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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits The Energy News Digest.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Nepal Teams Seek
Hundreds Trapped in Hydropower Tunnels After Deadly Floods (The Guardian, UK)
Wildfire in
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Is Now Top Priority in the Nation (KING-TV,
Seattle, WA)
President Trump
Declares Emergency, Moves to Block Some Foreign-Made Equipment from Grid
(Utility Dive)
U.S. Says Chinese
Hackers Broke into Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve, Senate (Reuters –
Via Yahoo! News)
Oregon: E-Bike
Injuries Up 250% in Eugene Area as Popularity, Complaints Surge (Eugene
Register-Guard, OR – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/e-bike-injuries-250-eugene-110110251.html
News Highlights (See Stories Below)
1. Nepal Teams Seek Hundreds Trapped in Hydropower Tunnels
After Deadly Floods
2. President Trump Declares Emergency, Moves to Block Some
Foreign-Made Equipment from Grid
3. Montana: NorthWestern Customers Report ‘Significant
Increase’ in Bills; PSC Reviewing Complaints
4. ‘I Saw the Dust Kick Up’: Worker Says He Was Inches from
Bullet After Man Allegedly Shot at Tree Removal Crew
5. WA State: City of Lacey Underestimates Power Bill by $1.7
Million. What Caused the Spike?
6. Army to Spend $2 Billion to Build Nuclear Microreactors at
5 Bases as U.S. Seeks to Ramp Up Nuclear Power
7. The Northwest Power & Conservation Council Requests
Public Comment on Its Draft Ninth Power Plan by October 16.
8. Collaboration Could Be a Win-Win for Cascading Hydropower
9. Engineers Sent Robotic ‘Sensor Fish’ Through a Columbia
River Dam, Then Subjected 5,767 Young Salmon to the Same Pressure Drop —
Revealing That Turbine Blades Are Rarely What Kill Them
10. Quagga Mussels Detected Again in Idaho, But Numbers Are
Down as Ag Department Makes Eradication Push
11. Yellowstone National Park to Conduct Invasive Species
Removal to Preserve Cutthroat Trout
12. WA State: ‘This Event Looks to Be Extreme’: Low Oxygen
Linked to ‘Extensive’ Hood Canal Fish Kill
13. Skagit PUD Program Shares Surplus Water Rights with
Farmers. Should It Continue?
14. California Lawmakers Reach Deal in High-Stakes Fight Over
Regulating Data Centers
15. U.S. Says Chinese Hackers Broke into Justice Department,
NASA, Federal Reserve, Senate
16. Artificial Intelligence Agents Are Hacking Without Human
Oversight. How Did We Get Here?
17. Tim Cook Shares Emotional Farewell on Final Day as Apple
CEO
18. Oregon: E-Bike Injuries Up 250% in Eugene Area as
Popularity, Complaints Surge
19. British Columbia: Electric Vehicle Charger Thefts on the
Rise as Value of Copper Reaches Record High
20. Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks Will Be Able to Run from Baja to
Canada, West Coast Leaders Pledge
21. California Sues Trump Administration Over Offshore Wind
Payments
22. California Lawmakers Strike Wildfire Deal That Leaves Out
Most of Newsom’s Big Demands
23. Thousands of State Workers Set to Walk Out Monday as
Contract Talks Stall
24. Wildfire in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Is Now Top
Priority in the Nation
25. With Cool/Wet Weather Ahead, The Wildfire Threat Will
Rapidly Decline over the Pacific Northwest
26. Old Farmer’s Almanac 2026 Forecasts ‘Mostly Mild’ Winter
27. Wooden versus Metal Poles
Word of the Day
Sangfroid \sawn-FWAH\ Noun – Self-possession or imperturbability, especially under strain – Etymology: French sang-froid, literally, cold blood
“Watch what happens when I open this breaker,” cackled the scientist. Instantly, the entire eastern seaboard went dark, sparking a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission study into the hiring of “mad scientists with sangfroid tendencies.” Unfortunately, it also spawned 250 new regulations as part of the National Energy Reliability Corporation’s rule-making activities.
