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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
WA State Challenges Federal Order Demanding TransAlta
Continue Burning Coal in Centralia (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Avista Seeks to Raise Residential Price for Electricity by
About 25% by 2030 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jan/16/avista-seeks-approval-for-139-increase-for-residen/
Data Centers Will Spike Electricity Bills, But Renewable
Energy Could Offset the Pain, Report Finds (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Will Consumers Pay for Oregon’s Climate Ambitions, Data
Center Boom? (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Lawsuit Filed Against Washington Department of Ecology for
Climate Data (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
WA State Challenges Federal Order Demanding
TransAlta Continue Burning Coal in
2.
Avista Seeks to Raise Residential Price for
Electricity by About 25% by 2030
3.
Will Consumers Pay for Oregon’s Climate
Ambitions, Data Center Boom
4.
WA Climate Commitment Act Costs to Be Itemized
on Puget Sound Energy Bills
5.
SoCal Edison Lawsuits Claim Series of Missteps
Made Eaton Fire More Deadly
6.
Army Corps to Look At $1.5 Billion Underwater
Columbia River Power Line Project
7.
Grant PUD Explores Natural Gas Plants to Meet
Growing Energy Demand
8.
Mayor Announces Decisions on Leadership at
Seattle City Light & Seattle Public Utilities
9.
Supreme Court Won’t Review Bonneville Power
Administration Battle
10.
New Transmission Line Will Help Boost Major LNG
Project in Northwest British Columbia
11.
Hydro-Québec Transmission Line is Now Delivering
Electricity to New England
12.
Copper Wire Thieves Plunge LA’s Miracle Mile
into Darkness: ‘The City’s Not Making It a Priority’
13.
Solar Power Generation Drives Electricity
Generation Growth Over the Next Two Years
14.
Legislators Debate Bill to Protect Spokane
Waste-to-Energy
15.
Amazon Is Acquiring One of the World’s Biggest
Solar-Storage Projects
16.
Columbia River: Bateman Island Causeway Breached
in the Tri-Cities, ‘A Huge Step’ For Salmon
17.
Oregon Cascades Snowpack Near Record Lows;
Skiers Face Exposed Rocks Amid Warm Winter
18.
Washington Cascade Snowpack Lagging at 50% Of
Normal as Unusual Warm Weather Stretches On
19.
Olympic Mountains Snowpack Drops to 42% of
Normal as Dry Weather Continues
20.
The Driest Winter Period in Pacific Northwest
History?
21.
Lawsuit Filed Against Washington Department of
Ecology for Climate Data
22.
WA State: Climate Commitment Act Projects Cut
Greenhouse Gases by 78,000 Metric Tons Statewide
23.
Data Centers Will Spike Electricity Bills, But
Renewable Energy Could Offset the Pain, Report Finds
24.
Why Your Power Bill Is Spiking Faster Than a
Nearby Data Center’s
25.
Oregon Governor Forms New Committee to Advise on
Massive Data Center Growth
26.
The CEO of Microsoft Suddenly Sounds Extremely
Nervous About Artificial Intelligence
27.
President Trump Suffers Major Losses in His War
on Offshore Wind
28.
WA GOP Leader: Energy Subsidy Bill ‘Warps
Meaning of Affordability’
29.
Should WA Embrace Nuclear to Meet Clean Energy
Goals? There’s a Bipartisan Push
30.
Editorial: Meeting Needs for Data Centers, Fair
Power Rates
Word of the Day – Exploding Food Myths with Mr. Creosote
Gulosity /goo-LAW-suh-tee/ Noun – Excessive appetite: greediness.
Bulk gulosity
The
all-you-can-eat buffet
But eat all you take
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
WA State Challenges Federal Order Demanding TransAlta
Continue Burning Coal in Centralia (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
2.
Avista Seeks to Raise Residential Price for Electricity
by About 25% by 2030 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jan/16/avista-seeks-approval-for-139-increase-for-residen/
3.
Will Consumers Pay for Oregon’s Climate
Ambitions, Data Center Boom? (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
4.
WA Climate Commitment Act Costs to Be Itemized on
Puget Sound Energy Bills (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_560854f7-1629-479d-ab77-15082ff90e6e.html
5.
