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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
Los Angeles
Wildfires Live Updates: At Least 24 Killed; Santa Ana Winds Return to Region
(Yahoo! News)
What Ignited the
Deadly California Wildfires? Investigators Consider an Array of Possibilities
(Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ignited-deadly-california-wildfires-investigators-053208174.html
‘Big Step.’ Gov.
Inslee Approves Largest Solar Project to Date in Washington State (Tri-City
Herald, WA – Via MSN)
Earth Breaks Yearly
Heat Record & Lurches Past Dangerous Warming Threshold (Associated Press)
WA State: New
Legislative Session to Begin with $12 Billion Budget Shortfall (KOMO News,
Seattle, WA)
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. What
Ignited the Deadly California Wildfires? Investigators Consider an Array of
Possibilities
2. Southern
California Edison Preserving Equipment Near Eaton Fire Starting Point
3. President
Biden Banned Russian Uranium. Richland, WA Hopes to Land $3 Billion Nuclear
Fuel Plant with 1,000 Jobs
4. Will
The World Fall in Love with Nuclear Power Once More?
5. Columbia
River Treaty Talks Continue Amid Tense Border Rhetoric: ‘I’m Always Optimistic’
6. Rocky
Mountain Power to Cancel Planned Retirements of Its Wyoming Coal Plants
7. Constellation
to Acquire Calpine Under Deal with a Net Purchase Price of $26.6 Billion
8. ‘Big
Step.’ Gov. Inslee Approves Largest Solar Project to Date in Washington State
9. WA
State: Whitman County Commissioners Issue Moratorium on Wind Energy Projects
10. WA
State: Yakima County’s Two-Year Ban on Solar May Continue
11. Do
Puget Sound Energy “Flex Events” Really Work? Yes, But Not in the Way You Might
Think
12. New
Research Shows a Quarter of Freshwater Animals Are Threatened with Extinction
13. Despite
State Law, Washington Takes 3+ Years to Reveal Its Climate Pollution
14. Oregon
Snowfall Projected to Drop 50% by 2100 Among Findings in Latest State Climate
Report
15. Earth
Breaks Yearly Heat Record & Lurches Past Dangerous Warming Threshold
16. U.S.
Emissions Barely Declined in 2024 Amid Rising Power Demand, Fuel Use
17. Biden-Harris
Administration Announces Nearly $18 Million in Internet for All Grants to
Tribal Lands – WA, AK, AZ Tribes Benefit
18. USDA
to Open Applications for $26 Million Community Connect Program
19. Wireless
Is Apparently the New Copper
20. Data
Centers Drive Growth, Risk for Pacific Gas & Electric, Constellation,
NorthWestern: BofA
21. Uncertainty
Over President-Elect Trump’s Electric Vehicle Policies Clouds 2025 Forecast for
Carmakers
22. U.S.
Supreme Court Likely to Uphold Law Forcing TikTok Sale
23. WA
State: New Legislative Session to Begin with $12 Billion Budget Shortfall
24. Kennewick
Senator Proposes Bill to Restrict WA Governor's Authority Over Energy Projects
25. Federal
Lawmakers: Water Resource Development Act Will Boost Columbia River Projects,
Jobs & the Economy
26. Los
Angeles Wildfires Live Updates: At Least 24 Killed; Santa Ana Winds Return to
Region
27. La
Niña Has Officially Arrived. Here's What That Means for Western Washington
28. Editorial:
Northwest Energy Crisis Needs Action
29. Guest
Essay: We Must Move Fast to Avert a National Electricity Crisis
30.
Why Jay Inslee Isn’t Worried About Trump
Word of the Day
Loo \loo\ – Noun – Bathroom.
Gardex l’eau she cried.
“Too late” groused the soused old man.
Chamber pot emptied
From Oxford Living Dictionary and Kottkey:
When people flung their potty waste out of the window, they would shout “Gardez l'eau” [gar-day low]. That's French for “watch out for the water”. We probably get the word “loo” from this expression. Some people think it comes from “Room 100,” which is what European people used to call the bathroom. A third theory refers to the trade name 'Waterloo,' which appeared prominently on iron cisterns in many British outhouses during the early 20th century.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
What Ignited the Deadly California Wildfires? Investigators
Consider an Array of Possibilities (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ignited-deadly-california-wildfires-investigators-053208174.html
2.
Southern California Edison Preserving Equipment
Near Eaton Fire Starting Point (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/faults-power-grid-skyrocketed-hours-020320523.html
3.
President Biden Banned Russian Uranium. Richland,
WA Hopes to Land $3 Billion Nuclear Fuel Plant with 1,000 Jobs (Tri-City
Herald, WA – Via MSN)
4.
