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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Video: Western WA Utility Companies Propose
Hefty Rate Hikes (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/fmc-g352x6g8du6117r8
Invenergy Says Trump’s $765 Million Offshore
Wind Payout Will Fund a Geothermal Push (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/offshore-wind/invenergy-offshore-wind-payout-geothermal
Washington Coast Salmon Seasons Open – ‘Strong
forecasts for key Chinook and coho stocks…should provide good recreational
fishing opportunity’ (NW Sportsman Magazine)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/washington-coast-salmon-seasons-open-june-20/
Pacific Northwest’s Yanked Observatories to
Return to Ocean After Trump Administration Backs Down (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/trump-administration-halts-dismantling-of-ocean-monitoring-system
Heat Advisory in Effect as Temperatures
Expected to Soar in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/21/oregon-washington-heat-advisory/
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Video:
Western WA Utility Companies Propose Hefty Rate Hikes
2. New
Nationwide Data Reveals Utility-Specific Disconnection Information
3. Oregon
Relies More on Natural Gas to Generate Electricity as Coal Drops to All-Time
Low
4. Top
U.S. Energy Regulator Pushes Grids to Overhaul Data Center Power Rules
5. Alaska
House Rejects Senate’s LNG Gas Line Bill, Lawmakers Say Negotiations Will
Continue
6. Canada:
Energy Minister Plans ‘Nuclear Renaissance’ with Up to 10 Reactors Built by
2040
7. Invenergy
Says Trump’s $765 Million Offshore Wind Payout Will Fund a Geothermal Push
8. California:
Kern County Supervisors Approve New Solar Project, Anticipates $44 Million in
Property Taxes Revenue in First Year of Operation
9. Feds
Advance Permit for Controversial Seminoe Pumped-Water Project in Wyoming
10. Big
Battery Farms Encounter Resistance Across Western Washington
11. Washington
Coast Salmon Seasons Open – ‘Strong forecasts for key Chinook and coho
stocks…should provide good recreational fishing opportunity’
12. Power
Council: Increased Spill Over Dams Delaying Adult Salmon News Home
13. Low
Sockeye Salmon Returns Lead to Fishery Changes in the Columbia River
14. Bonneville
Power Administration Funding Cut Puts 7 Million SAFE Hatchery Salmon at Risk,
Threatens Oregon Fisheries
15. With
Six Months to Go, Wash. Approaches Record Whale Deaths
16. California
Sues EPA Over Bid to Revoke Waivers for Stricter Emission Standards
17. Bend:
Another Oregon City Adopts Tax on Natural Gas Appliances to Reduce Emissions
18. Phishing
Now Hits Americans 14 Times a Day, with Artificial Intelligence Making Scams
Harder to Spot
19. Seattle
Banned New Data Centers. Why Do Companies Want Them Here Anyway?
20. Growing
with the Cloud – Thriving Communities: Microsoft’s First Small-Town Data Center
Creates Opportunities Beyond Quincy
21. Are
There Enough Electric Vehicle Chargers in Washington for All Those Cars?
22. $35
Million Campaign Finance Fine Against Meta Upheld by WA Supreme Court
23. Pacific
Northwest’s Yanked Observatories to Return to Ocean After Trump Administration
Backs Down
24. Hubble
Spies a Swarm of Stars in a Strange, Irregular Galaxy
25. Heat
Advisory in Effect as Temperatures Expected to Soar in Northwest Oregon &
Southwest Washington
26. Puget
Sound Region Braces for More Record June Heat; Data Finds Many Local Homes Lack
A/C
27. Short
Warm Period Followed by Cool Wet Weather
28. Heat,
Wind & Drought Conditions Spark Wildfires in U.S. West
29.
Walking Away from BEAD – News Is That Some
Winners are Refusing to Accept Grant Awards
Word of the Day
Coulrophobia \COOL-ruh-foe-bee-uh\ Noun - Fear of clowns
“Let’s go to the circus,” squealed little Nell to her indulgent parents. Her usually pliant father refrained with a shudder, paralyzed by a flash of coulrophobia. He never fully recovered from a “seltzer bottle” incident in 1968 when clowns ruled the circus at the state fair. “The horror,” he whispered, “the horror.”
