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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Retirement Delays of U.S. Electric Generating Capacity May
Continue in 2026 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67206
Eleven Data Center Developers in Talks with Northwestern,
Group Says (The Daily Montanan)
WA State: Douglas PUD Replaces Hydrogen Contractor (NCW
Life, East Wenatchee, WA)
Mount Baker Geothermal Plant Could Power All of Whatcom
County (Cascadia Daily)
State of the Union – Trump's Plan for Rising Energy Costs:
Pump Oil, Make Data Centers Pay (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trumps-plan-rising-energy-costs-040157119.html
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Retirement Delays of U.S. Electric Generating
Capacity May Continue in 2026
2.
WA Lawmakers Push for State to Embrace Nuclear
Energy
3.
WA State: Grant PUD Cuts Power Waiting List,
Plans for Future Growth
4.
Montana: Ravalli County Powered by Water
5.
Live Power Pole Theft in Rural Saskatchewan
Leaves Local RCMP Stumped
6.
Campers Named in Eviction Complaint Remain on
Idaho Power Property, Official Says
7.
WA State: Douglas PUD Replaces Hydrogen
Contractor
8.
Mount Baker Geothermal Plant Could Power All of
Whatcom County
9.
Country's Biggest Solar Project Moving Ahead in
California
10.
Pause on Virginia Offshore Wind Farm Cost
Dominion More Than $200M, But Turbines Will Power Up Soon
11.
Renewable Energy Tax Bill Passes in Olympia,
Heads to Senate
12.
First Signs of Herring Spawn Spark Excitement on
Vancouver Island
13.
Emergency Declaration Made for Yakima-Tieton
Irrigation Canal
14.
Northern Wyoming Dam Survives Two Attacks in
State Senate
15.
Another Oregon City Plans to Tax Natural Gas
Appliances to Reduce Emissions
16.
Appeals Court Questions Shifting Reasons for
Trump’s EPA Killing Clean Energy Contracts
17.
The Surprising Oregon Town Where Cable
Television Was Born Four Years Before Portland Got TV
18.
Bitcoin Mining Operation Sparks Fire in
Wenatchee Building
19.
Eleven Data Center Developers in Talks with
Northwestern, Group Says
20.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek: Pace of Data Center
Growth ‘Is Not Sustainable’
21.
WA State House Passes Data Center Tariff Bill as
Quincy Lawmaker Warns That Rural Jobs are at Risk
22.
Data Center Tax Breaks Are on the Chopping Block
in Some States
23.
Supreme Court Rules the Postal Service Can't Be
Sued, Even When Mail Is Intentionally Not Delivered
24.
How Social Media Killed the Food Festival Stars
& Created Others
25.
Swirling Beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy's Heart
Is Captured in a New Telescope Picture
26.
State of the Union – Trump's Plan for Rising
Energy Costs: Pump Oil, Make Data Centers Pay
27.
Why The Tab for Powering Data Centers Will Keep
Rising — Despite Trump’s Pledge
28.
U.S. Senate Must Act to Fix ‘Broken Permitting
Process,’ Say 600 Groups
29.
‘Costs Will Keep Going Up’: WA Policy Center
Says Carbon Dioxide Tax Is Driving Energy Bills Higher, Offers Savings Tips
Word of the Day
Nonplussed \NON-plust\ Verb - To cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do: perplex.
Barty’s aggressive questioning during the trial left the hapless defense witness nonplussed. The man had been called as a character witness for the “Burger King.” Barty, however, relentlessly peppered him with questions about “Ronald McDonald,” “Jack in the Box,” and “Wendy Thomas.” “I don’t know any of those guys,” whined the harried witness.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Retirement Delays of U.S. Electric Generating
Capacity May Continue in 2026 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67206
2.
WA Lawmakers Push for State to Embrace Nuclear
Energy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
3.
WA State: Grant PUD Cuts Power Waiting List,
Plans for Future Growth (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
4.
Montana: Ravalli County Powered by Water (The
Missoulian, MT)
https://missoulian.com/brandavestudios/article_e92ba739-adef-5fe9-af73-617546f7677d.html
5.
Live Power Pole Theft in Rural Saskatchewan
Leaves Local RCMP Stumped (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
6.
