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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Atmospheric River to Soak Pacific Northwest Through
Thanksgiving Week (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/atmospheric-river-soak-pacific-northwest-165603677.html
WSU Review Flags $4 Million WSDOT Study on Dam Breaching for
Not Meeting Expectations (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_17d985fb-8852-472e-819a-dd777108b606.html
Western Washington Power Utilities Brace for Future Storms
with Upgraded Systems (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Watch: Power Grid Regulator Says PNW in ‘Crosshairs’ for
Potential Winter Blackouts (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_389c4baa-4ba9-485a-a558-f8469d6f2d86.html
Oregon Governor Orders Agencies to
Move Faster on Clean Energy Projects (Washington State Standard)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
WSU Review Flags $4 Million WSDOT Study on Dam
Breaching for Not Meeting Expectations
2.
Western Washington Power Utilities Brace for
Future Storms with Upgraded Systems
3.
What Lessons Did Utility Companies Learn from
the Bomb Cyclone?
4.
Who’s Really Paying for the Cleanup of Last
Year’s Bomb Cyclone?
5.
Watch: Power Grid Regulator Says PNW in
‘Crosshairs’ for Potential Winter Blackouts
6.
Little Hoover Commission Calls for Overhaul of
California’s Electricity Rate System
7.
WA State: Okanogan PUD Puts Hold on High-Density
Power Loads
8.
New FERC Commissioners Say Connecting Data
Centers Is Key Priority
9.
Wyoming: Energy-Rich Campbell County Wants
Nuclear, But Not Its Radioactive Waste
10.
Further Cuts to Colorado River Water Use Could
Increase Utility Costs
11.
More Americans Are Getting Their Power Shut Off,
as Unpaid Bills Pile Up
12.
Natural Gas Use for Electricity in California
Falls as Solar Generation Rises
13.
Utah: 16-Year-Old Dies in 60-Foot Fall After
Climbing Power Pole in Fruit Heights
14.
Oregon Governor Orders Agencies to Move Faster
on Clean Energy
15.
The Problem with Wind Energy in the Pacific
Northwest
16.
Rays of Power: Utah’s Largest Solar Plant
Becomes Operational, Set to Power Eagle Mountain Data Center
17.
Federal Bills to Weaken DOE Efficiency Programs
Advance
18.
Makah Tribe’s Treaty-Protected Whaling Rights
Remain Blocked After More Than 25 Years
19.
A Drying-Up Rio Grande Basin Threatens Water
Security on Both Sides of the Border
20.
Yakima Valley Faces Potential Fourth Year of
Drought in 2026
21.
Montana Approved for Proposal for Universal
Broadband Access Program
22.
Severe Internet Outages Keep Happening — And
They Might Get Worse
23.
Fiber & Public Safety
24.
Data Center Pulls Out of Great Falls, Group
Says, Others Charge Ahead
25.
Should WA Data Centers Generate Their Own Clean
Energy to Get Tax Breaks?
26.
White House Pauses Executive Order That Would
Seek to Preempt State Laws on Artificial Intelligence, Sources Say
27.
WA Industry, Local Government Organizations
Reiterate Challenges with Electric Vehicle Adoption
28.
WSDOT: The Funniest Thing on Social Media -
2025’s Best
29.
Woolly Bear Caterpillars: Can They Predict
Winter Weather?
30.
Year After Bomb Cyclone, FEMA Denial Stings
Washington State as Trump Touts Red-State Aid
31.
Bill to Speed Up Permitting Process Approved by
U.S. House Committee
32.
Atmospheric River to Soak Pacific Northwest
Through Thanksgiving Week
33.
Senator Demands Answers on Northwest Fuel
Pipeline Shutdown That Could Affect Thanksgiving
34.
U.S. Dams, Levees, Stormwater, & Wastewater
Systems Get D to D+ Grades, Need Almost $1 Trillion in Upgrades
35.
Guest Essay: Cracking Down on Copper Theft to
Protect Our Communities
36.
Editorial: Don’t Let Rolling Blackouts Come to
Oregon
Word of the Day
Kafkaesque /koff-kuh-ESK/ Adjective – Of, relating to, or
suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially: having a nightmarishly
complex, bizarre, or illogical quality.
Thanksgiving
weather
Threatens roasted
turkey feast
Kafkaesque, you bet
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
WSU Review Flags $4 Million WSDOT Study on Dam
Breaching for Not Meeting Expectations (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_17d985fb-8852-472e-819a-dd777108b606.html
2.
Western Washington Power Utilities Brace for
Future Storms with Upgraded Systems (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
3.
What Lessons Did Utility Companies Learn from
the Bomb Cyclone? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
4.
Who’s Really Paying for the Cleanup of Last Year’s
Bomb Cyclone? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
5.
Watch: Power Grid Regulator Says PNW in ‘Crosshairs’
for Potential Winter Blackouts (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_389c4baa-4ba9-485a-a558-f8469d6f2d86.html
6.
Little Hoover Commission Calls for Overhaul of California’s
Electricity Rate System (Daily Energy Insider)
7.
