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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
U.S. Annual Electricity Consumption to Grow 55% by 2050
(Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-annual-electricity-consumption-data-centers-nema/820112/
As Electric Bills Rise, Some States Are Focusing on the
Growing Profits of Utilities (Associated Press)
California Launches a $1 Billion Rebate Program for Electric
Trucks — Up to $120,000 per Vehicle (MSN News)
Lawmaker Wants Sea Lions Killed to Protect Endangered Salmon
(Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/lawmaker-wants-sea-lions-killed-163328336.html
Jury Rules Against Elon Musk in His Feud with OpenAI, Saying
He Filed His Lawsuit Too Late (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/musk-openai-trial-verdict-0b9b0bfaffe96f2c930341f52dfe4f8c
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
U.S. Annual Electricity Consumption to Grow 55%
by 2050
2.
As Electric Bills Rise, Some States Are Focusing
on the Growing Profits of Utilities
3.
After a Century Powering Its Growth with Dams,
Seattle Settles with Tribes That Lost Their River
4.
Wildfire Survivors Ask Oregon Supreme Court to
Take on PacifiCorp Case
5.
Trends from Initial FY 2026 Financial Forecast
Continued into the Second Quarter for the Bonneville Power Administration
6.
WSU Announces New Initiative to Strengthen
Workforce in Nuclear Energy Sector
7.
City Utilities of Springfield, Mo., Educational
Video Explains Challenges of Undergrounding Transmission Lines
8.
Canada Aims to Double Its Electric Grid by 2050
with Clean Energy & Lower Costs for Users
9.
‘The Landowners’ Right’: As Costs Rise, Some
Utah Ranchers Are Leasing Fields Out for Solar Projects ‘Rather Than Alfalfa’
10.
Richland Officials Considering Solar Expansion
at Horn Rapids Site
11.
China's Solar Exports Jump 60% on the Year in
April
12.
Lawmaker Wants Sea Lions Killed to Protect
Endangered Salmon
13.
High Fuel Costs Are Testing Washington &
Oregon's Fishing Industry
14.
How the Humpback Whale Made a Massive Comeback
in the Salish Sea
15.
How Montana Tribes Are Using Sovereignty to
Restore Their Waterways
16.
Jury Rules Against Elon Musk in His Feud with
OpenAI, Saying He Filed His Lawsuit Too Late
17.
Snohomish County PUD Plans for Potential
Large-Load Customers
18.
California Launches a $1 Billion Rebate Program
for Electric Trucks — Up to $120,000 per Vehicle
19.
Rising Gas Prices Push Drivers Toward Electric
Vehicles: 'It's Really Worth It'
20.
Lime Scooter Hopes to Expand in Spokane, Making
Promises but Asking for Concessions
21.
‘The Power of Mother Nature’: A First-Hand
Account of the Mount St. Helens Eruption by KOIN 6 Meteorologist Steve Pierce
22.
New USDA Conditions Are Hampering State &
Local Wildfire Services. Northwest Fire Officials Warn of Dire Consequences
23.
An Alarming Weather Pattern Is Emerging. NOAA
Doesn’t Know What to Make of It Yet
24.
Editorial: Data centers must pay their own way
in Washington
Word of the Day
Craven \KRAY-vun\ Adjective – Lacking the least bit of courage: contemptibly fainthearted.
Flavius stood undefeated in the arena; his blood-stained sword glinting in the sharp, angled glow of the setting, golden sun. No craven bone in his body had he…except for his uncharacteristic fear of chickens. Whether by suspicion or a childhood incident involving the family rooster, he would quake in fear at the mere mention of any poultry dish or the appearance of a feathered opponent.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
U.S. Annual Electricity Consumption to Grow 55% by
2050 (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-annual-electricity-consumption-data-centers-nema/820112/
3.
After a Century Powering Its Growth with Dams,
Seattle Settles with Tribes That Lost Their River (Inside Climate News)
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13052026/seattle-tribes-skagit-river-dam-settlement/
4.
