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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Federal Bill to
Protect the Lower Snake River Dams Gets Renewed Push (KNDO & KNDU-TV,
Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
Trump Energy Orders
Could Play Role in Salmon & Steelhead Debate (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID
– Paywall Advisory)
Video Adds to
Scrutiny of Edison Tower as Possible Site of Origin of Eaton Fire (Los Angeles
Times, CA – Via AOL)
https://www.aol.com/news/video-adds-scrutiny-edison-tower-201844631.html
Big Tech Wants to
Plug Data Centers Right into Power Plants. Utilities Say It’s Not Fair
(Associated Press)
Washington Policy
Center Sues State Over Climate Law Data Delay (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Federal
Bill to Protect the Lower Snake River Dams Gets Renewed Push
2. News
Release: Rep. Newhouse (WA), Sen. Risch (ID) Lead Renewed Effort to Protect the
Lower Snake River Dams
3. Video
Adds to Scrutiny of Edison Tower as Possible Site of Origin of Eaton Fire
4. Newly
Proposed Federal Bill Would Reduce Wildfire Threats, Help Utilities Manage
Vegetation
5. Public
Utility Commission Defends Rate Approval Process to Oregon Lawmakers
6. Video:
Venice, CA Residents Concerned Over ‘Exploding’ Power Lines
7. Searing
City Report Recommends Denial of Portland General Electric’s Forest Park
Transmission Proposal
8. Montana:
Flathead Electric Co-Op Receives $4.2 Million Grant for Cooke City Upgrades
9. Virginia:
Two Men Electrocuted While Working on Farm, Sheriff Says
10. EIA
Expects Higher Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas Prices as Demand Increases
11. This
Bill Could Give Washington Tribes, Communities More Say in Wind, Solar
Development
12. Trump
Executive Order Puts Dozens of Clean Energy Projects in Rural Alaska in Limbo
13. ‘Horrifying’
Fire at California Lithium Battery Plant Sparks Calls for New Clean Energy
Rules
14. New
Solar Plants Expected to Support Most U.S. Electric Generation Growth
15. Heat
Pumps Keep Widening Their Lead on Gas Furnaces
16. Trump
Energy Orders Could Play Role in Salmon & Steelhead Debate
17. Water
Flows as Part of a Massive Habitat Restoration in the Upper Klamath Basin
18. Whirling
Disease: A Danger to B.C.’S Columbia River
19. Oregon
Delays Sage Grouse Habitat Maps for Grant County After Community Backlash
20. Study
Looks at Water Delivery in a Post-Dam Snake River
21. Where
Is the Rain? Seattle On Track for Third-Driest January on Record
22. Washington
Policy Center Sues State Over Climate Law Data Delay
23. WA
Farmers Wrongly Charged Under Climate Laws Pleading for a Fix
24. Sweden
Seizes Vessel Suspected of ‘Sabotage’ After Undersea Data Cable Rupture in
Baltic Sea
25. Big
Tech Wants to Plug Data Centers Right into Power Plants. Utilities Say It’s Not
Fair
26. Amazon
Ramps Up Clean Power for Oregon Data Centers. Does That Mean Less for Everyone
Else?
27. Wyoming:
Kemmerer Officials Hope TerraPower Deal Could Attract Artificial Intelligence
Data Center
28. Advanced
Nuclear Company Enters MOU with U.S. Data Center Developer
29. Electric
Vehicle Owners Don’t Pay Gas Taxes. So, Many States Are Charging Them Fees.
30. WA
State: Edmonds Lawmaker’s Bill Would Pump $20 Million into Journalism Statewide
31. Bonneville
Power Administration Quietly Erases Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Program
32. President
Trump’s Proposed Canada Tariff Could Boost Northwest Energy Bills
33. Electricity
Sales Tax Cut Advances, To Delight of Industry & Chagrin of Wyoming Towns
& Counties
34.
Guest Essay: Grid Reforms Are Needed for Clean
Energy Transition
Word of the Day
Uvula \YOU-view-lah\ Noun – That little fleshy lobe that hangs down in the back of the mouth.
Gary Larson Cartoon: (Medical Test) “For extra credit, name that thing that hangs down in the back of the mouth.”
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Federal Bill to Protect the Lower Snake River
Dams Gets Renewed Push (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
2.
News Release: Rep. Newhouse (WA), Sen. Risch
(ID) Lead Renewed Effort to Protect the Lower Snake River Dams (U.S. Rep. Dan
Newhouse – WA)
3.
Video Adds to Scrutiny of Edison Tower as Possible
Site of Origin of Eaton Fire (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via AOL)
https://www.aol.com/news/video-adds-scrutiny-edison-tower-201844631.html
4.
Newly Proposed Federal Bill Would Reduce
Wildfire Threats, Help Utilities Manage Vegetation (Daily Energy Insider)
5.
