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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/supreme-court-climate-commitment-act/4140282
Why the Biggest
Risk in Artificial Intelligence Might Not Be the Technology, But the
Trillion-Dollar Race to Build It (Business Insider – Via Yahoo! Finance)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-meta-microsoft-google-gambling-081202012.html
Idaho Supreme Court
Weighs Fairness of PacifiCorp Rate Hike Request to Pay for WA’s Climate
Commitment Act (Courthouse News Service)
https://courthousenews.com/idaho-high-court-considers-reasonableness-of-utility-rate-hike-request/
Authorities Charge
Man with Sparking Deadly January Wildfire That Leveled Los Angeles
Neighborhoods (Associated Press)
Buildings Are
Turning to ‘Ice Batteries’ for Sustainable Air Conditioning (Associated Press)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Why the Biggest Risk in Artificial Intelligence
Might Not Be the Technology, But the Trillion-Dollar Race to Build It
2.
Idaho Supreme Court Weighs Fairness of
PacifiCorp Rate Hike Request to Pay for WA’s Climate Commitment Act
3.
Native American-Owned Company Bids Less Than a
Penny Per Ton in Biggest U.S. Coal Sale in Over a Decade
4.
A Tribe in Arizona Planned to Connect 600 Homes
to Electricity. Then the Funding Was Cut
5.
Trump Dreams of Nuclear as He Axes Grid Projects
6.
American Public Power Association Provides
Update on LIHEAP During Shutdown
7.
What Started as Charity Effort Is Now a
First-Amendment Fight Over Utility Billing
8.
North Dakota: Man Makes Threats to Police, Xcel
Energy During Phone Calls to Dispatch
9.
Artificial Intelligence, Electrification, And
the Transformer Shortage: Washington & Industry Race to Reinforce the Grid
10.
Idaho Drops Solar Compensation Rates by 31%
11.
Oregon to Accelerate Siting of Renewable Energy
Projects to Beat Trump’s Incentive Deadline
12.
Solar & Wind Power Has Grown Faster Than
Electricity Demand This Year, Report Says
13.
Geothermal Energy Has Huge Potential to Generate
Clean Power – Including from Used Oil & Gas Wells
14.
Buildings Are Turning to ‘Ice Batteries’ for
Sustainable Air Conditioning
15.
An Inside Look at Idaho’s $3 Million Fight
Against Invasive Quagga Mussels
16.
Paying Farmers Proves Most Cost-Effective Way to
Conserve Colorado River, Study Says
17.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to
WA’s Climate Commitment Act
18.
The Pacific Ocean Is Overheated, Making Fall
Feel Like Summer
19.
Americans Have Become More Pessimistic About
Artificial Intelligence. Why?
20.
Why Did Gov. Newsom Veto California’s Virtual
Power Plant Bills?
21.
Senate Confirms Two Republicans as FERC
Commissioners
22.
Authorities Charge Man with Sparking Deadly
January Wildfire That Leveled Los Angeles Neighborhoods
23.
Winter Forecast 2025-26: Snowy Season Ahead for
Parts of the U.S.
24.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Dam – Touring a Piece of
Washington’s Greatest Asset
Word of the Day
Shibboleth \SHIBB-uh-leth\ Noun - 1a: a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning b: a widely held belief c: truism, platitude 2a: a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group b: a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others.
“We are the party of the people!” proclaimed the animal rights group spokesman. “Did he just realize what he said?” whispered a dubious reporter to her seatmate over the odd shibboleth that rolled off the tongue of the wide-eyed speaker.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Why the Biggest Risk in Artificial Intelligence
Might Not Be the Technology, But the Trillion-Dollar Race to Build It (Business
Insider – Via Yahoo! Finance)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-meta-microsoft-google-gambling-081202012.html
2.
Idaho Supreme Court Weighs Fairness of
PacifiCorp Rate Hike Request to Pay for WA’s Climate Commitment Act (Courthouse
News Service)
https://courthousenews.com/idaho-high-court-considers-reasonableness-of-utility-rate-hike-request/
3.
Native American-Owned Company Bids Less Than a Penny
Per Ton in Biggest U.S. Coal Sale in Over a Decade (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-sales-public-lands-montana-b2dbbdc81e7afbf24947b9a4b32fa417
4.
