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Hotshots – Today’s Top Stories
Third Straight Year
of Snowpack Drought Raises Water Supply, Wildfire Concerns (KIRO Broadcasting,
Seattle, WA)
Judge Strikes Down
Washington’s Natural Gas Initiative, Citing Constitutional Violation (KOMO
News, Seattle, WA)
Idaho Legislature’s
Budget Committee Kills Federal Funding for Home Energy Rebates (Idaho Capital
Sun)
Is the Electric
Vehicle Market Peaking? Oregon Sales Growth Cooled Last Year (The Oregonian,
Portland, OR – Via MSN News)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Judge
Strikes Down Washington’s Natural Gas Initiative, Citing Constitutional
Violation
2. Montana:
Trump Rolls Back Biden Coal Policies – The Reversals Have Implications for
Montana’s Colstrip Power Plant & the Spring Creek Mine.
3. Washington
May Allow Coal Power, If No One Knows
4. WA
State: New Details Released into Fatal Helicopter/Powerline Crash
5. New
Studies May Lead to Removal of Snake River Dams
6. Portland
General Electric Touts ‘Record High’ Production at Clackamas River Hydro
Facilities After Modernizations
7. Southwest
Power Pool First RTO to Operate in Both Interconnections with FERC Tariff
Approval
8. WA
State: Clallam PUD Addresses Difficulty in Procuring Analog Meters by Updating
Residential Meter Policy
9. Hawaii:
Vegetation Removal Bill Cut Back After Concerns Raised About Letting Utilities
Off the Hook
10. Co-ops
Ask DOE to Support Vital Projects Underpinning Grid, Rural America
11. Idaho:
State Utility Makes Announcement About Largest Energy Storage Project to Date —
Here’s What It Could Mean for Thousands of Residents
12. Idaho
Legislature’s Budget Committee Kills Federal Funding for Home Energy Rebates
13. Growing
Weed Takes More Energy Than Mining Bitcoin. Can It Go Green?
14. Bill
Would Require Oregon’s Multi-Unit Property Owners to Provide Tenants Cooling
Devices
15. Trump’s
Regulatory Freeze Throws U.S. Fishing Industry into Chaos
16. Boat
Tours & Ash Scatterings Help Beleaguered California Salmon Fleet Stay
Afloat
17. Surge
in Poisoned Sea Lions Threatens Beachgoers, Burdens Rescuers
18. Turns
Out, The Antarctic Ice Sheet Is Hiding an Abundant Ecosystem
19. Third
Straight Year of Snowpack Drought Raises Water Supply, Wildfire Concerns
20. California
Water Agencies Argue for Change of Current in Kern River Legal Battle
21. New
Desalination Technology Being Tested in California Could Lower Costs of Tapping
Seawater
22. U.S.
Supreme Court Declines Appeal from Youths Seeking to Force Action on Climate
Crisis
23. Washington
Lawmakers Consider Raising Carbon Standards for Fuel, Raising Concerns About
Gas Prices
24. Oregon:
Broadband Grant Project Will Bring High-Speed Internet to Rural Pockets of
Lane, Douglas Counties
25. WA
State: New Broadband Project Breaks Ground in Rice, Promising Faster Internet
to Stevens County
26. Virginia
Data Centers Are Running Out of Power. Maryland Farms Lie in the Way.
