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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
NERC Is ‘Actively
Monitoring the Grid’ Following Iran-Linked Cyber Threat (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nerc-cisa-iran-war-cyber-hacking/816914/
Paywall Advisory:
Seattle Reaches $4 Billion Deal to Keep Skagit River Dams, Truck Salmon
(Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
President Proposes
Cutting Energy Programs in 2027 Budget, Including LIHEAP (American Public Power
Association)
Berkshire-Owned
PacifiCorp Utility Wins Ruling That Could Reduce Oregon Wildfire Damages (MSN
News)
Washington Attorney
General Challenges ‘Steep’ Northwest Natural Rate Hikes (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Berkshire-Owned PacifiCorp Utility Wins Ruling
That Could Reduce Oregon Wildfire Damages
2.
Washington Attorney General Challenges ‘Steep’
Northwest Natural Rate Hikes
3.
Judge Puts Legal Challenge to NV Energy’s Peak
Demand Charge on April Docket
4.
California: New Bill Aims to Cut Electric Rates
by 30% & Pay Wildfire Survivors
5.
Utilities Ask Federal Regulators to Speed Up
Power Line Projects
6.
Tennessee Valley Authority Board Could Move
Quickly to Replace Don Moul as CEO
7.
Alaska: Woman Accused of Using Extension Cord to
Steal Neighbor’s Electricity
8.
Balcony Solar: A New Kind of Solar Is Taking Off
— With Utah Leading the Way
9.
Where Does Balcony Solar Stand in Your State?
10.
There’s Hope for the Offshore Wind Industry —
Yes, Really
11.
The Heat Pump Water Heater Payoff: Here’s How to
Crunch the Numbers
12.
Bay Area Startup Introduces Flat-Rate,
Single-Room Heat Pumps
13.
Paywall Advisory: Seattle Reaches $4 Billion
Deal to Keep Skagit River Dams, Truck Salmon
14.
Judge Takes Up Tribe’s Push to Expand Columbia
River Fishing Rights Case
15.
Endangered Salmon Returned to California’s Far
North — Then the Money Dried Up
16.
Canada: Feds' $412.9 Million Renewal of Pacific
Salmon Initiative Cautiously Welcomed
17.
Pacific Northwest Starts to Feel the Heat
Following Un-Snowy Winter
18.
A Winter without Snow Depletes Europe’s Clean
Energy Reservoir
19.
March Smashes Record as Most Abnormally Hot
Month for Continental US, Federal Meteorologists Say
20.
Rising Energy Prices Could Spell Trouble for
Telcos
21.
New FCC Actions to Streamline Retirement of
Copper Networks
22.
NERC Is ‘Actively Monitoring the Grid’ Following
Iran-Linked Cyber Threat
23.
Iranian-Affiliated Cyber Actors Exploit
Programmable Logic Controllers Across U.S. Critical Infrastructure
24.
California: Imperial County Supervisors Clear
Path for Massive Data Center Complex Amid Fierce Opposition
25.
Idaho Legislature Leaves Big Tax Breaks for Data
Centers on the Books. A California Company Eyeing Large Data Center Could Use
Them
26.
Satellite Data Shows Earth Is Getting Ever
Brighter at Night
27.
Photos Show Stunning Views of the Moon &
Earth from the Artemis II Mission
28.
President Proposes Cutting Energy Programs in
2027 Budget, Including LIHEAP
29.
Washington Association of Wheat Growers
Discusses High Costs, Profitability, Dams with Governor, White House
30.
Report Warns Washington's Affordability Crisis
Is Accelerating as Climbing Costs Persist
31.
Washington DOT Holds Ceremony for 61 Employees
Killed in Work Zones Since 1950
32.
Guest Essay: Energy Affordability Endangered by
WA Environmental Laws
33.
Guest Essay: The High Cost of Olympia’s Hidden
Utility Tax
Word
of the Day
Lachrymose \ LACK-rim-mose\ Adjective – 1: given to tears or weeping: tearful 2: tending to cause tears: mournful.
Tad’s ad campaign for a new variety of onions was not doing well. After having sold the DeBarto Onion Company on the popular theme “An Onion a Day Keeps Your Spouse Away,” he embarked on a new campaign for “Lachrymose Free Onions, They’re All Wet”. His fellow executives were not amused.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Berkshire-Owned PacifiCorp Utility Wins Ruling
That Could Reduce Oregon Wildfire Damages (MSN News)
3.
Judge Puts Legal Challenge to NV Energy’s Peak
Demand Charge on April Docket (Nevada Current)
4.
California: New Bill Aims to Cut Electric Rates by
30% & Pay Wildfire Survivors (KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA)
5.
Utilities Ask Federal Regulators to Speed Up
Power Line Projects (Daily Energy Insider)
6.
Tennessee Valley Authority Board Could Move
Quickly to Replace Don Moul as CEO (Knoxville News-Sentinel, TN – Via Yahoo!)
