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.
Last Call for Future Utility Leaders—FUEL Is Nearly Full!
Do you have your sights set on an executive leadership position in the electric utility industry? If so, take the next step toward your goal by immersing yourself in NWPPA’s Future Utility Executive Leadership (FUEL) program. The FUEL program will equip you with the industry knowledge essential for utility leaders to succeed. This year’s program will take place from October 20 to 24 and November 17 to 21 in Vancouver, Washington. Just a few seats are left, so don’t wait to secure yours! Apply now at www.nwppa.org/fuel.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Environmental,
Consumer Advocates Sue Bonneville for Joining Southwest Power Pool’s Day-Ahead
Market (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/bonneville-bpa-lawsuit-spp-market-day-ahead-earthjustice/752791/
1,100 Jobs Could Be
Cut at U.S. National Lab in Tri-Cities Under Trump Budget (Bellingham Herald,
WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/1-100-jobs-could-cut-120000216.html
Under Trump’s New
Law, Oregon Could Lose Big on Solar & Wind Energy Projects (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Megabill’s
Elimination of Tax Credits for Clean Energy Projects Could Cost WA $8.7 Billion
(KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
Special Report:
Pacific NW Hatcheries Face Rising Costs, Crumbling Infrastructure (Columbia
Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/pnw-hatcheries-face-rising-costs-crumbling-infrastructure/
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Environmental,
Consumer Advocates Sue Bonneville for Joining Southwest Power Pool’s Day-Ahead
Market
2. Supporters,
Critics Weigh in on Trump Scrapping Biden’s Snake River Dam Deal
3. Amid
Rising Risk, Can a WA Utility Company Shut Off Power During a Heat Wave?
4. Utah:
Commission Won’t Reconsider Rocky Mountain Power’s Rate Hike, Calls Request
‘Offensive’
5. Power
Providers Urge FERC to Reject PacifiCorp Adding $1.7B in Wildfire Liabilities
to Transmission Rates
6. U.S.
Utilities Seeking Big Hikes in Electricity Rates as Data Center Demand Booms
7. Oregon:
Eugene Water & Electric Board Makes Multibillion Dollar Power Decision
8. PNM
Becomes Seventh Utility to Join New California ISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market
9. As
Small Modula Reactors Gain Momentum, Tribes Express Concern for Their Next
Generation
10. Faced
With U.S. Heat Waves, The Navajo Push for Power -- And A/C
11. WA
State: Clallam PUD Offering Free Emergency Battery Packs to Some Customers West
of Lake Crescent
12. Teamwork
Powers Reliability on the Olympic Peninsula
13. Under
Trump’s New Law, Oregon Could Lose Big on Solar & Wind Energy Projects
14. Megabill’s
Elimination of Tax Credits for Clean Energy Projects Could Cost WA $8.7 Billion
15. Richland
Eyes Solar Power Boost with Energy Northwest Partnership Plan
16. Sunnova
to Sell Part of Solar Panel Business to Omnidian for $7 Million
17. Solar
Generation Expected to Rise by a Third This Summer: EIA
18. Special
Report: Pacific NW Hatcheries Face Rising Costs, Crumbling Infrastructure
19. Columbia
Basin’s Salmon Are in Hot Water, Literally, Says Report from Save Our Wild
Salmon
20. Bolder
Efforts Needed to Save Northwest’s Endangered Orcas, Report Finds
21. Colville
Tribes Confirms First Salmon Sighting in Kettle River Eight Years after
Reintroducing Salmon Near Coulee Dam
22. Oregon
Governor Declares First Drought Emergencies of the Year
23. Western
Washington Braces for More Heat Amid Severe Drought Conditions
24. Water
Shortfall Discovered in Southern Idaho
25. California
Lost $3 Billion by Delaying Cap-And-Trade Overhaul, Report Says
26. WA
State: With Portable Hot Spots, Dayton Library Sees Demand, Challenges
27. Microsoft
Announces $4 Billion Artificial Intelligence Training Initiative Amid Recent
Layoffs
28. Meta
Investors, Zuckerberg to Square Off at $8 Billion Trial Over Alleged Privacy
Violations
29. ‘I
Can’t Drink the Water’ - Life Next to a U.S. Data Centre
30. A
Lawsuit Against Tesla & Its Driver-Assistance Technology Goes to Trial in
Florida
31. Cost
of Stamps Increasing July 13: See USPS’s New Prices
32. The
Surprising Story of How the Columbia River Got Its Name
33. Volcanoes
in Multiple States Have Been Rumbling. What’s Going On?
