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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Northwest Lawmakers Push for New Bonneville Power
Administration Leadership as Energy Pressures Build Across Oregon (Grants Pass
Tribune, OR)
Amazon’s $100 Million Morrow County Deals Put Local Insiders
Under Fire (Hoodline)
https://hoodline.com/2026/03/amazon-s-100-million-morrow-county-deals-put-local-insiders-under-fire/
Oregon: Environmentalists Say Washington County Renewable
Energy Project Is Too Near National Wildlife Refuge (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Southern Oregon Dam Operators Face Intensifying Legal
Battles After 2023 Lamprey Killing (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Oregon Snowpack Continues to Worsen (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/weather/oregon-snowpack-continues-to-worsen/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Northwest Lawmakers Push for New Bonneville
Power Administration Leadership as Energy Pressures Build Across Oregon
2.
News Release: Members of Congress Present
Secretary of Energy with List of Attributes Considered Essential in the
Selection of New Administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration
3.
Washington State, Trump Administration Standoff
Continues in Fight Over Coal Plant
4.
Oregon: Power Line Proposal Brings Environmental
Worries in Washington County
5.
Oregon: Blachly-Lane to Acquire Monroe Service
Area; Power Cost Impact
6.
Utilities Weigh Regional Resource Adequacy Under
New Western Market
7.
Blackout: Why Is Resource-Rich Canada a Net
Importer of Electricity from the U.S.?
8.
Cuba Begins to Restore Electricity After
Nationwide Power Grid Collapse
9.
Oregon: Environmentalists Say Washington County
Renewable Energy Project Is Too Near National Wildlife Refuge
10.
Idaho: Jerome County Drafts a New Ordinance to
Restrict Renewable Energy Projects to Industrial Zones Only
11.
Puget Sound Energy, Partners Test How Electric
Vehicles Can Power Homes During Outages
12.
Energy Fallout from Iran War Signals a Global
Wake-Up Call for Renewable Energy
13.
More Washington State Utilities Want to Remotely
Control Your Thermostat
14.
WA State: Backlash Grows Over Proposed Thurston
Co. Home Seller Energy Checks
15.
How Air Conditioner Maker Carrier Wants to Turn
Air Conditioners from Energy Hogs to Grid Assets
16.
Southern Oregon Dam Operators Face Intensifying
Legal Battles After 2023 Lamprey Killing
17.
Federal Funding Kicks Off Exploration of Fish
Passage Solutions in Oregon
18.
Oregon Snowpack Continues to Worsen
19.
Spring Outlook in Pacific Northwest Favors
Above-Normal Temperatures, Below-Average Precipitation
20.
WA State: Additional Odessa Groundwater
Replacement Area Canals Coming
21.
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled &
How They Could Restart
22.
Two Dozen States, 10 Cities Sue EPA Over Repeal
of ‘Endangerment’ Finding Central to Climate Fight
23.
The Planet is Heating Faster Than Ever Before,
New Research Shows
24.
Alaska Broadband Office Releases Interactive
BEAD Map, Two Providers Tout Awards
25.
Fiber Broadband Association Releases New Paper
on the Importance of Fiber in Tribal Communities
26.
Amazon’s $100 Million Morrow County Deals Put
Local Insiders Under Fire
27.
Data Centers Under Scrutiny by California
Lawmakers as Fears Rise About Health & Energy Impacts
28.
‘ChatGPT Gets a D’: Washington State University
Study Finds ‘Inaccuracies’ with Artificial Intelligence
29.
Oregon Electric Vehicle Growth Petered Out Last
Year
30.
Washington’s Electric Vehicle Sales Laws Just
Took a Big Turn
31.
CBS News Shutters Its Storied Radio News Service
After Nearly a Century, Ending an Era
32.
APPA, NRECA Send Letter to DOE on the Importance
of Preference Power, Power Marketing Administrations
33.
Environment & Climate Bills That Passed
& Failed in WA’s Legislative Session
34.
Hawaii Hit with More Flooding as Heat Tops
Records in West
35.
United Nations Issues New Climate Warning as El
Niño Looms
36.
Guest Essay: It’s a Bad Idea to Cap Tennessee
Valley Authority Salaries
Word of the Day
Orotund \ORE-uh-tund\ Adjective - 1: marked by fullness, strength, & clarity of sound: sonorous 2: pompous, bombastic.
The powerful, orotund music enveloped Frederick’s dinner guests in rich waves, the booming resonance causing the wine glasses to vibrate in harmony with the Wagnerian opera blasting from his stereo system. Conversation became impossible, as was hearing anything after the overwhelming concert filled the enclosed dining space of his small apartment.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Northwest Lawmakers Push for New Bonneville
Power Administration Leadership as Energy Pressures Build Across Oregon (Grants
Pass Tribune, OR)
2.
News Release: Members of Congress Present
Secretary of Energy with List of Attributes Considered Essential in the
Selection of New Administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration (U.S.
Rep Cliff Bentz, Oregon)
3.
Washington State, Trump Administration Standoff
Continues in Fight Over Coal Plant (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
4.
Oregon: Power Line Proposal Brings Environmental
Worries in Washington County (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
5.
Oregon: Blachly-Lane to Acquire Monroe Service
Area; Power Cost Impact (KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR)
6.
