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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Snake River Dam
Supporters Cry Foul as Feds Plan Update to Study That Rejected Breaching
(Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/snake-river-dam-supporters-cry-133000781.html
Tribes Sue After
Massive Wind Farm in Washington Gets Green Light (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/articles/tribes-sue-after-massive-wind-farm-in-washington-gets-green-light/
State Regulators
Approve More Electricity Rate Hikes for Oregonians in 2025 (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/state-regulators-approve-more-electricity-003719757.html
White House Eyes
Federal Land to House Massive Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (Bloomberg
News – Via Yahoo!)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/white-house-eyes-federal-land-193905870.html
Another Northwest
Bomb Cyclone with Localized Strong Winds (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/12/another-northwest-bomb-cyclone-with.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Snake
River Dam Supporters Cry Foul as Feds Plan Update to Study That Rejected
Breaching
2. Federal
Agencies to Revise Environmental Study for Columbia River Basin Dam Operations
3. News
Release: U.S. Senator Risch (Idaho) Demands Biden Admin Halt Any Last-Ditch Dam
Breaching Efforts
4. New
Agreement-in-Principle on Columbia River Treaty Examined in Virtual Information
Session
5. State
Regulators Approve More Electricity Rate Hikes for Oregonians in 2025
6. News
Release: Avista Receives Commission Decision in Washington General Rate Cases
7. Two
California Cities Have Among the Highest Utility Bills in the U.S.
8. Implosion
Likely for Lawsuit Over California Nuclear Plant Funding
9. Artificial
Intelligence’s Energy Hunger Fuels Geothermal Startups but Natgas Rivalry
Clouds Future
10. America’s
Biggest Hydroelectric Dam, 90 Years Later: This Is Where the Power Is Really
Going
11. Tribes
Sue After Massive Wind Farm in Washington Gets Green Light
12. SMUD’s
Plan for 500,000 Sacramento County Solar Panels Is Taking Heat from
Environmentalists
13. In
Colorado, A Marriage of Solar Energy & Farming Provides a Model for a More
Sustainable Future
14. Western
Developer Secures Financing for Construction of 125 MW Idaho Solar Project
15. Regulators
to Assess Environmental Risks of Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub
16. County
in Washington State Distributing Free Energy Efficient Appliances to Customers
17. Stove
Wars: A New Hope for Electric
18. Thieves
Steal Copper Wiring from Granite Falls, WA Fish Ladder, Causing $250,000 Damage
19. Record
Number of Chum Salmon Pass Bonneville Dam
20. Activists
Sue Federal Government for Images of Dead Orcas Entangled by Fishing Boats
21. Out-Of-Control
Invasive Species Has Met Its Match: Cute & Hungry Otters
22. Invasive
‘Murder Hornets’ Are Wiped Out in the U.S., Officials Say
23. Drought
Deepens in the Southwest, Driven by Little Rain & Extreme Heat
24. Oregon:
Portland’s Climate Action Fund Awards $300 Million to Large-Scale Projects
25. Tribal
Leaders Focus on Building Successful Tribal Broadband
26. News
Release: U.S. Senators Merkley, and
Wyden (Oregon) Announce Over $4 Million for High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure
Headed to Lane County
27. Broken
Universal Service Fund May Require a Congressional Solution
28. White
House Eyes Federal Land to House Massive Artificial Intelligence Data Centers
29. Congress’
Artificial Intelligence Report Leaves Some Tech-Watchers on Edge
30. NorthWestern
Energy Intends to Provide Energy Services for Planned Data Centers in Montana
31. The
Day Four Lightbulbs Changed the World: Idaho’s Historic First Step in
Nuclear-Powered Electricity
32. Will
Solar Industry Be Dimmed — Or Shine — Under Trump?
33. Chelan
PUD Looks Ahead to New WA Legislative Session
34. News
Release: U.S. Senators Merkley, Wyden (Oregon) – Critical Water Infrastructure
Bill Headed to the President’s Desk
35. Another
Northwest Bomb Cyclone with Localized Strong Winds
36. Federal
Government Sues PacifiCorp Over 2020 Oregon Wildfire, As the Costs of Fires to
the Company Climb
37. Podcast:
Headliners – Crystal Ball, Mark Nelson, and Emeka Anyanwu @ Gridliance
Transmission Symposium
38. Guest
Essay: Is Nuclear Power ‘Green Energy?’
