Sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association, edited by Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus.
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Hotshots – Today’s Top
Five Stories
Washington State Releases Dam-Breaching Study Results – Agency Projects Breaching to Cost Billions (Whitman County Gazette, WA)
U.S. Is Reviving
Shuttered Nuclear Plants to Meet Growing Electricity Demand & to Power Data
Centers (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/climate-nuclear-power-reactors-21dd249d5e03667b6d4c06687777c859
U.S. Small-Scale Solar
Generation Has Quadrupled in the Last Decade (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=68324
Microsoft Cuts
Purchases of Carbon Removals by 80% (Yahoo! News)
Walleye Numbers in the
Snake River Are Increasing Rapidly. That Could Be a Problem for Salmon &
Steelhead (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
News Highlights (See Stories Below)
1. Washington State Releases Dam-Breaching Study Results –
Agency Projects Breaching to Cost Billions
2. U.S. Is Reviving Shuttered Nuclear Plants to Meet Growing
Electricity Demand & to Power Data Centers
3. State Officials Offered to Store Nuclear Waste. Then
Residents Found Out.
4. As Utah Pushes Nuclear Power, Some Environmental &
Tribal Groups Push Back
5. Alaska Seeks Suppliers for $413 Million Cook Inlet Undersea
Power Cable
6. Richland Approves Power Agreements to Support Industrial
Development at Clean Energy Park
7. WA State: More Concerns Aired About Enloe Dam Removal
8. Ontario to Import U.S. Electricity This Winter, Months
After Ford Threatened to Cut Power Exports
9. U.S. Small-Scale Solar Generation Has Quadrupled in the
Last Decade
10. U.S. Clean Energy Jobs Fell in 2025 For the First Time in
Years
11. United Kingdom: Turning the Tides – Could Hidden Sea Power
Energize Our Coastal Towns?
12. A New Report Just Busted Another Myth About Heat Pumps
13. Walleye Numbers in the Snake River Are Increasing Rapidly.
That Could Be a Problem for Salmon & Steelhead
14. Salmon Are Returning to the Upper Klamath River After 100
Years
15. Canada: Eels Keep Dying in Hydro Dam Turbines. A New Design
Could Change That
16. This Seaweed Invasion Is So Big You Can See It from Space
17. Microsoft Cuts Purchases of Carbon Removals by 80%
18. 17 Groups Sue Montana Public Service Commission to Require
Considering Climate Change
19. Arizona Moves to Join Lawsuit Against Federal Colorado
River Plan
20. California Delta Tunnel Opponents Renew Fight to Rework
Massive Water Project
21. Drought, Heat Wave Leaves Mount Hood Barren by Early Fall
22. Ookla Speeds by State
23. Californians Accuse Pacific Gas & Electric of Violating
Privacy by Routing Calls Through Artificial Intelligence
24. As They Consider New Data Centers, States Target Water Use
25. Hybrid Vehicle Sales Rise While Battery Electric Sales
Remain Lower After Tax Credit Expiration
26. In An Age of News Deserts & Ghost Papers, What’s Next
for McClatchy?
27. A Kelvin Wave Is Raising Sea Levels Along the West Coast
28. Bipartisan Permitting Bill in Congress Could Speed Energy
Projects, But Draws Green Critics
29. Early Winter Weather Predictions Released by NOAA: What
That Means for the PNW
30. Guest Essay: Kitsap Voters Deserve Answers Before
Attempting a Utility Takeover
31. Guest Essay: Puget Sound Energy Is Spending Millions to
Keep Kitsap from Having a Choice
32. Washington Energy Debate Centers on Clean Energy Deadlines,
Rising Utility Costs
33. Guest Essay: Columbia River PUD – Understanding How
Regional Dam Decisions Affect Your Electric Rates
Word of the Day
Horripilation
\haw-rip-uh-LAY-shuhn\ Noun – The act or process of the hair bristling on the
skin, as from cold or fear; goose flesh.
Although he was unaware of its meaning, Fredo was the victim of an instant onset of horripilation at the Cuban New Year’s Eve party. It all started with an innocent kiss from his younger brother…followed by the chilling “I know it was you, Fredo…” Everything after that, except for the little hairs on the back of his neck standing up, was a blur.
1. Washington
State Releases Dam-Breaching Study Results – Agency Projects Breaching to Cost
Billions (Whitman County Gazette, WA)
2. U.S.
Is Reviving Shuttered Nuclear Plants to Meet Growing Electricity Demand & to
Power Data Centers (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/climate-nuclear-power-reactors-21dd249d5e03667b6d4c06687777c859
3. State
Officials Offered to Store Nuclear Waste. Then Residents Found Out. (Washington
Post – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/state-officials-offered-store-nuclear-090000861.html
4. As
Utah Pushes Nuclear Power, Some Environmental & Tribal Groups Push Back (KSTU-TV,
Salt Lake City, UT)
5.
