The Energy News Digest for June 17, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest. 

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

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

NWPPA’s Manager as Leader Series Heads to Vancouver, Washington

All courses in NWPPA’s Manager as Leader Series will be coming to Vancouver, Washington, as two-part workshops this year. Own Your Role and Build Thriving Relationships will be Aug. 5-6, Interact With Impact and Lead Change will be Oct. 7-8, and Lead Teams and Coach for Success will be Dec. 1-2. These workshops are designed to ignite, inspire, and nurture the leader mindset within you. Register by next Monday, June 22, to get the early-bird rate for the August workshop.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Seattle City Light Eyes Biggest Bill Increases in Recent Memory (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/seattle-city-light-eyes-biggest-bill-increases-in-recent-memory,404230

Snohomish PUD ‘Confident’ as Court Order Reduces Columbia Basin Hydropower (The Everett Post, WA)

https://www.everettpost.com/local-news/snohomish-pud-confident-as-court-order-reduces-hydro-power/

Oregon, Washington Win Suit Against Trump Memo Pausing Wind Energy Permits (AOL News)

https://www.aol.com/articles/oregon-washington-win-suit-against-234954000.html

Spokane Council Delays Data Center Moratorium Until at Least Next Week (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jun/15/spokane-council-delays-data-center-moratorium-unti/

Microsoft Sued by Shareholders Over Expenses, Cloud Business, Artificial Intelligence (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/microsoft-sued-by-shareholders-over-expenses-cloud-business-ai-2026-06-15/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      Seattle City Light Eyes Biggest Bill Increases in Recent Memory

2.      Snohomish PUD ‘Confident’ as Court Order Reduces Columbia Basin Hydropower

3.      Oregon Relies More on Natural Gas to Generate Electricity as Coal Drops to All-Time Low

4.      British Columbia Eyes New Hydro Megadams to Meet Soaring Power Demands

5.      Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Dreams Stretch Over Half a Century

6.      WA State: Helion Secures Key Licenses for Malaga Fusion Plant

7.      Scammers Renew Grays Harbor PUD Power Shutoff Threats

8.      Is New England’s New Hydropower Transmission Line Paying Off?

9.      Oregon, Washington Win Suit Against Trump Memo Pausing Wind Energy Permits

10.   Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel More Offshore Wind Leases

11.   Heat Pump Shipments Rise Through April, With More Use for Both Heating & Cooling

12.   Ninth Circuit Sides with Yurok Tribe Over Klamath Irrigation Project

13.   Fiber Optic Installations Wreak Havoc in Billings & Nationwide

14.   Microsoft Sued by Shareholders Over Expenses, Cloud Business, Artificial Intelligence

15.   Spokane Council Delays Data Center Moratorium Until at Least Next Week

16.   Artificial Intelligence Firms Are Getting Creative as They Scramble for Energy

17.   Insight: Fast-Tracked Power Plants Fuel Artificial Intelligence Boom, With Little Public Scrutiny

18.   Eugene Water & Electric Board Puts the Brakes on Its E-Bike Rebate Program

19.   Grant PUD Considers Rounding Customer Bills to Nearest Dollar After Penny Discontinued

20.   Look Up at the Night Sky on Wednesday for a Mini-Planetary Alignment

21.   Oregon Wildfire Emergency Declared as Fire Danger Rises

22.   Idaho Gov. Little Says State Is Preparing for Challenging Wildfire Season as Fund Drops to $0

Word of the Day

 Rambunctious \ram-BUNK-shuss\ Adjective - Uncontrolled in a way that is playful or full of energy.

     Cool breeze, swirling gusts

     Rambunctious leaves playing tag

     Float softly to rest

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Seattle City Light Eyes Biggest Bill Increases in Recent Memory (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/seattle-city-light-eyes-biggest-bill-increases-in-recent-memory,404230

2.      Snohomish PUD ‘Confident’ as Court Order Reduces Columbia Basin Hydropower (The Everett Post, WA)

https://www.everettpost.com/local-news/snohomish-pud-confident-as-court-order-reduces-hydro-power/

3.      Oregon Relies More on Natural Gas to Generate Electricity as Coal Drops to All-Time Low (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/oregon-relies-more-natural-gas-123059824.html

4.      British Columbia Eyes New Hydro Megadams to Meet Soaring Power Demands (Vancouver Sun, BC)

https://vancouversun.com/business/bc-eyes-new-hydro-megadams-soaring-power-demands

5.      Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Dreams Stretch Over Half a Century (Alaska Beacon)

https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/06/17/alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-dreams-stretch-over-half-a-century/

6.      WA State: Helion Secures Key Licenses for Malaga Fusion Plant (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/helion-fusion-licenses-malaga/

7.      Scammers Renew Grays Harbor PUD Power Shutoff Threats (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/scammers-renew-grays-harbor-pud-power-shutoff-threats,404216?

