NWPPA Morning Brief

NWPPA Morning Brief — Monday, June 08, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• DOE orders Orlando municipal utility to keep 465-MW coal unit running — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-orlando-coal-florida-stanton-emergency-202/822119/
• DOE commits $850 million for new coal plants including 1.4-plus GW Anchorage unit — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-announces-850m-modernize-coal-capacity-build-new-plants/822109/
• Antares Mark-0 microreactor achieves criticality at Idaho National Laboratory — https://www.powermag.com/antares-mark-0-becomes-first-advanced-nuclear-reactor-to-achieve-criticality-under-doe-pilot-program/
• DOE Associate Deputy Secretary lays out administration energy posture at EEI — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/alex-fitzsimmons-energy-markets-ai-renewables/822095/

Top Regional / State Developments

• Portland General Electric files 29% data center rate hike, 1.3% residential cut under Oregon POWER Act — https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/04/data-centers-utility-rate-pge/
• Imperial Irrigation District voters reject data-center-backed board candidate — https://www.kpbs.org/news/politics/2026/06/05/imperial-county-voters-reject-data-center-backed-candidate-for-water-and-power-utility
• Regulatory Commission of Alaska rejects Goat Lake Hydro rate increase, orders rebates — https://khns.org/regulatory-commission-of-alaska-makes-ruling-on-goat-lake-hydro-rate-increase/

Worth Knowing

• FERC's 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment found that 75 GW of new capacity has been added — the largest… — https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/ferc/u-s-grid-reliability-improves-this-summer/
• Google will fund a three-year, 100-MW virtual power plant in PJM through aggregator Voltus, in what the… — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/google-virtual-power-plant-vpp-pjm-voltus/821838/

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Friday, June 05, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• GAO Finds DOE Reported Funding Figures That Don't Match Congressional Appropriations — https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-spent-money-not-appropriated-by-congress-audit/
• FERC Approves Waiver Transferring 760 MW of Interconnection Rights to Crane Nuclear Restart — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/constellation-three-mile-island-crane-nuclear-ferc-waiver/821836/
• DOE Guidance Restricts Home Energy Rebates to Electric-to-Electric Swaps — https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2026/06/new-guidance-doe-weakens-popular-home-energy-rebate-programs

Top Regional / State Developments

• Protesters Confront NV Energy CEO at Industry Conference Over Coming Demand Charge — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/protesters-target-nv-energy-electric-utility-conference-anger-over-affordability-electric-rates/821995/
• Chelan PUD Launches 25 Percent Bill-Discount Program — https://lakechelannow.com/pud-launches-new-customer-bill-assistance-program/

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• ERCOT Approves Batch Interconnection and Ride-Through Rules for Data Centers — https://www.eenews.net/articles/texas-advances-major-grid-rules-for-data-centers/

Western Market Structure Signal

• OMS-MISO Survey Projects 15 GW/Year of Capacity Additions, Nearly Double Prior Forecast — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oms-miso-survey-resource-outlook-generation/821973/

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Thursday, June 04, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• Trump to Invoke Defense Production Act for $700 Million Coal Package, Including Oakland Export Terminal and Alaska Plants — https://www.mining.com/web/trump-plans-700-million-to-build-coal-plants-export-site/

Top Regional / State Developments

• Colorado Extends Colorado Springs Utilities Coal Unit at Ray Nixon to 2032 — https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/governor-signs-bill-allows-colorado-springs-utilities-continue-operating-coal-fired-unit
• Xcel Files $225 Million Colorado Rate Case That Could Be State's Largest — https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/04/xcel-energy-electric-rate-increase-colorado/

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• ERCOT Asks Texas Regulators to Skip May Capacity Report as AI Load Forecasts Outrun Planning Tools — https://energyedge.com/ercot-seeks-cdr-waiver-while-reevaluating-long-term-load-growth-projections/