39. Guest
Essay: As We Diversify Nevada’s Power Grid, Let’s Go Big
40.
Guest Essay: Power for All – Why Washington
Needs Community Solar to Advance Equity & Justice
Word of the Day
Symposium \sim-POSE-ee-um\ Noun – 1a: a convivial party (as after a banquet in ancient Greece) with music & conversation b: a social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas 2a: a formal meeting at which several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics b: a collection of opinions on a subject; especially: one published by a periodical
Dagwood, the new linguist at the Liberian online college institute, was excited about attending the Truth or Consequences, New Mexico conference on the plural use of symposium. “Which session? Symposium, symposiums, or symposia,” he mused. “Or the blockbuster presentation on Elvis, Elvises, or Elvi?”
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Snake River Dam Supporters Cry Foul as Feds Plan
Update to Study That Rejected Breaching (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/snake-river-dam-supporters-cry-133000781.html
2.
Federal Agencies to Revise Environmental Study for
Columbia River Basin Dam Operations (Idaho Capital Sun)
3.
News Release: U.S. Senator Risch (Idaho) Demands
Biden Admin Halt Any Last-Ditch Dam Breaching Efforts (U.S. Senator Jim Risch,
Idaho)
https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=DB187827-43F2-46A2-BC8F-D38759F264E5
4.
New Agreement-in-Principle on Columbia River
Treaty Examined in Virtual Information Session (Castanet, Kamloops, BC)
https://www.castanetkamloops.net/edition/news-story-523838-91-.htm
5.
State Regulators Approve More Electricity Rate
Hikes for Oregonians in 2025 (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/state-regulators-approve-more-electricity-003719757.html
6.
News Release: Avista Receives Commission
Decision in Washington General Rate Cases (Yahoo! News)
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/avista-receives-commission-decision-washington-120500951.html
7.
Two California Cities Have Among the Highest
Utility Bills in the U.S. (MSN News)
8.
Implosion Likely for Lawsuit Over California Nuclear
Plant Funding (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/implosion-likely-for-lawsuit-over-california-nuclear-plant-funding/
9.
Artificial Intelligence’s Energy Hunger Fuels Geothermal
Startups but Natgas Rivalry Clouds Future (Reuters)
10.
America’s Biggest Hydroelectric Dam, 90 Years
Later: This Is Where the Power Is Really Going (The Diary 24)
https://www.eldiario24.com/en/americas-biggest-hydroelectric-dam-90/6001/
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
11.
Tribes Sue After Massive Wind Farm in Washington
Gets Green Light (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/articles/tribes-sue-after-massive-wind-farm-in-washington-gets-green-light/
12.
SMUD’s Plan for 500,000 Sacramento County Solar
Panels Is Taking Heat from Environmentalists (Sacramento Bee, CA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article296238329.html
13.
In Colorado, A Marriage of Solar Energy &
Farming Provides a Model for a More Sustainable Future (Rocky Mountain PBS)
https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/science-environment/agrivoltaics-solar-farm-colorado-longmont
14.
Western Developer Secures Financing for
Construction of 125 MW Idaho Solar Project (Renewable Energy World)
15.
Regulators to Assess Environmental Risks of Pacific
Northwest Hydrogen Hub (Washington State Standard)
Conservation &
Efficiency
16.
County in Washington State Distributing Free
Energy Efficient Appliances to Customers (Renewable Energy Mgazine)
17.
Stove Wars: A New Hope for Electric (Political)
Fish & Wildlife
18.
Thieves Steal Copper Wiring from Granite Falls, WA
Fish Ladder, Causing $250,000 Damage (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
19.
Record Number of Chum Salmon Pass Bonneville Dam
(Bonneville Power Administration)
20.