8.      Is New England’s New Hydropower Transmission Line Paying Off? (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/transmission/new-england-hydropower-transmission-line

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

9.      Oregon, Washington Win Suit Against Trump Memo Pausing Wind Energy Permits (AOL News)

https://www.aol.com/articles/oregon-washington-win-suit-against-234954000.html

10.   Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel More Offshore Wind Leases (The Independent, OK – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-administration-to-pay-765m-to-cancel-more-offshore-wind-leases/ar-AA25TDwr

Conservation & Efficiency

11.   Heat Pump Shipments Rise Through April, With More Use for Both Heating & Cooling (Utility Dive)

https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/heat-pump-shipments-rise-through-april-with-more-use-for-both-heating-and/823023/

Water, Water, Anywhere?

12.   Ninth Circuit Sides with Yurok Tribe Over Klamath Irrigation Project (Courthouse News Service)

https://courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-sides-with-yurok-tribe-over-klamath-irrigation-project/

London Calling –Telecommunications

13.   Fiber Optic Installations Wreak Havoc in Billings & Nationwide (KTVQ-TV, Billings, MT)

https://www.ktvq.com/news/fiber-optic-installations-wreak-havoc-in-billings-and-nationwide

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

14.   Microsoft Sued by Shareholders Over Expenses, Cloud Business, Artificial Intelligence (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/microsoft-sued-by-shareholders-over-expenses-cloud-business-ai-2026-06-15/

HAL’s Internet Café

15.   Spokane Council Delays Data Center Moratorium Until at Least Next Week (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jun/15/spokane-council-delays-data-center-moratorium-unti/

16.   Artificial Intelligence Firms Are Getting Creative as They Scramble for Energy (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/data-centers/ai-energy-gas-turbines-space-underwater

17.   Insight: Fast-Tracked Power Plants Fuel Artificial Intelligence Boom, With Little Public Scrutiny (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/fast-tracked-power-plants-fuel-ai-boom-with-little-public-scrutiny-2026-06-16/

I Sing the Car Electric

18.   Eugene Water & Electric Board Puts the Brakes on Its E-Bike Rebate Program (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/14/eweb-e-bike-rebate-program/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

19.   Grant PUD Considers Rounding Customer Bills to Nearest Dollar After Penny Discontinued (Source ONE News, Ephrata, WA)

https://www.yoursourceone.com/columbia_basin/grant-pud-considers-rounding-customer-bills-to-nearest-dollar-after-penny-discontinued/article_de7dd55a-f1cf-4396-a77a-eb8025fa34f3.html

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

20.   Look Up at the Night Sky on Wednesday for a Mini-Planetary Alignment (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/wednesday-mini-planetary-alignment-northern-california/71616675

Other Things to Know About Today

21.   Oregon Wildfire Emergency Declared as Fire Danger Rises (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/oregon-wildfire-emergency-declared-as-fire-danger-rises/article_ef3dbcd6-f8aa-4d95-9cf4-e73e13f61cda.html

22.   Idaho Gov. Little Says State Is Preparing for Challenging Wildfire Season as Fund Drops to $0 (Idaho Capital Sun)

https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/06/16/idaho-gov-little-says-state-is-preparing-for-challenging-wildfire-season-as-fund-drops-to-0/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Boston Bars Say Scottish Soccer Fans Are Drinking Them Dry

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/17/FIFA-World-Cup-Boston-beer-Scottish-fans/4951781718261/

Seattle Debuts Its First-Ever Drone Scoreboard for World Cup Matches

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/seattle-debuts-its-first-ever-drone-scoreboard-world-cup-matches/OXS3MYVBJFFPNL6GUJ37OYILRY/

Luke’s ‘Empire’ Lightsaber, ‘Wizard of Oz’ Witch Hat & Lebowski Rugs Going Up for Auction

https://apnews.com/article/light-saber-auction-luke-wonka-oz-lebowski-79e15f7e9e5b2ca1915302c5239e9975

German Man Assembles World's Largest Lego Sausage

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/16/germany-Guinness-World-Records-Lego-sausage/8101781627006/

Song of the Day

Tom T. Hall – I Like Beer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWLInGb2NhM

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken links.

Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.

The Energy News Digest for June 15, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest. 

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

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

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

NWPPA’s Manager as Leader Series Heads to Vancouver, Washington

All courses in NWPPA’s Manager as Leader Series will be coming to Vancouver, Washington, as two-part workshops this year. Own Your Role and Build Thriving Relationships will be Aug. 5-6, Interact With Impact and Lead Change will be Oct. 7-8, and Lead Teams and Coach for Success will be Dec. 1-2. These workshops are designed to ignite, inspire, and nurture the leader mindset within you. Register by next Monday, June 22, to get the early-bird rate for the August workshop.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

WA Supreme Court Weighs If Huge Wind Farm by Tri-Cities Lawfully Approved (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/wa-supreme-court-weighs-huge-175111071.html

Avista Puts Spokane Data Center Negotiations on Pause (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jun/12/avista-puts-data-center-negotiations-on-pause/

‘It’s Going to Kill Us.’ Electric Utility’s Latest Rate Hike Request Especially Steep for Wyoming Ag Irrigators (Wyofile)

https://wyofile.com/its-going-to-kill-us-electric-utilitys-latest-rate-hike-request-especially-steep-for-wyoming-ag-irrigators/

Parasite Thriving in Warming Waters of Upper Klamath River Killing Off Young Chinook Salmon (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/06/12/repub/parasite-thriving-in-warming-waters-of-upper-klamath-river-killing-off-young-chinook-salmon/

Oregon Drought Emergencies Spread to Nearly Half of Counties as Wildfire Season Looms (The Oregonian, OR – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/oregon-drought-emergencies-spread-nearly-155601445.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      ‘It’s Going to Kill Us.’ Electric Utility’s Latest Rate Hike Request Especially Steep for Wyoming Ag Irrigators

2.      Wyoming Lawmakers Mull Electric Generation Tax to Address Average Customers’ Rising Bills

3.      Another Delay in Land Deal for $1.5 Billion Richland Fertilizer Plant – Seeks 1,300-Megawatt Intertie with the Bonneville Power Administration

