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Hotshots – Today’s Top
Five Stories
100-Mile Transmission Line Would Bring Power to
Portland. But There’s a Major Catch (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
https://www.chronline.com/stories/100-mile-transmission-line-would-bring-power-to-portland-but-theres-a-major-catch,398946
Oregon Communities Envision 9,100 Acres for New
Data Centers, Quadrupling the Industry’s Footprint (The Oregonian, Portland, OR
– Via MSN Network)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oregon-communities-envision-9100-acres-for-new-data-centers-quadrupling-the-industry-s-footprint/ar-AA1Zx1ok
Our Pacific Northwest Reservoirs Are Now Full,
Months Ahead of Time (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/03/are-reservoirs-are-now-full-months.html
California: Kern County Board Gives Final OK To
State’s Largest Solar Project (Bakersfield Californian, CA)
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/county-board-gives-final-ok-to-states-largest-solar-project/article_26ca2a5b-b89a-4c7d-8f34-fa860d02015c.amp.html
Fish Traps Have Been Banned on the Columbia
River for Nearly a Century. Could Bringing Them Back Help Save Salmon?
(Smithsonian Magazine)
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
100-Mile Transmission Line Would Bring Power to
Portland. But There’s a Major Catch
2.
New Report from the Association of Washington
Business Charts Path to Meeting the State’s Growing Energy Needs
3.
Big Announcement Could Help Make New WA Modular
Nuclear Reactor A Reality
4.
NRC Issues New Final Rule Setting Licensing Regs
for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
5.
U.S. Rep. Bentz (OR) Announces Bill to Modernize
Compensation for Bonneville Power Administration Head
6.
Texas Supreme Court Ends Lawsuits Against Power
Generators Over 2021 Winter Storm
7.
Building Infrastructure: Inside the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers’ Hydropower Mission
8.
Missouri: Man Abandoned Friend’s Corpse After
Botched Copper Wire Theft, Police Say
9.
California: Kern County Board Gives Final OK To
State’s Largest Solar Project
10.
California: East San Diego County Green Energy
Boom Sparks Concern Over Impacts to Natural Landscape, Cultural Sites
11.
‘We’re Harvesting the Sun.’ A Huge Solar Project
Grows in California
12.
WA Governor Signs Bill to Give Spokane’s
Energy-Generating Trash Incinerator More Time to Reduce Emissions
13.
Oregon Energy Grants Will Seed Solar Investments
& More in Troutdale
14.
REC Silicon Reports Operating Loss in 2025
15.
Unanimous Vote Sets Penalties for Sellers Who
Skip Olympia’s Pre-Sale Energy Ordinance
16.
Fish Traps Have Been Banned on the Columbia
River for Nearly a Century. Could Bringing Them Back Help Save Salmon?
17.
Clearwater Spring Chinook Season Opening with
Larger Bag Limits
18.
U.S. Rep Gluesenkamp Perez (WA) Pushes State
Leaders to Reopen Skamania Hatchery
19.
Who Are The ‘Mystery Orcas’ Swimming Around the
Pacific Northwest?
20.
Our Pacific Northwest Reservoirs Are Now Full,
Months Ahead of Time
21.
Low Snowpack Raises Washington Wildfire Risk
Concerns
22.
Dam Could Imperil One of WA’s Last Unobstructed
Rivers
23.
Amid ‘Dire Situation’ for Colorado River Basin,
Headwater States Say They Can’t Cut Water They Don’t Have
24.
Study Finds Pacific Northwest Officials Need
Better Heat Wave Planning After Deadly 2021 Event
25.
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Lowest Winter Level as
Unprecedented Heat Hits Smashes Records All Over Earth
26.
Okanogan County Electric Cooperative Begins
Deploying Fiber-Optic Internet in Upper Valley This Year
27.
Oregon Communities Envision 9,100 Acres for New
Data Centers, Quadrupling the Industry’s Footprint
28.
Report: Data Center Demand Doubles in North
Central Washington
29.
Lawmakers in Driest State Weigh Excessive Water
& Energy Needs of Data Centers They Court
30.
Artificial Intelligence’s Arrival Complicates
Big Tech Climate Goals – Some Worry It’s Locking in More Fossil Fuels
31.
Washington’s E-Bike Rebate Program Reopens with
More Funding
32.
Artificial Intelligence Is Giving Bad Advice to
Flatter Its Users, Says New Study on Dangers of Overly Agreeable Chatbots
33.
Video: WSU Murrow News Fellowship Plans
Expansion to All 39 WA Counties
34.
WA Millionaires’ Tax Faces New Lawsuit Threat as
Governor Ferguson Signs Bill
35.
Washington Governor Signs Urban Property Tax
Bill into Law, Boosting Clean Energy Projects in Tri-Cities
36.
Utah Regulators OK Program Meant to Promote
Increased Use of Renewable Energy
37.
Washington Sets Penny Rounding Rules for
Businesses
38.
Guest Essay: Activist Commissions Sow
Dysfunction on WA Fish & Wildlife Commission
39. Guest
Essay: In a Year of Climate Extremes, Clean Energy Rises to the Occasion
Word
of the Day
Decennial /dih-SENN-ee-ull/ Adjective – 1. Of or
for ten years. 2. occurring every ten years.
