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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Iranian Strikes on Amazon Data
Centers Highlights Industry’s Vulnerability to Physical Disasters (Associated
Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/iranian-strikes-amazon-data-centers-173946690.html
Federal Regulators Approve
NorthWestern Proposal for New Colstrip Shares (The Daily Montanan)
PacifiCorp Begins Sale of Washington Operations to Portland General Electric Company (KIMA-TV, Yakima, WA)
‘Strong’ to ‘Severe’ Marine
Heatwave Growing Off the California Coast (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
https://ktla.com/weather/strong-to-severe-marine-heatwave-growing-off-the-california-coast/
NRECA Fights Postal Service Plan,
Warning of ‘Significant, Negative Impact’ on Co-ops (National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Federal Regulators Approve NorthWestern Proposal
for New Colstrip Shares
2.
PacifiCorp Begins Sale of Washington Operations
to Portland General Electric Company
3.
Court Ruling Delivers Win for Columbia River
Salmon, but Raises Public Power Concerns for Western Montana Electric Utilities
4.
WA Coal Plant DOE Ordered to Stay Online
Unlikely to Run Given ‘Flush’ Power Supplies: CEO
5.
Oregon: Bonneville Power Administration-Provided
Witness for Holiday Farm Deposition Knew Almost Nothing
6.
Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increase Plan
for Electric, Gas Bills by 2029
7.
Want More Solar, Natural Gas Development, Are
Less Interested in New Coal Plants
8.
Seattle’s Missing‑Middle Housing Slammed by Power
Pole Gridlock
9.
New Seattle City Light CEO Plans to Stay Up to
Two Years Despite City Council Opposition
10.
EPRI: Surging Data Center Growth Could Transform
U.S. Power Demand by 2030
11.
Bipartisan REWIRE Act Aims to Reduce Permitting
Delays, Modernize Grid
12.
Blackout Hits Most of Cuba Amid U.S. Oil
Chokehold
13.
Quaise Looks to Advance ’Superhot’ Geothermal
Power Plant in Oregon
14.
See How Much of Its Wind Energy Potential Idaho
Uses
15.
WA State: Spokane Offers Free Solar-Powered
Residential Lights to Property Owners
16.
Alaska Natives, Advocates Hail State’s New
Restrictions Aimed at Helping Chum Salmon Recover
17.
‘Strong’ to ‘Severe’ Marine Heatwave Growing Off
the California Coast
18.
Alaska Native Villages Have Few Options &
Little U.S. Help as Climate Change Devours Their Land
19.
News Release: Washington, California &
Québec Take the Next Step Towards Linking Carbon Markets by Releasing Draft
Agreement
20.
WA State: Jefferson County Closes Broadband Gap
with $7.3 Million Award
21.
Rising Costs of Broadband Construction
22.
‘No Longer a Priority’: Xbox Being Sunsetted as
Microsoft Shifts Focus to Artificial Intelligence, Co-Founder Says
23.
Iranian Strikes on Amazon Data Centers
Highlights Industry’s Vulnerability to Physical Disasters
24.
It’s Lights Out for WA Legislature’s Effort to
Regulate Data Centers
25.
Oregon’s Data Center Tax Break Moratorium Would
Be Narrower Than Initially Described
26.
Oregon Sees Sharp Rise In E-Scooter Injuries as
the Zippy Rides Grow More Popular
27.
NRECA Fights Postal Service Plan, Warning of
‘Significant, Negative Impact’ on Co-ops
28.
Oregon AG Lawsuit Over Morrow County Broadband
Deal Moves Forward
29.
How Puget Sound Energy’s CEO Went from Living
Off the Grid to Leading Washington’s Largest Utility
30.
Solar Power’s Newest Friends: MAGA Influencers
31.
Severe Storms to Rumble Over Central U.S. from
Wednesday Through the Weekend
32.
Oregon: Copper Thieves Leave I-84 in the Dark
After Stripping Light Poles
33.
British Columbia Adopts Permanent
Daylight-Saving Time, Influenced by ‘Recent Actions from the U.S.’
34.
Governors Are Promising Lower Power Bills.
Here’s The Only Credible Path to Deliver.
Word of the Day
Rectitudinous /rek-tuh-TOO-duh-nus/ Adjective – 1: characterized by the quality of being honest & morally correct. 2: piously self-righteous.
In humility, the widow’s mite was given. With rectitudinous flair, the rich tossed around gold pieces like manhole covers.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Federal Regulators Approve NorthWestern Proposal
for New Colstrip Shares (The Daily Montanan)
2.
PacifiCorp Begins Sale of Washington Operations to
Portland General Electric Company (KIMA-TV, Yakima, WA)
3.
Court Ruling Delivers Win for Columbia River
Salmon, but Raises Public Power Concerns for Western Montana Electric Utilities
(Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
4.
WA Coal Plant DOE Ordered to Stay Online
Unlikely to Run Given ‘Flush’ Power Supplies: CEO (Utility Dive)
5.
