Monday, November 9, 2026

The Energy News Digest for November 9, 2026

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association and edited by Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus.

Explore Some of Public Power’s Biggest Challenges in January 

Don’t miss NWPPA’s January conference series: Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know, the Data Center and Load Growth Summit, and the Power Supply Conference. These deep-dive events help utility professionals better understand emerging challenges, share strategies, and prepare for the future. A special discount is available when you attend two or all three events. To receive the discount, please email registration@nwppa.org to register rather than signing up on NWPPA’s website.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Data Centers Are Turning to Old Jet Engines as the Wait for Power Grows (TechCrunch – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/data-centers-are-turning-to-old-jet-engines-as-the-wait-for-power-grows/ar-AA2gH9OA

Upgrading Power Grids to Accommodate Renewable Energy Is a Key Issue at Climate Talks (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/cop31-climate-change-turkey-energy-power-grids-6e78fb86160d6cabe12f245307706cf4

Feds Ask for Proposals for Industrial Use of Hanford Land. Data Centers Possible (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/feds-ask-proposals-industrial-hanford-211453791.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Floods Bring Rare Relief to U.S. Southwest Reservoirs as Lake Powell Rises 20 Feet (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/flooding-nino-colorado-drought-river-southwest-water-a71ee754e28e2bb12a9687420ea1d5fb

Musk Says Tesla Will Refund Some Cybertruck Deposits, Defends Decision to End Production (TechCrunch)

https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/09/musk-says-tesla-will-refund-some-cybertruck-deposits-defends-decision-to-end-production/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Data Centers Are Turning to Old Jet Engines as the Wait for Power Grows

2.      A 650-Ton Beam & Two Gantry Cranes Just Hoisted L Generator Rotor Out of a 72-Year-Old Columbia River Dam to Make Room for the First of 14 New Turbines – The Last One Isn’t Due for Another 11 Years

3.      WA State: Changes to Tacoma Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Permit Proposed by Puget Sound Energy

4.      Where’s the Beef? Under the Solar Panels.

5.      Washington Eases Energy Code for Fire-Ravaged Homes, But Savings Are Murky

6.      WA State: Thurston County Realtors Association Helps Lead Opposition to Home Energy Score Program

7.      After Passing Eight Dams, 175 Coho Salmon Climbed Wells Dam’s Fish Ladders on the Columbia River in Seven October Days

8.      Upgrading Power Grids to Accommodate Renewable Energy Is a Key Issue at Climate Talks

9.      Oregon Judge Allows Multnomah County Climate Lawsuit Against Fossil Fuel Giants to Advance

10.   Floods Bring Rare Relief to U.S. Southwest Reservoirs as Lake Powell Rises 20 Feet

11.   The World’s Largest Telecoms Firm Is on Trial & the Outcome Has Global Implications

12.   Quincy Data Center Tour Offers Lessons as Montana Weighs Development

13.   Study on Oregon’s Data Centers Finds Troubling Lack of Transparency, Some Positive Effects

14.   Nvidia Stock Slumps Amid Board Investigation into CEO Jensen Huang

15.   Musk Says Tesla Will Refund Some Cybertruck Deposits, Defends Decision to End Production

16.   Do Tri-City Gov’t Social Media Policies Limit Free Speech? This Group Thinks So

17.   El Niño Could Bring Higher Seas, Increased Flooding to Oregon Coast This Winter

18.   Democrats Plan to Push Clean Energy to Lower Bills & Challenge President Trump’s Fossil Fuel Agenda

19.   U.S. Senator Wyden (OR) Opposes Federal Energy Reform Deal as Oregon Officials Challenge Economic and Environmental Implications

