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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Smoke from
Climate-Fueled Wildfires Contributed to Thousands of U.S. Deaths Over 15 Years
(KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
The Bonneville
Power Administration Opts to Join Controversial Energy Market Despite Criticism
That It Will Raise Rates (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
WA State: Cowlitz
PUD Buys Out Partner in Gorge Wind Project It Uses to Meet Clean Energy Laws
(Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
U.S. Will Stop
Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather Fueled by Climate Change (Associated
Press)
Adult Salmon Makes
Historic Swim into Upper Columbia River System (Salmon Arm Observer, BC)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. The
Bonneville Power Administration Opts to Join Controversial Energy Market
Despite Criticism That It Will Raise Rates
2. Bonneville
Power Administration Issues Day-Ahead Market Policy to Pursue Participation in
SPP’s Markets+
3. Portland
City Council Rejects PGE Plan to Run New Transmission Lines in Forest Park
4. California:
Edison Electric Tower at Center of Eaton Fire Investigation Is Dismantled &
Removed for Testing
5. Montana
PSC President Asks Governor to Veto Utility Fire Mitigation Bill
6. BPA
Safe from Additional Staffing Cuts, DOE’s Wright Tells House Committee
7. U.S.
DOE Secretary Expresses Support for the Lower Snake River Dams
8. WA
State: Lewis County PUD Appoints Former Manager Dave Muller to Commission Seat
9. Nevada:
NV Energy Projects Will Connect All Parts of Silver State
10. Bonneville
Power Administration Energizes Midway-to-Ashe High-Voltage Transmission Line in
Southeast Washington
11. Southwest
Power Pool Proposes One-Time Framework to Speed Generation Interconnection
12. Western
Transmission Consortium Announces Official Launch
13. After
Spain’s Blackout, Questions About Renewable Energy Are Back
14. Residential
Electric Bills in Hawaii & Connecticut Are Twice Those in New Mexico, Utah
15. WA
State: Cowlitz PUD Buys Out Partner in Gorge Wind Project It Uses to Meet Clean
Energy Laws
16. Oregon:
Solar Plant Under Construction West of Powell Butte
17. WA
State: ‘It Will Ruin the Charm of Our Island’: Islanders Push Back on Solar
Grid
18. These
States Generate the Most Electricity from Solar Energy
19. Need
Help Switching Appliances from Gas to Electric? A ‘Coach’ Can Help
20. Adult
Salmon Makes Historic Swim into Upper Columbia River System
21. Go
Geoducks, Go? How a Chinese Delicacy Got Caught in the Crossfire of Trump’s
Trade War
22. Trump
Administration Promises Illinois It Will Pay to Keep Carp Out of the Great
Lakes
23. Smoke
from Climate-Fueled Wildfires Contributed to Thousands of U.S. Deaths Over 15
Years
24. Wyoming
Intends to Approve Microsoft Data Centers’ Emissions Permit for 128 Backup
Diesel Generators
25. Oregon:
Washington County Sewer CEO Resigns Following Oregonian Investigation
26. U.S.
Will Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather Fueled by Climate Change
27. WA
State: Lewis County Hydrogen Buses Set to Fuel Up This Fall with Help from the
State
28. WA
State: Natural Gas Supporters Argue Judge Is Intentionally Delaying Fight Over
I-2066
29. Trump
‘Energy Emergency’ Directive Latest Target of Lawsuit by WA AG Brown
30. FEMA
to Reduce Reimbursement Eligibility
31. Colorado’s
Rural Electric Co-Ops Are Determined to Go Green
32. Major
Storm System Could Bring Two Months’ Worth of Rain to Parts of U.S.
33. How
the Pacific Northwest’s Dream of Green Energy Fell Apart
34.
Trump’s All-Out War on Energy Efficiency
Word of the Day
Treacle \TREE-cull\ Noun – 1: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2a: chiefly British: molasses b: a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup *3: something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying.
“Oh dear, what a lovely smock,” Abernathy Rockjaw cooed in his honeyed tones to the beautiful Violet Fenwick-Jones. What the oily shyster did not realize was that Ms. Fenwick-Jones saw right through his treacle-loaded advances. The taser in her extended hand instantly cooled his amorous advances.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
The Bonneville Power Administration Opts to Join
Controversial Energy Market Despite Criticism That It Will Raise Rates (The
Oregonian, Portland, OR)
2.
Bonneville Power Administration Issues Day-Ahead
Market Policy to Pursue Participation in SPP’s Markets+ (Bonneville Power
Administration)
3.
Portland City Council Rejects PGE Plan to Run
New Transmission Lines in Forest Park (Willamette Week, Portland, OR)
4.
