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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits The Energy News Digest.
NWPPA’s Annual Conference & Membership Meeting
Join us as we raise a glass to 85 years of public power excellence at our Annual Conference and Membership Meeting in Santa Rosa, California. Mark your calendars for May 19-22, 2025, as utility executives and policymakers convene in Sonoma County to celebrate this historic milestone and shape our industry’s future.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
PacifiCorp Involved
in Bills in Oregon, Washington, Idaho & Other Western States, Limiting
Utility Wildfire Liability, Damages (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Canada, U.S.
Columbia River Treaty Negotiations in Jeopardy (Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2025/04/canada-us-columbia-river-treaty-negotiations-jeopardy
Fines Surpassing
$15 Million Recommended Against CenturyLink (Spokane Business Journal, WA)
https://www.spokanejournal.com/articles/16980-fines-surpassing-15m-recommended-for-centurylink
California Soaks Up
the Benefits of a Solid Rain Season (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/california-soaks-up-the-benefits-of-a-solid-rain-season/
Amazon’s
Last-Minute Bid for TikTok Comes as a U.S. Ban on the Platform Is Set to Take
Effect Saturday (Associated Press)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. PacifiCorp
Involved in Bills in Oregon, Washington, Idaho & Other Western States,
Limiting Utility Wildfire Liability, Damages
2. Canada,
U.S. Columbia River Treaty Negotiations in Jeopardy
3. Small
Modular Reactor Firms Race to Build a Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain
4. Nuclear
Is Now ‘Clean Energy’ in Colorado After Gov. Polis Signs Bill
5. Gas
Power’s Boom Sparks a Turbine Supply Crunch
6. U.S.
Natural Gas Consumption Set New Winter & Summer Monthly Records in 2024
7. USDA
Takes Steps to Release Co-op Funding That Will ‘Unleash American Energy’
8. WA
State: Avista Files Request to Raise Electricity Rates
9. California:
Carmel Begins Project to Move Power Lines Underground for Safety &
Aesthetics
10. Tennessee
Valley Authority, The Nation’s Largest Public Utility, Appoints a New CEO
11. U.S.
Senators Murkowski (AK), Cantwell (WA) Reintroduce Bill to Support Hydropower
Development
12. Nevada
Community Hopes President Trump Will Slow Expansion of Solar Farms in Their
Area
13. Alaska:
Village Of Solomon Hopes to Offset Power Costs with Solar Energy
14. Can
Offshore Wind Help Some Fish? Research Increasingly Says Yes.
15. New
$5 Billion Plan to Fund Culvert Removals Unveiled by WA Senators
16. The
Case of the Missing Hooligans: A Cowlitz River Mystery
17. The
Most ‘Poisonous’ Fish in the World: It Has 70 Parasites & Is Eaten in
Practically Every Home
18. Puffins
Are Returning to the Oregon Coast. Here’s How to Welcome Them Back
19. California
Soaks Up the Benefits of a Solid Rain Season
20. What
Cutting the Consumer Carbon Tax Means for Canada’s Emissions
21. Fines
Surpassing $15 Million Recommended Against CenturyLink
22. Rural
Internet Program on Hold as Musk’s Satellites Get New Consideration
23. Indiana:
Pole Attachments – ‘Number-One Obstructionist’: Electricity Co-Ops Lambasted
for Slow Broadband Rollout
24. The
Divide: How Subsea Cable Cuts Put Spotlight on Internet Resilience
25. California:
Data Farm Proposed Near Salton Sea Could Be First Major Development in Lithium
Valley
26. Amazon’s
Last-Minute Bid for TikTok Comes as a U.S. Ban on the Platform Is Set to Take
Effect Saturday
27. Murrow
College to Map Washington State’s Local News Landscape
28. Several
Federal Agencies Launch A ‘Deferred Resignation’ Effort to Encourage Workers to
Leave Their Jobs
29. Judge
Orders Federal Agencies to Reverse Layoffs. Some in Tri-Cities Could Get Jobs
Back
30. Rural
Leaders Push Congress to Unfreeze Climate & Environmental Funds
31. Historic
Flooding in Southeastern Oregon Prompts State of Emergency
32. Highway
Dangers Escalate as Road Crew Incidents Rise Sharply in Western Washington
33. A
Closer Look at California’s Surging Electricity Rates
34. Editorial:
Fire Season’s Coming. Power Company, Customers Had Better Be Ready
35.
Blog: Pew Report on Pole Attachments
Word of the Day
Genius Loci \JEEN-yus – LOW-sigh\ Noun – 1: the pervading spirit of a place 2: a tutelary deity of a place.
Ambrose lazily swirled his plastic spoon in his nightly serving of “Pork and Beans.” Dreamily, he reached out and touched the base of his chipped, plastic Porky Pig statue that had represented the Genius Loci of his family for over forty years. “Oh, Porky,” he intoned. “Please don’t think any less of me when I say that I LOVE eating this little square of pork fat swimming at the top of my daily dose of high-fiber beans.” Porky remained stoic, just as he had for many other house guests over the years.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
PacifiCorp Involved in Bills in Oregon, Washington,
Idaho & Other Western States, Limiting Utility Wildfire Liability, Damages
(Oregon Capital Chronicle)
2.
Canada, U.S. Columbia River Treaty Negotiations
in Jeopardy (Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2025/04/canada-us-columbia-river-treaty-negotiations-jeopardy
3.
Small Modular Reactor Firms Race to Build a
Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/smr-firms-race-build-nuclear-fuel-supply-chain-2025-03-31/
4.