Oregon: Bonneville Power Administration-Provided
Witness for Holiday Farm Deposition Knew Almost Nothing (Eugene Register-Guard,
OR – Via AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/articles/bpa-provided-witness-holiday-farm-120440893.html
6.
Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increase Plan for
Electric, Gas Bills by 2029 (KGMI Radio, Bellingham, WA)
7.
Want More Solar, Natural Gas Development, Are
Less Interested in New Coal Plants (Montana Free Press)
8.
Seattle’s Missing‑Middle Housing Slammed by Power
Pole Gridlock (Hoodline, Seattle, WA)
https://hoodline.com/2026/03/seattle-s-missing-middle-housing-slammed-by-power-pole-gridlock/
9.
New Seattle City Light CEO Plans to Stay Up to
Two Years Despite City Council Opposition (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_a3766652-6beb-42c3-88c4-62f52bf1842c.html
10.
EPRI: Surging Data Center Growth Could Transform
U.S. Power Demand by 2030 (Daily Energy Insider)
11.
Bipartisan REWIRE Act Aims to Reduce Permitting
Delays, Modernize Grid (Daily Energy Insider)
12.
Blackout Hits Most of Cuba Amid U.S. Oil
Chokehold (Reuters – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mass-blackout-cuts-power-across-181428846.html
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
13.
Quaise Looks to Advance ’Superhot’ Geothermal Power Plant in Oregon
(Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/geothermal/quaise-superhot-geothermal-power-plant-oregon
14.
See How Much of Its Wind Energy Potential Idaho
Uses (Stacker)
https://stacker.com/stories/idaho/see-how-much-its-wind-energy-potential-idaho-uses
15.
WA State: Spokane Offers Free Solar-Powered
Residential Lights to Property Owners (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)
Fish
& Wildlife
16.
Alaska Natives, Advocates Hail State’s New
Restrictions Aimed at Helping Chum Salmon Recover (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
Climate Change Sequestration Vault
17.
‘Strong’ to ‘Severe’ Marine Heatwave Growing Off
the California Coast (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
https://ktla.com/weather/strong-to-severe-marine-heatwave-growing-off-the-california-coast/
18.
Alaska Native Villages Have Few Options &
Little U.S. Help as Climate Change Devours Their Land (Associated Press)
19.
News Release: Washington, California & Québec
Take the Next Step Towards Linking Carbon Markets by Releasing Draft Agreement
(WA Dept. of Ecology)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
20.
WA State: Jefferson County Closes Broadband Gap with
$7.3 Million Award (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
https://ptleader.com/articles/featured-stories/county-closes-broadband-gap-with-7-3m-award/
21.
Rising Costs of Broadband Construction (Pots
& Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/03/03/rising-costs-of-broadband-construction/
The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
22.
‘No Longer a Priority’: Xbox Being Sunsetted as Microsoft
Shifts Focus to Artificial Intelligence, Co-Founder Says (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle,
WA)
HAL’s
Internet Café
23.
Iranian Strikes on Amazon Data Centers
Highlights Industry’s Vulnerability to Physical Disasters (Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/iranian-strikes-amazon-data-centers-173946690.html
24.
It’s Lights Out for WA Legislature’s Effort to Regulate
Data Centers (Washington State Standard)
25.
Oregon’s Data Center Tax Break Moratorium Would
Be Narrower Than Initially Described (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
I
Sing the Car Electric
26.
Oregon Sees Sharp Rise In E-Scooter Injuries as
the Zippy Rides Grow More Popular (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
27.
NRECA Fights Postal Service Plan, Warning of ‘Significant,
Negative Impact’ on Co-ops (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
28.
Oregon AG Lawsuit Over Morrow County Broadband
Deal Moves Forward (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/04/oregon-attorney-general-lawsuit-morrow-county-broadband-deal/
29.
How Puget Sound Energy’s CEO Went from Living
Off the Grid to Leading Washington’s Largest Utility (Business Journals)
30.
Solar Power’s Newest Friends: MAGA Influencers
(Politico – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/solar-power-newest-friends-maga-105500467.html
Other
Things to Know About Today
31.
Severe Storms to Rumble Over Central U.S. from Wednesday
Through the Weekend (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/severe-storms-rumble-over-central-184847146.html
32.
Oregon: Copper Thieves Leave I-84 in the Dark
After Stripping Light Poles (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
33.
British Columbia Adopts Permanent Daylight-Saving
Time, Influenced by ‘Recent Actions from the U.S.’ (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
34.
Governors Are Promising Lower Power Bills. Here’s
The Only Credible Path to Deliver. (Utility Dive)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
A Cat Left Paw Prints on the Pages of This Medieval
Manuscript When the Ink Was Drying 500 Years Ago
Dutch Museum Makes ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Confirmation of Rembrandt
Painting
Sleepy Owl Found Resting Among Items on a New York Antique Store Shelf
British Library’s Overdue Books Turn Up at Thrift Store 50
Years Later
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/03/04/Leeds-Central-Library-overdue-books-50-years/4621772645847/
Song of the Day
John Williams – Hedwig’s Theme (Harry Potter Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Li0SWlwe34
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