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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Bonneville
Power Administration Asks to Hike Its Electricity Rates by 6.3% (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Winter
Heating Costs Projected to Jump Nearly 9 Percent Over Last Year (Daily Energy
Insider)
California:
Vistra’s Moss Landing Grid Battery Is on Fire Yet Again (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/vistra-moss-landing-on-fire-again
Microsoft
Exec Called Artificial Intelligence Scraping The ‘Largest Theft of Labor in
Human History’ (Ars Technica)
State of
Emergency Declared for All of California Ahead of Strong El Niño Forecast
(KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Bonneville Power Administration Asks to Hike Its
Electricity Rates by 6.3%
2.
Court-Ordered Dam Spill for Salmon Leads Bonneville
Power to Propose Sweeping Rate Hike
3.
Oregon Governor Blames Trump for Proposed $250
Million Bonneville Power Administration Rate Increase
4.
Restricted Communications in Effect for the Bonneville
Power Administration’s BP-27 Power Rate Case
5.
Winter Heating Costs Projected to Jump Nearly 9
Percent Over Last Year
6.
WA State: Voter-Approved Natural Gas Initiative
Struck Down by State Supreme Court
7.
National Hydropower Association Applauds Senate Passage
of Hydropower Licensing Bill
8.
Colorado: Squirrel Blamed for Knocking Out Power
to Entire Town
9.
California: Vistra’s Moss Landing Grid Battery
Is on Fire Yet Again
10.
Mazama Energy Raises $135 Million for Superhot
Geothermal at Oregon Volcano
11.
Here’s What California Is Learning from Solar
Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals
12.
Renewable Energy and the Period of Lowest
Electricity Demand of the Year
13.
Trump Administration Says Developers, Loggers
Can Kill Endangered Species
14.
Map: Carbon Dioxide Emissions by State
15.
Colorado Has a New, Voluntary Program to
Conserve Colorado River Water. Farmers Are Wary.
16.
River Flows Were Among Driest in Decades In
2025, World Meteorological Organization Says
17.
Broadband Deserts Hinder Telehealth Access,
Especially in Rural Areas
18.
NRECA Calls on NTIA to Fix ‘Misguided’ Approach
to Broadband Funding Program
19.
Path Taken for Successful Transition to Fiber
Detailed by Idaho Falls Fiber General Manager
20.
What the FCC’s Revised Broadband Facts Labels
Mean for Pricing, Accessibility & Shoppers
21.
Microsoft Exec Called Artificial Intelligence Scraping
The ‘Largest Theft of Labor in Human History’
22.
California: Gov. Newsom Signs Seven Bills Aimed at
Regulating Data Centers
23.
U.S. House Passes Ratepayer Protection Bill to Limit
Data Center Cost Shifts
24.
Which County Has the Most Data Centers in Oregon?
25.
This Artificial Intelligence Agent Has Written
Thousands of Alaska News Articles. We Interviewed It.
26.
President Trump Proposes Artificial Intelligence
Force, New AI Czar Amid Calls for Oversight
27.
California Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill to Create California
PUC Inspector General
28.
Judge Rules EPA Illegally Terminated $7 Billion
Solar Program Intended to Help Poorer Americans
29.
State of Emergency Declared for All of California
Ahead of Strong El Niño Forecast
30.
Chelan Hills Fire Update: U.S. Marshals Arrest
Multiple Suspects in Western WA
31.
Diesel — The Fuel the U.S. Economy Runs On —
Hits Record High
32. Forest
Grove Light & Power Department Director Details Project to Boost
Resilience, Work with Data Center Developer
Word of the Day
Foozle \FOO-zul\ Verb – To manage or play awkwardly: bungle.
Watching Abercrombie in aerobics class was like watching a large, ponderous bear attempt ballet…only not as good. Just about every move barked out by the harridan leading the class led to a foozled step by Abercrombie. Many times, he endangered his fellow classmates with flailing arms or a mistaken left step when a right one was ordered.
1.
Bonneville Power Administration Asks to Hike Its
Electricity Rates by 6.3% (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
2. Court-Ordered
Dam Spill for Salmon Leads Bonneville Power to Propose Sweeping Rate Hike (KGW-TV,
Portland, OR)
3. Oregon
Governor Blames Trump for Proposed $250 Million Bonneville Power Administration
Rate Increase (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
4.
Restricted Communications in Effect for the Bonneville
Power Administration’s BP-27 Power Rate Case (Bonneville Power Administration)
5.
