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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Bitter Cold Grips the Eastern U.S. as Winter Storm Deaths
Rise & Power Outages Linger (Associated Press)
Chelan PUD Confirms Contractor Death During Project Work
(KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/contractor-death-chelan-pud-project/
Moody’s Sees $3 Trillion in Data Center Spending by 2030
(Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/moodys-sees-3t-in-data-center-spending-by-2030/810499/
Lewiston to Host Public Hearing on Columbia River Basin Fish
& Wildlife Plan (The DailyFly)
WA Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Lead to E-Bike Fees,
Mandates in the Future (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_88aaf420-ec7a-43ba-b9b9-6f5a72b2fcf4.html
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Chelan PUD Confirms Contractor Death During
Project Work
2.
Idaho: Two Dead After Plane Hits Power Line,
Crashes into Payette River Ice
3.
WSDOT Updates Public on Study Examining Road
& Rail Impacts If Four Lower Snake River Dams Were Removed
4.
Paywall Advisory: Northwest Facing Power Crunch
in ‘All Scenarios’
5.
Storm Exposes Gaps in New England/Canada Hydro
Deal
6.
Heating Bills Expected to Spike for American
Households Nationwide This Winter
7.
Why Your Utility Bills Are Out of Control: It’s
Not Just the Arctic Blast, or Artificial Intelligence
8.
Can Cities Make Landlords Care About Energy
Efficiency?
9.
Lewiston to Host Public Hearing on Columbia
River Basin Fish & Wildlife Plan
10.
More Than a Fish: Stories of Salmon &
Sovereignty in the PNW
11.
Storms Steer Back into the Pacific Northwest to
Boost Depleted Snowpack
12.
Climate Change Poses Challenges for Reservoir
Management
13.
Water Infrastructure Essential for Rural Idaho,
Governor Notes
14.
Colorado Water Officials Plan for ‘Exceedingly
Grim’ Drought Forecasts, Low Reservoir Levels
15.
Washington State University Researchers Develop
Tool to Track Water Levels in Snowpack
16.
SpaceX Now Wants to Alter BEAD Performance
Requirements
17.
Moody’s Sees $3 Trillion in Data Center Spending
by 2030
18.
EPA Pokes Musk Over Using Unpermitted Turbines
for Artificial Intelligence
19.
WA Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Lead to
E-Bike Fees, Mandates in the Future
20.
Electric Vehicle Charging Keeps Expanding
Despite Trump
21.
Data Centers Are Facing an Image Problem. The
Tech Industry Is Spending Millions to Rebrand Them.
22.
TikTok Settles as Social Media Giants Face
Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims
23.
Bipartisan Federal Hydropower Bill Advances from
Committee to Full House for Consideration
24.
Bitter Cold Grips the Eastern U.S. as Winter
Storm Deaths Rise & Power Outages Linger
25.
Amazon to Cut About 16,000 Corporate Jobs in
Latest Round of Layoffs
26.
Podcast: When Will the Nation’s BEAD Networks
Finally Be Completed?
27.
The Value of Broadband to a Community
Word of the Day
Fritter \FRIT-ter\ Verb – 1: to spend or waste bit by bit, on trifles, or without commensurate return, usually used with away 2: to break into small fragments.
OR
Fritter \FRIT-ter\ Noun – A small mass of fried or sautéed batter often containing fruit or meat.
Olaf was content to fritter the day away by frying up pan after pan of clam fritters while a strong, westerly wind swirled around his beach cabin. Unfortunately, there was a hole in the roof, that kept his mind from wandering…where it will goooooooooo.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Chelan PUD Confirms Contractor Death During
Project Work (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/contractor-death-chelan-pud-project/
2.
Idaho: Two Dead After Plane Hits Power Line,
Crashes into Payette River Ice (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/two-dead-plane-hits-power-202956228.html
3.
WSDOT Updates Public on Study Examining Road
& Rail Impacts If Four Lower Snake River Dams Were Removed (KQQQ Radio,
Pullman, WA)
4.
