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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
After Dropping to a 20-Year Low, Western U.S. Hydropower
Generation Rose 13% Last Year (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55599
Oregon Utilities Stick to Original 2030 Colstrip Exit Plan
(Billings Gazette, MT)
An Activist Group Is Spreading Misinformation to Stop Solar
Projects in Rural America (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinformation-activists-rural-america
EPA Draft: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Saw Record
Single-Year Spike in 2021 (The Hill, Washington, DC)
U.S. Supreme Court Wrestles with Section 230 Lawsuit Shield
for Tech Giants (Associated Press)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-wrestles-section-230-223620635.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
After Dropping to a 20-Year Low, Western U.S.
Hydropower Generation Rose 13% Last Year
2.
Oregon Utilities Stick to Original 2030 Colstrip
Exit Plan
3.
Skagit County Farmers Are Fed Up, Fighting
Seattle City Light’s Skagit River Dam Programs
4.
WA State Bills Would Ban Puget Sound Energy from
Offering New Natural Gas Service
5.
Bonneville Power Administration Releases 2023
First Quarter Financial Results
6.
EEI Calls for ‘Urgency’ in Siting &
Permitting Reform to Aid Booming Energy Industry
7.
Why It’s So Hard to Build New Electrical
Transmission Lines in the U.S.
8.
EIA’s Adjusted Outlook Lowers Natural Gas Prices
by More Than 40 Percent
9.
California: Could Yreka Get Underground Power
Lines?
10.
Smaller, Safer, Cheaper? Modular Nuclear Plants
Could Reshape Coal Country
11.
Michigan: Little River Band Awarded $100,000 to
Pursue Creation of Tribal Utility
12.
Georgia: 26-Year-Old Power Line Worker
Electrocuted on the Job, Coroner Says
13.
Guest Essay: Removing Lower Snake River Dams the
Only Way to Save Salmon
14.
An Activist Group Is Spreading Misinformation to
Stop Solar Projects in Rural America
15.
Solar Company Forges Ahead in Washington
Counties with Moratoriums
16.
Puget Sound Energy Pushes to Control New
Renewable Energy Projects in WA
17.
Evergreen State Looks to Go Greener
18.
Public Lands in the U.S. Have Long Been Disposed
to Fossil Fuel Companies. Now, the Lands Are Being Offered to Solar Companies
19.
WA State: Snohomish PUD Eyeing Conservation,
Innovation to Meet Growing Energy Need
20.
Alaska: Heat Pumps Sell Like Hotcakes on
America’s Oil-Rich Frontier
21.
Pacific Northwest States Set Columbia Spring
Chinook Seasons
22.
Salmon Parks: Inside a Movement to Conserve
Pacific Northwest Old Growth
23.
At Confluence of Yakima & Columbia a Barrier
to Salmon May Finally Be Removed
24.
U.S. Representative McMorris Rodgers Urges
Agencies Not to Burden PNW Ratepayers with Costs of Fish and Wildlife
Mitigation
25.
California Debates What to Do with Water from
Recent Storms
26.
Water Crisis in West: Massive Reservoir Lake Powell
Hits Historic Low Water Level
27.
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Wyden, Merkley Introduce
Bill to Help Communities in the Klamath Basin Respond to Severe Drought
28.
EPA Draft: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Saw
Record Single-Year Spike in 2021
29.
Washington State’s Push to Reduce Emissions
30.
FCC Chair Says It Received 1.1 Million Location
Challenges to Broadband Map
31.
WA State: Spokane County Takes Step Towards
Bringing Highspeed Internet to Rural Areas
32.
Tesla’s Move to Open Its Superchargers to Other
Electric Vehicles Has Big Implications for California
33.
Oregon Bill Would Give Rebates for E-Bike
Purchases
34.
U.S. Supreme Court Wrestles with Section 230
Lawsuit Shield for Tech Giants
35.
Meta to Roll Out Paid Verification Service for
Instagram, Facebook
36.
