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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Wildfire Risks Are
Driving Up Costs for Northwest Utilities (Washington State Standard)
WA AG Nick Brown, UTC
Staff Raise Alarms Over $2 Billion Pacific Power Deal (KNDO & KNDU-TV,
Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
Divers Speak After
Discovering Piles of Electrocuted Fish Under I-90 Bridge (KIRO Broadcasting,
Seattle, WA)
EPA Eliminates Rule
That Limits Planet-Warming Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Plants
(Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15
Anthropic CEO Warns
Artificial Intelligence ‘Swarm’ Could Take Over Internet within 6 to 12 Months
(KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
News Highlights (See Stories Below)
1. Wildfire Risks Are Driving Up Costs for Northwest Utilities
2. WA AG Nick Brown, UTC Staff Raise Alarms Over $2 Billion
Pacific Power Deal
3. Grant PUD Eyes $43 Million in Savings Through Goldman Sachs
Power Deal
4. BPA Administrator & CEO Addresses SPP’s Markets+,
CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead Market in Letter
5. California, an Environmental Bastion, Warms to Nuclear
Energy
6. Microreactor Tests at Nevada Security Site Fuel Promise,
Questions
7. Massachusetts Utilities & Hydro-Quebec Sue Each Other
Over Missing Hydropower
8. U.S. Dams Could Unlock 15.2 Terawatt-Hours of Untapped
Hydropower
9. The Reservoirs Supplying Power to the Most Homes
10. Unplanned Power Plant Outages Fell Sharply During 2025/26
Winter Storms: FERC-NERC Report
11. Forecast Says Families Will Spend More to Heat Their Homes
This Winter
12. U.S. Energy Information Administration Expects Record
Electricity Generation in 2026 & 2027
13. ‘Slowing Things Down’: Trade Wars Hit Global
Electrification Shift
14. East Coast Energy Company Announces Geothermal Plans for
Oregon, Washington Weyerhaeuser Lands
15. An Idaho County Banned Renewables. It’s Having Second
Thoughts.
16. The Surprising Reason California Survived Record Summer
Heat without Blackouts
17. New Data Finds Pacific Northwest’s Acquisition of Energy
Efficiency Grew 14% in 2025
18. Washington State University Energy Program & KW Energy
Help Rural Homeowners Improve Energy Efficiency
19. Divers Speak After Discovering Piles of Electrocuted Fish
Under I-90 Bridge
20. Columbia River Fall Salmon Tracking Better Than Expected –
So Far, Fishing Has Been Exceptional
21. Billboard Campaign to Stop Federal Plan to Kill 450,000
Non-Native Barred Owls
22. EPA Eliminates Rule That Limits Planet-Warming Greenhouse
Gas Emissions from Power Plants
23. Global Heat Stuck on High. Scientists Say August Was
Earth’s Hottest Month They’ve Measured.
24. Aging Infrastructure, Climate Risks Shake Water Sector
Confidence: Report
25. Where Are the Missing BEAD Locations?
26. Gov. Kotek’s Push Against Data Centers Unlikely to Slow
Expansion in Eastern Oregon, Local Officials Say
27. Residents Join Together in Spokane to Discuss Data Center
Legislation
28. Developers Eye Native Nations, Tribal Communities for New
Data Center Projects
29. WA State: Quincy’s Microsoft Data Center Boom Prompts New
School, Library, Hospital, Police Station
30. Anthropic CEO Warns Artificial Intelligence ‘Swarm’ Could
Take Over Internet within 6 to 12 Months
31. Anthropic Says It Blocked Misuse of Its Artificial
Intelligence That Could Have Supported Biological Weapons
32. Consumer Reports Not Recommending Any Electric Scooters
Over Safety Concerns
33. Toyota Recalls Thousands of Electric Vehicles Due to
Software Issue That Could Cause Sudden Loss of Power
34. McClatchy Media Lays Off 17 Unionized News Workers Across
Washington & Idaho
35. Amid Uncertainty About Mail-In Ballots, WA Leaders Say
They’re Ready for What Comes Next
36. Energy Department Reports Sinking U.S. Fuel, Diesel Demand
37. WA State: Grounded – Grays Harbor Deputies Cut Short
Highway Wire Heist
38. ‘We Are the Standard’: US Women Capture 5th Straight World
Cup Basketball Title
39. The Northwest
Power & Conservation Council Requests Public Comment on Its Draft Ninth
Power Plan by October 16. (Northwest Power & Conservation Council)
Word of the Day
Ziggurat \ZIG-uh-rat\ Noun - An ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also: a structure or object of similar form.
“They’ll never find me under this ziggurat of couch cushions,” muttered Abercrombie with glee. Unfortunately, the tipsy structure in his palatial office was topped with his “employee of the month” trophy, which upset the entire pile, burying him under soft, velour boulders for the rest of the day.
