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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
EPA Will Revoke ‘Endangerment
Finding’ That Underpins All Climate Regulation This Week (U.S. News & World
Report)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/10/epa-revoke-endangerment-finding-climate-regulations.html
Oregon: Public Hearing on
Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Program Set for Thursday in Bend (Bend
Bulletin, OR)
WA State: 23,000 Lost Power in
the Puyallup Area Wednesday Morning. What Happened? (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA –
Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/23-000-without-power-puyallup-181044986.html
Oregon: One Solar Project
Scrapped, Another Stalled in Lake County (Bend Bulletin, OR)
Oregon E-Scooter, E-Bike Crashes
Rise as Popularity Grows (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.kptv.com/2026/02/10/oregon-e-scooter-e-bike-crashes-rise-popularity-grows/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
WA State: 23,000 Lost Power in the Puyallup Area
Wednesday Morning. What Happened?
2.
‘I Don’t Think They Have a Case’: Why Danielle
Smith Is Playing Hardball with the U.S. on Electricity Trade
3.
President Trump Seeks to Loosen Environmental
Regulations to ‘Unleash’ Nuclear Energy
4.
Tennessee: Lineman Accused of Seriously Injuring
His Coworker in Ambush During Winter Storm Power Restoration
5.
California ISO Shifts Transmission Focus to
Reliability to Meet Peak Demand Growth
6.
Oregon: One Solar Project Scrapped, Another
Stalled in Lake County
7.
Will Farmers Be Able To ‘Farm the Sun’ on
Agricultural Land in Yakima, WA?
8.
Oregon Awards $12 Million to 24 Projects in
Community Renewable Energy Grant Program
9.
Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Shine a Light on
Balcony Solar, But Safety Issues Linger
10.
How to Keep Your Heat Pump Humming in the
Freezing Cold
11.
Need Another Excuse to Use Your Air Fryer?
Here’s How Little Energy They Use
12.
Oregon: Public Hearing on Columbia Basin Fish
& Wildlife Program Set for Thursday in Bend
13.
Record Snow Drought in Western U.S. Raises
Concern for a Spring of Water Shortages & Wildfires
14.
Drought-Triggered Restriction on North Platte
River Squeezes Spigots for Wyoming Towns
15.
Water Infrastructure Resolutions Moving in Idaho
Legislature
16.
EPA Will Revoke ‘Endangerment Finding’ That
Underpins All Climate Regulation This Week
17.
Scientists Thought They Understood Global
Warming. Then the Past Three Years Happened.
18.
Lutnick Agrees to Follow Statute on BEAD
Non-Deployment Funds
19.
It’s Official. Amazon Is $5 Billion Mystery Data
Center Developer Near Tri-Cities
20.
How WA Lawmakers Are Trying to Regulate Data
Centers
21.
Data Center Water/Power Needs, Regulatory
Challenges Strain Rural Communities
22.
Oregon E-Scooter, E-Bike Crashes Rise as
Popularity Grows
23.
Ford’s 2025 Financial Losses Were Blue Oval’s
Biggest Since the Great Recession, Due to Electric Vehicle Shifts
24.
Chinese Automaker BYD Files Lawsuit, Seeks
Refund Over Trump’s U.S. Auto Tariffs
25.
Instagram CEO Denies Addiction Claims in
Landmark U.S. Trial
26.
Legislation Could Impact Energy Costs, Utility
Operations in Oregon
27.
Former Federal Renewables Lab Lays Off 134
People
28.
Copper Wire Theft Stalls Light Rail Service
Before Seahawks Super Bowl Parade
29.
Guest Essay: Alaska Salmon Run Declines Are a
Crisis. Pointing the Finger at Trawl Is Misleading.
30.
When Winter Moves in, Hydropower Remains Steady
Word of the Day
Tabula Rasa /TAB-yuh-luh RAH-zah/ Noun – In general use, tabula rasa refers to something existing in an original, pristine state. In philosophy, tabula rasa refers to the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions.
Tabula Rasa on the Brain
Mind in a blank
state.
What are you thinking?
She asks.
Husband says “nothing.”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
WA State: 23,000 Lost Power in the Puyallup Area
Wednesday Morning. What Happened? (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/23-000-without-power-puyallup-181044986.html
2.
‘I Don’t Think They Have a Case’: Why Danielle
Smith Is Playing Hardball with the U.S. on Electricity Trade (National Post – Via
Yahoo!)
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/dont-think-case-why-danielle-220748878.html
3.
President Trump Seeks to Loosen Environmental
Regulations to ‘Unleash’ Nuclear Energy (The Hill, Washington, DC – Via AOL)
https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-seeks-loosen-environmental-regulations-121543604.html
4.
