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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
EIA Forecasts Strongest Four-Year Growth in U.S. Electricity
Demand Since 2000, Fueled by Data Centers (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press582.php
Oregon Electric Utilities Have Strict Green-Power Deadlines.
Their Odds of Hitting Them Keep Getting Worse (The Oregonian, Portland, OR -
Paywall Advisory)
A Small Town in Central Washington Is Microsoft’s Answer to
the Data Center Backlash (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
FERC Staff Issues Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Idaho Power Company’s Hells Canyon Hydroelectric (FERC)
Fiscal Fallout: Raids on WA Public Works Account Could Put
It in the Red by 2028 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_e96f629b-9213-4d6d-8d32-c40ee322ef90.html
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
EIA Forecasts Strongest Four-Year Growth in U.S.
Electricity Demand Since 2000, Fueled by Data Centers
2.
FERC Staff Issues Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the Idaho Power Company’s Hells Canyon
Hydroelectric
3.
NV Energy Balks at Call to Fully Repay
Overcharged Customers
4.
Congressional Lawmakers Release Bipartisan
Permitting Reform Discussion Draft
5.
How House-Passed Permitting Reforms Support
Hydropower
6.
Why Alberta & Montana Are in a Charged
Argument Over Electricity
7.
Oregon Electric Utilities Have Strict
Green-Power Deadlines. Their Odds of Hitting Them Keep Getting Worse
8.
Offshore Wind Developer Prevails in Court as
Trump Says the U.S. ‘Will Not Approve Any Windmills’
9.
Report Finds $149 Billion Backlog of Clean
Energy Projects in WA
10.
Ada Co. Green Lights Solar Farm on Idaho
Department of Corrections Land Near Kuna
11.
Study Finds Most U.S. Renters Shut Out of
Energy-Saving Upgrades
12.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case That
Could Have Upended Alaska Subsistence Fishing
13.
Upper Snake River Reservoir System Volume
Improves
14.
Low Snowpack Around Oregon Leads to Concern
About Dry Conditions This Summer
15.
U.S. Carbon Pollution Rose in 2025. Experts
Blame Cold Winter, High Natural Gas Prices, Data Centers
16.
Trump’s DOJ Turns Its Attention to Local Gas
Bans
17.
State Broadband Regulation
18.
FCC Approves Major Expansion of SpaceX’s
Starlink Satellite Network
19.
A Small Town in Central Washington Is
Microsoft’s Answer to the Data Center Backlash
20.
President Trump Seeks to Quell Rebellion Over
Data Centers
21.
‘Godfather of Artificial Intelligence’ Says the
Technology Will Create Massive Unemployment & Send Profits Soaring — ‘That
Is the Capitalist System’
22.
New Laws Limit Digital Advertising in Some
States, Including Oregon
23.
So Many People Are Falling for This Sneaky
Instagram Scam — Here’s What You Need to Know
24.
U.S. To Build Nuclear Reactors on the Moon in
Next Four Years, Energy Department Says
25.
Fiscal Fallout: Raids on WA Public Works Account
Could Put It in the Red by 2028
26.
Court Says Trump Admin Illegally Blocked
Billions in Clean Energy Grants to Democratic States
27.
Braun & Democrat Team Up on Update to WA
State’s Nuclear Energy Policies
28.
‘We All End Up Paying’: Bill Targets Sale of
Stolen Copper Wire in Washington
29.
Verizon Outage: Users Report Phones Stuck in
‘SOS’ Mode
Word of the Day
Eldritch \EL-dritch\ Adjective – Weird, eerie.
Hiding under the covers, lest the closet monster see any part of its body, the quaking child began having second thoughts about reading “Tales from the Crypt” with a flashlight under the covers at bedtime. Every eldritch creak of the house, branch against the window, or drip of the bathroom faucet conjured up images of a monster with slathering jaws waiting to pounce.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
EIA Forecasts Strongest Four-Year Growth in U.S.
Electricity Demand Since 2000, Fueled by Data Centers (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press582.php
2.
FERC Staff Issues Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for the Idaho Power Company’s Hells Canyon
Hydroelectric (FERC)
3.
NV Energy Balks at Call to Fully Repay
Overcharged Customers (Nevada Current)
https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/01/13/nv-energy-balks-at-call-to-fully-repay-overcharged-customers/
4.
Congressional Lawmakers Release Bipartisan
Permitting Reform Discussion Draft (Daily Energy Insider)
5.
How House-Passed Permitting Reforms Support
Hydropower (National Hydropower Association)
https://www.hydro.org/powerhouse/article/how-house-passed-permitting-reforms-support-hydropower/
6.
