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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Power Outages Impact Tens of Thousands of Customers in
Western Washington (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/4020717/power-outages-impact-thousands-customers-western-washington/
A Nuclear Fuel Company Promising $4.5 Billion Project &
1,000 Jobs Is Wooing an Eastern WA City (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-fuel-company-promising-4-234847415.html
Washington Could Rely on Other States for Almost Half Its
Energy by 2050 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_e5dea6e0-bbd9-11ef-841c-cf1e746746d8.html
California: Pacific Gas & Electric Lands $15 Billion
Federal Loan Guarantee to Expand Clean Energy (Canary Media)
Montana Supreme Court Affirms Decision in Held, Historic
Youth Climate Case (The Daily Montanan)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
A Nuclear Fuel Company Promising $4.5 Billion
Project & 1,000 Jobs Is Wooing an Eastern WA City
2.
Washington Could Rely on Other States for Almost
Half Its Energy by 2050
3.
NERC: Plant Closures, Surging Demand Pose Risk
to Grid Over the Next Decade
4.
Oregon: Caps on Utility Rate Hikes May Be Coming
in 2025
5.
Oregon: $1 Million Awarded to Eugene Water &
Electric Board for Wildfire Resiliency Projects
6.
Canada: ‘Demand for Power Is at Its Highest:’
Second Generating Unit at Peace River Dam
7.
John Bear Thinks Micro Coal Power Plants Could
Help Wyoming Coal, Create Power Autonomy
8.
Redundant Environmental Review is Unlawful,
Misleading, and Jeopardizes Services to Millions
9.
DOE Advances Three Potential
NIETCs—High-Priority National Electric Transmission Corridors
10.
What Is the Shoulder Season in Electricity
Markets?
11.
California: Pacific Gas & Electric Lands $15
Billion Federal Loan Guarantee to Expand Clean Energy
12.
California: One Morro Bay Wind Energy Project
Leaseholder to Pause Surveying
13.
Oregon: Brooks Incinerator to Close Dec. 31,
Sending Salem’s Trash to Coffin Butte Landfill for Now
14.
Canada: Cariboo Biomass Energy Plant Still in
Limbo Despite British Columbia’s Record Need for Power
15.
U.S. Department of Energy Races to Finalize
Appliance & Equipment Efficiency Standards in Waning Days of Biden
Administration
16.
How Heat Pumps Can Maintain Their Momentum in
2025 & Beyond
17.
‘These Fish & These Waters Are Our
Responsibility to Defend,’ Inslee Says in Executive Order on Salmon Recovery
18.
Public Comment Open on Endangered Status for
Suckley’s Cuckoo Bumble Bee
19.
U.S. Supreme Court Dismisses Constitutional
Claim in California Air Pollution Case
20.
People Who Love an Iconic Oregon River – The
Deschutes – Say an Electric Utility Is Harming It
21.
Time is Running Out. Will the Pacific Northwest
Make Up its Precipitation Deficit?
22.
Montana Supreme Court Affirms Decision in Held,
Historic Youth Climate Case
23.
World’s Largest Iceberg Breaks Free After Months
of Spinning in Antarctic
24.
UTOPIA completes $17.6 million Fiber to the Home
Project in Utah
25.
Five WA Native Nations Split $32 Million in
Federal Broadband Grants
26.
Oklo Inks 12-GW Advanced Reactor Supply
Agreement with Data Center Developer Switch
27.
Exclusive: Trump Transition Team Plans Sweeping
Rollback of Biden Electric Vehicle, Emissions Policies
28.
U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Challenge to TikTok
Ban
29.
Elon Musk Tells X Users ‘No Hashtags’ And Guess
What Happened Next
30.
Fighting the Drought: Transforming News Deserts
with Digital Tools
31.
The Winter Solstice Is Almost Here, The Northern
Hemisphere’s Darkest Day
32.
Blast of Energy from Sun Triggers Ongoing
Geomagnetic Storm
33.
The Last Meteor Shower of the Year Peaks a Few
Days Before Christmas
34.
Congress Unveils Funding Deal with More Than
$100 Billion in Disaster Aid
35.
