The Energy News Digest

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

The Energy News Digest for January 28, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest.

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) will deliver breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Bitter Cold Grips the Eastern U.S. as Winter Storm Deaths Rise & Power Outages Linger (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/frigid-temperatures-arctic-air-us-south-tennessee-9d4beb4d548e29d5ce737fd001d67a64

Chelan PUD Confirms Contractor Death During Project Work (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/contractor-death-chelan-pud-project/

Moody’s Sees $3 Trillion in Data Center Spending by 2030 (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/moodys-sees-3t-in-data-center-spending-by-2030/810499/

Lewiston to Host Public Hearing on Columbia River Basin Fish & Wildlife Plan (The DailyFly)

https://www.dailyfly.com/2026/01/26/lewiston-to-host-public-hearing-on-columbia-river-basin-fish-and-wildlife-plan/

WA Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Lead to E-Bike Fees, Mandates in the Future (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_88aaf420-ec7a-43ba-b9b9-6f5a72b2fcf4.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1. Chelan PUD Confirms Contractor Death During Project Work

2. Idaho: Two Dead After Plane Hits Power Line, Crashes into Payette River Ice

3. WSDOT Updates Public on Study Examining Road & Rail Impacts If Four Lower Snake River Dams Were Removed

4. Paywall Advisory: Northwest Facing Power Crunch in ‘All Scenarios’

5. Storm Exposes Gaps in New England/Canada Hydro Deal

6. Heating Bills Expected to Spike for American Households Nationwide This Winter

7. Why Your Utility Bills Are Out of Control: It’s Not Just the Arctic Blast, or Artificial Intelligence

8. Can Cities Make Landlords Care About Energy Efficiency?

9. Lewiston to Host Public Hearing on Columbia River Basin Fish & Wildlife Plan

10. More Than a Fish: Stories of Salmon & Sovereignty in the PNW

11. Storms Steer Back into the Pacific Northwest to Boost Depleted Snowpack

12. Climate Change Poses Challenges for Reservoir Management

13. Water Infrastructure Essential for Rural Idaho, Governor Notes

14. Colorado Water Officials Plan for ‘Exceedingly Grim’ Drought Forecasts, Low Reservoir Levels

15. Washington State University Researchers Develop Tool to Track Water Levels in Snowpack

16. SpaceX Now Wants to Alter BEAD Performance Requirements

17. Moody’s Sees $3 Trillion in Data Center Spending by 2030

18. EPA Pokes Musk Over Using Unpermitted Turbines for Artificial Intelligence

19. WA Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Lead to E-Bike Fees, Mandates in the Future

20. Electric Vehicle Charging Keeps Expanding Despite Trump

21. Data Centers Are Facing an Image Problem. The Tech Industry Is Spending Millions to Rebrand Them.

22. TikTok Settles as Social Media Giants Face Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims

23. Bipartisan Federal Hydropower Bill Advances from Committee to Full House for Consideration

24. Bitter Cold Grips the Eastern U.S. as Winter Storm Deaths Rise & Power Outages Linger

25. Amazon to Cut About 16,000 Corporate Jobs in Latest Round of Layoffs

26. Podcast: When Will the Nation’s BEAD Networks Finally Be Completed?

27. The Value of Broadband to a Community

Word of the Day

Fritter \FRIT-ter\ Verb – 1: to spend or waste bit by bit, on trifles, or without commensurate return, usually used with away 2: to break into small fragments.

Fritter \FRIT-ter\ Noun – A small mass of fried or sautéed batter often containing fruit or meat.

Olaf was content to fritter the day away by frying up pan after pan of clam fritters while a strong, westerly wind swirled around his beach cabin. Unfortunately, there was a hole in the roof, that kept his mind from wandering…where it will goooooooooo.

