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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots
– Today’s Top Five Stories
Atmospheric River Targets Pacific Northwest This Week. Here’s What to Know (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/weather/atmospheric-river-pacific-northwest-what-to-know/
Oregon Electric Utility Leaders
Criticize Gov. Kotek (Baker City Herald, OR)
https://bakercityherald.com/2026/03/09/electric-utility-leaders-criticize-gov-kotek/
Washington Nuclear Comeback Gains
Steam (Axios Seattle)
Former Attorney for California
Solar Firm Sentenced in $1 Billion Fraud Scheme (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/former-attorney-for-california-solar-firm-a22062937
U.S. Entities Face Heightened
Cyber Risk Related to Iran War (Utility Dive)
https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/us-entities-cyber-risk-iran-war/814313/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Oregon Electric Utility Leaders Criticize Gov.
Kotek
2.
Washington Nuclear Comeback Gains Steam
3.
Calif. Bill Would Ease San Francisco’s Path to
Take Over Grid, But Experts Warn Costs Could Dwarf City’s Estimates
4.
WA State: Heavily Contested Pumped Hydro-Storage
Project Gets Federal Go-Ahead
5.
The Hidden Factors That Shape Your Power Bill
6.
Texas: Family Remembers 19-Year-Old Lineman
Killed on the Job in Harlan County
7.
EIA Releases Latest Short-Term Energy Outlook
Amid Middle East Conflict
8.
Former Attorney for California Solar Firm
Sentenced in $1 Billion Fraud Scheme
9.
Arizona Corporation Commission Ends State’s
Renewable Energy Standard
10.
The Feds Pulled $1.5 Billion from Tribal Clean
Energy. Tribes Are Finding Another Way.
11.
Appeals Court Upholds California’s Net Metering
3.0
12.
Energy Star Is Moving to DOE. Industry Groups
Are Hopeful.
13.
Three Unidentified Orcas Spotted in Vancouver
Harbour Never Before Documented in British Columbia
14.
Video: More Bees Than We Ever Thought Existed
15.
Human Waste Backing Up in Basements Is a
Gut-Churning Sign of U.S. Infrastructure Problems
16.
Nevada Looks for Help from Cloud Seeding Amid
Record Low Snowpack
17.
California Lawmakers, Nevada Governor Urge
Reconsideration of Cap & Invest Program Update
18.
Broadband Forum: Four Key Factors Holding Back
Wholesale Open Access Network Adoption
19.
U.S. Entities Face Heightened Cyber Risk Related
to Iran War
20.
Artificial Intelligence Data Center Boom Raises
Power Supply Questions for Rural America
21.
What Soaring Gas Prices Mean for California's
Electric Vehicle Market
22.
SpaceX Wants to Launch a Million Satellites.
Here's How That Could Impact the Atmosphere and the Night Sky
23.
Amazing America 250: How the Light Bulb Changed
Energy Use & Shaped Modern Electricity
24.
New Observations Show the Aftermath of a
Spacecraft Intentionally Colliding with an Asteroid
25.
Atmospheric River Targets Pacific Northwest This
Week. Here’s What to Know
26.
High Wind Warning Issued for Wenatchee Valley, N
Central Washington, Columbia Basin
27.
Montana: Weather Forecast – Long Duration
Atmospheric River Event Starts Wednesday
28.
Dangerous Heat Building Across Southern
California This Week
29.
Oregon Bill That Would Allow Stores to Round to
Nearest Nickel When Giving Change Passes
30.
Editorial: WA’s Electricity Grid Needs a State
Transmission Authority
31.
Editorial: Protect WA State Climate Act’s Funds
for Intended Uses
32.
Why Data Centers Will Create Electricity
Abundance
Word of the Day
Flea Market \FLEE – MAR-kett\ Noun – A usually open-air market for secondhand articles and antiques.
Battling Word Origins:
Flea market comes from the French marché aux puces, a name originally given to a market in Paris. The fleas were thought to be in the goods, because they were of the kind to attract vermin. (Oxford Dictionary)
‘Flea market’ has been an American expression as far back as Dutch colonial days, when there was a very real Vallie (Valley) Market at the valley, or foot, of Maiden Lane in Downtown Manhattan. The Vallie Market came to be abbreviated to ‘Vlie Market’ and this was soon being pronounced ‘Flea Market.’ (Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins)
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Oregon Electric Utility Leaders Criticize Gov.
Kotek (Baker City Herald, OR)
https://bakercityherald.com/2026/03/09/electric-utility-leaders-criticize-gov-kotek/
2.
Washington Nuclear Comeback Gains Steam (Axios
Seattle)
3.
Calif. Bill Would Ease San Francisco’s Path to
Take Over Grid, But Experts Warn Costs Could Dwarf City’s Estimates (Daily
Energy Insider)
4.
