Wednesday, January 29, 2025

The Energy News Digest for January 29, 2025

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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

White House Rescinds Memo on Federal Aid Freeze That Caused Widespread Confusion (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/29/politics/white-house-rescind-federal-funding-freeze/index.html

Generator, Advanced Nuclear Stocks Reel as Low-Cost DeepSeek chills Artificial Intelligence Load Growth Outlook (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ipp-stocks-reel-as-low-cost-deepseek-chills-ai-load-growth-thesis/738482/

California Utility Reports Fault on Power Line Miles Away from Origin of Deadly Eaton Fire (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/southern-california-utility-wildfires-los-angeles-cause-b137d50aac6f823eef907cd039051617

Franklin County PUD Settles Voting-Rights Lawsuit (Cascade PBS)

https://www.cascadepbs.org/briefs/2025/01/franklin-county-pud-settles-voting-rights-lawsuit

The Upcoming Period of Cold & Snow – We Are Going into a Very Complex, Difficult Weather Situation, with Substantial Uncertainty (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-upcoming-period-of-cold-and-snow.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Generator, Advanced Nuclear Stocks Reel as Low-Cost DeepSeek Chills Artificial Intelligence Load Growth Outlook

2.      California Utility Reports Fault on Power Line Miles Away from Origin of Deadly Eaton Fire

3.      Pacific Gas & Electric, Other Electric Utilities Call for U.S. Senate to Pass Forest Management Bill

4.      Oregon: EWEB – Frigid Weather Drives High Energy Demand; January Bills Likely to Be Higher

5.      Priest Rapids Dam Passes Major Safety Inspection

6.      The ‘Six Sovereigns’ Are Fighting for the Columbia River Basin’s Future. Who Are They?

7.      Ballot Initiative Would Pave Way for Rebirth of Nuclear Power in Oregon

8.      Forecast Wholesale Power Prices & Retail Electricity Prices Rise Modestly in 2025

9.      U.S. Propane Prices Have Traded Higher So Far This Winter Compared with Last Winter

10.   WA State: Yakima County Commissioners Extend Solar Moratorium

11.   Spokane to Explore Capturing Carbon at Its Power-Generating Trash Incinerator

12.   How Tahlequah & Her Dead Calf Tell the Story of Climate Change

13.   Three Southwest Washington Cities Consider Removing Fluoride from Drinking Water

14.   California’s Federal Lands Are Hemorrhaging Carbon Dioxide. Wildfires Are Largely to Blame

15.   What Does DeepSeek’s Cheaper Artificial Intelligence Mean for Energy Needs?

16.   What Is China’s DeepSeek & Why Is It Freaking Out the Artificial Intelligence World?

17.   President Trump Confirms Microsoft Interest in TikTok as Deadline for New Ownership Looms

18.   A NASA Spacecraft Scooped Rubble from an Asteroid. Here’s What Was Inside

19.   White House Rescinds Memo on Federal Aid Freeze That Caused Widespread Confusion

20.   Franklin County PUD Settles Voting-Rights Lawsuit

21.   Richland’s Energy Northwest Eyeing Clean Energy Solutions Bill

22.   The Upcoming Period of Cold & Snow – We Are Going into a Very Complex, Difficult Weather Situation, with Substantial Uncertainty

23.   Convicted Eco Saboteur Joseph Dibee Appeals $82,000 Restitution for Arson on BLM Land in California

24.   Revitalizing the Snake River Basin – How Helping One River’s Distressed Fish, People, and Power Helps Build the Nation

Word of the Day

Perquisite \PER-kwuh-zut\ Noun – 1: a privilege or profit made in addition to regular pay 2: gratuity, tip 3: something held or claimed as an exclusive right or possession.

Dominic was stubborn. His prerequisite to being hired at the energy marketing firm was having the perquisite of a “virtual world,” where he could have absolute power (“Bow down before Me!”)…and escape from the trading desk, where he would merely have an oligarch’s power. He knew this was a subtle nuance, but he felt it was worth fighting for. The “perk” was eventually granted, much to Dom’s satisfaction.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Generator, Advanced Nuclear Stocks Reel as Low-Cost DeepSeek chills Artificial Intelligence Load Growth Outlook (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ipp-stocks-reel-as-low-cost-deepseek-chills-ai-load-growth-thesis/738482/

2.      California Utility Reports Fault on Power Line Miles Away from Origin of Deadly Eaton Fire (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/southern-california-utility-wildfires-los-angeles-cause-b137d50aac6f823eef907cd039051617

3.      Pacific Gas & Electric, Other Electric Utilities Call for U.S. Senate to Pass Forest Management Bill (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-utilities-senate-save-our-forests-act-wildfire/738340/

4.      Oregon: EWEB – Frigid Weather Drives High Energy Demand; January Bills Likely to Be Higher (KMTR-TV, Eugene, OR)

https://nbc16.com/news/local/eweb-frigid-weather-drives-high-energy-demand-january-bills-likely-to-be-higher

