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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Washington State Windstorm Knocks Out Power to Hundreds of
Thousands Overnight (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.q13fox.com/news/washington-windstorm-knocks-out-power-to-hundreds-of-thousands-overnight
Coronavirus Causes Largest U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Drop Since World War Two: Report (Reuters)
Wildfire Smoke Now Causes Up to Half the Fine-Particle
Pollution in Western U.S., Study Finds (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Oregon Utility Regulators to Probe Looming Grid Reliability
Question (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/oregon-utility-regulators-to-probe.html
Sage Grouse Review Done, But Scant Time for President
Trump’s Changes (Associated Press)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Washington State Windstorm Knocks Out Power to
Hundreds of Thousands Overnight
2.
Oregon: Widespread Power Outages Hit Portland
Area; 50,000 Homes, Businesses Affected
3.
Oregon Utility Regulators to Probe Looming Grid
Reliability Question
4.
Massive Turbines Trucked Toward British
Columbia’s Peace River Dam Site in Wide, Slow Convoy
5.
California: New San Diego-Area Community Choice
Energy Program Feuding with San Diego Gas & Electric
6.
Utah Is Suing a California City over Its Coal
Ban
7.
California: Trinity PUD Settles Helena Fire
Claims
8.
Fall River Electric Cooperative Manager Wins
Seat on NW Power Council
9.
NuScale Power, UAMPS Execute Agreements Tied to
Development of Small Modular Reactors
10.
Canada: New Small Modular Reactor Action Plan a
Key Step for New Technology’s Growth Amid ‘Incredible Demand,’ Says Industry
Group
11.
EIA Expects Higher Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas
Prices in 2021 & 2022
12.
Op/Ed: After 19 Years, It’s Time to Retire
Oregon’s ‘Temporary’ Energy Tax
13.
ECONorthwest President John Tapogna Stepping
Down in 2022
14.
Deschutes Valley Water District in Oregon
Invests in Small Hydro with Turbine Order from Voith
15.
New Wind Projects Power Local Budgets in Wyoming
16.
Warren Buffett’s Iowa Wind Power Expansion
Derailed by the Bridges of Madison County
17.
More Landlords Are Investing in Energy-Efficient
Improvements for Rentals
18.
Sage Grouse Review Done, But Scant Time for
President Trump’s Changes
19.
Meet Bonneville Power Administration’s Estuary
Team
20.
Wildfire Smoke Now Causes Up to Half the
Fine-Particle Pollution in Western U.S., Study Finds
21.
Michigan Plans to Charge Ex-Gov. Snyder in Flint
Water Probe
22.
Coronavirus Causes Largest U.S. Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Drop Since World War Two: Report
23.
Coronavirus Lockdowns Didn’t Reduce Air
Pollution as Much as We Thought
24.
Broken Promises: Cascadia Region Not on Track to
Cut Carbon Emissions
25.
Oregon: Eugene Activists Push for Stronger City
Response on Climate Change
26.
Pandemic Sheds Light on Rural Broadband
Necessity
27.
Broadband ‘One Buck Deal’: Georgia Co-ops’ Pole
Fee Wins Unanimous Approval
28.
The Billionaires’ Brawl over Satellite Broadband
29.
Report: Cord-Cutting During the Pandemic Leads
to Streaming Now Accounting for 68% of TV Viewing
30.
Lost Passwords Lock Millionaires Out of Their
Bitcoin Fortunes
31. ISP in Idaho Planned to Block Facebook and Twitter to Punish ‘Censorship’
WORD OF THE DAY
Plebeian \plih-BEE-un\ Noun - A member of the common people of ancient Rome: a common person
Barney’s Rice Barn was not a very popular eatery in northeast North Dakota. There wasn’t anything at all interesting about his rice dishes. Every item was steamed white rice of varying varieties; a relatively plebeian repast for weather-hardened farmers who were used to a hearty meat and potatoes menu for every meal. “It just doesn’t stick to my ribs,” complained an irritated customer.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Washington State Windstorm Knocks Out Power to Hundreds
of Thousands Overnight (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.q13fox.com/news/washington-windstorm-knocks-out-power-to-hundreds-of-thousands-overnight
2.
Oregon: Widespread Power Outages Hit Portland Area;
50,000 Homes, Businesses Affected (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
3.
Oregon Utility Regulators to Probe Looming Grid
Reliability Question (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/oregon-utility-regulators-to-probe.html
4.
Massive Turbines Trucked Toward British Columbia’s
Peace River Dam Site in Wide, Slow Convoy (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
5.
