The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest.
The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Set a Monthly & Yearly
Record in 2025 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67365
Pain of Soaring Gas Prices Compounded by Electricity Rate
Increases Across States (Alaska Beacon)
Montana: Fish Woes in the Pacific Northwest Could Mean Higher
Electric Rates Here (Hungry Horse News, Columbia Falls, MT)
Oregon: Environmentalists Say Washington County Renewable
Energy Project Is Too Near National Wildlife Refuge (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
U.S. Postal Service Will Run Out of Cash Within a Year
Without Congress’ Help, Postmaster Warns (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/usps-mail-postmaster-funding-congress/70778119
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Set a Monthly &
Yearly Record in 2025
2.
Pain of Soaring Gas Prices Compounded by
Electricity Rate Increases Across States
3.
California: Edison Executive Pay Soars Despite
Devastating Eaton Fire
4.
Utilities Have Made Over $200 Billion in Profit
Since 2021, New Report Says
5.
Concerns About New WA Agency Tasked with
Modernizing Energy Grid
6.
U.S. Senators Urge Trump Admin to Release $400
Million in LIHEAP Funding to Help Families Pay Utility Bills
7.
Cuba Restores Power After 29-Hour Blackout Amid
U.S. Oil Blockade
8.
Utilities Weigh Regional Resource Adequacy Under
New Western Market
9.
Canada: Electricity Demand, Natural Gas
Production & Renewable Power Expected to Soar by 2050
10.
Can Hydropower Ride the Wave of the Energy Boom?
11.
Oregon: Environmentalists Say Washington County
Renewable Energy Project Is Too Near National Wildlife Refuge
12.
Oregon: How Oregon’s Solar Industry Is Faring
After the End of Federal Tax Incentives
13.
New Report: West Coast Offshore Wind Needs
Better Planning
14.
WA State: Thurston Could Become First County in
U.S. To Mandate Energy Assessment Before Home Sales
15.
Montana: Fish Woes in the Pacific Northwest
Could Mean Higher Electric Rates Here
16.
Fewer Fish in West Coast Waters Will Be
Federally Regulated
17.
U.S. Senator Wyden (OR) Urges Federal Action on
Western Drought
18.
Fiber Suppliers Pledge Support for BEAD
Deployments — But Can They Deliver?
19.
Montana: NorthWestern Tells PSC to Throw Out
Data Center Complaint
20.
Columbia River Data Centers Threaten Pacific
Northwest Renewable Energy Goals, Report Says
21.
Canada: Ontario Premier Ford Urges B.C., Quebec
to Drop Electric Vehicle Sales Targets
22.
The Adversarial Answer to California’s Electric
Vehicle Woes
23.
Study Finds ChatGPT Answers Inaccurate &
Inconsistent, Washington State University Says
24.
Idaho National Laboratory Advances U.S. Space
Nuclear Power Leadership
25.
Heat Wave Strikes Southwest Amid Record March
Highs
26.
High Avalanche Warnings Issued Across Cascades
as Atmospheric River Arrives
27.
Montana: Weather Forecast – Warming Temperatures
& Rising Rivers
28.
The Northwest's Kona Connection
29.
U.S. Postal Service Will Run Out of Cash Within
a Year Without Congress’ Help, Postmaster Warns
30.
WA & Oregon Scale Back I-5 Bridge Ambitions
as Cost Balloons to $14.4 Billion
Word of the Day
Jejune /jih-JOON/ Adjective - Uninteresting or boring. Also, a synonym of juvenile to describe things (such as behaviors, attitudes, etc.) that are immature, childish, or simplistic.
The intern’s report was so jejune that even the office Ficus looked disappointed, as if begging for more intellectual fertilizer.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
U.S. Natural Gas Consumption Set a Monthly &
Yearly Record in 2025 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67365
2.
Pain of Soaring Gas Prices Compounded by Electricity
Rate Increases Across States (Alaska Beacon)
3.
California: Edison Executive Pay Soars Despite
Devastating Eaton Fire (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via MSN News)
4.
Utilities Have Made Over $200 Billion in Profit
Since 2021, New Report Says (Utility Dive)
5.
Concerns About New WA Agency Tasked with
Modernizing Energy Grid (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/issues/energy/article_670af00b-3018-4446-862e-6bcc12a15371.html
6.
