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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Nuclear Power Plant Near Richland Refueled, Again Supplying
Power to the Pacific Northwest (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-power-plant-near-richland-182745470.html
Spain Says April Blackout Was Caused by Grid Failures &
Poor Planning, Not a Cyberattack (Associated Press)
U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Are Slowing Amid Policy Shifts:
BNEF (Utility Dive)
Washington’s Carbon Emission Auction Sells Out as Price
Climbs (KGMI-Radio, Bellingham, WA)
‘Who We Are Here in WA’: Emergency Drought Declaration
Expands to One-Third of State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/emergency-drought-declaration-wa/4100384
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Nuclear Power Plant Near Richland Refueled,
Again Supplying Power to the Pacific Northwest
2.
News Release: Pacific Northwest Nuclear Plant
Refueled, Tuned Up, Back Online
3.
Spain Says April Blackout Was Caused by Grid
Failures & Poor Planning, Not a Cyberattack
4.
American Public Power Association Says It
Appreciates Federal Action Tied to Lower Snake River Dams
5.
President Trump Quits Deal with Northwest Tribes
to Restore Salmon
6.
Termination of Columbia Basin Deal Impacts
Yakama Nation
7.
Lower Snake River Dams Study Invites Public
Feedback at Open Houses
8.
Pacific Gas & Electric Shutoffs Map: 15
California Counties Could Face Power Outages Beginning Thursday
9.
Alaska: Juneau Has a New Electric Utility, With
Some Conditions
10.
Montana: NorthWestern’s Investment in Colstrip
Plant Could Be Costly for Customers, Witness Testifies
11.
WA State: Rep. Ybarra Bill Designed to Make It
Easier to Fulfill Demands for Electricity, Transmission
12.
Fusion Power: Chelan PUD Commissioners Approve
Lease for Helion to Construct on Malaga Property
13.
WA State: Conservation Group Sues DOE Over
Public Records for Hanford Clean Energy Initiative
14.
California: Contentious Fountain Wind Farm
Decision Means Another Chance for People to Speak Out
15.
Montana: Gov. Gianforte Vetoes Bill That Would
Enable Community Solar Arrays
16.
Anti-Offshore Wind Groups Target $426 Million
Grant for California Port
17.
Pendleton Powers Wastewater Plant With ‘Solar
Canopy’
18.
Energy Efficiency Will Play a Key Role in
Meeting Energy Demands of the Future: Panel
19.
WA State: Cracks in Century-Old Grays Harbor
County Dam Prompt Drawdown at Sylvia Lake
20.
Washington’s Carbon Emission Auction Sells Out
as Price Climbs
21.
WA State: Chelan PUD Approves Power Supply
Contract with Microsoft
22.
Spokane Becomes First in Washington State to Ban
Crypto Kiosks Amid Recent Scams
23.
U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Are Slowing Amid
Policy Shifts: BNEF
24.
Seattle Judge Considers Reversing Trump’s
Electric Vehicle Charger Funding Freeze
25.
President Trump Will Toss TikTok Another
Lifeline, Pushing Back Its Sell-By Date for a Third Time
26.
The Billion-Dollar US Green Hydrogen Boom Ended
Before It Ever Began
27.
Politicians Divided Over Federal Plan to Sell
Public Lands
28.
Federal Appeals Court Affirms FERC’s Limited
Authority Over Public Power
29.
Oregon Passes Bill Investing Public Employee
Retirement Funds into Clean Energy
30.
‘Who We Are Here in WA’: Emergency Drought
Declaration Expands to One-Third of State
31.
Oregon: Gov. Kotek Proposes Using $160 Million
from State’s ‘Rainy Day Fund’ for One-Time Wildfire Funding
32.
Editorial: Move to End Critical Fish Deal Offers
No Solutions
33.
Commentary: As President Trump Cancels Columbia
River Deal, Promises to Indigenous American Tribes Are Still Being Broken
34.
Podcast: What The End of the Columbia River
Agreement Will Mean for Tribes, Ag Industry Groups
35.
Editorial: Oregon Bills May Help Keep Utility
Costs Down
Word of the Day
Glockenspiel \GLAWK-ken-shpeel\ Noun – A percussion instrument consisting of a series of graduated metal bars tuned to the chromatic scale & played with two hammers.
“Sonny, with shoulders like that, you’re a natural to carry the marching band’s glockenspiel in the parade,” intoned the well-travelled virtuoso. “You do understand that I’ll be hammering away on the cranky thing while you walk four miles?”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Nuclear Power Plant Near Richland Refueled,
Again Supplying Power to the Pacific Northwest (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-power-plant-near-richland-182745470.html
2.
News Release: Pacific Northwest Nuclear Plant
Refueled, Tuned Up, Back Online (Energy Northwest)
3.
Spain Says April Blackout Was Caused by Grid
Failures & Poor Planning, Not a Cyberattack (Associated Press)
4.
American Public Power Association Says It
Appreciates Federal Action Tied to Lower Snake River Dams (American Public
Power Association)
5.
President Trump Quits Deal with Northwest Tribes
to Restore Salmon (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/articles/trump-quits-deal-with-northwest-tribes-to-restore-salmon/
6.
