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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
WA State: Dept. of Ecology Confirms Commerce ‘Significantly
Inflated’ Climate Commitment Act Emissions Reductions (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c70afc51-e4ea-4997-bf2d-2d77afd71129.html
Satellites Show Dozens of U.S. Dams Are Sinking. More Could
Be at Risk. (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
NW Natural Seeks to Shift Cost of Failed Renewable Natural
Gas Investment to Customers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/06/nw-natural-renewable-gas-tyson-foods-rng-oregon/
Tulalip Tribes Announce $10.5 Million Broadband Expansion
for Underserved Homes (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Weekend Storms Boost California Water, But Thin Snowpack
Poses Risk (The Modesto Bee, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/weekend-storms-boost-california-water-130000008.html
News Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Satellites Show Dozens of U.S. Dams Are Sinking.
More Could Be at Risk.
2.
NW Natural Seeks to Shift Cost of Failed
Renewable Natural Gas Investment to Customers
3.
Moses Lake Man Arrested for Copper Wire Theft at
Grant PUD Substation
4.
California: Man Dies While Trying to Steal
Copper Wire from Pomona Construction Site, Police Say
5.
Gone in a Flash, LIHEAP Program Fills Most Slots
Within Minutes
6.
Surging Electricity Costs Are Pushing West
Virginia Residents to Desperate Measures
7.
Alberta Utilities Minister Heads to Montana to
Strengthen Energy Ties
8.
Japan's Nuclear Watchdog Halts Plant's Reactor
Safety Screening Over Falsified Data
9.
California: SMUD Says It Will Not Purchase Power
from Proposed Sacramento County Solar Farm Project
10.
What's the Best Thermostat Setting to Save Money
in the WA Winter? We Asked Experts
11.
Columbia Salmon Managers Issue 2026 Fall Chinook
Outlook
12.
Causeway Removal Project Kicks Off, a Big Step
to Improve Salmon Habitat
13.
British Columbia: Concerns About Salmon as
Summerland, B.C., Continues to Face Low Water Levels
14.
TransAlta Receives WA State Order to Begin
Environmental Cleanup at Centralia Plant
15.
White House Completes Plan to Curb Bedrock
Environmental Law
16.
Weekend Storms Boost California Water, But Thin
Snowpack Poses Risk
17.
Fluoride Fights Bubble Up Around Washington
18.
Tribes Stake Their Claim on the Colorado River
& Help Conserve It
19.
WA State: Dept. of Ecology Confirms Commerce
‘Significantly Inflated’ Climate Commitment Act Emissions Reductions
20.
WA Dept. of Commerce Corrects Climate Report
Data After Error Vastly Overstates Emission Cuts
21.
Oregon: Portland’s Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban
Goes into Effect
22.
Tulalip Tribes Announce $10.5 Million Broadband
Expansion for Underserved Homes
23.
Average Broadband Internet Speed in USA, 2026
24.
World Internet Statistics December 2025
25.
Google, Character.AI to Settle Suits Involving
Minor Suicides & Artificial Intelligence Chatbots
26.
Bellingham Staffer Asked ChatGPT to 'exclude’
Vendor from City Contract
27.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ownership Announces It's
Shutting Down Paper in May
28.
Inside the White House Obsession with Reducing
Energy Prices
29.
Cascade Mountains Expecting Blanket Of 2-4 Feet
of New Snow Through Thursday
30.
Snow Dump Continues on Mt. Hood After Record
Lows
31.
One Year Later: Southern California Remembers
Eaton, Palisades Wildfires
32.
Flu Cases Reach Their Highest Level in More Than
25 Years. How to Stay Safe.
33.
Bye-Bye, Penny: How Eastern Washington
Businesses Are Navigating the End of the Currency’s Production
34.
Is the U.S. Headed Toward an Electricity Crisis
of Its Own Making?
35.
Guest Essay: Fish Passage Restoration Is Worth
the Price Tag
36.
Guest Essay: Montana Needs Accurate, Reliable
Weather Forecasting
37.
Why Forcing People to Go Green Can Backfire
Word of the Day
Ken \KENN\ Noun - 1a: the range of vision b: sight, view 2: the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge.
Oh Rolf, you quisling: “…Totally unprepared are you; To face a world of men; Timid and shy and scared are you; Of things beyond your ken…” (Sound of Music, Sixteen Going on Seventeen)
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Satellites Show Dozens of U.S. Dams Are Sinking.
More Could Be at Risk. (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
2.
NW Natural Seeks to Shift Cost of Failed Renewable
Natural Gas Investment to Customers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/06/nw-natural-renewable-gas-tyson-foods-rng-oregon/
3.
Moses Lake Man Arrested for Copper Wire Theft at
Grant PUD Substation (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
4.
California: Man Dies While Trying to Steal
Copper Wire from Pomona Construction Site, Police Say (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/pomona-copper-wire-man-dies/
5.
Gone in a Flash, LIHEAP Program Fills Most Slots
Within Minutes (Eugene Registeer-Guard, Eugene, OR – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gone-flash-liheap-program-fills-120405279.html
6.
Surging Electricity Costs Are Pushing West
Virginia Residents to Desperate Measures (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-general-news-fd9fe3075d479278fa11f49b8aaf4af2
7.
