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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
NWPPA’s Annual Conference & Membership Meeting
Join us as we raise a glass to 85 years of public power excellence at our Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Santa Rosa, California. Mark your calendars for May 19-22, 2025, as utility executives and policymakers convene in Sonoma County to celebrate this historic milestone and shape our industry’s future.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
U.S. Power Use to
Reach Record Highs in 2025 & 2026, EIA Says (Reuters)
Why 2,000 Workers
Were Just Hired at the Pacific NW’s Only Nuclear Power Reactor (Bellingham
Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-2-000-workers-were-120000614.html
Seasonal Water
Releases for Young Salmon Start at Bonneville Dam Amid National Political
Turbulence (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
‘Global Race for
Artificial Intelligence Dominance’ Could Start at Eastern WA Nuclear Site
(Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/global-race-ai-dominance-could-120000677.html
U.S. Postal Service
Seeks to Hike Stamp Prices to 78 Cents (Reuters)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-postal-seeks-hike-stamp-184332337.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. U.S.
Power Use to Reach Record Highs in 2025 & 2026, EIA Says
2. Why
2,000 Workers Were Just Hired at the Pacific NW’s Only Nuclear Power Reactor
3. California:
Edison Says Dormant Powerline Is a Leading Theory for Cause of Eaton Fire
4. Alaska
Electric Co-op Prepares for Potential Volcanic Eruption
5. Trump
Administration Says Alaska Gas Line Investment Could Ward Off Tariffs
6. Oregon:
Idaho Power Company Agrees to Pay Almost $1 Million to Baker County Property
Owners to Accommodate Boardway to Hemingway Power Line
7. Lawmakers
Fear Artificial Intelligence Data Centers Will Drive Up Residents’ Power Bills
8. Why
a Plane-Size Machine Could Foil a Race to Build Gas Power Plants
9. WA
State: Imposter PUD Employee Scams Customer
10. Some
Idaho Power Solar Customers Fear Their Investment Won’t Break Even Under Rate
Change
11. New
Water Pipeline’s Hydroelectric System Could Prevent Rate Hikes in Colorado City
12. Rewiring
Britain for an Era of Clean Energy
13. Trump
& GOP Ramp Up Attacks on Efficient Household Appliances
14. California
Introduces Bill to Accelerate Heat Pump Adoption
15. Seasonal
Water Releases for Young Salmon Start at Bonneville Dam Amid National Political
Turbulence
16. Ocean
Conditions Mixed for Salmon, Leading to Average Salmon Returns
17. President
Trump’s NOAA Firings Raise Doubts for Pacific Northwest Fisheries
18. Has
a Tacoma Wastewater Plant Threatened This Endangered Species of Salmon?
19. Near-Average
Snowpack Strengthens Water Supply Resiliency for Los Angeles
20. Tale
of Two Provinces as British Columbia Continues to Record Below-Average Snowpack
21. Why
Water Fluoridation, Long Considered a Public Health Success Story, Is Under
Scrutiny
22. Indiana:
Last Time We Hear of This’: Panel Strikes Utility Pole Compromise to Boost
Indiana Broadband Access
23. ‘Global
Race for Artificial Intelligence Dominance’ Could Start at Eastern WA Nuclear
Site
24. PJM,
Google & Tapestry Link on Artificial Intelligence-Powered Solutions for
Electric Grid
25. WA
State: FBI Releases Photos, Video of Lacey Tesla Charging Station Arson Suspect
26. A
Double Sunblast Could Mean Auroras Over the U.S. This Week
27. Meta
Faces Historic Antitrust Trial That Could Force It to Break Off Instagram,
WhatsApp
28. Amid
Massive Downsizing at DOE, Power Administrators Are Deemed ‘Essential’
29. Four
U.S. Senate Republicans Warn Against ‘Full-Scale’ Repeal of Energy Tax Credits
30. Washington,
Oregon Among Top States for Women in Local Office
31. U.S.
Postal Service Seeks to Hike Stamp Prices to 78 Cents
32. River
Mythbusters – Debunking Myths About Columbia Basin Hydropower
33. Opinion:
The West’s Hydropower Opportunity
34.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration
Should Rethink Decision Affecting Ratepayers
Word of the Day
Vatic \VAT-ik\ Adjective - Prophetic, oracular.
“In about ten seconds, you’re going to be very sorry you sat there,” intoned Derwood’s seemingly vatic classmate. His seeming awe turned to shock as a small drip from the ceiling transformed into a roof-rending hole, dropping gallons of trapped rainwater on the unfortunate student’s head.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
U.S. Power Use to Reach Record Highs in 2025 &
2026, EIA Says (Reuters)
2.
Why 2,000 Workers Were Just Hired at the Pacific
NW’s Only Nuclear Power Reactor (Bellingham Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-2-000-workers-were-120000614.html
3.
California: Edison Says Dormant Powerline Is a Leading
Theory for Cause of Eaton Fire (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/edison-says-dormant-powerline-leading-005905680.html
4.
Alaska Electric Co-op Prepares for Potential
Volcanic Eruption (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/alaska-electric-co-op-prepares-for-potential-volcanic-eruption
5.
