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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Mass: Atmospheric
River to Bring 10-15 Inches of Rain, Major Flooding to Western Washington
Tuesday-Wednesday (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-radio/atmospheric-river-8/4170323
U.S. Energy
Secretary Praises Hydropower, Slams Environmental Agenda ‘Climate Craziness’
(Bellingham Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/energy-secretary-praises-hydropower-slams-021405172.html
Pacific Northwest
Residents Worried About Electricity Costs More Than Climate Change, According
to Recent Polling (Northwest RiverPartners)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/12/pacific-northwest-residents-worried.html
As Washington
State’s Coal Ban Looms, Montana Wind Fills Only Some of the Energy Gap (The
Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Sea Lions Keep
Eating Salmon in the Columbia River. Some Lawmakers Want to Kill More of Them
(The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. U.S.
Energy Secretary Praises Hydropower, Slams Environmental Agenda ‘Climate
Craziness’
2. Pacific
Northwest Residents Worried About Electricity Costs More Than Climate Change,
According to Recent Polling
3. PacifiCorp,
Reeling from Wildfire Liabilities, Aims to Sell Power Line Stake to Related
Company
4. Montana:
Public Service Commission: NorthWestern Tried to Evade Scrutiny
5. Washington
State Faces Two-Front Challenge to Meet Future Energy Demand
6. Delayed
Heating Assistance Kicks Off a Winter of Energy Challenges
7. In
the News: The Bonneville Power Administration Helps Put Electrical Grid Safety
to the Test
8. Spark
& Dark Spreads Indicate Improved Profitability of Natural Gas, Coal Power
Plants
9. As
Washington State’s Coal Ban Looms, Montana Wind Fills Only Some of the Energy
Gap
10. U.S.
Solar Companies Urge Congress to Address Trump’s Solar Permit Freeze
11. U.S.
Added 2 GW of Solar in September, Putting 2025 Ahead of 2024 for New Solar
Generation
12. The
Grid Storage Industry Set a Wild Goal for 2025 — And Then Crushed It
13. Video:
Small Plug-In Solar Panels Gain Traction as an Affordable Way to Cut
Electricity Bills
14. Energy
Efficiency Flounders Amid ‘Dominance’ Agenda
15. Sea
Lions Keep Eating Salmon in the Columbia River. Some Lawmakers Want to Kill
More of Them
16. Forestry
Groups Sue WA Over Expanding Buffer Zones Around Non-Fish-Bearing Streams
17. Early
Season Snowpack MIA in Washington
18. Trump
Administration to Direct More Water to California Farms
19. Governor
Appoints Jordan Arnold to Lead Washington State Broadband Office
20. WA
State: Richland Sees Proposed Data Center as Key to Locking in $1.5 Billion
Fertilizer Plant
21. Oregon
Seeks Companies to Build Out Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Stations on Five
Major Roadways
22. Farmer-Led
Nonprofit Dam Education Group Builds Audience
23. Pantone
Names Its 2026 Color of the Year
24. Video:
Hanah Fry - You Won’t Believe the Impact Caroline Haslett Has Had on Your
Technology!
25. Trump
Says He’ll Sign Executive Order Blocking State Artificial Intelligence
Regulations, Despite Safety Fears
26. Mass:
Atmospheric River to Bring 10-15 Inches of Rain, Major Flooding to Western
Washington Tuesday-Wednesday
27. Oregon’s
Weeklong Deluge Will Flood Creeks and Fell Trees, Forecast Warns
28. Flood
Watches Hit Pacific Northwest, Polar Vortex Brings Icy Weather East
29. Guest
Essay: Soaring Electric Prices, Blackout Threats? Energy Permit Reform Still
Needed
30. Guest
Essay: If Transparency Matters on Climate Data, Washington State Should Lead by
Example
31.
Broadband Turkeys of 2025
Word of the Day
Terpsichorean \turp-suhKOR-ee-un\ Adjective - Of or relating to dancing.
Terpsichorean Terrapins Travel to University of Maryland for Cheer Team Tryouts.