4.      DOE Extends TransAlta Centralia Unit 2 Emergency Order

5.      San Francisco Has Been Trying to Leave Pacific Gas & Electric for 100 Years. Will This Time Be Different?

6.      Idaho Power to Relicense Cascade Dam Power Plant

7.      Canadian Energy: Transmission Projects Bolster New York, New England Summer Reliability: NPCC

8.      WA Supreme Court Weighs If Huge Wind Farm by Tri-Cities Lawfully Approved

9.      Renewable Energy Groups Sue Pentagon Over ‘Existential Threat’ to Wind Industry

10.   Largest Wind Farm in the United States Slated to Begin Commercial Operations

11.   Hotter Oregon Summers Mean More Air Conditioners All Across the State

12.   Sonoma Clean Power Aims for 1,000 No-Cost Smart Thermostats Amid Virtual Power Plant Push

13.   Parasite Thriving in Warming Waters of Upper Klamath River Killing Off Young Chinook Salmon

14.   Plan to Kill 450,000 Barred Owls on West Coast Apparently Underway

15.   President Trump Opens Up Pacific Marine National Monuments to Commercial Fishing

16.   Oregon Drought Emergencies Spread to Nearly Half of Counties as Wildfire Season Looms

17.   Portland Firefighters Back Ballot Initiative to Fund More Police with Climate Money

18.   FCC Signals Intent to Regulate Public Power Pole Attachments

19.   Musk's Starlink Hooked Rural Customers. Then Came the Price Increases.

20.   Avista Puts Spokane Data Center Negotiations on Pause

21.   More to Every Story: Utility Workers See Potential Eastern Washington Data Center as Opportunity

22.   Mr. Wonderful Is Wounded in the Battle Over His Massive Utah Data Center

23.   The Theory Taking the Rich by Storm: China Funds Data Center Haters

24.   Amid Wildfire Season, Pacific Northwest U.S. Senators Call for Public Information Officers to Be Reinstated

25.   Lawmakers Fight to Stop the Trump Administration’s Dismantling of a $386M Ocean Observatory Project

26.   Meteor Clouds

27.   U.S. House Appropriations Committee Approves FEMA, LIHEAP Funding Bills

28.   U.S. Senate Committee Approves Hydropower Bill Supported by APPA

29.   Proposed Changes to How USPS Handles Mail-In Ballots Could Impact Washington Elections

30.   WA State: Wildfires Erupt Across Columbia Basin, Prompting Evacs & Closures

31.   Portland Breaks Record with 2026’s First Heat Wave

32.   Western WA Heat Wave: 90 Degree-Day Prompts Heat Advisory During First Seattle World Cup Match

33.   El Niño Is Officially Here, Bringing Domino Weather Effects Across the Planet

34.   Guest Essay: The Bipartisan Wildfire Bill Is Ready. Oregon’s U.S. Senators Should Help Pass It.

35.   The Columbia-Snake River Is a Lifeline for Idaho’s Farmers – Now It Needs Their Help

Word of the Day

Dolce \dol-CHAY\ Adjective - Soft, smooth; used as a direction in music.

“Hello friends,” drawled the smarmy weatherman in his dolce tones; honey dripping from each word. “I’ll be back with MY forecast later in the show.”

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      ‘It’s Going to Kill Us.’ Electric Utility’s Latest Rate Hike Request Especially Steep for Wyoming Ag Irrigators (Wyofile)

https://wyofile.com/its-going-to-kill-us-electric-utilitys-latest-rate-hike-request-especially-steep-for-wyoming-ag-irrigators/

2.      Wyoming Lawmakers Mull Electric Generation Tax to Address Average Customers’ Rising Bills (Wyofile)

https://wyofile.com/wyoming-lawmakers-mull-electric-generation-tax-to-address-average-customers-rising-bills/

3.      Another Delay in Land Deal for $1.5 Billion Richland Fertilizer Plant – Seeks 1,300-Megawatt Intertie with the Bonneville Power Administration (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/another-delay-land-deal-1-120000205.html

4.      DOE Extends TransAlta Centralia Unit 2 Emergency Order (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-transalta-centralia-emergency-order-coal/822885/

5.      San Francisco Has Been Trying to Leave Pacific Gas & Electric for 100 Years. Will This Time Be Different? (KQED Radio, San Francisco, CA)

https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different

6.      Idaho Power to Relicense Cascade Dam Power Plant (Idaho County Free Press, Grangeville, ID)

https://www.idahocountyfreepress.com/news/regional/idaho-power-to-relicense-cascade-dam-power-plant/article_66721b06-f417-47d9-a078-60aa73f24910.html

7.      Canadian Energy: Transmission Projects Bolster New York, New England Summer Reliability: NPCC (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/transmission-projects-new-york-new-england-summer-reliability-npc/822623/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

8.      WA Supreme Court Weighs If Huge Wind Farm by Tri-Cities Lawfully Approved (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/wa-supreme-court-weighs-huge-175111071.html

9.      Renewable Energy Groups Sue Pentagon Over ‘Existential Threat’ to Wind Industry (Austin American-Statesman, TX – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.statesman.com/business/article/wind-farms-pentagon-renewable-energy-lawsuit-22302783.php

10.   Largest Wind Farm in the United States Slated to Begin Commercial Operations (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67766

Conservation & Efficiency

11.   Hotter Oregon Summers Mean More Air Conditioners All Across the State (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/hotter-oregon-summers-mean-more-air-conditioners-all-across-the-state/ar-AA25CdVb

12.   Sonoma Clean Power Aims for 1,000 No-Cost Smart Thermostats Amid Virtual Power Plant Push (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/sonoma-clean-power-aims-for-1000-no-cost-smart-thermostats-amid-vpp-push/822515/

Fish & Wildlife

13.   Parasite Thriving in Warming Waters of Upper Klamath River Killing Off Young Chinook Salmon (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/06/12/repub/parasite-thriving-in-warming-waters-of-upper-klamath-river-killing-off-young-chinook-salmon/

14.   Plan to Kill 450,000 Barred Owls on West Coast Apparently Underway (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/plan-kill-450-000-barred-164108011.html

15.   President Trump Opens Up Pacific Marine National Monuments to Commercial Fishing (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-opens-pacific-marine-national-212006104.html

Water, Water, Anywhere?

