The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors the Energy News Digest.
The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
Programming Note
The News Digest is chock full of happenings from Washington, DC this week. The new Presidential administration is wasting no time in issuing executive orders affecting many energy-related issues.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
President Trump’s
Executive Orders Halt Wind Development, Declare Energy Emergency (Utility Dive)
Massive Aquifer
Beneath Oregon’s Cascades Could Be the Largest in the World (Gizmodo)
A Controversial
Idaho Wind Farm Near Minidoka Was OK’d Last Month. Now It’s on Hold (Idaho
Statesman, Boise, ID – Via Yahoo)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/controversial-idaho-wind-farm-near-190151794.html
Rolling Blackouts
Could Loom for Urban Alaska as Natural Gas Crunch Intensifies (The Northern
Journal)
Hydroelectric Dams
on Oregon’s Willamette River Kill Salmon. Congress Says It’s Time to Consider
Shutting Them Down (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/16/oregon-salmon-willamette-river-dams-shutdown/
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Rolling
Blackouts Could Loom for Urban Alaska as Natural Gas Crunch Intensifies
2. Hydroelectric
Dams on Oregon’s Willamette River Kill Salmon. Congress Says It’s Time to
Consider Shutting Them Down
3. WA
State Regulators Approve New Rates for Puget Sound Energy
4. New
WA Board Needed to ‘Build Trust’ in Nuclear as Electric Demand Grows, Says
Lawmaker
5. Public
Recommendations Open for Annual $300 Million in Pacific Northwest Power,
Conservation Projects
6. Southwest
Power Pool’s Markets+ Service Gets Key FERC Approval
7. Trump
Taps Mark Christie to Lead FERC, Replacing Willie Phillips
8. A
Controversial Idaho Wind Farm Near Minidoka Was OK’d Last Month. Now It’s on
Hold
9. Second
Bill Filed to Limit WA Governor’s Authority to Approve Locally Opposed Wind
Farms
10. Loophole
in State Rules Paves Way to Ever-Larger Solar Projects on Oregon Farmland
11. Solar
Farms Are Booming in the U.S. And Putting Thousands of Hungry Sheep to Work
12. Bald
Eagles Are Migrating to the Dalles Dam
13. Massive
Aquifer Beneath Oregon’s Cascades Could Be the Largest in the World
14. Why
Western Washington Could See Third-Driest January in 80 Years
15. President
Trump Signs Executive Order to Increase California Water Supply
16. What’s
Next for Electric Vehicles as Trump Moves to Revoke Biden-Era Incentives?
17. President
Trump’s Executive Orders Halt Wind Development, Declare Energy Emergency
18. Trump
Administration Directs All Federal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Staff Be
Put on Leave
19. Without
Much Fanfare, Oregon Lawmakers Get Back to Business in Salem
20. Local
Meteorologists Could Face Layoffs Amid New Initiative with the Weather Channel
21. Guest
Essay: Load Forecasts from Data Centers Risk Falling into Irrational Exuberance
Territory
22.
Guest Essay: Washington’s Struggle – How
Far-Too-Slow Salmon Recovery Impacts Orcas Like Tahlequah
Word of the Day
Cozen /KUZ-un/ Verb - To cozen someone is to deceive, win over, or induce them to do something by coaxing or trickery.
“This tonic will make you taller, better-looking, and an outstanding dancer,” shouted the sideshow barker. His cozening of the sullen attendees at the frontier renaissance festival was a success, especially since the mixture was mostly 190 proof Everclear, with a hint of cod liver oil.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Rolling Blackouts Could Loom for Urban Alaska as
Natural Gas Crunch Intensifies (The Northern Journal)
2.
Hydroelectric Dams on Oregon’s Willamette River Kill
Salmon. Congress Says It’s Time to Consider Shutting Them Down (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/16/oregon-salmon-willamette-river-dams-shutdown/
3.
WA State Regulators Approve New Rates for Puget
Sound Energy (Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission)
https://www.utc.wa.gov/news/2025/state-regulators-approve-new-rates-pse
4.
New WA Board Needed to ‘Build Trust’ in Nuclear as
Electric Demand Grows, Says Lawmaker (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/wa-board-needed-build-trust-130000240.html
5.
Public Recommendations Open for Annual $300
Million in Pacific Northwest Power, Conservation Projects (Columbia Gorge News,
Hood River, OR)
6.
Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ Service Gets Key
FERC Approval (Daily Energy Insider)
7.
Trump Taps Mark Christie to Lead FERC, Replacing
Willie Phillips (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/trump-mark-christie-ferc-chairman-phillips/737816/
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
8.
A Controversial Idaho Wind Farm Near Minidoka Was
OK’d Last Month. Now It’s on Hold (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID – Via Yahoo)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/controversial-idaho-wind-farm-near-190151794.html
9.
Second Bill Filed to Limit WA Governor’s
Authority to Approve Locally Opposed Wind Farms (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via
Yahoo)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/2nd-bill-filed-limit-wa-193054033.html
10.
Loophole in State Rules Paves Way to Ever-Larger
Solar Projects on Oregon Farmland (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN)
11.
Solar Farms Are Booming in the U.S. And Putting
Thousands of Hungry Sheep to Work (ABC News)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/solar-farms-booming-us-putting-thousands-hungry-sheep-117844705
Fish & Wildlife
12.
Bald Eagles Are Migrating to the Dalles Dam (The
Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
13.
Massive Aquifer Beneath Oregon’s Cascades Could
Be the Largest in the World (Gizmodo)
14.
Why Western Washington Could See Third-Driest January
in 80 Years (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
15.
President Trump Signs Executive Order to
Increase California Water Supply (MSN News)
I Sing the Car Electric
16.
What’s Next for Electric Vehicles as Trump Moves
to Revoke Biden-Era Incentives? (Associated Press)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
17.
President Trump’s Executive Orders Halt Wind
Development, Declare Energy Emergency (Utility Dive)
18.
Trump Administration Directs All Federal
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Staff Be Put on Leave (Associated Press)
19.
Without Much Fanfare, Oregon Lawmakers Get Back to
Business in Salem (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Other Things to Know
About Today
20.
Local Meteorologists Could Face Layoffs Amid New
Initiative with the Weather Channel (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5267507/local-tv-meteorologists-the-weather-channel-layoffs
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
21.
Guest Essay: Load Forecasts from Data Centers
Risk Falling into Irrational Exuberance Territory (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/load-forecasts-data-centers-risks-consumers-cost-epsa/737280/
22.
Guest Essay: Washington’s Struggle – How Far-Too-Slow
Salmon Recovery Impacts Orcas Like Tahlequah (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via
Yahoo)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/washington-struggle-far-too-slow-130000081.html
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
New Pompeii Excavation
Reveals a Large Private Thermal Complex Built 2,000 Years Ago
Wine Sales Drying
Up as Americans Turn Elsewhere
How to Glimpse a Parade
of Planets in the January Night Sky
https://apnews.com/article/how-to-view-january-planetary-parade-e4bc1550777bb93d6dbee21eb8ee23fc
Lunar New Year
2025: The Year of the Snake
https://www.almanac.com/content/chinese-new-year-chinese-zodiac
Song of the Day
Ella Fitsgerald – The
Days of Wine & Roses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSCEdMSMPT4
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.