Energy & Utility
Issues
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/energy-secretary-praises-hydropower-slams-021405172.html
2. Pacific
Northwest Residents Worried About Electricity Costs More Than Climate Change, According
to Recent Polling (Northwest RiverPartners)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/12/pacific-northwest-residents-worried.html
3. PacifiCorp,
Reeling from Wildfire Liabilities, Aims to Sell Power Line Stake to Related
Company (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
4. Montana:
Public Service Commission: NorthWestern Tried to Evade Scrutiny (News from the
States)
5. Washington
State Faces Two-Front Challenge to Meet Future Energy Demand (Columbia Basin
Herlad, Moses Lake, WA)
6. Delayed
Heating Assistance Kicks Off a Winter of Energy Challenges (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/policy-regulation/heating-assist-winter-energy-prices
7. In
the News: The Bonneville Power Administration Helps Put Electrical Grid Safety
to the Test (Bonneville Power Administration)
8. Spark
& Dark Spreads Indicate Improved Profitability of Natural Gas, Coal Power
Plants (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66785
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9. As
Washington State’s Coal Ban Looms, Montana Wind Fills Only Some of the Energy
Gap (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
10. U.S.
Solar Companies Urge Congress to Address Trump’s Solar Permit Freeze (Reuters –
Via MSN News)
11. U.S.
Added 2 GW of Solar in September, Putting 2025 Ahead of 2024 for New Solar
Generation (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/solar-gas-nuclear-ferc-infrastructure-report/807053/
12. The
Grid Storage Industry Set a Wild Goal for 2025 — And Then Crushed It (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-storage/grid-storage-industry-crushes-2025-goal
13. Video:
Small Plug-In Solar Panels Gain Traction as an Affordable Way to Cut
Electricity Bills (Public Broadcasting Service)
Conservation
& Efficiency
14. Energy
Efficiency Flounders Amid ‘Dominance’ Agenda (Politico)
Fish
& Wildlife
15. Sea
Lions Keep Eating Salmon in the Columbia River. Some Lawmakers Want to Kill
More of Them (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
16. Forestry
Groups Sue WA Over Expanding Buffer Zones Around Non-Fish-Bearing Streams (The
Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_441098ff-1d06-4733-b03c-c2545caa687e.html
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
17. Early
Season Snowpack MIA in Washington (Pacific NW Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/snowpack-mia-in-wa/
18. Trump
Administration to Direct More Water to California Farms (Associated Press)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19. Governor
Appoints Jordan Arnold to Lead Washington State Broadband Office (WA Department
of Commerce)
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOC/bulletins/3fdeff8
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
20. WA
State: Richland Sees Proposed Data Center as Key to Locking in $1.5 Billion
Fertilizer Plant (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN News)
I
Sing the Car Electric
21. Oregon
Seeks Companies to Build Out Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Stations on Five
Major Roadways (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/04/oregon-electric-vehicle-fast-charging-roadways/
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
22. Farmer-Led
Nonprofit Dam Education Group Builds Audience (Capital Press – Paywall
Advisory)
https://capitalpress.com/2025/12/05/farmer-led-nonprofit-dam-education-group-builds-audience/
23. Pantone
Names Its 2026 Color of the Year (NBC News)
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/pantone-names-2026-color-year-rcna247366
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
24. Video:
Hanah Fry - You Won’t Believe the Impact Caroline Haslett Has Had on Your
Technology! (British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQVI5zxE9P4
Politics,
Governance, and Management
25. Trump
Says He’ll Sign Executive Order Blocking State Artificial Intelligence
Regulations, Despite Safety Fears (Cable News Network)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/08/tech/trump-eo-blocking-ai-state-laws
Other
Things to Know About Today
26. Mass:
Atmospheric River to Bring 10-15 Inches of Rain, Major Flooding to Western
Washington Tuesday-Wednesday (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-radio/atmospheric-river-8/4170323
27. Oregon’s
Weeklong Deluge Will Flood Creeks and Fell Trees, Forecast Warns (Willamette
Week, Portland, OR)
28. Flood
Watches Hit Pacific Northwest, Polar Vortex Brings Icy Weather East (Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/flood-watches-hit-pacific-northwest-194434386.html
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29. Guest
Essay: Soaring Electric Prices, Blackout Threats? Energy Permit Reform Still
Needed (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN News)
30. Guest
Essay: If Transparency Matters on Climate Data, Washington State Should Lead by
Example (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/dec/04/jackson-maynard-and-todd-myers-if-transparency-mat/
31. Broadband
Turkeys of 2025 (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/12/08/broadband-turkeys-of-2025/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Arizona Lineman
Saves Curious Bear Who Was Nearly Electrocuted Climbing Up a Utility Pole
Zohran Mamdani &
the Louvre Make the List of Most Mispronounced Words of 2025
https://apnews.com/article/mispronounced-words-2025-mamdani-louvre-ad1029eaf43f3f904b39a1dc9d37cca8
British Man’s Garden Shed Hits a Top Speed of 123 MPH
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/12/05/Guinness-World-Records-fastest-garden-shed/2511764952892/
World’s Largest Lego
Mural Assembled in Switzerland
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/12/08/switzerland-Guinness-World-Records-Lego-mural/7821765225587/
Song of the Day
Bee Gees – Words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvKmh_jWC5c
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Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which may result in broken links.
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