Oregon Senators Tweak Plan to Stop Taxpayers
from Paying Long-Distance Commuting Costs of Remote Workers, Following Union
Objections
37.
Bill Would Stop Washington Legislature from
Raiding Public Works Fund
38.
Four-Day Workweek Trial: Shorter Hours, Happier
Employees
39.
A Huge Winter Storm Is Expected to Affect
Millions Across 22 States
40.
Winter Storm Threatens Record Snowfall in Parts
of U.S.
41. Three Killed in Snow Slide Near Leavenworth, WA
WORD OF THE DAY – THE HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Detritus /deh-truh-tuss/ Noun – 1. geology: loose material (such as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration 2a. a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away: debris b. miscellaneous remnants odds and ends.
Winter’s Detritus
Unique crystal
birth
Soft, swirling,
white snowflakes
Nature’s hushed cover
ENERGY &
UTILITY ISSUES
1.
After Dropping to a 20-Year Low, Western U.S.
Hydropower Generation Rose 13% Last Year (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55599
2.
Oregon Utilities Stick to Original 2030 Colstrip
Exit Plan (Billings Gazette, MT)
3.
Skagit County Farmers Are Fed Up, Fighting Seattle
City Light’s Skagit River Dam Programs (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
4.
WA State Bills Would Ban Puget Sound Energy from
Offering New Natural Gas Service (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_8e702de0-b233-11ed-b068-8f6937e40b20.html
5.
Bonneville Power Administration Releases 2023
First Quarter Financial Results (Bonneville Power Administration)
6.
EEI Calls for ‘Urgency’ in Siting & Permitting
Reform to Aid Booming Energy Industry (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/eei-wall-street-renewables-permitting-reform-ferc-congress/643230/
7.
Why It’s So Hard to Build New Electrical
Transmission Lines in the U.S. (CNBC)
8.
EIA’s Adjusted Outlook Lowers Natural Gas Prices
by More Than 40 Percent (American Public Power Association)
9.
California: Could Yreka Get Underground Power
Lines? (Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA)
10.
Smaller, Safer, Cheaper? Modular Nuclear Plants
Could Reshape Coal Country (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/02/19/coal-nuclear-smr-modular/
11.
Michigan: Little River Band Awarded $100,000 to
Pursue Creation of Tribal Utility (Michigan Business)
12.
Georgia: 26-Year-Old Power Line Worker
Electrocuted on the Job, Coroner Says (WTVM-TV, Columbus, GA)
https://www.kold.com/2023/02/21/26-year-old-power-line-worker-electrocuted-job-coroner-says/
SOAPBOX SERENADE
– VOX POPULI
13.
Guest Essay: Removing Lower Snake River Dams the
Only Way to Save Salmon (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/feb/18/gregg-servheen-removing-lower-snake-river-dams-the/
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
14.
An Activist Group Is Spreading Misinformation to
Stop Solar Projects in Rural America (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinformation-activists-rural-america
15.
Solar Company Forges Ahead in Washington Counties
with Moratoriums (Capital Press)
16.
Puget Sound Energy Pushes to Control New
Renewable Energy Projects in WA (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
17.
Evergreen State Looks to Go Greener (Columbia
Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2023/feb/20/evergreen-state-looks-go-greener/
18.
Public Lands in the U.S. Have Long Been Disposed
to Fossil Fuel Companies. Now, the Lands Are Being Offered to Solar Companies
(Inside Climate News)
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19022023/solar-public-lands/?utm_medium=email
CONSERVATION
& EFFICIENCY
19.
WA State: Snohomish PUD Eyeing Conservation,
Innovation to Meet Growing Energy Need (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pud-eyeing-conservation-innovation-to-meet-growing-energy-need/
20.
Alaska: Heat Pumps Sell Like Hotcakes on America’s
Oil-Rich Frontier (Wired Magazine)
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/heat-pumps-alaska-oil-energy-prices
FISH &
WILDLIFE
21.