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/energy/articles/tva-board-could-move-quickly-090810257.html
7.
Alaska: Woman Accused of Using Extension Cord to
Steal Neighbor’s Electricity (KTUU-TV, Juneau, AK)
Renewable Energy & Self Storage
8.
Balcony Solar: A New Kind of Solar Is Taking Off
— With Utah Leading the Way (KNVU Radio, Logan, UT)
https://kvnutalk.com/a-new-kind-of-solar-is-taking-off-with-utah-leading-the-way/
9.
Where Does Balcony Solar Stand in Your State? (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/states-passing-balcony-solar-laws
10.
There’s Hope for the Offshore Wind Industry —
Yes, Really (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/energy/offshore-wind-court-interior-permitting-reform-congress/
Conservation & Efficiency
11.
The Heat Pump Water Heater Payoff: Here’s How to
Crunch the Numbers (Washington Post – Via MSN)
12.
Bay Area Startup Introduces Flat-Rate,
Single-Room Heat Pumps (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/heat-pumps/merino-energy-launch-appliance-california
Fish & Wildlife
14.
Judge Takes Up Tribe’s Push to Expand Columbia
River Fishing Rights Case (Courthouse News Service)
https://courthousenews.com/judge-takes-up-tribes-push-to-expand-columbia-river-fishing-rights-case/
15.
Endangered Salmon Returned to California’s Far
North — Then the Money Dried Up (Associated Press)
16.
Canada: Feds' $412.9 Million Renewal of Pacific
Salmon Initiative Cautiously Welcomed (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
17.
Pacific Northwest Starts to Feel the Heat
Following Un-Snowy Winter (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/northwest-starts-to-feel-heat-following-un-snowy-winter
18.
A Winter without Snow Depletes Europe’s Clean
Energy Reservoir (Bloomberg News – Via DNYUZ)
https://dnyuz.com/2026/04/07/a-winter-without-snow-depletes-europes-clean-energy-reservoir/
Climate Change Sequestration Vault
19.
March Smashes Record as Most Abnormally Hot
Month for Continental US, Federal Meteorologists Say (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/march-smashes-record-as-most-abnormally-hot-month-a22195839
London Calling –Telecommunications
20.
Rising Energy Prices Could Spell Trouble for
Telcos (Fierce Network)
https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/rising-energy-prices-could-spell-trouble-telcos
21.
New FCC Actions to Streamline Retirement of Copper
Networks (Broadband Communities)
https://bbcmag.com/new-fcc-actions-to-streamline-retirement-of-copper-networks/
The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
22. NERC
Is ‘Actively Monitoring the Grid’ Following Iran-Linked Cyber Threat (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nerc-cisa-iran-war-cyber-hacking/816914/
23.
Iranian-Affiliated Cyber Actors Exploit
Programmable Logic Controllers Across U.S. Critical Infrastructure (American
Public Power Association)
HAL’s Internet Café
24.
California: Imperial County Supervisors Clear
Path for Massive Data Center Complex Amid Fierce Opposition (KPBS Broadcasting,
San Diego, CA)
25.
Idaho Legislature Leaves Big Tax Breaks for Data
Centers on the Books. A California Company Eyeing Large Data Center Could Use
Them (BoiseDEV)
https://boisedev.com/news/2026/03/16/data-micron-exemption/
Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
26.
Satellite Data Shows Earth Is Getting Ever
Brighter at Night (Reuters)
27.
Photos Show Stunning Views of the Moon & Earth
from the Artemis II Mission (Associated Press)
Politics, Governance, and Management
29.
Washington Association of Wheat Growers Discusses
High Costs, Profitability, Dams with Governor, White House (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
Other Things to Know About Today
30.
Report Warns Washington's Affordability Crisis
Is Accelerating as Climbing Costs Persist (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
31.
Washington DOT Holds Ceremony for 61 Employees
Killed in Work Zones Since 1950 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi
32.
Guest Essay: Energy Affordability Endangered by WA
Environmental Laws (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/news/energy-affordability-endangered-wa-environmental-120000407.html
33.
Guest Essay: The High Cost of Olympia’s Hidden
Utility Tax (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
https://chronline.com/stories/commentary-the-high-cost-of-olympias-hidden-utility-tax,399795
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Eight States, Three Time Zones & a
Ton of History: Take a Trip Down Route 66 as It Turns 100
Oklahoma Couple's Wedding Weekend Goes Viral for Sheltering with
Volleyball Teams During Tornado
Car Shell Suspended on Rock Face Above British Columbia Highway
in Apparent Prank
Canada: Two Fighting Bald Eagles Freed from Power Line in Surrey
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fighting-bald-eagles-power-line-9.7154366?cmp=rss
Song of the Day
Manhattan Transfer – Route 66
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN8OaU3Sllc
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken links.
Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.