34. Human-Constructed
Dams Have Shifted the Earth’s Poles, Scientists Say
35. 1,100
Jobs Could Be Cut at U.S. National Lab in Tri-Cities Under Trump Budget
36. U.S.
House Releases Energy-Water Spending Bill with Deep Cuts
37. Wildfire
Destroys a Historic Grand Canyon Lodge & Other Structures
38. Young
Indigenous Kayakers About to Complete Historic River Journey, After ‘Largest
Dam Removal in U.S. History’
39.
Guest Essay: Will FERC Stand Up for Competitive
Power Markets? Our Grid Depends on It.
Word of the Day – Joel’s Horrible Haiku Edition
Detritus /duh-TRI-tuss/ Noun – 1. Geology: loose material (such as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration 2. A: a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away: debris B. miscellaneous remnants: odds and ends.
Celebratory Detritus
Sad birthday balloon
Abandoned in the rafters
Doomed to a slow death
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Environmental, Consumer Advocates Sue Bonneville
for Joining Southwest Power Pool’s Day-Ahead Market (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/bonneville-bpa-lawsuit-spp-market-day-ahead-earthjustice/752791/
2.
Supporters, Critics Weigh in on Trump Scrapping Biden’s
Snake River Dam Deal (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_4ce9e4ab-bb18-433e-8a2e-fb0f91256a4c.html
3.
Amid Rising Risk, Can a WA Utility Company Shut
Off Power During a Heat Wave? (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article309982775.html
4.
Utah: Commission Won’t Reconsider Rocky Mountain
Power’s Rate Hike, Calls Request ‘Offensive’ (Utah News Dispatch)
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/07/09/commission-wont-reconsider-rocky-mountain-power-rate-hike/
5.
Power Providers Urge FERC to Reject PacifiCorp Adding
$1.7B in Wildfire Liabilities to Transmission Rates (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/utah-deseret-uamps-ferc-pacificorp-wildfire-transmission/752557/
6.
U.S. Utilities Seeking Big Hikes in Electricity
Rates as Data Center Demand Booms (Seeking Alpha)
7.
Oregon: Eugene Water & Electric Board Makes
Multibillion Dollar Power Decision (Lookout Eugene-Springfield, OR)
8.
PNM Becomes Seventh Utility to Join New California
ISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market (Daily Energy Insider)
9.
As Small Modula Reactors Gain Momentum, Tribes
Express Concern for Their Next Generation (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Commerce,
WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/tribes-smrs
10.
Faced With U.S. Heat Waves, The Navajo Push for
Power -- And A/C (Tech Xplore)
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-navajo-power-ac.html
11.
WA State: Clallam PUD Offering Free Emergency
Battery Packs to Some Customers West of Lake Crescent (KONP Radio, Port Angeles,
WA)
12.
Teamwork Powers Reliability on the Olympic
Peninsula (Bonneville Power Administration)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
13.
Under Trump’s New Law, Oregon Could Lose Big on
Solar & Wind Energy Projects (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
14.
Megabill’s Elimination of Tax Credits for Clean
Energy Projects Could Cost WA $8.7 Billion (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
15.
Richland Eyes Solar Power Boost with Energy
Northwest Partnership Plan (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
16.
Sunnova to Sell Part of Solar Panel Business to Omnidian
for $7 Million (Reuters)
17.
Solar Generation Expected to Rise by a Third
This Summer: EIA (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/solar-generation-grows-despite-Trump/752677/
Fish & Wildlife
18.
Special Report: Pacific NW Hatcheries Face
Rising Costs, Crumbling Infrastructure (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/pnw-hatcheries-face-rising-costs-crumbling-infrastructure/
19.
