Monday, March 10, 2025

The Energy News Digest for March 10, 2025

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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Bonneville Power Administration Opts to Join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ Day-Ahead Market Over CAISO Alternative (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/bonneville-bpa-spp-markets-day-ahead-market-edam-caiso/741878/

Ontario Slaps 25% Tax Increase on Electricity Exports to U.S. In Response to Trump’s Trade War (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/ontario-slaps-25-increase-on-electricity-exports-20213134.php

Bonneville Power Administration Probationary Employees Set to Return to Work After Mass Layoffs (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/video/news/local/bpa-probationary-employees-set-to-return-to-work-after-mass-layoffs/283-9d2dc318-9ee8-443d-8f75-0263ff8c5820

U.S. Supreme Court Nixes Challenge to State Climate Suits Against Oil Firms (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-nixes-challenge-state-climate-suits-against-oil-firms-2025-03-10/

A Wave of Attacks Hits Tesla Dealerships Nationwide—and in Oregon (Willamette Week, Portland, OR)

https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2025/03/10/a-wave-of-attacks-hit-tesla-dealerships-nationwideand-in-oregon/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      The Bonneville Power Administration Opts to Join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ Day-Ahead Market Over CAISO Alternative

2.      News Release: Superior Market Design, Governance & Long-Range Economics Lead the Bonneville Power Administration to Select Markets+ in Day-Ahead Market Draft Policy

3.      Ontario Slaps 25% Tax Increase on Electricity Exports to U.S. In Response to Trump’s Trade War

4.      Canada Tariff Hits 83% Of Natural Gas Used by Avista. But the Effect on Your Power Bill May Not Be What You Think

5.      Does Canada Supply Electricity to the U.S.? What to Know After Canadian Lawmaker’s Threat of Surcharge, Shutoff

6.      Bonneville Power Administration Probationary Employees Set to Return to Work After Mass Layoffs

7.      Climate, Energy Upheavals Roil Pacific NW Power Market

8.      ‘POWER Act’ Bill Would Require Oregon’s Large Energy Users Like Data Centers Pay Fair Share of Energy Use

9.      Facing Competition from Big Tech, States Dangle Incentives & Loosen Laws to Attract Power Plants

10.   Helion Holding Public Meeting for Fusion Power Plant Tuesday

11.   Los Angeles County Sues Southern California Edison, Alleging Utility’s Equipment Sparked Wildfire

12.   Wyoming Gov Signs Wildfire Mitigation, Liability Bill to Protect Utilities & Ratepayers

13.   Glowing Pains: Developing Nuclear Power Could Cost Utah Tens of Billions

14.   WA State: Wind & Solar Projects Gain Traction in Garfield County as Moratorium Expires

15.   Hanford’s Toxic Site Transforms into America’s Biggest Solar Farm

16.   U.S. Farmers Switch to Renting Out Sheep as Lawn Mowers for Solar Sites

17.   First National Analysis Finds America’s Butterflies Are Disappearing at ‘Catastrophic’ Rate

18.   WA Drought Means Tough Irrigation Outlook for 62,000 Tri-Cities Area Customers

19.   Drought Impacts on the Electricity System, Emissions, & Air Quality in the Western United States

20.   U.S. Supreme Court Nixes Challenge to State Climate Suits Against Oil Firms

21.   Farmers Called Their Work Climate-Smart to Get Federal Funds. Now It May Cost Them.

22.   SCOTUS to Decide Future of Fund Seen as Lifeline for Rural Broadband

23.   A Wave of Attacks Hits Tesla Dealerships Nationwide—and in Oregon

24.   Fire Burns Four Tesla Cybertrucks in Seattle’s Sodo Neighborhood

25.   Social Media Is Splintering. Here’s How to Navigate the Moment.

26.   Ex-Central Banker to Replace Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister After Winning Liberal Party Vote

27.   What Seattle’s Recent Quake Streak Means for the ‘Big One’

Word of the Day – Horrible Haiku Edition

Frowsy • \FROW-zee\ Adjective - 1: musty, stale *2: having a slovenly or uncared-for appearance.

     Open the old trunk

     Frowsy air comes wafting out

     Choked by history

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      The Bonneville Power Administration Opts to Join Southwest Power Pool’s Markets+ Day-Ahead Market Over CAISO Alternative (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/bonneville-bpa-spp-markets-day-ahead-market-edam-caiso/741878/

2.      News Release: Superior Market Design, Governance & Long-Range Economics Lead the Bonneville Power Administration to Select Markets+ in Day-Ahead Market Draft Policy (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20250305-superior-market-design-governance-long-range-economics-lead-bpa-select-m

3.      Ontario Slaps 25% Tax Increase on Electricity Exports to U.S. In Response to Trump’s Trade War (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/ontario-slaps-25-increase-on-electricity-exports-20213134.php

4.      Canada Tariff Hits 83% Of Natural Gas Used by Avista. But the Effect on Your Power Bill May Not Be What You Think (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/mar/06/canada-tariff-hits-83-of-natural-gas-used-by-avist/

5.      Does Canada Supply Electricity to the U.S.? What to Know After Canadian Lawmaker’s Threat of Surcharge, Shutoff (USA Today – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/does-canada-supply-electricity-us-194409222.html

6.      Bonneville Power Administration Probationary Employees Set to Return to Work After Mass Layoffs (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/video/news/local/bpa-probationary-employees-set-to-return-to-work-after-mass-layoffs/283-9d2dc318-9ee8-443d-8f75-0263ff8c5820

