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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
NWPPA Announces Three Back-to-Back Conferences in January 2026
Kick off 2026 with three powerhouse events in one week! NWPPA is bringing together Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know (Jan. 27), a new Data Center and Load Growth Summit (Jan. 28), and the Power Supply Conference (Jan. 29)—all at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.
By stacking these events back-to-back, NWPPA is making it easier and more affordable for members to attend. Register for two of the events and receive 10% off, or attend all three and save 20%.
The week will also feature two evening networking receptions, plus lunch included at each event. And for those who want to start early, the Environmental Task Force will meet Jan. 26. Registration opens this fall, but mark your calendar now for this can’t-miss week of public power learning and connection.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Federal Bill Could Ban Breaching Lower Snake River Dams
(Northwest Public Broadcasting)
https://www.nwpb.org/2025/09/04/federal-bill-could-ban-breaching-lower-snake-river-dams/
U.S. House Subcommittee Passes Legislation with Funding
Increase for LIHEAP (American Public Power Association)
Alaska Natives, Barred from King Salmon Fishing, Fight for
Their Right to Manage the Yukon River (Alaska Beacon)
Electric Vehicles Are Booming. But It’s a Sign of the Slump
to Come. (Washington Post – Via MSN)
WA State: Kitsap Utilities Could Receive Millions in Funding
to Improve Countywide Internet Access (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/kitsap-utilities-could-receive-millions-175704539.html
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Federal Bill Could Ban Breaching Lower Snake
River Dams
2.
Buffett’s Oregon Utility Says Fire Lawsuits Pose
Shutdown Risk
3.
Rising Natural Gas Prices Expected to Drive Up
Electricity Costs: IEEFA
4.
WA Supreme Court Will Decide If Natural Gas
Measure Passed by Voters Is Legal
5.
WA State: Lewis County PUD’s Financial
Assistance for Customers with Low Incomes Likely to Grow Under Pressure from
State
6.
Gavin Newsom Has an $18 Billion Plan to Shore Up
California’s Utilities. It Isn’t Enough.
7.
Hitachi Unveils $1 Billion Grid Manufacturing
Investment, Including Virginia Transformer Factory
8.
Wyoming Ranchers Divided Over 50,000-Acre
Laramie County Wind Farm Plan
9.
Turlock Irrigation District Celebrates
California’s First Solar Over Canals Pilot Project
10.
Another Hydrogen Developer Exits Regional Clean
Energy Project
11.
Energy Information Administration Says Solar
Module Report No Longer Worth It
12.
Can Utilities Replace Power Lines with Solar
& Batteries in Remote Areas?
13.
‘The Evergreen’: Irene Gilbert’s Mission to
Challenge Renewable Energy Projects in Rural Oregon
14.
Alaska Natives, Barred from King Salmon Fishing,
Fight for Their Right to Manage the Yukon River
15.
British Columbia Trawlers Snagged 28,000 Salmon
as bycatch for Second Consecutive Season
16.
Eagles Poisoned by Rodenticide in Snohomish
County, Tribe Warns of Wider Issue
17.
Army Corps Approves $1.2 Million Fish Habitat
Project Near McNary Dam
18.
Warming Seas Threaten Key Phytoplankton Species
That Fuels the Food Web, Study Finds
19.
WA State: Kitsap Utilities Could Receive
Millions in Funding to Improve Countywide Internet Access
20.
Artificial Intelligence Apocalypse? Why Language
Surrounding Tech Is Sounding Increasingly Religious
21.
‘Godfather of Artificial Intelligence’ Says the
Technology Will Create Massive Unemployment & Send Profits Soaring — ‘That
Is the Capitalist System’
22.
Electric Vehicles Are Booming. But It’s a Sign
of the Slump to Come.
23.
Tesla Market Share in U.S. Drops to Lowest Since
2017 as Competition Heats Up
24.
West Coast Watches for La Niña
25.
U.S. House Subcommittee Passes Legislation with
Funding Increase for LIHEAP
26.
Rising Electric Bills Become Political Problem
for Trump, GOP
27.
Montana: Judge Bars Gov. Gianforte from
Suspending Public Service Commission President
28.
U.S. House Passes Energy & Water
Appropriations Bill
29.
Solar Farms & Agriculture: We Can Have Both
in Ada County, Idaho
Word of the Day
Solar System \SOE-lerr SIS-tum\ Noun - the sun together with
the group of celestial bodies that are held by its attraction and revolve
around it; also: a similar system centered on another star.
When did unpermitted mystical creation become OK in someone’s backyard, on their roof, or in the arid desert? “I just installed a solar system at my house,” puffed the spectacled, weekend handyman to his awestruck neighbor. “Wow,” the bystander exclaimed. “How many planets does it have, and are any of them inhabited?”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Federal Bill Could Ban Breaching Lower Snake
River Dams (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
https://www.nwpb.org/2025/09/04/federal-bill-could-ban-breaching-lower-snake-river-dams/
2.
