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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
WA State Gov. Inslee’s Cap-And-Invest Proposal Draws
Criticism from Environmentalists (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/2486465/cap-and-invest-bill/
Outgoing Trump Administration Signs Off on Oregon Wave
Energy Test Center Lease after Delay (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/outgoing-trump-administration-signs-off.html
Upper Colorado River Drought Plan Triggered for First Time –
Lake Powell in Utah Dropping Below a Critical Threshold (Arizona Public Media)
Gray Whale Population Drops by Quarter off U.S. West Coast
(Associated Press)
Glick Named FERC Chair, Promises ‘Significant Progress’ on
Energy Transition (Utility Dive)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Upper Colorado River Drought Plan Triggered for
First Time – Lake Powell in Utah Dropping Below a Critical Threshold
2.
Many U.S. Utilities Plan to Hang on to Their
Coal Plants for a Decade: Sierra Club
3.
What’s the Grade? The Dirty Truth About Utility
Climate Pledges
4.
Oregon: Willamette Falls Paper Co. Is Getting
the Electricity Service It Wanted
5.
Anchorage Residents to See Reduced Electricity
Rates
6.
Op/Ed: President Biden Must Focus on Affordable,
Reliable Electricity
7.
Bonneville Power Administration – Moody’s
Announces Completion of a Periodic Review of Ratings
8.
Seattle City Light – Moody’s Announces
Completion of a Periodic Review of Ratings
9.
Klickitat PUD – Moody’s Announces Completion of
a Periodic Review of Ratings
10.
Indiana Lawmakers to Vote on Bill to Ban Local
Heating Electrification Initiatives
11.
Outgoing Trump Administration Signs Off on
Oregon Wave Energy Test Center Lease after Delay
12.
More Wind Power Could Be Coming to Interior
Alaska
13.
Kauai Island Co-Op & AES to Develop
Solar-Pumped Hydro in Hawaii
14.
Two Administration Biden Priorities, Climate
& Conservation, Collide in the California Desert
15.
‘Not Slowing Down’: Solar Will Be Cheapest Power
Resource in US by 2030: Woodmac
16.
With FERC Order 2222 Compliance Deadline 6
Months Away, Many Questions Loom, Analysts Find
17.
Rethinking the Utility Low-Income Approach –
“Low-Income” Households Pay Up to Three Times More than the Average Household
on Home Energy Costs
18.
Vertical Farming’s Success Depends on the
Cheapest Lightbulb
19.
Demystifying Heat Pump Water Heaters
20.
Gray Whale Population Drops by Quarter off U.S.
West Coast
21.
Canadian Coast Guard Throws Technology Behind
Protecting Southern Resident Killer Whales
22.
WA State Gov. Inslee’s Cap-And-Invest Proposal
Draws Criticism from Environmentalists
23.
California: Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s Board
Adopts Building Decarbonization Joint Action Plan
24.
Puget Sound Energy Sets Net Zero Carbon
Emissions Goal for 2045
25.
In Switch, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Backs
Climate Action, Possible Carbon Tax
26.
Global Ice Loss Increasing at Record Rate
27.
Report: 70% of Americans Now Have Access to
Low-Priced Wired Broadband Plans
28.
Q&A: WA State Rep. Alex Ybarra Breaks Down
the “Public Broadband Act” – Public Utility District Opportunities
29.
More Than $38 Million Awarded for Idaho
Broadband Expansion
30.
Op/Ed: Delivering Rural Broadband Across Montana
31.
Key Lessons for Policymakers and the Public
About Expanding Broadband Access
32.
Alphabet Shuts Down Loon Internet Balloon
Company
33.
Google Is Threatening to Pull Its Search Engine
Out of Australia
34.
Glick Named FERC Chair, Promises ‘Significant
Progress’ on Energy Transition
35. President Biden Picks Jessica Rosenworcel as Acting FCC Chief
WORD OF THE DAY
Insouciance /in-SOO-see-unss/ Noun – Lighthearted unconcern: nonchalance.
What do I think about the “Word of the Day?” Meh.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Upper Colorado River Drought Plan Triggered for
First Time – Lake Powell in Utah Dropping Below a Critical Threshold (Arizona
Public Media)
2.
Many U.S. Utilities Plan to Hang on to Their
Coal Plants for a Decade: Sierra Club (Reuters)
3.
What’s the Grade? The Dirty Truth About Utility
Climate Pledges (Sierra Club – No West Coast Public Utilities Listed)
https://coal.sierraclub.org/the-problem/dirty-truth-greenwashing-utilities
4.
Oregon: Willamette Falls Paper Co. Is Getting
the Electricity Service It Wanted — And That It Needs to Survive, The Company
Has Said — After Settling a Dispute with Portland General Electric (Portland
Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/oregon-willamette-falls-paper-co-is.html
5.
Anchorage Residents to See Reduced Electricity
Rates (Associated Press)
6.