Winter Heating Costs Projected to Jump Nearly 9
Percent Over Last Year (Daily Energy Insider)
6.
WA State: Voter-Approved Natural Gas Initiative
Struck Down by State Supreme Court (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
7. National
Hydropower Association Applauds Senate Passage of Hydropower Licensing Bill (Daily
Energy Insider)
8. Colorado:
Squirrel Blamed for Knocking Out Power to Entire Town (KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)
https://www.kmvt.com/2026/09/21/squirrel-blamed-knocking-out-power-entire-town/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9.
California: Vistra’s Moss Landing Grid Battery
Is on Fire Yet Again (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/vistra-moss-landing-on-fire-again
10. Mazama
Energy Raises $135 Million for Superhot Geothermal at Oregon Volcano (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/geothermal/mazama-energy-raises-135m-oregon-geothermal
11. Here’s
What California Is Learning from Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals (KQED
Radio, San Francisco, CA)
12. Renewable
Energy and the Period of Lowest Electricity Demand of the Year (Cliff Mass
Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/09/renewable-energy-and-period-of-lowest.html
Fish
& Wildlife
13. Trump
Administration Says Developers, Loggers Can Kill Endangered Species (States
Newsroom)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
14. Map:
Carbon Dioxide Emissions by State (Governing)
https://www.governing.com/map-of-the-day/map-co2-emissions-by-state
Water,
Water Anywhere?
15. Colorado
Has a New, Voluntary Program to Conserve Colorado River Water. Farmers Are
Wary. (Utah News Dispatch)
16. River
Flows Were Among Driest in Decades In 2025, World Meteorological Organization Says
(Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/river-flows-were-among-driest-040156891.html
London
Calling –Telecommunications
17. Broadband
Deserts Hinder Telehealth Access, Especially in Rural Areas (Tech Target)
18. NRECA
Calls on NTIA to Fix ‘Misguided’ Approach to Broadband Funding Program
(National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/nreca-calls-on-ntia-to-fix-misguided-approach-to-broadband-funding-program
19. Path
Taken for Successful Transition to Fiber Detailed by Idaho Falls Fiber General
Manager (American Public Power Association)
20. What
the FCC’s Revised Broadband Facts Labels Mean for Pricing, Accessibility &
Shoppers (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
HAL’s
Internet Café
22.
California: Gov. Newsom Signs Seven Bills Aimed at
Regulating Data Centers (KRCR-TV, Redding, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/california-gavin-newsom-data-centers-bills/73823976
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
23. U.S.
House Passes Ratepayer Protection Bill to Limit Data Center Cost Shifts (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/house-passes-ratepayer-protection-bill-data-centers/830658/
24. Which
County Has the Most Data Centers in Oregon? (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25. This
Artificial Intelligence Agent Has Written Thousands of Alaska News Articles. We
Interviewed It. (Anchorage Press, AK)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
26. President
Trump Proposes Artificial Intelligence Force, New AI Czar Amid Calls for
Oversight (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/trump-proposes-ai-force-czar-amid-oversight-calls/73816758
27. California
Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill to Create California PUC Inspector General (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/newsom-vetoes-california-puc-bill/830864/
28. Judge
Rules EPA Illegally Terminated $7 Billion Solar Program Intended to Help Poorer
Americans (Associated Press)
Other
Things to Know About Today
30. Chelan
Hills Fire Update: U.S. Marshals Arrest Multiple Suspects in Western WA (KCPQ-TV,
Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/chelan-hills-fire-arrest-suspects
31. Diesel
— The Fuel the U.S. Economy Runs On — Hits Record High (National Public Radio)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
32.
Forest Grove Light & Power Department
Director Details Project to Boost Resilience, Work with Data Center Developer (American
Public Power Association)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1452280/episodes/19833264
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Star Wars Fans Learn to Duel
Like a Jedi in Lightsaber Combat Class (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/star-wars-light-saber-class/73807890
Scientists Heard a Knock at the Door. It Was a Pelican
in Need of Help.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/scientists-heard-knock-door-pelican-100000948.html
Meet Leopardus Tilcayo: How Scientists
Identified the First New Cat Species in 100 Years
Painting Purchased for $30 at Estate Sale Expected to Fetch Up to $250,000
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/09/18/painting-estate-sale-Gertrude-Abercrombie/3931789753677/
Song of the Day
John Williams – The Training of a Jedi Knight
(Empire Strikes Back Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39a6V839uM
Roll the Credits…
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Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits The Energy News Digest.
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