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Hotshots – Today’s Top
Five Stories
California Utility Grid Reliability Faces Questions as State Phases Out Natural Gas Plants (NY Post)
https://nypost.com/2026/10/27/science/california-likely-to-retire-three-backup-natural-gas-plants/
Kitsap Weighs Public
Power Option, as Puget Sound Energy Fights Prop. 1 'Blank Check' (Kitsap Sun,
Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kitsap-weighs-public-power-option-184313908.html
Alaska: Full
Restoration of Eklutna River Could Cost $1 Billion, Engineers Say (Anchorage
Daily News, AK – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/full-restoration-eklutna-river-could-035900051.html
Critics Blast
California's $180-Million Water Buy as Extraordinarily Expensive (Los Angeles
Times, CA – Via MSN News)
Northern Nevada
Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $7.8 Million from Broadband Project
(KSNV, Las Vegas, NV)
News Highlights (See Stories Below)
1. California Utility Grid Reliability Faces Questions as
State Phases Out Natural Gas Plants
2. Kitsap Weighs Public Power Option, as Puget Sound Energy
Fights Prop. 1 'Blank Check'
3. As Energy Bills Climb, Are These Alternatives to Puget
Sound Energy Cheaper?
4. Montana Public Service Commission Postpones Vote on
NorthWestern Energy Merger
5. California Homeowners Face Up to $139,000 to Bury Utility
Lines, And Palm Springs Delays Vote
6. KIRO 7 Investigates: Who Is Profiting Off Your Power Bill?
7. Wind Turbine Orders Hit 2.8 GW in Q2 Ahead of Tax Credit
Deadline: Woodmac
8. World to Add Less Clean Energy Capacity This Year,
Renewables Agency Chief Says
9. A Hole on an Oregon Volcano Reached 629 Degrees &
Became the Hottest Engineered Geothermal System on Record, But It Drew 135
Million Dollars Before Producing a Single Watt of Electricity
10. HUD and USDA Seek Feedback on Energy Code Impacts to
Affordable Housing
11. Alaska: Full Restoration of Eklutna River Could Cost $1
Billion, Engineers Say
12. Oregon: Salmon Don’t Know Otis Hatchery Closed Last Year So
ODFW Staff Also Return for Annual Harvest
13. 13 Killer Whales Surround Whale Watching Boat Off Southern
California Coast
14. Scientists Warn of Worsening Climate Indicators in New
Report Led by Oregon State University
15. More Than a Third of Western States’ Glacial Cover Has Been
Lost Since 1950s as Planet Warms
16. Critics Blast California's $180-Million Water Buy as
Extraordinarily Expensive
17. Federal Government Sues State Over Idaho National
Laboratory Water Rights
18. Northern Nevada Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Embezzling
$7.8 Million from Broadband Project
19. Fiber, Broadband Projects by Oregon Highways on Hold After
Kotek Data Center Order
20. Idaho: Data Center Eyed for Jerome, Lincoln Desert Where
Lava Ridge Stalled
21. We Studied 1,584 Data Centers – And Found the Buildings
Full of Machines Are Tied to Modest Local Job Growth
22. Ford’s New Electric Vehicle Pickup Will Come with More
Affordable Home-Power Backup
23. El Niño's Record-Hot Ocean Waters Driving Coastal Flooding
in Southern California
24. Winter Weather Advisory Issued for the Oregon Mountain
Passes Wednesday
25. WA Winter Weather Advisory Issued as Snow Hits Mountain
Passes
26. Oregon: Newport’s Pacific Seafood Processing Plant Is Back
to Regular Operations After Fire Forces Evacuation
27. Being Frank: Ocean Fisheries Are Not a Threat to Salmon
Recovery
28. States Ongoing Role in Broadband
Word of the Day
Homage \AH-mij (definition 1) OWE-mazh (definition 2) Noun – 1a: a feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord b: the relationship between a feudal lord & his vassal: an act done or payment made in meeting the obligations of vassalage 2 a: expression of high regard: respect *b: something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another: tribute.
Joel’s obsessive purchase of ukuleles is not ukulele acquisition syndrome, but an act of homage to the diminutive instrument.
