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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
U.S. Awards $1.4 Billion to Help Build Small Reactors in
Idaho (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/utah-nuclear-power-idaho-28a8fb1c3de8a4bf7ab13e734f574bd2
Portland General Electric Shuts Oregon’s Only Coal-Fired
Power Plant (Reuters)
Bitcoin Miner Marathon Signs for Coal-Fired Electricity in
Montana (Data Center Dynamics)
The United States Consumed a Record Amount of Renewable
Energy in 2019 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45516
U.S. Utility Companies Rush to Declare Net-Zero Targets
(Forbes Magazine)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
U.S. Awards $1.4 Billion to Help Build Small
Reactors in Idaho
2.
Feds Approve Up to $1.4B to Test 12-Module
NuScale Reactor
3.
WA State: ‘Game Changer.’ Could Tri-Cities Be
the Future Home of an Advanced Nuclear Reactor?
4.
Portland General Electric Shuts Oregon’s Only
Coal-Fired Power Plant
5.
Pacific Gas & Electric Lacked Basic Training
Before California Blackouts
6.
Masked Men Rebuild Breaker
7.
Massachusetts: Fearing ‘Explosion,’ Activists,
Councilors Push Back on East Boston Power Substation
8.
Chum Salmon Operations, La Nina Bullish for 2020
Bonneville Power Administration Hydro
9.
Africa’s Largest Dam Powers Dreams of Prosperity
in Ethiopia — And Fears of Hunger in Egypt
10.
The United States Consumed a Record Amount of
Renewable Energy in 2019
11.
WA State: Horse Heaven Wind Farm Project Offers
Few Benefits for Tri-City Economy
12.
Idaho: Oversized Loads of Windmill Parts to
Travel North
13.
Arizona Cities Defend Progress After Slipping in
Clean Energy Ranking
14.
City Clean Energy Scorecard
15.
The Pandemic Is Destroying Energy Efficiency
16.
Editorial: This Is Easy – New Buildings Should
Be Designed for a Fossil Fuel-Free Future
17.
Bonneville Power Administration Earns DOE
Sustainability Award for Reducing Electricity & Water Use
18.
Columbia River Biology: Early-Arriving
Endangered Chinook Salmon Take the Brunt of Sea Lion Predation
19.
Columbia River Gorge Gets Approval for a
Historic Revised Management Plan
20.
Japan Expected to Announce It Will Release
Radioactive Water from Crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant into Ocean
21.
U.S. Utility Companies Rush to Declare Net-Zero
Targets
22.
FERC Confirms Carbon Pricing Jurisdiction in
Wholesale Markets, Chatterjee ‘Encourages’ Proposals
23.
Natural Gas Generators Make Up Largest Share of
U.S. Electricity Generation Capacity
24.
Newly Formed Research Group Declares Oregon
Glacier Dead
25.
Alaska: Federal Grant to Fund Broadband in
Aleutian Chain
26.
Idaho Port Takes a Shot at Federal Broadband
Grant
27.
These U.S. Rural Areas Have the Highest (and
Lowest) Internet Speeds
28.
Bitcoin Miner Marathon Signs for Coal-Fired
Electricity in Montana
29.
Spread of Electric Cars Sparks Fights for
Control Over Charging
30.
Pacific Northwest Marijuana Companies Seek
Disaster Relief
31.
As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises
in Its Place
32.
President Trump Changes Course, Approves
California Relief for Six Fires
33.
Energy Secretary Returns to DC After Security
Staffers Test Positive for Coronavirus
34. Op/Ed: Vote No on Nevada’s Question 6. Clean Energy Policy Matters Should Be Enacted in the Legislature
WORD OF THE DAY
Quotidian /kwoh-TID-ee-un/ Adjective – 1: occurring every day 2a: belonging to each day: everyday b: commonplace, ordinary
“I Got You Babe” starts
Quotidian “Groundhog Day”
The circle of life
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
U.S. Awards $1.4 Billion to Help Build Small
Reactors in Idaho (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/utah-nuclear-power-idaho-28a8fb1c3de8a4bf7ab13e734f574bd2
2.
Feds Approve Up to $1.4B to Test 12-Module
NuScale Reactor (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-approves-up-to-14b-to-test-12-module-nuscale-reactor/587265/
3.
WA State: ‘Game Changer.’ Could Tri-Cities Be the
Future Home of an Advanced Nuclear Reactor? (Tri-City Herald, WA)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/hanford/article246468145.html
4.
Portland General Electric Shuts Oregon’s Only
Coal-Fired Power Plant (Reuters)
5.
Pacific Gas & Electric Lacked Basic Training
Before California Blackouts (Associated Press)
https://mynorthwest.com/2243428/ap-exclusive-utility-lacked-basic-training-before-blackouts/
6.
