked-doc-56-of-doe-employees-essential/
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
23.
Guest Essay: Pro-Business Energy Policy Is Good for
Utah (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/04/06/utah-needs-pro-business-energy-policy-ira/
24.
Podcast: The Beginning & End of the Columbia
River (Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/podcast/mossback/6/9/podcast-beginning-and-end-columbia-river
Diversions – Ducks on the Court
Apparently, The
Oregon Duck Is the Third Sexiest Mascot in College Basketball (The Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
From Orange Peels to
Bottle Caps: Thousands of Artists Create Their Own ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’
https://apnews.com/article/dutch-art-painting-pearl-earring-vermeer-6a5d3058b17050950d7c9623b76af039
Keeping Voyager
Alive: NASA’s Project Scientist Faces Painful Choices as the Iconic Mission
Nears Its End (Gizmodo)
Cool Critters: Tree
Squirrels: Good, Bad, Squirrelly, & Everywhere
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/apr/06/cool-critters-tree-squirrels-good-bad-squirrelly-a/
Song of the Day
Rick Dees - Disco
Duck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97RjuC9YeXg
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