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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
NWPPA Announces Three Back-to-Back Conferences in January 2026
Kick off 2026 with three powerhouse events in one week! NWPPA is bringing together Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know (Jan. 27), a new Data Center and Load Growth Summit (Jan. 28), and the Power Supply Conference (Jan. 29)—all at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.
By stacking these events back-to-back, NWPPA is making it easier and more affordable for members to attend. Register for two of the events and receive 10% off, or attend all three and save 20%.
The week will also feature two evening networking receptions, plus lunch included at each event. And for those who want to start early, the Environmental Task Force will meet Jan. 26.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Salmon Advocates
Seek Injunction to Change Columbia River Dam Operations (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/14/salmon-advocates-injunction-columbia-river-dam-operations/
Winter Residential
Energy Expenditures Vary by Heating Fuel (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66364
Fire Destroys
Chelan PUD Warehouse in Wenatchee (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
WA’s Largest
Proposed Wind Farm Could Shrink. Key Decision Expected (Tri-City Herald, WA –
Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/wa-largest-proposed-wind-farm-120000559.html
California Cracks
Down on Water Theft But Spares Data Centers from Disclosing How Much They Use
(Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-cracks-down-water-theft-100000390.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Winter
Residential Energy Expenditures Vary by Heating Fuel
2. Fire
Destroys Chelan PUD Warehouse in Wenatchee
3. Radiant
Scraps Wyoming Nuclear Microreactor Manufacturing Facility – Headed to
Tennessee
4. U.S.
Rejects Bid to Buy 167 Million Tons of Coal on Public Lands for Less Than a
Penny per Ton
5. Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers Need a Lot of Power. That Creates Challenges for
Electric Companies in the West
6. WA’s
Largest Proposed Wind Farm Could Shrink. Key Decision Expected
7. California
To Invest $226 Million in Offshore Wind Ports Amid Federal Cuts
8. Interior
Denies Canceling Largest Solar Project in U.S. After Axing Review
9. California:
Trump’s Energy Cuts Come for George the Giraffe
10. Solar
Panels Are Working in Yellowstone ― Now They’re Triggering a Strange Effect
11. These
States Rank as the Most Energy-Efficient In 2025, Data Shows – CA, WA, OR, NV
in the Top Ten
12. Salmon
Advocates Seek Injunction to Change Columbia River Dam Operations
13. Klamath
River Ecosystem Is Booming One Year After Dam Removal
14. Continued
Concerns Over Southern Resident Orca Population
15. Report:
Montana’s Angling Adds Nearly $1 Billion to Economy
16. Hanford
Site Begins Solidifying Tank Waste in Glass, Department of Energy Announces
17. California
Cracks Down on Water Theft But Spares Data Centers from Disclosing How Much
They Use
18. Idaho
Officials Break Ground on $20 Million Dam Project on Boise River
19. 20
Years Worth of Mars Weather Data Reveals the Red Planet Is Way Windier Than We
Thought
20. U.S.
Rep. Schrier (WA) Letter Demands Department of Energy Reverse Pacific Northwest
Hydrogen Hub Termination
21. Washington
Officials Take Stock as the State’s Wildfire Season Winds Down
22. Weather:
What a Change a Week Makes
23. Northwest
RiverPartners Urges Regional Leaders to Reject Renewed Litigation & Work
Together to Protect Salmon & Maintain Affordable, Reliable Hydropower
24.
Northwest Public Power Association Responds to
Plaintiff Groups’ Motion for Injunctive Relief
Word of the Day
Hippodrome \HIPP-uh-drome\ Noun - 1: an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece 2: an arena for equestrian performances.
“Harry the Horse” had become fed up with the waltz. “I want to headline at the hippodrome featuring the cha-cha,” he whinnied. The Hendersons just laughed.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Winter Residential Energy Expenditures Vary by
Heating Fuel (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66364
2.
Fire Destroys Chelan PUD Warehouse in Wenatchee (Source
ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
3.
Radiant Scraps Wyoming Nuclear Microreactor Manufacturing
Facility – Headed to Tennessee (News from the States)
4.