Paywall Advisory: Northwest Facing Power Crunch in
‘All Scenarios’ (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
https://capitalpress.com/2026/01/26/northwest-facing-power-crunch-in-all-scenarios/
5.
Storm Exposes Gaps in New England/Canada Hydro
Deal (Politico)
6.
Heating Bills Expected to Spike for American Households
Nationwide This Winter (Fox Business)
7.
Why Your Utility Bills Are Out of Control: It’s Not
Just the Arctic Blast, or Artificial Intelligence (Yahoo! News)
Conservation
& Efficiency
8.
Can Cities Make Landlords Care About Energy
Efficiency? (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/buildings/can-cities-make-landlords-care-about-energy-efficiency/
Fish
& Wildlife
9.
Lewiston to Host Public Hearing on Columbia
River Basin Fish & Wildlife Plan (The DailyFly)
10.
More Than a Fish: Stories of Salmon & Sovereignty
in the PNW (Columbia Gorge News)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
11.
Storms Steer Back into the Pacific Northwest to Boost
Depleted Snowpack (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
12.
Climate Change Poses Challenges for Reservoir
Management (Everett Herald, WA – Via MSN)
13.
Water Infrastructure Essential for Rural Idaho,
Governor Notes (PNW Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/water-infrastructure-essential-little/
14.
Colorado Water Officials Plan for ‘Exceedingly
Grim’ Drought Forecasts, Low Reservoir Levels (The Colorado Sun)
https://coloradosun.com/2026/01/28/colorado-water-officials-grim-drought-forecasts-reservoir/
15.
Washington State University Researchers Develop
Tool to Track Water Levels in Snowpack (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
16.
SpaceX Now Wants to Alter BEAD Performance
Requirements (Fierce Networks)
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/new-spacex-waiver-seeks-alter-bead-performance-metrics
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
17.
Moody’s Sees $3 Trillion in Data Center Spending
by 2030 (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/moodys-sees-3t-in-data-center-spending-by-2030/810499/
18.
EPA Pokes Musk Over Using Unpermitted Turbines for
Artificial Intelligence (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/22/epa-thwarts-musks-diesel-turbines-ai-00737605
I
Sing the Car Electric
19.
WA Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Lead to E-Bike
Fees, Mandates in the Future (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_88aaf420-ec7a-43ba-b9b9-6f5a72b2fcf4.html
20.
Electric Vehicle Charging Keeps Expanding
Despite Trump (Canary Media)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
21.
Data Centers Are Facing an Image Problem. The Tech
Industry Is Spending Millions to Rebrand Them. (Grist Online)
22.
TikTok Settles as Social Media Giants Face
Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims (Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/meta-tiktok-youtube-face-landmark-020429775.html
Politics,
Governance, and Management
23.
Bipartisan Federal Hydropower Bill Advances from
Committee to Full House for Consideration (Daily Energy Insider)
Other
Things to Know About Today
24.
Bitter Cold Grips the Eastern U.S. as Winter
Storm Deaths Rise & Power Outages Linger (Associated Press)
25.
Amazon to Cut About 16,000 Corporate Jobs in
Latest Round of Layoffs (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
26.
Podcast: When Will the Nation’s BEAD Networks
Finally Be Completed? (Statescoop)
https://statescoop.com/radio/when-will-the-nations-bead-networks-finally-be-completed/
27.
The Value of Broadband to a Community (Pots &
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/01/27/the-value-of-broadband-to-a-community/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Missing British Columbia Rock Beloved by Climbers Turns Up
1,700 Miles from Home
British 2-Year-Old Breaks Two
World Records Playing Pool & Snooker
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/28/Guinness-World-Records-toddler-pool-snooker/1551769621785/
Cat Escapes Vehicle in Spain,
Walks Nearly 155 Miles Home to France
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/26/france-lost-cat-Spain-France-155-miles/2871769452750/
Vancouver's Museum of Personal
Failure Finds Victory in Defeat
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/26/canada-Museum-of-Personal-Failure-Vancouver/2751769442186/
Song of the Day
Dave Mason – So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBeQSfyvtnw
Links & Paywall Advisory
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