The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association, and edited by Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus.
Explore Some of Public Power’s Biggest Challenges in January
Don’t miss NWPPA’s January conference series: Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know, the Data Center and Load Growth Summit, and the Power Supply Conference. These deep-dive events help utility professionals better understand emerging challenges, share strategies, and prepare for the future. A special discount is available when you attend two or all three events. To receive the discount, please email registration@nwppa.org to register rather than signing up on NWPPA’s website.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
WA State: Kitsap Voters Reject KPUD Electric
Authority Prop. 1 (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/voters-decide-kpud-public-electric-115604307.html
Utility Customers in California Could Face
Higher Bills Under Proposed Wildfire Liability Cap (KABC-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
Trump Ban on Foreign Grid Components Sparks
Industry Concern Over Cost, Practicality (Utility Dive)
Washington State Supreme Court ‘Silent’ on
Legal Challenge to Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/136/p/state-court-silent-on-windfarm-lawsuit/
European Supermarket Fridges Got Hacked. Again.
Here’s What to Know (Associated Press)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Utility Customers in
California Could Face Higher Bills Under Proposed Wildfire Liability Cap
2.
Trump Ban on Foreign
Grid Components Sparks Industry Concern Over Cost, Practicality
3.
U.S. Dept. of Energy
Offers Funding to Build Out U.S. Grid Supply Chain After Push from NRECA
4.
News Release:
Settlement Requires Bonneville Power Administration to Reduce Proposed Rate
Hike That Unfairly Targets Salmon Protection
5.
Data Centers Are
Turning to Old Jet Engines as the Wait for Power Grows
6.
Quebec May Face Future
Energy Deficits, Need to Import Electricity from U.S., Other Provinces
7.
California’s Pilot
Knob Hydropower Plant Secures $21 Million Refurbishment
8.
What Happens If the
Columbia’s Dams Come Down All at Once
9.
Washington State
Supreme Court ‘Silent’ on Legal Challenge to Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm
10.
Wyoming Supreme Court
Allows Major Wind Turbine Project to Advance
11.
California Waives
Utility Approval for Plug-In Solar, But Renters May Still Need a Landlord’s OK
12.
Alaska: Conservation
Group to Sue Over Kodiak, Gulf Salmon Management
13.
Oregon Scientists
Fitted 100 Lampreys with Tiny Acoustic Tags to Track Their Movements Past
Hydropower Dams
14.
Canada: Millions of
Fish Died at an Ontario Nuclear Plant in 2025. Now Its Operator Faces Federal
Charges
15.
Environmentalists
Successfully Block California’s First Carbon Capture Project
16.
Atmospheric River
Could Bring Heavy Rainfall to Southern California Next Week
17.
Precipitation Miracles
18.
Amazon Is Behind a
$264 Million Washington State Ranch Deal. Up to 21 Data Centers Are Planned
19.
Caterpillar Posts
‘Highest Sales Quarter Ever,’ Fueled by Data Centers
20.
Why Mandating
Artificial Intelligence Use in the Workplace Can Backfire
21.
European Supermarket
Fridges Got Hacked. Again. Here’s What to Know
22.
Voyager 1 Nears One
Light-Day from Earth as NASA Stretches Its Dwindling Power
23.
WA State: Kitsap
Voters Reject KPUD Electric Authority Prop. 1
24.
Oregon: Eugene Voters
Handily Approve Clean Energy Fund Initiative
25.
Voters Across the
Country Reject Data Centers
26.
American Public Power
Association Endorses Bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Bill
27.
There Could Be a
Shortage of Northwest Hay This Winter & Next Spring
28.
Guest Essay: ‘A
Wild-Eyed Bunch’ – Moses Lake & the Columbia Basin Project
Word of the Day
Ailurophile \eye-LOOR-uh-fyle\ Noun - A cat fancier: a lover of cats.
Apartment
4-A
Crazy
cat lady in there
Ailurophile…yes
1.
Utility Customers in California Could Face
Higher Bills Under Proposed Wildfire Liability Cap (KABC-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
2.
Trump Ban on Foreign Grid Components Sparks
Industry Concern Over Cost, Practicality (Utility Dive)
3.
U.S. Dept. of Energy Offers Funding to Build Out
U.S. Grid Supply Chain After Push from NRECA (National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association)
4.
News Release: Settlement Requires Bonneville
Power Administration to Reduce Proposed Rate Hike That Unfairly Targets Salmon
Protection (EarthJustice)
5.
