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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
WA State: Priest Rapids Workers ‘Sequestered’ at Grant PUD
Dam as COVID Numbers Rise Locally (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2020/dec/14/priest-rapids-workers-sequestered-dam/
California: San Diego Gas & Electric on the Verge of
Refunding $51.6 Million to Customers for Botched Lightbulb Program (San Diego
Union-Tribune, CA)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2020-12-11/botched-lightbulb-program
Columbia River Operators Increase Flows to Welcome Returning
Chum Salmon (Bonneville Power Administration)
These Trees Are Not What They Seem – How the Nature
Conservancy, The World’s Biggest Environmental Group, Became a Dealer of
Meaningless Carbon Offsets (Bloomberg News)
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-nature-conservancy-carbon-offsets-trees/
Snowpack Has Slid a Bit, But Substantial Pacific Northwest
Snowfall Is Ahead (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/12/snowpack-has-slid-bit-but-substantial.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
WA State: Priest Rapids Workers ‘Sequestered’ at
Grant PUD Dam as COVID Numbers Rise Locally
2.
Oregon: Hood River Electric Coop Speaks Out
About Call to Remove Snake River Dams
3.
USDA Forest Service Proposes New Wildfire
Prevention Directives for Power Lines
4.
Helena Senator to Seek Study on Nuclear Power in
Montana
5.
Arizona: Utilities Can’t Shut Off Power without
Offering a Payment Plan, Regulator Says
6.
Hard Times: One in Four Americans Have Missed a
Bill Payment Since COVID-19 Emerged
7.
CAISO Focuses on Summer 2021 as Final Analysis
of August Blackouts Nears Completion
8.
What Will a Green Washington State Electric Grid
Look Like?
9.
B.C. Hydro Prepares for Strong Geomagnetic Storm
10.
Moody’s Says 2021 Outlook for Public Power Is
Stable
11.
Fearsome Flashback: Hanukkah Eve Windstorm
Ravages Western Washington Beginning on December 14, 2006.
12.
Clean Energy Project in Nevada Desert Could Be
Worth $3 Billion
13.
Does Low-Cost Renewable Energy, Storage Mean
Hydrogen Is Here to Stay?
14.
Modular Nuclear Reactors Promise
Cost-Competitive Hydrogen Production
15.
California: San Diego Gas & Electric on the
Verge of Refunding $51.6 Million to Customers for Botched Lightbulb Program
16.
Energy Issues Rule Allowing Companies to Develop
Own Efficiency Tests for Products
17.
Living Building May Revitalize Quiet Corner of
Downtown Portland
18.
Columbia River Operators Increase Flows to
Welcome Returning Chum Salmon
19.
British Columbia; Permanent Fishway to Be Built
at Fraser River Landslide: Fisheries & Oceans
20.
Op/Ed: The Salmon Are Coming Back!
21.
Snowpack Has Slid a Bit, But Substantial Pacific
Northwest Snowfall Is Ahead
22.
New Mexico Gets High Court Blessing in Pecos
River Evaporated Water Fight
23.
These Trees Are Not What They Seem – How the
Nature Conservancy, The World’s Biggest Environmental Group, Became a Dealer of
Meaningless Carbon Offsets
24.
Explainer: The Real Math Behind ‘Net Zero’
Carbon Emissions
25.
Leavenworth Lost – My Christmassy Hometown Is
Looking Less & Less Like a Winter Wonderland.
26.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction Results
Already Raising Questions
27.
Arizona: Lumen Technologies Settlement Provides
Fiber-Optic Improvements in Rural Areas
28.
Oregon: Hillsboro Connects HiLight Broadband
29.
This Is How Google’s Internet-Serving Loon
Balloons Can Float for Nearly a Year
30.
U.S. Agencies Hacked in Months Long Global
Cyberspying Campaign
31.
Back On: Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, &
Other Google Services Hit by Massive Outage
32.
Natural-Gas Ads Shouldn’t Have Gone on Buses,
King County Metro Transit Says
33.
Canada: Crucial Ocean Research Disrupted by
Pandemic Has Both Immediate & Long-Term Impact
34.
WA State: from Poop to Power: Manure from 2,300
Cows May Run 600 Homes
35. Haaland, Eyed for U.S. Interior, Stresses Need for Native American Representation
WORD OF THE DAY
Antediluvian \an-tih-dih-LOO-vee-un\ adjective – 1: of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible 2a: made, evolved, or developed a long time ago *b: extremely primitive or outmoded
The keys crackled, sounding like a mad tap-dancer, temporarily silenced at intervals by the aged accountant pulling the handle on his manual Victor adding machine. The regression to the antediluvian technology was hastened that fateful day by constant computer network problems at the accounting firm. The date was henceforth marked on the calendar as “Green Eyeshades Day”.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
WA State: Priest Rapids Workers ‘Sequestered’ at
Grant PUD Dam as COVID Numbers Rise Locally (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake,
WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2020/dec/14/priest-rapids-workers-sequestered-dam/
2.
Oregon: Hood River Electric Coop Speaks Out
About Call to Remove Snake River Dams (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
https://katu.com/news/local/utility-speaks-out-about-call-to-remove-snake-river-dams
3.
USDA Forest Service Proposes New Wildfire
Prevention Directives for Power Lines (Daily Energy Insider)
4.
Helena Senator to Seek Study on Nuclear Power in
Montana (Helena Independent-Record, MT)
5.
Arizona: Utilities Can’t Shut Off Power without
Offering a Payment Plan, Regulator Says (Arizona Public Media)
6.
