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.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
As Electric Bills Rise, Evidence Mounts That Data Centers
Share Blame. States Feel Pressure to Act (Associated Press)
BC Hydro’s 1,100 MW Peace River Dam Is Now Fully Operational
(Renewable Energy World)
https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydro-power/bc-hydros-1100-mw-site-c-is-now-fully-operational/
California Supreme Court Sides with Environmental Groups in
Rooftop Solar Case (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-supreme-court-sides-environmental-201749466.html
Eastern Washington’s Rapidly Declining Groundwater
Highlighted in New Study (Washington State Standard)
Heat Advisory in Effect for Most of Western Washington with
Hotter Temps to Come (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
https://komonews.com/news/local/wx-08-11-2025
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
As Electric Bills Rise, Evidence Mounts That
Data Centers Share Blame. States Feel Pressure to Act
2.
Too Hot, Too Expensive: Oregonians Sweat as Data
Centers Gorge on Cheap Power
3.
Memories of Deadly Winter Blackouts Haunt the
Texas Data Center Boom
4.
BC Hydro’s 1,100 MW Peace River Dam Is Now Fully
Operational
5.
Cowlitz Falls Dam Could Have an Outsized Role on
the Future of Lewis County PUD as BPA Prepares to Transition
6.
Rock Island Dam Has a History That Might
Surprise You
7.
Nuclear Regulatory Approval Drives NuScale
Customer Interest, But No Deals Yet
8.
Swarm of Jellyfish Shuts Nuclear Power Plant in
France
9.
Montana DEQ Final Assessment Shows
NorthWestern’s Laurel Plant in Compliance
10.
California Lawmakers Have a Radical Idea for
Lowering Electricity Bills
11.
New PacifiCorp Center in Southern Oregon Watches
for Wildfires Before They Threaten Communities
12.
Lawmaker, AARP Call for Nationwide Utility
Commission Reforms to Stop Rising Electric Bills
13.
Utilities Remind Customers on National 811 Day
to Call Before They Dig
14.
California Supreme Court Sides with
Environmental Groups in Rooftop Solar Case
15.
Suddenly, the Trump Administration Tightens the
Vise on Wind Farms
16.
Commercial Fishing in a Vast Pacific Nature Area
Is Halted After a Judge Blocks a Trump Order
17.
Declining Puget Sound Kelp Threatens Salmon,
Orcas
18.
Birds Know That Summer is Ending Soon
19.
Eastern Washington’s Rapidly Declining
Groundwater Highlighted in New Study
20.
Clark Public Utilities’ New System Reuses HVAC
Water on Its Thousands of Plants, Saving 1.2 Million Gallons Annually
21.
Washington Sues NOAA, Commerce Over Termination
of $9 Million in Climate Resilience Funds
22.
AOL Discontinues Its Dial-Up Internet, And We’re
Just Surprised They Even Offered It in 2025
23.
Status of BEAD Non-Deployment Funds
24.
Small Oregon County Reckons with Fallout from
Data Center Scandal
25.
How NASA Satellites Help Researchers Better
Understand Northwest River Temperatures
26.
Oregonians Have Only a Month to Max Out Electric
Vehicle Incentives
27.
WA State: Think Tank Says $100,000 Tumwater
Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charger Falling Short
28.
Nevada: Semi-Truck Hauling Tesla Batteries Rolls
Over Onto I-80 West Near Hirschdale
29.
Closure Of Midwest-Based Newspaper Chain Leaves
Dozens of Communities Without a News Source
30.
Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks This Week, But
Bright Moon May Limit Viewing
31.
U.S. National Weather Service to Restore
Hundreds of Jobs Cut Under Trump
32.
DOE Is Raising Power Bills by Thwarting
Transmission Line, U.S. Sen. Heinrich
33.
FERC’s Christie Steps Down, Leaving Agency with
Three Members
34.
Heat Advisory in Effect for Most of Western
Washington with Hotter Temps to Come
35.
Extreme Heat Warnings Throughout Oregon,
Southwest Washington
Word of the Day
Craggy \KRAGG-ee \ Adjective - 1: full of crags 2: rough, rugged.
The closer Richard Boone came to the camera, the more distinct his craggy features became. A relief map of the Sierra Nevada Mountains flashed before the young cameraman’s eyes at the actor’s approach.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
As Electric Bills Rise, Evidence Mounts That
Data Centers Share Blame. States Feel Pressure to Act (Associated Press)
2.
Too Hot, Too Expensive: Oregonians Sweat as Data
Centers Gorge on Cheap Power (Hillsborough Herald, OR)
3.
Memories of Deadly Winter Blackouts Haunt the Texas
Data Center Boom (Washington Post – Via MSN)
4.
BC Hydro’s 1,100 MW Peace River Dam Is Now Fully
Operational (Renewable Energy World)
https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydro-power/bc-hydros-1100-mw-site-c-is-now-fully-operational/
5.
Cowlitz Falls Dam Could Have an Outsized Role on
the Future of Lewis County PUD as BPA Prepares to Transition (The Chronicle, Centralia,
WA)
6.