Op/Ed: President Biden Must Focus on Affordable,
Reliable Electricity (Alaska Journal of Commerce)
7.
Bonneville Power Administration – Moody’s
Announces Completion of a Periodic Review of Ratings (Moody’s Investor Service)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bonneville-power-administration-moodys-announces-143906416.html
8.
Seattle City Light – Moody’s Announces
Completion of a Periodic Review of Ratings (Moody’s Investor Service)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/seattle-city-wa-electric-enterprise-144306949.html
9.
Klickitat PUD – Moody’s Announces Completion of
a Periodic Review of Ratings (Moody’s Investor Service)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/klickitat-county-public-utility-dist-145109646.html
10.
Indiana Lawmakers to Vote on Bill to Ban Local
Heating Electrification Initiatives (Energy News Network)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
11.
Outgoing Trump Administration Signs Off on
Oregon Wave Energy Test Center Lease after Delay (Portland Business Journal,
OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/outgoing-trump-administration-signs-off.html
12.
More Wind Power Could Be Coming to Interior
Alaska (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)
https://www.ktoo.org/2021/01/22/more-wind-power-could-be-coming-to-interior-alaska/
13.
Kauai Island Co-Op & AES to Develop
Solar-Pumped Hydro in Hawaii (Power Engineering)
14.
Two Administration Biden Priorities, Climate &
Conservation, Collide in the California Desert (Los Angeles Times, CA)
15.
‘Not Slowing Down’: Solar Will Be Cheapest Power
Resource in US by 2030: Woodmac (Utility Dive)
16.
With FERC Order 2222 Compliance Deadline 6
Months Away, Many Questions Loom, Analysts Find (Utility Dive)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
17.
Rethinking the Utility Low-Income Approach – “Low-Income”
Households Pay Up to Three Times More than the Average Household on Home Energy
Costs (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/spons/rethinking-the-utility-low-income-approach/593729/
18.
Vertical Farming’s Success Depends on the
Cheapest Lightbulb (Financial Post)
19.
Demystifying Heat Pump Water Heaters (Palo Alto
Online, CA)
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/blogs/p/2021/01/17/demystifying-heat-pump-water-heaters
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
Gray Whale Population Drops by Quarter off U.S.
West Coast (Associated Press)
21.
Canadian Coast Guard Throws Technology Behind
Protecting Southern Resident Killer Whales (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
WA State Gov. Inslee’s Cap-And-Invest Proposal
Draws Criticism from Environmentalists (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/2486465/cap-and-invest-bill/
23.
California: Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s Board
Adopts Building Decarbonization Joint Action Plan (American Public Power
Association)
24.
Puget Sound Energy Sets Net Zero Carbon
Emissions Goal for 2045 (Daily Energy Insider)
25.
In Switch, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Backs
Climate Action, Possible Carbon Tax (Bloomberg News)
26.
Global Ice Loss Increasing at Record Rate (Courthouse
News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/global-ice-loss-increasing-at-record-rate/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
Report: 70% of Americans Now Have Access to
Low-Priced Wired Broadband Plans (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/report-70-of-americans-now-have-access-to-low-priced-1846104406
28.
Q&A: WA State Rep. Alex Ybarra Breaks Down
the “Public Broadband Act” – Public Utility District Opportunities (Washington
State Wire, Olympia, WA)
https://washingtonstatewire.com/qa-rep-alex-ybarra-breaks-down-the-public-broadband-act/
29.
More Than $38 Million Awarded for Idaho Broadband
Expansion (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)
30.
Op/Ed: Delivering Rural Broadband Across Montana
(Ravalli Republic, Hamilton, MT)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/oped-delivering-rural-broadband-across.html
31.
Key Lessons for Policymakers and the Public
About Expanding Broadband Access (The PEW Charitable Trust)
32.
Alphabet Shuts Down Loon Internet Balloon
Company (Tech Crunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/21/google-alphabet-is-shutting-down-loon-internet/
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
33.
Google Is Threatening to Pull Its Search Engine
Out of Australia (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/22/google-australia-publishers/
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
34.
Glick Named FERC Chair, Promises ‘Significant
Progress’ on Energy Transition (Utility Dive)
35.
President Biden Picks Jessica Rosenworcel as
Acting FCC Chief (NBC News)
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/biden-picks-jessica-rosenworcel-run-fcc-n1255048
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Right to Farm – French Roosters Now Crow with the Law Behind
Them
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/24/world/europe/france-countryside-noises-smells-law.html
Loyal Dog Waits for Six Days Outside Hospital for Her Sick
Owner
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/world/dog-hospital-scli-intl/index.html
Frenchwoman Ruled Dead in 2017 Fights to Be Declared Alive
Dog & Goat Serving as Mayor Raise Money for a Playground
SONG OF THE DAY
Neil Young – Harvest Moon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P5siCnNKnw
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