Monday, April 13, 2026

The Energy News Digest for April 13, 2026

Programming Note

After today’s issue, The Energy News Digest will be taking a break. It will return tanned, rested, and relaxed on April 27

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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

EIA Sees Electricity Consumption Continuing to Grow Through 2050 at a Rate of 0.9% to 1.6% (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/eia-sees-electricity-consumption-continuing-grow-through-2050-rate-09-16

California Utility Bills Are 20% Higher Due to Wildfires (Bloomberg News – Via the Insurance Journal)

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2026/04/13/865378.htm

Oregon’s Snowpack Just Broke a Terrifying Record, & the Consequences Could Be Devastating This Summer (The Oregonian, OR – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/oregon-snowpack-just-broke-terrifying-220237711.html

Commercial Salmon Fishing to Open in California for the First Time Since 2022 as Population Rebounds (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/business/commercial-salmon-fishing-to-open-in-california-a22202623

Overnight Offshore Earthquake Swarm Poses No Danger to Pacific Northwest, Expert Says (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/weather/earthquakes/overnight-offshore-earthquake-swarm-poses-no-danger-to-pacific-northwest-expert-says/281-f4749ec8-aeb4-4e54-9700-0428518088dc

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      EIA Sees Electricity Consumption Continuing to Grow Through 2050 at a Rate of 0.9% to 1.6%

2.      California Utility Bills Are 20% Higher Due to Wildfires

3.      More Households Face Gas, Electricity Shutoffs Despite New

4.      Analysis Finds U.S. Electricity Costs Stable, Household Burden Near Historic Low

5.      Fire Survivors Call for Audits of Edison's Wildfire Prevention Spending

6.      Terra-Gen to Pay $5.6M To Settle California ISO Market Manipulation Charges

7.      Amid ‘Nuclear Renaissance,’ Idaho Worries About Job Demands Coming to the Intermountain West

8.      Power Providers Make Moves That Are Reshaping Colorado’s Electric Utilities Landscape

9.      New California Law Requires Electrical Utility Worksites to Have AEDs

10.   Wyoming Electric Utility Dumps Wind & Solar in Long-Term Planning

11.   WA State: $7.5M Solar Farm Off Highway 395 Is A First for Franklin County

12.   Sunnyside Renewable Energy Project Aims to Turn Dairy Waste into Natural Gas

13.   In a First, Renewables Beat Natural Gas on U.S. Grid Last Month

14.   Hosting Solar Can Be a Lifeline for Farmers. But Overcoming Local Opposition Is Tough

15.   States Are Struggling to Meet Their Clean Energy Goals. Data Centers Are to Blame

16.   Commercial Salmon Fishing to Open in California for the First Time Since 2022 as Population Rebounds

17.   Seattle to Sign Agreement Concerning Skagit River Dams

18.   ‘The Salmon People’: How Alaska’s Only Native Reservation Saved Its Fishing Culture

19.   Oregon’s Snowpack Just Broke a Terrifying Record, & the Consequences Could Be Devastating This Summer

20.   Fourth WA Drought Emergency. ‘No Way to Sugarcoat’ Power, Fish & Fire Risks

21.   ‘It’s Incredibly Bad’: No End in Sight to Colorado River Water Crisis

22.   $38 Million Water Infrastructure for Idaho

23.   Iran War Has Some U.S. Water Utilities Facing a Fluoride Shortage

24.   Seattle Weighs Five Data Center Proposals Amid Power Concerns

25.   Trump Approves Oregon Disaster Declaration Over Severe Winter Storms

26.   Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for WA Flooding

27.   Two Major Disaster Declarations Approved for Montana

28.   Overnight Offshore Earthquake Swarm Poses No Danger to Pacific Northwest, Expert Says

29.   Guest Essay: Salmon Are Not to Blame for Bonneville Power Administration Failing to Meet Its Responsibilities

Word of the Day

Éminence Grise • \ay-mee-nawns - GREEZ\ • Noun - 1: a confidential agent; especially: one exercising unsuspected or unofficial power 2: a respected authority; specifically: an elder statesman.

     See Edgar Bergen

     McCarthy’s Éminence Grise

     His voice thrown for laughs

https://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      EIA Sees Electricity Consumption Continuing to Grow Through 2050 at a Rate of 0.9% to 1.6% (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/eia-sees-electricity-consumption-continuing-grow-through-2050-rate-09-16

2.      California Utility Bills Are 20% Higher Due to Wildfires (Bloomberg News – Via the Insurance Journal)

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2026/04/13/865378.htm

3.      More Households Face Gas, Electricity Shutoffs Despite New Protections (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2026/04/utility-disconnections-rise-in-oregon-despite-moratoriums.html

4.      Analysis Finds U.S. Electricity Costs Stable, Household Burden Near Historic Low (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/51819-analysis-finds-u-s-electricity-costs-stable-household-burden-near-historic-low/

5.      Fire Survivors Call for Audits of Edison's Wildfire Prevention Spending (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fire-survivors-call-audits-edisons-100000644.html

6.      Terra-Gen to Pay $5.6M To Settle California ISO Market Manipulation Charges (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/terra-gen-ferc-caiso-market-manipulation/817178/

7.      Amid ‘Nuclear Renaissance,’ Idaho Worries About Job Demands Coming to the Intermountain West (Utah News Dispatch)

https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/04/13/nuclear-renaissance-idaho-worries-about-job-demands/

8.      Power Providers Make Moves That Are Reshaping Colorado’s Electric Utilities Landscape (Colorado Sun)

https://coloradosun.com/2026/04/10/power-providers-wholesale-market-lpea-tri-state/