1. Nepal
Teams Seek Hundreds Trapped in Hydropower Tunnels After Deadly Floods (The
Guardian, UK)
2. President
Trump Declares Emergency, Moves to Block Some Foreign-Made Equipment from Grid
(Utility Dive)
3. Montana:
NorthWestern Customers Report ‘Significant Increase’ in Bills; PSC Reviewing
Complaints (The Daily Montanan)
4. ‘I
Saw the Dust Kick Up’: Worker Says He Was Inches from Bullet After Man
Allegedly Shot at Tree Removal Crew (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
5. WA
State: City of Lacey Underestimates Power Bill by $1.7 Million. What Caused the
Spike? (The Olympian, WA – Via MSN News)
6. Army
to Spend $2 Billion to Build Nuclear Microreactors at 5 Bases as U.S. Seeks to Ramp
Up Nuclear Power (ABC News)
https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/army-spend-2b-build-nuclear-microreactors-5-bases-135985595
7. The
Northwest Power & Conservation Council Requests Public Comment on Its Draft
Ninth Power Plan by October 16. (Northwest Power & Conservation Council)
https://www.nwcouncil.org/energy/ninthpowerplan/
8. Collaboration
Could Be a Win-Win for Cascading Hydropower (National Laboratory of the Rockies)
Fish
& Wildlife
9. Engineers
Sent Robotic ‘Sensor Fish’ Through a Columbia River Dam, Then Subjected 5,767
Young Salmon to the Same Pressure Drop — Revealing That Turbine Blades Are
Rarely What Kill Them (Space Daily)
10. Quagga
Mussels Detected Again in Idaho, But Numbers Are Down as Ag Department Makes
Eradication Push (Washington State Standard)
11. Yellowstone
National Park to Conduct Invasive Species Removal to Preserve Cutthroat Trout (Idaho
Capital Sun)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
12. WA
State: ‘This Event Looks to Be Extreme’: Low Oxygen Linked to ‘Extensive’ Hood
Canal Fish Kill (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Water,
Water Anywhere?
13. Skagit
PUD Program Shares Surplus Water Rights with Farmers. Should It Continue? (Cascadia
Daily News)
HAL’s
Internet Café
14. California
Lawmakers Reach Deal in High-Stakes Fight Over Regulating Data Centers (Los
Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/california-lawmakers-reach-deal-high-212527708.html
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
15. U.S.
Says Chinese Hackers Broke into Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve, Senate
(Reuters – Via Yahoo! News)
16. Artificial
Intelligence Agents Are Hacking Without Human Oversight. How Did We Get Here? (KCRA-TV,
Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/ai-agents-hacking-how-did-it-happen/73571406
17. Tim
Cook Shares Emotional Farewell on Final Day as Apple CEO (Mashable)
https://mashable.com/tech/tim-cook-shares-emotional-farewell-final-day-apple-ceo
I
Sing the Car Electric
18. Oregon:
E-Bike Injuries Up 250% in Eugene Area as Popularity, Complaints Surge (Eugene Register-Guard,
OR – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/e-bike-injuries-250-eugene-110110251.html
19. British
Columbia: Electric Vehicle Charger Thefts on the Rise as Value of Copper
Reaches Record High (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ev-charger-thefts-rise-9.7323039
20. Electric
Heavy-Duty Trucks Will Be Able to Run from Baja to Canada, West Coast Leaders
Pledge (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/electric-heavy-duty-trucks-able-100000966.html
Politics,
Governance, and Management
21. California
Sues Trump Administration Over Offshore Wind Payments (Utility Dive – Via Yahoo!
News)
22. California
Lawmakers Strike Wildfire Deal That Leaves Out Most of Newsom’s Big Demands (States
Newsroom)
23. Thousands
of State Workers Set to Walk Out Monday as Contract Talks Stall (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Other
Things to Know About Today
24. Wildfire
in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Is Now Top Priority in the Nation (KING-TV,
Seattle, WA)
25. With
Cool/Wet Weather Ahead, The Wildfire Threat Will Rapidly Decline over the
Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/08/with-coolwet-weather-ahead-wildfire.html
26. Old
Farmer’s Almanac 2026 Forecasts ‘Mostly Mild’ Winter (USA Today – Via Yahoo! News)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
27.
Wooden versus Metal Poles (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/08/28/wooden-versus-metal-poles/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Pope Leo Officially
Has a White Sox Pope Hat, And It’s Glorious
https://www.mlb.com/news/pope-leo-xiv-gifted-pope-hat-from-white-sox-giveaway
50,000 Cans of Pabst
Blue Ribbon Vanish in Beer Heist
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/50-000-cans-pbr-vanish-222445116.html
Finally, An Economic
Indicator You Can Eat – The Humble Corn Dog
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/30/nx-s1-5949338/finally-an-economic-indicator-you-can-eat
Five Pounds & One
Crown Heavier: We Have Our First-Ever Fat Marmot Week Winner
https://www.kcra.com/article/fat-marmot-week-2026-winner/73569881
Song of the Day
Marvin Gaye – Wherever
I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4w6bud1Mag
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