Why Alberta & Montana Are in a Charged
Argument Over Electricity (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-steve-daines-electricity-nathan-neudorf-9.7042788
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
7.
Oregon Electric Utilities Have Strict
Green-Power Deadlines. Their Odds of Hitting Them Keep Getting Worse (The
Oregonian, Portland, OR - Paywall Advisory)
8.
Offshore Wind Developer Prevails in Court as Trump
Says the U.S. ‘Will Not Approve Any Windmills’ (Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/energy-developers-head-court-trump-184419179.html
9.
Report Finds $149 Billion Backlog of Clean
Energy Projects in WA (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
https://www.knkx.org/environment/2026-01-14/report-finds-backlog-clean-energy-projects-washington
10.
Ada Co. Green Lights Solar Farm on Idaho
Department of Corrections Land Near Kuna (BoiseDEV)
https://boisedev.com/news/2026/01/02/idoc-solar-farm/
Conservation
& Efficiency
11.
Study Finds Most U.S. Renters Shut Out of
Energy-Saving Upgrades (Renewable Energy Magazine)
https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/energy_saving/study-finds-most-us-renters-shut-out-20260114
Fish
& Wildlife
12.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case That
Could Have Upended Alaska Subsistence Fishing (Alaska Beacon)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
13.
Upper Snake River Reservoir System Volume
Improves (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
https://capitalpress.com/2026/01/10/upper-snake-reservoir-system-volume-improves/
14.
Low Snowpack Around Oregon Leads to Concern
About Dry Conditions This Summer (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/14/oregon-low-snowpack-concerns-dry-summer-conditions/
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
15.
U.S. Carbon Pollution Rose in 2025. Experts Blame
Cold Winter, High Natural Gas Prices, Data Centers (Associated Press)
16.
Trump’s DOJ Turns Its Attention to Local Gas
Bans (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/trump-doj-turns-attention-gas-bans
London
Calling –Telecommunications
17.
State Broadband Regulation (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/01/13/state-broadband-regulation/
18.
FCC Approves Major Expansion of SpaceX’s
Starlink Satellite Network (DigiTimes)
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20260112PD237/fcc-spacex-starlink-expansion-broadband.html
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
19.
A Small Town in Central Washington Is Microsoft’s
Answer to the Data Center Backlash (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
20.
President Trump Seeks to Quell Rebellion Over
Data Centers (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ar-AA1U81Sx
21.
‘Godfather of Artificial Intelligence’ Says the Technology
Will Create Massive Unemployment & Send Profits Soaring — ‘That Is the Capitalist
System’ (Fortune Magazine – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/godfather-ai-says-technology-create-184754671.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
22.
New Laws Limit Digital Advertising in Some
States, Including Oregon (Pioneer Utility Resources)
https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/2026digadlaws/
23.
So Many People Are Falling for This Sneaky
Instagram Scam — Here’s What You Need to Know (AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/articles/many-people-falling-sneaky-instagram-214237001.html
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
24.
U.S. To Build Nuclear Reactors on the Moon in Next
Four Years, Energy Department Says (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
25.
Fiscal Fallout: Raids on WA Public Works Account
Could Put It in the Red by 2028 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_e96f629b-9213-4d6d-8d32-c40ee322ef90.html
26.
Court Says Trump Admin Illegally Blocked
Billions in Clean Energy Grants to Democratic States (Associated Press)
27.
Braun & Democrat Team Up on Update to WA State’s
Nuclear Energy Policies (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
28.
‘We All End Up Paying’: Bill Targets Sale of Stolen
Copper Wire in Washington (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Other
Things to Know About Today
29.
Verizon Outage: Users Report Phones Stuck in ‘SOS’
Mode (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/verizon-outage-users-report-phones-stuck-in-sos-mode/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Japanese & South Korean Leaders Jam to K-Pop Hits at a Summit
https://apnews.com/article/japan-korea-kpop-bts-takaichi-lee-drums-243faf64ebc377a1d6a4db53e723c5d1
‘Joe Dirt’ Tribute Takes Top Prize in Pennsylvania Farm Show
Mullet Contest
https://apnews.com/article/mullet-contest-pennsylvania-farm-show-f6ac4257fec2d00a41d414a63e3da1fb
How the Seahawks Got Their Name 50 Years Ago
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/how-seahawks-got-name-50-years-ago
Viral App in China Highlights Loneliness in Solo Households by
Asking: ‘Are You Dead’?
https://www.kcra.com/article/china-are-you-dead-demumu-loneliness-app/69997995
Song of the Day
David Bowie – Life on Mars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUqbaAHt1qI
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