California Gets Federal Waivers for Ban on
Gas-Powered Vehicles
36.
Power Outages Impact Tens of Thousands of
Customers in Western Washington
37.
Wind & Rain Causes Power Outages Around
Western Oregon
38.
These Were the Top Wind Speeds Recorded During
Overnight Storm in Western Washington
39.
Coffee Prices Are Higher Than Ever. Here’s What
It Means for Your Cup
40.
Guest Essay: Utah Manufacturing Needs Nuclear
Power
41.
Afterparty: Frontlining Energy Justice
Word of the Day
Prolix \proh-LICKS\ Adjective – 1: unduly prolonged or drawn out: too long *2: marked by or using an excess of words
Like King Canute commanding the tides to stop surging to the shore, the moderator knew that his admonition to the speaker about brevity was a fruitless effort to stem an expected torrent of prolix prose. “What more can be said about the importance of mineral oil to the health of baby bottoms?” droned the loquacious after-dinner speaker. “What more indeed,” murmured his wife, who surreptitiously glanced at her watch after two hours of oratorical obfuscation.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
A Nuclear Fuel Company Promising $4.5 Billion
Project & 1,000 Jobs Is Wooing an Eastern WA City (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via
Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-fuel-company-promising-4-234847415.html
2.
Washington Could Rely on Other States for Almost
Half Its Energy by 2050 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_e5dea6e0-bbd9-11ef-841c-cf1e746746d8.html
3.
NERC: Plant Closures, Surging Demand Pose Risk
to Grid Over the Next Decade (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/nerc-plant-closures-surging-demand-pose-risk-to-grid-over-the-next-decade
4.
Oregon: Caps on Utility Rate Hikes May Be Coming
in 2025 (MSN News)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/caps-on-utility-rate-hikes-may-be-coming-in-2025/ar-AA1w0cDF
5.
Oregon: $1 Million Awarded to Eugene Water &
Electric Board for Wildfire Resiliency Projects (KPIC-TV, Roseburg, OR)
https://kpic.com/news/local/1-million-awarded-to-eweb-for-wildfire-resiliency-projects
6.
Canada: ‘Demand for Power Is at Its Highest:’
Second Generating Unit at Peace River Dam (Site C) Now Operational (CJDC-TV,
Dawson Creek, BC)
7.
John Bear Thinks Micro Coal Power Plants Could
Help Wyoming Coal, Create Power Autonomy (Cowboy State Daily)
8.
Redundant Environmental Review is Unlawful,
Misleading, and Jeopardizes Services to Millions (Northwest RiverPartners,
Vancouver, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2024/12/redundant-environmental-review-is.html
9.
DOE Advances Three Potential
NIETCs—High-Priority National Electric Transmission Corridors (Power Magazine)
10.
What Is the Shoulder Season in Electricity
Markets? (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64044
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
11.
California: Pacific Gas & Electric Lands $15
Billion Federal Loan Guarantee to Expand Clean Energy (Canary Media)
12.
California: One Morro Bay Wind Energy Project
Leaseholder to Pause Surveying (KSBY-TV, San Luis Obispo, CA)
https://www.ksby.com/morro-bay/one-morro-bay-wind-energy-project-leaseholder-to-pause-surveying
13.
Oregon: Brooks Incinerator to Close Dec. 31,
Sending Salem’s Trash to Coffin Butte Landfill for Now (The Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
14.
Canada: Cariboo Biomass Energy Plant Still in
Limbo Despite British Columbia’s Record Need for Power (Vanderhoof Omineca
Express, BC)
Conservation
& Efficiency
15.
U.S. Department of Energy Races to Finalize
Appliance & Equipment Efficiency Standards in Waning Days of Biden
Administration (National Law Review)
16.
How Heat Pumps Can Maintain Their Momentum in 2025
& Beyond (Canary Media)
Fish
& Wildlife
17.
‘These Fish & These Waters Are Our
Responsibility to Defend,’ Inslee Says in Executive Order on Salmon Recovery (Vancouver
Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
18.
Public Comment Open on Endangered Status for Suckley’s
Cuckoo Bumble Bee (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
19.
