Sunday, May 4, 2025

The Energy News Digest for May 5, 2025

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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)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/success-declared-for-eastern-wa-nuclear-project-that-could-save-taxpayers-billions/article_b0f90197-5121-510b-ada4-84e374746a7f.html

‘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)

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/04/30/hageman-says-wyoming-can-be-part-of-hydropower-boom-across-west/

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/

2.      ‘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/

3.      Rep. Hageman (WY) Says Wyoming Can Be Part of Hydropower Boom Across West (Cowboy State Daily, WY)

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/04/30/hageman-says-wyoming-can-be-part-of-hydropower-boom-across-west/

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\

6.      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

7.      ‘Huge Lights Out Alert’ for Oregon Aims to Help Birds Find Their Way Home (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2025/05/huge-lights-out-alert-for-oregon-aims-to-help-birds-find-their-way-home.html

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)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/success-declared-for-eastern-wa-nuclear-project-that-could-save-taxpayers-billions/article_b0f90197-5121-510b-ada4-84e374746a7f.html

London Calling –Telecommunications

9.      WA State: Grays Harbor PUD, Paramount Launch East County Fiber Expansion (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/pud-paramount-launch-east-county-fiber-expansion/ar-AA1DWbuk

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)

https://ktvz.com/news/oregon-northwest/2025/05/02/oregon-clean-vehicle-rebate-program-returns-with-new-grant-funding/

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)

https://apnews.com/article/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-shareholders-annual-meeting-a421061233f99859673fb131ce020d4d

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Popul

14.   Guest Essay: Electricity Realism Isn’t Climate Denialism (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)

https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2025/04/29/fossil-fuel-electricity-renewable-energy-reliability/stories/202504290018

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

https://www.wbgo.org/podcast/art-of-the-story/2025-04-29/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

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/05/02/worlds-oldest-living-person-guiness-world-records/3571746200541/

Song of the Day

The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations (Feat. Carole Kaye on bass)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkPyB-g3asI

Links & Paywall Advisory

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 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.