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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Trump Admin.
Cancels More Than $1 Billion in Funding for WA Energy Projects (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
‘A Cost of Climate
Change’: Why the Price of Electricity Is Outpacing Inflation (National Public
Radio)
Fears of Massive
Battery Fires Spark Local Opposition to Energy Storage Projects (Associated
Press)
https://apnews.com/article/battery-storage-grid-new-york-a84b8c7621c474c9ee9339b1d809a629
Why Too Many Pink
Salmon in Snohomish County May Not Be a Good Thing (Everett Herald, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/why-too-many-pink-salmon-in-snohomish-county-may-not-be-a-good-thing/
Public Power to
Celebrate Public Power Week with Wide Range of Events, Activities (American
Public Power Association)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. ‘A
Cost of Climate Change’: Why the Price of Electricity Is Outpacing Inflation
2. Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers Are Sending Power Bills Soaring
3. Trump
Is Reviving Large Sales of Coal from Public Lands. Will Anyone Want It?
4. Lower
Electricity Bills? Or More Pollution? A New California Law Is Sparking Big
Debate
5. ‘On
Time & in Full’ – The Bonneville Power Administration Makes 42nd Straight
U.S. Treasury Payment
6. Nuclear
in My Backyard? More of America & the Market, Seems OK with It
7. Fears
of Massive Battery Fires Spark Local Opposition to Energy Storage Projects
8. WA
State: Douglas County PUD To Officially Open $27 Million Green Hydrogen
Production Facility
9. Oregon
Is Digging Deep to Tap into an Uncommon Renewable Energy Source — Super Hot
Rocks
10. Federal
Judge Finds Feds Illegally Capped Sustainable Energy Funding in Oregon, 18
Other States
11. Loch
Ness Hydropower Project ‘Gives Renewable Energy a Bad Name’
12. Are
Incandescent Lightbulbs Making a Comeback? Here’s What We Know
13. Why
Too Many Pink Salmon in Snohomish County May Not Be a Good Thing
14. Sockeye
Salmon Are Coming Home in a Historic Return to the Columbia River
15. Federal
Cuts Threaten Northwest Fish Hatcheries in the Columbia River Basin
16. Saving
Puget Sound’s Puffins: Bringing These Ocean Ambassadors Back from the Brink
17. Southern
Resident Orcas Welcome New Calf
18. Water
Use Restricted in Yakima River Basin as Reservoir at Record Low
19. 198-Mile
Broadband Project Making Significant Progress in Rural Idaho
20. Electric
Vehicle Charging - One Biden Green Program Gets New Life Under Trump
21. Public
Power to Celebrate Public Power Week with Wide Range of Events, Activities
22. ‘The
Blob’ Returns: Record Pacific Ocean Heatwave Threatens Weather, Marine Life
23. Three
Supermoons Will Light Up the Night Sky for the Last Months of 2025
24. Congress
Remains Deadlocked on Shutdown Ahead of Monday Vote
25. California:
Gov. Newsom Vetoes Energy Bills on Virtual Power Plants, Load Management &
Interconnection
26. Trump
Admin. Cancels More Than $1 Billion in Funding for WA Energy Projects
27. Trump
Administration Moves to Terminate $400 Million in Energy Grants in Oregon
28. Trump
Administration Defunds Northwest Hydrogen Hub, Spokane Grid Project, WSU
Research in Cuts Targeting ‘The Left’s Climate Agenda’
29. Trump
Administration Yanks Funding for Northwest Green Hydrogen Project
30. U.S.
to Cancel Billions for West Coast Hydrogen Hubs Amid Shutdown
31. Trump’s
$7.5B Energy Cuts Take $157M Out of Prized Richland Project
32. Trump
Administration Cuts $46 Million in Funding for Projects in Lewis County
33. Drought
& Elevated Fire Danger Continue into October, Though Mid-Month May Offer
Relief
34. Fighting
Wildfire with Fire: California Residents, Once Wary, Embrace ‘Controlled Burns’
35. Trump’s
Shutdown Cuts Come for the Grid
36. Guest
Essay: Cutting Red Tape Can Help Tri-Cities Meet Increasing Energy Demand
37. Guest
Essay: As The Colorado River Slowly Dries Up, States Angle for Influence Over
Future Water Rights
38.
Guest Essay: California’s Solar & Battery
Combo Packs a Transformational Punch
Word of the Day
Doldrums • \DOLE-drums\ • noun - 1: a spell of listlessness or despondency 2: often capitalized: a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light shifting winds 3: a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump
Raindrops splattered against Donny’s office window. The rhythm of the pelting drops was hypnotic, dragging the usually energetic accountant into a listless bout of the doldrums.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
‘A Cost of Climate Change’: Why the Price of Electricity
Is Outpacing Inflation (National Public Radio)
2.
Artificial Intelligence Data Centers Are Sending
Power Bills Soaring (Bloomberg News)
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-data-centers-electricity-prices/
3.
Trump Is Reviving Large Sales of Coal from Public
Lands. Will Anyone Want It? (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-public-lands-sales-3239c138a851b157c340fe3f5d1fc600
4.
Lower Electricity Bills? Or More Pollution? A New
California Law Is Sparking Big Debate (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
5.
‘On Time & in Full’ – The Bonneville Power
Administration Makes 42nd Straight U.S. Treasury Payment (Bonneville Power
Administration)
6.
Nuclear in My Backyard? More of America & the
Market, Seems OK with It (CNBC News)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/05/nuclear-power-modular-reactor-energy-demand-public-market-risks.html
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
7.
