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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Gov. Inslee Proposes His Latest Climate-Change Package as
Part of Washington State Budget (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
California’s Natural Gas Bans Are Drawing Fire from Black
& Latino Leaders (Forbes Magazine)
Avista Utilities, Clearway Energy Group Begin Operations at
Rattlesnake Flat Wind Farm in Adams County (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/16/avista-utilities-clearway-energy-group-begin-opera/
Columbia River Conference Highlights Importance of
Indigenous Perspective in Conservation (Longview Daily News, WA)
Major Hack Hits Energy Companies, U.S. Agencies (E&E
News)
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063720705
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
California’s Natural Gas Bans Are Drawing Fire
from Black & Latino Leaders
2.
Why this Montana Crypto Miner Refuses to Pay a
$3.7M Power Bill
3.
Average Monthly Electricity Bill for U.S.
Residential Customers Declined in 2019
4.
Wholesale Power Sales in Q3 2020 Down 3% Due
Largely to Coronavirus Pandemic
5.
British Columbia: BC Hydro Expecting Record
Electricity Use this Christmas Season
6.
New Idaho National Laboratory Chief is
Passionate about Reactors
7.
Q&A with Brad Sawatzke, Energy Northwest CEO
8.
American Public Power Association Weighs in on
FEMA Proposed Rules Tied to Disaster Grant Closeout Procedures
9.
Op/Ed: Is Government Really Incompetent, and Are
Debt & Deficits Really Problems? – Public Power Gets Props for Doing It
Right
10.
Avista Utilities, Clearway Energy Group Begin
Operations at Rattlesnake Flat Wind Farm in Adams County
11.
WA State: City of Anacortes Will Purchase Wind
Energy for Next 20 Years
12.
Alaska: Solar Project in Northwest Arctic
Villages Set to Break Ground Next Spring
13.
WA State: Friday Harbor HS AP Science Class
Energy Project Delivered to Kenya
14.
Amazon Says It is Now the No. 1 Corporate
Purchaser of Renewable Energy
15.
Solar Markets Show Signs of Strong Recovery
After Installations Dip During COVID-19 Shutdowns
16.
Op/Ed: Renewable Hydrogen Could Play a Key Role
in Washington State’s Clean-Energy Future
17.
Trump Administration Finalizes Rollback of
Showerhead Standards
18.
Grant PUD Rebate Program Helps Homeowners
Improve Energy Efficiency
19.
California is Top State for Energy-Saving Rules
20.
Columbia River Conference Highlights Importance
of Indigenous Perspective in Conservation
21.
Idaho Gov. Little Addresses Salmon Work Group
22.
Salmon Spawning Grounds Feared Destroyed in
Massive British Columbia Coast Landslide
23.
Researchers Aim to Use Artificial Intelligence
to Save Endangered Whales in British Columbia
24.
John Day Dam Oil Leak Spills into Columbia River
25.
Buildings Are Becoming a Huge Source of Carbon
Pollution
26.
FCC Accused of Falsely Inflating U.S. Gigabit
Broadband Availability
27.
WA State: Buildout Delayed for Sections of Grant
PUD Fiber Optic Network
28.
U.S. Senator Tries to Block Frontier’s FCC
Funding, Citing ISP’s Various Failures
29.
Major Hack Hits Energy Companies, U.S. Agencies
30.
SolarWinds: Why the Sunburst Hack is So Serious
31.
WA State: Spokane PD in a Tesla? Beggs Pushes
for Electric Police Vehicles
32.
California: Why the Redding Police Want to Buy a
Tesla & What Else to Expect Tuesday Night
33.
Electric Cars Are on the Rise in Cities. Can
Power Grids Cope?
34.
Gov. Inslee Proposes His Latest Climate-Change
Package as Part of Washington State Budget
35.
U.S. House, Senate Reach Deal on Energy Bill
That Includes Provisions American Public Power Association Supports
36. President-Elect Biden to Tap Former Michigan Gov. Granholm to Lead Energy Department
WORD OF THE DAY
Onomastics • \ah-nuh-MAS-tiks\ • Noun - 1a: the science or study of the origins and forms of words especially as used in a specialized field b: the science or study of the origin and forms of proper names of persons or places 2: the system underlying the formation and use of words especially for proper names or of words used in a specialized field.
Hidden away in the basement of the Federal Trade Commission was a little known, but highly influential agency: The Bureau for Onomastics – Verb, Adjective, Noun, and Gerund Agency. “Our job is quite important,” huffed Agnew Spangler, BOVANAGA spokesman. “Imagine where say, electrical utilities would be without fifty pages of acronyms and shortcuts for agencies, concepts, and equipment?”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
California’s Natural Gas Bans Are Drawing Fire from
Black & Latino Leaders (Forbes Magazine)
2.
Why this Montana Crypto Miner Refuses to Pay a
$3.7M Power Bill (Coin Telegraph)
https://cointelegraph.com/news/why-this-montana-crypto-miner-refuses-to-pay-a-3-7m-power-bill
3.
Average Monthly Electricity Bill for U.S.
Residential Customers Declined in 2019 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46276
4.
