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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Power Outages Linger for Millions as Another Icy Storm Looms
(Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/100-million-americans-more-ice-snow-404012f8d8885259968b8d37b13899d6
Oregon: Nearly 100,000 Remain without Power in Portland as
Outages Stretch into Sixth Day (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Californians Urged to Conserve Energy as Winter Storm Slams
Parts of U.S. (KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA)
Californians Urged to Conserve Energy as Winter Storm Slams
Parts of U.S. (KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA)
States Get Serious About Broadband Funding (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/02/16/states-get-serious-about-broadband-funding/
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Power Outages Linger for Millions as Another Icy
Storm Looms
2.
The Texas Grid Got Crushed Because Its Operators
Didn’t See the Need to Prepare for Cold Weather
3.
‘A Complete Bungle’: Texas’ Energy Pride Goes
Out with Cold
4.
Texas: Spiking Power Prices Could Leave Retailers,
Consumers in the Cold
5.
FERC, NERC to Investigate Mass Outages Across
ERCOT, SPP, MISO
6.
Texas Storm Could Spark Increase in Gasoline
Prices
7.
Oregon: Nearly 100,000 Remain without Power in
Portland as Outages Stretch into Sixth Day
8.
Oregon: Four Die from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
During Winter Storm
9.
Californians Urged to Conserve Energy as Winter
Storm Slams Parts of U.S.
10.
US West Power Prices Rally on Winter Weather Set
to Impact the Region
11.
Idaho Congressman Hopes Politics Align on
Divisive Northwest Dams
12.
New Proposal to Breach Snake River Dams Sparks
Opposition
13.
Idaho Water Users Poke Holes in Breaching Plan
14.
Op/Ed: Removing Snake River Dams is Unwise
15.
Minor Montana Power Outage Stokes Political
Rhetoric
16.
Advanced Nuclear Backers See Opening for
Low-Carbon Source
17.
US Grants Oregon State First-Ever Lease for Wave
Energy Research Off West Coast
18.
No, Frozen Wind Turbines Aren’t the Main Culprit
for Texas’ Power Outages
19.
Hydropower Grew Faster in the Last 10 Years Than
Other Forms of Storage
20.
Bill Monroe: Good News in a Massive Turnaround
for Offshore & Columbia Sport Fishing
21.
Gray Whales Learn Daring Feeding Strategy in
Puget Sound: Digging for Ghost Shrimp at High Tide
22.
WA State: Thurston Board of Commissioners OKs
Climate Emergency Declaration, Mitigation Plan
23.
States Get Serious About Broadband Funding
24.
FCC Chief Forms Task Force for Broadband Mapping
25.
In Virginia, Utility Smart Grid Projects Could
Help Fill Rural Broadband Gaps
26.
FERC Reliance On Ratepayers to Fund Utility
Cybersecurity Insufficient to Meet Rising Threat, Analysts Say
27.
Cost of a Single Bitcoin Exceeds $50,000 for
First Time
28.
President Biden Gets His First Energy Crisis —
And an Opening
29. WA State: Legislature Considers Bill Backing PUD/DNR Wildfire Cooperation
WORD OF THE DAY
Primordial • \PRIME-or-dee-ull\ • Adjective - 1a: first created or developed: primeval b: existing in or persisting from the beginning c: earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ 2: fundamental, primary.
The first soup and sandwich shop in town did a booming business…even with the slightly odd name of “Primordial Soup.”
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
1.
Power Outages Linger for Millions as Another Icy
Storm Looms (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/100-million-americans-more-ice-snow-404012f8d8885259968b8d37b13899d6
2.
The Texas Grid Got Crushed Because Its Operators
Didn’t See the Need to Prepare for Cold Weather (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/16/ercot-texas-electric-grid-failure/
3.
‘A Complete Bungle’: Texas’ Energy Pride Goes
Out with Cold (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/texas-power-outage-winter-energy-pride-c260c340f619688dd511cc6645b40a04
4.
Texas: Spiking Power Prices Could Leave
Retailers, Consumers in the Cold (Houston Business Journal, TX)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/texas-spiking-power-prices-could-leave.html
5.