Rock Island Dam Has a History That Might
Surprise You (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/1135/p/oldest-dam-columbia-river/
7.
Nuclear Regulatory Approval Drives NuScale Customer
Interest, But No Deals Yet (Utility Dive)
8.
Swarm of Jellyfish Shuts Nuclear Power Plant in France
(The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/swarm-of-jellyfish-shuts-nuclear-power-plant-in-france
9.
Montana DEQ Final Assessment Shows NorthWestern’s
Laurel Plant in Compliance (KTVQ-TV, Billings, MT)
10.
California Lawmakers Have a Radical Idea for
Lowering Electricity Bills (Canary Media)
11.
New PacifiCorp Center in Southern Oregon Watches
for Wildfires Before They Threaten Communities (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/10/new-pacificorp-monitoring-facility-medford/
12.
Lawmaker, AARP Call for Nationwide Utility
Commission Reforms to Stop Rising Electric Bills (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/aarp-florida-fpl-psc-electric-bills/756895/
13.
Utilities Remind Customers on National 811 Day to
Call Before They Dig (Daily Energy Insider)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
14.
California Supreme Court Sides with
Environmental Groups in Rooftop Solar Case (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-supreme-court-sides-environmental-201749466.html
15.
Suddenly, the Trump Administration Tightens the
Vise on Wind Farms (NY Times – Via DNYUZ)
https://dnyuz.com/2025/08/07/suddenly-the-trump-administration-tightens-the-vise-on-wind-farms/
Fish
& Wildlife
16.
Commercial Fishing in a Vast Pacific Nature Area
Is Halted After a Judge Blocks a Trump Order (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-fishing-pacific-islands-4202a5a746b7d6a1dd4e76cd41dd7297
17.
Declining Puget Sound Kelp Threatens Salmon,
Orcas (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
18.
Birds Know That Summer is Ending Soon (Cliff
Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/08/birds-know-that-summer-is-ending-soon.html
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
19.
Eastern Washington’s Rapidly Declining
Groundwater Highlighted in New Study (Washington State Standard)
20.
Clark Public Utilities’ New System Reuses HVAC Water
on Its Thousands of Plants, Saving 1.2 Million Gallons Annually (Vancouver
Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
21.
Washington Sues NOAA, Commerce Over Termination of
$9 Million in Climate Resilience Funds (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
22.
AOL Discontinues Its Dial-Up Internet, And We’re
Just Surprised They Even Offered It in 2025 (Yahoo! News)
https://tech.yahoo.com/business/articles/aol-discontinues-dial-internet-were-180815638.html
23.
Status of BEAD Non-Deployment Funds (Pots &
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/08/06/status-of-bead-non-deployment-funds/
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
24.
Small Oregon County Reckons with Fallout from Data
Center Scandal (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
25.
How NASA Satellites Help Researchers Better
Understand Northwest River Temperatures (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/10/nasa-satellites-northwest-river-temperatures/
I
Sing the Car Electric
26.
Oregonians Have Only a Month to Max Out Electric
Vehicle Incentives (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/08/oregon-ev-rebates-limited-window/
27.
WA State: Think Tank Says $100,000 Tumwater Solar-Powered
Electric Vehicle Charger Falling Short (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_a6b2cf3c-8046-4825-bc88-5f780514297f.html
28.
Nevada: Semi-Truck Hauling Tesla Batteries Rolls
Over Onto I-80 West Near Hirschdale (KTVN-TV, Reno, NV)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
29.
Closure Of Midwest-Based Newspaper Chain Leaves
Dozens of Communities Without a News Source (Associated Press)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
30.
Perseids Meteor Shower Peaks This Week, But
Bright Moon May Limit Viewing (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
31.
U.S. National Weather Service to Restore
Hundreds of Jobs Cut Under Trump (Reuters)
32.
DOE Is Raising Power Bills by Thwarting
Transmission Line, U.S. Sen. Heinrich (NM) Says (Canary Media)
33.
FERC’s Christie Steps Down, Leaving Agency with
Three Members (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-christie-retire-rosner-interim-colocation/757275/
Other
Things to Know About Today
34.
Heat Advisory in Effect for Most of Western Washington
with Hotter Temps to Come (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
https://komonews.com/news/local/wx-08-11-2025
35.
Extreme Heat Warnings Throughout Oregon, Southwest
Washington (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/11/oregon-southwest-washington-extreme-heat-warnings-remain/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Former Astronaut & Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell Has
Died
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-1934018/nasa-astronaut-apollo-13-jim-lovell-dead
A Fiery Meteor That Punched Through a Georgia Home’s Roof Is
Older Than Earth, a Scientist Says
https://apnews.com/article/meteor-georgia-fireball-bolide-9d90cc17fd316e3ee69ec610788e5531
Four Men Eat Beans with Toothpicks to Break World Record
Labubu Burglars Make Off with Thousands of Dollars’ Worth of
Dolls from L.A.-Area Store
Song of the Day
James Horner – Apollo 13, Soundtrack Suite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mFAmvoQmj4&list=RD0mFAmvoQmj4&start_radio=1
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which may 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.
