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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
WA State: City of Seattle OKs Measure to End Much Commercial
Natural Gas Use (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/02/bc-wa-seattle-curbing-natural-gas-use/
Daily U.S. Wind Energy Generation Sets New Record in
December- EIA (Yahoo News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/daily-u-wind-energy-generation-161007499.html
‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Southwest Power Pool Begins
Operating Western Imbalance Market (Utility Dive)
Study: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Added Heat to Warming Planet
(KOMO News, Seattle WA)
https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/study-pandemics-cleaner-air-added-heat-to-warming-planet
Portland General Electric Offers Electric Vehicle Charger
Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control (Portland Business
Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/portland-general-electric-offers.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
WA State: City of Seattle OKs Measure to End
Much Commercial Natural Gas Use
2.
‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Southwest Power
Pool Begins Operating Western Imbalance Market
3.
Op/Ed: Federal Energy Regulatory Committee
Complaint Filed Against Tennessee Valley Authority Could Cause Major Rumblings
4.
Arizona: Salt River Project Board Votes to Delay
Price Increases until November
5.
Podcast – Past the Dams, Tribes Help the
Columbia River Roll On
6.
As Ethiopia Fills Its Nile Dam, Regional
Rivalries Overflow
7.
Alabama: What Kinds of Hazards Do Linemen Face
Daily? Power Company Explains
8.
Daily U.S. Wind Energy Generation Sets New
Record in December- EIA
9.
Portland, Building on Early Wind History, Teems
with Renewable Energy Leadership
10.
WA State: Pandemic Slows Growth of the
Clean-Tech Sector — For Now
11.
Pacific Gas & Electric Plans Utility-Owned
‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities
12.
The Empire State Building Runs on the Wind Now
13.
Op/Ed: Want Environmental Justice? Look to
Energy Efficiency.
14.
Washington State Wildlife Officials Ask
Residents to Take Down Bird Feeders amid Outbreak of Salmonellosis
15.
Bonneville Power Administration Helps Restore
& Protect Columbia River Basin Wetlands
16.
Study: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Added Heat to
Warming Planet
17.
U.S. Cities Are Vastly Undercounting Emissions,
Researchers Find
18.
Biden Team in Talks with Utilities, Car
Companies about Emissions: Climate Adviser
19.
WA State: Grays Harbor PUD Launches Feasibility
Study for East County-SR 12 Broadband
20.
WA State: Team Seeks to Wire Adams County for
Broadband
21.
Washington State Ports Lead Charge for Rural
Internet Service
22.
Tribal Business, Government, & Education
Efforts Boosted by Broadband Funding
23.
Charter Shares $5 Billion Broadband Plan &
Pole Concerns
24.
Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon’s CEO
25.
Google Wants Americans to Subsidize Its Electric
Bill
26.
Portland General Electric Offers Electric
Vehicle Charger Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control
27.
Utah Legislators Advance Bill to Increase
Registration Fees on Electric Cars
28.
Tesla Recalls Nearly 135,000 Model S & X
Cars Because of Failing Touchscreens
29.
Editorial: Environmentalists Should Lead the
Charge against Electric Vehicles
30.
Why ‘Section 230’ Is at the Heart of Fights Over
Online Speech
31.
Burst of Tremor Activity Likely Won’t Pose Risk
to Washington State
32.
Washington State Senate Bill 5244 – Needed
Support for Nuclear Power
33.
Op/Ed: Collaboration, Not Confrontation –
Setting the Stage for Success between FERC & the States
34. Buttigieg Confirmation for U.S. Dept of Transportation Boosts Hope for Massive Infrastructure Investment
WORD OF THE DAY
Efflorescence \eff-luh-RESS-suns\ Noun - 1a: the action or process of developing and unfolding as if coming into flower b: an instance of such development c: fullness of manifestation: culmination 2: the period or state of flowering 3: the process or product of efflorescing chemically
“Blink and its gone,” bellowed the intergalactic Master Gardener to his well-behaved minions, trailing behind him like so many ducklings as they trekked across the plans of Minubious-Two on their way to observe the once millennial efflorescence of the “scavenging blink-flower.” Unfortunately for the group, their attention at the exact time of flowering was diverted at the worst time, as one of the sentient talking dogs of Canis Carnivora barked “squirrel” at a small rodent running across the remote mountain trail.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
WA State: City of Seattle OKs Measure to End
Much Commercial Natural Gas Use (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/02/bc-wa-seattle-curbing-natural-gas-use/
2.
‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Southwest Power
Pool Begins Operating Western Imbalance Market (Utility Dive)
3.
Op/Ed: Federal Energy Regulatory Committee Complaint
Filed Against Tennessee Valley Authority Could Cause Major Rumblings (The
Tennessean, Nashville, TN)
4.
Arizona: Salt River Project Board Votes to Delay
Price Increases until November (KTAR News, Phoenix, AZ)
https://ktar.com/story/3961258/srp-board-votes-to-delay-price-increases-until-november/
5.
