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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
EIA Expects U.S. Hydropower Generation to Increase by 5% in
2026 (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/eia-expects-us-hydropower-generation-increase-5-2026
Oregon’s Massive Snow Drought Likely to Become a Bleak
Summer (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN)
Grant, Douglas, & Chelan PUDs Consider Collaboration on
Geothermal Energy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA - Paywall Advisory)
California Is Ground Zero for the Growing Battery Backlash (Bloomberg News – Via Silicon Valley)
Biologists Forecast a Reduced Alaska Commercial Salmon
Harvest (Alaska Beacon)
https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/27/biologists-forecast-a-reduced-alaska-commercial-salmon-harvest/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
EIA Expects U.S. Hydropower Generation to
Increase by 5% in 2026
2.
Hydropower Expected to Bounce Back from the
West’s Snow Drought
3.
House Passes “Build More Hydro Act,” Sends to
President
4.
Kootenai Electric Cooperative Planning to Build
Energy Facility in Rathdrum
5.
Northwest Natural Seeks Nearly 20% Gas Rate Hike
in Southwest Washington
6.
The Role of Natural Gas & Washington’s
Energy Future
7.
TerraPower Breaks Ground on a Rarity: A Nuclear
Reactor, Wyoming’s First
8.
Small Modular Reactors & Microreactors Under
Development in the United States
9.
Average U.S. Electricity Prices Rose 9% Year
Over Year in February: EIA
10.
Electricity Monthly Update – February Retail
Rates/Prices & Consumption
11.
Grant, Douglas, & Chelan PUDs Consider
Collaboration on Geothermal Energy
12.
California Is Ground Zero for the Growing
Battery Backlash
13.
WA State: Snoqualmie Neighbors Rally Against
Battery Storage Facility as Permit Application Looms
14.
California: Planning Commission OKs New Solar
Project for SE Kern County
15.
Hosting Solar Can Be a Lifeline for Farmers.
Overcoming Local Opposition Is Tough
16.
California’s Water Crisis Could Turn Farmland
into Massive Solar Field
17.
Biologists Forecast a Reduced Alaska Commercial
Salmon Harvest
18.
Pikeminnow Reward Fishery Returns May 1
19.
Salmon Exposed to Cocaine Swim Almost Twice as
Far as Those Without, Study Shows
20.
Oregon’s Massive Snow Drought Likely to Become a
Bleak Summer
21.
Why This State Is Betting on Cloud-Seeding
Drones to Solve Its Water Problem
22.
Artificial Intelligence Data Center with a
Different Mission Being Considered in Tri-Cities
23.
Pennsylvania: Residents Furious as Their
Picturesque Small Town Is Set to Be ‘Ruined’ by Sprawling Data Centers
24.
Newspapers Face Tight Supply as Mills Cut
Newsprint Production
25.
The Threat of Light Pollution Puts the World’s
Darkest Skies in the Atacama Desert at Risk
26.
State Senator MacEwen Demands Special Session to
Tackle Washington’s ‘Energy Affordability Crisis’
27.
Association Reaction: Petition for Rulemaking to
Add Dams and Reservoirs as Reporting Entities under the Mandatory Greenhouse
Gas Reporting Regulation
28.
Interactive Map Shows How Vulnerable Your PNW
Neighborhood Is to Disaster
29.
Oregon Work Zone Crashes Hit Five-Year High in
2024
30.
Guest Essay: Alaska’s Energy Challenges Require
a National Response
31.
Guest Essay: La Plata Electric CEO – Why Western
Utilities Are Moving Toward Regional Markets
32.
Washington Natural Gas Bills Going Up, and the
CCA Is to Blame
33.
Guest Essay: Oregon Has a Clear Roadmap to a
More Affordable, Reliable Energy Future. Will We Take It?
Word of the Day
Modus Operandi \MOE-dus opp-er-RAND-ee\ Noun – A method of procedure; especially a distinct pattern or method of operation that indicates or suggests the work of a single criminal in more than one crime.
“No, gentlemen, we are not dealing with a crazed criminal here,” purred Detective Poirot as he absentmindedly stroked his mustache. “What we have here is a person who is so fixed in their modus operandi that they would not change their ways even if confronted with the most secure lock box in the world.” “Non, mon ami, your lunches have not been stolen by a wayward squirrel, crazed dog, or even a trained capuchin monkey…they have been stolen by only one person….your copy repairman: Rick!” (Insert surprised gasp here)
Energy
& Utility Issues
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/eia-expects-us-hydropower-generation-increase-5-2026
2.
Hydropower Expected to Bounce Back from the West’s
Snow Drought (Renewable Energy World)
3.
House Passes “Build More Hydro Act,” Sends to
President (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/house-passes-build-more-hydro-act-sends-president
4.
Kootenai Electric Cooperative Planning to Build
Energy Facility in Rathdrum (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)
5.