27. Microsoft
Working to Help Protect IT Systems of Rural Hospitals
28. Is
the Electric Vehicle Market Peaking? Oregon Sales Growth Cooled Last Year
29. The
Electric-Vehicle Revolution May Be on Shakier Ground Than You Think
30. Washington
Senate Bill Would Tax Big Tech to Help Save Local Journalism—Here’s How
31. Researchers
Find Thriving, Never-Before-Seen Ecosystem Under Antarctic Ice Shelf: ‘This Is
Unprecedented’
32. How
Will the Universe End? A Changing Understanding of Dark Energy May Provide a
New Answer
33. 14
Washington State Federal Buildings Targeted for Lease Termination by Musk’s
DOGE
34. Oregon:
Investigators Reveal Cause of Deadly 2020 Santiam Canyon Fire
35. Mount
Adams Eruption Risk: Washington Updates Evacuation Plans
36. Heathrow
Defends Its Response as Questions Grow About Why a Fire Shut the Airport for So
Long
37. For
Decades the Columbia River Has Benefited Both the U.S. & Canada with Little
Worry. Then Trump Took Office
38. Guest
Essay: Electricity In California Could Cost Even More If We Don’t Work with Our
Neighbors
39.
Guest Essay: Wildfires Are Driving Up California
Electric Bills. Lawmakers Need to Act
Word of the Day
Rectitudinous /rek-tuh-TOO-duh-nus/ Adjective – 1: characterized by the quality of being honest & morally correct. 2: piously self-righteous.
In humility, the widow’s mite was given. With rectitudinous flair, the rich tossed around gold pieces like manhole covers.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Judge Strikes Down Washington’s Natural Gas
Initiative, Citing Constitutional Violation (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
2.
Montana: Trump Rolls Back Biden Coal Policies –
The Reversals Have Implications for Montana’s Colstrip Power Plant & the
Spring Creek Mine. (Montana Free Press)
https://montanafreepress.org/2025/03/19/trump-rolls-back-biden-coal-policies/
3.
Washington May Allow Coal Power, If No One Knows
(Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
https://capitalpress.com/2025/03/19/washington-may-allow-coal-power-if-no-one-knows/
4.
WA State: New Details Released into Fatal
Helicopter/Powerline Crash (Elkhorn Media Group, Lagrande, OR)
https://elkhornmediagroup.com/new-details-released-into-fatal-helicopter-crash/
5.
New Studies May Lead to Removal of Snake River Dams
(Indian Country Today)
https://ictnews.org/news/new-studies-may-lead-to-removal-of-snake-river-dams
6.
Portland General Electric Touts ‘Record High’
Production at Clackamas River Hydro Facilities After Modernizations (Factor
This)
7.
Southwest Power Pool First RTO to Operate in
Both Interconnections with FERC Tariff Approval (American Public Power
Association)
8.
WA State: Clallam PUD Addresses Difficulty in
Procuring Analog Meters by Updating Residential Meter Policy (American Public
Power Association)
9.
Hawaii: Vegetation Removal Bill Cut Back After
Concerns Raised About Letting Utilities Off the Hook (Maui Now, HI)
10.
Co-ops Ask DOE to Support Vital Projects
Underpinning Grid, Rural America (National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association)
https://www.electric.coop/co-ops-ask-doe-to-support-vital-projects-underpinning-grid-rural-america
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
11.
Idaho: State Utility Makes Announcement About
Largest Energy Storage Project to Date — Here’s What It Could Mean for
Thousands of Residents (The Cool Down – Via MSN News)
Conservation &
Efficiency
12.
Idaho Legislature’s Budget Committee Kills
Federal Funding for Home Energy Rebates (Idaho Capital Sun)
13.
Growing Weed Takes More Energy Than Mining
Bitcoin. Can It Go Green? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/mar/23/growing-weed-takes-more-energy-than-mining-bitcoin/
14.
Bill Would Require Oregon’s Multi-Unit Property
Owners to Provide Tenants Cooling Devices (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Fish & Wildlife
15.
Trump’s Regulatory Freeze Throws U.S. Fishing
Industry into Chaos (Reuters)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-regulatory-freeze-throws-us-102338547.html
16.
Boat Tours & Ash Scatterings Help
Beleaguered California Salmon Fleet Stay Afloat (Associated Press)
17.
Surge in Poisoned Sea Lions Threatens
Beachgoers, Burdens Rescuers (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/surge-poisoned-sea-lions-threatens-164859816.html
18.
