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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Judge Orders Changes to Columbia & Snake River Dam
Operations to Help ‘Disappearing’ Salmon (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/snake-columbia-rivers-dams-salmon-trump-d9e5f824be812d3f86539060272c234a
Why California is Reconsidering Nuclear Energy After 50-Year Ban (Bloomberg News – Via Yahoo!)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-california-reconsidering-nuclear-energy-110006703.html
Qatar Halts LNG Production, Knocks 20% Of Global Output as
Gas Prices Spike (Forbes Magazine)
U.S. Senators Demand Answers About Utility Companies’
‘Secret Contracts’ with Tech Giants: ‘Forcing Local Communities to Sign
Nondisclosure Agreements’ (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-senators-demand-answers-utility-072000175.html
$1 Billion for WA Broadband Gets Trump Administration
Approval (Washington State Standard)
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/1b-for-wa-broadband-gets-trump-administration-approval/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Qatar Halts LNG Production, Knocks 20% Of Global
Output as Gas Prices Spike
2.
Why California is Reconsidering Nuclear Energy
After 50-Year Ban
3.
New Advanced Nuclear Energy Simulator Completed
to Train Regional Workforce
4.
Copper Theft Spurs New Calls for Tougher
Crackdown, Including from WA Attorney General
5.
Grant County PUD, Tacoma Power Commit to Join
SPP’s Markets+
6.
Xcel Posts Nearly $1 Billion Operating Profit
from Colorado as the Utility Seeks Rate Increases for Gas, Electric Customers
7.
Portland General Electric Announces Its
Biggest-Ever Addition of Renewable Energy Sources
8.
Bird Infestation Is Emerging as a Hidden Threat
to California’s $30 Billion Residential Solar Market
9.
Balcony Solar Is Taking State Legislatures by
Storm
10.
U.S. Energy Department Announces $171 Million
for Geothermal Expansion
11.
WA State: Despite Federal Rollbacks, Agencies in
Clark County Strive for Clean Energy
12.
U.S. House Passes Bills to Weaken DOE’s
Appliance Efficiency Program, Repeal Home Rebates
13.
Judge Orders Changes to Columbia & Snake
River Dam Operations to Help ‘Disappearing’ Salmon
14.
Federal Judge Orders Protective Measures for
Columbia River Salmon After Trump Canceled Historic Deal
15.
Federal Ruling on Columbia River Dams Could
Impact Montana Electric Utilities
16.
DOE/EA-2277: Select Area Fisheries Enhancement
Program Finding of No Significant Impact
17.
Trump Administration Ends Protections for Rare
Dancing Prairie Bird
18.
$1 Billion for WA Broadband Gets Trump
Administration Approval
19.
U.S. Senators Demand Answers About Utility
Companies’ ‘Secret Contracts’ with Tech Giants: ‘Forcing Local Communities to
Sign Nondisclosure Agreements’
20.
Moody’s Flags $662 Billion Risk at the Heart of
the Data Center Build-Out by Just Five Companies
21.
U.S. Artificial Intelligence Boom Faces Electric
Shock
22.
Washington Lawmakers Move Forward with
Guardrails on Artificial Intelligence Detection,
23.
For Rivian & Lucid, Path Finally Emerges for
Direct-To-Consumer Car Sales in WA
24.
California GOP Lawmakers Are Incensed Over a Gas
Tax Study. Rural Groups Say They Need It
25.
An Ohio Newspaper Has a New Star Writer. It
Isn’t Human.
26.
HD Fowler Chairman Steps Down After Testifying
in Favor of WA Income Tax Bill
27.
WA Lawmakers Advancing Bill Restricting
Employers from Microchipping Workers
28.
What You Should Expect to Pay for Gas as the War
with Iran Continues
29.
Northwest RiverPartners’ Statement on Columbia
River System Operations Ruling
30.
Your Utility Bills Keep Going Up. Here’s
Everyone You Can Blame—Artificial Intelligence Data Centers Included
31.
Pounds & Pounds of Stripped Copper Wire
Insulation Recovered from Seattle Homeless Camp Cleanups
32.
Guest Essay: Renewable Energy Is Paying Off for
Rural Utah — And the Numbers Prove It
Word of the Day
Gelid \JELL-id\ Adjective – Extremely cold: icy.
“Eeee! This creeps me out!” Howled Norberto as he bit into the old, rubbery Jello that he fished from the back of the refrigerator. The gelid, gelatinous mass was the last “edible” scrap of food in the confirmed bachelor’s icebox, and he was determined not to let it go to waste, regardless of what his gag reflex told him.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Qatar Halts LNG Production, Knocks 20% Of Global
Output as Gas Prices Spike (Forbes Magazine)
2.
Why California is Reconsidering Nuclear Energy
After 50-Year Ban (Bloomberg News – Via Yahoo!)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-california-reconsidering-nuclear-energy-110006703.html
3.
New Advanced Nuclear Energy Simulator Completed to
Train Regional Workforce (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
4.
Copper Theft Spurs New Calls for Tougher
Crackdown, Including from WA Attorney General (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
5.
Grant County PUD, Tacoma Power Commit to Join
SPP’s Markets+ (American Public Power Association)
6.