Northwest Natural Seeks Nearly 20% Gas Rate Hike
in Southwest Washington (MSN News)
6.
The Role of Natural Gas & Washington’s Energy
Future (Washington State Standard)
7.
TerraPower Breaks Ground on a Rarity: A Nuclear
Reactor, Wyoming’s First (WyoFile)
https://wyofile.com/terrapower-breaks-ground-on-a-rarity-a-nuclear-reactor-wyomings-first/
8.
Small Modular Reactors & Microreactors Under
Development in the United States (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67584
9.
Average U.S. Electricity Prices Rose 9% Year
Over Year in February: EIA (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electricity-retail-prices-february-eia-affordability/818425/
10.
Electricity Monthly Update – February Retail Rates/Prices
& Consumption (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/update/end-use.php
Renewable Energy & Self Storage
12.
California Is Ground Zero for the Growing
Battery Backlash (Bloomberg News – Via Silicon Valley)
13.
WA State: Snoqualmie Neighbors Rally Against
Battery Storage Facility as Permit Application Looms (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
14.
California: Planning Commission OKs New Solar
Project for SE Kern County (KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA)
https://www.kget.com/kern-energy/planning-commission-oks-new-solar-project-for-se-kern-county/
15.
Hosting Solar Can Be a Lifeline for Farmers. Overcoming
Local Opposition Is Tough (Associated Press)
16.
California’s Water Crisis Could Turn Farmland into
Massive Solar Field (USA Today – Via Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/energy/articles/california-water-crisis-could-turn-130140936.html
Fish
& Wildlife
17.
Biologists Forecast a Reduced Alaska Commercial
Salmon Harvest (Alaska Beacon)
https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/04/27/biologists-forecast-a-reduced-alaska-commercial-salmon-harvest/
18.
Pikeminnow Reward Fishery Returns May 1 (KPQ
Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/get-paid-fishing-pikeminnow-wa/
19.
Salmon Exposed to Cocaine Swim Almost Twice as Far
as Those Without, Study Shows (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salmon-cocaine-swim-farther-study/
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
21.
Why This State Is Betting on Cloud-Seeding
Drones to Solve Its Water Problem (Washington Post – Via MSN)
HAL’s
Internet Café
22.
Artificial Intelligence Data Center with a Different
Mission Being Considered in Tri-Cities (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
23.
Pennsylvania: Residents Furious as Their
Picturesque Small Town Is Set to Be ‘Ruined’ by Sprawling Data Centers (MSN
News)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
24.
Newspapers Face Tight Supply as Mills Cut
Newsprint Production (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
25.
The Threat of Light Pollution Puts the World’s
Darkest Skies in the Atacama Desert at Risk (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/the-threat-of-light-pollution-puts-the-world-s-a22226529
Politics,
Governance, and Management
26.
State Senator MacEwen Demands Special Session to
Tackle Washington’s ‘Energy Affordability Crisis’ (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle,
WA)
https://seattlered.com/politics/macewen-demands-energy-special-session/4118163
27.
Association Reaction: Petition for Rulemaking to
Add Dams and Reservoirs as Reporting Entities under the Mandatory Greenhouse
Gas Reporting Regulation (Links to PDF File)
Other
Things to Know About Today
28.
Interactive Map Shows How Vulnerable Your PNW Neighborhood
Is to Disaster (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/interactive-map-vulnerable-oregon-wasington-pnw-disaster/
29.
Oregon Work Zone Crashes Hit Five-Year High in 2024
(Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/26/oregon-work-zone-crashes/
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
30.
Guest Essay: Alaska’s Energy Challenges Require a
National Response (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/alaska-energy-challenges-microgrid-storage-nppa/816358/
31.
Guest Essay: La Plata Electric CEO – Why Western
Utilities Are Moving Toward Regional Markets (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/western-utilities-regional-markets-spp-la-plata/816353/
32.
Washington Natural Gas Bills Going Up, and the CCA
Is to Blame (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_294cdbae-74a7-4e70-a6cb-ed2ce66df5c2.html
33.
Guest Essay: Oregon Has a Clear Roadmap to a More
Affordable, Reliable Energy Future. Will We Take It? (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Baby Born on Delta Flight from Atlanta to Portland, Oregon
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/baby-born-delta-flight-atlanta-124757235.html
Farmers in Vermont Expected a Sheep to Have Twins. She Ended
Up Having Rare Sextuplets
https://www.kcra.com/article/vermont-sheep-sextuplets-clover-bee-farm/71138714
Women take the lead in whiskey as more female drinkers and
distillers change the industry
https://apnews.com/article/whiskey-women-us-815aefddb25882c1f07613da972b13fa
Raffle Winner Thrilled to Claim a $1 Million Picasso with a $117
Ticket
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/france-raffle-offers-1m-picasso-101036794.html
Song
of the Day
Mighty Mo Rodgers - Picasso Blue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkPcNCnQU70
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
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