16.   Oregon Drought Emergencies Spread to Nearly Half of Counties as Wildfire Season Looms (The Oregonian, OR – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/oregon-drought-emergencies-spread-nearly-155601445.html

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

17.   Portland Firefighters Back Ballot Initiative to Fund More Police with Climate Money (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/portland-firefighters-back-ballot-initiative-fund-police-with-climate-money/283-cd33abab-7d89-436e-a21e-970a14f2ed90

London Calling –Telecommunications

18.   FCC Signals Intent to Regulate Public Power Pole Attachments (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/fcc-signals-intent-regulate-public-power-pole-attachments

19.   Musk's Starlink Hooked Rural Customers. Then Came the Price Increases. (Washington Post – Via Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/musks-starlink-hooked-rural-customers-then-came-the-price-increases-153252701.html

HAL’s Internet Café

20.   Avista Puts Spokane Data Center Negotiations on Pause (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jun/12/avista-puts-data-center-negotiations-on-pause/

21.   More to Every Story: Utility Workers See Potential Eastern Washington Data Center as Opportunity (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/more-to-every-story-utility-workers-see-potential-eastern-washington-data-center-as-opportunity/293-82b3c888-9f2a-4baa-9c26-ceb013378fa1

22.   Mr. Wonderful Is Wounded in the Battle Over His Massive Utah Data Center (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/mr-wonderful-is-wounded-in-the-battle-over-his-massive-utah-data-center-2000767759

23.   The Theory Taking the Rich by Storm: China Funds Data Center Haters (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/10/nx-s1-5844328/us-china-data-centers-foreign-influence

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

24.   Amid Wildfire Season, Pacific Northwest U.S. Senators Call for Public Information Officers to Be Reinstated (PNW Ag Network)

https://pnwag.net/call-for-pios-reinstated/

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

25.   Lawmakers Fight to Stop the Trump Administration’s Dismantling of a $386M Ocean Observatory Project (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ocean-observatories-initiative-trump-congress-9b306cb05ec3c824f5e034821add6ad2

26.   Meteor Clouds (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/06/meteor-clouds.html

Politics, Governance, and Management

27.   U.S. House Appropriations Committee Approves FEMA, LIHEAP Funding Bills (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/house-appropriations-committee-approves-fema-liheap-funding-bills

28.   U.S. Senate Committee Approves Hydropower Bill Supported by APPA (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/senate-committee-approves-hydropower-bill-supported-appa

29.   Proposed Changes to How USPS Handles Mail-In Ballots Could Impact Washington Elections (Inlander)

https://www.inlander.com/news/proposed-changes-to-how-usps-handles-mail-in-ballots-could-impact-washington-elections/article_94ef74d6-e48e-4b40-a1d9-4780828ba3f1.html

Other Things to Know About Today

30.   WA State: Wildfires Erupt Across Columbia Basin, Prompting Evacs & Closures (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.triyaknews.com/features/wildfires-erupt-across-columbia-basin-prompting-evacs-closures/article_09c0ca96-1baa-4779-8276-d4ce3a4e6873.html

31.   Portland Breaks Record with 2026’s First Heat Wave (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/weather/2026/06/portland-breaks-record-with-2024s-first-heat-wave.html

32.   Western WA Heat Wave: 90 Degree-Day Prompts Heat Advisory During First Seattle World Cup Match (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/90-degree-heat/4248114

33.   El Niño Is Officially Here, Bringing Domino Weather Effects Across the Planet (Washington Post – Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/el-ni%C3%B1o-is-officially-here-bringing-domino-weather-effects-across-the-planet/ar-AA25oE7h

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

34.   Guest Essay: The Bipartisan Wildfire Bill Is Ready. Oregon’s U.S. Senators Should Help Pass It. (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/5918154-wildfire-legislation-federal-forests/

35.   The Columbia-Snake River Is a Lifeline for Idaho’s Farmers – Now It Needs Their Help (Links to PDF File, Go to Pg. 20 – Idaho Grain Producers Association)

https://www.idahograin.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IG_Summer26_Web.pdf

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Squirrel Poop Dating Back to the Last Ice Age Is Full of Mammoth, Horse DNA

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/frozen-squirrel-poop-9.7230087

Idaho Man Juggles Flaming Torches for Over Six Minutes

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/12/Guinness-World-Records-David-Rush-flaming-torches/9671781275555/

Marilyn Monroe Impersonators Break World Record in California

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/06/11/Guinness-World-Records-Marilyn-Monroe-gathering/2761781197691/

A Rare First Edition of 'Wuthering Heights' Complete with Spelling Mistakes Is Up for Auction

https://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/a-rare-first-edition-of-wuthering-heights-a22305972

Song of the Day

Marilyn Monroe – Heat Wave

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

Links & Paywall Advisory

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations frequently update their websites, which can cause broken links.

Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.