WA State: Heavily Contested Pumped Hydro-Storage
Project Gets Federal Go-Ahead (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/articles/heavily-contested-pumped-hydro-storage-project-gets-federal-go-ahead/
5.
The Hidden Factors That Shape Your Power Bill (Seattle
Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/the-hidden-factors-that-shape-your-power-bill/
6.
Texas: Family Remembers 19-Year-Old Lineman
Killed on the Job in Harlan County (MSN News)
7.
EIA Releases Latest Short-Term Energy Outlook
Amid Middle East Conflict (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press584.php
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
8.
Former Attorney for California Solar Firm
Sentenced in $1 Billion Fraud Scheme (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/former-attorney-for-california-solar-firm-a22062937
9.
Arizona Corporation Commission Ends State’s
Renewable Energy Standard (Utility Dive)
10.
The Feds Pulled $1.5 Billion from Tribal Clean
Energy. Tribes Are Finding Another Way. (Grist Online)
11.
Appeals Court Upholds California’s Net Metering
3.0 (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/appeals-court-upholds-californias-net-metering-30/814307/
Conservation
& Efficiency
12.
Energy Star Is Moving to DOE. Industry Groups
Are Hopeful. (Utility Dive)
https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/energy-star-is-moving-to-doe-industry-groups-are-hopeful/814144/
Fish
& Wildlife
13.
Three Unidentified Orcas Spotted in Vancouver
Harbour Never Before Documented in British Columbia (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/3-unidentified-orcas-spotted-in-vancouver-9.7121475
14.
Video: More Bees Than We Ever Thought Existed
(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7121288
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
15.
Human Waste Backing Up in Basements Is a
Gut-Churning Sign of U.S. Infrastructure Problems (Associated Press)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
16.
Nevada Looks for Help from Cloud Seeding Amid
Record Low Snowpack (Idaho Capital Sun)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
17.
California Lawmakers, Nevada Governor Urge
Reconsideration of Cap & Invest Program Update (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
London Calling –Telecommunications
18.
Broadband Forum: Four Key Factors Holding Back
Wholesale Open Access Network Adoption (Fierce Network)
The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
19.
U.S. Entities Face Heightened Cyber Risk Related
to Iran War (Utility Dive)
https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/us-entities-cyber-risk-iran-war/814313/
HAL’s
Internet Café
20.
Artificial Intelligence Data Center Boom Raises
Power Supply Questions for Rural America (RFD-TV)
I
Sing the Car Electric
21.
What Soaring Gas Prices Mean for California's Electric
Vehicle Market (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/soaring-gas-prices-mean-californias-100000263.html
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
22.
SpaceX Wants to Launch a Million Satellites. Here's
How That Could Impact the Atmosphere and the Night Sky (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/spacex-data-centre-one-million-satellites-9.7117772
23.
Amazing America 250: How the Light Bulb Changed
Energy Use & Shaped Modern Electricity (National News Desk)
24.
New Observations Show the Aftermath of a
Spacecraft Intentionally Colliding with an Asteroid (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
Other
Things to Know About Today
25.
Atmospheric River Targets Pacific Northwest This
Week. Here’s What to Know (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/weather/atmospheric-river-pacific-northwest-what-to-know/
26.
High Wind Warning Issued for Wenatchee Valley, N
Central Washington, Columbia Basin (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/highwind-warning-wenatchee-ncw-columbiabasin/
27.
Montana: Weather Forecast – Long Duration
Atmospheric River Event Starts Wednesday (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
https://www.kpax.com/weather/weather-forecast-long-duration-atmospheric-river-event-starts-wednesday
28.
Dangerous Heat Building Across Southern
California This Week (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dangerous-heat-building-across-southern-california-this-week/
29.
Oregon Bill That Would Allow Stores to Round to Nearest
Nickel When Giving Change Passes (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
30.
Editorial: WA’s Electricity Grid Needs a State
Transmission Authority (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
31.
Editorial: Protect WA State Climate Act’s Funds for
Intended Uses (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/03/07/editorial-protect-state-climate-acts-funds-for-intended-uses/
32.
Why Data Centers Will Create Electricity
Abundance (California Policy Institute)
https://californiapolicycenter.org/why-data-centers-will-create-electricity-abundance/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Wildflowers Are Blooming in the Driest Place in North
America — But Not for Long
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/wildflowers-blooming-driest-place-north-040213842.html
Move Over, Goat Yoga — In Portland, Ore., You Can Do Snake
Yoga
Finnish Couple Take First in the Annual U.K Wife Carrying Race
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/03/10/UK-Wife-Carrying-Race/9161773164006/
Happy Birthday to the Telephone —
Oh, How You've Grown in 150 Years!
Song of the Day
Operator - Jim Croce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RA4MykPm4s
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories.
Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken
links.
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