Termination of Columbia Basin Deal Impacts Yakama
Nation (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
7.
Lower Snake River Dams Study Invites Public
Feedback at Open Houses (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
8.
Pacific Gas & Electric Shutoffs Map: 15 California
Counties Could Face Power Outages Beginning Thursday (KCRA-TV,, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/california-public-safety-power-shutoffs-pge-june-19/65104065
9.
Alaska: Juneau Has a New Electric Utility, With
Some Conditions (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)
10.
Montana: NorthWestern’s Investment in Colstrip Plant
Could Be Costly for Customers, Witness Testifies (The Daily Montanan)
11.
WA State: Rep. Ybarra Bill Designed to Make It
Easier to Fulfill Demands for Electricity, Transmission (Columbia Basin Herald,
Moses Lake, WA)
12.
Fusion Power: Chelan PUD Commissioners Approve
Lease for Helion to Construct on Malaga Property (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/chelan-pud-commissioners-approve-lease-for-helion-to-construct-on-malaga-property/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
13.
WA State: Conservation Group Sues DOE Over
Public Records for Hanford Clean Energy Initiative (Tri-Cities Area Journal of
Commerce, WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/conservation-group-sues-doe
14.
California: Contentious Fountain Wind Farm
Decision Means Another Chance for People to Speak Out (Redding Record-Searchlight,
CA)
15.
Montana: Gov. Gianforte Vetoes Bill That Would
Enable Community Solar Arrays (Montana Public Radio)
16.
Anti-Offshore Wind Groups Target $426 Million Grant
for California Port (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/offshore-wind/california-port-trump-grant-cut
17.
Pendleton Powers Wastewater Plant With ‘Solar
Canopy’ (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Conservation
& Efficiency
18.
Energy Efficiency Will Play a Key Role in Meeting
Energy Demands of the Future: Panel (Daily Energy Insider)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
19.
WA State: Cracks in Century-Old Grays Harbor
County Dam Prompt Drawdown at Sylvia Lake (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
20.
Washington’s Carbon Emission Auction Sells Out as
Price Climbs (KGMI-Radio, Bellingham, WA)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
21.
WA State: Chelan PUD Approves Power Supply
Contract with Microsoft (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/chelan-pud-approves-power-supply-contract-with-microsoft/
22.
Spokane Becomes First in Washington State to Ban
Crypto Kiosks Amid Recent Scams (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_bcca8528-4834-4c57-95de-31a2381fed16.html
I
Sing the Car Electric
23.
U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Are Slowing Amid
Policy Shifts: BNEF (Utility Dive)
24.
Seattle Judge Considers Reversing Trump’s Electric
Vehicle Charger Funding Freeze (Washington State Standard)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25.
President Trump Will Toss TikTok Another
Lifeline, Pushing Back Its Sell-By Date for a Third Time (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/06/18/trump-will-push-back-tiktok-s-sell-by-date-for-a-third-time/
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
26.
The Billion-Dollar US Green Hydrogen Boom Ended
Before It Ever Began (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/hydrogen/green-industry-trump-tax-credits
Politics,
Governance, and Management
27.
Politicians Divided Over Federal Plan to Sell
Public Lands (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_8e9cdc4b-27b1-40cf-baad-e4f72ad37e82.html
28.
Federal Appeals Court Affirms FERC’s Limited
Authority Over Public Power (American Public Power Association)
29.
Oregon Passes Bill Investing Public Employee
Retirement Funds into Clean Energy (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
Other
Things to Know About Today
30.
‘Who We Are Here in WA’: Emergency Drought
Declaration Expands to One-Third of State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/emergency-drought-declaration-wa/4100384
31.
Oregon: Gov. Kotek Proposes Using $160 Million from
State’s ‘Rainy Day Fund’ for One-Time Wildfire Funding (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
32.
Editorial: Move to End Critical Fish Deal Offers
No Solutions (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
33.
Commentary: As President Trump Cancels Columbia
River Deal, Promises to Indigenous American Tribes Are Still Being Broken (Idaho
Capital Sun)
34.
Podcast: What The End of the Columbia River Agreement
Will Mean for Tribes, Ag Industry Groups (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
35.
Editorial: Oregon Bills May Help Keep Utility
Costs Down (Bend Bulletin, OR – Paywall Advisory)
https://bendbulletin.com/2025/06/17/editorial-bills-may-help-keep-utility-costs-down/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Oregon Man Bought an Entire Boeing 737 from a Salvage Yard
Just to Live in It
https://supercarblondie.com/oregon-man-bought-boeing-737-salvage-yard-to-live-in/
Oregon Lawmakers Designate T-Bone as New State Steak
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/06/17/oregon-lawmakers-designate-t-bone-as-new-state-steak/
Billings, MT – One Woman Goes from Chasing Tornadoes to
Leading a Viral Local Weather Group
Trinidad & Tobago Musician Plays Steelpan for 31 Hours
Straight
Song of the Day
Steve Miller Band – Jet Airliner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrYUVJBfFZg
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 stories that are accessible without paying
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