7.      Climate, Energy Upheavals Roil Pacific NW Power Market (Seattle Times, WA – Via Save Our Wild Salmon)

https://www.wildsalmon.org/news-and-media/news/climate-energy-upheavals-roil-nw-power-market.html

8.      ‘POWER Act’ Bill Would Require Oregon’s Large Energy Users Like Data Centers Pay Fair Share of Energy Use (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/06/power-act-data-centers-electricity-use-oregon-lawmakers-energy-google-utilities/

9.      Facing Competition from Big Tech, States Dangle Incentives & Loosen Laws to Attract Power Plants (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ai-natural-gas-power-plants-electricity-trump-a56208dd7fdebf5df1f792a0b7774c3d

10.   Helion Holding Public Meeting for Fusion Power Plant Tuesday (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/community-meeting-fusion-power/

11.   Los Angeles County Sues Southern California Edison, Alleging Utility’s Equipment Sparked Wildfire (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-county-eaton-fire-lawsuit-edison-aa9128029619ec833d3c5a04e4c1f673

12.   Wyoming Gov Signs Wildfire Mitigation, Liability Bill to Protect Utilities & Ratepayers (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/featured/47491-wyoming-gov-signs-wildfire-mitigation-liability-bill-to-protect-utilities-and-ratepayers/

13.   Glowing Pains: Developing Nuclear Power Could Cost Utah Tens of Billions (Utah News Dispatch)

https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/03/10/glowing-pains-developing-nuclear-power-could-cost-utah-tens-of-billions/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

14.   WA State: Wind & Solar Projects Gain Traction in Garfield County as Moratorium Expires (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/mar/10/wind-and-solar-projects-gain-traction-in-garfield-/

15.   Hanford’s Toxic Site Transforms into America’s Biggest Solar Farm (USA SolarCell)

https://usasolarcell.com/news/2025/03/05/hanfords-toxic-site-transforms-into-americas-biggest-solar-farm/

16.   U.S. Farmers Switch to Renting Out Sheep as Lawn Mowers for Solar Sites (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/sheep-grazing-under-solar-panels-help-us-farmers-survive-crop-price-slump-2025-03-03/

Fish & Wildlife

17.   First National Analysis Finds America’s Butterflies Are Disappearing at ‘Catastrophic’ Rate (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/butterflies-beauty-disappearing-climate-change-habitat-insecticide-c74bbb59583acfff7a6a7b4ed05851b3

Water, Water, Anywhere?

18.   WA Drought Means Tough Irrigation Outlook for 62,000 Tri-Cities Area Customers (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/wa-drought-means-tough-irrigation-outlook-for-62000-tri-cities-area-customers/ar-AA1AthrR

19.   Drought Impacts on the Electricity System, Emissions, & Air Quality in the Western United States (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2300395120

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

20.   U.S. Supreme Court Nixes Challenge to State Climate Suits Against Oil Firms (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-nixes-challenge-state-climate-suits-against-oil-firms-2025-03-10/

21.   Farmers Called Their Work Climate-Smart to Get Federal Funds. Now It May Cost Them. (Washington Post – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/farmers-called-their-work-climate-smart-to-get-federal-funds-now-it-may-cost-them/ar-AA1ABffZ

London Calling –Telecommunications

22.   SCOTUS to Decide Future of Fund Seen as Lifeline for Rural Broadband (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/scotus-to-decide-future-of-fund-seen-as-lifeline-for-rural-broadband/ar-AA1AAFTD

I Sing the Car Electric

23.   A Wave of Attacks Hits Tesla Dealerships Nationwide—and in Oregon (Willamette Week, Portland, OR)

https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2025/03/10/a-wave-of-attacks-hit-tesla-dealerships-nationwideand-in-oregon/

24.   Fire Burns Four Tesla Cybertrucks in Seattle’s Sodo Neighborhood (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/local/four-tesla-cybertrucks-destroyed-in-fire-in-seattles-sodo-neighborhood-elon-musk-doge-federal-jobs-cut-protests-seattle-fire-department-investigation

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

25.   Social Media Is Splintering. Here’s How to Navigate the Moment. (Washington Post – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/social-media-is-splintering-here-s-how-to-navigate-the-moment/ar-AA1AnOHN

Politics, Governance, and Management

26.   Ex-Central Banker to Replace Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister After Winning Liberal Party Vote (Associated Press)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ex-central-banker-mark-carney-to-become-canada-s-next-prime-minister-after-liberals-elect-him-leader/ar-AA1AyGFu

Other Things to Know About Today

27.   What Seattle’s Recent Quake Streak Means for the ‘Big One’ (Axios – Seattle)

https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/03/07/washington-earthquakes-big-one-pnw

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Watch the Moon Turn Red During a Total Lunar Eclipse in March

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/watch-moon-turn-red-during-total-lunar-eclipse-march/OVV3H3ZMLFDDNNETMYQ42MNTDU/

The Tooth Fairy Is on a Budget – Average Value of a Lost Tooth Drops for Second Consecutive Year

https://www.deltadental.com/us/en/tooth-fairy/press-release.html

The U.S. Penny Costs Nearly 4 Cents to Make. But for One Sector of Souvenir Sellers, It’s a Living

https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-penny-costs-nearly-4-051557674.html

Man Swallowed Stolen $770,000 Diamond Earrings, Police Say. There’s an X-Ray.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/man-swallowed-stolen-770000-diamond-earrings-police-say-there-s-an-x-ray/ar-AA1AnYds

Song of the Day

Louis Prima - Pennies from Heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pELxwTp7gk

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.