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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Puget Sound Energy Warns of Power Shutoffs as WA Wildfires
Surge (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pse-warns-power-shutoffs-wa-232202244.html
Washington State Braces for ‘Inevitable’ Megafire. Climate
Change May Bring It Sooner. (NY Times – Via DNUZ)
Idaho: Interior Department Moves to Cancel Approval of Lava
Ridge Wind Project (KMVT-TV – Twin Falls, ID)
https://www.kmvt.com/2025/08/06/interior-department-moves-cancel-approval-lava-ridge-wind-project/
EPA Considers Terminating $7 Billion Solar for All Programs
(Utility Dive)
Baker Sockeye Forecast Upgraded to 80,000 – Record High
(Northwest Sportsman)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/baker-sockeye-forecast-upgraded-to-80000-record-high/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Puget Sound Energy Warns of Power Shutoffs as WA
Wildfires Surge
2.
Idaho Power’s 20-Year Energy Plan Predicts Large
Increase in Customer Growth & Peak Energy Load
3.
Oregon Electricity Costs Up More Than 5% in Last
Year
4.
Portland General Electric Customers Could Face
Another Rate Hike in 2026
5.
U.S. Electricity Peak Demand Set New Records
Twice in July
6.
These Nuclear Reactors Fit on a Flatbed Truck.
How Safe Are They?
7.
Idaho: Interior Department Moves to Cancel
Approval of Lava Ridge Wind Project
8.
U.S. Sen. Risch (ID) Applauds Interior
Department's Decision to Cancel Lava Ridge Project
9.
EPA Considers Terminating $7 Billion Solar for
All Programs
10.
States Scramble to Complete Renewable Energy
Projects Before Tax Credits Expire
11.
Oregon Takes Aim at Utility Pushback Against
Independent Solar Projects
12.
The Unlikely Coalition Fighting to Keep
EnergyStar Labels on Your Appliances
13.
Baker Sockeye Forecast Upgraded to 80,000 –
Record High
14.
Oregon Increasing Beaver Protections to Help
Salmon, Slow Wildfires
15.
Krill Fishery in Antarctica Shut Down After
Record Catch Triggers Unprecedented Early Closure
16.
Trump Administration Moves to Destroy Satellite
That Monitors Greenhouse Gases
17.
It’s Crunch Time for BEAD as Paperwork Comes Due
in September
18.
Trump May Have to Pay for Electric Vehicle
Charging After All
19.
OpenAI’s Long-Awaited GPT-5 Model Nears Release
20.
God in the Machine? People Use Chatbots as
Spiritual Advisers.
21.
Feds to Announce Plans for Nuclear Reactor on
the Moon
22.
Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Cannot
Reallocate Billions Meant for Disaster Mitigation
23.
Washington State Braces for ‘Inevitable’
Megafire. Climate Change May Bring It Sooner.
24.
Where Are the Fires in WA? Here's a Map of the
Wildfires Burning Across the State
25.
Wildfire Season Is Starting Weeks Earlier in
California – A New Study Shows How Climate Change Is Driving the Expansion
Word of the Day
Stridulation /STRID-juh-lay-shun/ Verb - To make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures -- used especially of male insects (as crickets or grasshoppers).
As fall
approaches
The cricket’s
stridulation
They fade to silence
https://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Puget Sound Energy Warns of Power Shutoffs as WA
Wildfires Surge (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pse-warns-power-shutoffs-wa-232202244.html
2.
Idaho Power’s 20-Year Energy Plan Predicts Large
Increase in Customer Growth & Peak Energy Load (Idaho Capital Sun)
3.
Oregon Electricity Costs Up More Than 5% in Last
Year (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/08/06/oregon-electricity-costs-up-more-than-5-in-last-year
4.
Portland General Electric Customers Could Face
Another Rate Hike in 2026 (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/pge-customers-could-face-another-rate-hike-in-2026/
5.
U.S. Electricity Peak Demand Set New Records
Twice in July (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65864
6.
These Nuclear Reactors Fit on a Flatbed Truck. How
Safe Are They? (Washington Post – Via MSN)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
7.
Idaho: Interior Department Moves to Cancel
Approval of Lava Ridge Wind Project (KMVT-TV – Twin Falls, ID)
https://www.kmvt.com/2025/08/06/interior-department-moves-cancel-approval-lava-ridge-wind-project/
8.
U.S. Sen. Risch (ID) Applauds Interior
Department's Decision to Cancel Lava Ridge Project (KIVI-TV, Nampa, ID)
9.
EPA Considers Terminating $7 Billion Solar for All
Programs (Utility Dive)
10.
States Scramble to Complete Renewable Energy
Projects Before Tax Credits Expire (Stateline)
11.
Oregon Takes Aim at Utility Pushback Against
Independent Solar Projects (PV Magazine)
Conservation
& Efficiency
12.
The Unlikely Coalition Fighting to Keep EnergyStar
Labels on Your Appliances (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/energy/unlikely-coalition-fighting-keep-energy-star-labels-appliances/
Fish
& Wildlife
13.
Baker Sockeye Forecast Upgraded to 80,000 –
Record High (Northwest Sportsman)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/baker-sockeye-forecast-upgraded-to-80000-record-high/
14.
Oregon Increasing Beaver Protections to Help
Salmon, Slow Wildfires (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
15.
Krill Fishery in Antarctica Shut Down After
Record Catch Triggers Unprecedented Early Closure (Associated Press)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
16.
Trump Administration Moves to Destroy Satellite
That Monitors Greenhouse Gases (Gizmodo)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
17.
It’s Crunch Time for BEAD as Paperwork Comes Due
in September (Fierce Network)
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/its-crunch-time-bead-paperwork-comes-due-september
I
Sing the Car Electric
18.
Trump May Have to Pay for Electric Vehicle Charging
After All (Politico)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
19.
OpenAI’s Long-Awaited GPT-5 Model Nears Release
(Reuters)
20.
God in the Machine? People Use Chatbots as
Spiritual Advisers. (Christian Science Monitor)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2025/0802/ai-faith-prayer-religion
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
21.
Feds to Announce Plans for Nuclear Reactor on
the Moon (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/04/nasa-china-space-station-duffy-directives-00492172
Politics,
Governance, and Management
22.
Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Cannot
Reallocate Billions Meant for Disaster Mitigation (Associated Press)
Other
Things to Know About Today
23.
Washington State Braces for ‘Inevitable’
Megafire. Climate Change May Bring It Sooner. (NY Times – Via DNUZ)
24.
Where Are the Fires in WA? Here's a Map of the Wildfires
Burning Across the State (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/heres-where-wildfires-washington
25.
Wildfire Season Is Starting Weeks Earlier in California
– A New Study Shows How Climate Change Is Driving the Expansion (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/wildfire-season-starting-weeks-earlier-181639693.html
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Indiana Man's Giant Sunflower Plant Approaching World Record
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/08/06/Guinness-World-Records-tallest-sunflower/5901754496391/
Hambone Award Finalists Include Dog Who Fought a Bull
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/08/06/Nationwide-Hambone-Award-2025/3741754490007/
Imaging Reveals 2,000-Year-Old Ice Mummy's 'Incredibly
Impressive' Tattoos
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/ice-mummy-tattooos-1.7601132?cmp=rss
It’s Nearly Impossible to Get Rid of Invasive Blackberries in
Oregon. This Group Says Might as Well Eat Them
Song of the Day
The Brothers Comatose x ISMAYmusic - Wicked Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIaIP3EROJY&list=RDSIaIP3EROJY&start_radio=1
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