The U.S. census is a decennial exercise. Who,
how many, where?
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
100-Mile Transmission Line Would Bring Power to
Portland. But There’s a Major Catch (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
https://www.chronline.com/stories/100-mile-transmission-line-would-bring-power-to-portland-but-theres-a-major-catch,398946
2.
New Report from the Association of Washington
Business Charts Path to Meeting the State’s Growing Energy Needs (The Chronicle,
Centralia, WA)
https://chronline.com/stories/new-report-charts-path-to-meeting-washingtons-growing-energy-needs,399114
3. Big
Announcement Could Help Make New WA Modular Nuclear Reactor A Reality (Tacoma
News-Tribune, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article315173366.html
4. NRC
Issues New Final Rule Setting Licensing Regs for Advanced Nuclear Reactors (Daily
Energy Insider)
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/51646-nrc-issues-new-final-rule-setting-licensing-regs-for-advanced-nuclear-reactors/
5. U.S.
Rep. Bentz (OR) Announces Bill to Modernize Compensation for Bonneville Power
Administration Head (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR – Paywall Advisory)
https://eastoregonian.com/2026/03/30/rep-bentz-announces-bill-to-modernize-compensation-for-bpa-head/
6. Texas
Supreme Court Ends Lawsuits Against Power Generators Over 2021 Winter Storm (Yahoo!
News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/texas-supreme-court-ends-lawsuits-235927535.html
7. Building
Infrastructure: Inside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hydropower Mission
(DredgeWire)
https://dredgewire.com/building-infrastructure-inside-the-u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-hydropower-mission/
8. Missouri:
Man Abandoned Friend’s Corpse After Botched Copper Wire Theft, Police Say
(KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO)
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/man-abandoned-friends-corpse-after-botched-copper-wire-theft-police-say/63-9796c62f-46c7-46a2-b1af-3d931b8113a3
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9.
California: Kern County Board Gives Final OK To
State’s Largest Solar Project (Bakersfield Californian, CA)
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/county-board-gives-final-ok-to-states-largest-solar-project/article_26ca2a5b-b89a-4c7d-8f34-fa860d02015c.amp.html
10. California:
East San Diego County Green Energy Boom Sparks Concern Over Impacts to Natural
Landscape, Cultural Sites (KPBS Broadcasting, San Diego, CA)
https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2026/03/24/east-county-green-energy-boom-sparks-concern-over-impacts-to-natural-landscape-cultural-sites
11. ‘We’re
Harvesting the Sun.’ A Huge Solar Project Grows in California (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/were-harvesting-the-sun-solar-project-california
12. WA
Governor Signs Bill to Give Spokane’s Energy-Generating Trash Incinerator More
Time to Reduce Emissions (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/26/ferguson-signs-bill-to-give-energy-generating-tras/
13. Oregon
Energy Grants Will Seed Solar Investments & More in Troutdale (Oregon
Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/23/oregon-energy-grants-solar-investment-troutdale/
14. REC
Silicon Reports Operating Loss in 2025 (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/mar/30/rec-silicon-reports-operating-loss-in-2025/
Conservation
& Efficiency
15. Unanimous
Vote Sets Penalties for Sellers Who Skip Olympia’s Pre-Sale Energy Ordinance
(KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
https://komonews.com/news/local/olympia-home-energy-score-public-comment-hes-thurston-county-policy-unanimously-tom-crawford-climate-action-team-portland-civil-infraction-master-builder
Fish
& Wildlife
16.
Fish Traps Have Been Banned on the Columbia
River for Nearly a Century. Could Bringing Them Back Help Save Salmon?
(Smithsonian Magazine)
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/
17. Clearwater
Spring Chinook Season Opening with Larger Bag Limits (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/30/clearwater-spring-chinook-season-opening-with-larg/
18. U.S.
Rep Gluesenkamp Perez (WA) Pushes State Leaders to Reopen Skamania Hatchery
(The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
https://chronline.com/stories/gluesenkamp-perez-pushes-state-leaders-to-reopen-skamania-hatchery,398976
19. Who
Are The ‘Mystery Orcas’ Swimming Around the Pacific Northwest? (The Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2026/03/who-are-the-mystery-orcas-swimming-around-the-northwest.html
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
20.