Energy & Utility Issues

1. Chelan PUD Confirms Contractor Death During Project Work (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/contractor-death-chelan-pud-project/

2. Idaho: Two Dead After Plane Hits Power Line, Crashes into Payette River Ice (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/two-dead-plane-hits-power-202956228.html

3. WSDOT Updates Public on Study Examining Road & Rail Impacts If Four Lower Snake River Dams Were Removed (KQQQ Radio, Pullman, WA)

https://pullmanradio.com/wsdot-updates-public-on-study-examining-road-rail-impacts-if-four-lower-snake-river-dams-were-removed/

4. Paywall Advisory: Northwest Facing Power Crunch in ‘All Scenarios’ (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)

https://capitalpress.com/2026/01/26/northwest-facing-power-crunch-in-all-scenarios/

5. Storm Exposes Gaps in New England/Canada Hydro Deal (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2026/01/27/storm-exposes-gaps-in-new-england-hydro-deal-00749675

6. Heating Bills Expected to Spike for American Households Nationwide This Winter (Fox Business)

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/heating-bills-expected-spike-american-households-nationwide-winter

7. Why Your Utility Bills Are Out of Control: It’s Not Just the Arctic Blast, or Artificial Intelligence (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-your-utility-bills-are-out-of-control-its-not-just-the-arctic-blast-or-ai-100008895.html

Conservation & Efficiency

8. Can Cities Make Landlords Care About Energy Efficiency? (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/buildings/can-cities-make-landlords-care-about-energy-efficiency/

Fish & Wildlife

9. Lewiston to Host Public Hearing on Columbia River Basin Fish & Wildlife Plan (The DailyFly)

https://www.dailyfly.com/2026/01/26/lewiston-to-host-public-hearing-on-columbia-river-basin-fish-and-wildlife-plan/

10. More Than a Fish: Stories of Salmon & Sovereignty in the PNW (Columbia Gorge News)

https://www.columbiagorgenews.com/news/more-than-a-fish-stories-of-salmon-and-sovereignty-in-the-pnw/article_0faa1185-e252-478a-bccf-66d71a6fcf4e.html

Water, Water, Anywhere?

11. Storms Steer Back into the Pacific Northwest to Boost Depleted Snowpack (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/newsletter-daily/western-washington-winter-weather-region-snow-cascade-january-conditions-meteorologist-storms-steer-back-into-the-pacific-northwest-to-boost-depleted-snowpack-climate-change

12. Climate Change Poses Challenges for Reservoir Management (Everett Herald, WA – Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/climate-change-poses-challenges-for-reservoir-management/ar-AA1V1ei8

13. Water Infrastructure Essential for Rural Idaho, Governor Notes (PNW Ag Network)

https://pnwag.net/water-infrastructure-essential-little/

14. Colorado Water Officials Plan for ‘Exceedingly Grim’ Drought Forecasts, Low Reservoir Levels (The Colorado Sun)

https://coloradosun.com/2026/01/28/colorado-water-officials-grim-drought-forecasts-reservoir/

15. Washington State University Researchers Develop Tool to Track Water Levels in Snowpack (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/wsu-researchers-develop-tool-track-water-levels-snowpack/55IQUQDKCVGS3JJTKHL3ZH7EAQ/

London Calling –Telecommunications

16. SpaceX Now Wants to Alter BEAD Performance Requirements (Fierce Networks)

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/new-spacex-waiver-seeks-alter-bead-performance-metrics

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

17. Moody’s Sees $3 Trillion in Data Center Spending by 2030 (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/moodys-sees-3t-in-data-center-spending-by-2030/810499/

18. EPA Pokes Musk Over Using Unpermitted Turbines for Artificial Intelligence (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/22/epa-thwarts-musks-diesel-turbines-ai-00737605

I Sing the Car Electric

19. WA Lawmakers Consider Bill That Could Lead to E-Bike Fees, Mandates in the Future (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_88aaf420-ec7a-43ba-b9b9-6f5a72b2fcf4.html

20. Electric Vehicle Charging Keeps Expanding Despite Trump (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-charging/ev-charging-has-kept-growing-despite-the-trump-administration

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

21. Data Centers Are Facing an Image Problem. The Tech Industry Is Spending Millions to Rebrand Them. (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/energy/data-centers-are-facing-an-image-problem-the-tech-industry-is-spending-millions-to-rebrand-them/

