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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Winter Storm Live Updates: Multiple Deaths Reported as Snow
Slams Mid-Atlantic Region; Over 1,900 Flight Cancellations (Yahoo! News)
Pacific Gas & Electric Says Rates Will Stabilize Next
Year After a Record 2024 of California Rate Increases (Sacramento Bee, CA – Via
MSN)
REC Silicon Announces Closure of Moses Lake Operation
(Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Only About Half of Southern Resident Orca Calves Survive.
Here’s Why (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Net Neutrality Is Struck, Ending a Long Battle to Regulate
ISPs Like Public Utilities (KJZZ-Radio, Phoenix, AZ)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Pacific Gas & Electric Says Rates Will
Stabilize Next Year After a Record 2024 of California Rate Increases
2.
Montana Failed to Consider Pollution from New
Power Plant, But State Supreme Court Won’t Stop It
3.
Arizona: Mohave Retirees Claim Victory After
County Reverses Vote on Power Plant Site Near Homes
4.
Texas, Utah, Last Energy Challenge NRC’s
‘Overburdensome’ Microreactor Regulations
5.
Constellation Inks $1 Billion Deal to Supply
U.S. Government with Nuclear Power
6.
German Power Prices Turn Negative as Supply
Outpaces Demand Amid Expansion in Renewables
7.
Lots of Demand, Too Little Grid: The State of
the U.S. Power Sector
8.
Is Releasing Balloons Harmless Fun? Utility
Officials Say No
9.
REC Silicon Announces Closure of Moses Lake
Operation
10.
Finalized Tax Credit for Cleaner Hydrogen Gets a
Cautious OK from Some Environmental Groups
11.
Only About Half of Southern Resident Orca Calves
Survive. Here’s Why
12.
New Law in Effect to Protect Endangered Southern
Resident Orcas
13.
Angler Paid Record $164,000+ for Fishing the
Columbia & Snake Rivers for Northern Pikeminnow in 2024
14.
WA State: Transfer of Klickitat Hatchery to
Yakama Nation Is Now a Done Deal
15.
Snail Darter - Fish at Center of Key
Conservation Fight Not a Distinct Species After All
16.
WA State: Reservoirs Levels Way Below Average at
End of 2024---Even Despite Winter’s Strong Start
17.
WSU Researchers Taking Steps to Protect Apples
from Climate Change
18.
Net Neutrality Is Struck, Ending a Long Battle
to Regulate ISPs Like Public Utilities
19.
Arizona Wins Third & Final Federal
Semiconductor Research Hub, Dashing Oregon’s Hopes
20.
2025 Marks the Start of a New Generation. Here’s
What to Know About ‘Gen Beta.’
21.
Here’s Your 2025 Guide to the Night Sky &
Other Celestial Wow Moments
22.
President Biden to Create New National Monuments
Protecting Tribal Land in California
23.
Canada’s Trudeau Resigns as Liberal Party
Leader, Spelling End to Time in Power
24.
Winter Storm Live Updates: Multiple Deaths
Reported as Snow Slams Mid-Atlantic Region; Over 1,900 Flight Cancellations
25.
New Public Zone Map Aims to Enhance Accuracy of
Weather Warnings in Western Washington
26.
Paywall Advisory – Editorial: Lawmakers Must
Blackout-Proof Washington’s Energy Transition
27.
From Code to Current: How to Keep Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers in Check for a Sustainable Grid
Word of the Day
Zeitgeist /ZITE-gyste/ Noun - The general beliefs, ideas, and spirit of a time and place.
“This is just GREAT,” moaned 66-year-old Abernathy to his aging bar pals. “The 40’s had the Greatest Generation; the 60’s had the Summer of Love. What is MY generation’s Zeitgeist? – Disco!”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Pacific Gas & Electric Says Rates Will
Stabilize Next Year After a Record 2024 of California Rate Increases (Sacramento
Bee, CA – Via MSN)
2.
Montana Failed to Consider Pollution from New
Power Plant, But State Supreme Court Won’t Stop It (The Daily Montanan)
3.