U.S. Rejects Bid to Buy 167 Million Tons of Coal
on Public Lands for Less Than a Penny per Ton (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-lease-sale-montana-penny-ton-8f698701c76e1260518c546c92104758
5.
Artificial Intelligence Data Centers Need a Lot of
Power. That Creates Challenges for Electric Companies in the West (KJZZ-Radio, Phoenix,
AZ)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
6.
WA’s Largest Proposed Wind Farm Could Shrink. Key
Decision Expected (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/wa-largest-proposed-wind-farm-120000559.html
7.
California To Invest $226 Million in Offshore
Wind Ports Amid Federal Cuts (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-cec-offshore-wind-ports/802681/
8.
Interior Denies Canceling Largest Solar Project in
U.S. After Axing Review (Utility Dive)
9.
California: Trump’s Energy Cuts Come for George
the Giraffe (Politico)
10.
Solar Panels Are Working in Yellowstone ― Now They’re
Triggering a Strange Effect (EcoNews)
https://www.ecoticias.com/en/solar-panels-are-working-in-yellowstone/21676/
Conservation &
Efficiency
11.
These States Rank as the Most Energy-Efficient
In 2025, Data Shows – CA, WA, OR, NV in the Top Ten (Yahoo! News)
Fish & Wildlife
12.
Salmon Advocates Seek Injunction to Change Columbia
River Dam Operations (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/14/salmon-advocates-injunction-columbia-river-dam-operations/
13.
Klamath River Ecosystem Is Booming One Year
After Dam Removal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/14/klamath-river-ecosystem-one-year-after-dam-removal/
14.
Continued Concerns Over Southern Resident Orca
Population (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
15.
Report: Montana’s Angling Adds Nearly $1 Billion
to Economy (The Daily Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2025/10/10/report-montanas-angling-economics/
Environmental Afflatus –
Clean Up on Aisle Three
16.
Hanford Site Begins Solidifying Tank Waste in
Glass, Department of Energy Announces (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities,
WA)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
17.
California Cracks Down on Water Theft But Spares
Data Centers from Disclosing How Much They Use (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-cracks-down-water-theft-100000390.html
18.
Idaho Officials Break Ground on $20 Million Dam
Project on Boise River (Idaho Capital Sun)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
19.
20 Years Worth of Mars Weather Data Reveals the
Red Planet Is Way Windier Than We Thought (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/20-years-worth-of-mars-weather-data-reveals-red-planet-way-windier-2000670479
Politics, Governance,
and Management
20.
U.S. Rep. Schrier (WA) Letter Demands Department
of Energy Reverse Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub Termination (NCW Life, East
Wenatchee, WA)
Other Things to Know
About Today
21.
Washington Officials Take Stock as the State’s
Wildfire Season Winds Down (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/14/washington-state-wildfire-season-winds-down/
22.
Weather: What a Change a Week Makes (Cliff Mass
Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/10/what-change-week-makes.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
23.
Northwest RiverPartners Urges Regional Leaders
to Reject Renewed Litigation & Work Together to Protect Salmon &
Maintain Affordable, Reliable Hydropower (NW RiverPartners, Vancouver, WA)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2025/10/northwest-riverpartners-urges-regional.html
24.
Northwest Public Power Association Responds to
Plaintiff Groups’ Motion for Injunctive Relief (Northwest Public Power
Association, Vancouver, WA)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2025/10/northwest-public-power-association.html
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Cyprus Has a Cat Problem:
One Feline for Every Resident
‘Scared the Heck
Out of Me’: Falling Fish Smashes Sask. Woman’s Windshield
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/turtle-lake-fish-wildlife-collision-9.6938358
Seattle Mayor Harrell
Proclaims Oct. 16 as ‘Humpy Day’
https://mynorthwest.com/entertainment-news/seattle-oct-16-humpy-day/4143318
Driver Stopped in California
for Using a Hand-Drawn License Plate
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/10/15/CHP-Merced-hand-drawn-license-plate/7851760539839/
Song of the Day
Everything But the
Girl – Driving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-mSQuuDjXk
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