20.   Putting Big Ideas into Motion: How & Why Public Power Is Taking on Strategic Planning

21.   Feds Ask for Proposals for Industrial Use of Hanford Land. Data Centers Possible

22.   WA State: Effort To Rename Hood Canal Hits a Fjordblock Amid Tribal Opposition

23.   Guest Essay: The Bonneville Power Administration Must Do More to Protect Local Economies

24.   Guest Essay: Clean Energy Must Get Built Faster in Oregon — And Here’s How to Do It

25.   Guest Essay: Healthy Salmon Runs & Affordable Electricity Must Coexist

26.   Guest Essay: Washington’s Carbon Dioxide Tax Drops, Gas Prices Follow. Will Ecology Admit It?

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Data Centers Are Turning to Old Jet Engines as the Wait for Power Grows (TechCrunch – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/data-centers-are-turning-to-old-jet-engines-as-the-wait-for-power-grows/ar-AA2gH9OA

2.      A 650-Ton Beam & Two Gantry Cranes Just Hoisted L Generator Rotor Out of a 72-Year-Old Columbia River Dam to Make Room for the First of 14 New Turbines – The Last One Isn’t Due for Another 11 Years (Autonocion)

https://www.autonocion.com/us/650-ton-beam-rotor-72-year-old-columbia-river-dam-14-new-turbines/

3.      WA State: Changes to Tacoma Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Permit Proposed by Puget Sound Energy (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/changes-tacoma-liquefied-natural-gas-130000288.html

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

4.      Where’s the Beef? Under the Solar Panels. (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/food-and-farms/wheres-the-beef-solar-panels

Conservation & Efficiency

5.      Washington Eases Energy Code for Fire-Ravaged Homes, But Savings Are Murky (Hoodline Seattle)

https://hoodline.com/2026/11/washington-eases-energy-code-for-fire-ravaged-homes-but-savings-are-murky/

6.      WA State: Thurston County Realtors Association Helps Lead Opposition to Home Energy Score Program (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/thurston-county-realtors-association-helps-lead-opposition-to-home-energy-score-program,411471

Fish & Wildlife

7.      After Passing Eight Dams, 175 Coho Salmon Climbed Wells Dam’s Fish Ladders on the Columbia River in Seven October Days (Energies Media)

https://energiesmedia.com/175-coho-salmon-climbed-wells-dams-fish-ladders/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

8.      Upgrading Power Grids to Accommodate Renewable Energy Is a Key Issue at Climate Talks (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/cop31-climate-change-turkey-energy-power-grids-6e78fb86160d6cabe12f245307706cf4

9.      Oregon Judge Allows Multnomah County Climate Lawsuit Against Fossil Fuel Giants to Advance (States Newsroom)

https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/oregon-judge-allows-multnomah-county-climate-lawsuit-against-fossil-fuel-giants-advance

Water, Water Anywhere?

10.   Floods Bring Rare Relief to U.S. Southwest Reservoirs as Lake Powell Rises 20 Feet (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/flooding-nino-colorado-drought-river-southwest-water-a71ee754e28e2bb12a9687420ea1d5fb

London Calling –Telecommunications

11.   The World’s Largest Telecoms Firm Is on Trial & the Outcome Has Global Implications (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2026/11/08/nx-s1-6030670/the-worlds-largest-telecoms-firm-is-on-trial-and-the-outcome-has-global-implications

HAL’s Internet Café

12.   Quincy Data Center Tour Offers Lessons as Montana Weighs Development (NBC Montana)

https://nbcmontana.com/news/working-for-you/quincy-data-center-tour-offers-lessons-as-montana-weighs-development

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

13.   Study on Oregon’s Data Centers Finds Troubling Lack of Transparency, Some Positive Effects (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/study-on-oregons-data-centers-finds-troubling-lack-of-transparency-some-positive-effects/article_0ca488ca-bc26-42fa-bb1f-9f87f62c9df2.html

14.   Nvidia Stock Slumps Amid Board Investigation into CEO Jensen Huang (CBS News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/data-centers-are-turning-to-old-jet-engines-as-the-wait-for-power-grows/ar-AA2gH9OA

