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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Amazon Web Services Bouncing Back from Major Outage That
Caused Issues for Many Major Apps, Websites Worldwide (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-web-services-outage-issues-major-apps-websites-worldwide/
Energy Department Offers $1.6 Billion Loan Guarantee to
Upgrade Transmission Lines Across Midwest (Associated Press)
Amazon Bringing One of Nation’s First New Reactors to WA.
Training Center to Open (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/amazon-bringing-one-nation-1st-120000665.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
Washington Farmers Take Ecology to Supreme Court Over Fuel
Exemption Rules (Courthouse News Service)
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Celebrates Huge Rebound of Baker
River Sockeye (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Energy Department Offers $1.6 Billion Loan
Guarantee to Upgrade Transmission Lines Across Midwest
2.
Montana: Public Service Commissioners Squabble
Over NorthWestern Case
3.
State Regulators Appeal Utility’s Victory in
Wyoming Rate Hike Case
4.
Shutdown Shuts Out Low-Income Wyomingites from
Heating Help, Threatens SNAP
5.
Deregulation to Blackouts: How California’s
Power Past Is Shaping High Costs Today
6.
Washington’s Hydropower: Key to a Unified
Western Power Grid
7.
Is Artificial Intelligence Making My Electric
Bill Higher? Here’s the Surprising Answer.
8.
At a Rodeo, Linemen Race Amid Spiking Power
Demand
9.
Amazon Bringing One of Nation’s First New
Reactors to WA. Training Center to Open
10.
WA State: Energy Northwest Will Deploy 12
Amazon-Funded Small Modular Reactors
11.
News Release: Energy Northwest Unveils Name,
Concept Images for First-Ever Small Modular Reactor Project in the Pacific
Northwest
12.
Chelan County Approves Permit for World’s First
Fusion Power Plant
13.
Utah Counties Submitting Sites for Nuclear
Reactors
14.
Nuclear Stocks Mixed After U.S. Army Launches
Program to Deploy Small Reactors
15.
Energy Secretary Wright Says ‘Nuclear Is Going
to Become Sexy Again’
16.
Renewable Energy Is Booming Despite Trump’s
Efforts to Slow It
17.
Netherlands’ Renewables Drive Putting Pressure
on Its Power Grid
18.
California Made It Through Another Summer
Without a Flex Alert. Thank Batteries, Experts Say
19.
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Celebrates Huge
Rebound of Baker River Sockeye
20.
Migrating Summer Chum Numbers at Union River
Continue Positive Trend
21.
Washington Will Close Hatchery That Produces
Thousands of Steelhead
22.
Scientists Hope Underwater Fiber-Optic Cables
Can Help Save Endangered Orcas
23.
Washington Farmers Take Ecology to Supreme Court
Over Fuel Exemption Rules
24.
United Nations Agency Says Carbon Dioxide Levels
Hit Record High Last Year, Causing More Extreme Weather
25.
Amazon Web Services Bouncing Back from Major
Outage That Caused Issues for Many Major Apps, Websites Worldwide
26.
‘Advancing Digital Sovereignty’ with Tribal
Broadband Bootcamps
27.
OpenAI Would Have to Spend Over $1 Trillion to
Deliver Its Promised Computing Power. It May Not Have the Cash.
28.
Chart: Electric Vehicle Sales Just Hit a Record
in the U.S., But a Cliff Looms
29.
Meta Adds Parental Controls for Artificial
Intelligence-Teen Interactions
30.
How to Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower, Debris
of Halley’s Comet
31.
States Sue Trump Administration Over Terminated
Solar Funding
32.
Not All Electricity Grid Projects Are Feeling
Trump’s Ax
33.
Alaska Storm Damage So Bad Many Evacuees Won’t
Go Home For at Least 18 Months, Governor Says
34.
Weather Service Warns of Potential Atmospheric
River Next Week
35.
Another Delay for Richland’s Prized $1.3 Billion
Fertilizer Plant Project. Why the Holdup?
36.
Guest Essay: Scott Simms & Chris Robinson –
A Critical Moment for the Columbia River Treaty
37.
Commentary: Energy Transition Set to Divide
Manufacturers Across the Atlantic
Word of the Day – The Horrible Haiku Edition
Tergiversation /turr-jiv-er-SAY-shun/ Noun – 1: evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement: equivocation. 2: desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith.
Tergiversation
Well, of course
YOU could say that
I couldn’t comment
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Energy Department Offers $1.6 Billion Loan
Guarantee to Upgrade Transmission Lines Across Midwest (Associated Press)
2.
Montana: Public Service Commissioners Squabble
Over NorthWestern Case (The Daily Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2025/10/15/public-service-commissioners-squabble-over-northwestern-case/
3.
State Regulators Appeal Utility’s Victory in
Wyoming Rate Hike Case (Wyofile)
https://wyofile.com/state-regulators-appeal-utilitys-victory-in-wyoming-rate-hike-case/
4.
Shutdown Shuts Out Low-Income Wyomingites from
Heating Help, Threatens SNAP (Wyofile)
https://wyofile.com/low-income-wyomingites-shut-out-of-heating-help-during-shutdown/
5.
Deregulation to Blackouts: How California’s Power
Past Is Shaping High Costs Today (KXTV-TV, Sacramento, CA)
6.
Washington’s Hydropower: Key to a Unified
Western Power Grid (Newsbreak - Selkirk Sentinel)
7.
Is Artificial Intelligence Making My Electric
Bill Higher? Here’s the Surprising Answer. (USA Today – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ai-making-electric-bill-higher-090607722.html
8.