Activists Sue Federal Government for Images of
Dead Orcas Entangled by Fishing Boats (Associated Press)
21.
Out-Of-Control Invasive Species Has Met Its
Match: Cute & Hungry Otters (USA Today – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/control-invasive-species-met-match-101422332.html
22.
Invasive ‘Murder Hornets’ Are Wiped Out in the U.S.,
Officials Say (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/murder-hornet-giant-invasive-honey-bee-fbf496fba789bc4b17750dbbec904b5f
Water, Water, Anywhere?
23.
Drought Deepens in the Southwest, Driven by Little
Rain & Extreme Heat (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/dec/19/drought-deepens-in-the-southwest-driven-by-little-/
Climate Change Sequestration
Vault
24.
Oregon: Portland’s Climate Action Fund Awards
$300 Million to Large-Scale Projects (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
25.
Tribal Leaders Focus on Building Successful
Tribal Broadband (Broadband Communities)
https://bbcmag.com/tribal-leaders-focus-on-building-successful-tribal-broadband/
26.
News Release: U.S. Senators Merkley, and Wyden (Oregon) Announce
Over $4 Million for High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure Headed to Lane County (U.S.
Senators Merkley, Wyden, Oregon)
27.
Broken Universal Service Fund May Require a
Congressional Solution (Telecompetitor)
https://www.telecompetitor.com/broken-usf-may-require-a-congressional-solution/
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
28.
White House Eyes Federal Land to House Massive Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers (Bloomberg News – Via Yahoo!)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/white-house-eyes-federal-land-193905870.html
29.
Congress’ Artificial Intelligence Report Leaves
Some Tech-Watchers on Edge (Politico)
30.
NorthWestern Energy Intends to Provide Energy
Services for Planned Data Centers in Montana (Daily Energy Insider)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
31.
The Day Four Lightbulbs Changed the World: Idaho’s
Historic First Step in Nuclear-Powered Electricity (The Daily Galaxy)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
32.
Will Solar Industry Be Dimmed — Or Shine — Under
Trump? (Palm Springs Desert Sun, CA)
33.
Chelan PUD Looks Ahead to New WA Legislative
Session (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/chelan-pud-looks-ahead-to-new-legislative-session/
34.
News Release: U.S. Senators Merkley, Wyden
(Oregon – Critical Water Infrastructure Bill Headed to the President’s Desk (U.S.
Senators Merkley, Wyden, Oregon)
Other Things to Know
About Today
35.
Another Northwest Bomb Cyclone with Localized
Strong Winds (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/12/another-northwest-bomb-cyclone-with.html
36.
Federal Government Sues PacifiCorp Over 2020 Oregon
Wildfire, As the Costs of Fires to the Company Climb (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
37.
Podcast: Headliners – Crystal Ball, Mark Nelson,
and Emeka Anyanwu @ Gridliance Transmission Symposium (Public Power
Underground)
https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/headliners-crystal-ball-mark-nelson
38.
Guest Essay: Is Nuclear Power ‘Green Energy?’
(AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/nuclear-power-green-energy-093002214.html
39.
Guest Essay: As We Diversify Nevada’s Power
Grid, Let’s Go Big (Nevada Independent)
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/opinion-as-we-diversify-nevadas-power-grid-lets-go-big
40.
Guest Essay: Power for All – Why Washington Needs
Community Solar to Advance Equity & Justice (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via
MSN)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Prehistoric Mastodon
Jaw Found in Backyard by NY Homeowner Who Spotted Teeth Sticking Up from Soil
Shrimp That Can ‘Punch’
Through Aquarium Glass Found in New Zealand Bay, Officials Say
https://phys.org/news/2024-12-shrimp-aquarium-glass-zealand-bay.html
Couple’s 46-Year-Old
Christmas Tree Now 50ft Tall & Raising £1,000s
Celebrity Musician
Cancels Concert After Airline Refuses Seat for His $3.2 Million Cello
Song of the Day
Joe Cocker –
Darling Be Home Soon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PL-G5GM84U
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 a subscription, individual
experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible
paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookie
files may help you access some paywall sites.
