Wednesday, July 29, 2026

The Energy News Digest for July 29, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest. 

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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits The Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

WA State: Kitsap Voters to Decide on Public Power Authority This Fall (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kitsap-voters-decide-public-power-003653548.html

Five states – Including Idaho & Utah – Offer to Accept Nuclear Waste in Exchange for Help Developing Nuclear Energy (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/civilian-nuclear-energy-waste-states-campus-93d014e414bed86765e26d4572448a15

Oregon: Salem Residents Rage Against Proposed Data Center & City NDA That Kept Plans Secret (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2026/07/salem-residents-rage-against-proposed-data-center-and-city-nda-that-kept-plans-secret.html

Willamette River Reservoirs Are Low, Leaving Managers with Fewer Options on How to Manage Them (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/28/oregon-willamette-river-valley-basin-reservoirs-low/

Oregon on Track for Record Fire Year After Wildfire Total Hits Grim Milestone (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2026/07/oregon-on-track-for-record-fire-year-after-wildfire-total-hits-grim-milestone.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      WA State: Kitsap Voters to Decide on Public Power Authority This Fall

2.      Five states – Including Idaho & Utah – Offer to Accept Nuclear Waste in Exchange for Help Developing Nuclear Energy

3.      Antares Raises $470 Million to Build Nuclear Reactors for the U.S. Military

4.      As Winter Approaches, Southcentral Alaska Utilities Are Worried About Running Short of Gas

5.      Fall River Electric Announces Partnership on New Power Plant

6.      Utah: ‘The Pipeline Is Gone’: Beaver City Looks to Rebuild Hydroelectric System Destroyed by Flood

7.      Arizona: Groups Formally Oppose Pumped Storage Proposal Targeting Black Mesa

8.      WA State: Badger Mountain Solar Project Withdrawn After Colville Tribes Opposition

9.      Leaders in Northeast British Columbia Push Back Against Province’s Plan to Fast Track New Wind Farms

10.   Montana: Missoula Government Officials Approve Clean Energy Program Agreement

11.   WA State: Pierce County Is Creating a Solar Array on An Old Landfill on the Key Peninsula

12.   Podcast: Bringing Solar Energy to the Wind River Reservation

13.   The U.S. Clean Energy Boom Will Continue to 2030. Then Things Get Hazy.

14.   75 of These Whales Remain. A New West Coast Pipeline Would Be ‘Devastating’ for Them, Experts Say

15.   The EPA Halted a Study on Gas Stoves & Asthma. But Even Partial Results Were Striking.

16.   Willamette River Reservoirs Are Low, Leaving Managers with Fewer Options on How to Manage Them

17.   Army Corps of Engineers Uses Released Water from Dworshak Reservoir to Cool River Temperature

18.   Oregon: Salem Residents Rage Against Proposed Data Center & City NDA That Kept Plans Secret

19.   Hillsboro Bans New Data Centers in Surprise City Council Meeting

20.   Pro-Data Center Industry Group Behind Ad Campaign in Oregon, Six Other States

21.   OpenAI’s Rogue Agent Compromised a Customer at a Second Tech Firm, Executive Says

22.   Electric Vehicle Sales Lag as Hybrid Cars Becoming Top-Sellers in California

23.   Here’s Where Trump Has Canceled Wind Farms – And How States Are Pushing Back

24.   Trump Administration Bans Foreign-Made Robots & Power Gear Amid Fears of Chinese Influence

25.   Oregon on Track for Record Fire Year After Wildfire Total Hits Grim Milestone

26.   Hurricane Genevieve to Bring Massive Swells, Life-Threatening Surf, Rip Currents to SoCal

Word of the Day – The Homeric Edition

Theoxenia /thee-oh-ZEE-nee-yah/ Noun – Hospitality towards a god who visits as a guest. Also known as Zeus’ Law.

Word Origin: There are gods wandering the Earth disguised as humans, and therefore we have an obligation to treat others – particularly strangers or people we don’t know or understand – as we would want to be treated ourselves. With compassion, honor, and generosity.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      WA State: Kitsap Voters to Decide on Public Power Authority This Fall (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kitsap-voters-decide-public-power-003653548.html

2.      Five states – Including Idaho & Utah – Offer to Accept Nuclear Waste in Exchange for Help Developing Nuclear Energy (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/civilian-nuclear-energy-waste-states-campus-93d014e414bed86765e26d4572448a15

3.      Antares Raises $470 Million to Build Nuclear Reactors for the U.S. Military (Tech Crunch)

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/27/antares-raises-470m-to-build-nuclear-reactors-for-the-u-s-military/

4.      As Winter Approaches, Southcentral Alaska Utilities Are Worried About Running Short of Gas (Juneau Independent, AK)

https://www.juneauindependent.com/post/as-winter-approaches-southcentral-alaska-utilities-are-worried-about-running-short-of-gas

5.      Fall River Electric Announces Partnership on New Power Plant (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

https://localnews8.com/news/top-stories/2026/07/27/fall-river-electric-announces-partnership-on-new-power-plant/

6.      Utah: ‘The Pipeline Is Gone’: Beaver City Looks to Rebuild Hydroelectric System Destroyed by Flood (KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://www.abc4.com/utah-weather/utah-flooding/beaver-city-rebuild-hydroelectric-system/

