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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
U.S. Senator
Murkowski (AK) Explores Nuclear Energy Options for Alaska Communities (The
Cordoba Times, AK)
Many Rate Hikes in
Store for Seattle City Light Customers (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_ce27b61d-aa47-436e-b1b2-3bf83ed0b28e.html
U.S. to Pay French
Company $1 Billion to Scrap Offshore Wind Projects (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-administration-totalenergies-offshore-wind-9.7139677?cmp=rss
Trump
Administration Bans Import of New Foreign-Made Routers, Citing Supply Chain
& Security Risks (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/trump-administration-bans-import-of-new-a22093729
Meta, Google Lose U.S.
Case Over Social Media Harm to Kids (Yahoo! News)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. U.S.
Senator Murkowski (AK) Explores Nuclear Energy Options for Alaska Communities
2. Montana
Senator Daines Supports Nuclear Development
3. Many
Rate Hikes in Store for Seattle City Light Customers
4. Proposed
Bill Aims to Cut California Electricity Rates 30% by 2028
5. Video:
Chelan PUD Spending Jumps for Job Training Program
6. Missouri:
Man Electrocuted While Attempting to Cut Copper Wire Near Labadie Power Plant,
Deputies Say
7. Building
Infrastructure: Inside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hydropower Mission
8. Better
Grid Utilization Could Save Customers $170 Billion: Brattle Report
9. U.S.
to Pay French Company $1 Billion to Scrap Offshore Wind Projects
10. Wyoming:
Mills Mayor Frustrated Giant Solar Project Has Been Scaled Back, Delayed 3
Years
11. Britain
Responds to Iran War Energy Shock by Requiring Solar Panels & Heat Pumps in
All New Homes
12. What
Whale Watching Week in Oregon Can Tell Us About Climate Change
13. Winemakers
Have to Adapt as Oregon’s Wine Country Heats Up
14. Analysis
Suggests Starlink Requirements Could Cost Some Homeowners $10K–$50K
15. WA
State: City of Algona Suspends Fiber Optic Cable Installation Following Second
Gas Line Rupture
16. Trump
Administration Bans Import of New Foreign-Made Routers, Citing Supply Chain
& Security Risks
17. One
Idea to Reduce Data Centers’ Load on the Energy Grid? Send Them to Space
18. Portland
Launching Rebates for 6,000 E-Bikes: Who’s Eligible
19. Meta,
Google Lose U.S. Case Over Social Media Harm to Kids
20. Scientists
Must Speak Clearly, Especially in Court: Five Tips for Clear Communication
21. U.S.
Supreme Court Justices Appear Skeptical of Late Mail-In Ballot Deadlines
22. Rounding
Out Debate, Ferguson Signs Bill Addressing Washington Retailers’ Penny Problem
23. What
Is a ‘Super El Niño’? Scientists Predict Record-Breaking Climate Event This
Year
24.
These Nuclear Reactors Can Benefit Idaho, Power
America’s Ambitions
Word of the Day
Puckish \PUCK-ish\ Adjective – Impish, whimsical.
In an ironic twist, the retired hockey player became a commentator for the Montreal Canadiens. It was there that he became well known for his ‘puckish’ sense of humor.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1. U.S.
Senator Murkowski (AK) Explores Nuclear Energy Options for Alaska Communities (The
Cordoba Times, AK)
2.
Montana Senator Daines Supports Nuclear
Development (KYFR-TV, Bismarck, ND)
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2026/03/24/montana-senator-daines-supports-nuclear-development/
3.
Many Rate Hikes in Store for Seattle City Light Customers
(The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_ce27b61d-aa47-436e-b1b2-3bf83ed0b28e.html
4. Proposed
Bill Aims to Cut California Electricity Rates 30% by 2028 (Allen Media
Broadcasting, Chico, CA)
5.
Video: Chelan PUD Spending Jumps for Job
Training Program (NCW News, East Wenatchee, WA)
6.
Missouri: Man Electrocuted While Attempting to Cut
Copper Wire Near Labadie Power Plant, Deputies Say (KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO)
7.
Building Infrastructure: Inside the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers’ Hydropower Mission (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
8.
Better Grid Utilization Could Save Customers $170
Billion: Brattle Report (Utility Dive)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
9.
U.S. to Pay French Company $1 Billion to Scrap
Offshore Wind Projects (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-administration-totalenergies-offshore-wind-9.7139677?cmp=rss
10.
Wyoming: Mills Mayor Frustrated Giant Solar
Project Has Been Scaled Back, Delayed 3 Years (Cowboy State Daily)
Conservation &
Efficiency
11.
Britain Responds to Iran War Energy Shock by Requiring
Solar Panels & Heat Pumps in All New Homes (CNBC News)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/24/iran-war-britain-new-homes-solar-heat-pumps-energy-crisis.html
Fish & Wildlife
12.
What Whale Watching Week in Oregon Can Tell Us
About Climate Change (Oregon Public Radio)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/24/whale-watching-week-oregon-climate-change/
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
13.
Winemakers Have to Adapt as Oregon’s Wine
Country Heats Up (Marketplace, American Public Media)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
14.
Analysis Suggests Starlink Requirements Could
Cost Some Homeowners $10K–$50K (Telecompetitor)
15.
WA State: City of Algona Suspends Fiber Optic
Cable Installation Following Second Gas Line Rupture (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
16.
Trump Administration Bans Import of New
Foreign-Made Routers, Citing Supply Chain & Security Risks (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/trump-administration-bans-import-of-new-a22093729
HAL’s Internet Café
17.
One Idea to Reduce Data Centers’ Load on the Energy
Grid? Send Them to Space (National Public Radio)
I Sing the Car Electric
18.
Portland Launching Rebates for 6,000 E-Bikes: Who’s
Eligible (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Via MSN News)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
19.
Meta, Google Lose U.S. Case Over Social Media
Harm to Kids (Yahoo! News)
20.
Scientists Must Speak Clearly, Especially in
Court: Five Tips for Clear Communication (Union of Concerned Scientists)
Politics, Governance, and Management
21.
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Appear Skeptical of
Late Mail-In Ballot Deadlines (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_ce95ee78-9701-48c1-9783-29592d750d3c.html
22.
Rounding Out Debate, Ferguson Signs Bill
Addressing Washington Retailers’ Penny Problem (Washington State Standard)
Other Things to Know
About Today
23.
What Is a ‘Super El Niño’? Scientists Predict
Record-Breaking Climate Event This Year (The Independent, UK)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/super-el-ni-o-could-002635061.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
24.
These Nuclear Reactors Can Benefit Idaho, Power America’s
Ambitions (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nuclear-reactors-benefit-idaho-power-100000094.html
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Therapy Llamas at Portland
Airport Are Going Viral
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/22/these-therapy-llamas-at-portland-airport-are-going/
An Austrian Man
Sticks Balloons Up His Nose for World Record
Florida Hospital Sues to Evict a Patient Who Won’t Leave Room Five Months After Discharge
Longest Line at Philly
Airport? Cheesesteaks, Not Security
https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-chee
Song of the Day
Nana – 99
Luftballons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMSlTQmDLx4
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
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