Fears of Massive Battery Fires Spark Local
Opposition to Energy Storage Projects (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/battery-storage-grid-new-york-a84b8c7621c474c9ee9339b1d809a629
8.
WA State: Douglas County PUD To Officially Open
$27 Million Green Hydrogen Production Facility (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
9.
Oregon Is Digging Deep to Tap into an Uncommon
Renewable Energy Source — Super Hot Rocks (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
10.
Federal Judge Finds Feds Illegally Capped
Sustainable Energy Funding in Oregon, 18 Other States (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
11.
Loch Ness Hydropower Project ‘Gives Renewable
Energy a Bad Name’ (The Times of London)
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/loch-ness-hydropower-project-scotland-rsm26b3c3
Conservation &
Efficiency
12.
Are Incandescent Lightbulbs Making a Comeback?
Here’s What We Know (Slashgear)
https://www.slashgear.com/1984013/are-incandescent-light-bulbs-coming-back/
Fish & Wildlife
13.
Why Too Many Pink Salmon in Snohomish County May
Not Be a Good Thing (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/why-too-many-pink-salmon-in-snohomish-county-may-not-be-a-good-thing/
14.
Sockeye Salmon Are Coming Home in a Historic
Return to the Columbia River (Castanet, Kelowna, BC)
15.
Federal Cuts Threaten Northwest Fish Hatcheries in
the Columbia River Basin (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
16.
Saving Puget Sound’s Puffins: Bringing These
Ocean Ambassadors Back from the Brink (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
17.
Southern Resident Orcas Welcome New Calf (Axios
Seattle)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
18.
Water Use Restricted in Yakima River Basin as Reservoir
at Record Low (Cascade PBS)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
19.
198-Mile Broadband Project Making Significant
Progress in Rural Idaho (Yahoo! News)
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/198-mile-broadband-project-making-101400385.html
I Sing the Car Electric
20.
Electric Vehicle Charging - One Biden Green
Program Gets New Life Under Trump (Politico)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
21.
Public Power to Celebrate Public Power Week with
Wide Range of Events, Activities (American Public Power Association)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
22.
‘The Blob’ Returns: Record Pacific Ocean Heatwave
Threatens Weather, Marine Life (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/blob-heatwave/4138575
23.
Three Supermoons Will Light Up the Night Sky for
the Last Months of 2025 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
24.
Congress Remains Deadlocked on Shutdown Ahead of
Monday Vote (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/congress-remains-deadlocked-shutdown-ahead-181416498.html
25.
California: Gov. Newsom Vetoes Energy Bills on Virtual
Power Plants, Load Management & Interconnection (Utility Dive)
On The Chopping Block
26.
Trump Admin. Cancels More Than $1 Billion in Funding
for WA Energy Projects (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
27.
Trump Administration Moves to Terminate $400 Million
in Energy Grants in Oregon (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN)
28.
Trump Administration Defunds Northwest Hydrogen
Hub, Spokane Grid Project, WSU Research in Cuts Targeting ‘The Left’s Climate
Agenda’ (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/02/trump-administration-defunds-northwest-hydrogen-hu/
29.
Trump Administration Yanks Funding for Northwest
Green Hydrogen Project (Washington State Standard)
30.
U.S. to Cancel Billions for West Coast Hydrogen
Hubs Amid Shutdown (Bloomberg News – Via MSN)
31.
Trump’s $7.5B energy cuts take $157M out of
prized Richland project (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-7-5b-energy-cuts-193530508.html
32.
Trump Administration Cuts $46 Million in Funding
for Projects in Lewis County (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Other Things to Know
About Today
33.
Drought & Elevated Fire Danger Continue into
October, Though Mid-Month May Offer Relief (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
https://komonews.com/newsletter-daily/drought-and-elevated-fire-danger-continues-into-october
34.
Fighting Wildfire with Fire: California Residents,
Once Wary, Embrace ‘Controlled Burns’ (Christian Science Monitor)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
35.
Trump’s Shutdown Cuts Come for the Grid (Politico)
36.
Guest Essay: Cutting Red Tape Can Help Tri-Cities
Meet Increasing Energy Demand (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cutting-red-tape-help-tri-120000312.html
37.
Guest Essay: As The Colorado River Slowly Dries
Up, States Angle for Influence Over Future Water Rights (Utah News Dispatch)
38.
Guest Essay: California’s Solar & Battery
Combo Packs a Transformational Punch (Reuters)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
This ‘70s Rock
Anthem Is the ‘Catchiest Song Ever Written’ According to Science
https://parade.com/news/this-70s-rock-anthem-catchiest-song-ever-written-according-science-queen
Scientists Found a 650-Year-Old
Shoe in a Vulture Nest. That’s Just the Start of It.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/scientists-found-650-old-shoe-110000891.html
Excavators Find $1
Million in Gold Coins from Spanish Shipwreck Along Florida’s ‘Treasure Coast’
https://apnews.com/article/florida-shipwreck-spanish-gold-coins-cfea12b415eae3c2d2d24d86d167ab3d
Pharaoh’s Tomb in Egypt’s
Valley of the Kings Reopens to the Public After 2-Decade Renovation
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pharaoh-amenhotep-iii-egypt-luxor-valley-of-the-kings-tomb-reopens/
Song of the Day
Queen – We Will
Rock You/We Are the Champions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNWvNEPsilI
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which may result in broken links.
Although I choose
stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible
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files may help you access some paywall sites.