Will The World Fall in Love with Nuclear Power
Once More? (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/energy/will-the-world-fall-in-love-with-nuclear-power-once-more/
5.
Columbia River Treaty Talks Continue Amid Tense
Border Rhetoric: ‘I’m Always Optimistic’ (Vernon Now, Vernon, BC)
6.
Rocky Mountain Power to Cancel Planned
Retirements of Its Wyoming Coal Plants (Cowboy State Daily)
7.
Constellation to Acquire Calpine Under Deal with
a Net Purchase Price of $26.6 Billion (American Public Power Association)
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
8.
‘Big Step.’ Gov. Inslee Approves Largest Solar Project
to Date in Washington State (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via MSN)
9.
WA State: Whitman County Commissioners Issue
Moratorium on Wind Energy Projects (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_45e57774-cf7d-11ef-bee5-d7703de6ca06.html
10.
WA State: Yakima County’s Two-Year Ban on Solar
May Continue (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
Conservation &
Efficiency
11.
Do Puget Sound Energy “Flex Events” Really Work?
Yes, But Not in the Way You Might Think (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article298205253.html
Fish & Wildlife
12.
New Research Shows a Quarter of Freshwater
Animals Are Threatened with Extinction (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/new-research-shows-a-quarter-of-freshwater-20022549.php
Environmental Afflatus –
Clean Up on Aisle Three
13.
Despite State Law, Washington Takes 3+ Years to
Reveal Its Climate Pollution (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
14.
Oregon Snowfall Projected to Drop 50% by 2100
Among Findings in Latest State Climate Report (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
15.
Earth Breaks Yearly Heat Record & Lurches
Past Dangerous Warming Threshold (Associated Press)
16.
U.S. Emissions Barely Declined in 2024 Amid
Rising Power Demand, Fuel Use (Canary Media)
London Calling
–Telecommunications
17.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $18
Million in Internet for All Grants to Tribal Lands – WA, AK, AZ Tribes Benefit
(National Telecommunications and Information Administration)
18.
USDA to Open Applications for $26 Million
Community Connect Program (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/usda-to-open-applications-for-26-million-community-connect-program/
19.
Wireless Is Apparently the New Copper (Light
Reading)
https://www.lightreading.com/network-platforms/wireless-is-apparently-the-new-copper
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
20.
Data Centers Drive Growth, Risk for Pacific Gas
& Electric, Constellation, NorthWestern: BofA (Utility Dive)
I Sing the Car Electric
21.
Uncertainty Over President-Elect Trump’s Electric
Vehicle Policies Clouds 2025 Forecast for Carmakers (Associated Press)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
22.
U.S. Supreme Court Likely to Uphold Law Forcing
TikTok Sale (MSN News)
Politics, Governance,
and Management
23.
WA State: New Legislative Session to Begin with $12
Billion Budget Shortfall (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
24.
Kennewick Senator Proposes Bill to Restrict WA Governor's
Authority Over Energy Projects (KNDO & KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
25.
Federal Lawmakers: Water Resource Development
Act Will Boost Columbia River Projects, Jobs & the Economy (Vancouver Columbian,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
Other Things to Know
About Today
26.
Los Angeles Wildfires Live Updates: At Least 24
Killed; Santa Ana Winds Return to Region (Yahoo! News)
27.
La Niña Has Officially Arrived. Here's What That
Means for Western Washington (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
28.
Editorial: Northwest Energy Crisis Needs Action (Yakima
Herald-Republic, WA – Via Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/jan/13/other-papers-say-northwest-energy-crisis-needs-action/
29.
Guest Essay: We Must Move Fast to Avert a
National Electricity Crisis (The Hill, Washington, DC – Via AOL)
https://www.aol.com/opinion-must-move-fast-avert-190000051.html
30.
Why Jay Inslee Isn’t Worried About Trump (E&E
News/Politico)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/why-jay-inslee-isnt-worried-about-trump/
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Justin Timberlake Joins
Portland Kids' "Bike Bus" After Viral Invitation
Eagles Receiver A.J.
Brown's Sideline Read Skyrockets to No. 1 Hottest Seller on Amazon
https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/a-j-brown-s-sideline-read-skyrockets-to-no-1-20031488.php
After Being Bitten
as a Puppy, Viral Dog Turns ‘Picasso’ Face Injury into Social Media Stardom: ‘A
Beacon of Light’
He Picks Up Trash in
Parks Using a Samurai Sword. What Could Go Wrong?
Song of the Day
Come as You Are
(Nirvana) – Playing for Change
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnNHJWbMNDg
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Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
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