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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
As Some Texans See Electric Bills Skyrocket, Most Central
Texans (Coop & Municipal customers) Should Be Spared Pricing Spikes (Austin
American Statesman, TX)
Power Restoration from Oregon Storm Could Take a Week More
(Oregonian, Portland, OR)
https://apnews.com/article/ice-storms-storms-portland-oregon-e14cdf8b3b5b66f43a886e0498cd4f98
Warming Seas Could Wipe Out Snake River Chinook by 2060,
Scientists Predict (Phys.Org)
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-seas-snake-river-chinook-scientists.html
Climate Change Will Exacerbate Flooding in Columbia River
Basin, OSU Study Finds (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/climate-change-will-exacerbate-flooding/
U.S. House Republicans Propose Nationwide Ban on Municipal
Broadband Networks (Ars Technica)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
As Some Texans See Electric Bills Skyrocket,
Most Central Texans (Coop & Municipal customers) Should Be Spared Pricing
Spikes
2.
Texas Homes Slammed by Thousand-Dollar Power
Bills after Storm
3.
Texas Utility Commission Orders Delay of Power
Disconnections Due to Concerns over High Bills
4.
Texas & California Built Different Power
Grids, But Neither Stood Up to Climate Change
5.
‘The Grid’ Author on How Texas Crisis Highlights
a Fragile U.S. Infrastructure
6.
Power Restoration from Oregon Storm Could Take a
Week More
7.
Can Utilities Prevent the Extreme Power Outages
Oregon Experienced in Last Week’s Ice Storm? Maybe, But at a Cost
8.
Inland Northwest Protected, But Not Immune from
Power Outages
9.
California Officials Oppose Pacific Gas &
Electric Mandates That Could Expand Blackouts
10.
Clallam County, WA – Bonneville Power
Administration Takes Out ‘Danger Trees’
11.
Snake River Dams Proposal Draws Accolades,
Criticism
12.
Op/Ed: Simpson Dam Idea Broadly Fails Idaho
Interests
13.
Op/Ed: Rep. Simpson’s Snake River Dams Plan
Raises Concerns & Questions
14.
Moody’s Announces Completion of a Periodic
Review of Ratings of Energy Northwest, WA - Project 1
15.
First Native American Tribe Set to Be a
Transmission Owner in the California ISO
16.
Paratrooper Rescued after Becoming Tangled in
Arizona Power Lines
17.
FERC Gives Preliminary Permit to 2.2 GW Storage
Project That Would Use Navajo Coal Plant Power Lines
18.
Oregon’s Clean Energy Sector Took a 6,000-Job
Hit in 2020
19.
WA State – Group Seeks to Save Horse Heaven
Ridges from Wind Project
20.
Biden Energy Dept Orders Sweeping Review of
Trump Energy Rules
21.
Warming Seas Could Wipe Out Snake River Chinook
by 2060, Scientists Predict
22.
Climate Change Threatens Chinook Salmon
throughout Their Life Cycle
23.
Seattle’s Skagit River Dams Hurt Salmon, Orcas
& Native American Culture, Agencies Say
24.
Herring Catch Quota in British Columbia’s
Georgia Strait Will Ensure Health of Species
25.
Another Calf Born to Endangered Northwest Salish
Sea Orcas
26.
Climate Change Will Exacerbate Flooding in
Columbia River Basin, OSU Study Finds
27.
A Dam Good Example of Collaboration on
California Water Issues
28.
WA State: Skagit PUD Moving Ahead on $35.5
Million Infrastructure Project
29.
Colorado River Study Means It’s Time to Cut
Water Use Now, Outside Experts Say
30.
Oregon Climate Program Draws Fire for Leaving
Out Natural Gas Power Plants
31.
U.S. House Republicans Propose Nationwide Ban on
Municipal Broadband Networks
32.
WA State: Grant PUD Expands Fiber Optic Network
throughout County
33.
AT&T Scrambles to Install Fiber For
90-Year-Old after His Viral Wall Street Journal Ad
34.
WA State: Hack of Seattle Payments Processing
Firm Puts Local Governments & Utilities on Alert
35. ‘That Rhythm Is Gone’: Washington State Legislators on the Pros & Cons of Virtual Government
WORD OF THE DAY
Cognoscente \conn-yuh-SHEN-tee\ Noun – A person who has expert knowledge in a subject: connoisseur.
Ariel would be the first to admit that her vocation was a rarity. As the resident tiddlywink cognoscente at “Wham-O,” her enigmatic knowledge of the alchemy of plastics, design criteria for the perfect squidger, even the dimensions of winks and the pot was unrivaled. Like the secret to Colonel Sander’s eleven herbs and spices, Ariel’s knowledge was a mystery of the highest order.
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
1.
As Some Texans See Electric Bills Skyrocket,
Most Central Texans (Coop & Municipal customers) Should Be Spared Pricing
Spikes (Austin American Statesman, TX)
2.
Texas Homes Slammed by Thousand-Dollar Power
Bills after Storm (Bloomberg)
3.
Texas Utility Commission Orders Delay of Power
Disconnections Due to Concerns over High Bills (KXAN-TV, Austin, TX)
4.
