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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
‘A Nine-Gigawatt Problem’: Northwest’s Soaring Energy
Demand, Supply Constraints, Could Spark New Power Crisis (The Chronicle,
Centralia, WA)
U.S. Rep. Bentz (OR) Warns of Future Power Shortfall in
Oregon, Calls for Changes to Energy Policy (Bend Bulletin, OR)
Mobile Homes Already Have Huge Utility Bills. Congress May
Make It Worse. (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/energy/mobile-homes-already-have-huge-utility-bills-congress-may-make-it-worse/
California Is Completely Free of Drought for the First Time
in 25 Years (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-completely-free-drought-first-193307279.html
Public Power Utilities Earn High Marks in J.D. Power Residential
Customer Satisfaction Rankings (American Public Power Association)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
‘A Nine-Gigawatt Problem’: Northwest’s Soaring
Energy Demand, Supply Constraints, Could Spark New Power Crisis
2.
U.S. Rep. Bentz (OR) Warns of Future Power
Shortfall in Oregon, Calls for Changes to Energy Policy
3.
In 2025, U.S. Natural Gas Spot Prices Increased
from 2024’s Record Low
4.
Seattle City Light Rate Increases in Effect for
2026
5.
WA State: Pend Oreille PUD Starts New Year with
Big Contracts
6.
9.8-Mile Transmission Line Clears Key
Environmental Review in Douglas County, WA
7.
Canadian Hydropower Line to Massachusetts
Expected to Be Running in January
8.
Reclamation Draft Review Maps Future Operations
for Colorado River Dams
9.
US Army Selects Nine Bases for Microreactors,
Including Washington State
10.
Wyoming’s Top Officials Promise to Reckon with
Ever-Increasing Wind Projects, Other Development
11.
Energy Developers Head to Court as President
Trump Says the U.S. ‘Will Not Approve Any Windmills’
12.
California Wants to Mix Hydrogen with Gas to Cut
Climate Pollution. Critics Say That Poses Risks
13.
Mobile Homes Already Have Huge Utility Bills.
Congress May Make It Worse.
14.
WA State: News Release Sparks Outrage Over Lewis
County’s New ‘Light Pollution’ Policy
15.
California Is Completely Free of Drought for the
First Time in 25 Years
16.
British Columbia’s Snowpack Above Normal with
Months of Accumulation Still Left
17.
WA State: Wahkiakum PUD Assumes Ownership of
Cathlamet Water/Wastewater Systems
18.
Washington State’s Climate-Fighting Claim Is Hot
Air, Officials Admit
19.
Washington State Ferries to Test Public Wi-Fi
Service This Summer
20.
Is There a Fiber Crunch?
21.
Can Utah Become a Data Center Hub Without
Draining Its Water Supply?
22.
Washington State Trails in Data Center Growth
23.
Meta Lines Up Massive Supply of Nuclear Power to
Energize Artificial Intelligence Data Centers
24.
Gov. Newsom Just Announced $200 Million in CA
State Funds to Revive Electric Vehicle Subsidy
25.
Public Power Utilities Earn High Marks in J.D.
Power Residential Customer Satisfaction Rankings
26.
La Niña Persists for Now, But El Niño Lurks in
the Distance
27.
WA Wildfire Victim Fund Legislation Prefiled;
Critic Warns of Higher Power Bills
28.
WA State Rep. Deb Manjarrez Seeks Accountability
on Climate Act Spending
29.
Washington Bill Would Round Cash Transactions to
the Nearest Nickel as Penny Phases Out
30.
Utilities Under Pressure: Six Power Sector
Trends to Watch in 2026
31.
Guest Essay: WA Climate Taxes Should Protect
Flood Victims, Not Fund Useless Programs
Word of the Day
Prolix \proh-LICKS\ Adjective – 1: unduly prolonged or drawn out: too long *2: marked by or using an excess of words.
Like King Canute commanding the tides to stop surging to the shore, the moderator knew that his admonition to the speaker about brevity was a fruitless effort to stem an expected torrent of prolix prose. “What more can be said about the importance of mineral oil to the health of baby bottoms?” droned the loquacious after-dinner speaker. “What more indeed,” murmured his wife, who surreptitiously glanced at her watch after two hours of oratorical obfuscation.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
‘A Nine-Gigawatt Problem’: Northwest’s Soaring
Energy Demand, Supply Constraints, Could Spark New Power Crisis (The Chronicle,
Centralia, WA)
2.
U.S. Rep. Bentz (OR) Warns of Future Power
Shortfall in Oregon, Calls for Changes to Energy Policy (Bend Bulletin, OR)
3.
