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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Northwest Power
& Conservation Council Releases Initial 20-Year Forecast for Pacific
Northwest Electricity Demand (Northwest Power & Conservation Council)
https://www.nwcouncil.org/news/2025/05/02/pacific-northwest-load-forecast-2025/
Success Declared
for Hanford Nuclear Project That Could Save Taxpayers Billions (Yakima
Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)
‘The State Is
Robbing Us’: A Potential Nuclear Project in Rural Utah Highlights Concern About
New Energy Law (Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/04/30/utah-nuclear-energy-rural-county/
Rep. Hageman (WY)
Says Wyoming Can Be Part of Hydropower Boom Across West (Cowboy State Daily,
WY)
Northern Pikeminnow
Reward Fishery Open on Snake, Columbia Rivers (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA –
Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/northern-pikeminnow-reward-fishery-open-020300067.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Northwest
Power & Conservation Council Releases Initial 20-Year Forecast for Pacific
Northwest Electricity Demand
2. ‘The
State Is Robbing Us’: A Potential Nuclear Project in Rural Utah Highlights
Concern About New Energy Law
3. Rep.
Hageman (WY) Says Wyoming Can Be Part of Hydropower Boom Across West
4. Berkshire’s
Abel Says Wildfires Prompted New Approach to Keeping Lights On
5. News
Release: Western Energy Imbalance Market Approaches New Milestone (
6. Northern
Pikeminnow Reward Fishery Open on Snake, Columbia Rivers
7. ‘Huge
Lights Out Alert’ for Oregon Aims to Help Birds Find Their Way Home
8. Success
Declared for Hanford Nuclear Project That Could Save Taxpayers Billions
9. WA
State: Grays Harbor PUD, Paramount Launch East County Fiber Expansio
10. WA
State: Okanogan County Broadband Build-Out Moves Ahead, Despite Uncertainty
11. Oregon
Clean Vehicle Rebate Program Returns, with New Grant Funding
12. President
Trump Quietly Halts Money for Preventing Disaster Damage
13. Warren
Buffett Shocks Shareholders by Announcing His Intention to Retire at the End of
the Year
14. Guest
Essay: Electricity Realism Isn’t Climate Denialism
15.
Where Is Your Carbon Dioxide Tax Really Going?
Policy Expert Slams WA State’s ‘Ineffective’ Spending
Word of the Day
Behemoth \bi-HEE-muth\ • Noun – 1: often capitalized: a mighty animal described in Job 40:15–24 as an example of the power of God 2: something of monstrous size, power, or appearance
Alfred was pleased with the results of his sand sculpture on the Washington Coast. It was a full sized reproduction of an orca whale, carved with delicate care near Ocean Shores. Unfortunately for his creation, decorated with black and white dyed sand, it was done too well. The sand whale was absolutely destroyed when whale watchers arrived on the scene and tried to push the behemoth back into the pounding surf.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Northwest Power & Conservation Council Releases
Initial 20-Year Forecast for Pacific Northwest Electricity Demand (Northwest
Power & Conservation Council)
https://www.nwcouncil.org/news/2025/05/02/pacific-northwest-load-forecast-2025/
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/04/30/utah-nuclear-energy-rural-county/
4.
Berkshire’s Abel Says Wildfires Prompted New
Approach to Keeping Lights On (Reuters)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/berkshires-abel-says-wildfires-prompted-180858617.html
5. News
Release: Western Energy I\
https://www.yahoo.com/news/northern-pikeminnow-reward-fishery-open-020300067.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
7.
‘Huge Lights Out Alert’ for Oregon Aims to Help
Birds Find Their Way Home (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Environmental Afflatus –
Clean Up on Aisle Three
8.
Success Declared for Hanford Nuclear Project
That Could Save Taxpayers Billions
(Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
9.
WA State: Grays Harbor PUD, Paramount Launch East
County Fiber Expansion (MSN News)
10.
WA State: Okanogan County Broadband Build-Out
Moves Ahead, Despite Uncertainty (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
https://methowvalleynews.com/2025/05/01/broadband-build-out-moves-ahead-despite-uncertainty/
I Sing the Car Electric
11.
Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program Returns, with
New Grant Funding (KTVZ-TV. Bend, OR)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
12.
President Trump Quietly Halts Money for
Preventing Disaster Damage (Politico)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/trump-quietly-halts-money-for-preventing-disaster-damage/
Other Things to Know
About Today
13.
Warren Buffett Shocks Shareholders by Announcing
His Intention to Retire at the End of the Year (Associated Press)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Popul
14.
Guest Essay: Electricity Realism Isn’t Climate
Denialism (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
15.
Where Is Your Carbon Dioxide Tax Really Going? Policy
Expert Slams WA State’s ‘Ineffective’ Spending (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/john-curley/co2-tax-really-going/4082619
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Groundbreaking Bassist
Carol Kaye Finally Gets the Recognition She Truly Deserves
Millions of Dimes
Spill onto Texas Highway After Truck Rolls
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/cha-ching-millions-dimes-spill-texas-highway-after-121374683
Soviet-Era
Spacecraft Is Set to Plunge to Earth a Half-Century After Its Failed Launch to Venus
https://apnews.com/article/soviet-spacecraft-venus-kosmos-482-298aab6aabd799f2881bdb8279b9d9c7
British Woman, 115,
Becomes World’s Oldest Living Person
Song of the Day
The Beach Boys – Good
Vibrations (Feat. Carole Kaye on bass)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkPyB-g3asI
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