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NWPPA Conference – January 28 - Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know
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. This one-day event fosters collaboration and innovation, empowering you to tackle the urgent issues surrounding fire management and recovery.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
‘Bomb Cyclone’
Kills Two & Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes across the
Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Benton County to
Sue WA After Inslee Agrees to One of State’s Largest Wind Farms
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/nov/19/benton-county-to-sue-wa-after-inslee-agrees-to-one/
Southern Resident
Orcas Feast on Puget Sound Chum in Long Visit (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Northwest U.S.
& Western Canadian Natural Gas Prices Trade at Historic Lows in 2024 (U.S.
Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=63744
Today is Utility
Scam Awareness Day: ‘Beware of Utility Scammers,’ Warns Energy Industry (Daily
Energy Insider)
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/46217-beware-of-utility-scammers-warns-energy-industry/
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. ‘Bomb
Cyclone’ Kills Two & Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes across
the Pacific Northwest
2. Highways
Closed, Thousands without Power as ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Hits British Columbia Coast
3. ‘Multiple
Day Outage’ Expected as Hundreds of Thousands Have Lost Power in Western
Washington
4. These
Were the Top Wind Speeds Recorded During Washington’s Bomb Cyclone
5. Northwest
U.S. & Western Canadian Natural Gas Prices Trade at Historic Lows in 2024
6. Canada
Imports U.S. Electricity as Droughts Curb Hydropower
7. Washington
Dept of Transportation Looking at Dam Removal Impact
8. Avista
Awarded More Than $1 Million for Columbia River Hydropower Projects
9. A
Long Stretch of Tacoma Highway Has Gone Dark as Thieves Once Again Hunt Pricey
Metal
10. Household
Power Costs: November Prices, Steep Rise in Winter Power Bills on Its Way
11. U.S.
Unveils Plan to Triple Nuclear Power by 2050 as Demand Soars
12. EIA
Analysis: Utility Spending Surges Over Last Two Decades Due to Grid Investments
13. Along
Those Lines: Helene & Milton—Two Co-op Leaders Share Their Hurricane
Stories
14. WA
State: Itchy Cow(s) to Blame for Intermittent Power Loss, Says Grant PUD
15. Benton
County to Sue WA After Inslee Agrees to One of State’s Largest Wind Farms
16. ‘Road
to the Future.’ Deals Top $8.6 Billion for This Remote Eastern WA Clean Energy
Park
17. Oregon:
This Seaside Town Will Power Thousands of Homes with Waves
18. Boise
Airport Now Powered by 100% Clean Energy Through Idaho Power Program
19. USDA
Invests $600K in Montana Clean Energy Projects
20. Federal
Program to Assist Arizonans with Energy Efficiency Upgrades Faces Delays
21. Southern
Resident Orcas Feast on Puget Sound Chum in Long Visit
22. How
Do You Protect a Species That Lives Across a Continent? Monarch Butterfly
Decision May Soon Try
23. Idaho
Was Drier Than Normal In 2024. What Could Next Year Look Like?
24. Millions
in Rural America Lack Reliable Internet. How Massachusetts Towns Got Online
25. Arctic
Bitcoin? Hilcorp, Tech Firm Aim to Test North Slope Data Center
26. Mapped:
Data Center Electricity Consumption by State
27. Oregon
Sees Surge in Electric Vehicle Registrations, Aims for 250,000 by 2025
28. Washington
State Still Grappling with Ongoing Electric Vehicle Charging Challenges
29. Ford,
Facing Economic Headwinds & Weak Electric Vehicle Sales, to Cut 4,000 Jobs
in Europe
30. Today
is Utility Scam Awareness Day: ‘Beware of Utility Scammers,’ Warns Energy
Industry
31. WA
State: Natural Gas Initiative Won at the Ballot Box, But Opponents Plan to Keep
Fighting It in Court
32. Wyoming
Mining Group Says Trump’s Energy Secretary Could Mean ‘180-Degree’ Turn for
Coal
33. Lithium
Mining: A Biden Green Energy Investment in Nevada That Could Appeal to Trump
34. The
Columbia River Feeds Washington’s Booming Apple Industry — And Its Economy
35. Alleged
‘Potato Cartel’ Accused of Conspiring to Raise Price of Frozen Fries, Tater
Tots Across U.S.
36. Editorial:
Tri-Citians, Your Voices & Dollars Are Needed If You Want to Protect Horse
Heaven Hills
37. Editorial:
Short-Term Natural Gas Use for Clean-Energy Future
38. Columnist: Stealing Copper
Word of the Day – The Horrible Haiku Edition
Murmuration \murm-uh-RAY-shun\ Noun – 1: the act of murmuring: the utterance of low continuous sounds or complaining noises 2: A flock of starlings: usually flying in large formations.
An Aerial Busby Berkeley Show
Synchronized in flight.
Murmuration of starlings.
Tiny sky dancers.
Busby Berkeley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busby_Berkeley
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
‘Bomb Cyclone’ Kills Two & Knocks Out Power to
Over Half a Million Homes across the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
2.
Highways Closed, Thousands without Power as ‘Bomb
Cyclone’ Hits British Columbia Coast (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bomb-cyclone-nov-19-1.7386924?cmp=rss
3.
‘Multiple Day Outage’ Expected as Hundreds of Thousands
Have Lost Power in Western Washington (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
4.
These Were the Top Wind Speeds Recorded During Washington’s
Bomb Cyclone (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
5.
Northwest U.S. & Western Canadian Natural
Gas Prices Trade at Historic Lows in 2024 (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=63744
6.
Canada Imports U.S. Electricity as Droughts Curb
Hydropower (The Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/fd1c8647-12fa-49af-904d-d85570b985c7
7.