5.      Priest Rapids Dam Passes Major Safety Inspection (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2025/jan/28/priest-rapids-dam-passes-major-safety-inspection/

6.      The ‘Six Sovereigns’ Are Fighting for the Columbia River Basin’s Future. Who Are They? (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/six-sovereigns-fighting-columbia-river-201029345.html

7.      Ballot Initiative Would Pave Way for Rebirth of Nuclear Power in Oregon (Willamette Weekly)

https://www.wweek.com/news/2025/01/28/ballot-initiative-would-pave-way-for-rebirth-of-nuclear-power-in-oregon/

8.      Forecast Wholesale Power Prices & Retail Electricity Prices Rise Modestly in 2025 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64384

9.      U.S. Propane Prices Have Traded Higher So Far This Winter Compared with Last Winter (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64404

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

10.   WA State: Yakima County Commissioners Extend Solar Moratorium (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/government/yakima-county-commissioners-extend-solar-moratorium/article_634bb17a-ddc9-11ef-bfc0-fb0c4e64dc19.html

11.   Spokane to Explore Capturing Carbon at Its Power-Generating Trash Incinerator (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/jan/27/spokane-to-explore-capturing-carbon-at-its-power-g/

Fish & Wildlife

12.   How Tahlequah & Her Dead Calf Tell the Story of Climate Change (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2025-01-tahlequah-dead-calf-story-climate.html

Water, Water, Anywhere?

13.   Three Southwest Washington Cities Consider Removing Fluoride from Drinking Water (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/28/three-southwest-washington-cities-consider-removing-fluoride-from-drinking-water/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

14.   California’s Federal Lands Are Hemorrhaging Carbon Dioxide. Wildfires Are Largely to Blame (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/californias-federal-lands-hemorrhaging-carbon-222003673.html

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

15.   What Does DeepSeek’s Cheaper Artificial Intelligence Mean for Energy Needs? (Associated Press)

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/what-does-deepseeks-cheaper-ai-mean-for-energy-needs/

16.   What Is China’s DeepSeek & Why Is It Freaking Out the Artificial Intelligence World? (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-deepseek-why-freaking-ai-080636212.html

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

17.   President Trump Confirms Microsoft Interest in TikTok as Deadline for New Ownership Looms (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/president-donald-trump-confirms-microsoft-interest-in-china-based-bytedance-tiktok-as-deadline-for-new-ownership-looms-perplexity-ai-us-government-investors

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

18.   A NASA Spacecraft Scooped Rubble from an Asteroid. Here’s What Was Inside (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/asteroid-bennu-chemistry-1.7444567

Politics, Governance, and Management

19.   White House Rescinds Memo on Federal Aid Freeze That Caused Widespread Confusion (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/29/politics/white-house-rescind-federal-funding-freeze/index.html

20.   Franklin County PUD Settles Voting-Rights Lawsuit (Cascade PBS)

https://www.cascadepbs.org/briefs/2025/01/franklin-county-pud-settles-voting-rights-lawsuit

21.   Richland’s Energy Northwest Eyeing Clean Energy Solutions Bill (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/richlands-energy-northwest-eyeing-clean-energy-solutions-bill/article_75f20f02-fba2-56e5-9780-da66d2b09c33.html

Other Things to Know About Today

22.   The Upcoming Period of Cold & Snow – We Are Going into a Very Complex, Difficult Weather Situation, with Substantial Uncertainty (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-upcoming-period-of-cold-and-snow.html

23.   Convicted Eco Saboteur Joseph Dibee Appeals $82,000 Restitution for Arson on BLM Land in California (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/01/convicted-eco-saboteur-joseph-dibee-appeals-82k-restitution-for-arson-on-blm-land-in-california.html

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

24.   Revitalizing the Snake River Basin – How Helping One River’s Distressed Fish, People, and Power Helps Build the Nation (Center for American Progress)

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/revitalizing-the-snake-river-basin/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Mercedes 1955 ‘Streamliner’ Set to Smash F1 Record at Auction

https://www.reuters.com/sports/formula1/mercedes-1955-streamliner-set-smash-f1-record-auction-2025-01-28/

Have Your Ex’s ‘Heart’ Devoured by a Wildcat This Valentine’s Day

https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2025/01/have-your-exs-heart-devoured-by-a-wildcat-this-valentines-day.html

Family of Baby Born in Krispy Kreme Parking Lot Gets Free Doughnuts

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/01/28/Krispy-Kreme-baby-free-doughnuts/4431738084727/

Two Daredevils Walk Slackline Suspended Between Hot Air Balloons

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/01/28/germany-Guinness-World-Records-highest-slackline-walk/7101738095308/

Song of the Day

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpscHOoGIqQ

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.