A Tribe in Arizona Planned to Connect 600 Homes to
Electricity. Then the Funding Was Cut (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/07/nx-s1-5453913/trump-hopi-tribes-native-americans-clean-energy
5.
Trump Dreams of Nuclear as He Axes Grid Projects
(Politico)
6.
American Public Power Association Provides
Update on LIHEAP During Shutdown (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/appa-provides-update-liheap-during-shutdown
7.
What Started as Charity Effort Is Now a First-Amendment
Fight Over Utility Billing (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)
8.
North Dakota: Man Makes Threats to Police, Xcel
Energy During Phone Calls to Dispatch (KVLY-TV, Fargo, ND)
9.
Artificial Intelligence, Electrification, And the
Transformer Shortage: Washington & Industry Race to Reinforce the Grid (Daily
Energy Insider)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
10.
Idaho Drops Solar Compensation Rates by 31% (PV Magazine)
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/10/06/idaho-drops-solar-compensation-rates-by-31/
11.
Oregon to Accelerate Siting of Renewable Energy
Projects to Beat Trump’s Incentive Deadline (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/06/oregon-renewable-energy-projects-accelerate-trump-deadline/
12.
Solar & Wind Power Has Grown Faster Than
Electricity Demand This Year, Report Says (Associated Press)
13.
Geothermal Energy Has Huge Potential to Generate
Clean Power – Including from Used Oil & Gas Wells (Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
WA)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/geothermal-energy-has-huge-potential-to-generate-21090213.php
Conservation
& Efficiency
14.
Buildings Are Turning to ‘Ice Batteries’ for Sustainable
Air Conditioning (Associated Press)
Fish
& Wildlife
15.
An Inside Look at Idaho’s $3 Million Fight
Against Invasive Quagga Mussels (Idaho Capital Sun)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
16.
Paying Farmers Proves Most Cost-Effective Way to
Conserve Colorado River, Study Says (Utah News Dispatch)
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/10/07/repub/paying-farmers-to-conserve-colorado-river-water/
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
17.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Challenge to
WA’s Climate Commitment Act (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/supreme-court-climate-commitment-act/4140282
18.
The Pacific Ocean Is Overheated, Making Fall
Feel Like Summer (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/heat-wave-climate-change-pacific-blob-1.7652755
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
19.
Americans Have Become More Pessimistic About Artificial
Intelligence. Why? (Mercury Technology Systems)
https://mtsoln.com/blog/ai-news-727/americans-have-become-more-pessimistic-about-ai-why-3946
Politics,
Governance, and Management
20.
Why Did Gov. Newsom Veto California’s Virtual
Power Plant Bills? (Canary Media)
21.
Senate Confirms Two Republicans as FERC Commissioners
(Daily Energy Insider)
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/49893-senate-confirms-two-republicans-as-ferc-commissioners/
Other
Things to Know About Today
22.
Authorities Charge Man with Sparking Deadly January
Wildfire That Leveled Los Angeles Neighborhoods (Associated Press)
23.
Winter Forecast 2025-26: Snowy Season Ahead for
Parts of the U.S. (AccuWeather)
https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/us-winter-forecast-2025-26-snow-cold-ahead/1817344
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
24.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Dam – Touring a Piece of
Washington’s Greatest Asset (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)
https://www.thedailyworld.com/opinion/touring-a-piece-of-washingtons-greatest-asset/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Man Spent 16 Years Manually Typing Every Number from One to
One Million on His Typewriter
https://mymodernmet.com/les-stewart-typing-record/
Bob Ross Paintings to Be Auctioned to Raise Money for Public
Television Stations After Funding Cuts
Purrfect Ending: Missing Virginia Store Cat Found After
Hitching a Ride to Another State
https://apnews.com/article/missing-lowes-store-cat-francine-found-e65a342b7fbe6611bc4e2f6ba2765b48
Photos Of Egypt’s ‘Strongman’ Pulling Ships, Trains &
Cars in Jaw-Dropping Feats
https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/photos-strongman-egypt-gallery-97eb3f85395e1aa06df4086b3cf1eec4
Song of the Day
Larry Owens - Bob Ross The Joy of Painting Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urc9lKFe-m8
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