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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits The Energy News Digest.
Strengthen Communication and Customer Service Skills This Summer
As you’re
making summer plans, take a moment to register for two new NWPPA courses and
build skills that will serve you for years to come. Elevate Your Impact with Upward Communication Skills (July
15) will help you increase your influence with leadership, while Emotional Intelligence in Action: Mastering De-Escalation
Skills (July 16) focuses on bolstering your EQ so you can better
manage difficult customer interactions. Both courses are led by popular NWPPA
instructor Kayla Curry of Organization Impact.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Northwest Power Plan to Embrace More Natural Gas (Your
Oregon News)
https://youroregonnews.com/2026/06/02/northwest-power-plan-to-embrace-more-natural-gas/
Battles Over Energy Projects Are Erupting Across Western
Washington (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Hillsboro Considers Pause on New Data Centers Amid Uproar
Over Unchecked Tax Breaks (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN)
Oregon Petition to Ban Hunting & Fishing Moves Closer to
November Ballot (Washington State Standard – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/oregon-petition-ban-hunting-fishing-124433482.html
Ninth Circuit Court Denies Young Americans’ Lawsuit
Challenging Trump’s Handling of Climate Change (Montana Free Press)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Northwest Power Plan to Embrace More Natural Gas
2.
‘Growth Is Outpacing Resources’: Why Idaho Power
Wants to Build Two New Natural Gas Plants
3.
Idaho Power Says Its Equipment Likely Caused
Mountain Home Fire Last Week
4.
A Proposed 100-Mile Transmission Line Could Be
Built Under the Columbia River. Environmental Groups & Tribes Say They Have
Concerns
5.
Dept of Energy invests in Richland Nuclear Fuel
Plant as State Bills on Nuclear Strategy Stall
6.
Battles Over Energy Projects Are Erupting Across
Western Washington
7.
Avangrid Finishes Construction of New Oregon
Solar Project, Connects to the Grid
8.
Thousands of U.S. Dams Have Been Sitting Useless
for Electricity, and a 3D-Printed Turbine Could Turn Concrete into Power
9.
Oregon Petition to Ban Hunting & Fishing
Moves Closer to November Ballot
10.
Oregon: Portland Utility Rate Hike Pushes
Average Water, Sewer Bill Above $2,000 Per Year
11.
Ninth Circuit Court Denies Young Americans’
Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s Handling of Climate Change
12.
Electric Co-Ops ‘Not Happy’ with BEAD
13.
Hillsboro Considers Pause on New Data Centers
Amid Uproar Over Unchecked Tax Breaks
14.
Washington Law Lays Out Distinction Between
E-Bikes, E-Motorcycles Starting June 11
15.
What Are the Cheapest, Priciest States for
Electric Vehicle Ownership?
16.
Google Is Releasing 32 Million Mosquitoes in Two
US States - Here’s Why
17.
Why Is This Trump Official Dead Set on Saving a
Failing California Dam?
18.
A Strong El Niño May Be Imminent. Climate Change
Will Make Its Effects Worse
19.
Reporters From Oregon Public Broadcasting Talk
Covering Green Energy in the Northwest
Word of the Day
Golem \GOH-lum\ Noun - 1: an artificial being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life *2: someone or something resembling a golem.
Employees trudged into their gray, windowless sarcophagus, a place they called “work”; their putty-gray faces frozen in a mask of hopeless resignation. One of the workers rose above the level of golem: a laughing, horn-honking red-haired clown known only to his co-workers as “Bozo.”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Northwest Power Plan to Embrace More Natural Gas
(Your Oregon News)
https://youroregonnews.com/2026/06/02/northwest-power-plan-to-embrace-more-natural-gas/
2.
‘Growth Is Outpacing Resources’: Why Idaho Power
Wants to Build Two New Natural Gas Plants (MSN News)
3.
Idaho Power Says Its Equipment Likely Caused Mountain
Home Fire Last Week (MSN News)
4.
A Proposed 100-Mile Transmission Line Could Be
Built Under the Columbia River. Environmental Groups & Tribes Say They Have
Concerns (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
5.
Dept of Energy invests in Richland Nuclear Fuel
Plant as State Bills on Nuclear Strategy Stall (Lynnwood Times, WA)
https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2026/06/03/nuclear/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
6.
Battles Over Energy Projects Are Erupting Across
Western Washington (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
7.
Avangrid Finishes Construction of New Oregon
Solar Project, Connects to the Grid (Las Vegas Sun, NV)
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2026/jun/02/avangrid-finishes-construction-of-new-oregon-solar/
8.
Thousands of U.S. Dams Have Been Sitting Useless
for Electricity, and a 3D-Printed Turbine Could Turn Concrete into Power (Techy
44)
Fish
& Wildlife
9.
Oregon Petition to Ban Hunting & Fishing
Moves Closer to November Ballot (Washington State Standard – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/oregon-petition-ban-hunting-fishing-124433482.html
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
10.
Oregon: Portland Utility Rate Hike Pushes
Average Water, Sewer Bill Above $2,000 Per Year (The Oregonian, Portland, OR –
Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/portland-utility-rate-hike-pushes-152849867.html
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
11.
Ninth Circuit Court Denies Young Americans’ Lawsuit
Challenging Trump’s Handling of Climate Change (Montana Free Press)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
12.
Electric Co-Ops ‘Not Happy’ with BEAD (Light
Reading)
https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/electric-co-ops-not-happy-with-bead
HAL’s
Internet Café
13.
Hillsboro Considers Pause on New Data Centers
Amid Uproar Over Unchecked Tax Breaks (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN)
I
Sing the Car Electric
14.
Washington Law Lays Out Distinction Between
E-Bikes, E-Motorcycles Starting June 11 (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
15.
What Are the Cheapest, Priciest States for Electric
Vehicle Ownership? (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/oregon-is-one-of-the-cheapest-states-for-ev-ownership/
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
16.
Google Is Releasing 32 Million Mosquitoes in Two
US States - Here’s Why (MSN News)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
17.
Why Is This Trump Official Dead Set on Saving a Failing
California Dam? (Grist Online)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/why-trump-official-dead-set-084500340.html
Other
Things to Know About Today
18.
A Strong El Niño May Be Imminent. Climate Change
Will Make Its Effects Worse (Reuters)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
19.
Reporters From Oregon Public Broadcasting Talk
Covering Green Energy in the Northwest (The Journalist’s Resource)
https://journalistsresource.org/media/green-energy-northwest/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
WSU Student Finds What Was Believed to Be Extinct Apple
Variety Growing in Pullman
Why Portland Crows Are So Aggressive Right Now
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2026/06/why-portland-crows-are-so-aggressive-right-now.html
Loose Parakeet Blamed for Thousands of Dollars in Damage to Cars
in Scotland
World’s Largest Blanket Fort Constructed in Las Vegas
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/03/Guinness-World-Records-blanket-fort/7551780502176/
Song of the Day
Clint Holmes - Playground in My Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BolPQL83hFA
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.