California: New San Diego-Area Community Choice
Energy Program Feuding with San Diego Gas & Electric (San Diego Union-Tribune,
CA)
6.
Utah Is Suing a California City over Its Coal
Ban (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2021/01/11/utah-is-suing-california/
7.
California: Trinity PUD Settles Helena Fire
Claims (The Trinity Journal, CA)
http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_8f27d4d8-553b-11eb-9b7e-63cf0428ddb3.html
8.
Fall River Electric Cooperative Manager Wins
Seat on NW Power Council (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)
https://localnews8.com/news/local-news/2021/01/12/fall-river-manager-wins-seat-on-nw-power-council/
9.
NuScale Power, UAMPS Execute Agreements Tied to Development
of Small Modular Reactors (American Public Power Association)
10.
Canada: New Small Modular Reactor Action Plan a Key
Step for New Technology’s Growth Amid ‘Incredible Demand,’ Says Industry Group
(The Hill Times, Ottawa, Canada)
11.
EIA Expects Higher Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas Prices
in 2021 & 2022 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46456
12.
Op/Ed: After 19 Years, It’s Time to Retire Oregon’s
‘Temporary’ Energy Tax (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)
13.
ECONorthwest President John Tapogna Stepping
Down in 2022 (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/econorthwest-president-john-tapogna.html
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
14.
Deschutes Valley Water District in Oregon
Invests in Small Hydro with Turbine Order from Voith (Newswire Today)
15.
New Wind Projects Power Local Budgets in Wyoming
(High Country News, Paonia, CO)
https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.2/north-wind-power-new-wind-projects-power-local-budgets-in-wyoming
16.
Warren Buffett’s Iowa Wind Power Expansion
Derailed by the Bridges of Madison County (Forbes Magazine)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
17.
More Landlords Are Investing in Energy-Efficient
Improvements for Rentals (Wenatchee World, WA)
FISH & WILDLIFE
18.
Sage Grouse Review Done, But Scant Time for President
Trump’s Changes (Associated Press)
19.
Meet Bonneville Power Administration’s Estuary
Team (Bonneville Power Administration)
https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Meet-BPAs-estuary-team.aspx
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
20.
Wildfire Smoke Now Causes Up to Half the Fine-Particle
Pollution in Western U.S., Study Finds (Los Angeles Times, CA)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
21.
Michigan Plans to Charge Ex-Gov. Snyder in Flint
Water Probe (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/flint-lead-water-crisis-gov-rick-snyder-801ba227340f0ac2e10e37a06a82f08d
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
Coronavirus Causes Largest U.S. Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Drop Since World War Two: Report (Reuters)
23.
Coronavirus Lockdowns Didn’t Reduce Air
Pollution as Much as We Thought (Gizmodo)
https://earther.gizmodo.com/coronavirus-lockdowns-didnt-reduce-air-pollution-as-muc-1846051646
24.
Broken Promises: Cascadia Region Not on Track to
Cut Carbon Emissions (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
25.
Oregon: Eugene Activists Push for Stronger City
Response on Climate Change (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)
https://www.klcc.org/post/eugene-activists-push-stonger-city-response-climate-change
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
Pandemic Sheds Light on Rural Broadband Necessity
(Capital Press)
27.
Broadband ‘One Buck Deal’: Georgia Co-ops’ Pole
Fee Wins Unanimous Approval (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/broadband-one-buck-deal-georgia-co-ops-pole-fee-wins-unanimous-approval/
28.
The Billionaires’ Brawl over Satellite Broadband
(Axios)
29.
Report: Cord-Cutting During the Pandemic Leads
to Streaming Now Accounting for 68% of TV Viewing (Telecompetitor)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
30.
Lost Passwords Lock Millionaires Out of Their
Bitcoin Fortunes (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
31.
ISP in Idaho Planned to Block Facebook and
Twitter to Punish ‘Censorship’ (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/isp-in-idaho-planned-to-block-facebook-and-twitter-to-p-1846041695
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Taiwan Man Blows 783 Bubbles Inside of Larger Bubble for World
Record
Cat Reunited with Ontario Family after Ten Years
Ring Found Buried in Public Park 18 Years after Being Lost
Lizzie Borden House for Sale: Price is $2 Million
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/01/12/Lizzie-Borden-house-for-sale-for-2-million/9951610480821/
SONG OF THE DAY
Gary Lewis and the Playboys - This Diamond Ring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKTOizdhan8
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.