Our Pacific Northwest Reservoirs Are Now Full,
Months Ahead of Time (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/03/are-reservoirs-are-now-full-months.html
21. Low
Snowpack Raises Washington Wildfire Risk Concerns (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/washington-braces-costly-wildfire-season
22. Dam
Could Imperil One of WA’s Last Unobstructed Rivers (The Daily World, Aberdeen,
WA)
https://www.thedailyworld.com/2026/03/27/dam-could-imperil-one-of-was-last-unobstructed-rivers/
23. Amid
‘Dire Situation’ for Colorado River Basin, Headwater States Say They Can’t Cut
Water They Don’t Have (Wyofile)
https://wyofile.com/amid-dire-situation-for-colorado-river-basin-headwater-states-say-they-cant-cut-water-they-dont-have/
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
24. Study
Finds Pacific Northwest Officials Need Better Heat Wave Planning After Deadly
2021 Event (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/study-finds-pacific-northwest-officials-need-better-heat-wave-planning-after-deadly-2021-event/article_0237aff7-0693-412f-92b3-0051b8bc81f5.html
25. Arctic
Sea Ice Hits Lowest Winter Level as Unprecedented Heat Hits Smashes Records All
Over Earth (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/arctic-sea-ice-record-shattering-warming-86a91afa7be96d8821c7bbfed9e5a623
London
Calling –Telecommunications
26. Okanogan
County Electric Cooperative Begins Deploying Fiber-Optic Internet in Upper
Valley This Year (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
https://methowvalleynews.com/2026/03/26/ocec-begins-deploying-fiber-optic-internet-in-upper-valley-this-year/
HAL’s
Internet Café
27.
Oregon Communities Envision 9,100 Acres for New
Data Centers, Quadrupling the Industry’s Footprint (The Oregonian, Portland, OR
– Via MSN Network)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oregon-communities-envision-9100-acres-for-new-data-centers-quadrupling-the-industry-s-footprint/ar-AA1Zx1ok
28. Report:
Data Center Demand Doubles in North Central Washington (Source ONE News,
Ephrata, WA)
https://www.yoursourceone.com/columbia_basin/report-grant-county-sees-power-demand-double-as-data-centers-grow/article_77300fef-149c-4466-91ed-92e7cbab1a62.html
29. Lawmakers
in Driest State Weigh Excessive Water & Energy Needs of Data Centers They
Court (Nevada Current)
https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/03/26/lawmakers-in-driest-state-weigh-excessive-water-and-energy-needs-of-data-centers-they-court/
30. Artificial
Intelligence’s Arrival Complicates Big Tech Climate Goals – Some Worry It’s
Locking in More Fossil Fuels (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/technology-artificial-intelligence-climate-change-data-centers-ef3a9c264bd6376d77e2c81ab266fb38
I
Sing the Car Electric
31. Washington’s
E-Bike Rebate Program Reopens with More Funding (KNDO & KNDU-TV,
Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/washingtons-e-bike-rebate-program-reopens-with-more-funding/article_f32d40aa-d118-428a-a63f-318238fcfb03.html
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
32. Artificial
Intelligence Is Giving Bad Advice to Flatter Its Users, Says New Study on
Dangers of Overly Agreeable Chatbots (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/ai-sycophancy-chatbots-science-study-8dc61e69278b661cab1e53d38b4173b6
33.
Video: WSU Murrow News Fellowship Plans
Expansion to All 39 WA Counties (Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/the-newsfeed-2/episode/wsu-murrow-news-fellowship-plans-expansion-to-all-39-wa-counties-v80zgk/
Politics,
Governance, and Management
34. WA
Millionaires’ Tax Faces New Lawsuit Threat as Governor Ferguson Signs Bill (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/millionaires-tax/4222006
35. Washington
Governor Signs Urban Property Tax Bill into Law, Boosting Clean Energy Projects
in Tri-Cities (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/governor-signs-urban-property-tax-bill-into-law-boosting-clean-energy-projects-in-tri-cities/article_030c432c-8013-4c76-8454-60c0f950c0e8.html
36. Utah
Regulators OK Program Meant to Promote Increased Use of Renewable Energy (KSL
TV, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://www.ksl.com/article/51474090/utah-regulators-ok-program-meant-to-promote-increased-use-of-renewable-energy
Other
Things to Know About Today
37. Washington
Sets Penny Rounding Rules for Businesses (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/washington-state-sets-penny-rounding-rules-for-businesses/281-6ea8e460-7927-4cc2-8f2b-5234d3fea996
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
38. Guest
Essay: Activist Commissions Sow Dysfunction on WA Fish & Wildlife
Commission (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/28/jerry-lowdermilk-activist-commissions-sow-dysfunct/
39. Guest
Essay: In a Year of Climate Extremes, Clean Energy Rises to the Occasion (The
Hill, Washington, DC)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/opinion-climate-extremes-clean-energy-170000783.html
Diversions - Alligators
in the Sewer
Nestlé
Says 413,793 KitKat Candy Bars Stolen En Route from Italy to Poland
https://apnews.com/article/nestle-switzerland-candy-bar-stolen-kitkat-51073cce27a0e193651aa7f31aaa506e
Millions of Honeybees
Spill onto Oregon Highway After Truck Crash Near Crater Lake
https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2026/03/millions-of-honeybees-spill-into-oregon-after-truck-crash-near-crater-lake.html
Cafe
Owner Celebrates Birthday with 6,044-Pound Carrot Cake
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/03/27/canada-Guinness-World-Records-largest-carrot-cake/6771774631034/
Ohio Woman Reunited
with Lost Dog After Nearly a Decade
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/03/25/lost-dog-9-years-Youngstown-Ohio/6021774449672/
Song of the Day
Lisa Loeb & The
Hollow Trees - If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9jSY0GJ_o
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Advisory
Links in The Energy
News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update
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Although I choose
stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
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