7.      Arizona: Groups Formally Oppose Pumped Storage Proposal Targeting Black Mesa (Tó Nizhóní Ání)

https://tonizhoniani.org/groups-formally-oppose-pumped-storage-proposal-targeting-black-mesa/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

8.      WA State: Badger Mountain Solar Project Withdrawn After Colville Tribes Opposition (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/badger-mountain-solar-project-withdrawn-after-colville-tribes-opposition/article_a4b1d7c1-63e6-4778-bd8f-a27c1d6e7215.html

9.      Leaders in Northeast British Columbia Push Back Against Province’s Plan to Fast Track New Wind Farms (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/peace-region-bcer-wind-projects-cumulative-impacts-9.7286326

10.   Montana: Missoula Government Officials Approve Clean Energy Program Agreement (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

https://www.kpax.com/news/missoula-officials-approve-clean-energy-program-agreement

11.   WA State: Pierce County Is Creating a Solar Array on An Old Landfill on the Key Peninsula (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

https://www.nwpb.org/local/2026-07-28/pierce-county-is-creating-a-solar-array-on-an-old-landfill-on-the-key-peninsula

12.   Podcast: Bringing Solar Energy to the Wind River Reservation (Boise State Public Radio, ID)

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2026-07-29/bringing-solar-energy-to-the-wind-river-reservation

13.   The U.S. Clean Energy Boom Will Continue to 2030. Then Things Get Hazy. (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/us-clean-energy-boom-rhodium

Fish & Wildlife

14.   75 of These Whales Remain. A New West Coast Pipeline Would Be ‘Devastating’ for Them, Experts Say (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/southern-resident-killer-whales-alberta-bc-oil-pipeline-9.7282483?cmp=rss

Environmental Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three

15.   The EPA Halted a Study on Gas Stoves & Asthma. But Even Partial Results Were Striking. (Washington Post – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/the-epa-halted-a-study-on-gas-stoves-and-asthma-but-even-partial-results-were-striking/ar-AA28Y6fu

Water, Water Anywhere?

16.   Willamette River Reservoirs Are Low, Leaving Managers with Fewer Options on How to Manage Them (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/07/28/oregon-willamette-river-valley-basin-reservoirs-low/

17.   Army Corps of Engineers Uses Released Water from Dworshak Reservoir to Cool River Temperature (Idaho Capital Sun)

https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/07/27/army-corps-of-engineers-uses-released-water-from-dworshak-reservoir-to-cool-river-temperature/

HAL’s Internet Café

18.   Oregon: Salem Residents Rage Against Proposed Data Center & City NDA That Kept Plans Secret (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2026/07/salem-residents-rage-against-proposed-data-center-and-city-nda-that-kept-plans-secret.html

19.   Hillsboro Bans New Data Centers in Surprise City Council Meeting (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hillsboro-bans-new-data-centers-in-surprise-city-council-meeting/ar-AA28OIWx

20.   Pro-Data Center Industry Group Behind Ad Campaign in Oregon, Six Other States (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/07/28/repub/pro-data-center-industry-group-behind-ad-campaign-in-oregon-six-other-states/

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

21.   OpenAI’s Rogue Agent Compromised a Customer at a Second Tech Firm, Executive Says (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/openais-rogue-agent-compromised-an-account-second-tech-firm-sources-say-2026-07-28/

I Sing the Car Electric

22.   Electric Vehicle Sales Lag as Hybrid Cars Becoming Top-Sellers in California (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/electric-vehicle-sales-lag-as-hybrid-cars-becoming-top-sellers-in-california/

Politics, Governance, and Management

23.   Here’s Where Trump Has Canceled Wind Farms – And How States Are Pushing Back (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2026/0729/wind-farms-energy-power-trump

24.   Trump Administration Bans Foreign-Made Robots & Power Gear Amid Fears of Chinese Influence (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/28/trump-administration-bans-foreign-made-robots-and-power-gear-amid-fears-of-chinese-influence-01013995

Other Things to Know About Today

25.   Oregon on Track for Record Fire Year After Wildfire Total Hits Grim Milestone (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2026/07/oregon-on-track-for-record-fire-year-after-wildfire-total-hits-grim-milestone.html

26.   Hurricane Genevieve to Bring Massive Swells, Life-Threatening Surf, Rip Currents to SoCal (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/big-waves-hurricane-genevieve-bring-170849437.html

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

TSA Finds Civil War-Era Cannonballs in Checked Bag at Alabama Airport

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/tsa-finds-civil-war-era-180410787.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Video: Divers Clean Christ of the Abyss Statue on Seabed Off Coast of Italy

https://apnews.com/video/divers-clean-christ-of-the-abyss-statue-on-seabed-off-coast-of-italy-83ecbd4b2b4e4731a9a2a21c4ed65881

‘The Wallet That Came Home’: Lowell High Renovation Uncovers Wallet Lost in 1972

https://www.wcvb.com/article/the-wallet-that-came-home-lowell-high-school/73289691

KFC Founder Colonel Sanders’ Home, Memorabilia Set for Auction in Kentucky

https://www.wlwt.com/article/colonel-sanders-kfc-auction-memorabilia-home-kentucky/73171326

Song of the Day

Steely Dan – My Old School

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK7239PSOs8

Links & Paywall Advisory

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