Worth Knowing

• Eversource Energy disclosed that personal information for 3,049 customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and… — https://www.thehour.com/business/article/eversource-customers-cyberattack-ct-ma-nh-22289772.php
• The American Clean Power Association's Q1 2026 report found that more than 6.4 GW of clean energy capacity… — https://solarquarter.com/2026/06/03/american-clean-power-report-shows-6-4-gw-of-new-clean-power-added-in-q1-2026-as-solar-and-storage-continue-to-lead-growth/

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Wednesday, June 03, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• Ninth Circuit dismisses youth climate challenge to Trump energy executive orders — https://www.eenews.net/articles/appeals-court-rejects-youth-led-challenge-to-trump-energy-orders/
• New England states tell FERC that Eversource transmission project shows asset-condition review is broken — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/eversource-transmission-asset-condition-ferc-complaint/821699/
• Illinois public power utilities receive state climate-bank resilience grants — https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/peru-and-batavia-illinois-receive-grid-resilience-grants

Top Regional / State Developments

• Federal judge blocks NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center transfer — https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/01/federal-judge-denver-injunction-ncar-breakup/
• Holy Cross Energy delivers 100 percent clean energy in March — https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/03/how-one-place-in-colorado-achieved-100-clean-energy-this-spring/
• Western state utility regulators convene in New Mexico — https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-water-joins-dialogue-on-affordability-at-the-western-conference-of-public-service-commissioners-2026-annual-meeting-302788626.html

Congressional and Federal Agency Scan

• EESI analysis maps bipartisan and partisan lines across 393 energy bills — https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/common-ground-where-environment-and-energy-policies-find-consensus-on-capitol-hill

Advocacy and Legal Signal Scan

• Seven states sue over $1 billion federal payment to cancel TotalEnergies offshore wind projects — https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/02/climate/trump-totalenergies-lawsuit-offshore-wind

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• NV Energy plans more than $3 billion in Northern Nevada capital build-out tied to hyperscale data center load — https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/06/03/nv-energy-betting-the-house-on-data-centers/

Western Market Structure Signal

• EEI 2026 opens in Las Vegas with AI load, labor, and affordability as dominant themes — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/whats-on-the-mind-of-eei-conference-attendees-labor-ai-affordability-an/821727/

Worth Knowing

• CISA, the FBI, NSA, DOE, EPA, TSA, DOT, and USDA issued a joint advisory warning that malicious actors are… — https://windowsforum.com/threads/cisa-warns-secure-internet-exposed-automatic-tank-gauges.421590/

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Tuesday, June 02, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• FERC Commissioner Signals Tougher Posture Toward PJM — https://www.eenews.net/articles/federal-energy-regulator-signals-crackdown-on-biggest-us-grid-operator/
• PJM Monitor Asks FERC to Condition $1.5B Mara–Long Ridge Deal — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pjm-market-monitor-mara-data-center-long-ridge/821574/

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• Appalachian Power Builds Out Transmission for Google Data Center, Google Pays — https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-06-02/appalachian-power-to-hold-open-house-for-data-center-grid-upgrades

Worth Knowing

• CISA added CVE-2026-0257, an authentication-bypass flaw in Palo Alto Networks firewalls under active… — https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/palo-alto-networks-firewall-flaw-exploitation-cisa-kev/821598/
• U.S. crude closed up 5.5 percent at about $92 a barrel on June 1 after Iranian state-aligned media reported… — https://www.nbcnews.com/business/energy/oil-prices-trump-iran-talks-collapse-rcna347869

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Monday, June 01, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• House FY2027 Interior bill proposes steep per-turbine offshore wind inspection fees — https://www.eenews.net/articles/house-spending-plan-slaps-hefty-inspection-fees-on-offshore-wind-projects/
• Congress opens summer sprint; Senate Appropriations FY2027 markups begin Thursday — https://www.eenews.net/articles/congress-set-for-summer-sprint-on-energy-environment-policy/

Top Regional / State Developments

• Oregon PUC denies PacifiCorp interim rate hike, orders full review — https://www.kptv.com/2026/05/27/oregon-regulators-want-full-review-before-granting-pacificorp-utility-rate-increase/
• Utah governor signs executive order tightening data center regulation — https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/05/29/cox-executive-order-targets-data-center-development-in-utah