Wholesale Power Sales in Q3 2020 Down 3% Due
Largely to Coronavirus Pandemic (S&P Global)
5.
British Columbia: BC Hydro Expecting Record
Electricity Use this Christmas Season (Kamloops This Week, BC)
6.
New Idaho National Laboratory Chief is
Passionate about Reactors (Idaho Falls Post-Register, ID)
7.
Q&A with Brad Sawatzke, Energy Northwest CEO
(Tri-Cities Business News, WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/2020/12/brad-sawatzke/
8.
American Public Power Association Weighs in on FEMA
Proposed Rules Tied to Disaster Grant Closeout Procedures (American Public
Power Association)
9.
Op/Ed: Is Government Really Incompetent, and Are
Debt & Deficits Really Problems? – Public Power Gets Props for Doing It
Right (The Hill, Washington, DC)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
10.
Avista Utilities, Clearway Energy Group Begin Operations
at Rattlesnake Flat Wind Farm in Adams County (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/16/avista-utilities-clearway-energy-group-begin-opera/
11.
WA State: City of Anacortes Will Purchase Wind
Energy for Next 20 Years (Skagit Valley Herald, Mt Vernon, WA)
12.
Alaska: Solar Project in Northwest Arctic Villages
Set to Break Ground Next Spring (KTOO Broadcasting, Juneau, AK)
13.
WA State: Friday Harbor HS AP Science Class
Energy Project Delivered to Kenya (San Juan Islander, Friday Harbor, WA)
14.
Amazon Says It is Now the No. 1 Corporate
Purchaser of Renewable Energy (The Motley Fool)
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/12/10/amazoncom-says-it-is-now-the-no1-corporate-purchas/
15.
Solar Markets Show Signs of Strong Recovery
After Installations Dip During COVID-19 Shutdowns (Utility Dive)
16.
Op/Ed: Renewable Hydrogen Could Play a Key Role in
Washington State’s Clean-Energy Future (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
17.
Trump Administration Finalizes Rollback of Showerhead
Standards (Cable News Network)
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/15/politics/showerhead-standards-trump/index.html
18.
Grant PUD Rebate Program Helps Homeowners Improve
Energy Efficiency (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2020/dec/12/homes-grant-pud-rebate-program-helps-homeowners-im/
19.
California is Top State for Energy-Saving Rules
(U.S. News & World Report)
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
Columbia River Conference Highlights Importance of
Indigenous Perspective in Conservation (Longview Daily News, WA)
21.
Idaho Gov. Little Addresses Salmon Work Group (Lewiston
Tribune, ID)
22.
Salmon Spawning Grounds Feared Destroyed in
Massive British Columbia Coast Landslide (CTV News)
23.
Researchers Aim to Use Artificial Intelligence to
Save Endangered Whales in British Columbia (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
24.
John Day Dam Oil Leak Spills into Columbia River
(KLCK Radio, Goldendale, WA)
https://gorgenewscenter.com/2020/12/15/john-day-dam-oil-leak-spills-into-columbia-river/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
25.
Buildings Are Becoming a Huge Source of Carbon
Pollution (Gizmodo)
https://earther.gizmodo.com/buildings-are-becoming-a-huge-source-of-carbon-pollutio-1845890582
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
FCC Accused of Falsely Inflating U.S. Gigabit
Broadband Availability (TechDirt)
27.
WA State: Buildout Delayed for Sections of Grant
PUD Fiber Optic Network (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2020/dec/16/some-sections-grant-pud-fiber-buildout-delayed/
28.
U.S. Senator Tries to Block Frontier’s FCC Funding,
Citing ISP’s Various Failures (Ars Technica)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
29.
Major Hack Hits Energy Companies, U.S. Agencies
(E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063720705
30.
SolarWinds: Why the Sunburst Hack is So Serious (British
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55321643
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
31.
WA State: Spokane PD in a Tesla? Beggs Pushes for
Electric Police Vehicles (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/10/spd-in-a-tesla-beggs-pushes-for-electric-police-ve/
32.
California: Why the Redding Police Want to Buy a
Tesla & What Else to Expect Tuesday Night (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA)
33.
Electric Cars Are on the Rise in Cities. Can Power
Grids Cope? (Christian Science Monitor)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
34.
Gov. Inslee Proposes His Latest Climate-Change
Package as Part of Washington State Budget (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
35.
U.S. House, Senate Reach Deal on Energy Bill
That Includes Provisions American Public Power Association Supports (American
Public Power Association)
36.
President-Elect Biden to Tap Former Michigan Gov.
Granholm to Lead Energy Department (Politico)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Man Who Rode Jetski Four-And-A-Half Hours from Scotland to Isle
of Man to See Girlfriend Jailed for COVID Breach
What the ZIP in ZIP Code Really Means
https://medium.com/knowledge-stew/what-the-zip-in-zip-code-really-means-4342492a4f1b
How to Watch Jupiter & Saturn’s Historic Great
Conjunction of 2020
Customer Leaves $5,600 Tip for Ohio Restaurant Employees
SONG OF THE DAY
Carpenters – Please Mr. Postman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNn_UoI97GU
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.