Masked Men Rebuild Breaker (Western Area Power
Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2020/Pages/Masked-men-rebuild-breaker.aspx
7.
Massachusetts: Fearing ‘Explosion,’ Activists,
Councilors Push Back on East Boston Power Substation (Boston Herald, MA)
8.
Chum Salmon Operations, La Nina Bullish for 2020
Bonneville Power Administration Hydro (Enverus)
https://www.enverus.com/blog/chum-salmon-operations-la-nina-bullish-for-2020-bpa-hydro/
9.
Africa’s Largest Dam Powers Dreams of Prosperity
in Ethiopia — And Fears of Hunger in Egypt (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2020/grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-egypt-nile/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
10.
The United States Consumed a Record Amount of
Renewable Energy in 2019 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45516
11.
WA State: Horse Heaven Wind Farm Project Offers
Few Benefits for Tri-City Economy (Tri-Cities Business News, WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/2020/10/wind-farm-opinion/
12.
Idaho: Oversized Loads of Windmill Parts to
Travel North (Associated Press)
13.
Arizona Cities Defend Progress After Slipping in
Clean Energy Ranking (Phoenix Business Journal)
https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2020/10/18/arizona-cities-defend-progress-clean-energy.html
14.
City Clean Energy Scorecard (American Council
for an Energy Efficient Economy)
https://www.aceee.org/local-policy/city-scorecard
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
15.
The Pandemic Is Destroying Energy Efficiency (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/pandemic-energy-efficiency-004eaa80-0fc6-4ca7-a212-3c248125f148.html
16.
Editorial: This Is Easy – New Buildings Should
Be Designed for a Fossil Fuel-Free Future (Los Angeles Times, CA)
17.
Bonneville Power Administration Earns DOE
Sustainability Award for Reducing Electricity & Water Use (Bonneville Power
Administration)
FISH & WILDLIFE
18.
Columbia River Biology: Early-Arriving
Endangered Chinook Salmon Take the Brunt of Sea Lion Predation (TuniSieoir
News)
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
19.
Columbia River Gorge Gets Approval for a Historic
Revised Management Plan (Oregon Public Radio)
20.
Japan Expected to Announce It Will Release
Radioactive Water from Crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant into Ocean (Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
21.
U.S. Utility Companies Rush to Declare Net-Zero
Targets (Forbes Magazine)
22.
FERC Confirms Carbon Pricing Jurisdiction in
Wholesale Markets, Chatterjee ‘Encourages’ Proposals (Utility Dive)
23.
Natural Gas Generators Make Up Largest Share of U.S.
Electricity Generation Capacity (Oil & Gas 360)
24.
Newly Formed Research Group Declares Oregon Glacier
Dead (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2020/10/19/glaciers-oregon-shrinking/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
25.
Alaska: Federal Grant to Fund Broadband in Aleutian
Chain (Kodiak Daily Mirror, AK)
http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/extra/article_d81afb50-0e9d-11eb-bbab-77caea81570b.html
26.
Idaho Port Takes a Shot at Federal Broadband Grant
(Government Technology)
https://www.govtech.com/network/Idaho-Port-Takes-a-Shot-at-Federal-Broadband-Grant.html
27.
These U.S. Rural Areas Have the Highest (and
Lowest) Internet Speeds (PC Magazine)
https://uk.pcmag.com/news/129374/these-us-rural-areas-have-the-highest-and-lowest-internet-speeds
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
28.
Bitcoin Miner Marathon Signs for Coal-Fired
Electricity in Montana (Data Center Dynamics)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
29.
Spread of Electric Cars Sparks Fights for Control
Over Charging (Fox Business News)
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/electric-cars-sparks-fights-control-charging
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
30.
Pacific Northwest Marijuana Companies Seek
Disaster Relief (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/oct/18/northwest-marijuana-companies-seek-disaster-relief/
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
31.
As Local News Dies, a Pay-for-Play Network Rises
in Its Place (NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/18/technology/timpone-local-news-metric-media.html
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
32.
President Trump Changes Course, Approves California
Relief for Six Fires (Associated Press)
33.
Energy Secretary Returns to DC After Security
Staffers Test Positive for Coronavirus (The Hill, Washington DC)
34.
Op/Ed: Vote No on Nevada’s Question 6. Clean
Energy Policy Matters Should Be Enacted in the Legislature (Reno Gazette-Journal,
NV)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Comic John Oliver Now Has a Sewage Plant Named After Him
‘There’s a Lemur!’ 5-Year-Old Helps Crack SF Zoo Theft Case
Rudolph & His Nose-So-Bright into Auction Will Take
Flight
Idaho Man Tries for Guinness Title by Running 29 Miles While
Juggling
SONG OF THE DAY
Simon & Garfunkel - At the Zoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xKLBne1CoI
x