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Friday, May 29, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• NERC Level 3 Alert Targets Data Center Load Drops, Pushes New Planning Obligations — https://www.carbon-direct.com/insights/nerc-level-3-alert-data-center-loads
• Yakama Nation and Columbia Riverkeeper Take FERC Hydro License to Ninth Circuit — https://www.law360.com/nativeamerican/articles/2482229/wash-tribes-river-group-fight-ferc-hydro-license

Top Regional / State Developments

• Oregon PUC Approves PGE Large-Load Tariff for Data Centers Over 20 MW — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oregon-puc-approves-pges-large-load-tariff-framework-for-data-centers/821361/
• Rocky Mountain Power Warns Utah Customers of Longer Outages and Possible Shutoffs — https://townlift.com/2026/05/rocky-mountain-power-warns-wildfire-conditions-could-trigger-summer-power-shutoffs/
• Snohomish County PUD Begins Construction on Crosswind Transmission Line — https://www.snopud.com/community-environment/our-energy-future/reliability/system-improvements/crosswind-transmission-line/
• Idaho Power and Oregon Trail Electric File $154 Million Service Territory Transfer with Oregon PUC — https://idahobusinessreview.com/2026/05/28/idaho-power-transfer-oregon-service-area-oregon-trail-electric/
• Utah Communities Launch Independent Clean Energy Program as Rocky Mountain Power Pulls Back on Renewables — https://www.eenews.net/articles/utahs-bottom-up-approach-to-clean-energy/
• Green River Nuclear Project Revived in Utah — https://www.ksl.com/article/51503368/green-river-nuclear-energy-plans-revived-add-to-utahs-potential-nuclear-portfolio
• California Senate Passes SB 913 on Customer-Owned Resources — https://sd13.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/may-28-2026/becker-bill-to-lower-electricity-costs-better-using-customer-owned

Western Federal Power Programs Scan

• BPA Releases 2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan — https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/2026-wildfire-mitigation-plan
• How Federal Hydropower Is Allocated Across Northwest Public Power — https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/in-the-news-how-the-pacific-northwest-divvies-up-the-benefits-of-limited-federal

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• E2 Q1 2026 Tracker: 12 GW Announced, 8 GW Cancelled — https://e2.org/releases/clean-energy-developers-announced-12-gw-18b-in-q1-generation-investments-before-tax-credit-cliff-but-project-losses-are-mounting/

Advocacy and Legal Signal Scan

• California Energy Commission Awards $55.2 Million for Public EV Fast Charging — https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2026-05/california-energy-commission-announces-over-55m-expand-public-ev-fast-charging

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Thursday, May 28, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• NRC Commissioners Testify on $892.3 Million FY2027 Budget and Advanced Reactor Licensing — https://www.ans.org/news/article-7973/nrc-commissioners-testify-before-us-house-subcommittee/
• DOE Opens Door to Surplus Weapons Plutonium as Commercial Reactor Fuel — https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5896154-energy-department-plutonium-nuclear-power/
• FERC Proposes to Double Cost Thresholds in Pipeline Blanket Certificate Overhaul — https://naturalgasintel.com/news/ferc-overhauls-natural-gas-pipeline-permitting-as-demand-strains-capacity/

Top Regional / State Developments

• Oregon PUC Rejects PacifiCorp's Interim 2.8% Rate Increase — https://ktvz.com/news/2026/05/27/pacificorps-interim-rate-hike-request-rejected-by-oregon-regulators/
• Duke Energy Wins South Carolina Approval for Battery Storage Demand Response Program — https://www.ad-hoc-news.de/boerse/news/ueberblick/duke-energy-stock-us26441c2044-new-south-carolina-storage-program/69430870

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• NERC Cuts ERCOT Summer Demand Forecast by 3.7 GW on Data Center Curtailability — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/demand-management-data-center-flexibility-boost-regional-reliability-nerc/821225/
• Tech Industry Engages FERC Ahead of June Large-Load Interconnection Proposal — https://www.eenews.net/articles/how-big-tech-learned-to-speak-ferc/