I Sing the Car Electric

15.   Musk Says Tesla Will Refund Some Cybertruck Deposits, Defends Decision to End Production (TechCrunch)

https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/09/musk-says-tesla-will-refund-some-cybertruck-deposits-defends-decision-to-end-production/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

16.   Do Tri-City Gov’t Social Media Policies Limit Free Speech? This Group Thinks So (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/tri-city-gov-t-social-192416422.html

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

17.   El Niño Could Bring Higher Seas, Increased Flooding to Oregon Coast This Winter (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2026/11/el-nino-could-bring-higher-seas-increased-flooding-to-oregon-coast-this-winter.html

Politics, Governance, and Management

18.   Democrats Plan to Push Clean Energy to Lower Bills & Challenge President Trump’s Fossil Fuel Agenda (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/elections-midterms-climate-policy-clean-energy-trump-b193e352f5905acc0e921a13ee237a4a

19.   U.S. Senator Wyden (OR) Opposes Federal Energy Reform Deal as Oregon Officials Challenge Economic and Environmental Implications (Grants Pass Tribune, OR)

https://www.grantspasstribune.com/wyden-opposes-federal-energy-reform-deal-as-oregon-officials-challenge-economic-and-environmental-implications/

20.   Putting Big Ideas into Motion: How & Why Public Power Is Taking on Strategic Planning (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/putting-big-ideas-motion-how-and-why-public-power-taking-strategic-planning

Other Things to Know About Today

21.   Feds Ask for Proposals for Industrial Use of Hanford Land. Data Centers Possible (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/feds-ask-proposals-industrial-hanford-211453791.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

22.   WA State: Effort To Rename Hood Canal Hits a Fjordblock Amid Tribal Opposition (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/environment/2026-11-05/effort-to-rename-hood-canal-hits-a-fjordblock-amid-tribal-opposition

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

23.   Guest Essay: The Bonneville Power Administration Must Do More to Protect Local Economies (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://eastoregonian.com/2026/11/08/guest-commentary-bpa-must-do-more-to-protect-local-economies/

24.   Guest Essay: Clean Energy Must Get Built Faster in Oregon — And Here’s How to Do It (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2026/11/opinion-clean-energy-must-get-built-faster-in-oregon-and-heres-how-to-do-it.html

25.   Guest Essay: Healthy Salmon Runs & Affordable Electricity Must Coexist (The Astorian, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://dailyastorian.com/2026/11/06/guest-column-healthy-salmon-runs-and-affordable-electricity-must-coexist/

26.   Guest Essay: Washington’s Carbon Dioxide Tax Drops, Gas Prices Follow. Will Ecology Admit It? (Clark County Today, Vancouver, WA)

https://clarkcountytoday.com/story/opinion-washingtons-co2-tax-drops-gas-prices-follow-will

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

British Town Crier Is the World’s Loudest Woman

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/11/05/guinness-world-records-loudest-shout-woman/5911793895144/

Video: Rare Pink Diamond & Romanov Sapphire Set for Geneva Auctions

https://apnews.com/video/rare-pink-diamond-and-romanov-sapphire-set-for-geneva-auctions-f61959bf96bb49958dc82e04620fe854

This Hawk Gobbled Up Neighborhood Chickens Until She Got Too Fat to Fly

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/hefty-hawk-9.7412660?cmp=rss

Cruise Ship Pianist Rescued After Nine Hours in Pacific Ocean Near Catalina Island: Reports

https://ktla.com/news/california/cruise-ship-pianist-rescued-after-9-hours-in-pacific-ocean-near-catalina-island-reports/

Song of the Day

The Isley Brothers – Shout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPVf01jXL7M

Roll the Credits… 

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) will deliver breaking news throughout the week so you can stay informed.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest to keep up with the latest updates.

Links & Paywall Advisory

The links in The Energy News Digest point to current news stories. Because media websites update often, some links may stop working over time.

I try to select stories you can read without a subscription. Your experience may differ. The news source will let you know if there might be a paywall. Clearing your browser history and cookies can sometimes help you access these sites.