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Items of Note from the Northwest Public Power Association
NWPPA Presents: Wildfires – What Utilities Need to Know – January 28, 202, Portland, OR.
Join wildfire experts, policymakers, utility leaders, and emergency responders to gain insights and strategies for addressing the multifaceted challenges wildfires pose to utilities in the West.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Ontario Premier
Says U.S. Energy Exports – Including Electricity – Will Be Cut Off If Trump
Imposes Sweeping Tariffs on Canada (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/canada-interest-rate-cut-trump-tariffs-c0ef920ffb02ea0531c93516abad64e0
Soaring Data Center
Electricity Demand Could Trigger Northwest Blackouts, Industry Insiders Say
(The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Stopgap Columbia
River Treaty Update Leaves U.S. Flush with Electricity, in Trickier Flood
Management Position (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Idaho: Lava Ridge
Wind Farm Opponents Consider Waiting for Trump to Take Office Before Filing
Lawsuit (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
Officials Fall
Short of Salmon Return Goals in Columbia River Basin but See Signs of Progress
(Washington State Standard – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/officials-fall-short-salmon-return-223020878.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Soaring
Data Center Electricity Demand Could Trigger Northwest Blackouts, Industry
Insiders Say
2. Stopgap
Columbia River Treaty Update Leaves U.S. Flush with Electricity, in Trickier
Flood Management Position
3. Bonneville
Power Administration Undertakes Major Changes to Double Transmission Asset
Investments
4. Midwest
Grid Signs Off on Record $21 Billion Transmission ‘Backbone’
5. As
Demand for Electricity Soars, a Key Part of the Power Grid – Transformers - Is
in Short Supply
6. Hundreds
of New Gas-Fired Power Units Planned as U.S. Gas Output Soars
7. Alaska:
Anchorage Officials Say Advocacy & Energy Consumption Are Ways City Can
Address Looming Natural Gas Shortage
8. Critics
Say Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Produces Too Much Power at Too High a Price
9. Don’t
Bet on the Weather: The Role Hydropower Plays in Balancing the Grid During
Extreme Circumstances
10. Video:
Washington to Washington: Clean Energy -- Part One
11. How
Public Power Compares to Other Electric Utilities
12. Idaho:
Lava Ridge Wind Farm Opponents Consider Waiting for Trump to Take Office Before
Filing Lawsuit
13. New
Mexico: Proposed Solar Project in Sandoval County Faces Backlash
14. Okanogan
Electric Co-op Taps Oregon Solar Grid
15. U.S.
Sees a 22% Drop in Land Available for Solar Sites
16. U.S.
Energy Storage Deployments Hit Record 3.8 GW In Q3, Led by Texas, California:
Report
17. Officials
Fall Short of Salmon Return Goals in Columbia River Basin but See Signs of
Progress
18. Ocean
Heat Wave Known as 'The Blob' Blamed for Killing Half the Population of Bird
Species
19. Draft
Report Calls Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission ‘Dysfunctional’
20. EPA
Adds Upper Columbia River Site to National Superfund List
21. California
Water Agency Votes to Spend $141 Million on Delta Tunnel Project
22. With
Repeal Measure Rejected, WA Carbon Auction Prices Surge
23. WA’s
Top Climate Polluters Hand in Emission Allowances – Except One
24. Washington’s
Voter-Approved Natural Gas Measure Snared in Two Lawsuits
25. Proposed
Rule Requires Utilities to Find & Fix More Climate-Warming Leaks
26. Exxon
Mobil to Sell Electricity to Data Centers, NY Times Reports
27. Bitcoin
Rallies Past $107,000, Hopes Grow for Strategic Reserve
28. Bitcoin
Mining Is One of the Suspected Causes of the Power Outages Disrupting Life in
Iran
29. Electric
Vehicles Leap to Almost 9% of U.S. Light Duty Vehicle Sales in Q3: EIA
30. Oregon
to Follow California's Lead to Reduce Gas-Powered Trucks on the Roads
31. New
Proposal Could Have Electric Vehicle Drivers in Washington Volunteer to Pay per
Mile
32. What
Happened to the Yahoo Homepage? Users Baffled by Unwanted "Helpful"
Changes
33. Will
Your Weather Forecasts Soon Be Done without Humans?