Columbia Basin’s Salmon Are in Hot Water,
Literally, Says Report from Save Our Wild Salmon (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
20.
Bolder Efforts Needed to Save Northwest’s Endangered
Orcas, Report Finds (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
21.
Colville Tribes Confirms First Salmon Sighting in
Kettle River Eight Years after Reintroducing Salmon Near Coulee Dam (Source ONE
News, Ephrata, WA)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
22.
Oregon Governor Declares First Drought
Emergencies of the Year (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
23.
Western Washington Braces for More Heat Amid
Severe Drought Conditions (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
24.
Water Shortfall Discovered in Southern Idaho
(Pacific Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/idaho-water-shortfall/
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
25.
California Lost $3 Billion by Delaying
Cap-And-Trade Overhaul, Report Says (E&E News-Politico - Paywall Advisory)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/california-lost-3b-by-delaying-cap-and-trade-overhaul-report-says/
London Calling
–Telecommunications
26.
WA State: With Portable Hot Spots, Dayton Library
Sees Demand, Challenges (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article310513445.html
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
27.
Microsoft Announces $4 Billion Artificial
Intelligence Training Initiative Amid Recent Layoffs (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
28.
Meta Investors, Zuckerberg to Square Off at $8
Billion Trial Over Alleged Privacy Violations (Reuters)
29.
‘I Can’t Drink the Water’ - Life Next to a U.S. Data
Centre (British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8gy7lv448o
I Sing the Car Electric
30.
A Lawsuit Against Tesla & Its
Driver-Assistance Technology Goes to Trial in Florida (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/14/nx-s1-5462851/tesla-lawsuit-autopilot-florida
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
31.
Cost of Stamps Increasing July 13: See USPS’s New
Prices (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/cost-stamps-increasing-july-13-183641534.html
32.
The Surprising Story of How the Columbia River
Got Its Name (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/ixp/1137/p/columbia-river-history/
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
33.
Volcanoes in Multiple States Have Been Rumbling.
What’s Going On? (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/volcanoes-multiple-states-rumbling-whats-100335639.html
34.
Human-Constructed Dams Have Shifted the Earth’s
Poles, Scientists Say (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/human-constructed-dams-have-shifted-the-earths-poles-scientists-say-2000627912
Politics, Governance,
and Management
35.
1,100 Jobs Could Be Cut at U.S. National Lab in Tri-Cities
Under Trump Budget (Bellingham Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/1-100-jobs-could-cut-120000216.html
36.
U.S. House Releases Energy-Water Spending Bill with
Deep Cuts (E&E News-Politico - Paywall Advisory)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/house-releases-energy-water-spending-bill-with-deep-cuts/
Other Things to Know
About Today
37.
Wildfire Destroys a Historic Grand Canyon Lodge &
Other Structures (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/grand-canyon-wildfire-lodge-north-rim-f3510c22a6fddc9ff1322dbd450aedb8
38.
Young Indigenous Kayakers About to Complete
Historic River Journey, After ‘Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History’ (Cable News
Network)
https://www.cnn.com/travel/klamath-river-indigenous-paddle-c2e-spc
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
39.
Guest Essay: Will FERC Stand Up for Competitive
Power Markets? Our Grid Depends on It. (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-competitive-power-markets-ipp-spearmint/752852/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Hungary’s Oldest
Library Is Fighting to Save 100,000 Books from a Beetle Infestation
Couple’s Message in
a Bottle Found 13 Years Later 2,000 Miles Away
https://www.yahoo.com/news/couples-message-bottle-found-13-181110165.html
Man Charged After
Kilt-Wearing Attacker Smashes Case Holding Scotland’s Stone of Destiny
Washington Woman
Breaks Record with 4,060 Jigsaw Puzzles
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/07/14/Guinness-World-Records-jigsaw-puzzles/3841752516304/
Song of the Day
Jigsaw – Sky High
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FMNPFy6Fw&list=RDk4FMNPFy6Fw&start_radio=1
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in the Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can 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.
