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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Electric
Vehicle-Fueled Inferno Forces Crew to Abandon Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Across
Pacific (Jalopnik)
https://www.jalopnik.com/1877670/3000-ev-cars-burning-car-carrier-pacific/
Meta Becomes the
Latest Big Tech Company Turning to Nuclear Power for Artificial Intelligence
Energy Needs (Courthouse News Service)
Groups Head to
California Supreme Court, Seeking to Upend Solar Rules (MSN News)
Avista Launches
Safety Mode as Conditions Move Toward Fire Season (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jun/03/avista-launches-safety-mode-as-conditions-move-tow/
Forecasters Say
Triple Threat Heading for SoCal: Thunderstorms, Dry Lightning, Rip Currents
(Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/forecasters-triple-threat-heading-socal-100000604.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Avista
Launches Safety Mode as Conditions Move Toward Fire Season
2. BC
Hydro Seeks Baseload Power Boost from Stable Sources
3. WA
Trade Groups Seek Federal Intervention to Block State Gas Ban
4. New
Washington Law Waives Utility Fees for Affordable Housing Projects
5. Regulators
Seek to Phase Out Gas-Powered Appliances in Southern California
6. FERC
Skimps on Winter Storm Details as Staffing Cuts Threaten Future Reporting
7. FERC
Chairman Mark Christie Announces Departure
8. White
House Names Energy Attorney Swett to Replace FERC’s Christie
9. Lawmakers
Urge Congressional Leaders to Support LIHEAP
10. Western
Resource Adequacy Program Introduces Ability for Participants to Offer Resource
Support During Times of Need
11. State
of the Interconnection 2025 (Western
12. Groups
Head to California Supreme Court, Seeking to Upend Solar Rules
13. Montana
Legislature Greenlights Community Solar Program
14. Trump
Administration Speeds Up Environmental Review for Geothermal Energy Projects
15. Giant
Turbine Sparks Outrage in WA Orca Habitat: ‘Like A 747 in the Water’
16. U.S.
Department of Energy Announces $8 Million for Microgrid Innovation, Including
Projects in Alaska
17. Oregon
Department of Energy Handing Out Millions for Grant Projects
18. Amid
Rising Energy Prices, Senators Call for EPA to Maintain Energy Star
19. Conexon
Celebrates 40 Electric Cooperatives with 100 Club Recognition for Commitment to
High-Speed Internet Access for All Members
20. Link
to List Here
21. Meta
Becomes the Latest Big Tech Company Turning to Nuclear Power for Artificial
Intelligence Energy Needs
22. WA
State: Chelan PUD Explores Energy Supply for Microsoft Data Centers
23. Electric
Vehicle-Fueled Inferno Forces Crew to Abandon Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Across
Pacific
24. Only
16% of Americans Likely to Purchase Electric Vehicle, AAA Survey Finds
25. Legal
& Security Experts Say Artificial Intelligence Notetakers Have Big
Downsides — And Could Even Get You in Legal Trouble
26. More
WA Businesses Frustrated Over Google ‘Suspending’ Business Profiles
27. An
Accidental Discovery at a Planetarium Opens a Window into the Universe’s Inner
Workings
28. Stabilizing
‘Operations,’ The National Weather Service Hires Again After Trump Cuts
29. Forecasters
Say Triple Threat Heading for SoCal: Thunderstorms, Dry Lightning, Rip Currents
30. North
Central Washington Expecting Near-Triple-Digit Temps This Weekend
31. Washington
DNR Warns of Challenging Wildfire Season Following NOAA & NWS Layoffs
32.
How Big Tech Monopolies Made the Internet Worse
Word of the Day
Cuspidor \KUSS-puh-dor\ Noun - A receptacle for spit: spittoon.
“Hey, look!” shouted the oafish American tourist at the Spanish bullfight, “There’s the cuspidor…there, on horseback.” “That’s the picador, you idiot,” muttered the straw-hatted, bearded expatriate writer seated one row down.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Avista Launches Safety Mode as Conditions Move
Toward Fire Season (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jun/03/avista-launches-safety-mode-as-conditions-move-tow/
2.
BC Hydro Seeks Baseload Power Boost from Stable
Sources (Toronto Star, Ontario, Canada)
3.
WA Trade Groups Seek Federal Intervention to
Block State Gas Ban (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c9f09e3c-f320-43d8-bb5f-f2f1761d3d35.html
4.
New Washington Law Waives Utility Fees for
Affordable Housing Projects (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)
5.
Regulators Seek to Phase Out Gas-Powered
Appliances in Southern California (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/regulators-seek-phase-gas-powered-100000130.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
6.