1. Wildfire
Risks Are Driving Up Costs for Northwest Utilities (Washington State Standard)
2. WA
AG Nick Brown, UTC Staff Raise Alarms Over $2 Billion Pacific Power Deal (KNDO
& KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
3. Grant
PUD Eyes $43 Million in Savings Through Goldman Sachs Power Deal (Source ONE
News, Ephrata, WA)
4. BPA
Administrator & CEO Addresses SPP’s Markets+, CAISO’s Extended Day-Ahead
Market in Letter (American Public Power Association)
5. California,
an Environmental Bastion, Warms to Nuclear Energy (The NY Times – Via DNYUZ)
https://dnyuz.com/2026/09/09/california-an-environmental-bastion-warms-to-nuclear-energy/
6. Microreactor
Tests at Nevada Security Site Fuel Promise, Questions (Las Vegas Review-Journal,
NV)
7. Massachusetts
Utilities & Hydro-Quebec Sue Each Other Over Missing Hydropower (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/hydropower/massachusetts-utilities-hydro-quebec-sue-each-other
8. U.S.
Dams Could Unlock 15.2 Terawatt-Hours of Untapped Hydropower (Oil Price)
9. The
Reservoirs Supplying Power to the Most Homes (World Atlas)
https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/the-reservoirs-supplying-power-to-the-most-homes.html
10. Unplanned
Power Plant Outages Fell Sharply During 2025/26 Winter Storms: FERC-NERC Report
(Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/unplanned-power-plant-outages-winter-weather-ferc-nerc/830141/
11. Forecast
Says Families Will Spend More to Heat Their Homes This Winter (National Public
Radio)
12. U.S.
Energy Information Administration Expects Record Electricity Generation in 2026
& 2027 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press592.php
13. ‘Slowing
Things Down’: Trade Wars Hit Global Electrification Shift (Politico)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
14. East
Coast Energy Company Announces Geothermal Plans for Oregon, Washington
Weyerhaeuser Lands (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/10/hexagon-energy-geothermal-plans/
15. An
Idaho County Banned Renewables. It’s Having Second Thoughts. (Canary Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/idaho-county-may-reverse-renewables-solar-ban
16. The
Surprising Reason California Survived Record Summer Heat without Blackouts (Los
Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
Conservation
& Efficiency
17. New
Data Finds Pacific Northwest’s Acquisition of Energy Efficiency Grew 14% in
2025 (American Public Power Association)
18. Washington
State University Energy Program & KW Energy Help Rural Homeowners Improve
Energy Efficiency (WSU Insider)
Fish
& Wildlife
19. Divers
Speak After Discovering Piles of Electrocuted Fish Under I-90 Bridge (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
20. Columbia
River Fall Salmon Tracking Better Than Expected – So Far, Fishing Has Been
Exceptional (Camas-Washougal Post-Record, WA)
21. Billboard
Campaign to Stop Federal Plan to Kill 450,000 Non-Native Barred Owls (KOMO News,
Seattle, WA)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
22. EPA
Eliminates Rule That Limits Planet-Warming Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power
Plants (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
23. Global
Heat Stuck on High. Scientists Say August Was Earth’s Hottest Month They’ve
Measured. (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/global-heat-stuck-high-scientists-020003050.html
Water,
Water Anywhere?
24. Aging
Infrastructure, Climate Risks Shake Water Sector Confidence: Report (Utility
Dive)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
25. Where
Are the Missing BEAD Locations? (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/09/14/where-are-the-missing-bead-locations/
HAL’s
Internet Café
26. Gov.
Kotek’s Push Against Data Centers Unlikely to Slow Expansion in Eastern Oregon,
Local Officials Say (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/10/eastern-oregon-data-centers-expansion-unlikely-to-slow/
27. Residents
Join Together in Spokane to Discuss Data Center Legislation (KXLY-TV, Spokane,
WA)
28. Developers
Eye Native Nations, Tribal Communities for New Data Center Projects (States
Newsroom)
29. WA
State: Quincy’s Microsoft Data Center Boom Prompts New School, Library,
Hospital, Police Station (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
30. Anthropic
CEO Warns Artificial Intelligence ‘Swarm’ Could Take Over Internet within 6 to 12
Months (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)
31. Anthropic
Says It Blocked Misuse of Its Artificial Intelligence That Could Have Supported
Biological Weapons (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/anthropic-ai-threat-bioweapon-russia-00266dca90e4f8853f669648998d3bda
I
Sing the Car Electric
32. Consumer
Reports Not Recommending Any Electric Scooters Over Safety Concerns (KXLY-TV, Spokane,
WA)
33. Toyota
Recalls Thousands of Electric Vehicles Due to Software Issue That Could Cause
Sudden Loss of Power (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
34. McClatchy
Media Lays Off 17 Unionized News Workers Across Washington & Idaho (The
Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
35. Amid
Uncertainty About Mail-In Ballots, WA Leaders Say They’re Ready for What Comes
Next (Washington State Standard)
Other
Things to Know About Today
36. Energy
Department Reports Sinking U.S. Fuel, Diesel Demand (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_fa48ab33-cb87-4592-ab13-29f5d3384200.html
37. WA
State: Grounded – Grays Harbor Deputies Cut Short Highway Wire Heist (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/local/grounded-grays-harbor-deputies-cut-short-highway-wire-heist/4275459
38. ‘We
Are the Standard’: US Women Capture 5th Straight World Cup Basketball Title (KCRA-TV,
Sacramento, CA)
https://www.kcra.com/article/us-women-win-5th-straight-world-cup-basketball-fiba/73718033
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
39.
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/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
World-Record 400-Foot Cuban
Sandwich Claimed in Palm City
Why the Versatile Peanut
Butter & Jelly Sandwich Remains King of the Lunchbox After 125 Years
https://apnews.com/article/peanut-butter-jelly-sandwich-bd68e6a150a9d50cc7567fbf04fe80ec
After Tragedy, A Greek
Couple Welcomes a Daughter Born from an Embryo Frozen for 22 Years
https://www.kcra.com/article/greek-couple-embryo-daughter/73707074
Princess
Diana’s ‘Revenge Dress’ Goes Up for Auction
Song of the Day
Don McClean – Wonderful
Baby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Jf_tuuOds
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