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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.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Speaker Johnson Says U.S. House Will Return to Washington
for Vote on Shutdown Deal (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-update-80ef7cada7b3c0559aca38886efd8f90
Oregon’s Largest Electric Utilities Halt Service Cutoffs for
Vulnerable Customers Until Year End (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Is Your Electric Bill Going Up? Artificial Intelligence Is
Partly to Blame (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/06/nx-s1-5597971/electricity-bills-utilities-ai
Climate Change Is Out – Energy Affordability Is In
(Washington Post – Via MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/climate-change-is-out-energy-affordability-is-in/ar-AA1Q8Poy
Companies Hit the Brakes on Electric Vehicles, Laying Off
Thousands of Workers (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-hit-brakes-evs-laying-213812069.html
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Oregon’s Largest Electric Utilities Halt Service
Cutoffs for Vulnerable Customers Until Year End
2.
‘The Clock Is Ticking’: State Senator Warns of
Looming Energy Shortfall in Washington
3.
Southern California Edison Blacked Out a Record
Number of Customers to Stop Fires. Now Regulators Have Warned the Utility
4.
California: To Keep Diablo Canyon Operating,
Coastal Commission Wants More Land Conserved
5.
New U.S. Nuclear Power Boom Begins with Old,
Still-Unsolved Problem: What to Do with Radioactive Waste
6.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Causing $26,000
in Damage at Clackamas, Oregon Substation
7.
High Energy Bills Are Coming – Federal Help Is
Not
8.
Tribes Mount Defense of Their Veto Over
Hydroelectric Projects
9.
The Bonneville Power Administration Commits to
Western Resource Adequacy Program Binding Operations
10.
Southwest Power Pool to Develop 765-kV Regional
Transmission ‘Backbone’
11.
Is Your Electric Bill Going Up? Artificial
Intelligence Is Partly to Blame
12.
Power-Hungry Artificial Intelligence Fuels
Debate on Wyoming Coal’s Role in U.S. Energy Future
13.
New Kansas Rules Set Guidelines for Data
Centers, Big Power Users to Protect Smaller Customers
14.
Fewer U.S. Solar Projects Are Reporting Delays
in Their Expected Online Date
15.
New Microgrid Provides Resilience to
Washington’s Orcas Island Community
16.
Number of Alaska Fishers Hits Record Low, State
Report Finds
17.
WA State: Clark County Council Greenlights
Letter Asking State to Restore $1 Million Funding for Skamania Hatchery
18.
Colville Tribes Mark Seven Years of Salmon
Restoration Success
19.
See No Emissions? State Attorneys Say Trump Plan
to Stop Tracking Climate Pollution Is Illegal
20.
States Renegotiate Their Share of the Colorado
River without Federal Intervention
21.
Five Things to Know as the Clock Runs Down on
Colorado River Talks
22.
Wyoming: Dam Estimate Almost Doubles to $150
Million as Pols Challenge Runaway Water Projects
23.
Columbia River Drought Insurance Program Aims to
Protect Water Rights
24.
Climate Change Is Out – Energy Affordability Is
In
25.
California Tries to Fill a Widening Climate
Vacuum
26.
News Release: U.S. Sens. Cantwell, Schatz Demand
Answers on Trump Administration’s Delay of Nearly $1 Billion in Tribal
Broadband Grants
27.
Companies Hit the Brakes on Electric Vehicles,
Laying Off Thousands of Workers
28.
Ford Considers Scrapping F-150 EV Truck, WSJ
Reports
29.
I Tested Five Artificial Intelligence Assistants
– What I Found Was Surprising
30.
Speaker Johnson Says U.S. House Will Return to
Washington for Vote on Shutdown Deal
31.
Voters’ Anger at High Electricity Bills &
Data Centers Looms Over 2026 Midterms
32.
As Artificial Intelligence Threatens
White-Collar Jobs, Washington Trade Schools Are Booming
33.
Guest Essay: We Made a Mistake by Abandoning
Nuclear Energy Years Ago
34.
Guest Essay: ‘Too Big of a Job’? Docs Reveal
State Failure to Protect Yakima Water
35.
Looking at Columbia Basin Issues from All
Perspectives
36.
Guest Essay: Importance of the Columbia River
Treaty for Our Communities, Economy & Environment
Word of the Day
Gravid \GRAV-id\ Adjective - *1: pregnant 2: distended with or full of eggs.
Passersby stopped and stared, astounded at Alice’s exaggerated gravid appearance. “I guess there’s no such thing as being a ‘little pregnant’,” said her awestruck partner. “But you are living proof that there is such a thing as being VERY pregnant.”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Oregon’s Largest Electric Utilities Halt Service
Cutoffs for Vulnerable Customers Until Year End (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
2.
‘The Clock Is Ticking’: State Senator Warns of
Looming Energy Shortfall in Washington (KTTH Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://seattlered.com/energy/washington-energy-crisis/4115026
3.
Southern California Edison Blacked Out a Record
Number of Customers to Stop Fires. Now Regulators Have Warned the Utility (Los
Angeles Times, CA – Via MSN News)
4.
California: To Keep Diablo Canyon Operating, Coastal
Commission Wants More Land Conserved (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/keep-diablo-canyon-operating-coastal-170000106.html
5.
New U.S. Nuclear Power Boom Begins with Old,
Still-Unsolved Problem: What to Do with Radioactive Waste (CNBC News)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/09/nuclear-power-energy-radioactive-waste-storage-disposal.html
6.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Causing $26,000
in Damage at Clackamas, Oregon Substation (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/crime/washington-man-guilty-damage-oregon-energy-facility/
7.