Alaska Seeks Suppliers for $413 Million Cook
Inlet Undersea Power Cable (Homer News, AK)
6. Richland
Approves Power Agreements to Support Industrial Development at Clean Energy
Park (KAPP-TV, Yakima, WA)
7.
WA State: More Concerns Aired About Enloe Dam Removal
(Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
https://methowvalleynews.com/2026/10/15/more-concerns-aired-about-enloe-dam-removal/
8.
Ontario to Import U.S. Electricity This Winter,
Months After Ford Threatened to Cut Power Exports (Yahoo! News)
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ontario-import-u-electricity-winter-184018676.html
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9. U.S.
Small-Scale Solar Generation Has Quadrupled in the Last Decade (U.S. Energy
Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=68324
10. U.S.
Clean Energy Jobs Fell in 2025 For the First Time in Years (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy-jobs/trump-us-employment-falls-data-2025
11. United
Kingdom: Turning the Tides – Could Hidden Sea Power Energize Our Coastal Towns?
(British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8y56y6xg9n9o
Conservation
& Efficiency
12. A
New Report Just Busted Another Myth About Heat Pumps (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/solutions/a-new-report-just-busted-another-myth-about-heat-pumps/
Fish
& Wildlife
13. Walleye
Numbers in the Snake River Are Increasing Rapidly. That Could Be a Problem for Salmon
& Steelhead (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
14. Salmon
Are Returning to the Upper Klamath River After 100 Years (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/15/salmon-upper-klamath-river-repopulation/
15. Canada:
Eels Keep Dying in Hydro Dam Turbines. A New Design Could Change That (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/climate/what-on-earth-eels-hydro-dams-9.7381506
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
16. This
Seaweed Invasion Is So Big You Can See It from Space (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7380591
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
17. Microsoft
Cuts Purchases of Carbon Removals by 80% (Yahoo! News)
18. 17
Groups Sue Montana Public Service Commission to Require Considering Climate
Change (Daily Montanan)
Water,
Water Anywhere?
19. Arizona
Moves to Join Lawsuit Against Federal Colorado River Plan (Utah News Dispatch)
20. California
Delta Tunnel Opponents Renew Fight to Rework Massive Water Project (Courthouse
News Service)
21. Drought,
Heat Wave Leaves Mount Hood Barren by Early Fall (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/16/drought-heat-mount-hood-glaciers-oregon-portland/
London Calling –Telecommunications
22. Ookla
Speeds by State (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/10/16/ookla-speeds-by-state/
HAL’s
Internet Café
23. Californians
Accuse Pacific Gas & Electric of Violating Privacy by Routing Calls Through
Artificial Intelligence (Courthouse News Service)
https://courthousenews.com/californians-accuse-pge-of-violating-privacy-by-routing-calls-through-ai/
The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
24. As
They Consider New Data Centers, States Target Water Use (National Council of
State Legislatures)
I
Sing the Car Electric
25. Hybrid
Vehicle Sales Rise While Battery Electric Sales Remain Lower After Tax Credit
Expiration (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=68325
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
26. In
An Age of News Deserts & Ghost Papers, What’s Next for McClatchy? (KUOW
Radio, Seattle, WA)
Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
27. A
Kelvin Wave Is Raising Sea Levels Along the West Coast (National Public Radio)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
28. Bipartisan
Permitting Bill in Congress Could Speed Energy Projects, But Draws Green
Critics (States Newsroom)
Other
Things to Know About Today
29. Early
Winter Weather Predictions Released by NOAA: What That Means for the PNW (KOIN-TV,
Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/early-winter-weather-predictions-released-by-noaa-what-that-means-for-pnw/
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
30.
Guest Essay: Kitsap Voters Deserve Answers
Before Attempting a Utility Takeover (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via MSN News)
31.
Guest Essay: Puget Sound Energy Is Spending
Millions to Keep Kitsap from Having a Choice (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/pse-spending-millions-keep-kitsap-171703875.html
32.
Washington Energy Debate Centers on Clean Energy
Deadlines, Rising Utility Costs (Washington State Standard)
33.
Guest Essay: Columbia River PUD – Understanding
How Regional Dam Decisions Affect Your Electric Rates (Columbia County
Spotlight, OR)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
U.S. Company Announces
Progress Toward Resurrecting the Extinct Dodo
Luna, A Small Dog
Missing for Over a Month in Yellowstone, Is Reunited with Her Owners
https://apnews.com/article/yellowstone-lost-dog-national-parks-24a0c2c74d7455ae5b07ba6de133ff52
What Time Is It on the
Moon?
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/18/nx-s1-6003578/what-time-is-it-on-the-moon
Expedition to Find Amelia
Earhart’s Missing Plane Comes Up Empty
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/expedition-amelia-earharts-missing-plane-014816302.html
Song of the Day
Jonathan King – Everyone’s
Gone to the Moon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80kodiNes5w
Roll the Credits…
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