Turns Out, The Antarctic Ice Sheet Is Hiding an
Abundant Ecosystem (The Weather Channel)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/turns-antarctic-ice-sheet-hiding-183023951.html
Water, Water, Anywhere?
19.
Third Straight Year of Snowpack Drought Raises
Water Supply, Wildfire Concerns (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
20.
California Water Agencies Argue for Change of
Current in Kern River Legal Battle (Courthouse News Service)
21.
New Desalination Technology Being Tested in California
Could Lower Costs of Tapping Seawater (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/desalination-technology-being-tested-california-100003822.html
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
22.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines Appeal from Youths
Seeking to Force Action on Climate Crisis (Cable News Network – Via MSN News)
23.
Washington Lawmakers Consider Raising Carbon
Standards for Fuel, Raising Concerns About Gas Prices (KAPP-TV, Yakima, WA)
London Calling –Telecommunications
24.
Oregon: Broadband Grant Project Will Bring
High-Speed Internet to Rural Pockets of Lane, Douglas Counties (KLCC-Radio,
Eugene, OR)
25.
WA State: New Broadband Project Breaks Ground in
Rice, Promising Faster Internet to Stevens County (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
26.
Virginia Data Centers Are Running Out of Power. Maryland
Farms Lie in the Way. (Christian Science Monitor)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2025/0320/data-center-alley-power-lines-farmland
27.
Microsoft Working to Help Protect IT Systems of Rural
Hospitals (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
I Sing the Car Electric
28.
Is the Electric Vehicle Market Peaking? Oregon Sales
Growth Cooled Last Year (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN News)
29.
The Electric-Vehicle Revolution May Be on
Shakier Ground Than You Think (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
30.
Washington Senate Bill Would Tax Big Tech to
Help Save Local Journalism—Here’s How (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/senate-bill-big-tech/4064006
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
31.
Researchers Find Thriving, Never-Before-Seen
Ecosystem Under Antarctic Ice Shelf: ‘This Is Unprecedented’ (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/antarctica-discovery-ice-shelf-ecosystem-research/
32.
How Will the Universe End? A Changing
Understanding of Dark Energy May Provide a New Answer (Associated Press)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
33.
14 Washington State Federal Buildings Targeted for
Lease Termination by Musk’s DOGE (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Other Things to Know
About Today
34.
Oregon: Investigators Reveal Cause of Deadly
2020 Santiam Canyon Fire (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
35.
Mount Adams Eruption Risk: Washington Updates
Evacuation Plans (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/ixp/113/p/mount-adams-eruption-risk-washington-updates-evacuation-plans/
36.
Heathrow Defends Its Response as Questions Grow
About Why a Fire Shut the Airport for So Long (Associated Press)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
37.
For Decades the Columbia River Has Benefited
Both the U.S. & Canada with Little Worry. Then Trump Took Office (The
Independent, UK – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/decades-columbia-river-benefited-both-135908947.html
38.
Guest Essay: Electricity In California Could
Cost Even More If We Don’t Work with Our Neighbors (Sacramento Bee, CA – Via MSN
News)
39.
Guest Essay: Wildfires Are Driving Up California
Electric Bills. Lawmakers Need to Act (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Arcamax)
https://www.arcamax.com/politics/opeds/s-3647405
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Library Book Back in
Circulation After Being 98 Years Overdue
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/03/21/Cincinnati-Hamilton-Public-Library-98-years/6601742582551/
FAA: Ice Chunk That
Crashed Through Florida Roof Was Not from Plane
Painting Bought for
$2.99 at Goodwill Auctioned for $2,875
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/03/20/Goodwill-painting-Johann-Berthelsen/8171742491807/
Blobfish Named New
Zealand's Fish of the Year 2025
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/03/19/nz-Fish-of-the-Year-blobfish-New-Zealand/9651742401527/
Song of the Day
Mussorgsky -
Pictures at an Exhibition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-At9tWyrLs
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Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
Although I choose
stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
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