Data Centers Are Turning to Old Jet Engines as
the Wait for Power Grows (TechCrunch)
6.
Quebec May Face Future Energy Deficits, Need to
Import Electricity from U.S., Other Provinces (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/hydro-quebec-future-deficits-energy-imports-9.7407375
7.
California’s Pilot Knob Hydropower Plant Secures
$21 Million Refurbishment (International Water Power)
8.
What Happens If the Columbia’s Dams Come Down
All at Once (World Atlas)
https://www.worldatlas.com/rivers/what-happens-if-the-columbia-s-dams-come-down-all-at-once.html
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
9.
Washington State Supreme Court ‘Silent’ on Legal
Challenge to Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/136/p/state-court-silent-on-windfarm-lawsuit/
10.
Wyoming Supreme Court Allows Major Wind Turbine
Project to Advance (WyoFile)
https://wyofile.com/wyoming-supreme-court-allows-major-wind-turbine-project-to-advance/
11.
California Waives Utility Approval for Plug-In
Solar, But Renters May Still Need a Landlord’s OK (The Cooldown)
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-home/california-plug-in-solar-renter-rights/
Fish & Wildlife
12.
Alaska: Conservation Group to Sue Over Kodiak, Gulf
Salmon Management (New Haven Register, CT)
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/conservation-group-to-sue-over-kodiak-gulf-22509142.php
13.
Oregon Scientists Fitted 100 Lampreys with Tiny
Acoustic Tags to Track Their Movements Past Hydropower Dams (Energies Media)
https://energiesmedia.com/100-lampreys-tiny-acoustic-tags-hydropower-dams/
14.
Canada: Millions of Fish Died at an Ontario Nuclear
Plant in 2025. Now Its Operator Faces Federal Charges (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
15.
Environmentalists Successfully Block California’s
First Carbon Capture Project (Courthouse News Service)
Water, Water Anywhere?
16.
Atmospheric River Could Bring Heavy Rainfall to Southern
California Next Week (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
17.
Precipitation Miracles (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/11/precipitation-miracles.html
HAL’s Internet Café
18.
Amazon Is Behind a $264 Million Washington State
Ranch Deal. Up to 21 Data Centers Are Planned (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/amazon-behind-264m-washington-state-022403436.html
19.
Caterpillar Posts ‘Highest Sales Quarter Ever,’
Fueled by Data Centers (Manufacturing Dive)
20.
Why Mandating Artificial Intelligence Use in the
Workplace Can Backfire (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/why-mandating-ai-use-in-the-workplace-can-backfire/ar-AA2gAwkW
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
21.
European Supermarket Fridges Got Hacked. Again. Here’s
What to Know (Associated Press)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
22.
Voyager 1 Nears One Light-Day from Earth as NASA
Stretches Its Dwindling Power (XenoSpectrum)
https://xenospectrum.com/en/voyager-1-power-conservation-communication-pause-one-light-day/
Politics, Governance,
and Management
23.
WA State: Kitsap Voters Reject KPUD Electric
Authority Prop. 1 (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/voters-decide-kpud-public-electric-115604307.html
24.
Oregon: Eugene Voters Handily Approve Clean
Energy Fund Initiative (KLCC-Radio, Eugene, OR)
25.
Voters Across the Country Reject Data Centers (States
Newsroom)
https://stateline.org/2026/11/04/voters-across-the-country-reject-data-centers/
26.
American Public Power Association Endorses
Bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Bill (American Public Power Association)
Other Things to Know
About Today
27.
There Could Be a Shortage of Northwest Hay This
Winter & Next Spring (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/11/03/shortage-northwest-hay-winter-spring/
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
28. Guest
Essay: ‘A Wild-Eyed Bunch’ – Moses Lake & the Columbia Basin Project
(Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Detroit Man’s 11,578-Pound Rubber Band Ball Is the
World’s Largest
Taurids, Leonids & a Beaver Supermoon: Astronomical
Events for November 2026
NASA Space Telescope Plunges to Earth After Two
Decades Studying Cosmic Explosions
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/nasa-space-telescope-plunges-to-earth-after-two-a22512457
A Mystery Skeleton Found in a Roman Sarcophagus
at Westminster Abbey May Finally Have an Identity
https://www.kcra.com/article/westminster-abbey-roman-sarcophagus-abbot-identity/74311031
Song of the Day
The Cyrkle - Red Rubber Ball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxRfbJvjsN
Roll the Credits…
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