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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
California Regulators Order Edison to Look for Fire Risks on
Its Old Transmission Lines (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via MSN)
Lake Powell Drops 36 Feet in One Year as Water Crisis
Deepens (KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)
Oregon Faced a Huge Obstacle in Adding Green Energy. Here’s
What Changed This Year (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/30/oregon-renewable-energy-transmission-lines/
Understanding Seal Predation on Salmon (Northwest Treaty
Tribes)
https://nwtreatytribes.org/understanding-seal-predation-on-salmon/
A Lightbulb Moment – December 31, 1879: Thomas Edison
Demonstrates His Greatest Invention
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
California Regulators Order Edison to Look for
Fire Risks on Its Old Transmission Lines
2.
California: Lower Bills for Pacific Gas &
Electric Customers in 2026
3.
Idaho Power Receives Approval for $110 Million
Rate Increase Effective January 2026
4.
BC Hydro Rates to Climb 3.75% In Each of Next
Two Years
5.
What Happens When Utilities Raise the Fixed
Charge & Lower the Energy Charge?
6.
Attorneys Spar in Motion to Dismiss Boardman to
Hemingway Power Line Lawsuit
7.
Utah Fortunately Finishes Last in Study of
States Most Likely to Experience Prolonged Power Outages
8.
Oregon Faced a Huge Obstacle in Adding Green
Energy. Here’s What Changed This Year
9.
Understanding Seal Predation on Salmon
10.
Lake Powell Drops 36 Feet in One Year as Water
Crisis Deepens
11.
California Will Start 2026 Far Below Peak
Snowpack
12.
2025 Was One of Three Hottest Years on Record,
Scientists Say
13.
Congress Active with Broadband Bills
14.
WA State: Data Centers Possible Hidden &
Dangerous Impacts to the Tri-Cities
15.
Stargazing Calendar 2026: Late-Night Eclipse
& a Christmas Eve Supermoon
16.
Flu Is Rising Rapidly, Driven by a New Variant.
Here’s What to Know
Wish of the Day
Best Wishes on a Wonderful 2026.
Time circles the
drain
Pleasant memories
remain
Bad ones flushed away
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
California Regulators Order Edison to Look for Fire
Risks on Its Old Transmission Lines (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via MSN)
2.
California: Lower Bills for Pacific Gas & Electric
Customers in 2026 (MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/economy/lower-bills-for-pg-e-customers-in-2026/ar-AA1Tjunk
3.
Idaho Power Receives Approval for $110 Million
Rate Increase Effective January 2026 (Investing Magazine)
4.
BC Hydro Rates to Climb 3.75% In Each of Next Two
Years (Global News, Canada)
https://globalnews.ca/news/11085319/bc-hydro-rate-increase/
5.
What Happens When Utilities Raise the Fixed
Charge & Lower the Energy Charge? (PV Magazine)
6.
Attorneys Spar in Motion to Dismiss Boardman to Hemingway
Power Line Lawsuit (Baker City Herald, OR)
7.
Utah Fortunately Finishes Last in Study of States
Most Likely to Experience Prolonged Power Outages (Cache Valley Daily, UT)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
8.
Oregon Faced a Huge Obstacle in Adding Green
Energy. Here’s What Changed This Year (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/30/oregon-renewable-energy-transmission-lines/
Fish
& Wildlife
9.
Understanding Seal Predation on Salmon (Northwest
Treaty Tribes)
https://nwtreatytribes.org/understanding-seal-predation-on-salmon/
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
10.
Lake Powell Drops 36 Feet in One Year as Water
Crisis Deepens (KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)
11.
California Will Start 2026 Far Below Peak
Snowpack (KTVU-TV, Oakland, CA)
https://www.ktvu.com/news/california-will-start-2026-far-below-peak-snowpack
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
12.
2025 Was One of Three Hottest Years on Record,
Scientists Say (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/2025-was-one-of-three-hottest-years-on-record-a21266899
London
Calling –Telecommunications
13.
Congress Active with Broadband Bills (Pots &
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/12/30/congress-active-with-broadband-bills/
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
14.
WA State: Data Centers Possible Hidden &
Dangerous Impacts to the Tri-Cities (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/134/p/tri-cities-data-centers-concerns/
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
15.
Stargazing Calendar 2026: Late-Night Eclipse &
a Christmas Eve Supermoon (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Other
Things to Know About Today
16.
Flu Is Rising Rapidly, Driven by a New Variant. Here’s
What to Know (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/flu-subclade-k-cdc-vaccine-ca9bd270ca70602775168b0b651e3b2a
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
A Lightbulb Moment – December 31, 1879: Thomas Edison
Demonstrates His Greatest Invention
$400,000 Worth of Lobster Stolen En Route to Costco Stores,
Shipper Says
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lobster-stolen-en-route-costco-stores-rcna251110
Thieves Drill into German Bank Vault & Empty 3,000
Safety Deposit Boxes
Rowing Team Crossing Atlantic Ocean Stops to Rescue Sea
Turtle
Song of the Day
I See the Light - Tangled Soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chDDxukoT1M&list=RDchDDxukoT1M
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