Xcel Posts Nearly $1 Billion Operating Profit from
Colorado as the Utility Seeks Rate Increases for Gas, Electric Customers (The
Colorado Sun)
https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/27/xcel-psco-profits-rate-hikes-marshall-fire-settlements/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
7.
Portland General Electric Announces Its
Biggest-Ever Addition of Renewable Energy Sources (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/27/pge-renewable-energy-sources-addition/
8.
Bird Infestation Is Emerging as a Hidden Threat
to California’s $30 Billion Residential Solar Market (Reno Gazette-Journal, NV)
9.
Balcony Solar Is Taking State Legislatures by
Storm (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/balcony-solar-taking-state-legislatures-by-storm
10.
U.S. Energy Department Announces $171 Million for
Geothermal Expansion (Daily Energy Insider)
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/51350-energy-department-announces-171m-for-geothermal-expansion/
Conservation
& Efficiency
11.
WA State: Despite Federal Rollbacks, Agencies in
Clark County Strive for Clean Energy (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
12.
U.S. House Passes Bills to Weaken DOE’s Appliance
Efficiency Program, Repeal Home Rebates (Utility Dive)
Fish
& Wildlife
13.
Judge Orders Changes to Columbia & Snake River
Dam Operations to Help ‘Disappearing’ Salmon (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/snake-columbia-rivers-dams-salmon-trump-d9e5f824be812d3f86539060272c234a
14.
Federal Judge Orders Protective Measures for Columbia
River Salmon After Trump Canceled Historic Deal (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
15.
Federal Ruling on Columbia River Dams Could
Impact Montana Electric Utilities (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
16.
DOE/EA-2277: Select Area Fisheries Enhancement Program
Finding of No Significant Impact (U.S. Dept. of Energy)
https://www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/doeea-2277-finding-no-significant-impact-february-2026
17.
Trump Administration Ends Protections for Rare
Dancing Prairie Bird (Associated Press)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
18.
$1 Billion for WA Broadband Gets Trump Administration
Approval (Washington State Standard)
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/1b-for-wa-broadband-gets-trump-administration-approval/
HAL’s
Internet Café
19.
U.S. Senators Demand Answers About Utility
Companies’ ‘Secret Contracts’ with Tech Giants: ‘Forcing Local Communities to Sign
Nondisclosure Agreements’ (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-senators-demand-answers-utility-072000175.html
20.
Moody’s Flags $662 Billion Risk at the Heart of
the Data Center Build-Out by Just Five Companies (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/moody-flags-662-billion-risk-081000616.html
21.
U.S. Artificial Intelligence Boom Faces Electric
Shock (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/us-ai-boom-faces-electric-shock-2026-02-25/
22.
Washington Lawmakers Move Forward with Guardrails
on Artificial Intelligence Detection, Chatbots (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
I
Sing the Car Electric
23.
For Rivian & Lucid, Path Finally Emerges for
Direct-To-Consumer Car Sales in WA (Washington State Standard)
24.
California GOP Lawmakers Are Incensed Over a Gas
Tax Study. Rural Groups Say They Need It (KPBS Broadcasting, San Diego, CA)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25.
An Ohio Newspaper Has a New Star Writer. It Isn’t
Human. (Washington Post – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ohio-newspaper-star-writer-isn-152510947.html
Politics,
Governance, and Management
26.
HD Fowler Chairman Steps Down After Testifying in
Favor of WA Income Tax Bill (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2822fb08-e4a1-4a45-a5f7-5c9587dff3d1.html
27.
WA Lawmakers Advancing Bill Restricting
Employers from Microchipping Workers (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wa-lawmakers-bill-microchipping-workers
Other
Things to Know About Today
28.
What You Should Expect to Pay for Gas as the War
with Iran Continues (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/expect-pay-gas-war-iran-131728064.html
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29.
Northwest RiverPartners’ Statement on Columbia
River System Operations Ruling (Northwest RiverPartners)
30.
Your Utility Bills Keep Going Up. Here’s Everyone
You Can Blame—Artificial Intelligence Data Centers Included (Fortune Magazine –
Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/utility-bills-keep-going-everyone-075800083.html
31.
Pounds & Pounds of Stripped Copper Wire
Insulation Recovered from Seattle Homeless Camp Cleanups (KIRO Broadcasting,
Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/kiro-opinion/seattle-homeless-camp-copper/4209125
32.
Guest Essay: Renewable Energy Is Paying Off for
Rural Utah — And the Numbers Prove It (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Viral Video of Baby Monkey Causes Stuffed Orangutan to Sell Out
Triceratops Skeleton ‘Trey’ to Hit
the Auction Block as Dinosaur Market Soars
Four-Eared Foster Kitten in Alabama Becomes a Viral Star
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/02/23/four-eared-kitten-Dobby-foster/9951771870337/
New York Hospital Delivers Its Biggest Baby on Record as
Parents Say They ‘Didn’t Expect This’
https://people.com/new-york-hospital-welcomes-biggest-baby-on-record-11915165
Song of the Day
John Williams - Jurassic Park Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=affWDOwi2_g
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