Utilities Weigh Regional Resource Adequacy Under
New Western Market (Utility Dive)
7.
Blackout: Why Is Resource-Rich Canada a Net
Importer of Electricity from the U.S.? (Kelowna Now, British Columbia)
https://www.kelownanow.com/news/news/National_News/BLACKOUT/
8.
Cuba Begins to Restore Electricity After
Nationwide Power Grid Collapse (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cuba-begins-restore-electricity-nationwide-183219533.html
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9.
Oregon: Environmentalists Say Washington County Renewable
Energy Project Is Too Near National Wildlife Refuge (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
10.
Idaho: Jerome County Drafts a New Ordinance to Restrict
Renewable Energy Projects to Industrial Zones Only (KIVI-TV, Nampa, ID)
11.
Puget Sound Energy, Partners Test How Electric Vehicles
Can Power Homes During Outages (Daily Energy Insider)
12.
Energy Fallout from Iran War Signals a Global
Wake-Up Call for Renewable Energy (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/energy-fallout-from-iran-war-signals-a-global-a22086953
Conservation
& Efficiency
13.
More Washington State Utilities Want to Remotely
Control Your Thermostat (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
14.
WA State: Backlash Grows Over Proposed Thurston
Co. Home Seller Energy Checks (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/issues/energy/article_0a26da29-1a37-45b5-8213-c87fee96c2bd.html
15.
How Air Conditioner Maker Carrier Wants to Turn
Air Conditioners from Energy Hogs to Grid Assets (Reuters)
Fish
& Wildlife
16.
Southern Oregon Dam Operators Face Intensifying
Legal Battles After 2023 Lamprey Killing (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
17.
Federal Funding Kicks Off Exploration of Fish
Passage Solutions in Oregon (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
18.
Oregon Snowpack Continues to Worsen (KOIN-TV,
Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/weather/oregon-snowpack-continues-to-worsen/
19.
Spring Outlook in Pacific Northwest Favors
Above-Normal Temperatures, Below-Average Precipitation (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/22/spring-outlook-warns-of-dreaded-heat-dome/
20.
WA State: Additional Odessa Groundwater
Replacement Area Canals Coming (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
21.
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled &
How They Could Restart (PBS News)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
22.
Two Dozen States, 10 Cities Sue EPA Over Repeal of
‘Endangerment’ Finding Central to Climate Fight (Associated Press)
23.
The Planet is Heating Faster Than Ever Before,
New Research Shows (TIME Magazine)
https://time.com/7382950/climate-change-speeding-up-science/
London
Calling –Telecommunications
24.
Alaska Broadband Office Releases Interactive BEAD
Map, Two Providers Tout Awards (Telecompetitor)
25.
Fiber Broadband Association Releases New Paper
on the Importance of Fiber in Tribal Communities (BusinessWire)
HAL’s
Internet Café
26.
Amazon’s $100 Million Morrow County Deals Put
Local Insiders Under Fire (Hoodline)
https://hoodline.com/2026/03/amazon-s-100-million-morrow-county-deals-put-local-insiders-under-fire/
27.
Data Centers Under Scrutiny by California Lawmakers
as Fears Rise About Health & Energy Impacts (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/data-centers-under-scrutiny-california-100000620.html
28.
‘ChatGPT Gets a D’: Washington State University Study
Finds ‘Inaccuracies’ with Artificial Intelligence (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/technology/chatgpt-wsu-study-finds-inaccuracies-with-ai/
I
Sing the Car Electric
29.
Oregon Electric Vehicle Growth Petered Out Last
Year (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
30.
Washington’s Electric Vehicle Sales Laws Just
Took a Big Turn (KONA Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://610kona.com/ixp/1135/p/washington-ev-direct-sales/
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
31.
CBS News Shutters Its Storied Radio News Service
After Nearly a Century, Ending an Era (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/cbs-radio-news-bari-weiss-11372c28f9557d0b10e329e6c4be339f
Politics,
Governance, and Management
32.
APPA, NRECA Send Letter to DOE on the Importance
of Preference Power, Power Marketing Administrations (American Public Power
Association)
33.
Environment & Climate Bills That Passed &
Failed in WA’s Legislative Session (Washington State Standard)
Other
Things to Know About Today
34.
Hawaii Hit with More Flooding as Heat Tops
Records in West (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/21/hawaii-hit-with-more-flooding-as-heat-tops-records/
35.
United Nations Issues New Climate Warning as El
Niño Looms (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/un-issues-climate-warning-el-040627850.html
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
36.
Guest Essay: It’s a Bad Idea to Cap Tennessee
Valley Authority Salaries (Washington Examiner – Via MSN News)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Cursive Is Back. But Should Students Be Learning the Skill?
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/19/cursive-reemerges-in-schools-with-pushback-from-experts/
A Rare Look Inside the Sistine Chapel for a Private Concert
About Angel Encounters
https://apnews.com/article/sistine-chapel-concert-vatican-8158bf4d0a7cb3f1c78d5c0fd1f324b6
Real Possum Found Among Plush Toy Animals in Australian
Airport Gift Shop
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/19/travel/possum-toys-australia-airport-shop-intl-scli
Message in a Bottle Floats from Canada to Scotland in 2
Years
Song of the Day
When in Rome - The Promise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRC2XC5MVVU
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