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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
U.S. Power Use to
Reach Record Highs in 2025 & 2026, EIA Says (Reuters)
U.S. Utilities Plan
for Significant Large Load Capacity Growth (Daily Energy Insider)
Oregon Fights Back
After Losing $86M in Solar Funding (The Oregonian, Portland, WA)
WA Pink Salmon
Populations Surge in Some Puget Sound Areas, Stagnant in Others (KCPQ-TV,
Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wa-salmon-population-surge
More Than Half of
Pacific Northwest in Severe, Extreme Drought, Oregon in Historic Dry Period
(Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/more-half-northwest-severe-extreme-130033141.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. U.S.
Power Use to Reach Record Highs in 2025 & 2026, EIA Says
2. U.S.
Utilities Plan for Significant Large Load Capacity Growth
3. Hermiston
Clears the Way for Data Center Industry
4. Avista
Makes Bid to Adjust Gas & Electric Prices in Washington
5. The
Price of Power: Clean Energy Advocates Debate NorthWestern Spokesman in
Missoula
6. Ethiopia
Opens Africa’s Largest Hydroelectric Dam to Egyptian Protest
7. Cuba
Is Entirely without Power Following Electric Grid Collapse
8. Oregon
Fights Back After Losing $86M in Solar Funding
9. Washington
Awards $41 Million in Clean Energy Grants
10. First
Onshore Wave Energy Project in the U.S. Launches in Los Angeles
11. Misinformation,
Fear & Politics – How a South Dakota County Drove Away Millions in Solar
Energy
12. U.S.
Warns Hidden Radios May Be Embedded in Solar-Powered Highway Infrastructure
13. WA
Pink Salmon Populations Surge in Some Puget Sound Areas, Stagnant in Others
14. Another
Bust Year for Yukon River King Salmon Returns, Sonar Counters Show
15. More
Than Half of Pacific Northwest in Severe, Extreme Drought, Oregon in Historic
Dry Period
16. Water
Shutoffs Happening Earlier Than Usual for Some Yakima Basin Irrigators
17. WA
State: On the Brink of a Devastating Canal Collapse, a GOP District Waits for
Trump’s Help
18. Washington
Department of Ecology Rejects Federal Draft Report That It Says Diminishes
Effects of Climate Change
19. WA
Think Tank Pushes Back on Ecology Claims Rebuking Trump Admin Climate Policy
20. Trump
Administration Dissolves Group That Authored Controversial Report Sowing Doubt
in the Severity of Climate Change
21. WA
State: Pend Oreille County Receives Preliminary Funding to Improve High Speed
Internet Service
22. FCC
Proposal to Scale Back Broadband Standards Draws Fire
23. Naturally
Occurring Hydrogen? Is Idaho the Future of a New Clean Energy Source? This
Company Hopes So
24. New
Findings by NASA Mars Rover Provide Strongest Hints Yet of Potential Signs of
Ancient Life
25. U.S.
House Speaker Johnson Backs Virginia Wind Project in Break with Trump
26. Why
Daylight Saving Time Ends a Bit Earlier Than Usual in 2025
27.
Keeping the River Highway Open - How PNWA
Protects Washington Growers & the Columbia-Snake River Supply Chain
Word of the Day
Rorschach Test \ROAR-shack - test\ Noun – A personality and intelligence test in which a subject interprets inkblot designs in terms that reveal intellectual and emotional factors — also called the Rorschach inkblot test. Origin: Named after Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach.
Bartholomew had befuddled his psychiatrists. Every time they gave him the Rorschach Test, the ink blots elicited stony silence. That is, until Bart started an odd, braying laugh at unusual times during which the most elaborate ink blots were portrayed. Unbeknownst to the psychiatrists, Bartholomew had misunderstood the test instructions and thought that he was taking a Horshack test. (look THAT up ‘Welcome Back Kotter’ fans)
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
U.S. Power Use to Reach Record Highs in 2025 &
2026, EIA Says (Reuters)
2.
U.S. Utilities Plan for Significant Large Load
Capacity Growth (Daily Energy Insider)
3.
Hermiston Clears the Way for Data Center
Industry (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
4.
