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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
PacifiCorp and
California ISO Successfully Launch New Market (American Public Power
Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/pacificorp-and-caiso-successfully-launch-new-market
TransAlta Seeks
$19.9 Million for Centralia, WA Plant’s First DOE ‘Emergency’ Order (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/transalta-centralia-doe-emergency-order-ferc/819043/
Seattle Considers
Ban on New Data Centers After Reported Expansion Interest (KING-TV, Seattle,
WA)
WA State: Kennewick
Irrigation Customers Face 10-Day Water Shutdown (KNDO & KNDU-TV,
Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
The ADA Web
Accessibility Deadline just moved. Utilities Still Need to Act. (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/spons/the-ada-deadline-just-moved-utilities-still-need-to-act/818513/
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. PacifiCorp
and California ISO Successfully Launch New Market
2. TransAlta
Seeks $19.9 Million for Centralia, WA Plant’s First DOE ‘Emergency’ Order
3. Without
Wildfire Reform, California Utilities Could See Credit Impacts: Edison
International
4. Northwest
Regional Forecast – of Power Loads & Resources
5. Americans’
Air Conditioning Costs Expected to Rise Again This Summer
6. Okanogan
County Commissioners Consider Limits on New Cannabis Businesses – Also, Concern
over Power Supply Issues
7. Top
U.S. Nuclear Regulator Is Rewriting Its Rules for New Era of Reactors
8. Electric
Co-ops Call for Stronger USDA Loan Support as Rural Power Demand Outpaces
Infrastructure
9. Wyoming
Towns Want Energy Developers to Pay Up Front for Public Service Impacts
10. Solar
Ranch in Tennessee Aims to Prove Grazing Cattle Under the Panels Is a Farmland
Win-Win
11. News
Release: Reducing Electricity Use & Costs
12. Nearly
$100 Million to Be Given to Help Support Endangered Salmon Runs in the Pacific
Northwest
13. 330,000
Sockeye Fry to Be Released in Okanagan & Columbia Basins This Spring
14. Endangered
Whale Protections May Be Delayed to 2035 Under Trump-Backed Plan
15. Lake
Huron’s ‘Fish City’ Is a Sign of Trouble at Nuclear Plant, Says Ontario First
Nation
16. Part
of an Old Aluminum Smelter Along the Columbia River Could Soon Get Cleaned Up.
An Energy Project Is Helping Fast-Track the Work
17. Do
You Really Need a Water Filter? Here’s What Experts Say
18. WA
State: Kennewick Irrigation Customers Face 10-Day Water Shutdown
19. California,
Arizona & Nevada Announce New Water-Saving Plan for Dwindling Colorado
River
20. WA’s
Latest Emissions Report Shows Small Decline
21. Private
Telecom Company Aids Washington First Responders
22. Seattle
Considers Ban on New Data Centers After Reported Expansion Interest
23. Artificial
Intelligence-Generated Erroneous Court Filings Are ‘Rapidly Escalating,’ Oregon
Appeals Judge Warns
24. Montana:
Missoula Resident Starts Petition Opposing Bonner Data Center
25. High
Gas Prices Have You Considering an Electric Car? Ask Yourself These Questions
Before Making the Switch.
26. Rivian
Owners in Alaska May Have to Pay Thousands for Warranty Repairs
27. Oregon
to Add 24 New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across Its Highways
28. The
ADA Web Accessibility Deadline just moved. Utilities Still Need to Act.
29. WA
Gov. Ferguson’s Office Bottlenecking State Communications, Delaying Public
Information: Report
30. Data
Center Politics Could Sway Some Oregon Elections
31. ‘Wiped
Us Out Completely’: Trusted Small-Town Clerk Emptied Metaline’s Bank Account,
Cratered Nonprofit
32. Forest
Service Lab Closures Spark Concern Amid Fire Risks
33. Idaho
Was the Second-Fastest Growing State Last Year, Population Up 10% Since 2020
34.
Guest Essay: Natural Gas Plants Key to Keeping
Electricity Reliable in Pacific Northwest
Word of the Day
Something /SUM-thing/ pronoun – 1a: some indeterminate or unspecified thing b: some indeterminate amount more than a specified number 2: a person or thing of consequence 3: one having more or less the character, qualities, or nature of something different
It is strong with this one
So, May the Fourth be with you
Or something like that
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
PacifiCorp and California ISO Successfully
Launch New Market (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/pacificorp-and-caiso-successfully-launch-new-market
2.
TransAlta Seeks $19.9 Million for Centralia, WA Plant’s
First DOE ‘Emergency’ Order (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/transalta-centralia-doe-emergency-order-ferc/819043/
3.
Without Wildfire Reform, California Utilities
Could See Credit Impacts: Edison International (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/eix-california-utilities-credit-rating-wildfire-earnings/819026/
4.
Northwest Regional Forecast – of Power Loads &
Resources (Links to PDF File – Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee)
https://www.pnucc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-PNUCC-Northwest-Regional-Forecast-4-21-26-final.pdf
5.
Americans’ Air Conditioning Costs Expected to Rise
Again This Summer (The Daily Montanan)
6.
Okanogan County Commissioners Consider Limits on
New Cannabis Businesses – Also, Concern over Power Supply Issues (Methow Valley
News, Twisp, WA)
7.