Podcast – Past the Dams, Tribes Help the
Columbia River Roll On (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/podcast/crosscut-escapes/1/6/podcast-past-dams-tribes-help-columbia-river-roll
6.
As Ethiopia Fills Its Nile Dam, Regional
Rivalries Overflow (Christian
Science Monitor)
7.
Alabama: What Kinds of Hazards Do Linemen Face
Daily? Power Company Explains (WDHN-TV, Dothan, AL)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
8.
Daily U.S. Wind Energy Generation Sets New
Record in December- EIA (Yahoo News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/daily-u-wind-energy-generation-161007499.html
9.
Portland, Building on Early Wind History, Teems
with Renewable Energy Leadership (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/portland-building-on-early-wind-history.html
10.
WA State: Pandemic Slows Growth of the Clean-Tech
Sector — For Now (Everett Herald, WA)
https://www.heraldnet.com/business/pandemic-slows-growth-of-the-clean-tech-sector-for-now/
11.
Pacific Gas & Electric Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote
Grids’ for Isolated Communities (GreenTech Media)
12.
The Empire State Building Runs on the Wind Now (Gizmodo)
https://earther.gizmodo.com/the-empire-state-building-runs-on-the-wind-now-1846189711
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
13.
Op/Ed: Want Environmental Justice? Look to
Energy Efficiency. (Politico)
FISH & WILDLIFE
14.
Washington State Wildlife Officials Ask
Residents to Take Down Bird Feeders amid Outbreak of Salmonellosis (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, WA)
15.
Bonneville Power Administration Helps Restore &
Protect Columbia River Basin Wetlands (Bonneville Power Administration)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
16.
Study: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Added Heat to
Warming Planet (KOMO News, Seattle WA)
https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/study-pandemics-cleaner-air-added-heat-to-warming-planet
17.
U.S. Cities Are Vastly Undercounting Emissions,
Researchers Find (NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/climate/cities-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html
18.
Biden Team in Talks with Utilities, Car
Companies about Emissions: Climate Adviser (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climate-biden-idUSKBN2A31JH
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
19.
WA State: Grays Harbor PUD Launches Feasibility
Study for East County-SR 12 Broadband (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
https://www.kxro.com/pud-launches-feasibility-study-for-east-county-sr-12-broadband/
20.
WA State: Team Seeks to Wire Adams County for
Broadband (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/feb/03/team-seeks-wire-adams-county-broad/
21.
Washington State Ports Lead Charge for Rural
Internet Service (Government Technology)
https://www.govtech.com/network/Washington-Ports-Lead-Charge-for-Rural-Internet-Service.html
22.
Tribal Business, Government, & Education
Efforts Boosted by Broadband Funding (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)
https://www.klcc.org/post/tribal-business-government-and-education-efforts-boosted-broadband-funding
23.
Charter Shares $5 Billion Broadband Plan &
Pole Concerns (Telecoms)
https://telecoms.com/508474/charter-shares-5-billion-broadband-plan-and-pole-concerns/
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
24.
Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon’s CEO (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/jeff-bezos-steps-down-as-amazons-ceo-1846184340
25.
Google Wants Americans to Subsidize Its Electric
Bill (Forbes Magazine)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
26.
Portland General Electric Offers Electric
Vehicle Charger Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control
(Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/portland-general-electric-offers.html
27.
Utah Legislators Advance Bill to Increase
Registration Fees on Electric Cars (KUTV-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)
28.
Tesla Recalls Nearly 135,000 Model S & X
Cars Because of Failing Touchscreens (Mashable)
https://mashable.com/article/tesla-model-x-s-recall-touchscreen/
29.
Editorial: Environmentalists Should Lead the
Charge against Electric Vehicles (The Hill, Washington, DC)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
30.
Why ‘Section 230’ Is at the Heart of Fights Over
Online Speech (Washington Post)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
31.
Burst of Tremor Activity Likely Won’t Pose Risk to
Washington State (KING-TV – Seattle, WA)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
32.
Washington State Senate Bill 5244 – Needed
Support for Nuclear Power (Forbes Magazine)
33.
Op/Ed: Collaboration, Not Confrontation – Setting
the Stage for Success between FERC & the States (Utility Dive)
34.
Buttigieg Confirmation for U.S. Dept of
Transportation Boosts Hope for Massive Infrastructure Investment (Utility Dive)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Ancient Mummies with Golden Tongues Unearthed in Egypt
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55902631
Migratory Birds in Texas Getting Drunk on Fermented Berries
At the Ilani Casino – Edible Race Cars Break Guinness Records
in Washington State
The Live Cam That Shows You the Emerald Northern Lights Is
Back
https://mashable.com/article/northern-lights-live-cam-aurora-borealis/
SONG OF THE DAY
Journey – Lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlYhoFVogFo
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