Texas & California Built Different Power
Grids, But Neither Stood Up to Climate Change (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/21/texas-california-climate-change-power-grids-470434
5.
‘The Grid’ Author on How Texas Crisis Highlights
a Fragile U.S. Infrastructure (National Public Radio)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
6.
Power Restoration from Oregon Storm Could Take a
Week More (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
https://apnews.com/article/ice-storms-storms-portland-oregon-e14cdf8b3b5b66f43a886e0498cd4f98
7.
Can Utilities Prevent the Extreme Power Outages Oregon
Experienced in Last Week’s Ice Storm? Maybe, But at a Cost (Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
8.
Inland Northwest Protected, But Not Immune from
Power Outages (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/feb/17/inland-northwest-protected-but-not-immune-from-pow/
9.
California Officials Oppose Pacific Gas &
Electric Mandates That Could Expand Blackouts (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/california-officials-oppose-pge-mandates-that-could-expand-blackouts/
10.
Clallam County, WA – Bonneville Power
Administration Takes Out ‘Danger Trees’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles,
WA)
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/bpa-takes-out-danger-trees/
11.
Snake River Dams Proposal Draws Accolades,
Criticism (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/snake-river-dams-proposal-draws-accolades-criticism/
12.
Op/Ed: Simpson Dam Idea Broadly Fails Idaho Interests
(Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
13.
Op/Ed: Rep. Simpson’s Snake River Dams Plan
Raises Concerns & Questions (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
https://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article249314970.html
14.
Moody’s Announces Completion of a Periodic
Review of Ratings of Energy Northwest, WA - Project 1 (Yahoo Finance)
https://www.yahoo.com/now/energy-northwest-wa-moodys-announces-205608797.html
15.
First Native American Tribe Set to Be a
Transmission Owner in the California ISO (American Public Power Association)
16.
Paratrooper Rescued after Becoming Tangled in
Arizona Power Lines (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
17.
FERC Gives Preliminary Permit to 2.2 GW Storage
Project That Would Use Navajo Coal Plant Power Lines (Utility Dive)
18.
Oregon’s Clean Energy Sector Took a 6,000-Job
Hit in 2020 (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/oregons-clean-energy-sector-took-6000.html
19.
WA State – Group Seeks to Save Horse Heaven
Ridges from Wind Project (KFLD Radio, Tri-Cities, WA)
https://newstalk870.am/group-seeks-to-save-horse-heaven-ridges-from-wind-project/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
20.
Biden Energy Dept Orders Sweeping Review of Trump
Energy Rules (The Hill, Washington, DC)
FISH & WILDLIFE
21.
Warming Seas Could Wipe Out Snake River Chinook
by 2060, Scientists Predict (Phys.Org)
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-seas-snake-river-chinook-scientists.html
22.
Climate Change Threatens Chinook Salmon throughout
Their Life Cycle (Nature Research Journal)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-01734-w
23.
Seattle’s Skagit River Dams Hurt Salmon, Orcas
& Native American Culture, Agencies Say (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
24.
Herring Catch Quota in British Columbia’s
Georgia Strait Will Ensure Health of Species (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
25.
Another Calf Born to Endangered Northwest Salish
Sea Orcas (Associated Press)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
26.
Climate Change Will Exacerbate Flooding in Columbia
River Basin, OSU Study Finds (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/climate-change-will-exacerbate-flooding/
27.
A Dam Good Example of Collaboration on California
Water Issues (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/article/a-klamath-dam-good-example-of-collaboration-on-california-water-issues/
28.
WA State: Skagit PUD Moving Ahead on $35.5
Million Infrastructure Project (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)
29.
Colorado River Study Means It’s Time to Cut
Water Use Now, Outside Experts Say (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
30.
Oregon Climate Program Draws Fire for Leaving
Out Natural Gas Power Plants (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
31.
U.S. House Republicans Propose Nationwide Ban on
Municipal Broadband Networks (Ars Technica)
32.
WA State: Grant PUD Expands Fiber Optic Network
throughout County (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.kpq.com/grant-pud-expands-fiber-optic-network-throughout-county/
33.
AT&T Scrambles to Install Fiber For
90-Year-Old after His Viral Wall Street Journal Ad (Ars Technica)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
34.
WA State: Hack of Seattle Payments Processing
Firm Puts Local Governments & Utilities on Alert (Seattle Times, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
35.
‘That Rhythm Is Gone’: Washington State
Legislators on the Pros & Cons of Virtual Government (GeekWire)
https://www.geekwire.com/2021/virtual-legislature/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Today (February 22) is National Margarita Day
https://www.thereisadayforthat.com/holidays/usa/national-margarita-day
Alaska Woman Using Outhouse Attacked by Bear, from Below
https://apnews.com/article/alaska-woman-outhouse-bear-attack-61a23fa15190c00e17a07bc152f9dabb
With No Crowds, Louvre Gets Rare Chance to Refurbish
Entire School Board Resigns after Trash-Talking Parents in Hot
Mic Moment
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oakley-union-school-boards-resigns_n_6032526cc5b673b19b6919c1
SONG OF THE DAY
The Tremeloes - Silence Is Golden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcBJaQeYds8
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