Pacific Northwest States Set Columbia Spring
Chinook Seasons (Northwest Sportsman Magazine)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/states-set-columbia-spring-chinook-seasons/
22.
Salmon Parks: Inside a Movement to Conserve Pacific
Northwest Old Growth (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
23.
At Confluence of Yakima & Columbia a Barrier
to Salmon May Finally Be Removed (Columbia Insight)
24.
U.S. Representative McMorris Rodgers Urges
Agencies Not to Burden PNW Ratepayers with Costs of Fish and Wildlife
Mitigation (U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington)
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
25.
California Debates What to Do with Water from Recent
Storms (Associated Press)
https://news.yahoo.com/california-debates-water-recent-storms-203847230.html
26.
Water Crisis in West: Massive Reservoir Lake
Powell Hits Historic Low Water Level (USA Today)
https://news.yahoo.com/water-crisis-west-massive-reservoir-100009040.html
27.
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Wyden, Merkley Introduce
Bill to Help Communities in the Klamath Basin Respond to Severe Drought (U.S.
Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon)
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
28.
EPA Draft: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Saw
Record Single-Year Spike in 2021 (The Hill, Washington, DC)
29.
Washington State’s Push to Reduce Emissions (National
Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1157274284/washington-states-push-to-reduce-emissions
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
30.
FCC Chair Says It Received 1.1 Million Location
Challenges to Broadband Map (Fierce Telecom)
31.
WA State: Spokane County Takes Step Towards
Bringing Highspeed Internet to Rural Areas (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
32.
Tesla’s Move to Open Its Superchargers to Other
Electric Vehicles Has Big Implications for California (San Francisco Chronicle,
CA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/tesla-supercharger-california-17783798.php
33.
Oregon Bill Would Give Rebates for E-Bike
Purchases (KOIN TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/news/politics/oregon-bill-would-give-rebates-for-e-bike-purchases/
PUBLIC RELATIONS,
MARKETING & MEDIA
34.
U.S. Supreme Court Wrestles with Section 230
Lawsuit Shield for Tech Giants (Associated Press)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-wrestles-section-230-223620635.html
35.
Meta to Roll Out Paid Verification Service for
Instagram, Facebook (Huffington Post)
MANAGEMENT &
GOVERNANCE
36.
Oregon Senators Tweak Plan to Stop Taxpayers from
Paying Long-Distance Commuting Costs of Remote Workers, Following Union
Objections (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
37.
Bill Would Stop Washington Legislature from
Raiding Public Works Fund (The Center Square)
38.
Four-Day Workweek Trial: Shorter Hours, Happier
Employees (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/business-d114ef8be69e1665fd22c39515bdaecf
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
39.
A Huge Winter Storm Is Expected to Affect
Millions Across 22 States (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/21/1158546553/winter-storm-heavy-snow-22-states
40.
Winter Storm Threatens Record Snowfall in Parts of
U.S. (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doozy-snow-storm-pounds-western-northern-united-states-2023-02-21/
41.
Three Killed in Snow Slide Near Leavenworth, WA (KPQ-Radio,
Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/three-killed-in-snow-slide-near-leavenworth/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Conn. Farmer Finds TikTok Fame Collecting Tiny Fashionable
Hats for His Quail ‘Best Friends’
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/conn-farmer-finds-tiktok-fame-203938783.html
100 Years Later, Progress for ‘Evergreen State’ to Become Washington’s
Official Nickname
Man Furious After Company Paid Him His Last Cheque in Grease-Covered
Pennies
https://www.unilad.com/community/employee-paid-greasy-pennies-pay-cheque-070733-20230218
What’s a Legal Slap? Slap Fight League Regulators Weigh In
https://apnews.com/article/sports-health-8a48bdd6aee67417af82629409c673ad
SONG OF THE DAY
Leonard Cohen - Bird on the Wire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGArXHDOKY
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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