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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Power Showdown: Two Contenders Vie to Run The Bonneville
Power Administration, the Northwest’s Electric Nerve Center (Hoodline)
California Investigates Trump Administration’s Deal to End
an Offshore Wind Project (Associated Press)
Microsoft May Shelve 2030 Clean Energy Target as Artificial
Intelligence Lifts Power Use, Bloomberg News Reports (Reuters – Via MSN News)
Eugene Water & Electric Board Completes Transfer of
About 2,500 McKenzie Valley Electric Accounts to Lane Electric (KMTR-TV,
Eugene, OR)
Port of Port Townsend Dumps Social Media … After Announcing
It on Facebook (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/port-of-port-townsend-social-media/4235270
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Power Showdown: Two Contenders Vie to Run The
Bonneville Power Administration, the Northwest’s Electric Nerve Center
2.
Eugene Water & Electric Board Completes
Transfer of About 2,500 McKenzie Valley Electric Accounts to Lane Electric
3.
Idaho: 15-Year-Old Survives Electric Shock,
60-Foot Fall into Brush Fire After Climbing Power Line, Officials Say
4.
Pacific Power Files Rate Case, Aims for Stable
& Affordable Electricity Costs
5.
Electricity Demand & Temperatures Hit Record
Levels in British Columbia
6.
NERC Sounds Alarm on Large Loads, Orders Urgent
Grid Reliability Actions
7.
America’s Nuclear Dry Spell Is Over
8.
California Investigates Trump Administration’s
Deal to End an Offshore Wind Project
9.
How Idaho’s Aging Canals Could Soon Generate
Power - And Save Millions of Gallons of Water
10.
Idaho Power to Purchase 120 MW of Solar from
Jackpot Holdings
11.
Oregon Department of Energy Announces $1.1
Million in Re-Purposed Funding for Solar & Storage Rebates
12.
Portland-Based Ocean Energy Startup Gets $140
Million Investment from Billionaire Backers
13.
Washington Facility Could Turn Uneaten Food into
Enough Energy for 3,000 Homes
14.
Why Do WA Gray Whales Keep Stranding? 17th Found
Dead Near Grays Harbor
15.
Oregon: What The Carp? Discovery of Nuisance
Fish in Douglas County Alarms Officials & Biologists
16.
Idaho Spent Nuclear Fuel Facility Receives
Design Approval
17.
WA State: Yakima Reservoirs Above Normal, But
River Faces Major Water Shortage Concerns
18.
Microsoft May Shelve 2030 Clean Energy Target as
Artificial Intelligence Lifts Power Use, Bloomberg News Reports
19.
Copper Thieves Blamed for Widespread Telus
Outage in British Columbia’s North
20.
ReConnect Rural Broadband Grant Program Appears
to Be Saved
21.
Subsea Cables Become a Hotbed of Artificial
Intelligence Network Activity
22.
Tahoe Is Losing a Major Power Source Amid
Google, Apple Data Center Expansion
23.
Massive Box Elder County Data Center Could
Increase Utah’s Carbon Emissions by 50%
24.
Ford’s Secret Electric Vehicle Unit Emerges from
Shadows, Still Bullish on New Pickup Amid Market Slowdown
25.
Port of Port Townsend Dumps Social Media … After
Announcing It on Facebook
26.
Reporters at McClatchy Withhold Bylines in
Dispute Over Artificial Intelligence Content
27.
May’s Meteor Shower Peaks This Week — Here’s How
to Watch It
28.
Oregon Gov. Kotek, State Leaders Warn of a
Dangerous Fire Year Ahead Amid Low Snowpack
29.
States Across the Wildfire-Prone Western U.S.
Are Using Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection
30.
Why Gasoline Costs 52% More in the U.S. Than It
Did Before the Iran War
31.
Guest Essay: More Spill, Less Hydropower: The
Electric Grid Tradeoffs Washington Can’t Ignore
32.
Guest Essay: NorthWestern’s Mega-Monopoly Merger
Is All About Data Centers
Word of the Day
Sheeple \SHEE-pull| Noun - People who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced: people likened to sheep.
Sheeple or
people.
Who wants the
latest gadget?
Meee Meee Meee ... Gimme
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Power Showdown: Two Contenders Vie to Run The
Bonneville Power Administration, the Northwest’s Electric Nerve Center
(Hoodline)
2.
Eugene Water & Electric Board Completes
Transfer of About 2,500 McKenzie Valley Electric Accounts to Lane Electric
(KMTR-TV, Eugene, OR)
3.
Idaho: 15-Year-Old Survives Electric Shock,
60-Foot Fall into Brush Fire After Climbing Power Line, Officials Say (KMVT-TV,
Twin Falls, ID)
4.
Pacific Power Files Rate Case, Aims for Stable
& Affordable Electricity Costs (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
https://ktvz.com/news/top-stories/2026/05/05/pacific-power-files-rate-case-aims-for-stable-and-affordable-electricity-costs/
5.
Electricity Demand & Temperatures Hit Record
Levels in British Columbia (Yahoo! News)
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/more-heat-records-fall-across-155739566.html
6.