22. TikTok Settles as Social Media Giants Face Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims (Associated Press)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/meta-tiktok-youtube-face-landmark-020429775.html

Politics, Governance, and Management

23. Bipartisan Federal Hydropower Bill Advances from Committee to Full House for Consideration (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/featured/50937-bipartisan-hydropower-bill-advances-from-committee-to-full-house-for-consideration/

Other Things to Know About Today

24. Bitter Cold Grips the Eastern U.S. as Winter Storm Deaths Rise & Power Outages Linger (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/frigid-temperatures-arctic-air-us-south-tennessee-9d4beb4d548e29d5ce737fd001d67a64

25. Amazon to Cut About 16,000 Corporate Jobs in Latest Round of Layoffs (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/newsletter-daily/amazon-cuts-about-16000-corporate-jobs-mass-layoffs-workers-replaced-with-ai-ceo-andy-jassy-cut-costs-workforce-reduction-seattle-technology

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

26. Podcast: When Will the Nation’s BEAD Networks Finally Be Completed? (Statescoop)

https://statescoop.com/radio/when-will-the-nations-bead-networks-finally-be-completed/

27. The Value of Broadband to a Community (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2026/01/27/the-value-of-broadband-to-a-community/

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Missing British Columbia Rock Beloved by Climbers Turns Up 1,700 Miles from Home

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/22/canada-Squamish-California-missing-granite-rock-Portable/7031769105243/

British 2-Year-Old Breaks Two World Records Playing Pool & Snooker

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/28/Guinness-World-Records-toddler-pool-snooker/1551769621785/

Cat Escapes Vehicle in Spain, Walks Nearly 155 Miles Home to France

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/26/france-lost-cat-Spain-France-155-miles/2871769452750/

Vancouver's Museum of Personal Failure Finds Victory in Defeat

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/01/26/canada-Museum-of-Personal-Failure-Vancouver/2751769442186/

Song of the Day

Dave Mason – So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBeQSfyvtnw

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 stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookies may help you access certain paywall sites.

Monday, January 26, 2026

The Energy News Digest for January 26, 2026

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors The Energy News Digest.

The News Digest on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter) will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Joel Myer, Communicator Emeritus, edits the Energy News Digest.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Power Plant Outages Surge in Eastern U.S. Amid Restricted Gas Supplies & Frigid Weather (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/power-prices-surge-winter-storm-spikes-demand-us-data-center-alley-2026-01-25/

A Rare Step Forward for Goldendale Pumped Hydro Project (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/hydropower/rare-step-forward-us-pumped-hydro

Oregon, California Coastal Communities Weigh Offshore Wind Tradeoffs (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/25/oregon-california-offshore-wind-tradeoffs/

How Americans Are Using Artificial Intelligence at Work, According to a New Gallup Poll (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ai-workplace-gemini-chatgpt-poll-4934bc61d039508db32bc49f85d63d99

Winter Storm Live Updates: Northeast Covered in Heavy Snow While Ice Accumulation Leaves 800,000 without Power in the South (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/live/winter-storm-live-updates-heavy-snow-blasts-northeast-as-us-battles-impacts-of-catastrophic-ice-accumulation-154833840.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1. Power Plant Outages Surge in Eastern U.S. Amid Restricted Gas Supplies & Frigid Weather