34. Ontario
Premier Says U.S. Energy Exports – Including Electricity – Will Be Cut Off If
Trump Imposes Sweeping Tariffs on Canada
35. ‘Bridge
or Two Too Far’: Top Congressional Dem Throws Cold Water on Permitting
36. Oregon
Winter Storm Warning: Up to 20 Inches of Snow Forecast for Cascade Passes
37. Oregon
Isn’t Paying Its Wildfire Bills on Time. Now Legislators Must Act
38. What
We Know About Mysterious Drone Sightings
39.
Guest Essay: The Bonneville Power
Administration’s Plans Aim to Support Growing Tri-Cities’ Economy
Word of the Day
Foment \FOE-ment\ Verb - To promote the growth or development of, rouse, incite.
Alfred knew before even sitting down at his drawing board that his new plan for reorganizing the Tiddlywinks professional circuit would foment his frothing fans to a frenzy. “Moving the Schenectady, New York franchise to a conference including Poughkeepsie? Regional, competitive integrity my foot,” he mused, smoke from his smoldering cigarette curling into the green glass shade of his desk lamp. “I just want to avoid that twice-annual trip to Rochester, especially in the winter.”
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Soaring Data Center Electricity Demand Could
Trigger Northwest Blackouts, Industry Insiders Say (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
2.
Stopgap Columbia River Treaty Update Leaves U.S.
Flush with Electricity, in Trickier Flood Management Position (Vancouver Columbian,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
3.
Bonneville Power Administration Undertakes Major
Changes to Double Transmission Asset Investments (Bonneville Power
Administration)
4.
Midwest Grid Signs Off on Record $21 Billion Transmission
‘Backbone’ (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/midwest-grid-signs-off-on-record-21b-transmission-backbone/
5.
As Demand for Electricity Soars, a Key Part of
the Power Grid – Transformers - Is in Short Supply (Gizmodo)
6.
Hundreds of New Gas-Fired Power Units Planned as
U.S. Gas Output Soars (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/hundreds-of-new-gas-fired-power-units-planned-as-u-s-gas-output-soars/
7.
Alaska: Anchorage Officials Say Advocacy &
Energy Consumption Are Ways City Can Address Looming Natural Gas Shortage
(Alaska Public Media)
8.
Critics Say Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Produces
Too Much Power at Too High a Price (KPBS Broadcasting, San Diego, CA)
9.
Don’t Bet on the Weather: The Role Hydropower
Plays in Balancing the Grid During Extreme Circumstances (U.S. Army)
10.
Video: Washington to Washington: Clean Energy --
Part One (TV Washington)
https://tvw.org/video/washington-to-washington-clean-energy-part-one-2024121150/
11.
How Public Power Compares to Other Electric
Utilities (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/how-public-power-compares-other-electric-utilities
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
12.
Idaho: Lava Ridge Wind Farm Opponents Consider
Waiting for Trump to Take Office Before Filing Lawsuit (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
13.
New Mexico: Proposed Solar Project in Sandoval
County Faces Backlash (KRQU-TV, Albuquerque, NM)
https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/proposed-solar-project-in-sandoval-county-faces-backlash/
14.
Okanogan Electric Co-op Taps Oregon Solar Grid
(Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
https://methowvalleynews.com/2024/12/12/electric-co-op-taps-oregon-solar-grid/
15.
U.S. Sees a 22% Drop in Land Available for Solar
Sites (PV Magazine)
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/12/10/u-s-sees-a-22-drop-in-land-available-for-solar-sites/
16.
U.S. Energy Storage Deployments Hit Record 3.8 GW
In Q3, Led by Texas, California: Report (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/texas-california-energy-storage-woodmac-acp-report/735490/
Fish & Wildlife
17.
Officials Fall Short of Salmon Return Goals in Columbia
River Basin but See Signs of Progress (Washington State Standard – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/officials-fall-short-salmon-return-223020878.html
18.
Ocean Heat Wave Known as 'The Blob' Blamed for Killing
Half the Population of Bird Species (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
19.
