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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Record Load Growth,
High Temperatures Expected to Strain Grid This Summer: NERC (American Public
Power Association)
Fears Over Columbia
Basin Dams, Hydroelectricity Grow as Agencies Lose Hundreds of Employees
(Oregon Capital Chronicle)
A Crucial River
Treaty Is Tangled in Trump’s Feud with Canada (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/may/15/a-crucial-river-treaty-is-tangled-in-trumps-feud-w/
A Promise Finally
Fulfilled; Ferguson Signs Bill Exempting Ag from Climate Commitment Act Fuel
Taxes (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_5bc58df5-a813-4b13-af9e-ee05c9ce4a57.html
The U.S. Just Ran a
Solar Storm Emergency Drill. The Real Deal Would Be a Catastrophe (Gizmodo)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Record
Load Growth, High Temperatures Expected to Strain Grid This Summer: NERC
2. Fears
Over Columbia Basin Dams, Hydroelectricity Grow as Agencies Lose Hundreds of
Employees
3. A
Crucial River Treaty Is Tangled in Trump’s Feud with Canada
4. U.S.
Hydropower Generation Expected to Rise in 2025 Following Last Year’s Relative
Low
5. WA
State: Grant PUD Commissioners Considering Bigger Up-Front Fees for Large Power
Customers
6. Oregon:
Lawmakers Consider Bills to Limit Gas & Electricity Companies’ Ability to
Raise Customer Rates: ‘A Renewed Commitment’
7. Bonneville
Power Administration Financial Outlook Improves with Second Quarter Results
8. Oregon:
Deschutes County Commissioners Urge PacifiCorp to Consider Route D for
Transmission Line
9. How
to Comment on Army Corps Plan for Detroit Lake Drawdown, Willamette Valley
Hydropower
10. Oregon:
Portland General Electric Working with Other Agencies to Create Wildfire
Prevention Strategies Before Fire Season
11. Environmentalists
Oppose More Life for California Nuke Plant
12. NuScale
Expects 77-MWe Design Approval in July, First Small Modular Reactor Order by
December
13. Oklo
Looks to Trump to Hasten Nuclear Permitting
14. Southwest
Power Pool’s Board Approves Resource Adequacy Study
15. Podcast:
Electric Co-ops Using Elective-Pay Credits to Meet ‘Unique Future Goals’
16. Homeowner
Gives Honest Review of Energy Savings with Solar Panels One Year After
Installation: ‘Are They Worth It?’
17. Spring
Chinook Run Surpasses Expectations in the Columbia River
18. Killer
Whales Spotted in Oregon Rivers as Sightings Rise Along Coast
19. Arizona,
Utah, CA, WA Seek Federal Money for Water Infrastructure
20. Rural-Focused
Organization Launches Effort to Address Infrastructure Needs in Rural WA
21. A
Promise Finally Fulfilled; Ferguson Signs Bill Exempting Ag from Climate
Commitment Act Fuel Taxes
22. Charter
& Cox Announce $34.5 Billion Merger: What This Could Mean for Your Cable
and Broadband
23. Astound
Broadband Announces $22 Million Project with Clallam County, Washington
24. Trump
Administration Cancels $16 Million WA Digital Equity Grant
25. Only
22 U.S. States Met Bare-Minimum Broadband Internet Speeds in 2024
26. Data
Centers’ Hunger for Energy Could Raise All Electric Bills
27. Report
Highlights Community Pushback Stalling $64 Billion in Data Center Development
Nationwide
28. ‘We
Don’t Want the Money’: WA Trucking Industry Resists Electric Vehicle Mandate
29. ‘It’s
Necessary for a Community to Thrive’: Rural Newspapers Refocus Their
Publications as News Deserts Grow
30. The
U.S. Just Ran a Solar Storm Emergency Drill. The Real Deal Would Be a
Catastrophe
31. Trump
Cuts Halt Local Overnight Weather Forecasts for Eastern Washington, Oregon
32. ‘Like
Turning Off the Headlights:’ Pacific Northwest Braces for Ocean-Monitoring
Blackout in Federal Budget Slash
33. Central
U.S. Braces for More Severe Weather on the Heels of Deadly Storms & Tornado
Damage
34. 1980
Mount St. Helens Eruption Considered ‘Game Changer’ for Volcanic Observation
35. Guest
Essay: The Power Blackout in Spain & Portugal Wasn’t a Fluke. It Was the
Future
36. Commentary:
Killing FCC WiFi Hotspots
37. Guest
Essay: California’s Solar Wars Are Forcing Low-Income Families to Foot the Bill
38.
Guest Essay: Going Solar Should Be Cheaper &
Easier. Local Governments Are Standing in the Way.
Word of the Day – Horrible Haiku Edition
Diseuse \dee-ZOOZ\ Noun - A woman who is a skilled & usually professional reciter.
Elocutionist
Diseuse shames all the shy boys
Brings the big house down
Energy & Utility
Issues
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/may/15/a-crucial-river-treaty-is-tangled-in-trumps-feud-w/
4.
U.S. Hydropower Generation Expected to Rise in 2025
Following Last Year’s Relative Low (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65286
5.
WA State: Grant PUD Commissioners Considering
Bigger Up-Front Fees for Large Power Customers (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)
6.
Oregon: Lawmakers Consider Bills to Limit Gas &
Electricity Companies’ Ability to Raise Customer Rates: ‘A Renewed Commitment’
(The Cool Down)
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/how-to-save-on-utility-rates-bills-or-oregon/
7.
