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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
California ISO
Proposes $6.1 Billion Transmission Plan, Mainly for Offshore Wind (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/caiso-proposed-transmission-plan-offshore-wind-reliability/711955/
California: FBI
Offers $25,000 Reward for Information About Damaged Torrance Electrical
Substation (Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA)
Pacific Northwest
Wind Energy Generation Collapses Again: Can We Blame El Nino? (Cliff Mass
Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/03/northwest-wind-generation-collapses.html
String of Storms
Takes California Water Year from Rags to Riches (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/string-of-storms-takes-california-water-year-from-rags-to-riches/
Extinction Risk to
Southern Resident Orcas Accelerating as Researchers Raise Alarm (Phys.Org)
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-extinction-southern-resident-orcas-alarm.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. California
ISO Proposes $6.1 Billion Transmission Plan, Mainly for Offshore Wind
2. California:
FBI Offers $25,000 Reward for Information About Damaged Torrance Electrical
Substation
3. Company
Founded by Bill Gates Files NRC Application for Advanced Nuclear Project
4. Pumped
Hydro: This Arizona Utility Company Wants to Build a New Lake in the Middle of
the Desert
5. Out
in the Field: Training Prepares Field Crews for Snowcat & Cold Weather
Survival
6. Reindeer
Herders Battle Power Line Needed for Norway’s Climate Goal
7. Pacific
Northwest Wind Energy Generation Collapses Again: Can We Blame El Nino?
8. Texas,
California Dominated Wind & Solar Power Generation in 2023: Report
9. Idaho
Legislature Passes Resolution Supporting New Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium
10. U.S.
Department of Energy Releases Blueprint for Reducing Building Emissions
11. Extinction
Risk to Southern Resident Orcas Accelerating as Researchers Raise Alarm
12. U.S.
Sen. Cantwell (WA) Among Dozens to Celebrate 20 Years of ‘Commitment to
Cooperation,’ No Net Impact on Salmon at Rocky Reach Dam
13. String
of Storms Takes California Water Year from Rags to Riches
14. NOAA
Gets Dire Warning About Solar Geoengineering
15. FCC
to Vote on Reinstating Net Neutrality Rules
16. WA
Digital Equity Plan Approved; Looks at Digital Equity Statewide
17. Amazon
Bets $150 Billion on Data Centers Required for Artificial Intelligence Boom
18. Scathing
Federal Report Rips Microsoft for Shoddy Security, Insincerity in Response to
Chinese Hack
19. Browsing
in Incognito Mode Doesn’t Protect You as Much as You Might Think
20. Microsoft
Splits Teams from Office After Antitrust Scrutiny
21. Meet
the Washington Firm at the Center of the Electric Vehicle Battery Revolution
22. Clark
Public Utilities Pilot Program Offers $50 Credit to Electric Vehicle Owners
23. U.S.
Transportation Sect. Buttigieg Compares Electric Vehicle Skeptics to Landline
Lovers: ‘I Feel Like It’s the Early 2000s’
24. Taiwan’s
Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years Kills 9 People, 50 Missing
25. The
Largest Fresh Egg Producer in the U.S. Has Found Bird Flu in Chickens at a
Texas Plant
26. Editorial:
Small Nuclear Power Plants May Be Key to WA State’s Energy Mix
27. Guest
Essay: Utilities Must Come Clean About the Full Value of Community Solar
28. Guest
Essay: Don’t Give Up on Green Hydrogen
29.
Podcast: Distribution Hardware with Francis
Sammy
WORD OF THE DAY
Defalcate \dih-FALL-cayt\ Verb – Embezzle.
“Two dollars for the treasury, fifty-cent administrative fee for me. Two dollars for…” was the sing-song chant that rationalized the bewhiskered money changer’s nefarious plan to defalcate the “Widows and Orphans Fund” at the local church. Unfortunately for him, he forgot his Sunday school classes, where he supposedly learned that “God is Watching.” “Hot coals all around,” shouted the devil when the moneychanger met his ethereal “reward.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
California ISO Proposes $6.1 Billion Transmission
Plan, Mainly for Offshore Wind (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/caiso-proposed-transmission-plan-offshore-wind-reliability/711955/
2.
California: FBI Offers $25,000 Reward for
Information About Damaged Torrance Electrical Substation (Long Beach Press-Telegram,
CA)
3.
Company Founded by Bill Gates Files NRC
Application for Advanced Nuclear Project (American Public Power Association)
4.
