John Hairston, who has served as administrator and CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration since January 2021, is announcing his retirement from federal service, BPA reported on Feb. 6. The Board of Commissioners for the Eugene Water & Electric Board recently voted to select Hairston as EWEB’s next general manager.

The West needs more than 12,600 miles of high-voltage transmission additions or upgrades to meet the region’s forecasted energy needs by 2035, according to the results of the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WestTEC) 10-Year Horizon Study, released Feb. 4.

Following the unprecedented destruction of Winter Storm Fern, Nashville Electric Service on Feb. 7 announced that power has been restored to all customers capable of receiving it.

The following is a transcript of the Jan. 26, 2026, episode of Public Power Now. Learn more about subscribing to Public Power Now at Publicpower.org/Podcasts. Some quotes may have been edited for clarity. Paul Ciampoli Welcome to the latest episode of Public Power Now. I'm Paul Ciampoli, APPA's News

Massachusetts public power utility Danvers Electric has integrated a new battery energy storage system (BESS) for long-term energy cost management using the asset management platform of Caterpillar Inc., Cat® AMP.

The Imperial Irrigation District recently announced the completion of its 2025 Asset Management Plan and released a summary version outlining the condition of IID’s water, power, general services, and information technology infrastructure, along with long-term funding needs to ensure reliable service for decades to come.