Avista Makes Bid to Adjust Gas & Electric
Prices in Washington (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
5.
The Price of Power: Clean Energy Advocates
Debate NorthWestern Spokesman in Missoula (Ravalli Republic, Hamilton, MT)
https://ravallirepublic.com/mobile/article_071b60d0-7d8f-5e8e-806e-f659ccf10df2.html
6.
Ethiopia Opens Africa’s Largest Hydroelectric
Dam to Egyptian Protest (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ethiopia-launches-massive-hydropower-dam-010308869.html
7.
Cuba Is Entirely without Power Following
Electric Grid Collapse (NBC News)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/cuba-entirely-power-electric-grid-collapse-rcna230360
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
8.
Oregon Fights Back After Losing $86M in Solar
Funding (The Oregonian, Portland, WA)
9.
Washington Awards $41 Million in Clean Energy
Grants (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/washington-clean-energy-grants/
10.
First Onshore Wave Energy Project in the U.S.
Launches in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/first-onshore-wave-energy-project-100000231.html
11.
Misinformation, Fear & Politics – How a South
Dakota County Drove Away Millions in Solar Energy (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/10/south-dakota-solar-energy
12.
U.S. Warns Hidden Radios May Be Embedded in
Solar-Powered Highway Infrastructure (Reuters)
Fish & Wildlife
13.
WA Pink Salmon Populations Surge in Some Puget
Sound Areas, Stagnant in Others (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wa-salmon-population-surge
14.
Another Bust Year for Yukon River King Salmon
Returns, Sonar Counters Show (Alaska Beacon)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
15.
More Than Half of Pacific Northwest in Severe,
Extreme Drought, Oregon in Historic Dry Period (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/more-half-northwest-severe-extreme-130033141.html
16.
Water Shutoffs Happening Earlier Than Usual for
Some Yakima Basin Irrigators (Washington State Standard)
17.
WA State: On the Brink of a Devastating Canal
Collapse, a GOP District Waits for Trump’s Help (Washington Post – Via Yahoo!
News)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
18.
Washington Department of Ecology Rejects Federal
Draft Report That It Says Diminishes Effects of Climate Change (KGMI Radio, Bellingham,
WA)
19.
WA Think Tank Pushes Back on Ecology Claims
Rebuking Trump Admin Climate Policy (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_098a2034-fe90-4526-994a-e2a31eb9cfb2.html
20.
Trump Administration Dissolves Group That
Authored Controversial Report Sowing Doubt in the Severity of Climate Change (Cable
News Network)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
21.
WA State: Pend Oreille County Receives
Preliminary Funding to Improve High Speed Internet Service (KXLY-TV, Spokane,
WA)
22.
FCC Proposal to Scale Back Broadband Standards
Draws Fire (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/fcc-proposal-to-scale-back-broadband-standards-draws-fire/
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
23.
Naturally Occurring Hydrogen? Is Idaho the
Future of a New Clean Energy Source? This Company Hopes So (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/sep/09/is-idaho-the-future-of-a-new-clean-energy-source-t/
24.
New Findings by NASA Mars Rover Provide
Strongest Hints Yet of Potential Signs of Ancient Life (Courthouse News Service)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
25.
U.S. House Speaker Johnson Backs Virginia Wind
Project in Break with Trump (Politico)
Other Things to Know
About Today
26.
Why Daylight Saving Time Ends a Bit Earlier Than
Usual in 2025 (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
27.
Keeping the River Highway Open - How PNWA Protects
Washington Growers & the Columbia-Snake River Supply Chain (Wheatlife)
https://wheatlife.org/keeping-the-river-highway-open/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Ontario Restaurant
Cooks Up 81-Foot Ground Beef Kebab Wrap
Microchip Shows
Stray Cat Was 900 Miles from Home
Biker Uses Mouth to
Hold Handlebar During Nearly 1,000-Foot Wheelie
To Nice, Not Tunis!
How Two Americans Accidentally Flew to North Africa After Misunderstanding at Airport
Song of the Day
Daryl Hall &
Kenny Loggins – Footloose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybsZIsOqTSo
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