2. A Rare Step Forward for Goldendale Pumped Hydro

3. Washington UTC Reverses Rule, Now Requires Climate Commitment Act Costs Be Shown on Puget Sound Energy Bills

4. Washington State Supreme Court Takes Up Voter-Approved Natural Gas Protection

5. Keeping Washington’s Power Flowing: Why Dam Maintenance Matters

6. California: Man Trying to Steal Copper Wire in Pomona Dies After Being Electrocuted, Police Say

7. 2025 Western Assessment of Resource Adequacy

8. The Top 10 States of Nuclear

9. Why Do We Buy Bread & Milk Before a Storm? Here’s What You Should Get Instead

10. Oregon, California Coastal Communities Weigh Offshore Wind Tradeoffs

11. Reporting Showed Washington Ranks Last in Green Energy Growth. Now the state Is Working to Speed It Up

12. Union Coalition Wants to Spur Job Growth to Meet Oregon’s Clean Energy Targets

13. WA U.S. Senator Secures $190 Million for Fish Passage, Other Work on Upper Green River

14. More Than 1,500 Dead Salmon to Be Released into tucannon River

15. Spring Water Forecast Uneven, Drought Continues

16. How Americans Are Using Artificial Intelligence at Work, According to a New Gallup Poll

17. As Artificial Intelligence-Generated Fake Content Mars Legal Cases, States Want Guardrails

18. Rivian Pledges $4.6 Million for Ballot Initiative to Allow Direct Electric Vehicle Sales in WA

19. GM To End Chevy Bolt Electric Vehicle Production Next Year, Move China-Made Buick to U.S. Factory

20. TikTok Finalizes a Deal to Form a New American Entity

21. Meta, TikTok, YouTube to Stand Trial on Youth Addiction Claims

22. Are Data Centers Raising Your Energy Bill? WA Lawmakers Want Them to Pay

23. WA Insurance Commissioner Pushes Bills for Wildfire Mitigation, Disclose Wildfire Risk Scores

24. U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Approves CAA Legislation, Hydropower License Extension Bill

25. Winter Storm Live Updates: Northeast Covered in Heavy Snow While Ice Accumulation Leaves 800,000 without Power in the South

26. Guest Essay: Nuclear Being Considered to Address Rising Grid Demand in Washington

Word of the Day

Infantilize \IN-fant-tile-eyes\ Verb – To cause to be or remain like an infant or young child 2: to treat like an infant or young child.

“And how’s our widdle patient today?” crooned the nurse to the recovering 50-year-old heart attack patient. “He’s a little sick and tired of your efforts to infantilize him,” the patient thought to himself, his furrowed brow giving the nurse her warning that another goo-goo statement would draw his ire. “However,” he mused, “those little Jell-O packs go down easy in my tummwy wummy!”

Energy & Utility Issues

1. Power Plant Outages Surge in Eastern U.S. Amid Restricted Gas Supplies & Frigid Weather (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/power-prices-surge-winter-storm-spikes-demand-us-data-center-alley-2026-01-25/

2. A Rare Step Forward for Goldendale Pumped Hydro Project (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/hydropower/rare-step-forward-us-pumped-hydro

3. Washington UTC Reverses Rule, Now Requires Climate Commitment Act Costs Be Shown on Puget Sound Energy Bills (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/local/utc-reverses-rule-now-requires-climate-commitment-act-costs-be-shown-on-pse-bills-puget-sound-energy-bill-income-tax-fuel-inflation-cost-gas-energy-utilities-rate

4. Washington State Supreme Court Takes Up Voter-Approved Natural Gas Protection (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_5b2aff9e-d811-4e85-8ccf-2a11b03c3770.html

5. Keeping Washington’s Power Flowing: Why Dam Maintenance Matters (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/keeping-washingtons-power-flowing-why-dam-maintenance-matters/

6. California: Man Trying to Steal Copper Wire in Pomona Dies After Being Electrocuted, Police Say (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-trying-to-steal-copper-wire-in-pomona-dies-after-being-electrocuted-police-say/ar-AA1TDMFL

7. 2025 Western Assessment of Resource Adequacy (Western Electricity Coordinating Council)

https://feature.wecc.org/2025wara/index.html

8. The Top 10 States of Nuclear (Nuclear Newswire)

https://www.ans.org/news/2026-01-08/article-7645/the-top-10-states-of-nuclear/

9. Why Do We Buy Bread & Milk Before a Storm? Here’s What You Should Get Instead (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/why-buy-bread-milk-storm-115759297.html

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

10. Oregon, California Coastal Communities Weigh Offshore Wind Tradeoffs (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/25/oregon-california-offshore-wind-tradeoffs/

