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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Agreement
Reached in Lawsuit by Regional PUDs Against Federal Government Over Columbia
River Treaty Payments (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Utilities
Say Upcoming Rate Change by Bonneville Power Administration Likely Means Higher
Rates for Customers (KLCC-Radio, Eugene, OR)
WA State:
A Large Data Center Is Proposed for the Former Papermill in Usk. Locals Worry
How It Will Fit in ‘Small-Town USA’ (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Via Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/large-data-center-proposed-former-020100850.html
Toxic
Algae Is Showing Up in the Snake River for the Fourth Year in a Row (Northwest
Public Broadcasting)
OpenAI
Says Its Models Engaged with U.S. Government Websites in New Model Misbehavior
Disclosure (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/openai-government-website-incident-df331b55daffc6d202d8e2f6d0afa264
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Agreement Reached in
Lawsuit by Regional PUDs Against Federal Government Over Columbia River Treaty
Payments
2.
Mid-Columbia PUDs Sign
Settlement Ending Litigation Over Columbia River Treaty Payments
3.
Utilities Say Upcoming
Rate Change by Bonneville Power Administration Likely Means Higher Rates for
Customers
4.
After Failed Columbia
Dam Deal, The Bonneville Power Administration Seeks Electricity Rate Hike
5.
Consumer Reports Warns
Puget Sound Energy Rate Proposal Could Add Over $600 a Year to Typical Electric
Bill
6.
Two Public Hearings to
Focus on Potential Puget Sound Energy Rate Increases
7.
Energy Department Will
Spend $2 Billion to Squeeze More Electricity from the Aging Power Grid
8.
Power for Tomorrow:
Residential Cost Gap Grows in Regulated vs. Deregulated States
9.
Panelists Debate
Future of U.S. Electricity Markets Amid Rising Demand
10.
U.S. Public Power
Capital Spending Continues to Accelerate: Fitch Report
11.
New Mexico: Utility
Worker Dies After Falling Pole Causes Electrocution in Curry County
12.
Fish Hatchery
Celebrates 125 Years of Salmon Spawning
13.
Toxic Algae Is Showing
Up in the Snake River for the Fourth Year in a Row
14.
How Dirty Is the Power
Generated in Your State?
15.
In Nuclear Campus
Talks, Idaho Gov. Brad Little Says Protecting Snake Aquifer Is ‘Nonnegotiable’
16.
Nearly 70% of
California Is ‘Abnormally Dry’ as Drought, El Niño Strengthens
17.
What Happens If Lake
Mead Drops Below Its Power Intakes
18.
WA State: Sultan
Property Owner Fined $20,000 for Reported Dam Safety Violations
19.
Gorgeous Broadband
Launches, Bringing Affordable, High-Speed Internet to The Dalles
20.
Washington Grants
Awarded to Broadband Providers to Extend Internet to Underserved Communities
21.
The American Public
Power Association Files Comments Opposing Expansion of Federal Pole Attachment
Regulations
22.
Policy Experts Weigh
What Comes After BEAD For Rural Broadband: Benton Institute
23.
OpenAI Says Its Models
Engaged with U.S. Government Websites in New Model Misbehavior Disclosure
24.
WA State: A Large Data
Center Is Proposed for the Former Papermill in Usk. Locals Worry How It Will
Fit in ‘Small-Town USA’
25.
Montana Supreme Court
Vacates Decision to Put Butte Data Center Issue to Voters
26.
Microsoft, Google
Confront Data Center Fears as Backlash Grows
27.
California Faces
Barriers from Feds on the Road to Electric Vehicles
28.
House Passes AM Radio
Mandate for All New Cars
29.
‘100% to 99% Chance’
El Niño Lasts Six Months: What Does That Mean for You?
30.
Hydropower Licensing
Needs a Refresh – Could This New Bill Do the Job?
31.
What Will Winter Be
Like in the Pacific Northwest? Here’s What the Outlooks Suggest
32.
‘Not A Viable Plan’:
Puget Sound Energy Is Betting Future on Hydrogen-Ready Plants That Don’t Exist
Anywhere in Washington
Word of the Day
Horologist \huh-RAWL-uh-jist\ Noun – 1: a person skilled in the practice or theory of horology; 2: a maker of clocks or watches.
“Tic-toc, look at my clocks,” announced the wizened horologist to his assembled guests. Albert jumped a foot when they all started to chime at once. “Golly,” he thought. “This is just like the ‘Time’ track on ‘Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon!’”
1.
