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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, Edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Power Companies Brace for Christmas Eve Windstorm Across
Oregon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Some Power Outages Possible During Christmas Eve Wind
Advisory with Gusts Up to 50 MPH (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
‘Dangerous Scenario Unfolding’ in Southern California from
Potent Storm Lashing the Entire State (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/southern-california-braces-strongest-storm-141629207.html
Contentious Wind Farm Project in Shasta Denied by California
Panel (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA)
Companies Are Desperately Seeking ‘Storytellers’ (Wall
Street Journal – Via MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/companies-are-desperately-seeking-storytellers/ar-AA1SdxI8
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Power Companies Brace for Christmas Eve
Windstorm Across Oregon
2.
California: State Reins in Profits for PG&E,
Other Utilities, as Bill Debate Rages
3.
Washington State Regulators Order Avista to
Refund Over-Collected Rates
4.
The Bonneville Power Administration Implements
Financial Reserves Surcharge for Power Customers
5.
An Electricity Crunch Is Driving High Bills in
These States. It’s Not Getting Better Anytime Soon
6.
Utility CEO On the Data Center Crunch: America’s
‘Check Engine Light’ Is on And ‘No One’s Going to Pay Attention Until It Breaks
Down’
7.
WA State: Port of Moses Lake to Build Electrical
Generation, Transmission Lines
8.
Japan Prepares to Restart World’s Biggest
Nuclear Plant, 15 Years After Fukushima
9.
Hydropower Lobby Survey Finds People Care About
Energy Cost Over Climate Change
10.
Bonneville Power Administration Set to Provide
Low-Cost, Reliable Power for Another Two Decades
11.
Contentious Wind Farm Project in Shasta Denied
by California Panel
12.
Oregon Environmental Group Leads Lawsuit to
Reverse IRS Wind, Solar Rules
13.
Floodwaters Recede, But Concerns Grow for
Washington Salmon Runs
14.
Broodstock Program Is a Lifeline for
Stillaguamish Chinook
15.
Whale Watch Week Starts Dec. 27 on the Oregon
Coast
16.
Feds Demand Compromise on Colorado River While
States Flounder Despite Water Shortage
17.
Washington State Carbon Market Revenue Hits $4.3
Billion as Prices Reach Record
18.
WA Policy Center: Only 0.5% of Climate
Commitment Act Funds Went to Flooding — Mostly for Planning
19.
Broadband Provider Says FCC Action Would Be
‘Devastating’ to Operations
20.
More Delays? U.S. Broadband Funding Hits
Potential Snag Over Procedural Error
21.
Feds Pave the Way for Big Tech to Plug Data
Centers Right into Power Plants in Scramble for Energy
22.
Companies Are Desperately Seeking ‘Storytellers’
23.
Washington DOT Concedes Stray Current Risks on
I-90 from Cross-Lake Light Rail
24.
Beware the Christmas Coronary. How to Spot Signs
of Holiday Heart Trouble
25.
Senate Democrats Cut Off Permitting Talks After
Trump’s Newest ‘Assault’ on Wind
26.
‘Dangerous Scenario Unfolding’ in Southern
California from Potent Storm Lashing the Entire State
27.
Some Power Outages Possible During Christmas Eve
Wind Advisory with Gusts Up to 50 MPH
28.
A Christmas Eve Windstorm?
29.
New Maps Show What Weather Oregon and the Rest
of the Country Can Expect This Winter
30.
Theft Of Copper Wire from Traffic Light
Contributed to Crash That Killed Motorcyclist, Police Say
31.
Editorial: Despite Fraught WA History, Nuclear
Power May Again Have Its Day
Word of the Day
Tousle \TOW (as in ouch) Transitive verb - Dishevel, rumple.
Britni’s tousled tresses were the talk of the wedding reception. “Not enough Aqua Net,” murmured the hairdresser to her assistant.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Power Companies Brace for Christmas Eve Windstorm
Across Oregon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
2.
California: State Reins in Profits for PG&E,
Other Utilities, as Bill Debate Rages (MSN News)
3.
Washington State Regulators Order Avista to
Refund Over-Collected Rates (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)
4.
The Bonneville Power Administration Implements
Financial Reserves Surcharge for Power Customers (Bonneville Power
Administration)
5.
An Electricity Crunch Is Driving High Bills in These
States. It’s Not Getting Better Anytime Soon (Cable News Network)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/electricity-crunch-driving-high-bills-120059248.html
6.