Washington Dept of Transportation Looking at Dam
Removal Impact (Pacific NW Ag Network)
https://pnwag.net/wsdot-looking-at-dam-removal-impact/
8.
Avista Awarded More Than $1 Million for Columbia
River Hydropower Projects (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)
9.
A Long Stretch of Tacoma Highway Has Gone Dark as
Thieves Once Again Hunt Pricey Metal (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Via Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/long-stretch-tacoma-highway-gone-130000198.html
10.
Household Power Costs: November Prices, Steep
Rise in Winter Power Bills on Its Way (AOL)
https://www.aol.com/household-power-costs-november-prices-163000005.html
11.
U.S. Unveils Plan to Triple Nuclear Power by
2050 as Demand Soars (Bloomberg News)
12.
EIA Analysis: Utility Spending Surges Over Last
Two Decades Due to Grid Investments (Daily Energy Insider)
13.
Along Those Lines: Helene & Milton—Two Co-op
Leaders Share Their Hurricane Stories (National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association)
14.
WA State: Itchy Cow(s) to Blame for Intermittent
Power Loss, Says Grant PUD (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/itchy-cows-to-blame-for-intermittent-power-loss-says-grant-pud/
Renewable Energy & Self
Storage
15.
Benton County to Sue WA After Inslee Agrees to One
of State’s Largest Wind Farms (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/nov/19/benton-county-to-sue-wa-after-inslee-agrees-to-one/
16.
‘Road to the Future.’ Deals Top $8.6 Billion for
This Remote Eastern WA Clean Energy Park (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN)
17.
Oregon: This Seaside Town Will Power Thousands of
Homes with Waves (Washington Post – Via Illuminem)
https://illuminem.com/illuminemvoices/this-seaside-town-will-power-thousands-of-homes-with-waves
18.
Boise Airport Now Powered by 100% Clean Energy
Through Idaho Power Program (Idaho Capital Sun)
19.
USDA Invests $600K in Montana Clean Energy
Projects (NBC Montana)
https://www.nbcmontana.com/news/local/usda-invests-600k-in-montana-clean-energy-projects
Conservation &
Efficiency
20.
Federal Program to Assist Arizonans with Energy
Efficiency Upgrades Faces Delays (KJZZ-Radio, Phoenix, AZ)
Fish & Wildlife
21.
Southern Resident Orcas Feast on Puget Sound Chum
in Long Visit (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
22.
How Do You Protect a Species That Lives Across a
Continent? Monarch Butterfly Decision May Soon Try (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/18/nx-s1-5179002/protect-species-monarch-butterfly-decision-may-soon-try
Water, Water, Anywhere?
23.
Idaho Was Drier Than Normal In 2024. What Could
Next Year Look Like? (News from the States)
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/idaho-was-drier-normal-2024-what-could-next-year-look
London Calling
–Telecommunications
24.
Millions in Rural America Lack Reliable
Internet. How Massachusetts Towns Got Online (Christian Science Monitor)
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2024/1119/rural-broadband-internet-access-massaschusetts
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
25.
Arctic Bitcoin? Hilcorp, Tech Firm Aim to Test North
Slope Data Center (Northern Journal)
26.
Mapped: Data Center Electricity Consumption by
State (Visual Capitalist)
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-data-center-electricity-consumption-by-state/
I Sing the Car Electric
27.
Oregon Sees Surge in Electric Vehicle
Registrations, Aims for 250,000 by 2025 (KNDO/KNDU-TV Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
28.
Washington State Still Grappling with Ongoing Electric
Vehicle Charging Challenges (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_d7817c86-a2dd-11ef-a3d5-878d4dc88f84.html
29.
Ford, Facing Economic Headwinds & Weak Electric
Vehicle Sales, to Cut 4,000 Jobs in Europe (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/ford-to-cut-4-000-jobs-in-europe-cites-19931741.php
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
30.
Today is Utility Scam Awareness Day: ‘Beware of
Utility Scammers,’ Warns Energy Industry (Daily Energy Insider)
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/46217-beware-of-utility-scammers-warns-energy-industry/
Politics, Governance,
and Management
31.
WA State: Natural Gas Initiative Won at the Ballot
Box, But Opponents Plan to Keep Fighting It in Court (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
32.
Wyoming Mining Group Says Trump’s Energy
Secretary Could Mean ‘180-Degree’ Turn for Coal (Cowboy State Daily)
33.
Lithium Mining: A Biden Green Energy Investment in
Nevada That Could Appeal to Trump (National Public Radio)
Other Things to Know
About Today
34.
The Columbia River Feeds Washington’s Booming
Apple Industry — And Its Economy (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
35.
Alleged ‘Potato Cartel’ Accused of Conspiring to
Raise Price of Frozen Fries, Tater Tots Across U.S. (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/potato-cartel-fries-tater-tots-hash-browns-1.7387960?cmp=rss
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
36.
Editorial: Tri-Citians, Your Voices &
Dollars Are Needed If You Want to Protect Horse Heaven Hills (Tri-City Herald,
WA – Via MSN)
37.
Editorial: Short-Term Natural Gas Use for
Clean-Energy Future (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
38.
Columnist: Stealing Copper (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2024/11/20/stealing-copper/
Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions
Starlings Perform
Massive Murmuration in the Sky Near Salem, OR
Town in Alaska Won’t
See the Sun for Two Months as It Enters Polar Night
https://www.yahoo.com/news/town-alaska-wont-see-sun-191928466.html
Rare Coin Issued
After the California Gold Rush Sold at Auction for $1.4 Million
How a Viral,
Duct-Taped Banana Came to Be Worth $1 Million
https://www.opb.org/article/2024/11/19/how-viral-duct-taped-banana-worth-1-million/
Song of the Day
Gloria Estefan – Coming
Out of the Dark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4hrfUEWk7U
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.
