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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Strengthen Communication and Customer Service Skills This Summer
As you’re making summer plans, take a moment to register for two new NWPPA courses and build skills that will serve you for years to come. Elevate Your Impact with Upward Communication Skills (July 15) will help you increase your influence with leadership, while Emotional Intelligence in Action: Mastering De-Escalation Skills (July 16) focuses on bolstering your EQ so you can better manage difficult customer interactions. Both courses are led by popular NWPPA instructor Kayla Curry of Organization Impact.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Idaho Power Seeks to Sell Distribution System to Oregon
Trail Electric Cooperative for $154 Million (Daily Energy Insider)
Grant PUD: Study Warns Pacific Northwest Faces Growing Risk
of Power Shortages without New Energy Strategy (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
Horse Heaven Showdown: Washington High Court Takes Up
Tri-Cities Wind War (Hoodline)
Utilities Push Back on FCC’s 30-Day Pole Contractor Approval
Rule (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/utilities-push-back-on-fccs-30-day-pole-contractor-approval-rule/
Despite Rising Gas Prices, Many Seattle-Area Drivers Aren’t
Switching to Electric Vehicles (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Idaho Power Seeks to Sell Distribution System to
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative for $154 Million
2.
Grant PUD: Study Warns Pacific Northwest Faces
Growing Risk of Power Shortages without New Energy Strategy
3.
What Comes Next for a Proposed Energy Project
Along Columbia River, And the Yakama Nation’s Opposition to It
4.
Net U.S. Electricity Generation Jumped 4.5% In
March as the West Baked Under Record Heat
5.
Natural Gas for Power Generation Flat This
Summer, Record High Expected in 2027
6.
In the News: How the Pacific Northwest Divvies
Up the Benefits of Limited Federal Hydropower
7.
Judge Denies Attorney General’s Petition to Stop
NV Energy’s Daily Demand Charge
8.
Green River Nuclear Energy Plans Revived, Add to
Utah’s Potential Nuclear Portfolio
9.
Pennsylvania: Man Fatally Electrocuted While
Trying to Steal Wires from Power Lines
10.
The Bonneville Power Administration Releases Its
2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan
11.
Mapped: Where Electricity Prices Jumped the Most
in America
12.
Horse Heaven Showdown: Washington High Court
Takes Up Tri-Cities Wind War
13.
‘Going Green Now for Who?’ Yakama Protest Clean
Energy Project on Sacred Site to Power Data Center
14.
In New Attack on Solar, Lawmakers Spread Myths
About Potato Farms
15.
Microsoft Signs 140MW Solar PPA With Avangrid in
Washington
16.
Utah’s Bottom-Up Approach to Clean Energy
17.
Why Are Those Giant Wind Turbine Blades Being
Unloaded in Pasco?
18.
Power to the People: How ‘Balcony Solar’ Could
Help Fight Rising U.S. Utility Costs
19.
California: SMUD Urges Customers to Shift Energy
Use as Higher Summer Electricity Rates Take Effect
20.
Gray Whale Stranding Numbers in WA Increase to
23, Total Number Along West Coast Grows to 51
21.
U.S. Supreme Court Settles Long-Running Water
Dispute Over Dwindling Rio Grande
22.
Utilities Push Back on FCC’s 30-Day Pole
Contractor Approval Rule
23.
A Small Central Oregon Town Shoots Down Data
Center Development
24.
Hillsboro, OR Considers ‘Pause’ on New Data
Centers Amid Uproar Over Unchecked Tax Breaks
25.
Data Center Debate Begins Boiling Up in Congress
26.
Despite Rising Gas Prices, Many Seattle-Area
Drivers Aren’t Switching to Electric Vehicles
27.
Washington State Awards $37 Million to Expand
Electric Vehicle Charging Access
28.
The Man Who Brought Cloud-Seeding to Idaho Was
at the Center of a D-Day Forecast Feud
29.
‘Something Dramatically Wrong’: Questions but
Few Answers After Longview, WA Mill Tragedy
30.
Guest Essay: Washington’s Biggest Grid Problem
Isn’t Data Centers — It’s Winter
Word of the Day
Suborn \suh-BORN\ Verb – 1: to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing 2: to induce to commit perjury; also: to obtain (perjured testimony) from a witness.
Nattering Nabobs
Rock and Roll and
fast cars, bah!
Youth suborned to sin
One long-time Olympia radio station owner (KITN) was rumored to refer to rock and roll music as “Baby, baby rock ‘n racket.”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Idaho Power Seeks to Sell Distribution System to
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative for $154 Million (Daily Energy Insider)
2.
Grant PUD: Study Warns Pacific Northwest Faces
Growing Risk of Power Shortages without New Energy Strategy (Source ONE News,
Ephrata, WA)
3.