Top U.S. Nuclear Regulator Is Rewriting Its
Rules for New Era of Reactors (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/us-nuclear-regulator-rewriting-rules
8.
Electric Co-ops Call for Stronger USDA Loan
Support as Rural Power Demand Outpaces Infrastructure (RFD-TV)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
9.
Wyoming Towns Want Energy Developers to Pay Up
Front for Public Service Impacts (WyoFile)
https://wyofile.com/wyoming-towns-want-energy-developers-to-pay-up-front-for-public-service-impacts/
10.
Solar Ranch in Tennessee Aims to Prove Grazing
Cattle Under the Panels Is a Farmland Win-Win (Courthouse News Service)
Conservation &
Efficiency
11.
News Release: Reducing Electricity Use &
Costs (U.S. Department of Energy)
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/reducing-electricity-use-and-costs
Fish & Wildlife
12.
Nearly $100 Million to Be Given to Help Support
Endangered Salmon Runs in the Pacific Northwest (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
13.
330,000 Sockeye Fry to Be Released in Okanagan &
Columbia Basins This Spring (Vernon New, Canada)
14.
Endangered Whale Protections May Be Delayed to 2035
Under Trump-Backed Plan (Associated Press)
15.
Lake Huron’s ‘Fish City’ Is a Sign of Trouble at
Nuclear Plant, Says Ontario First Nation (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
Environmental Afflatus –
Clean Up on Aisle Three
16.
Part of an Old Aluminum Smelter Along the Columbia
River Could Soon Get Cleaned Up. An Energy Project Is Helping Fast-Track the Work
(Northwest Public Broadcasting)
17.
Do You Really Need a Water Filter? Here’s What
Experts Say (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/water-filters-pfas-tap-drinking-041e85cc583e4a7e21b52861cc9b31a4
Water, Water, Anywhere?
18.
WA State: Kennewick Irrigation Customers Face
10-Day Water Shutdown (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
19.
California, Arizona & Nevada Announce New
Water-Saving Plan for Dwindling Colorado River (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via AOL
News)
https://www.aol.com/news/california-arizona-nevada-announce-water-165414847.html
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
20.
WA’s Latest Emissions Report Shows Small Decline
(Washington State Standard)
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/29/was-latest-emissions-report-shows-small-decline/
London Calling
–Telecommunications
21.
Private Telecom Company Aids Washington First
Responders (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
HAL’s Internet Café
22.
Seattle Considers Ban on New Data Centers After
Reported Expansion Interest (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
23.
Artificial Intelligence-Generated Erroneous
Court Filings Are ‘Rapidly Escalating,’ Oregon Appeals Judge Warns (Oregon
Capital Chronicle)
24.
Montana: Missoula Resident Starts Petition
Opposing Bonner Data Center (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
I Sing the Car Electric
25.
High Gas Prices Have You Considering an Electric
Car? Ask Yourself These Questions Before Making the Switch. (Yahoo! News)
26.
Rivian Owners in Alaska May Have to Pay
Thousands for Warranty Repairs (AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/rivian-owners-alaska-may-pay-154500044.html
27.
Oregon to Add 24 New Electric Vehicle Charging
Stations Across Its Highways (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/01/ev-chargers-oregon/
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
28.
The ADA Web Accessibility Deadline just moved.
Utilities Still Need to Act. (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/spons/the-ada-deadline-just-moved-utilities-still-need-to-act/818513/
29.
WA Gov. Ferguson’s Office Bottlenecking State Communications,
Delaying Public Information: Report (KVI Radio, Seattle, WA)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
30.
Data Center Politics Could Sway Some Oregon Elections
(The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
31.
‘Wiped Us Out Completely’: Trusted Small-Town
Clerk Emptied Metaline’s Bank Account, Cratered Nonprofit (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/02/wiped-us-out-completely-trusted-small-town-clerk-e/
Other Things to Know
About Today
32.
Forest Service Lab Closures Spark Concern Amid
Fire Risks (MSN News)
33.
Idaho Was the Second-Fastest Growing State Last
Year, Population Up 10% Since 2020 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/idaho-fastest-growing-population/4234623
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
34.
Guest Essay: Natural Gas Plants Key to Keeping
Electricity Reliable in Pacific Northwest (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/03/andy-barth-natural-gas-plants-key-to-keeping-elect/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Washington Ranks
High in Star Wars Fandom
https://kpq.com/ixp/137/p/washington-star-wars-ranking-2026/
Sleep Takes Center
Stage at Seoul’s Han River Nap Competition, in Photos
https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/seoul-korea-nap-competition-photos-0c723490529969ff81947a510d8aa9df
Video: Hitting The
High Notes: How Switzerland Keeps Its Yodeling Tradition Alive
Nipper, Stay! The Future
of a Beloved Dog Statue on a New York Warehouse Is Up in the Air
https://apnews.com/article/nipper-dog-statue-albany-new-york-69a5ca4ec514f837626475b5d5264c1d
Song of the Day
John Williams – Star
Wars – Princess Leia’s Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT1T6BwojXI
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken links.
Although I choose
stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible
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help you access certain paywall sites.
