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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Eugene Water &
Electric Board Selects Bonneville Power Administration Administrator for
General Manager Role (Eugene Water & Electric Board, OR)
Washington State
Lawmakers Take on Data Center Costs (Axios)
Staggering Railroad
Permit Costs Are Still a Big Problem (Fierce Network)
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/staggering-railroad-permit-costs-are-still-big-problem
Seattle Files to
Dismiss Orca Protection Appeal, Raising Concerns About Southern Residents
(KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
McClatchy Is Using
Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content on Northwest News Sites. Its
Reporters Are Trying to Put Up Guardrails (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Eugene
Water & Electric Board Selects Bonneville Power Administration
Administrator for General Manager Role
2. Flathead
Electric Cooperative Appoints New Manager
3. House
Lawmakers Press FERC On Affordability, Reliability & Gas
4. Adding
Batteries to Hydropower Facilities Could Increase Dam Lifespan, Potential
Revenue
5. British
Columbia: Thieves Take 1.3 Kilometers (nearly a mile) of Copper Cable from
Surrey Manholes
6. Sunrise
Wind Can Proceed, Ending President Trump’s Offshore Wind Ban — For Now
7. Goldendale
Energy Storage Project Receives ‘Milestone’ License, Tribes Continue to Raise
Concerns
8. WA
State: Decatur Solar Expansion Exposes Tensions Over Energy Future
9. Fear
Over Farmland Loss Is Slowing Renewable Energy Development in Rural Areas
10. Berkshire
Hathaway Energy Montana Energizes 150MWh Battery Energy Storage System
11. To
Lower Electricity Costs, Consumers Quietly Install DIY Solar
12. This
Pillar of Oregon’s Energy Strategy Can Help the State Meet Its Climate Goals —
And Lower Electric Bills at the Same Time
13. Seattle
Files to Dismiss Orca Protection Appeal, Raising Concerns About Southern
Residents
14. Arizona
Lawmakers Prepare for Colorado River Water Fight with Unanimous Vote Boosting
Legal Fund
15. Staggering
Railroad Permit Costs Are Still a Big Problem
16. Microsoft
Pledged to Save Water. In the Artificial Intelligence Era, It Expects Water Use
to Soar.
17. ‘Big
Short’ Investor Michael Burry Details The ‘Sickening Scenarios’ Possible If
Bitcoin Continues to Fall
18. California’s
Instant Electric Vehicle Rebates Would Require Automakers to Match State Funds
19. McClatchy
Is Using Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content on Northwest News Sites. Its
Reporters Are Trying to Put Up Guardrails
20. Washington
Post Cuts a Third of Its Staff in a Blow to a Legendary News Brand
21. Scientists
Discovered a City-Sized Bulge on the Yellowstone Volcano’s North Rim
22. Washington
State Lawmakers Take on Data Center Costs
23. Washington
Audit Faults ‘Pervasive Failures’ in Digital Navigator Program
24. The
End of Northwest Cold for the Winter & a Short Heat Wave
25. Guest
Essay: If You’re Reading This Online, You’re Using a Data Center
26.
Guest Essay: Leveling the Playing Field for U.S.
Fishermen
Word of the Day
Pusillanimous \pyoo-suh-LAN-uh-muhs \ Adjective – Lacking in courage and resolution; contemptibly fearful; cowardly.
Unbeknownst to many Frank L. Baum scholars, the idea of the “Cowardly Lion” was not the author’s first choice for his book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. For many weeks, much to the displeasure of his editor, Baum insisted that the third companion for Dorothy be called the “Pusillanimous Penguin”. The editor won out, and the rest is history.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Eugene Water & Electric Board Selects Bonneville
Power Administration Administrator for General Manager Role (Eugene Water &
Electric Board, OR)
2.
Flathead Electric Cooperative Appoints New
Manager (Whitefish Pilot, MT)
https://whitefishpilot.com/news/2026/feb/04/flathead-electric-cooperative-appoints-new-manager/
3.
House Lawmakers Press FERC On Affordability,
Reliability & Gas (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/house-hearing-ferc-affordability-reliability-gas/811328/
4.
