By Christina Lords | Editor-in-Chief
An explosion of data center facilities, including the one pictured here in Umatilla County on May 18, 2026, have been built in Oregon along the Columbia River Gorge during the last few years. The boom has caused a more than 500% load growth for the Umatilla Electric Cooperative during the last decade, which has had to buy more gas and coal-powered electricity on the wholesale market to meet demand. (Photo by Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
ENVIRONMENT
Data centers are driving demand for gas from Northwest utilities, reports find
By Alex Baumhardt
Electric utilities in Washington and Oregon are turning to gas to meet rapid and growing energy demand from data centers, according to recent reports.
In some counties, public utility districts are permitting gas-powered generators to provide data centers with backup energy, rather than waiting for them to get more power from the grid, and some data center companies are hooking up their own on-site gas generators. For their part, data center companies said they are investing in communities when they show up and working with utilities to find the cleanest energy possible.
Kaelah Oberdorf, 24, had a medication abortion in 2023 when she discovered she was pregnant while still recovering from the debilitating postpartum depression she had after giving birth to her daughter. Oberdorf said she was in an emotionally abusive relationship and didn’t want her daughter or herself to be tied to that partner for life. (Courtesy of Kaelah Oberdorf)
ABORTION POLICY
Telehealth access to abortion pill is lifesaving for domestic violence survivors, some say
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
Access to telehealth prescriptions of mifepristone, one of two drugs used to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester or to treat miscarriages, is threatened by an ongoing lawsuit in Louisiana. That state government has sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, trying to strike down the agency’s 2023 rule allowing the medication to be dispensed without an in-person visit.
Researchers, advocates and survivors of domestic violence say it’s vital to keep telehealth access available for people in abusive relationships who need discreet abortion options. The Louisiana lawsuit, however, argues in part that mifepristone has been weaponized against pregnant women in abusive relationships and shouldn’t be available by telehealth.
ICYMI
Shining a light on other Idaho politics reporting
Note: Some links may lead to stories behind a news organization's paywall
Boise State Public Radio: As the school year comes to a close, Idaho state superintendent says funding formula needs to change
Idaho Mountain Express: Blaine County property values still climbing
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