Bonneville Power Administration Financial
Outlook Improves with Second Quarter Results (Bonneville Power Administration)
8.
Oregon: Deschutes County Commissioners Urge PacifiCorp
to Consider Route D for Transmission Line (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
9.
How to Comment on Army Corps Plan for Detroit
Lake Drawdown, Willamette Valley Hydropower (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR – Paywall
Advisory)
10.
Oregon: Portland General Electric Working with Other
Agencies to Create Wildfire Prevention Strategies Before Fire Season (KGW-TV,
Portland, OR)
11.
Environmentalists Oppose More Life for California
Nuke Plant (Associated Press)
12.
NuScale Expects 77-MWe Design Approval in July,
First Small Modular Reactor Order by December (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nuscale-design-approval-small-modular-reactor-nuclear/748236/
13.
Oklo Looks to Trump to Hasten Nuclear Permitting
(Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oklo-trump-nuclear-permitting-reactor-regulatory/748357/
14.
Southwest Power Pool’s Board Approves Resource
Adequacy Study (Daily Energy Insider)
15.
Podcast: Electric Co-ops Using Elective-Pay
Credits to Meet ‘Unique Future Goals’ (National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
16.
Homeowner Gives Honest Review of Energy Savings with
Solar Panels One Year After Installation: ‘Are They Worth It?’ (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/homeowner-gives-honest-review-energy-041000291.html
Fish & Wildlife
17.
Spring Chinook Run Surpasses Expectations in the
Columbia River (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
18.
Killer Whales Spotted in Oregon Rivers as
Sightings Rise Along Coast (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
19.
Arizona, Utah, CA, WA Seek Federal Money for
Water Infrastructure (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_a35607af-8bab-48c4-9244-5a44329403c6.html
20.
Rural-Focused Organization Launches Effort to
Address Infrastructure Needs in Rural WA (Washington State Standard)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_5bc58df5-a813-4b13-af9e-ee05c9ce4a57.html
London Calling
–Telecommunications
22.
Charter & Cox Announce $34.5 Billion Merger:
What This Could Mean for Your Cable and Broadband (C|Net News – Via MSN News)
23.
Astound Broadband Announces $22 Million Project with
Clallam County, Washington (Telecompetitor)
24.
Trump Administration Cancels $16 Million WA Digital
Equity Grant (Washington State Standard)
25.
Only 22 U.S. States Met Bare-Minimum Broadband
Internet Speeds in 2024 (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/only-22-u-s-states-met-bare-minimum-broadband-internet-speeds-in-2024-2000604081
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
26. Data
Centers’ Hunger for Energy Could Raise All Electric Bills (Honolulu Star-Advertiser,
HI)
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/05/19/breaking-news/data-centers-hunger-for-energy-could-raise-all-electric-bills/
27.
Report Highlights Community Pushback Stalling
$64 Billion in Data Center Development Nationwide (Inside Climate News)
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19052025/virginia-data-center-development-community-pushback/
I Sing the Car Electric
28.
‘We Don’t Want the Money’: WA Trucking Industry
Resists Electric Vehicle Mandate (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_bc7ab706-0692-4ad1-a9ea-c1b26d6f3b76.html
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
29.
‘It’s Necessary for a Community to Thrive’: Rural
Newspapers Refocus Their Publications as News Deserts Grow (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/may/18/its-necessary-for-a-community-to-thrive-rural-news/
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
30. The
U.S. Just Ran a Solar Storm Emergency Drill. The Real Deal Would Be a
Catastrophe (Gizmodo)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
31.
Trump Cuts Halt Local Overnight Weather
Forecasts for Eastern Washington, Oregon (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-cuts-halt-local-overnight-222350890.html
32.
‘Like Turning Off the Headlights:’ Pacific
Northwest Braces for Ocean-Monitoring Blackout in Federal Budget Slash (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/18/trump-ioos-budget-cut/
Other Things to Know
About Today
33.
Central U.S. Braces for More Severe Weather on
the Heels of Deadly Storms & Tornado Damage (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/severe-weather-central-us-deadly-storms-tornado-damage-nws/
34.
1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption Considered ‘Game
Changer’ for Volcanic Observation (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
35.
Guest Essay: The Power Blackout in Spain & Portugal
Wasn’t a Fluke. It Was the Future (Chicago Tribune, IL)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/12/opinion-spain-portugal-blackout-power-outage/
36.
Commentary: Killing FCC WiFi Hotspots (Pots
& Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/05/13/killing-fcc-wifi-hotspots/
37.
Guest Essay: California’s Solar Wars Are Forcing
Low-Income Families to Foot the Bill (Sacramento Bee, CA – Via MSN News)
38.
Guest Essay: Going Solar Should Be Cheaper &
Easier. Local Governments Are Standing in the Way. (Colorado Newsline)
https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/05/16/solar-should-be-easier-local-governments/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Decades-Long
Mystery of Ginger Cats Revealed
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwywdjjgvqqo
Cut-Price Magna
Carta ‘Copy’ Now Believed Genuine
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm23zjknre7o
Oregon Hobbyists
Reach for the Stars with Backyard Astrophotography
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/17/oregon-backyard-astrophotography/
Washington
Honors an Ancient Bonsai Tree That Survived Hiroshima
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5383306/bonsai-survived-hiroshima-bombing-anniversary
Song of the Day
Al Stewart – Year
of the Cat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85c55ESHXVc
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 paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookie files may help you access some paywall sites.