Draft Report Calls Washington Fish &
Wildlife Commission ‘Dysfunctional’ (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/dec/12/draft-report-calls-washington-fish-and-wildlife-co/
Environmental Afflatus –
Clean Up on Aisle Three
20.
EPA Adds Upper Columbia River Site to National
Superfund List (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
21.
California Water Agency Votes to Spend $141
Million on Delta Tunnel Project (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-water-agency-votes-spend-225817995.html
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
22.
With Repeal Measure Rejected, WA Carbon Auction
Prices Surge (Washington State Standard)
23.
WA’s Top Climate Polluters Hand in Emission
Allowances – Except One (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/dec/15/was-top-climate-polluters-hand-in-emission-allowan/
24.
Washington’s Voter-Approved Natural Gas Measure
Snared in Two Lawsuits (Washington State Standard)
25.
Proposed Rule Requires Utilities to Find &
Fix More Climate-Warming Leaks (National Public Radio)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
26.
Exxon Mobil to Sell Electricity to Data Centers,
NY Times Reports (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exxon-mobil-sell-electricity-data-122058091.html
27.
Bitcoin Rallies Past $107,000, Hopes Grow for
Strategic Reserve (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/bitcoin-powers-above-105000-first-time-2024-12-15/
28.
Bitcoin Mining Is One of the Suspected Causes of
the Power Outages Disrupting Life in Iran (Associated Press)
I Sing the Car Electric
29.
Electric Vehicles Leap to Almost 9% of U.S.
Light Duty Vehicle Sales in Q3: EIA (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-electric-vehicle-sales-leap-to-almost-9-in-q3-record-EIA/735197/
30.
Oregon to Follow California's Lead to Reduce
Gas-Powered Trucks on the Roads (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
31.
New Proposal Could Have Electric Vehicle Drivers
in Washington Volunteer to Pay per Mile (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
32.
What Happened to the Yahoo Homepage? Users
Baffled by Unwanted "Helpful" Changes (Distractify)
https://www.distractify.com/p/what-happened-to-my-yahoo-homepage
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
33.
Will Your Weather Forecasts Soon Be Done without
Humans? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/4018951/will-your-weather-forecasts-soon-be-done-without-humans/
Politics, Governance,
and Management
34.
Ontario Premier Says U.S. Energy Exports – Including
Electricity – Will Be Cut Off If Trump Imposes Sweeping Tariffs on Canada (Associated
Press)
https://apnews.com/article/canada-interest-rate-cut-trump-tariffs-c0ef920ffb02ea0531c93516abad64e0
35.
‘Bridge or Two Too Far’: Top Congressional Dem Throws
Cold Water on Permitting (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/bridge-or-two-too-far-top-dem-throws-cold-water-on-permitting/
Other Things to Know
About Today
36.
Oregon Winter Storm Warning: Up to 20 Inches of Snow
Forecast for Cascade Passes (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/winter-storm-warning-issued-oregon-223646610.html
37.
Oregon Isn’t Paying Its Wildfire Bills on Time.
Now Legislators Must Act (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
38.
What We Know About Mysterious Drone Sightings (Cable
News Network)
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/15/us/drone-sightings-east-coast/index.html
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
39.
Guest Essay: The Bonneville Power Administration’s
Plans Aim to Support Growing Tri-Cities’ Economy (Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business,
WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/hairston-2024
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Detroit-Area
Library Says Chicago Man Can Keep Overdue Baseball Book -- 50 Years Later
https://apnews.com/article/michigan-library-overdue-book-86747a3d68c0524273f2ff690bf3df7d
‘What Did I Find?’:
Woman Buys VCR at Goodwill, Finds Family’s 1980s Christmas Tape Still Inside
Canadian Man Wins Microsoft
Excel World Championships In Las Vegas
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/12/11/Microsoft-Excel-World-Championships/5121733939976/
Engagement Photo
Shoot Interrupted by Ring Falling into Sewer
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/12/10/engagement-ring-sewer-Cleveland/5411733857100/
Song of the Day
The Fifth Dimension
– Wedding Bell Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV1CI90O_ec
Links & Paywall Advisory
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
Although I choose
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