Utility CEO On the Data Center Crunch: America’s
‘Check Engine Light’ Is on And ‘No One’s Going to Pay Attention Until It Breaks
Down’ (Fortune Magazine – Via MSN News)
7.
WA State: Port of Moses Lake to Build Electrical
Generation, Transmission Lines (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
8.
Japan Prepares to Restart World’s Biggest
Nuclear Plant, 15 Years After Fukushima (Reuters 0 Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/japan-prepares-restart-worlds-biggest-220256050.html
9.
Hydropower Lobby Survey Finds People Care About
Energy Cost Over Climate Change (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
10.
Bonneville Power Administration Set to Provide Low-Cost,
Reliable Power for Another Two Decades (Bonneville Power Administration)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
11.
Contentious Wind Farm Project in Shasta Denied by
California Panel (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA)
12.
Oregon Environmental Group Leads Lawsuit to
Reverse IRS Wind, Solar Rules (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Fish
& Wildlife
13.
Floodwaters Recede, But Concerns Grow for
Washington Salmon Runs (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/floodwaters-recede-concerns-grow-washington-salmon-runs
14.
Broodstock Program Is a Lifeline for Stillaguamish
Chinook (Northwest Treaty Tribes)
https://nwtreatytribes.org/broodstock-program-is-a-lifeline-for-stillaguamish-chinook/
15.
Whale Watch Week Starts Dec. 27 on the Oregon
Coast (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/22/whale-watch-week-starts-dec-27-on-the-oregon-coast/
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
16.
Feds Demand Compromise on Colorado River While
States Flounder Despite Water Shortage (Nevada Current)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
17.
Washington State Carbon Market Revenue Hits $4.3
Billion as Prices Reach Record (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
18.
WA Policy Center: Only 0.5% of Climate
Commitment Act Funds Went to Flooding — Mostly for Planning (KIRO Broadcasting,
Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/john-curley/cca-funds-flooding/4177965
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19.
Broadband Provider Says FCC Action Would Be ‘Devastating’
to Operations (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Paywall Advisory)
20.
More Delays? U.S. Broadband Funding Hits
Potential Snag Over Procedural Error (PC Magazine)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
21.
Feds Pave the Way for Big Tech to Plug Data
Centers Right into Power Plants in Scramble for Energy (Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/feds-pave-way-big-tech-200041967.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
22.
Companies Are Desperately Seeking ‘Storytellers’
(Wall Street Journal – Via MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/companies-are-desperately-seeking-storytellers/ar-AA1SdxI8
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
23.
Washington DOT Concedes Stray Current Risks on I-90
from Cross-Lake Light Rail (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_395a158b-c6e9-48b7-8b6e-169dec7d6124.html
24.
Beware the Christmas Coronary. How to Spot Signs
of Holiday Heart Trouble (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/17/nx-s1-5645820/holidays-heart-christmas-health
Politics,
Governance, and Management
25.
Senate Democrats Cut Off Permitting Talks After Trump’s
Newest ‘Assault’ on Wind (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/senate-democrats-cut-off-permitting-212704110.html
Other
Things to Know About Today
26.
‘Dangerous Scenario Unfolding’ in Southern
California from Potent Storm Lashing the Entire State (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/southern-california-braces-strongest-storm-141629207.html
27.
Some Power Outages Possible During Christmas Eve
Wind Advisory with Gusts Up to 50 MPH (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
28.
A Christmas Eve Windstorm? (Cliff Mass Weather
Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-christmas-eve-windstorm.html
29.
New Maps Show What Weather Oregon and the Rest of
the Country Can Expect This Winter (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
30.
Theft Of Copper Wire from Traffic Light
Contributed to Crash That Killed Motorcyclist, Police Say (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
31.
Editorial: Despite Fraught WA History, Nuclear
Power May Again Have Its Day (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/despite-fraught-wa-history-nuclear-130000658.html
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Church Altar Featuring Homeless Man Goes on Display a Stone’s
Throw from His Grave at the Vatican
An Uninhabited Scottish Isle Is Home to the Golden Granite
Used in Olympic Curling Stones
Suitcase Left in a Bank Vault For 100 Years Contained the Lost
Hapsburg Jewels
A Funeral for the Penny Draws Lincoln Impersonators & Victorian
Garb
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/funeral-penny-draws-lincoln-impersonators-001554970.html
Song of the Day
Vince Guaraldi – A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtrgRejwG0
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