FERC Skimps on Winter Storm Details as Staffing
Cuts Threaten Future Reporting (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-winter-storm-report-staffing-cuts-ucs/749586/
7.
FERC Chairman Mark Christie Announces Departure (American
Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/ferc-chairman-mark-christie-announces-departure
8.
White House Names Energy Attorney Swett to
Replace FERC’s Christie (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/white-house-laura-swett-ferc-christie-gas-oil/749641/
9.
Lawmakers Urge Congressional Leaders to Support
LIHEAP (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/lawmakers-urge-congressional-leaders-support-liheap
10.
Western Resource Adequacy Program Introduces
Ability for Participants to Offer Resource Support During Times of Need (Bonneville
Power Administration)
11.
State of the Interconnection 2025 (Western Electricity
Coordinating Council)
https://feature.wecc.org/soti2025/index.html
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
12.
Groups Head to California Supreme Court, Seeking
to Upend Solar Rules (MSN News)
13.
Montana Legislature Greenlights Community Solar
Program (Solar Power World)
14.
Trump Administration Speeds Up Environmental
Review for Geothermal Energy Projects (KTVN-TV, Reno, NV)
15.
Giant Turbine Sparks Outrage in WA Orca Habitat:
‘Like A 747 in the Water’ (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/giant-turbine-outrage-wa-orca
16.
U.S. Department of Energy Announces $8 Million
for Microgrid Innovation, Including Projects in Alaska (U.S. Department of
Energy)
https://www.energy.gov/oe/articles/us-department-energy-announces-8m-microgrid-innovation
17.
Oregon Department of Energy Handing Out Millions
for Grant Projects (KXL Radio, Portland, OR)
https://www.kxl.com/oregon-department-of-energy-handing-out-millions-for-grant-projects/
Conservation &
Efficiency
18.
Amid Rising Energy Prices, Senators Call for EPA
to Maintain Energy Star (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/senators-epa-maintain-energy-star/749630/
London Calling
–Telecommunications
19.
Conexon Celebrates 40 Electric Cooperatives with
100 Club Recognition for Commitment to High-Speed Internet Access for All
Members (Morningstar)
20.
Link to List Here (Conexon)
https://conexon.us/conexon-100-club
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
21.
Meta Becomes the Latest Big Tech Company Turning
to Nuclear Power for Artificial Intelligence Energy Needs (Courthouse News
Service)
22.
WA State: Chelan PUD Explores Energy Supply for
Microsoft Data Centers (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/chelan-pud-explores-energy-supply-for-microsoft-data-centers/
I Sing the Car Electric
23.
Electric Vehicle-Fueled Inferno Forces Crew to Abandon
Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Across Pacific (Jalopnik)
https://www.jalopnik.com/1877670/3000-ev-cars-burning-car-carrier-pacific/
24.
Only 16% of Americans Likely to Purchase
Electric Vehicle, AAA Survey Finds (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
25.
Legal & Security Experts Say Artificial
Intelligence Notetakers Have Big Downsides — And Could Even Get You in Legal
Trouble (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ai-notetaker-meetings-privacy_l_683dda81e4b0cceca4075fc6
26.
More WA Businesses Frustrated Over Google ‘Suspending’
Business Profiles (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
27.
An Accidental Discovery at a Planetarium Opens a
Window into the Universe’s Inner Workings (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
28.
Stabilizing ‘Operations,’ The National Weather
Service Hires Again After Trump Cuts (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/03/nx-s1-5422198/nws-national-weather-service-hires-again-trump-cuts
Other Things to Know
About Today
29.
Forecasters Say Triple Threat Heading for SoCal:
Thunderstorms, Dry Lightning, Rip Currents (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/forecasters-triple-threat-heading-socal-100000604.html
30.
North Central Washington Expecting
Near-Triple-Digit Temps This Weekend (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/ncw-expecting-near-triple-digit-temps-this-weekend/
31.
Washington DNR Warns of Challenging Wildfire
Season Following NOAA & NWS Layoffs (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
32.
How Big Tech Monopolies Made the Internet Worse
(Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/06/how-big-tech-monopolies-made-internet-worse
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Daredevil Backflips
on Fire to Break Guinness World Record
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/05/29/Guinness-World-Records-backflips-fire/8081748533717/
Cow Caught in Flood
Found Alive on Australian Beach 11 Miles Away
Message in a Bottle
from Hawaii Found in Florida Eight Years Later
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/06/02/message-bottle-Hawaii-Florida/7481748894862/
Australian Woman
Completes 7,079 Pull-Ups in 24 Hours
Song of the Day
Ohio Players – Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXMddWhHo0g
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