In 2025, U.S. Natural Gas Spot Prices Increased from
2024’s Record Low (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66984
4.
Seattle City Light Rate Increases in Effect for 2026
(KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/seattle-city-light-rate-increases
5.
WA State: Pend Oreille PUD Starts New Year with Big
Contracts (Pend Oreille River Valley, WA)
https://www.pendoreillerivervalley.com/article/4778,pud-starts-new-year-with-big-contracts
6.
9.8-Mile Transmission Line Clears Key
Environmental Review in Douglas County, WA (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
7.
Canadian Hydropower Line to Massachusetts Expected
to Be Running in January (The Lawton Constitution, OK)
8.
Reclamation Draft Review Maps Future Operations
for Colorado River Dams (Energy News Record)
9.
US Army Selects Nine Bases for Microreactors,
Including Washington State (Oil Price)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
10.
Wyoming’s Top Officials Promise to Reckon with Ever-Increasing
Wind Projects, Other Development (Wyofile)
11.
Energy Developers Head to Court as President
Trump Says the U.S. ‘Will Not Approve Any Windmills’ (Associated Press)
12.
California Wants to Mix Hydrogen with Gas to Cut
Climate Pollution. Critics Say That Poses Risks (Associated Press)
Conservation
& Efficiency
13.
Mobile Homes Already Have Huge Utility Bills. Congress
May Make It Worse. (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/energy/mobile-homes-already-have-huge-utility-bills-congress-may-make-it-worse/
14.
WA State: News Release Sparks Outrage Over Lewis
County’s New ‘Light Pollution’ Policy (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
15.
California Is Completely Free of Drought for the
First Time in 25 Years (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-completely-free-drought-first-193307279.html
16.
British Columbia’s Snowpack Above Normal with
Months of Accumulation Still Left (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
17.
WA State: Wahkiakum PUD Assumes Ownership of Cathlamet
Water/Wastewater Systems (The Wahkiakum Eagle, Cathlamet, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
18.
Washington State’s Climate-Fighting Claim Is Hot
Air, Officials Admit (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19.
Washington State Ferries to Test Public Wi-Fi Service
This Summer (Washington State Standard)
20.
Is There a Fiber Crunch? (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/01/12/is-there-a-fiber-crunch/
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
21.
Can Utah Become a Data Center Hub Without
Draining Its Water Supply? (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/01/12/does-utah-have-enough-water-be/
22.
Washington State Trails in Data Center Growth (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/01/08/washington-state-trails-in-data-center-growth
23.
Meta Lines Up Massive Supply of Nuclear Power to
Energize Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/meta-signs-three-nuclear-power-135710658.html
I
Sing the Car Electric
24.
Gov. Newsom Just Announced $200 Million in CA State
Funds to Revive Electric Vehicle Subsidy (San Francisco Chronicle, CA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/4-key-takeaways-california-gov-120000490.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25.
Public Power Utilities Earn High Marks in J.D.
Power Residential Customer Satisfaction Rankings (American Public Power
Association)
Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
26.
La Niña Persists for Now, But El Niño Lurks in
the Distance (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/la-ni-persists-now-el-140050553.htm
Politics,
Governance, and Management
27.
WA Wildfire Victim Fund Legislation Prefiled;
Critic Warns of Higher Power Bills (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_a1b515db-c74f-40e9-a230-a6398c6377e0.html
28.
WA State Rep. Deb Manjarrez Seeks Accountability
on Climate Act Spending (Gorge Radio, Hood River, OR)
29.
Washington Bill Would Round Cash Transactions to
the Nearest Nickel as Penny Phases Out (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
30.
Utilities Under Pressure: Six Power Sector
Trends to Watch in 2026 (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/utility-power-sector-trends-2026/808782/
31.
Guest Essay: WA Climate Taxes Should Protect
Flood Victims, Not Fund Useless Programs (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/climate-taxes-protect-flood-victims-130000132.html
Diversions
- Alligators in the Sewer
The Mysterious Float Fairies of Lincoln City: Inside Oregon’s Secretive Treasure Hunt
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/where-colorful-glass-floats-oregon-164604181.html
A Filmmaker Left a Camera in a Grizzly Bear Cave for 10
Years. Here’s What It Captured
50 Sheep Escape Shepherd, Walk into Grocery Store
Multiple Mystery Monkeys on the Move in Missouri
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/12/St-Louis-mystery-monkeys-search/3141768230888/
Song of the Day
The Moody Blues – Driftwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA9IJBmQ9eg
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