Alberta Utilities Minister Heads to Montana to Strengthen
Energy Ties (Cruz-FM, Fort McMurray, Alberta)
8.
Japan's Nuclear Watchdog Halts Plant's Reactor
Safety Screening Over Falsified Data (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/watchdog-halts-a-japanese-nuclear-plant-s-safety-a21281033
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9.
California: SMUD Says It Will Not Purchase Power
from Proposed Sacramento County Solar Farm Project (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/smud-cancels-ppa-coyote-creek-solar-farm-project/69920312
Conservation
& Efficiency
10.
What's the Best Thermostat Setting to Save Money
in the WA Winter? We Asked Experts (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via MSN)
Fish
& Wildlife
11.
Columbia Salmon Managers Issue 2026 Fall Chinook
Outlook (NW Sportsman Magazine)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/columbia-salmon-managers-issue-2026-fall-chinook-outlook/
12.
Causeway Removal Project Kicks Off, a Big Step to
Improve Salmon Habitat (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
13.
British Columbia: Concerns About Salmon as Summerland,
B.C., Continues to Face Low Water Levels (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/summerland-drought-level-4-salmon-9.7035881
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
14.
TransAlta Receives WA State Order to Begin
Environmental Cleanup at Centralia Plant (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
15.
White House Completes Plan to Curb Bedrock
Environmental Law (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/white-house-completes-plan-to-curb-bedrock-a21281867
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
16.
Weekend Storms Boost California Water, But Thin
Snowpack Poses Risk (The Modesto Bee, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/weekend-storms-boost-california-water-130000008.html
17.
Fluoride Fights Bubble Up Around Washington (Washington
State Standard)
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/06/fluoride-fights-bubble-up-around-washington/
18.
Tribes Stake Their Claim on the Colorado River
& Help Conserve It (The Nevada Current)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
19.
WA State: Dept. of Ecology Confirms Commerce ‘Significantly
Inflated’ Climate Commitment Act Emissions Reductions (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c70afc51-e4ea-4997-bf2d-2d77afd71129.html
20.
WA Dept. of Commerce Corrects Climate Report
Data After Error Vastly Overstates Emission Cuts (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
21.
Oregon: Portland’s Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban
Goes into Effect (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
22.
Tulalip Tribes Announce $10.5 Million Broadband
Expansion for Underserved Homes (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
23.
Average Broadband Internet Speed in USA, 2026
(India Data Map)
https://indiadatamap.com/2026/01/05/average-broadband-internet-speed-in-usa/
24.
World Internet Statistics December 2025 (Pots &
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/01/07/world-internet-statistics-december-2025/
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
25.
Google, Character.AI to Settle Suits Involving
Minor Suicides & Artificial Intelligence Chatbots (CNBC News)
26.
Bellingham Staffer Asked ChatGPT to 'exclude’
Vendor from City Contract (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
27.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ownership Announces It's
Shutting Down Paper in May (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/pittsburgh-post-gazette-ownership-announces-it-s-a21282242
Politics,
Governance, and Management
28.
Inside the White House Obsession with Reducing
Energy Prices (Politico)
Other
Things to Know About Today
29.
Cascade Mountains Expecting Blanket Of 2-4 Feet of
New Snow Through Thursday (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
30.
Snow Dump Continues on Mt. Hood After Record
Lows (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/weather/snow-dump-continues-on-mt-hood-after-record-lows/
31.
One Year Later: Southern California Remembers Eaton,
Palisades Wildfires (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
32.
Flu Cases Reach Their Highest Level in More Than
25 Years. How to Stay Safe. (Yahoo! News)
33.
Bye-Bye, Penny: How Eastern Washington Businesses
Are Navigating the End of the Currency’s Production (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jan/07/bye-bye-penny-how-eastern-washington-businesses-ar/
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
34.
Is the U.S. Headed Toward an Electricity Crisis of
Its Own Making? (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/is-us-headed-toward-electricity-crisis
35.
Guest Essay: Fish Passage Restoration Is Worth the
Price Tag (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
https://www.thedailyworld.com/opinion/fish-passage-restoration-is-worth-the-pricetag/
36.
Guest Essay: Montana Needs Accurate, Reliable
Weather Forecasting (Missoula Current, MT)
https://missoulacurrent.com/montana-weather-forecasting/
37.
Why Forcing People to Go Green Can Backfire (Grist
Online)
https://grist.org/politics/why-forcing-people-to-go-green-can-backfire/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
NWS Artificial Intelligence-Generated Weather Predictions
Are Making Up New Towns
https://gizmodo.com/nws-ai-generated-weather-predictions-are-making-up-new-towns-2000706926
Siri Leads Texas Family to 2.09-Carat Diamond at Arkansas’
Crater of Diamonds State Park
https://www.4029tv.com/article/arkansas-diamond-family-siri/69925580
McDonald’s Faces Lawsuit Claiming the
McRib Isn't Actually Ribs
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mcdonald-facing-class-action-lawsuit-152758627.html
Daredevil Goes Sky Surfing at 20,945
Feet for World Record
Song of the Day
U2 – Where the Streets Have No Name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FsrPEUt2Dg
Links & Paywall Advisory
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