Pumped Hydro: This Arizona Utility Company Wants
to Build a New Lake in the Middle of the Desert (KJZZ Radio, Phoenix, AZ)
https://kjzz.org/content/1875581/arizona-utility-company-wants-build-new-lake-middle-desert
5.
Out in the Field: Training Prepares Field Crews for
Snowcat & Cold Weather Survival (Bonneville Power Administration)
6.
Reindeer Herders Battle Power Line Needed for Norway’s
Climate Goal (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/arctic-reindeer-norway-power/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
7.
Pacific Northwest Wind Energy Generation
Collapses Again: Can We Blame El Nino? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/03/northwest-wind-generation-collapses.html
8.
Texas, California Dominated Wind & Solar
Power Generation in 2023: Report (The Hill, Washington, DC)
9.
Idaho Legislature Passes Resolution Supporting
New Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
10.
U.S. Department of Energy Releases Blueprint for
Reducing Building Emissions (Courthouse News Service)
FISH & WILDLIFE
11.
Extinction Risk to Southern Resident Orcas
Accelerating as Researchers Raise Alarm (Phys.Org)
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-extinction-southern-resident-orcas-alarm.html
12.
U.S. Sen. Cantwell (WA) Among Dozens to
Celebrate 20 Years of ‘Commitment to Cooperation,’ No Net Impact on Salmon at Rocky
Reach Dam (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
13.
String of Storms Takes California Water Year from
Rags to Riches (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/string-of-storms-takes-california-water-year-from-rags-to-riches/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
14.
NOAA Gets Dire Warning About Solar
Geoengineering (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/29/noaa-warning-solar-geoengineering-climate-00148573
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
15.
FCC to Vote on Reinstating Net Neutrality Rules
(Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/fcc-to-vote-on-reinstating-net-neutrality-rules/
16.
WA Digital Equity Plan Approved; Looks at
Digital Equity Statewide (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
https://www.kxro.com/wa-digital-equity-plan-approved-looks-at-digital-equity-statewide/
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
17.
Amazon Bets $150 Billion on Data Centers Required
for Artificial Intelligence Boom (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/amazon-bets-150-billion-on-data-centers-required-for-ai-boom/
18.
Scathing Federal Report Rips Microsoft for
Shoddy Security, Insincerity in Response to Chinese Hack (Associated Press)
19.
Browsing in Incognito Mode Doesn’t Protect You as
Much as You Might Think (Associated Press)
20.
Microsoft Splits Teams from Office After
Antitrust Scrutiny (Associated Press)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
21.
Meet the Washington Firm at the Center of the Electric
Vehicle Battery Revolution (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/04/02/group14-ev-battery-lithium-tech-washington
22.
Clark Public Utilities Pilot Program Offers $50
Credit to Electric Vehicle Owners (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
23.
U.S. Transportation Sect. Buttigieg Compares Electric
Vehicle Skeptics to Landline Lovers: ‘I Feel Like It’s the Early 2000s’ (NBC
Montana)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
24.
Taiwan’s Strongest Earthquake in 25 Years Kills
9 People, 50 Missing (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/strong-72-magnitude-earthquake-hits-taipei-2024-04-03/
25.
The Largest Fresh Egg Producer in the U.S. Has
Found Bird Flu in Chickens at a Texas Plant (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-texas-mississippi-chickens-dbae49f8786dda586036c1b86b9d0997
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
26.
Editorial: Small Nuclear Power Plants May Be Key
to WA State’s Energy Mix (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-small-nuclear-plants-may-be-key-to-states-energy-mix/
27.
Guest Essay: Utilities Must Come Clean About the
Full Value of Community Solar (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/utilities-community-solar-clean-energy/710558/
28.
Guest Essay: Don’t Give Up on Green Hydrogen (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/green-hydrogen-renewable-energy-climate-change/709261/
29.
Podcast: Distribution Hardware with Francis
Sammy (Public Power Underground)
https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/distribution-hardware
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Wildflower Watchers
Have Reason to Believe a ‘Superbloom’ Is Waiting to Erupt in Southern
California
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-wildflower-superbloom-rcna143100
NASA Receives White
House Order to Develop Lunar Time Standard
https://gizmodo.com/white-house-nasa-coordinated-lunar-time-clocks-artemis-1851382618
Salem Man Finishes
Goal of Running Half-Marathon in 50 States
Territorial Turkey
Terrorizing School Chased Off by Umbrella-Wielding Principal
SONG OF THE DAY
Maurice Jarre – Lawrence
of Arabia Overture (Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuxHLzwlDY4
Welcome to National
Film Score Day
https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/april/national-film-score-day-april-3
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