SoCal Edison Lawsuits Claim Series of Missteps
Made Eaton Fire More Deadly (Associated Press)
6.
Army Corps to Look At $1.5 Billion Underwater Columbia
River Power Line Project (Washington State Standard)
7.
Grant PUD Explores Natural Gas Plants to Meet
Growing Energy Demand (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)
8.
Mayor Announces Decisions on Leadership at
Seattle City Light & Seattle Public Utilities (Mayor’s Office, City of
Seattle, WA)
https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/WASEATTLE-404c9b5
9.
Supreme Court Won’t Review Bonneville Power
Administration Battle (Politico – Paywall Advisory)
10.
New Transmission Line Will Help Boost Major LNG Project
in Northwest British Columbia (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
11.
Hydro-Québec Transmission Line is Now Delivering
Electricity to New England (American Public Power Association)
12.
Copper Wire Thieves Plunge LA’s Miracle Mile into
Darkness: ‘The City’s Not Making It a Priority’ (New York Post)
https://nypost.com/2026/01/20/us-news/copper-wire-thieves-plunge-las-miracle-mile-into-darkness/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
13.
Solar Power Generation Drives Electricity
Generation Growth Over the Next Two Years (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67005
14.
Legislators Debate Bill to Protect Spokane Waste-to-Energy
(KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
15.
Amazon Is Acquiring One of the World’s Biggest
Solar-Storage Projects (Latitude Media)
Fish
& Wildlife
16.
Columbia River: Bateman Island Causeway Breached
in the Tri-Cities, ‘A Huge Step’ For Salmon (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
17.
Oregon Cascades Snowpack Near Record Lows;
Skiers Face Exposed Rocks Amid Warm Winter (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
18.
Washington Cascade Snowpack Lagging at 50% Of
Normal as Unusual Warm Weather Stretches On (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
19.
Olympic Mountains Snowpack Drops to 42% of Normal
as Dry Weather Continues (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
20.
The Driest Winter Period in Pacific Northwest
History? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-driest-period-in-northwest-history.html
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
21.
Lawsuit Filed Against Washington Department of Ecology
for Climate Data (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
22.
WA State: Climate Commitment Act Projects Cut
Greenhouse Gases by 78,000 Metric Tons Statewide (Vancouver Columbian, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
23.
Data Centers Will Spike Electricity Bills, But
Renewable Energy Could Offset the Pain, Report Finds (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
24.
Why Your Power Bill Is Spiking Faster Than a
Nearby Data Center’s (Washington Post – Via MSN News)
25.
Oregon Governor Forms New Committee to Advise on
Massive Data Center Growth (Washington State Standard)
26.
The CEO of Microsoft Suddenly Sounds Extremely
Nervous About Artificial Intelligence (Futurist)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
27.
President Trump Suffers Major Losses in His War on
Offshore Wind (Politico – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-suffers-major-losses-war-134535171.html
28.
WA GOP Leader: Energy Subsidy Bill ‘Warps
Meaning of Affordability’ (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_f004d30d-0985-4ae9-8e28-7ccfe830336f.html
29.
Should WA Embrace Nuclear to Meet Clean Energy
Goals? There’s a Bipartisan Push (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/wa-embrace-nuclear-meet-clean-131500668.html
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
30.
Editorial: Meeting Needs for Data Centers, Fair
Power Rates (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-meeting-needs-for-data-centers-fair-power-rates/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Letter Writing Enjoys a Revival as Fans Seek Connection &
a Break from Screen Time
A Former Flight Attendant Posed as a Pilot & Received
Hundreds of Free Flights, U.S. Authorities Say
https://apnews.com/article/fake-airline-pilot-fraud-58a2d18d66aabe462e11c3d72002c8ec
Thieves Take $10,000 Worth of Hot Sauce Business Product from
Pike Street Drummer’s Van
Sri Lanka Unveils a Rare Purple Star Sapphire Claimed to Be the
Biggest of Its Kind
https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-biggest-gem-sapphire-ad477c534852d758dee38a646dd8f435
Song of the Day
Nat King Cole – I’m Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself
A Letter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6zL3Rj60qg
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can lead to broken links.
Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying
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