Trump Administration Says Alaska Gas Line
Investment Could Ward Off Tariffs (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)
6.
Oregon: Idaho Power Company Agrees to Pay Almost
$1 Million to Baker County Property Owners to Accommodate Boardway to Hemingway
Power Line (Baker City Herald, OR)
7.
Lawmakers Fear Artificial Intelligence Data
Centers Will Drive Up Residents’ Power Bills (Stateline)
https://stateline.org/2025/04/10/lawmakers-fear-ai-data-centers-will-drive-up-residents-power-bills/
8.
Why a Plane-Size Machine Could Foil a Race to
Build Gas Power Plants (NY Times – Via DNYUZ)
https://dnyuz.com/2025/04/08/why-a-plane-size-machine-could-foil-a-race-to-build-gas-power-plants/
9.
WA State: Imposter PUD Employee Scams Customer (KONP
Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2025/04/10/imposter-pud-employee-scams-customer/
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
10.
Some Idaho Power Solar Customers Fear Their
Investment Won’t Break Even Under Rate Change (Idaho Capital Sun)
11.
New Water Pipeline’s Hydroelectric System Could
Prevent Rate Hikes in Colorado City (CBS News)
12.
Rewiring Britain for an Era of Clean Energy (NY
Times – Paywall Advisory)
Conservation &
Efficiency
13.
Trump & GOP Ramp Up Attacks on Efficient
Household Appliances (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
14.
California Introduces Bill to Accelerate Heat
Pump Adoption (PV Magazine)
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/04/09/california-introduces-bill-to-accelerate-heat-pump-adoption/
Fish & Wildlife
15.
Seasonal Water Releases for Young Salmon Start at
Bonneville Dam Amid National Political Turbulence (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
16.
Ocean Conditions Mixed for Salmon, Leading to Average
Salmon Returns (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
https://www.nwpb.org/2025/04/10/ocean-conditions-mixed-for-salmon-leading-to-average-salmon-returns/
17.
President Trump’s NOAA Firings Raise Doubts for Pacific
Northwest Fisheries (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
18.
Has a Tacoma Wastewater Plant Threatened This
Endangered Species of Salmon? (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tacoma-wastewater-plant-threatened-endangered-120000372.html
Water, Water, Anywhere?
19.
Near-Average Snowpack Strengthens Water Supply
Resiliency for Los Angeles (American Public Power Association)
20.
Tale of Two Provinces as British Columbia Continues
to Record Below-Average Snowpack (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-snowpack-april-1.7506529
21.
Why Water Fluoridation, Long Considered a Public
Health Success Story, Is Under Scrutiny (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69
London Calling
–Telecommunications
22.
Indiana: Last Time We Hear of This’: Panel Strikes
Utility Pole Compromise to Boost Indiana Broadband Access (WTHI-TV, Terre Haute,
IN)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
23.
‘Global Race for Artificial Intelligence Dominance’
Could Start at Eastern WA Nuclear Site (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/global-race-ai-dominance-could-120000677.html
24.
PJM, Google & Tapestry Link on Artificial
Intelligence-Powered Solutions for Electric Grid (MSN News)
I Sing the Car Electric
25.
WA State: FBI Releases Photos, Video of Lacey
Tesla Charging Station Arson Suspect (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
26.
A Double Sunblast Could Mean Auroras Over the
U.S. This Week (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/a-double-sunblast-could-mean-auroras-over-the-u-s-this-week-2000589069
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
27.
Meta Faces Historic Antitrust Trial That Could
Force It to Break Off Instagram, WhatsApp (Associated Press)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
28.
Amid Massive Downsizing at DOE, Power
Administrators Are Deemed ‘Essential’ (Latitude Media)
29.
Four U.S. Senate Republicans Warn Against ‘Full-Scale’
Repeal of Energy Tax Credits (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5245273-senate-republicans-energy-tax-credits/
30.
Washington, Oregon Among Top States for Women in
Local Office (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/04/10/washington-women-local-office-leadership
Other Things to Know
About Today
31.
U.S. Postal Service Seeks to Hike Stamp Prices to
78 Cents (Reuters)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-postal-seeks-hike-stamp-184332337.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
32.
River Mythbusters – Debunking Myths About Columbia
Basin Hydropower (Ruralite Magazine)
https://www.ruralite.com/river-mythbusters/
33.
Opinion: The West’s Hydropower Opportunity (Deseret
News, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/04/12/west-western-states-hydropower-energy-opportunity/
34.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration Should
Rethink Decision Affecting Ratepayers (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-bpa-should-rethink-decision-affecting-ratepayers/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Weird Discovery in West
Virginia Ignites Social Media. ‘How Do You End Up Here?’
Meet the New Comet
SWAN! See It in Binoculars Now
https://earthsky.org/space/new-comet-swan25f-april-2025-how-to-see-it/
Given Months to
Live, He Decided to Volunteer in Every State
15 Impossibly Dated
Lines from Looney Tunes Cartoons
https://www.cracked.com/article_46134_15-impossibly-dated-lines-from-looney-tunes-cartoons.html
Song of the Day
Alchemist Records –
The Ultimate James Bond Medley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeYfAmz0Jlk
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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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