9.      New California Law Requires Electrical Utility Worksites to Have AEDs (Safety & Health Magazine)

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/new-california-law-requires-electrical-utility-worksites-to-have-aeds/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

10.   Wyoming Electric Utility Dumps Wind & Solar in Long-Term Planning (WyoFile)

https://wyofile.com/wyoming-electric-utility-dumps-wind-and-solar-in-long-term-planning/

11.   WA State: $7.5M Solar Farm Off Highway 395 Is A First for Franklin County (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/75m-solar-farm-off-highway-395-is-a-1st-for-franklin-county/ar-AA20Ly2T

12.   Sunnyside Renewable Energy Project Aims to Turn Dairy Waste into Natural Gas (KIMA-TV, Yakima, WA)

https://www.applevalleynewsnow.com/news/sunnyside-renewable-energy-project-aims-to-turn-dairy-waste-into-natural-gas/article_275cad44-cd70-4d86-8ee8-c6c9b2024833.html

13.   In a First, Renewables Beat Natural Gas on U.S. Grid Last Month (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/renewables-beat-natural-gas-us-grid-march-2026

14.   Hosting Solar Can Be a Lifeline for Farmers. But Overcoming Local Opposition Is Tough (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/business/hosting-solar-can-be-a-lifeline-for-farmers-but-a22203375

15.   States Are Struggling to Meet Their Clean Energy Goals. Data Centers Are to Blame (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ai-data-centers-nevada-clean-energy-47d1b6633ed720962848f4b5b91e7d6b

Fish & Wildlife

16.   Commercial Salmon Fishing to Open in California for the First Time Since 2022 as Population Rebounds (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/business/commercial-salmon-fishing-to-open-in-california-a22202623

17.   Seattle to Sign Agreement Concerning Skagit River Dams (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/environment/2026-04-10/seattle-to-sign-agreement-concerning-skagit-river-dams

18.   ‘The Salmon People’: How Alaska’s Only Native Reservation Saved Its Fishing Culture (Alaska Beacon)

https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/09/the-salmon-people-how-alaskas-only-native-reservation-saved-its-fishing-culture/

Water, Water, Anywhere?

19.   Oregon’s Snowpack Just Broke a Terrifying Record, & the Consequences Could Be Devastating This Summer (The Oregonian, OR – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/oregon-snowpack-just-broke-terrifying-220237711.html

20.   Fourth WA Drought Emergency. ‘No Way to Sugarcoat’ Power, Fish & Fire Risks (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/4th-wa-drought-emergency-no-234912771.html

21.   ‘It’s Incredibly Bad’: No End in Sight to Colorado River Water Crisis (WyoFile)

https://wyofile.com/its-incredibly-bad-no-end-in-sight-to-colorado-river-water-crisis/

22.   $38 Million Water Infrastructure for Idaho (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/38-million-water-infrastructure-for-idaho/article_842ca0f2-b587-414b-be80-0b9c1ba92a3b.html

23.   Iran War Has Some U.S. Water Utilities Facing a Fluoride Shortage (ABC News)

https://abcnews.com/Health/wireStory/iran-war-us-water-utilities-facing-fluoride-shortage-131996908

HAL’s Internet CafĂ©

24.   Seattle Weighs Five Data Center Proposals Amid Power Concerns (Axios Seattle)

https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/04/10/seattle-five-data-center-proposals-city-light-electricity-demand-review

Politics, Governance, and Management

25.   Trump Approves Oregon Disaster Declaration Over Severe Winter Storms (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/briefs/trump-approves-oregon-disaster-declaration-over-severe-winter-storms/

26.   Trump Approves Disaster Declaration for WA Flooding (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/trump-approves-disaster-declaration-for-wa-flooding/

27.   Two Major Disaster Declarations Approved for Montana (KFBB-TV, Great Falls, MT)

https://www.montanarightnow.com/helena/2-major-disaster-declarations-approved-for-montana/article_70488e2d-1665-4230-99ca-5d8162e403ed.html

Other Things to Know About Today

28.   Overnight Offshore Earthquake Swarm Poses No Danger to Pacific Northwest, Expert Says (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/weather/earthquakes/overnight-offshore-earthquake-swarm-poses-no-danger-to-pacific-northwest-expert-says/281-f4749ec8-aeb4-4e54-9700-0428518088dc

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

29.   Guest Essay: Salmon Are Not to Blame for Bonneville Power Administration Failing to Meet Its Responsibilities (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/08/salmon-are-not-to-blame-for-bonneville-power-administration-failing-to-meet-its-responsibilities/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Nearly 50 Years Later, Cincinnati May Get a Real 'WKRP'

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/07/nx-s1-5775485/nearly-50-years-later-cincinnati-may-get-a-real-wkrp-radio-station

From ‘BuddhaBot’ to $1.99-Per-Minute Chats with Artificial Intelligence Jesus, the Faith-Based Tech Boom Is Here

https://apnews.com/article/religious-chatbots-ai-technology-jesus-buddhabot-e1ed4832b25a23ee85292da681a0ec37

‘H.R. Pufnstuf’, ‘Land of the Lost’ Co-Creator, Sid Krofft, Dies at 96

https://ktla.com/entertainment/h-r-pufnstuf-land-of-the-lost-co-creator-sid-krofft-dies-at-96/

He Recorded 10,000 Concerts on Tape, Now They’re Streaming for Free

https://ktla.com/entertainment/he-recorded-10000-concerts-on-tape-now-theyre-streaming-for-free/

Song of the Day

 Tom Wells & Hugh Wilson – WKRP Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7TyXhNDCLE

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken links.

Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.