At a Rodeo, Linemen Race Amid Spiking Power
Demand (Washington Post – Via MSN)
Fascination
with Fission & Fusion – Nuclear News
9.
Amazon Bringing One of Nation’s First New
Reactors to WA. Training Center to Open (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/amazon-bringing-one-nation-1st-120000665.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
10.
WA State: Energy Northwest Will Deploy 12
Amazon-Funded Small Modular Reactors (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/washington-nuclear-facility-smrs-cascade-amazon-modular/802967/
11.
News Release: Energy Northwest Unveils Name,
Concept Images for First-Ever Small Modular Reactor Project in the Pacific
Northwest (Energy Northwest)
12.
Chelan County Approves Permit for World’s First
Fusion Power Plant (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/helion-fusion-plant-chelan-county/
13.
Utah Counties Submitting Sites for Nuclear
Reactors (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)
14.
Nuclear Stocks Mixed After U.S. Army Launches
Program to Deploy Small Reactors (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/army-nuclear-reactor-trump-oklo-nuscale-nano-centrus.html
15.
Energy Secretary Wright Says ‘Nuclear Is Going to
Become Sexy Again’ (Washington State Standard)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
16.
Renewable Energy Is Booming Despite Trump’s Efforts
to Slow It (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/19/renewable-energy-is-booming-despite-trumps-efforts/
17.
Netherlands’ Renewables Drive Putting Pressure
on Its Power Grid (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/netherlands-renewables-drive-putting-pressure-230442329.html?
Conservation
& Efficiency
18.
California Made It Through Another Summer
Without a Flex Alert. Thank Batteries, Experts Say (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-made-another-summer-without-100000648.html
Fish
& Wildlife
19.
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Celebrates Huge
Rebound of Baker River Sockeye (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
20.
Migrating Summer Chum Numbers at Union River
Continue Positive Trend (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/migrating-summer-chum-numbers-union-110131570.html
21.
Washington Will Close Hatchery That Produces
Thousands of Steelhead (Washington State Standard)
22.
Scientists Hope Underwater Fiber-Optic Cables
Can Help Save Endangered Orcas (Courthouse News Service)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
23.
Washington Farmers Take Ecology to Supreme Court
Over Fuel Exemption Rules (Courthouse News Service)
24.
United Nations Agency Says Carbon Dioxide Levels
Hit Record High Last Year, Causing More Extreme Weather (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-greenhouse-gases-wmo-un-708c3d35ce6fc3d3bcaccafdba6bba45
London
Calling –Telecommunications
25.
Amazon Web Services Bouncing Back from Major
Outage That Caused Issues for Many Major Apps, Websites Worldwide (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-web-services-outage-issues-major-apps-websites-worldwide/
26.
‘Advancing Digital Sovereignty’ with Tribal
Broadband Bootcamps (Indian Country Today)
https://ictnews.org/news/advancing-digital-sovereignty-with-tribal-broadband-bootcamps/
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
27.
OpenAI Would Have to Spend Over $1 Trillion to
Deliver Its Promised Computing Power. It May Not Have the Cash. (Yahoo! News)
I
Sing the Car Electric
28.
Chart: Electric Vehicle Sales Just Hit a Record
in the U.S., But a Cliff Looms (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electric-vehicles/ev-record-sales-tax-credit-end-trump
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
29.
Meta Adds Parental Controls for Artificial
Intelligence-Teen Interactions (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/meta-instagram-ai-chatbot-teens-parents-306b9c49ef69f6894044b2d82c6172fe
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
30.
How to Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower, Debris of
Halley’s Comet (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/how-to-watch-the-orionid-meteor-shower-debris-of-21105666.php
Politics,
Governance, and Management
31.
States Sue Trump Administration Over Terminated
Solar Funding (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5560598-states-sue-trump-solar-energy-epa/
32.
Not All Electricity Grid Projects Are Feeling
Trump’s Ax (Politico)
Other
Things to Know About Today
33.
Alaska Storm Damage So Bad Many Evacuees Won’t
Go Home For at Least 18 Months, Governor Says (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/alaska-typhoon-flooding-7e6e6b72c5587c3a00b82982ffab56bd
34.
Weather Service Warns of Potential Atmospheric
River Next Week (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/atmospheric-river-2/4143726
35.
Another Delay for Richland’s Prized $1.3 Billion
Fertilizer Plant Project. Why the Holdup? (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/another-delay-richland-prized-1-194325731.html
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
36.
Guest Essay: Scott Simms & Chris Robinson – A
Critical Moment for the Columbia River Treaty (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/16/scott-simms-and-chris-robinson-a-critical-moment-f/
37.
Commentary: Energy Transition Set to Divide
Manufacturers Across the Atlantic (Reuters)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Thieves Steal Crown Jewels in Four Minutes from the Louvre
Museum
https://apnews.com/article/france-louvre-museum-robbery-a3687f330a43e0aaff68c732c4b2585b
Pumpkin Reappears on University of Montana Spire in 30-Year
Mystery
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/10/16/University-of-Montana-Main-Hall-pumpkin/3111760623668/
‘Creepy Dolls’ Take Over Minnesota Museum in Time for Halloween
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/10/17/History-Center-Olmstead-County-creepy-dolls/5921760720228/
This CIA Code Went Unsolved for 35 Years. An Amateur
Discovered the Answer in Plain Sight
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cia-code-went-unsolved-35-215443791.html
Song of the Day
David Benoit - The Great Pumpkin Waltz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoO9hwg722o
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which may result in broken links.
Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying
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