FERC, NERC to Investigate Mass Outages Across
ERCOT, SPP, MISO (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-nerc-to-investigate-mass-outages-across-ercot-spp-miso/595173/
6.
Texas Storm Could Spark Increase in Gasoline
Prices (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/539040-texas-storm-could-spark-increase-in-gas-prices
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
7.
Oregon: Nearly 100,000 Remain without Power in Portland
as Outages Stretch into Sixth Day (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
8.
Oregon: Four Die from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
During Winter Storm (Associated Press)
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article249283585.html
9.
Californians Urged to Conserve Energy as Winter
Storm Slams Parts of U.S. (KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA)
10.
US West Power Prices Rally on Winter Weather Set
to Impact the Region (S&P Global)
11.
Idaho Congressman Hopes Politics Align on
Divisive Northwest Dams (Associated Press)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/15/congressman-hopes-politics-align-on-divisive-northwest-dams/
12.
New Proposal to Breach Snake River Dams Sparks
Opposition (Waterways Journal Weekly)
13.
Idaho Water Users Poke Holes in Breaching Plan (Lewiston
Tribune, ID)
14.
Op/Ed: Removing Snake River Dams is Unwise (Enumclaw
Courier-Herald, WA)
https://www.courierherald.com/business/removing-snake-river-dams-is-unwise-brunell/
15.
Minor Montana Power Outage Stokes Political
Rhetoric (Montana Standard, Butte, MT)
16.
Advanced Nuclear Backers See Opening for
Low-Carbon Source (Bloomberg News)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
17.
US Grants Oregon State First-Ever Lease for Wave
Energy Research Off West Coast (KMTR-TV, Eugene, OR)
18.
No, Frozen Wind Turbines Aren’t the Main Culprit
for Texas’ Power Outages (The Texas Tribune)
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/16/texas-wind-turbines-frozen/
19.
Hydropower Grew Faster in the Last 10 Years Than
Other Forms of Storage (American Public Power Association)
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
Bill Monroe: Good News in a Massive Turnaround for
Offshore & Columbia Sport Fishing (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
21.
Gray Whales Learn Daring Feeding Strategy in Puget
Sound: Digging for Ghost Shrimp at High Tide (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
WA State: Thurston Board of Commissioners OKs
Climate Emergency Declaration, Mitigation Plan (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://amp.theolympian.com/news/local/article249218220.html
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
23.
States Get Serious About Broadband Funding (Pots
& Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/02/16/states-get-serious-about-broadband-funding/
24.
FCC Chief Forms Task Force for Broadband Mapping
(Light Reading)
25.
In Virginia, Utility Smart Grid Projects Could
Help Fill Rural Broadband Gaps (Energy News Network)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
26.
FERC Reliance On Ratepayers to Fund Utility
Cybersecurity Insufficient to Meet Rising Threat, Analysts Say (Utility Dive)
27.
Cost of a Single Bitcoin Exceeds $50,000 for First
Time (Associated Press)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/feb/16/cost-of-a-single-bitcoin-exceeds-50000-for-first-time/
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
28.
President Biden Gets His First Energy Crisis —
And an Opening (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/16/texas-energy-outage-469217
29.
WA State: Legislature Considers Bill Backing PUD/DNR
Wildfire Cooperation (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Rescue Cat Detects Dangerous Gas Leak at Lake Oswego Home,
Saving Owners
Blue Dogs Found Near Abandoned Russian Chemical Plant Tested
by Vets
https://www.newsweek.com/blue-dogs-found-abandoned-chemical-plant-tested-vets-1569552
5,000-Year-Old Commercial Brewery, Possibly World’s Oldest,
Uncovered in Egypt
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/egypt-brewery-1.5913913?cmp=rss
Call The Ghostbusters? Transformer Surge Releases Eerie
Floating Power Orbs
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/transformer-surge-glowing-orbs_n_602b2752c5b6f88289fdea80
SONG OF THE DAY
Roy Orbison - Blue Bayou (check out the backup band. Not too
shabby)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGB9cvWdn04
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