California: Edison Electric Tower at Center of Eaton
Fire Investigation Is Dismantled & Removed for Testing (Los Angeles Times, CA
– Via MSN News)
5.
Montana PSC President Asks Governor to Veto
Utility Fire Mitigation Bill (KTVQ-TV, Billings, MT)
6.
BPA Safe from Additional Staffing Cuts, DOE’s
Wright Tells House Committee (Northwest Public Power Association)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/05/bpa-safe-from-additional-staffing-cuts.html
7.
U.S. DOE Secretary Expresses Support for the
Lower Snake River Dams (Northwest Public Power Association)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2025/05/us-doe-secretary-expresses-support-for.html
8.
WA State: Lewis County PUD Appoints Former
Manager Dave Muller to Commission Seat (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
9.
Nevada: NV Energy Projects Will Connect All
Parts of Silver State (Nevada Appeal)
10.
Bonneville Power Administration Energizes
Midway-to-Ashe High-Voltage Transmission Line in Southeast Washington (American
Public Power Association)
11.
Southwest Power Pool Proposes One-Time Framework
to Speed Generation Interconnection (Utility Dive)
12.
Western Transmission Consortium Announces
Official Launch (American Public Power Association)
13.
After Spain’s Blackout, Questions About
Renewable Energy Are Back (Associated Press)
14.
Residential Electric Bills in Hawaii & Connecticut
Are Twice Those in New Mexico, Utah (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65244
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
15.
WA State: Cowlitz PUD Buys Out Partner in Gorge Wind
Project It Uses to Meet Clean Energy Laws (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
16.
Oregon: Solar Plant Under Construction West of Powell
Butte (Redmond Spokesman, OR)
https://redmondspokesman.com/2025/05/09/solar-plant-under-construction-west-of-powell-butte/
17.
WA State: ‘It Will Ruin the Charm of Our Island’:
Islanders Push Back on Solar Grid (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
18.
These States Generate the Most Electricity from
Solar Energy (National World Publishing)
Conservation &
Efficiency
19.
Need Help Switching Appliances from Gas to
Electric? A ‘Coach’ Can Help (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/07/nx-s1-5354721/climate-pollution-gas-electric-appliances
Fish & Wildlife
20.
Adult Salmon Makes Historic Swim into Upper Columbia
River System (Salmon Arm Observer, BC)
21.
Go Geoducks, Go? How a Chinese Delicacy Got
Caught in the Crossfire of Trump’s Trade War (Associated Press)
22.
Trump Administration Promises Illinois It Will
Pay to Keep Carp Out of the Great Lakes (Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-administration-promises-illinois-pay-174156940.html
Environmental Afflatus –
Clean Up on Aisle Three
23.
Smoke from Climate-Fueled Wildfires Contributed to
Thousands of U.S. Deaths Over 15 Years (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
24.
Wyoming Intends to Approve Microsoft Data
Centers’ Emissions Permit for 128 Backup Diesel Generators (Wyofile)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
25.
Oregon: Washington County Sewer CEO Resigns
Following Oregonian Investigation (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
26.
U.S. Will Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme
Weather Fueled by Climate Change (Associated Press)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
27.
WA State: Lewis County Hydrogen Buses Set to
Fuel Up This Fall with Help from the State (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
28.
WA State: Natural Gas Supporters Argue Judge Is
Intentionally Delaying Fight Over I-2066 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_599c4274-05ff-49b8-b0d4-8f9d7f867c64.html
29.
Trump ‘Energy Emergency’ Directive Latest Target
of Lawsuit by WA AG Brown (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_fd006ddb-a13b-4068-bc04-af48c2ae79cf.html
30.
FEMA to Reduce Reimbursement Eligibility (Peninsula
Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Via MSN News)
31.
Colorado’s Rural Electric Co-Ops Are Determined to
Go Green (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-5/colorados-rural-electric-co-ops-are-determined-to-go-green/
Other Things to Know
About Today
32.
Major Storm System Could Bring Two Months’ Worth
of Rain to Parts of U.S. (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/major-storm-system-could-bring-124907238.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
33.
How the Pacific Northwest’s Dream of Green
Energy Fell Apart (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/12/oregon-washington-green-energy-bonneville/
34.
Trump’s All-Out War on Energy Efficiency (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/energy-efficiency/trump-energy-star-liheap-building
Diversions – Bees in Your Bonnet
Beekeeper Removes
Swarm of 8,000 Bees from Downtown Oregon Sidewalk
Ducks in a Row: WA
State Patrol Saves Ducklings on I-5 in Tacoma
Is The Southern Accent
Fixin’ to Disappear in Parts of the U.S. South?
Two Men Convicted of
Cutting Down Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree in England
Song of the Day
Willie Nelson –
Georgia on My Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWC0kNtteI8
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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
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