High Energy Bills Are Coming – Federal Help Is
Not (Politico)
8.
Tribes Mount Defense of Their Veto Over
Hydroelectric Projects (E&E News - Paywall Advisory)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/tribes-mount-defense-of-their-veto-over-hydroelectric-projects/
9.
The Bonneville Power Administration Commits to
Western Resource Adequacy Program Binding Operations (Bonneville Power
Administration)
https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20251105-bpa-commits-towrap-binding-operations
10.
Southwest Power Pool to Develop 765-kV Regional
Transmission ‘Backbone’ (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/spp-to-develop-765-kv-regional-backbone/804981/
Powering
Mister Smarty-Pants
11.
Is Your Electric Bill Going Up? Artificial
Intelligence Is Partly to Blame (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/06/nx-s1-5597971/electricity-bills-utilities-ai
12.
Power-Hungry Artificial Intelligence Fuels
Debate on Wyoming Coal’s Role in U.S. Energy Future (Cowboy State Daily)
13.
New Kansas Rules Set Guidelines for Data
Centers, Big Power Users to Protect Smaller Customers (Kansas Reflector)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
14.
Fewer U.S. Solar Projects Are Reporting Delays in
Their Expected Online Date (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66604
15.
New Microgrid Provides Resilience to Washington’s
Orcas Island Community (Microgrid Knowledge)
Fish
& Wildlife
16.
Number of Alaska Fishers Hits Record Low, State
Report Finds (Alaska Beacon)
17.
WA State: Clark County Council Greenlights
Letter Asking State to Restore $1 Million Funding for Skamania Hatchery (Vancouver
Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
18.
Colville Tribes Mark Seven Years of Salmon
Restoration Success (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
19.
See No Emissions? State Attorneys Say Trump Plan
to Stop Tracking Climate Pollution Is Illegal (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
20.
States Renegotiate Their Share of the Colorado
River without Federal Intervention (National Public Radio)
21.
Five Things to Know as the Clock Runs Down on Colorado
River Talks (Idaho Capital Sun)
22.
Wyoming: Dam Estimate Almost Doubles to $150 Million
as Pols Challenge Runaway Water Projects (WyoFile)
https://wyofile.com/dam-estimate-almost-doubles-to-150m-as-pols-challenge-runaway-water-projects/
23.
Columbia River Drought Insurance Program Aims to
Protect Water Rights (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
24.
Climate Change Is Out – Energy Affordability Is
In (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/climate-change-is-out-energy-affordability-is-in/ar-AA1Q8Poy
25.
California Tries to Fill a Widening Climate
Vacuum (Politico)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
26.
News Release: U.S. Sens. Cantwell, Schatz Demand
Answers on Trump Administration’s Delay of Nearly $1 Billion in Tribal
Broadband Grants (U.S. Senate)
I
Sing the Car Electric
27.
Companies Hit the Brakes on Electric Vehicles,
Laying Off Thousands of Workers (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-hit-brakes-evs-laying-213812069.html
28.
Ford Considers Scrapping F-150 EV Truck, WSJ Reports
(Reuters)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
29.
I Tested Five Artificial Intelligence Assistants
– What I Found Was Surprising (Inc. Magazine)
https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/i-tested-5-ai-assistants-what-i-found-was-surprising/91178162
Politics,
Governance, and Management
30.
Speaker Johnson Says U.S. House Will Return to Washington
for Vote on Shutdown Deal (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-update-80ef7cada7b3c0559aca38886efd8f90
31.
Voters’ Anger at High Electricity Bills &
Data Centers Looms Over 2026 Midterms (Associated Press)
Other
Things to Know About Today
32.
As Artificial Intelligence Threatens
White-Collar Jobs, Washington Trade Schools Are Booming (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/as-ai-threatens-white-collar-jobs-washington-trade-schools-are-booming
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
33.
Guest Essay: We Made a Mistake by Abandoning
Nuclear Energy Years Ago (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/made-mistake-abandoning-nuclear-energy-130000543.html
34.
Guest Essay: ‘Too Big of a Job’? Docs Reveal
State Failure to Protect Yakima Water (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_829ed93c-7600-4431-aeba-9319ad753e4b.html
35.
Looking at Columbia Basin Issues from All
Perspectives (HydroLeader Magazine)
https://hydroleadermagazine.com/volume-6-issue-10-nov-dec-2025/
36.
Guest Essay: Importance of the Columbia River
Treaty for Our Communities, Economy & Environment (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA - Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/nov/08/tanya-riordan-and-tom-soeldner-the-importance-of-t/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
A Viral Lie About Spiders Is Really Bugging Cranberry
Farmers
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/viral-lie-spiders-really-bugging-161625577.html
Slime, Battleship & Trivial Pursuit Join the Toy Hall of
Fame
A Lesser-Known Farmers’ Almanac Will Fold After Two Centuries,
Citing Money Trouble
https://apnews.com/article/farmers-almanac-ceases-publication-f298627037891ce28da55a55e1bb3626
‘A Miracle’: Cow Gives Birth to Four Calves at Once,
Stunning Ontario Farmer
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/quadruplets-cows-farm-ruthven-kingsville-9.6968592
Song of the Day
R.E.M. – The End of the World (As We Know It)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OyBtMPqpNY
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
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