Campers Named in Eviction Complaint Remain on Idaho
Power Property, Official Says (Baker City Herald, OR)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
7.
WA State: Douglas PUD Replaces Hydrogen
Contractor (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)
8.
Mount Baker Geothermal Plant Could Power All of Whatcom
County (Cascadia Daily)
9.
Country's Biggest Solar Project Moving Ahead in California
(National Public Radio)
10.
Pause on Virginia Offshore Wind Farm Cost Dominion
More Than $200M, But Turbines Will Power Up Soon (WHRO, Norfolk VA)
11.
Renewable Energy Tax Bill Passes in Olympia,
Heads to Senate (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
Fish
& Wildlife
12.
First Signs of Herring Spawn Spark Excitement on
Vancouver Island (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/herring-spawn-2026-vancouver-island-9.7101843
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
13.
Emergency Declaration Made for Yakima-Tieton
Irrigation Canal (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
14.
Northern Wyoming Dam Survives Two Attacks in State
Senate (WyoFile)
https://wyofile.com/northern-wyoming-dam-survives-two-attacks-in-senate/
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
15.
Another Oregon City Plans to Tax Natural Gas
Appliances to Reduce Emissions (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
16.
Appeals Court Questions Shifting Reasons for Trump’s
EPA Killing Clean Energy Contracts (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/green-bank-climate-epa-trump-zeldin-73af967533040116fe517452ce8f4ca7
London
Calling –Telecommunications
17.
The Surprising Oregon Town Where Cable
Television Was Born Four Years Before Portland Got TV (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
18.
Bitcoin Mining Operation Sparks Fire in
Wenatchee Building (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/bitcoin-mining-fire-wenatchee-building/
HAL’s
Internet Café
19.
Eleven Data Center Developers in Talks with Northwestern,
Group Says (The Daily Montanan)
20.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek: Pace of Data Center
Growth ‘Is Not Sustainable’ (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
21.
WA State House Passes Data Center Tariff Bill as
Quincy Lawmaker Warns That Rural Jobs are at Risk (Source ONE News, Ephrata,
WA)
22.
Data Center Tax Breaks Are on the Chopping Block
in Some States (States Newsroom)
https://stateline.org/2026/02/24/data-center-tax-breaks-are-on-the-chopping-block-in-some-states/
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
23.
Supreme Court Rules the Postal Service Can't Be
Sued, Even When Mail Is Intentionally Not Delivered (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/supreme-court-rules-the-postal-service-can-t-be-a21938533
24.
How Social Media Killed the Food Festival Stars
& Created Others (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/food-festivals-relevance-south-beach-ea155b815c834b0c16c48c2847ec9822
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
25.
Swirling Beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy's Heart
Is Captured in a New Telescope Picture (Courthouse News Service)
Politics, Governance, and Management
26.
State of the Union – Trump's Plan for Rising
Energy Costs: Pump Oil, Make Data Centers Pay (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trumps-plan-rising-energy-costs-040157119.html
27.
Why The Tab for Powering Data Centers Will Keep
Rising — Despite Trump’s Pledge (E&E News)
28.
U.S. Senate Must Act to Fix ‘Broken Permitting
Process,’ Say 600 Groups (Daily Energy Insider)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29.
‘Costs Will Keep Going Up’: WA Policy Center Says
Carbon Dioxide Tax Is Driving Energy Bills Higher, Offers Savings Tips (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/gee-and-ursula/co2-tax-energy-bills-higher/4208003
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
‘Chocolate Theft’ Is on the Rise in the UK; Some Stores Are
Taking Action
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3gqr7p0lqo
Ohio Sanitation Worker Surprised to Find Police Suspect in
Trash Can
https://apnews.com/article/trash-can-police-chase-ohio-0d8f828e442bce6cb4e6bc07ad124e1c
A Bumper Berry Harvest Has New Zealand's Weird Flightless
Parrot in a Rare Mood for Romance
Canadian Man Escapes Attacking Turkeys by Getting into Stranger's
Car
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/02/25/canada-Ottawa-turkeys-chase-man/7251772035813/
Song of the Day
Josh Groban - Pure Imagination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSXkVh9LmDQ
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