1. California
Utility Grid Reliability Faces Questions as State Phases Out Natural Gas Plants
(NY Post)
https://nypost.com/2026/10/27/science/california-likely-to-retire-three-backup-natural-gas-plants/
2. Kitsap
Weighs Public Power Option, as Puget Sound Energy Fights Prop. 1 'Blank Check'
(Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kitsap-weighs-public-power-option-184313908.html
3. As
Energy Bills Climb, Are These Alternatives to Puget Sound Energy Cheaper? (Tacoma
News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/energy-bills-climb-alternatives-puget-120000536.html
4. Montana
Public Service Commission Postpones Vote on NorthWestern Energy Merger (Daily
Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2026/10/27/n/
5. California
Homeowners Face Up to $139,000 to Bury Utility Lines, And Palm Springs Delays
Vote (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/california-homeowners-face-139-000-135700309.html
6. KIRO
7 Investigates: Who Is Profiting Off Your Power Bill? (KIRO Broadcasting,
Seattle, WA)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
7. Wind
Turbine Orders Hit 2.8 GW in Q2 Ahead of Tax Credit Deadline: Woodmac (Utility
Dive)
8. World
to Add Less Clean Energy Capacity This Year, Renewables Agency Chief Says (Reuters)
9. A
Hole on an Oregon Volcano Reached 629 Degrees & Became the Hottest
Engineered Geothermal System on Record, But It Drew 135 Million Dollars Before
Producing a Single Watt Of Electricity (The Pulse)
https://www.ecoportal.net/en/oregon-volcano-reached-geothermal-well-drilling/44225/
Conservation
& Efficiency
10. HUD
and USDA Seek Feedback on Energy Code Impacts to Affordable Housing (E+E
Leader)
Fish
& Wildlife
11. Alaska:
Full Restoration of Eklutna River Could Cost $1 Billion, Engineers Say (Anchorage
Daily News, AK – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/full-restoration-eklutna-river-could-035900051.html
12. Oregon:
Salmon Don’t Know Otis Hatchery Closed Last Year So ODFW Staff Also Return for
Annual Harvest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/27/salmon-otis-fish-hatchery-odfw-staff-annual-harvest/
13. 13
Killer Whales Surround Whale Watching Boat Off Southern California Coast (KTLA-TV,
Los Angeles, CA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
14. Scientists
Warn of Worsening Climate Indicators in New Report Led by Oregon State
University (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
15. More
Than a Third of Western States’ Glacial Cover Has Been Lost Since 1950s as Planet
Warms (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Water,
Water Anywhere?
16. Critics
Blast California's $180-Million Water Buy as Extraordinarily Expensive (Los
Angeles Times, CA – Via MSN News)
17. Federal
Government Sues State Over Idaho National Laboratory Water Rights (States
Newsroom)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
18. Northern
Nevada Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $7.8 Million from Broadband
Project (KSNV, Las Vegas, NV)
19. Fiber,
Broadband Projects by Oregon Highways on Hold After Kotek Data Center Order (Oregon
Capital Chronicle)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
20. Idaho:
Data Center Eyed for Jerome, Lincoln Desert Where Lava Ridge Stalled (KIVI-TV,
Nampa, ID)
21. We
Studied 1,584 Data Centers – And Found the Buildings Full of Machines Are Tied to
Modest Local Job Growth (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/studied-1-584-data-centers-121907445.html
I
Sing the Car Electric
22. Ford’s
New Electric Vehicle Pickup Will Come with More Affordable Home-Power Backup (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electric-vehicles/ford-fathom-ev-pickup-home-power-backup
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
23. El
Niño's Record-Hot Ocean Waters Driving Coastal Flooding in Southern California (Los
Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/california-coasts-great-enemy-record-100000897.html
Other
Things to Know About Today
24. Winter
Weather Advisory Issued for the Oregon Mountain Passes Wednesday (KOIN-TV, Portland,
OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/winter-weather-advisory-mountain-passes-wednesday/
25. WA
Winter Weather Advisory Issued as Snow Hits Mountain Passes (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/best-chance-pass-snow-could-225220837.html
26. Oregon:
Newport’s Pacific Seafood Processing Plant Is Back to Regular Operations After
Fire Forces Evacuation (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
27.
Being Frank: Ocean Fisheries Are Not a Threat to
Salmon Recovery (Northwest Treaty Tribes)
https://nwtreatytribes.org/being-frank-ocean-fisheries-are-not-a-threat-to-salmon-recovery/
28.
States Ongoing Role in Broadband (Pots &
Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/10/28/states-ongoing-role-in-broadband/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Statue of Liberty Marks
140th Birthday After 1886 Dedication in New York Harbor
https://www.kcra.com/article/statue-of-liberty-140-years-1886-dedication/74272210
Australian Judge
Rejects Prisoner’s Human Rights Challenge to Vegemite Ban
'I'm with the Right
Guy': Man Spends Months Panning for Gold to Craft Engagement Ring
https://www.kcra.com/article/colorado-man-pans-for-gold-engagement-ring/74261571
A Dinosaur Fossil That
Looks Like a Mini T. Rex Just Sold for a Giant $47 Million
https://www.kcra.com/article/dinosaur-fossil-mini-t-rex-sold-giant-47-million/74263225
Song of the Day
Man at Work – Down Under
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UyQBlloIWI
Roll the Credits…
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