Agreement Reached in Lawsuit by Regional PUDs
Against Federal Government Over Columbia River Treaty Payments (Columbia Basin
Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
2. Mid-Columbia
PUDs Sign Settlement Ending Litigation Over Columbia River Treaty Payments
(American Public Power Association)
4. After
Failed Columbia Dam Deal, The Bonneville Power Administration Seeks Electricity
Rate Hike (Seattle Times – Via The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
5. Consumer
Reports Warns Puget Sound Energy Rate Proposal Could Add Over $600 a Year to
Typical Electric Bill (Consumer Reports)
6. Two
Public Hearings to Focus on Potential Puget Sound Energy Rate Increases (KGMI
Radio, Bellingham, WA)
7. Energy
Department Will Spend $2 Billion to Squeeze More Electricity from the Aging
Power Grid (Associated Press)
8. Power
for Tomorrow: Residential Cost Gap Grows in Regulated vs. Deregulated States
(Daily Energy Insider)
9. Panelists
Debate Future of U.S. Electricity Markets Amid Rising Demand (The Center
Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_c553eac2-c17a-435b-b744-946507cd211f.html
10. U.S.
Public Power Capital Spending Continues to Accelerate: Fitch Report (American
Public Power Association)
11. New
Mexico: Utility Worker Dies After Falling Pole Causes Electrocution in Curry
County (KFDA-TV, Amarillo, TX)
Fish
& Wildlife
12. Fish
Hatchery Celebrates 125 Years of Salmon Spawning (Columbia Gorge News, Hood
River, OR)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
14. How
Dirty Is the Power Generated in Your State? (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/fossil-fuels/how-dirty-is-power-generated-states
Water,
Water Anywhere?
15. In
Nuclear Campus Talks, Idaho Gov. Brad Little Says Protecting Snake Aquifer Is ‘Nonnegotiable’
(States Newsroom)
16. Nearly
70% of California Is ‘Abnormally Dry’ as Drought, El Niño Strengthens
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/24/nearly-70-of-california-is-abnormally-dry-as-droug/
17. What
Happens If Lake Mead Drops Below Its Power Intakes (World Atlas)
18. WA
State: Sultan Property Owner Fined $20,000 for Reported Dam Safety Violations
(KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
19. Gorgeous
Broadband Launches, Bringing Affordable, High-Speed Internet to The Dalles
(Columbia Community Connection, The Dalles, OR)
20. Washington
Grants Awarded to Broadband Providers to Extend Internet to Underserved
Communities (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
21. The
American Public Power Association Files Comments Opposing Expansion of Federal
Pole Attachment Regulations (American Public Power Association)
22. Policy
Experts Weigh What Comes After BEAD For Rural Broadband: Benton Institute
(Telecompetitor)
HAL’s
Internet Café
https://apnews.com/article/openai-government-website-incident-df331b55daffc6d202d8e2f6d0afa264
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/large-data-center-proposed-former-020100850.html
25. Montana
Supreme Court Vacates Decision to Put Butte Data Center Issue to Voters (Daily
Montanan)
26. Microsoft,
Google Confront Data Center Fears as Backlash Grows (Financial Post)
https://financialpost.com/technology/microsoft-google-confront-data-centre-fears-backlash-grows
I
Sing the Car Electric
27. California
Faces Barriers from Feds on the Road to Electric Vehicles (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_228c8cae-a95c-408d-9ac8-de92634ae63b.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
28. House
Passes AM Radio Mandate for All New Cars (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/house-passes-am-radio-mandate-195857057.html
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
29.
‘100% to 99% Chance’ El Niño Lasts Six Months:
What Does That Mean for You? (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
30. Hydropower
Licensing Needs a Refresh – Could This New Bill Do the Job? (Renewable Energy
World)
Other
Things to Know About Today
31. What
Will Winter Be Like in the Pacific Northwest? Here’s What the Outlooks Suggest
(KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/weather/what-will-winter-be-like-in-the-pnw-heres-what-the-outlooks-suggest/
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
32.
‘Not A Viable Plan’: Puget Sound Energy Is
Betting Future on Hydrogen-Ready Plants That Don’t Exist Anywhere in Washington
(KVI-Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://seattlered.com/energy/pse-draft-plan-power-gap-kevin-wallace-warning/4120424
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
1,289-Year-Old Whitebark Pine, Oldest on
Record, Found in Grand Teton National Park
Fat Bear Week Is Here — And Alaska’s Chonkiest
Bears Are Sending the Internet into a Frenzy
Adam Vinatieri Kicks a
Field Goal at 11,317 Feet to Set World Record
A Stranger Left a Bucket of Dollar Coins at a
Missoula Dollar Tree to Pay for Shoppers’ Purchases
Song of the Day
Phil Harris - The Bare Necessities (Jungle Book
Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkozKQibnPA
Roll the Credits…
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