WA State: Okanogan PUD Puts Hold on High-Density
Power Loads (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
https://methowvalleynews.com/2025/11/20/okanogan-pud-puts-hold-on-high-density-power-loads/
8.
New FERC Commissioners Say Connecting Data
Centers Is Key Priority (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-data-centers-swett-lacerte-lng/806145/
9.
Wyoming: Energy-Rich Campbell County Wants
Nuclear, But Not Its Radioactive Waste (WyoFile)
https://wyofile.com/energy-rich-campbell-county-wants-nuclear-but-not-its-radioactive-waste/
10.
Further Cuts to Colorado River Water Use Could
Increase Utility Costs (Fitch Ratings)
11.
More Americans Are Getting Their Power Shut Off,
as Unpaid Bills Pile Up (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
12.
Natural Gas Use for Electricity in California Falls
as Solar Generation Rises (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=66704
13.
Utah: 16-Year-Old Dies in 60-Foot Fall After
Climbing Power Pole in Fruit Heights (MSN News
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
14.
Oregon Governor Orders Agencies to Move Faster
on Clean Energy Projects (Washington State Standard)
15.
The Problem with Wind Energy in the Pacific Northwest
(Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-problem-with-wind-energy-in.html
16.
Rays of Power: Utah’s Largest Solar Plant
Becomes Operational, Set to Power Eagle Mountain Data Center (Ogden Daily
Herald, UT)
Conservation
& Efficiency
17.
Federal Bills to Weaken DOE Efficiency Programs
Advance (Utility Dive)
Fish
& Wildlife
18.
Makah Tribe’s Treaty-Protected Whaling Rights
Remain Blocked After More Than 25 Years (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
19.
A Drying-Up Rio Grande Basin Threatens Water
Security on Both Sides of the Border (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/a-drying-up-rio-grande-basin-threatens-water-21199265.php
20.
Yakima Valley Faces Potential Fourth Year of
Drought in 2026 (KIT Radio, Yakima, WA)
https://newstalkkit.com/another-drought-in-2026/
London Calling –Telecommunications
21.
Montana Approved for Proposal for Universal
Broadband Access Program (KTVH-TV, Helena, MT)
22.
Severe Internet Outages Keep Happening — And
They Might Get Worse (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/severe-internet-outages-keep-happening-100000736.html
23.
Fiber & Public Safety (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2025/11/21/fiber-and-public-safety/
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
24.
Data Center Pulls Out of Great Falls, Group
Says, Others Charge Ahead (The Daily Montanan)
25.
Should WA Data Centers Generate Their Own Clean
Energy to Get Tax Breaks? (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
26.
White House Pauses Executive Order That Would
Seek to Preempt State Laws on Artificial Intelligence, Sources Say (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/white-house-pauses-executive-order-193210329.html
I
Sing the Car Electric
27.
WA Industry, Local Government Organizations
Reiterate Challenges with Electric Vehicle Adoption (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_9128cf5d-684a-429c-8fd4-144be4041286.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
28.
WSDOT: The Funniest Thing on Social Media - 2025’s
Best (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
29.
Woolly Bear Caterpillars: Can They Predict
Winter Weather? (WGAL-TV, Lancaster, PA)
https://www.wgal.com/article/woolly-bear-caterpillars-predict-winter-weather/69489787
Politics,
Governance, and Management
30.
Year After Bomb Cyclone, FEMA Denial Stings
Washington State as Trump Touts Red-State Aid (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
31.
Bill to Speed Up Permitting Process Approved by U.S.
House Committee (Daily Energy Insider)
Other
Things to Know About Today
32.
Atmospheric River to Soak Pacific Northwest Through
Thanksgiving Week (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/atmospheric-river-soak-pacific-northwest-165603677.html
33.
Senator Demands Answers on Northwest Fuel
Pipeline Shutdown That Could Affect Thanksgiving Travel (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/olympic-pipeline-leak-bp-seattle-airport-2383cd297b5ea56c6b5c132d0d2e54a5
34.
U.S. Dams, Levees, Stormwater, & Wastewater
Systems Get D to D+ Grades, Need Almost $1 Trillion in Upgrades (Yale Climate
Connections)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
35.
Guest Essay: Cracking Down on Copper Theft to
Protect Our Communities (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cracking-down-copper-theft-protect-150052327.html
36.
Editorial: Don’t Let Rolling Blackouts Come to Oregon
(Bend Bulletin, OR)
https://bendbulletin.com/2025/11/21/editorial-dont-let-rolling-blackouts-come-to-oregon/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Tales of Modern Farming: Baby Goats & Yoga
https://www.nwpb.org/local/2025-11-16/tales-of-modern-farming-baby-goats-and-yoga
Cow Cuddling Gives Farms Boost Amid Dropping Dairy Prices
Rescued Chickens Wearing Diapers Join Monthly Florida Yoga
Class
https://dnyuz.com/2025/11/15/rescued-chickens-wearing-diapers-join-monthly-florida-yoga-class/
At This Portland Train Club, the Columbia River Gorge Fits
in a Single Room
https://courthousenews.com/at-this-portland-train-club-columbia-river-gorge-fits-in-single-room/
Song of the Day
John Denver - Thank God I’m a Country Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRgL92K5zuE
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