Public Utility Commission Defends Rate Approval
Process to Oregon Lawmakers (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
6.
Video: Venice, CA Residents Concerned Over ‘Exploding’
Power Lines (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/venice-residents-concerned-over-exploding-062954367.html
7.
Searing City Report Recommends Denial of Portland
General Electric’s Forest Park Transmission Proposal (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
8.
Montana: Flathead Electric Co-Op Receives $4.2 Million
Grant for Cooke City Upgrades (NBC Montana)
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/flathead-electric-co-op-receives-42m-grant-for-cooke-city-upgrades
9.
Virginia: Two Men Electrocuted While Working on
Farm, Sheriff Says (WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA)
https://www.firstalert7.com/2025/01/24/2-men-electrocuted-while-working-farm-sheriff-says/
10.
EIA Expects Higher Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas
Prices as Demand Increases (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64344
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
11.
This Bill Could Give Washington Tribes,
Communities More Say in Wind, Solar Development (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
12.
Trump Executive Order Puts Dozens of Clean
Energy Projects in Rural Alaska in Limbo (Alaska Public Media)
13.
‘Horrifying’ Fire at California Lithium Battery
Plant Sparks Calls for New Clean Energy Rules (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/horrifying-fire-california-lithium-battery-110024254.html
14.
New Solar Plants Expected to Support Most U.S.
Electric Generation Growth (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64364
Conservation &
Efficiency
15.
Heat Pumps Keep Widening Their Lead on Gas
Furnaces (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/heat-pumps/heat-pumps-keep-widening-their-lead-on-gas-furnaces
Fish & Wildlife
16.
Trump Energy Orders Could Play Role in Salmon &
Steelhead Debate (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
17.
Water Flows as Part of a Massive Habitat
Restoration in the Upper Klamath Basin (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
18.
Whirling Disease: A Danger to B.C.’S Columbia
River (Castlgar News, BC)
19.
Oregon Delays Sage Grouse Habitat Maps for Grant
County After Community Backlash (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/24/oregon-delays-sage-grouse-map-grant-county/
Water, Water, Anywhere?
20.
Study Looks at Water Delivery in a Post-Dam Snake
River (Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, ID)
https://www.dnews.com/stories/study-looks-at-water-delivery-in-a-post-dam-snake-river-page_854
21.
Where Is the Rain? Seattle On Track for
Third-Driest January on Record (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
22.
Washington Policy Center Sues State Over Climate
Law Data Delay (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
23.
WA Farmers Wrongly Charged Under Climate Laws
Pleading for a Fix (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wa-farms-climate-commitment-act
London Calling
–Telecommunications
24.
Sweden Seizes Vessel Suspected of ‘Sabotage’
After Undersea Data Cable Rupture in Baltic Sea (Associated Press)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
25.
Big Tech Wants to Plug Data Centers Right into
Power Plants. Utilities Say It’s Not Fair (Associated Press)
26.
Amazon Ramps Up Clean Power for Oregon Data
Centers. Does That Mean Less for Everyone Else? (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
27.
Wyoming: Kemmerer Officials Hope TerraPower Deal
Could Attract Artificial Intelligence Data Center (Cowboy State Daily, WY)
28.
Advanced Nuclear Company Enters MOU with U.S.
Data Center Developer (American Public Power Association)
I Sing the Car Electric
29.
Electric Vehicle Owners Don’t Pay Gas Taxes. So,
Many States Are Charging Them Fees. (NY Times – Via DNYUZ)
https://dnyuz.com/2025/01/27/e-v-owners-dont-pay-gas-taxes-so-many-states-are-charging-them-fees/
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
30.
WA State: Edmonds Lawmaker’s Bill Would Pump $20
Million into Journalism Statewide (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
31.
Bonneville Power Administration Quietly Erases Diversity,
Equity, & Inclusion Program (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
32.
President Trump’s Proposed Canada Tariff Could
Boost Northwest Energy Bills (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/trump-s-proposed-tariff-could-boost-northwest-energy-bills
33.
Electricity Sales Tax Cut Advances, To Delight of
Industry & Chagrin of Wyoming Towns & Counties (Wyofile)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
34.
Guest Essay: Grid Reforms Are Needed for Clean
Energy Transition (Tribune News Service – Via MSN News)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
A Private U.S. Spacecraft
Headed to the Moon Captures a Glorious View of Earth
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/a-private-us-spacecraft-headed-to-the-moon-20054086.php
Nearly 16.5-Foot
Cayenne Pepper Plant Might Be World’s Tallest
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/01/27/Guinness-World-Records-tallest-pepper-plant/1501737994494/
Hemingway Book
Returned to Connecticut Library After 56 Years
Ice Marathon Runner
Dons Polar Bear Suit, Breaks World Record
Song of the Day
Hugo Friedhoder – The
Sun Also Rises (Suite from movie soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEgcx-17dsY
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
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files may help you access some paywall sites.