U.S. Supreme Court Dismisses Constitutional
Claim in California Air Pollution Case (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-dismisses-constitutional-claim-165825365.html
20.
People Who Love an Iconic Oregon River – The Deschutes
– Say an Electric Utility Is Harming It (Willamette Week, OR)
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
21.
Time is Running Out. Will the Pacific Northwest
Make Up its Precipitation Deficit? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/12/time-is-running-out-will-northwest-make.html
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
22.
Montana Supreme Court Affirms Decision in Held,
Historic Youth Climate Case (The Daily Montanan)
23.
World’s Largest Iceberg Breaks Free After Months
of Spinning In Antarctic (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/worlds-largest-iceberg-breaks-free-172020103.html
London
Calling –Telecommunications
24.
UTOPIA completes $17.6 million Fiber to the Home
Project in Utah (Broadband Communities Magazine)
https://bbcmag.com/utopia-completes-17-6-million-ftth-project-in-utah/
25.
Five WA Native Nations Split $32 Million in Federal
Broadband Grants (Cascade PBS)
https://www.cascadepbs.org/briefs/2024/12/five-wa-native-nations-split-32m-federal-broadband-grants
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
26.
Oklo Inks 12-GW Advanced Reactor Supply
Agreement with Data Center Developer Switch (Utility Dive)
I
Sing the Car Electric
27.
Exclusive: Trump Transition Team Plans Sweeping
Rollback of Biden Electric Vehicle, Emissions Policies (Reuters)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
28.
U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Challenge to TikTok
Ban (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/supreme-court-will-hear-challenge-to-tiktok-ban/
29.
Elon Musk Tells X Users ‘No Hashtags’ And Guess
What Happened Next (MSN News)
30.
Fighting the Drought: Transforming News Deserts
with Digital Tools (Powerful Web)
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
31.
The Winter Solstice Is Almost Here, The Northern
Hemisphere’s Darkest Day (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/winter-solstice-summer-equinox-sunlight-c73202b7e55b31b2cd832a35f839cfcb
32.
Blast of Energy from Sun Triggers Ongoing
Geomagnetic Storm (AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/blast-energy-sun-triggers-ongoing-205114868.html
33.
The Last Meteor Shower of the Year Peaks a Few
Days Before Christmas (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
34.
Congress Unveils Funding Deal with More Than
$100 Billion in Disaster Aid (Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/congress-nears-funding-deal-more-175210974.html
35.
California Gets Federal Waivers for Ban on
Gas-Powered Vehicles (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/california-gets-federal-waivers-for-ban-on-gas-powered-vehicles/
Other
Things to Know About Today
36.
Power Outages Impact Tens of Thousands of
Customers in Western Washington (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/4020717/power-outages-impact-thousands-customers-western-washington/
37.
Wind & Rain Causes Power Outages Around
Western Oregon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
38.
These Were the Top Wind Speeds Recorded During
Overnight Storm in Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
39.
Coffee Prices Are Higher Than Ever. Here’s What
It Means for Your Cup (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/17/nx-s1-5228008/coffee-prices-brazil-drought-weather
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
40.
Guest Essay: Utah Manufacturing Needs Nuclear
Power (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/12/13/utah-manufacturing-needs-nuclear-power/
41.
Afterparty: Frontlining Energy Justice (Public
Power Underground)
https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/afterparty-frontlining-energy-justice
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
NASA’s Two Stuck Astronauts Face More Time in Space with Return
Delayed Until at Least Late March
https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-77e8f0b988e483a793732297cd868490
Connecticut Firefighters Rescue Dog That Swam Out to Sea
106-Year-Old Woman Stays Young with Positivity, Fireball Whiskey
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/12/17/Fireball-Flo-106th-birthday-Loveland-Ohio/6691734470792/
Lost Lunchbox Found at Virginia School After 42 Years
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/12/17/lunchbox-found-40-years-Roanoke-Virginia/8221734454923/
Song of the Day
Henry Gross – Shannon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Wpn3dFrEs&t=4s
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 stories that are accessible without paying
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