Tennessee: Lineman Accused of Seriously Injuring
His Coworker in Ambush During Winter Storm Power Restoration (KTUU-TV –
Anchorage, AK)
5.
California ISO Shifts Transmission Focus to
Reliability to Meet Peak Demand Growth (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/caiso-transmission-reliability-legislature-report/811818/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
6.
Oregon: One Solar Project Scrapped, Another
Stalled in Lake County (Bend Bulletin, OR)
7.
Will Farmers Be Able To ‘Farm the Sun’ on Agricultural
Land in Yakima, WA? (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
8.
Oregon Awards $12 Million to 24 Projects in Community
Renewable Energy Grant Program (Solar Power World)
9.
Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Shine a Light on Balcony
Solar, But Safety Issues Linger (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Conservation
& Efficiency
10.
How to Keep Your Heat Pump Humming in the Freezing
Cold (Canary Media)
11.
Need Another Excuse to Use Your Air Fryer? Here’s
How Little Energy They Use (C|Net News)
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/how-much-energy-does-an-air-fryer-use/
Fish
& Wildlife
12.
Oregon: Public Hearing on Columbia Basin Fish &
Wildlife Program Set for Thursday in Bend (Bend Bulletin, OR)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
13.
Record Snow Drought in Western U.S. Raises
Concern for a Spring of Water Shortages & Wildfires (Associated Press)
14.
Drought-Triggered Restriction on North Platte
River Squeezes Spigots for Wyoming Towns (WyoFile)
15.
Water Infrastructure Resolutions Moving in Idaho
Legislature (Pacific NW Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/water-infrastructure-id/
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
16.
EPA Will Revoke ‘Endangerment Finding’ That
Underpins All Climate Regulation This Week (U.S. News & World Report)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/10/epa-revoke-endangerment-finding-climate-regulations.html
17.
Scientists Thought They Understood Global
Warming. Then the Past Three Years Happened. (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
18.
Lutnick Agrees to Follow Statute on BEAD Non-Deployment
Funds (Light Reading)
https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/lutnick-agrees-to-follow-statute-on-bead-non-deployment-funds
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
19.
It’s Official. Amazon Is $5 Billion Mystery Data
Center Developer Near Tri-Cities (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/article314662893.html
20.
How WA Lawmakers Are Trying to Regulate Data
Centers (Washington State Standard)
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/02/11/how-wa-lawmakers-are-trying-to-regulate-data-centers/
21.
Data Center Water/Power Needs, Regulatory
Challenges Strain Rural Communities (Nevada Current)
I
Sing the Car Electric
22.
Oregon E-Scooter, E-Bike Crashes Rise as
Popularity Grows (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.kptv.com/2026/02/10/oregon-e-scooter-e-bike-crashes-rise-popularity-grows/
23.
Ford’s 2025 Financial Losses Were Blue Oval’s
Biggest Since the Great Recession, Due to Electric Vehicle Shifts (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fords-2025-financial-losses-were-162900775.html
24.
Chinese Automaker BYD Files Lawsuit, Seeks
Refund Over Trump’s U.S. Auto Tariffs (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/09/byd-files-lawsuit-seeks-refund-over-trumps-us-auto-tariffs.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25.
Instagram CEO Denies Addiction Claims in
Landmark U.S. Trial (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/instagram-ceo-testify-social-media-161812069.html
Politics,
Governance, and Management
26.
Legislation Could Impact Energy Costs, Utility
Operations in Oregon (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/legislation-could-impact-energy-costs-020328622.html
27.
Former Federal Renewables Lab Lays Off 134
People (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5732319-renewable-energy-lab-job-cuts/
Other
Things to Know About Today
28.
Copper Wire Theft Stalls Light Rail Service
Before Seahawks Super Bowl Parade (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/copper-wire-theft-parade-super-bowl-parade
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29.
Guest Essay: Alaska Salmon Run Declines Are a
Crisis. Pointing the Finger at Trawl Is Misleading. (Alaska Beacon)
30.
When Winter Moves in, Hydropower Remains Steady
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/feb/10/when-winter-moves-in-hydropower-remans-steady/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
India’s Migratory Beekeepers & Their Hives Follow the Flowers
to Make the Honey Flow
Huge Halibut Caught Through the Ice in Quebec Is a New
Scientific Record
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/huge-halibut-caught-ice-quebec-174938902.html
At 100, WWII Veteran Celebrates a Life of Service Aboard Battleship
New Jersey
https://apnews.com/article/world-war-wwii-veteran-100-3c0ca92e8a247becf81ae7637daed449
Man Balances Chair on His Chin for 1 Hour, 20 Minutes
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/02/10/Guinness-World-Records-David-Rush-chair-chin/4361770737355/
Song of the Day
Playing for Change – Fly Like an Eagle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsxHWOPHcxA
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Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken links.
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