What Comes Next for a Proposed Energy Project
Along Columbia River, And the Yakama Nation’s Opposition to It (Yakima Herald-Republic,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
4.
Net U.S. Electricity Generation Jumped 4.5% In
March as the West Baked Under Record Heat (Utility Dive)
5.
Natural Gas for Power Generation Flat This
Summer, Record High Expected in 2027 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67725
6.
In the News: How the Pacific Northwest Divvies
Up the Benefits of Limited Federal Hydropower (Bonneville Power Administration)
7.
Judge Denies Attorney General’s Petition to Stop
NV Energy’s Daily Demand Charge (Nevada Independent)
8.
Green River Nuclear Energy Plans Revived, Add to
Utah’s Potential Nuclear Portfolio (KSL Radio, Salt Lake City, UT)
9.
Pennsylvania: Man Fatally Electrocuted While
Trying to Steal Wires from Power Lines (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
10.
The Bonneville Power Administration Releases Its
2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (Bonneville Power Administration)
11.
Mapped: Where Electricity Prices Jumped the Most
in America (Visual Capitalist)
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-where-electricity-prices-jumped-the-most-in-america/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
12.
Horse Heaven Showdown: Washington High Court
Takes Up Tri-Cities Wind War (Hoodline)
13.
‘Going Green Now for Who?’ Yakama Protest Clean
Energy Project on Sacred Site to Power Data Center Oregon Capital Chronicle)
14.
In New Attack on Solar, Lawmakers Spread Myths
About Potato Farms (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/attack-solar-myths-potato-farms
15.
Microsoft Signs 140MW Solar PPA With Avangrid in
Washington (Data Center Dynamics)
16.
Utah’s Bottom-Up Approach to Clean Energy (E&E
News – Via Governors Wind & Solar Energy Coalition)
https://governorswindenergycoalition.org/utahs-bottom-up-approach-to-clean-energy/
17.
Why Are Those Giant Wind Turbine Blades Being
Unloaded in Pasco? (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/why-those-giant-wind-turbine-120000618.html
18.
Power to the People: How ‘Balcony Solar’ Could
Help Fight Rising U.S. Utility Costs (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/27/balcony-solar-panels-rising-utility-costs
Conservation
& Efficiency
19.
California: SMUD Urges Customers to Shift Energy
Use as Higher Summer Electricity Rates Take Effect (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/smud-urges-customers-shift-energy-041703105.html
Fish
& Wildlife
20.
Gray Whale Stranding Numbers in WA Increase to 23,
Total Number Along West Coast Grows to 51 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
21.
U.S. Supreme Court Settles Long-Running Water
Dispute Over Dwindling Rio Grande (Associated Press)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
22.
Utilities Push Back on FCC’s 30-Day Pole
Contractor Approval Rule (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/utilities-push-back-on-fccs-30-day-pole-contractor-approval-rule/
HAL’s
Internet Café
23.
A Small Central Oregon Town Shoots Down Data
Center Development (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/28/la-pine-rejects-data-center-central-oregon/
24.
Hillsboro, OR Considers ‘Pause’ on New Data
Centers Amid Uproar Over Unchecked Tax Breaks (The Oregonian, Portland, OR - Paywall
Advisory)
25.
Data Center Debate Begins Boiling Up in Congress
(Washington State Standard)
I
Sing the Car Electric
26.
Despite Rising Gas Prices, Many Seattle-Area
Drivers Aren’t Switching to Electric Vehicles (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
27.
Washington State Awards $37 Million to Expand Electric
Vehicle Charging Access (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
28.
The Man Who Brought Cloud-Seeding to Idaho Was at
the Center of a D-Day Forecast Feud (East Idaho News, Idaho Falls, ID)
Other
Things to Know About Today
29.
‘Something Dramatically Wrong’: Questions but
Few Answers After Longview, WA Mill Tragedy (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/30/what-caused-longview-mill-chemical-plant-questions/
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
30.
Guest Essay: Washington’s Biggest Grid Problem
Isn’t Data Centers — It’s Winter (Appeared in the Seattle Times, WA – Courtesy
NWPPA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2026/05/guest-essay-washingtons-biggest-grid.html
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
This New Quarter Will Begin Circulating Just in Time for
America’s 250
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/quarter-begin-circulating-just-time-162538284.html
Woman Started a Wishing Tree, Now It Collects Dreams from
Strangers as a Popular Sightseeing Spot
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/woman-started-wishing-tree-now-173000449.html
Oklahoma Parade Features Record-Breaking 3,596 Classic Cars
World’s Largest Golf Ball Pyramid Constructed on Texas Course
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/05/28/Guinness-World-Records-golf-ball-pyramid/6741779988839/
Song of the Day
Jan & Dean – The Little Old Lady from Pasadena
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVTybxyBspM
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 paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.