11. Reporting Showed Washington Ranks Last in Green Energy Growth. Now the state Is Working to Speed It Up (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/26/our-reporting-showed-washington-ranks-last-in-green-energy-growth/

12. Union Coalition Wants to Spur Job Growth to Meet Oregon’s Clean Energy Targets (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2026/01/union-coalition-wants-to-spur-job-growth-to-meet-oregons-clean-energy-targets.html

Fish & Wildlife

13. WA U.S. Senator Secures $190 Million for Fish Passage, Other Work on Upper Green River (Northwest Sportsman Magazine)

https://nwsportsmanmag.com/wa-us-senator-secures-190-million-for-fish-passage-other-work-on-upper-green-river/

14. More Than 1,500 Dead Salmon to Be Released into tucannon River (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/more-than-1500-dead-salmon-be-released-into-tucannon-river/AQID4ER7VBDQFAB72M7DKQB37U/

Water, Water, Anywhere?

15. Spring Water Forecast Uneven, Drought Continues (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2026/jan/26/spring-water-forecast-uneven-drought-continues/

The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

16. How Americans Are Using Artificial Intelligence at Work, According to a New Gallup Poll (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ai-workplace-gemini-chatgpt-poll-4934bc61d039508db32bc49f85d63d99

17. As Artificial Intelligence-Generated Fake Content Mars Legal Cases, States Want Guardrails (States Newsroom)

https://stateline.org/2026/01/26/as-ai-generated-fake-content-mars-legal-cases-states-want-guardrails/

I Sing the Car Electric

18. Rivian Pledges $4.6 Million for Ballot Initiative to Allow Direct Electric Vehicle Sales in WA (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/23/rivian-pledges-4-6m-for-ballot-initiative-to-allow-direct-ev-sales-in-wa/

19. GM To End Chevy Bolt Electric Vehicle Production Next Year, Move China-Made Buick to U.S. Factory (Techcrunch)

https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/gm-to-end-chevy-bolt-ev-production-next-year-move-china-made-buick-to-u-s-factory/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

20. TikTok Finalizes a Deal to Form a New American Entity (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-deal-us-china-eccb46c3bfee4cf3d362a01fe4968a4f

21. Meta, TikTok, YouTube to Stand Trial on Youth Addiction Claims (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/meta-tiktok-youtube-stand-trial-youth-addiction-claims-2026-01-26/

Politics, Governance, and Management

22. Are Data Centers Raising Your Energy Bill? WA Lawmakers Want Them to Pay (The Olympian, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/data-centers-raising-energy-bill-130000632.html

23. WA Insurance Commissioner Pushes Bills for Wildfire Mitigation, Disclose Wildfire Risk Scores (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jan/26/wa-insurance-commissioner-pushes-bills-for-wildfir/

24. U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Approves CAA Legislation, Hydropower License Extension Bill (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/house-energy-and-commerce-committee-approves-caa-legislation-hydropower-license-extension-bill

Other Things to Know About Today

25. Winter Storm Live Updates: Northeast Covered in Heavy Snow While Ice Accumulation Leaves 800,000 without Power in the South (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/live/winter-storm-live-updates-heavy-snow-blasts-northeast-as-us-battles-impacts-of-catastrophic-ice-accumulation-154833840.html

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

26. Guest Essay: Nuclear Being Considered to Address Rising Grid Demand in Washington (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/nuclear-being-considered-address-rising-110000754.html

Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer

Behold, The Lego X Crocs Footwear Collab That Dreams Are Made Of

https://mashable.com/article/lego-crocs-announce-partnership

American Rock Climber Alex Honnold Reaches Top of Taipei 101 Skyscraper without Ropes

https://apnews.com/article/alex-honnold-taipei-101-solo-climb-netflix-cfe8960237290086cdee581075056fbf

Accidental 'Crying Horse' Toy Wins Hearts in China

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/accidental-crying-horse-toy-wins-hearts-china-2026-01-26/

Song of the Day

Joe South – Walk a Mile in My Shoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlqcnTDp-_o