NERC Sounds Alarm on Large Loads, Orders Urgent
Grid Reliability Actions (Daily Energy Insider)
7.
America’s Nuclear Dry Spell Is Over (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/nuclear/americas-nuclear-dry-spell-is-over
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
8.
California Investigates Trump Administration’s
Deal to End an Offshore Wind Project (Associated Press)
9.
How Idaho’s Aging Canals Could Soon Generate
Power - And Save Millions of Gallons of Water (East Idaho News – Via Pressreader)
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/east-idaho-news/20260505/281848650216900
10.
Idaho Power to Purchase 120 MW of Solar from
Jackpot Holdings (Daily Energy Insider)
11.
Oregon Department of Energy Announces $1.1
Million in Re-Purposed Funding for Solar & Storage Rebates (PV Magazine)
12.
Portland-Based Ocean Energy Startup Gets $140
Million Investment from Billionaire Backers (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
13.
Washington Facility Could Turn Uneaten Food into
Enough Energy for 3,000 Homes (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/washington/washington-facility-turn-uneaten-food-into-natural-energy/
Fish
& Wildlife
14.
Why Do WA Gray Whales Keep Stranding? 17th Found
Dead Near Grays Harbor (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/why-wa-gray-whales-stranding-grays-harbor
15.
Oregon: What The Carp? Discovery of Nuisance
Fish in Douglas County Alarms Officials & Biologists (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
16.
Idaho Spent Nuclear Fuel Facility Receives
Design Approval (Nuclear Newswire)
https://www.ans.org/news/article-8008/idaho-spent-nuclear-fuel-facility-receives-design-approval/
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
17.
WA State: Yakima Reservoirs Above Normal, But
River Faces Major Water Shortage Concerns (KNDO & KNDU-TV,
Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
18.
Microsoft May Shelve 2030 Clean Energy Target as
Artificial Intelligence Lifts Power Use, Bloomberg News Reports (Reuters – Via MSN
News)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19.
Copper Thieves Blamed for Widespread Telus
Outage in British Columbia’s North (CTV News)
20.
ReConnect Rural Broadband Grant Program Appears
to Be Saved (Broadband Communities)
https://bbcmag.com/reconnect-rural-broadband-grant-program-appears-to-be-saved/
21.
Subsea Cables Become a Hotbed of Artificial
Intelligence Network Activity (Fierce Network)
https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/subsea-cables-are-becoming-hotbed-ai-network-activity
HAL’s
Internet Café
22.
Tahoe Is Losing a Major Power Source Amid
Google, Apple Data Center Expansion (MSN News)
23.
Massive Box Elder County Data Center Could
Increase Utah’s Carbon Emissions by 50% (Utah News Dispatch)
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/05/01/box-elder-county-data-center-increase-carbon-emissions/
I
Sing the Car Electric
24.
Ford’s Secret Electric Vehicle Unit Emerges from
Shadows, Still Bullish on New Pickup Amid Market Slowdown (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/05/ford-ev-universal-electric-vehicle-california.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25.
Port of Port Townsend Dumps Social Media … After
Announcing It on Facebook (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/port-of-port-townsend-social-media/4235270
26.
Reporters at McClatchy Withhold Bylines in
Dispute Over Artificial Intelligence Content (NY Times – Via DNYUS)
https://dnyuz.com/2026/05/01/reporters-at-mcclatchy-withhold-bylines-in-dispute-over-a-i-content/
Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
27.
May’s Meteor Shower Peaks This Week — Here’s How
to Watch It (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/eta-aquariid-meteor-shower-peak/71217808
Other
Things to Know About Today
28.
Oregon Gov. Kotek, State Leaders Warn of a
Dangerous Fire Year Ahead Amid Low Snowpack (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
29.
States Across the Wildfire-Prone Western U.S.
Are Using Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/ai-wildfire-detection-cameras-194656fe63ea89dbc4661eaf8b79f6bb
30.
Why Gasoline Costs 52% More in the U.S. Than It
Did Before the Iran War (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/why-gasoline-costs-52-more-in-the-us-than-it-did-a22245028
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
31.
Guest Essay: More Spill, Less Hydropower: The
Electric Grid Tradeoffs Washington Can’t Ignore (Washington State Standard)
32.
Guest Essay: NorthWestern’s Mega-Monopoly Merger
Is All About Data Centers (The Daily Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2026/05/06/northwesterns-mega-monopoly-merger-is-all-about-data-centers/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
1,600-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy Stuns Archaeologists in
First-of-Its-Kind Discovery
https://www.kcra.com/article/egyptian-mummy-discovered-homer-iliad/71185857
In Pompeii, Ancient Graffiti Depicting Daily Life Is Being
Revealed Thanks to Modern Technology
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pompeii-graffiti-corridor-technology-9.7184868?cmp=rss
Peak Viewing Expected at Southern Idaho’s Shoshone Falls as Flows
Increase Through May 18
Athlete Pulls 21,737-Pound Bus with His Neck
Song of the Day
Clinton Shorter – Pompeii Score Suite (Movie Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl8ngnroEA4
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