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Video: Western WA Utility Companies Propose
Hefty Rate Hikes (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/fmc-g352x6g8du6117r8
2. New
Nationwide Data Reveals Utility-Specific Disconnection Information (Energy
Policy Institute)
https://energyandpolicy.org/new-nationwide-data-reveals-utility-specific-disconnection-information/
3. Oregon
Relies More on Natural Gas to Generate Electricity as Coal Drops to All-Time
Low (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/oregon-relies-more-natural-gas-123059824.html
4. Top
U.S. Energy Regulator Pushes Grids to Overhaul Data Center Power Rules (Reuters)
5. Alaska
House Rejects Senate’s LNG Gas Line Bill, Lawmakers Say Negotiations Will
Continue (Alaska Beacon)
6. Canada:
Energy Minister Plans ‘Nuclear Renaissance’ with Up to 10 Reactors Built by 2040
(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-nuclear-strategy-9.7244509
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/offshore-wind/invenergy-offshore-wind-payout-geothermal
8. California:
Kern County Supervisors Approve New Solar Project, Anticipates $44 Million in
Property Taxes Revenue in First Year of Operation (KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA)
9. Feds
Advance Permit for Controversial Seminoe Pumped-Water Project in Wyoming (Wyofile)
https://wyofile.com/feds-advance-permit-for-controversial-seminoe-pumped-water-project-in-wyoming/
10. Big
Battery Farms Encounter Resistance Across Western Washington (Washington State
Standard)
Fish
& Wildlife
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/washington-coast-salmon-seasons-open-june-20/
12. Power
Council: Increased Spill Over Dams Delaying Adult Salmon News Home (Capital
Press – Via Fishbio)
https://fishbio.com/news/power-council-increased-spill-over-dams-delaying-adult-salmon/
13. Low
Sockeye Salmon Returns Lead to Fishery Changes in the Columbia River (Gorge
Radio, Hood River, OR)
14. Bonneville
Power Administration Funding Cut Puts 7 Million SAFE Hatchery Salmon at Risk,
Threatens Oregon Fisheries (KBOI-TV, Boise, ID)
15. With
Six Months to Go, Wash. Approaches Record Whale Deaths (KIRO Broadcasting,
Seattle, WA)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
16. California
Sues EPA Over Bid to Revoke Waivers for Stricter Emission Standards (Courthouse
News Service)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
17. Bend:
Another Oregon City Adopts Tax on Natural Gas Appliances to
Reduce Emissions (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/another-oregon-city-adopts-tax-214552065.html
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
18.
Phishing Now Hits Americans 14 Times a Day, with
Artificial Intelligence Making Scams Harder to Spot (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
HAL’s
Internet Café
19. Seattle
Banned New Data Centers. Why Do Companies Want Them Here Anyway? (KUOW Radio, Seattle,
WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-banned-new-data-centers-why-companies-want-them-here-anyway
20. Growing
with the Cloud – Thriving Communities: Microsoft’s First Small-Town Data Center
Creates Opportunities Beyond Quincy (Microsoft Unlocked)
https://unlocked.microsoft.com/quincy-growth/
I
Sing the Car Electric
21. Are
There Enough Electric Vehicle Chargers in Washington for All Those Cars? (KONA
Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/1135/p/washington-ev-infrastructure/
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
22. $35
Million Campaign Finance Fine Against Meta Upheld by WA Supreme Court (Washington
State Standard – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/35m-campaign-finance-fine-against-174741668.html
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
https://www.kuow.org/stories/trump-administration-halts-dismantling-of-ocean-monitoring-system
24. Hubble
Spies a Swarm of Stars in a Strange, Irregular Galaxy (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/hubble-spies-swarm-stars-strange-140000652.html
Other
Things to Know About Today
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/21/oregon-washington-heat-advisory/
26. Puget
Sound Region Braces for More Record June Heat; Data Finds Many Local Homes Lack
A/C (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
27. Short
Warm Period Followed by Cool Wet Weather (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/06/short-warm-period-followed-by-cool-wet.html
28. Heat,
Wind & Drought Conditions Spark Wildfires in U.S. West (Associated Press)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/heat-drought-wildfires-us-west/4250107
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29. Walking
Away from BEAD – News Is That Some Winners are Refusing to Accept Grant Awards
(POTS & PANS)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/06/22/walking-away-from-bead/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
An
Ancient Oak Tree Said to Have Sheltered Legendary Robin Hood Has Died
Clive Davis,
Grammy-Winning Record Producer & Music Executive, Dies at 94
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/clive-davis-grammy-winning-record-154154640.html
Michigan Plumbers
Find Ring Dropped into Toilet a Decade Earlier
Overturned Truck
Releases 2 Million Bees into Texas Neighborhood
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/22/Mauriceville-Texas-semi-truck-bees/8411782139125/
Song of the Day
Janis Joplin - Piece
of My Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWSbo17f44E
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