Nuclear Is Now ‘Clean Energy’ in Colorado After
Gov. Polis Signs Bill (Colorado Public Radio)
https://www.cpr.org/2025/04/01/polis-declares-nuclear-is-clean-energy/
5.
Gas Power’s Boom Sparks a Turbine Supply Crunch
(Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/gas-powers-boom-sparks-a-turbine-supply-crunch/
6.
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Set New Winter &
Summer Monthly Records in 2024 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64845
7.
USDA Takes Steps to Release Co-op Funding That
Will ‘Unleash American Energy’ (National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association)
8.
WA State: Avista Files Request to Raise
Electricity Rates (KAYU-TV, Spokane, WA)
https://www.fox28spokane.com/avista-files-request-to-raise-electricity-rates/
9.
California: Carmel Begins Project to Move Power
Lines Underground for Safety & Aesthetics (KSBW-TV, Monterey, CA)
https://www.ksbw.com/article/carmel-move-power-lines-underground-california/64341691
10.
Tennessee Valley Authority, The Nation’s Largest
Public Utility, Appoints a New CEO (Associated Press)
11.
U.S. Senators Murkowski (AK), Cantwell (WA)
Reintroduce Bill to Support Hydropower Development (Alaska Native News)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
12.
Nevada Community Hopes President Trump Will Slow
Expansion of Solar Farms in Their Area (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nevada-solar-farms-esmeralda-7/
13.
Alaska: Village Of Solomon Hopes to Offset Power
Costs with Solar Energy (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)
14.
Can Offshore Wind Help Some Fish? Research
Increasingly Says Yes. (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/offshore-wind/fish-turbines-reef-research
Fish & Wildlife
15.
New $5 Billion Plan to Fund Culvert Removals
Unveiled by WA Senators (Washington State Standard)
16.
The Case of the Missing Hooligans: A Cowlitz
River Mystery (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-case-of-the-missing-hooligans-a-cowlitz-river-mystery
17.
The Most ‘Poisonous’ Fish in the World: It Has
70 Parasites & Is Eaten in Practically Every Home (AS News)
18.
Puffins Are Returning to the Oregon Coast. Here’s
How to Welcome Them Back (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
19.
California Soaks Up the Benefits of a Solid Rain
Season (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/california-soaks-up-the-benefits-of-a-solid-rain-season/
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
20.
What Cutting the Consumer Carbon Tax Means for Canada’s
Emissions (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/carbon-tax-climate-1.7499218
London Calling
–Telecommunications
21.
Fines Surpassing $15 Million Recommended Against
CenturyLink (Spokane Business Journal, WA)
https://www.spokanejournal.com/articles/16980-fines-surpassing-15m-recommended-for-centurylink
22.
Rural Internet Program on Hold as Musk’s
Satellites Get New Consideration (Washington Post – Via MSN)
23.
Indiana: Pole Attachments – ‘Number-One
Obstructionist’: Electricity Co-Ops Lambasted for Slow Broadband Rollout (Indiana
Capital Chronicle)
24.
The Divide: How Subsea Cable Cuts Put Spotlight
on Internet Resilience (Light Reading)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
25.
California: Data Farm Proposed Near Salton Sea
Could Be First Major Development in Lithium Valley (Palm Springs Desert Sun,
CA)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
26.
Amazon’s Last-Minute Bid for TikTok Comes as a U.S.
Ban on the Platform Is Set to Take Effect Saturday (Associated Press)
27.
Murrow College to Map Washington State’s Local
News Landscape (WSU Insider)
https://news.wsu.edu/news/2024/10/02/murrow-college-to-map-washingtons-local-news-landscape/
Politics, Governance,
and Management
28.
Several Federal Agencies Launch A ‘Deferred
Resignation’ Effort to Encourage Workers to Leave Their Jobs (NBC News)
29.
Judge Orders Federal Agencies to Reverse
Layoffs. Some in Tri-Cities Could Get Jobs Back (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-orders-federal-agencies-reverse-020436890.html
30.
Rural Leaders Push Congress to Unfreeze Climate &
Environmental Funds (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/31/nx-s1-5342672/climate-change-grant-funding-freeze-trump-republican
Other Things to Know
About Today
31.
Historic Flooding in Southeastern Oregon Prompts
State of Emergency (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/historic-flooding-southeastern-oregon-prompts-175443516.html
32.
Highway Dangers Escalate as Road Crew Incidents
Rise Sharply in Western Washington (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
https://komonews.com/news/local/highway-dangers-escalate-as-road-crew-incidents-rise-sharply
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
33.
A Closer Look at California’s Surging
Electricity Rates (Public Policy Institute of California)
https://www.ppic.org/blog/a-closer-look-at-californias-surging-electricity-rates/
34.
Editorial: Fire Season’s Coming. Power Company,
Customers Had Better Be Ready (The Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/opinion/us-viewpoints/article303249661.html
35.
Blog: Pew Report on Pole Attachments (Pots &
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/04/01/pew-report-on-pole-attachments/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
55 Years Later – Camera
Set Up to Catch Loch Ness Monster Discovered
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx20g82y1k8o
Stolen Painting of
President George Washington Recovered in Colorado After Burglary
Wild Turkeys Chase
Mail Carrier Out of Massachusetts Neighborhood
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/04/01/postal-worker-chased-turkeys-Massachusetts/3631743539576/
Minnesota Cat’s
18.5-Inch Tail Earns Guinness World Records Title
Song of the Day
Trevor Jones – Loch
Ness Suite (Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fVXlMW_zcI
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can result in broken links.
Although I choose
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