Wildfire Survivors Ask Oregon Supreme Court to Take
on PacifiCorp Case (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/14/oregon-wildfire-pacificorp-settlement-lawsuit/
5.
Trends from Initial FY 2026 Financial Forecast
Continued into the Second Quarter for the Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville
Power Administration)
6.
WSU Announces New Initiative to Strengthen
Workforce in Nuclear Energy Sector (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
7.
City Utilities of Springfield, Mo., Educational
Video Explains Challenges of Undergrounding Transmission Lines (American Public
Power Association)
8.
Canada Aims to Double Its Electric Grid by 2050 with
Clean Energy & Lower Costs for Users (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/canada-doubles-down-on-clean-energy-commitment-a22259664
Renewable Energy & Self Storage
9.
‘The Landowners’ Right’: As Costs Rise, Some Utah
Ranchers Are Leasing Fields Out for Solar Projects ‘Rather Than Alfalfa’ (Salt
Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/05/15/utah-ranchers-are-leasing-land/
10.
Richland Officials Considering Solar Expansion at
Horn Rapids Site (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
11.
China's Solar Exports Jump 60% on the Year in April
(Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chinas-solar-exports-jump-60-year-april-2026-05-18/
Fish & Wildlife
12. Lawmaker
Wants Sea Lions Killed to Protect Endangered Salmon (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/lawmaker-wants-sea-lions-killed-163328336.html
13.
High Fuel Costs Are Testing Washington & Oregon's
Fishing Industry (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/high-fuel-costs-are-testing-washington-and-oregon-s-fishing-industry
14.
How the Humpback Whale Made a Massive Comeback in
the Salish Sea (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/17/how-the-humpback-whale-made-a-massive-comeback-in-/
Water, Water, Anywhere?
15.
How Montana Tribes Are Using Sovereignty to Restore
Their Waterways (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-3/how-montana-tribes-are-using-sovereignty-to-restore-their-waterways/
HAL’s Internet Café
https://apnews.com/article/musk-openai-trial-verdict-0b9b0bfaffe96f2c930341f52dfe4f8c
17.
Snohomish County PUD Plans for Potential
Large-Load Customers (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/05/16/snohomish-county-pud-plans-for-potential-large-load-customers/
I Sing the Car Electric
19.
Rising Gas Prices Push Drivers Toward Electric
Vehicles: 'It's Really Worth It' (WTVD-TV, Raleigh, NC)
https://abc11.com/post/rising-gas-prices-push-drivers-electric-vehicles/19109739/
20.
Lime Scooter Hopes to Expand in Spokane, Making
Promises but Asking for Concessions (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/14/lime-scooter-hopes-to-expand-in-spokane-makes-prom/
Other Things to Know About Today
21.
‘The Power of Mother Nature’: A First-Hand
Account of the Mount St. Helens Eruption by KOIN 6 Meteorologist Steve Pierce (KOIN-TV,
Portland, OR)
22.
New USDA Conditions Are Hampering State &
Local Wildfire Services. Northwest Fire Officials Warn of Dire Consequences (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/17/new-usda-conditions-are-hampering-state-and-local-/
23.
An Alarming Weather Pattern Is Emerging. NOAA Doesn’t
Know What to Make of It Yet (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/alarming-weather-pattern-emerging-noaa-183000938.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi
24.
Editorial: Data centers must pay their own way
in Washington (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/16/in-our-view-data-centers-must-pay-their-own-way-in-wash/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
'Ocean Dream' Blue-Green Diamond Sells for More Than $17
Million at Christie's Auction in Geneva
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/ocean-dream-blue-green-diamond-sells-for-more-a22257333
Owl Found Stuck in a Concrete Mixer Is on the Mend & Flying
Free
https://apnews.com/article/owl-concrete-mixer-utah-recovery-885693af8a5e020223c717fe72d1f996
Museum’s ‘Knight Rider’ Replica Car Got a Speeding Ticket. It
Hasn’t Gone Anywhere in Years
New York High School Has 21 Valedictorians
Song of the Day
Gary Lewis & The Playboys – This Diamond Ring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfEdQUxEh9g
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