Arizona: Mohave Retirees Claim Victory After
County Reverses Vote on Power Plant Site Near Homes (Arizona Republic, Phoenix,
AZ)
4.
Texas, Utah, Last Energy Challenge NRC’s ‘Overburdensome’
Microreactor Regulations (Utility Dive)
5.
Constellation Inks $1 Billion Deal to Supply U.S.
Government with Nuclear Power (Reuters)
6.
German Power Prices Turn Negative as Supply
Outpaces Demand Amid Expansion in Renewables (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/german-power-prices-turn-negative-020708634.html
7.
Lots of Demand, Too Little Grid: The State of
the U.S. Power Sector (Canary Media)
8.
Is Releasing Balloons Harmless Fun? Utility
Officials Say No (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
9.
REC Silicon Announces Closure of Moses Lake
Operation (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
10.
Finalized Tax Credit for Cleaner Hydrogen Gets a
Cautious OK from Some Environmental Groups (Associated Press)
Fish
& Wildlife
11.
Only About Half of Southern Resident Orca Calves
Survive. Here’s Why (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
12.
New Law in Effect to Protect Endangered Southern
Resident Orcas (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/4024785/new-law-in-effect-to-protect-endangered-southern-resident-orcas/
13.
Angler Paid Record $164,000+ for Fishing the Columbia
& Snake Rivers for Northern Pikeminnow in 2024 (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/news/angler-paid-record-164-000-130000126.html
14.
WA State: Transfer of Klickitat Hatchery to
Yakama Nation Is Now a Done Deal (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
15.
Snail Darter - Fish at Center of Key
Conservation Fight Not a Distinct Species After All (YaleNews)
https://news.yale.edu/2025/01/03/fish-center-key-conservation-fight-not-distinct-species-after-all
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
16.
WA State: Reservoirs Levels Way Below Average at
End of 2024---Even Despite Winter’s Strong Start (KAPP-TV, Yakima, WA)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
17.
WSU Researchers Taking Steps to Protect Apples from
Climate Change (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
18.
Net Neutrality Is Struck, Ending a Long Battle to
Regulate ISPs Like Public Utilities (KJZZ-Radio, Phoenix, AZ)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
19.
Arizona Wins Third & Final Federal
Semiconductor Research Hub, Dashing Oregon’s Hopes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
20.
2025 Marks the Start of a New Generation. Here’s
What to Know About ‘Gen Beta.’ (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/generation-beta-2025_l_6776c0a2e4b0e0a5ca2e9ceb
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
21.
Here’s Your 2025 Guide to the Night Sky &
Other Celestial Wow Moments (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
Politics,
Governance, and Management
22.
President Biden to Create New National Monuments
Protecting Tribal Land in California (The Hill – Via AOL)
https://www.aol.com/biden-create-national-monuments-protecting-191620910.html
23.
Canada’s Trudeau Resigns as Liberal Party Leader,
Spelling End to Time in Power (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/06/justin-trudeau-resign/
Other
Things to Know About Today
24.
Winter Storm Live Updates: Multiple Deaths
Reported as Snow Slams Mid-Atlantic Region; Over 1,900 Flight Cancellations (Yahoo!
News)
25.
New Public Zone Map Aims to Enhance Accuracy of Weather
Warnings in Western Washington (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
26.
Paywall Advisory – Editorial: Lawmakers Must
Blackout-Proof Washington’s Energy Transition (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
27.
From Code to Current: How to Keep Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers in Check for a Sustainable Grid (Utility Dive)
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Are Medals Awarded During the Paris 2024 Olympics Losing
Their Luster?
https://sports.yahoo.com/medals-awarded-during-paris-2024-225828933.html
Chinese Man Throws Playing Cards to Slice Cucumbers, Light
Matches
California Surfer Catches Possible World Record Wave
Toilet Maker Warns Customers Not to Wipe the Seats with Toilet
Paper
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/01/03/japan-Toto-toilet-paper-seats-wipe/8651735929051/
Song of the Day
Gustav Holst – The Planets, ‘Mars’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXOanvv4plU
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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