Western Market Structure Signal

• Dominion-NextEra Merger Draws Affordability Scrutiny from Virginia Lawmakers — https://www.arlnow.com/2026/05/27/dominion-energys-merger-plan-sharpens-affordability-questions-for-n-va-lawmakers/

Advocacy and Legal Signal Scan

• Powder River Energy Cooperative Files 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan with Wyoming PSC — https://newslj.com/public-notice-powder-river-energy-corporation

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Wednesday, May 27, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• FERC asked to reject TeraWulf power plant acquisition over alleged undisclosed Google stake — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-terawulf-power-plant-google-ownership/820600/
• PJM market monitor urges FERC to reject Talen–Capital Power transaction — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-talen-energy-capital-pjm-market-monitor/820500/
• Mission Valley Power presses BPA on Tier 1 rate eligibility for Tribal utilities — https://www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/power/provider-of-choice/2023-Comments/20230420-mission-valley-power.pdf

Top Regional / State Developments

• Oregon finalizes POWER Act, first state rule shielding residential customers from data center grid costs — https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/2026-05/oregons-power-act-first-its-kind-protect-oregonians-utility-bills-data-center
• CAISO board approves $6.7 billion transmission plan dominated by load growth — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/caiso-recommends-38-transmission-projects-costing-around-67b/821099/
• Idaho Power and Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative file to transfer 20,000 Oregon customers for $154 million — https://elkhornmediagroup.com/request-filed-to-transfer-idaho-powers-oregon-distribution-system-to-otec/
• Enbridge plans $1.2 billion Wyoming solar and storage project for Meta near Cheyenne — https://renewablesnow.com/news/enbridge-to-invest-usd-1-2bn-in-wyoming-solar-bess-project-for-meta-1295086/
• Pasadena Water and Power presents $410 million FY2027 budget under cost-savings pressure — https://pasadenanow.com/main/pwp-outlines-410-million-fiscal-year-2027-budget-is-pressed-for-savings-and-performance-measures

AI and Large Load Demand Radar

• State large-load tariffs proliferate as data center regulation moves to PUCs — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/large-load-tariffs-states-data-center-regulation/820400/

Western Market Structure Signal

• Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act emerges as a state policy template — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/illinois-energy-policy-affordability-reliability-vote-solar/820280/

Western Federal Power Programs Scan

• Mission Valley Power comments on BPA Tier 1 eligibility for Tribal utilities — https://www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/power/provider-of-choice/2023-Comments/20230420-mission-valley-power.pdf

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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NWPPA Morning Brief — Tuesday, May 26, 2026

In today's brief:

Top Federal Developments

• FERC Summer Assessment Warns of Colorado River Drought Risk, Reports 75 GW Capacity Additions — https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-summer-market-reliability-assessment/820962/
• FERC Proposes First Major Gas Certificate Rewrite Since 2006 — https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-unleashes-natural-gas-permit-reforms-accelerating-infrastructure-upgrades
• DOE Issues Presidential Permit to Basin Electric for Two New U.S.–Canada Transmission Lines — https://www.energy.gov/oe/articles/does-office-electricity-issues-presidential-permit-expand-us-canada-grid-reliability
• DOE Keeps Wagner Unit 4 Running on Emergency Order for PJM Summer — https://solarquarter.com/2026/05/22/united-states-department-of-energy-approves-emergency-operation-of-wagner-unit-4-to-support-pjm-grid-reliability-during-summer-peak-demand

Top Regional / State Developments

• Wyoming Lawmakers Weigh Looser Electric Regulation as Trona and Data Centers Compete for Power — https://wyofile.com/wyoming-lawmakers-mull-loosening-electric-regulations-to-meet-growing-electrical-demand/
• Utah Nuclear Summit Focuses on Permitting Acceleration — https://www.kpcw.org/wasatch-county/2026-05-25/faster-project-approval-is-focus-at-operation-gigawatt-nuclear-power-summit

Congressional and Federal Agency Scan

• Lawmakers Split on Grid Permitting Legislation — https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/electric-grid-expansion-in-permitting-push-splits-us-lawmakers

Pilot notice: AI-generated daily briefing. Verify before acting on it.

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