Buffett’s Oregon Utility Says Fire Lawsuits Pose
Shutdown Risk (mint)
3.
Rising Natural Gas Prices Expected to Drive Up
Electricity Costs: IEEFA (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/-electric-prices-natural-gas-lng-ieefa/759085/
4.
WA Supreme Court Will Decide If Natural Gas
Measure Passed by Voters Is Legal (Washington State Standard)
5.
WA State: Lewis County PUD’s Financial
Assistance for Customers with Low Incomes Likely to Grow Under Pressure from State
(Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/lewis-county-puds-financial-assistance-035900218.html
6.
Gavin Newsom Has an $18 Billion Plan to Shore Up
California’s Utilities. It Isn’t Enough. (Wall Street Journal – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gavin-newsom-18-billion-plan-120000399.html
7.
Hitachi Unveils $1 Billion Grid Manufacturing
Investment, Including Virginia Transformer Factory (Utility Dive)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
8.
Wyoming Ranchers Divided Over 50,000-Acre
Laramie County Wind Farm Plan (Cowboy State Daily)
9.
Turlock Irrigation District Celebrates California’s
First Solar Over Canals Pilot Project (KMPH-TV, Visalia, CA)
10.
Another Hydrogen Developer Exits Regional Clean
Energy Project (Washington State Standard)
11.
Energy Information Administration Says Solar
Module Report No Longer Worth It (PV Magazine)
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/09/08/eia-says-solar-module-report-no-longer-worth-it/
12.
Can Utilities Replace Power Lines with Solar &
Batteries in Remote Areas? (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/california-utility-clean-energy-microgrids-wildfires
13.
‘The Evergreen’: Irene Gilbert’s Mission to
Challenge Renewable Energy Projects in Rural Oregon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Fish
& Wildlife
14.
Alaska Natives, Barred from King Salmon Fishing,
Fight for Their Right to Manage the Yukon River (Alaska Beacon)
15.
British Columbia Trawlers Snagged 28,000 Salmon as
bycatch for Second Consecutive Season (Business Intelligence)
16.
Eagles Poisoned by Rodenticide in Snohomish
County, Tribe Warns of Wider Issue (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
17.
Army Corps Approves $1.2 Million Fish Habitat
Project Near McNary Dam (KAPP-TV, Yakima, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
18.
Warming Seas Threaten Key Phytoplankton Species
That Fuels the Food Web, Study Finds (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/warming-seas-threaten-key-phytoplankton-species-21036934.php
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19.
WA State: Kitsap Utilities Could Receive
Millions in Funding to Improve Countywide Internet Access (The Kitsap Sun,
Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/kitsap-utilities-could-receive-millions-175704539.html
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
20.
Artificial Intelligence Apocalypse? Why Language
Surrounding Tech Is Sounding Increasingly Religious (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-apocalypse-dfb0aa9e5e96c583461bdd56fb21568a
21.
‘Godfather of Artificial Intelligence’ Says the Technology
Will Create Massive Unemployment & Send Profits Soaring — ‘That Is the
Capitalist System’ (Fortune – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/godfather-ai-says-technology-create-192740371.html
I
Sing the Car Electric
22.
Electric Vehicles Are Booming. But It’s a Sign of
the Slump to Come. (Washington Post – Via MSN)
23.
Tesla Market Share in U.S. Drops to Lowest Since
2017 as Competition Heats Up (Reuters)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
24.
West Coast Watches for La Niña (Axios – Seattle)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/09/04/la-nina-west-coast-winter-weather-seattle-san-diego
Politics,
Governance, and Management
25.
U.S. House Subcommittee Passes Legislation with
Funding Increase for LIHEAP (American Public Power Association)
26.
Rising Electric Bills Become Political Problem for
Trump, GOP (The Hill, Washington, DC – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rising-electric-bills-become-political-100000666.html
27.
Montana: Judge Bars Gov. Gianforte from Suspending
Public Service Commission President (The Daily Montanan)
28.
U.S. House Passes Energy & Water
Appropriations Bill (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/house-passes-energy-and-water-appropriations-bill
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29.
Solar Farms & Agriculture: We Can Have Both in
Ada County, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun)
https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/09/06/solar-farms-and-agriculture-we-can-have-both-in-ada-county/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Spanish Man Breaks Record for Fastest Backward 100 Meters in
Heels
Man Found Living in Oregon Condo Crawlspace While Owner Was Unaware
https://mynorthwest.com/crime_blotter/clackamas-county-crawlspace/4129318
Thousands of ‘Robber Bees’ Invade British Columbia Apiarist’s
Shop in Attempted Honey Heist
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/robber-bees-terrace-bc-apiary-1.7627532?cmp=rss
Painting Looted by the Nazis Is Handed to Argentine Authorities
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/sep/07/painting-looted-by-the-nazis-is-handed-to-argentin/
Song of the Day
Smokie – Living Next Door to Alice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3vi3s2BlO0
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