Hard Times: One in Four Americans Have Missed a
Bill Payment Since COVID-19 Emerged (Study Finds)
https://www.studyfinds.org/quarter-americans-missed-bill-payment-covid-19/
7.
CAISO Focuses on Summer 2021 as Final Analysis of
August Blackouts Nears Completion (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/caiso-summer-2021-analysis-august-blackouts/591937/
8.
What Will a Green Washington State Electric Grid
Look Like? (Vashon-Maurey Beachcomber, WA)
https://www.vashonbeachcomber.com/news/what-will-a-green-wa-electric-grid-look-like/
9.
B.C. Hydro Prepares for Strong Geomagnetic Storm
(Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/b-c-hydro-prepares-for-strong-geomagnetic-storm-1.24252921
10.
Moody’s Says 2021 Outlook for Public Power Is
Stable (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/moodys-says-2021-outlook-public-power-stable
11.
Fearsome Flashback: Hanukkah Eve Windstorm Ravages
Western Washington Beginning on December 14, 2006. (History Link)
https://www.historylink.org/File/8042
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
12.
Clean Energy Project in Nevada Desert Could Be
Worth $3 Billion (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/nevada-reno-united-states-0d808ab2e521b1fd997a19f8700bb97c
13.
Does Low-Cost Renewable Energy, Storage Mean Hydrogen
Is Here to Stay? (Utility Dive)
14.
Modular Nuclear Reactors Promise
Cost-Competitive Hydrogen Production (New Atlas)
https://newatlas.com/energy/nuscale-modular-nuclear-reactor-hydrogen-production/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
15.
California: San Diego Gas & Electric on the Verge
of Refunding $51.6 Million to Customers for Botched Lightbulb Program (San
Diego Union-Tribune, CA)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2020-12-11/botched-lightbulb-program
16.
Energy Issues Rule Allowing Companies to Develop
Own Efficiency Tests for Products (The Hill, Washington, DC)
17.
Living Building May Revitalize Quiet Corner of
Downtown Portland (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)
FISH & WILDLIFE
18.
Columbia River Operators Increase Flows to
Welcome Returning Chum Salmon (Bonneville Power Administration)
19.
British Columbia; Permanent Fishway to Be Built at
Fraser River Landslide: Fisheries & Oceans (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
20.
Op/Ed: The Salmon Are Coming Back! (Penticton
Herald, BC)
http://www.pentictonherald.ca/opinion/article_35e70a50-3c00-11eb-82f8-f31d6bc1d6a2.html
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
21.
Snowpack Has Slid a Bit, But Substantial Pacific
Northwest Snowfall Is Ahead (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/12/snowpack-has-slid-bit-but-substantial.html
22.
New Mexico Gets High Court Blessing in Pecos
River Evaporated Water Fight (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/new-mexico-gets-high-court-blessing-in-evaporated-water-fight/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
23.
These Trees Are Not What They Seem – How the Nature
Conservancy, The World’s Biggest Environmental Group, Became a Dealer of Meaningless
Carbon Offsets (Bloomberg News)
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-nature-conservancy-carbon-offsets-trees/
24.
Explainer: The Real Math Behind ‘Net Zero’
Carbon Emissions (Associated Press)
25.
Leavenworth Lost – My Christmassy Hometown Is
Looking Less & Less Like a Winter Wonderland. (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/climate/climate-change-is-giving-christmastown-usa-an-identity-crisis/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction Results
Already Raising Questions (Light Reading)
https://www.lightreading.com/opticalip/rdof-auction-results-already-raising-questions/d/d-id/766083?
27.
Arizona: Lumen Technologies Settlement Provides
Fiber-Optic Improvements in Rural Areas (Arizona Star, Tucson, AZ)
28.
Oregon: Hillsboro Connects HiLight Broadband
(KEX Radio, Portland, OR)
29.
This Is How Google’s Internet-Serving Loon Balloons
Can Float for Nearly a Year (Digital Trends)
https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/alphabet-google-loon-balloon-ai/
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
30.
U.S. Agencies Hacked in Months-Long Global
Cyberspying Campaign (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/us-agencies-hacked-global-cyberspying-e8a2e819f7cc6982f6a72f8c85209b72
31.
Back On: Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, &
Other Google Services Hit by Massive Outage (The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/14/22173803/gmail-youtube-google-assistant-docs-down-outage
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
32.
Natural-Gas Ads Shouldn’t Have Gone on Buses, King
County Metro Transit Says (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
33.
Canada: Crucial Ocean Research Disrupted by Pandemic
Has Both Immediate & Long-Term Impact (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/ocean-research-disruption-pandemic-1.5813488?cmp=rss
34.
WA State: from Poop to Power: Manure from 2,300
Cows May Run 600 Homes (Everett Herald, WA)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/from-poop-to-power-manure-from-2300-cows-may-run-600-homes/
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
35.
Haaland, Eyed for U.S. Interior, Stresses Need for
Native American Representation (The Hill, Washington, DC)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Charley Pride Overcame Racial Barriers as Country Music Star
Cleveland Indians Reportedly Changing Team Name After 105 Years
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/12/14/cleveland-indians-changing-team-name-after-105-years/
UK Homeowner Delays Sale of Home After Banksy Mural Appears
Precious Painting Lost at German Airport Found in Dumpster
SONGS OF THE DAY
Charlie Pride – All I Have to Offer You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1kwFJVAH94
Charlie Pride – Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rouSFhnQapE
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media
organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
Possible Paywall restrictions are noted in the media attribution.