U.S. Senators Urge Trump Admin to Release $400 Million
in LIHEAP Funding to Help Families Pay Utility Bills (Daily Energy Insider)
7.
Cuba Restores Power After 29-Hour Blackout Amid U.S.
Oil Blockade (Reuters)
8.
Utilities Weigh Regional Resource Adequacy Under
New Western Market (Utility Dive)
9.
Canada: Electricity Demand, Natural Gas
Production & Renewable Power Expected to Soar by 2050 (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cer-energy-future-2026-9.7131616
10.
Can Hydropower Ride the Wave of the Energy Boom?
(Renewable Energy World)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
11.
Oregon: Environmentalists Say Washington County Renewable
Energy Project Is Too Near National Wildlife Refuge (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
12.
Oregon: How Oregon’s Solar Industry Is Faring
After the End of Federal Tax Incentives (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/17/think-out-loud-oregon-solar-storage/
13.
New Report: West Coast Offshore Wind Needs
Better Planning (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/18/west-coast-offshore-wind-needs-better-planning-new-report/
Conservation
& Efficiency
14.
WA State: Thurston Could Become First County in U.S.
To Mandate Energy Assessment Before Home Sales (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Fish
& Wildlife
15.
Montana: Fish Woes in the Pacific Northwest Could
Mean Higher Electric Rates Here (Hungry Horse News, Columbia Falls, MT)
16.
Fewer Fish in West Coast Waters Will Be
Federally Regulated (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
17.
U.S. Senator Wyden (OR) Urges Federal Action on Western
Drought (KOBI-TV, Medford, OR)
https://kobi5.com/news/wyden-urges-federal-action-on-western-drought-301954/
London
Calling –Telecommunications
18.
Fiber Suppliers Pledge Support for BEAD Deployments
— But Can They Deliver? (Fierce Network)
HAL’s
Internet Café
19.
Montana: NorthWestern Tells PSC to Throw Out
Data Center Complaint (The Daily Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2026/03/17/northwestern-tells-psc-to-throw-out-data-center-complaint/
20.
Columbia River Data Centers Threaten Pacific Northwest
Renewable Energy Goals, Report Says (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
I
Sing the Car Electric
21.
Canada: Ontario Premier Ford Urges B.C., Quebec to
Drop Electric Vehicle Sales Targets (Global News, Canada)
https://globalnews.ca/news/11736176/ontario-doug-ford-ev-sales-targets-bc-quebec/
22.
The Adversarial Answer to California’s Electric
Vehicle Woes (Politico)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
23.
Study Finds ChatGPT Answers Inaccurate &
Inconsistent, Washington State University Says (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
24.
Idaho National Laboratory Advances U.S. Space
Nuclear Power Leadership (Idaho Business Review – Paywall Advisory)
Whither
the Weather
25.
Heat Wave Strikes Southwest Amid Record March Highs
(The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_29e75a05-f221-4472-a1b8-f4d027834fcd.html
26.
High Avalanche Warnings Issued Across Cascades as
Atmospheric River Arrives (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/avalanche-cascade/4217876
27.
Montana: Weather Forecast – Warming Temperatures
& Rising Rivers (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
https://www.kpax.com/weather/weather-forecast-warming-temperatures-and-rising-rivers
28.
The Northwest's Kona Connection (Cliff Mass
Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-northwests-kona-connection.html
Other
Things to Know About Today
29.
U.S. Postal Service Will Run Out of Cash Within a
Year Without Congress’ Help, Postmaster Warns (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/usps-mail-postmaster-funding-congress/70778119
30.
WA & Oregon Scale Back I-5 Bridge Ambitions as
Cost Balloons to $14.4 Billion (Washington State Standard)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Suspect Arrested After Causing Nearly $250,000 In Damage at Chihuly
Garden & Glass
Seven-Ton Meteor Identified as Likely Cause of Boom Heard
Across Ohio
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/meteor-identified-likely-cause-boom-141659723.html
Raucous Bird Tornado Touches Down as Snow Geese Make Annual
Flight to Arctic
Archaeologists Unearth 43,000 Ancient Egyptian Receipts,
Notes, and ‘To Do’ Lists
Song of the Day
Post Modern Jukebox – Heart of Glass (Blondie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTMoipsvGNc
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause 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 cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.