Adding Batteries to Hydropower Facilities Could
Increase Dam Lifespan, Potential Revenue (Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory)
5.
British Columbia: Thieves Take 1.3 Kilometers (nearly
a mile) of Copper Cable from Surrey Manholes (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/copper-cable-theft-surrey-9.7073185
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
6.
Sunrise Wind Can Proceed, Ending President Trump’s
Offshore Wind Ban — For Now (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/offshore-wind/sunrise-wind-can-proceed-ending-trumps-ban
7.
Goldendale Energy Storage Project Receives ‘Milestone’
License, Tribes Continue to Raise Concerns (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
8.
WA State: Decatur Solar Expansion Exposes
Tensions Over Energy Future (Journal of the San Juans, Friday Harbor, WA)
https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/decatur-solar-expansion-exposes-tensions-over-energy-future/
9.
Fear Over Farmland Loss Is Slowing Renewable
Energy Development in Rural Areas (The Daily Yonder)
10.
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Montana Energizes 150MWh
Battery Energy Storage System (Energy Storage)
https://www.energy-storage.news/berkshire-hathaway-energy-montana-energises-150mwh-bess/
11.
To Lower Electricity Costs, Consumers Quietly
Install DIY Solar (Financial Post)
Conservation &
Efficiency
12.
This Pillar of Oregon’s Energy Strategy Can Help
the State Meet Its Climate Goals — And Lower Electric Bills at the Same Time (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/03/oregon-energy-climate-green-power/
Fish & Wildlife
13.
Seattle Files to Dismiss Orca Protection Appeal,
Raising Concerns About Southern Residents (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
14.
Arizona Lawmakers Prepare for Colorado River Water
Fight with Unanimous Vote Boosting Legal Fund (Utah News Dispatch)
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/04/repub/arizona-lawmakers-prepare-for-colorado-river-lawsuit/
London Calling
–Telecommunications
15.
Staggering Railroad Permit Costs Are Still a Big
Problem (Fierce Network)
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/staggering-railroad-permit-costs-are-still-big-problem
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
16.
Microsoft Pledged to Save Water. In the Artificial
Intelligence Era, It Expects Water Use to Soar. (New York Times – Via DNYUZ)
17.
‘Big Short’ Investor Michael Burry Details The ‘Sickening
Scenarios’ Possible If Bitcoin Continues to Fall (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-short-investor-michael-burry-144035586.html
I Sing the Car Electric
18.
California’s Instant Electric Vehicle Rebates
Would Require Automakers to Match State Funds (Stamford Advocate, CT)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
19.
McClatchy Is Using Artificial Intelligence-Generated
Content on Northwest News Sites. Its Reporters Are Trying to Put Up Guardrails
(Northwest Public Broadcasting)
20.
Washington Post Cuts a Third of Its Staff in a Blow
to a Legendary News Brand (Associated Press)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
21.
Scientists Discovered a City-Sized Bulge on the Yellowstone
Volcano’s North Rim (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
22.
Washington State Lawmakers Take on Data Center
Costs (Axios)
23.
Washington Audit Faults ‘Pervasive Failures’ in Digital
Navigator Program (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Other Things to Know
About Today
24.
The End of Northwest Cold for the Winter & a
Short Heat Wave (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-end-of-northwest-cold-for-winter.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
25.
Guest Essay: If You’re Reading This Online, You’re
Using a Data Center (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/opinion/article_54e241ed-bb68-44a2-b008-6ea3ba8e20e4.html
26.
Guest Essay: Leveling the Playing Field for U.S.
Fishermen (Alaska Beacon)
https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/02/03/leveling-the-playing-field-for-u-s-fishermen/
Diversions - Alligators
in the Sewer
Penny the Doberman Pinscher
Wins the 150th Westminster Dog Show
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/7-dogs-competing-westminsters-show-222600473.html
A Photographer Will
Achieve a Milestone Record at Super Bowl LX
Seahawks Fan Hasn’t
Cut His Hair Since Super Bowl 49 Loss, Won’t Until Seattle Wins Again
An Angel Resembling
Italy’s Meloni Is Painted Over After an Outcry from Church & State
Song of the Day
The Mellomen – Old
Yeller (Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN6r2l8IPU8
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