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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Snake River Dams Proposal Looms over Governors’ Group
(Lewiston Tribune, ID)
Texas Electric Cooperative Hit with $2.1 Billion Bill Files
for Bankruptcy (Bloomberg News)
Oregon’s Cheap Power, Undersea Cable Lure Five New Data
Centers (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/oregons-cheap-power-undersea-cable-lure.html
Energy Company to Breed Endangered California Condors to
Replace Birds Killed by Turbine Blades (Los Angeles Times, CA)
The Debate over Electric Vehicle Charging at Interstate Rest
Stops (Utility Dive)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Texas Electric Cooperative Hit with $2.1 Billion
Bill Files for Bankruptcy
2.
As Texans Went Without Heat, Light or Water,
Some Companies Scored a Big Payday
3.
Griddy Is Being Sued for $1 Billion for Allegedly
Price Gouging During Texas Winter Storm
4.
WA State’s Franklin PUD Explains Measures to
Prevent Texas-Like Outage
5.
Energy Secretary Granholm: Texas Outages Show
Need for Changes to U.S. Power Systems
6.
Snake River Dams Proposal Looms over Governors’
Group
7.
Q&A with Architect of Proposal to Breach
Lower Snake River Dams: ‘I’m Conservative, & I Also Value Conservation’
8.
New Website Imagines the Snake River without
Dams
9.
Oregon PUC Extends Disconnection, Late-Fee
Moratorium for Pandemic-Hit Utility Customers
10.
Oregon: Northeast Portland Residents Fear They’ll
Be Stuck with Bills after Ice Storm Power Surge Fries Appliances
11.
British Columbia Will Complete $16 Billion Peace
River Dam Project by 2025
12.
British Columbia: Indigenous Input Key to
Columbia River Treaty Negotiations
13.
Puget Sound Energy Plans Dramatically Increases
Distributed Energy Resources, But Sets Conflict over Gas
14.
National Academies Call on Congress to Address ‘Persistent
Under-Investment in Electric Innovation’
15.
Op/Ed: Utilities Need to Harden the Grid as They
Green It. Consumers Aren’t Ready for the Cost
16.
California: Edison’s Aggressive Tree Trimming
Rankles Mission Viejo Neighbors
17.
Northwest Natural Reports Fourth Quarter Profit
18.
2021 State of Western Area Power Administration’s
Assets Released
19.
Pacific Northwest Rated – How Reliable Is Your
Utility?
20.
WA State: Tri-Cities Area Wind Farm Project
Draws Criticism from Some Residents
21.
Wyoming Coal Mines Eyed for Disposal of Old
Windmill Parts
22.
WA State: Washington State Cooperative (OPALCO)
Installs First of Many Microgrids Planned for Orcas Islands
23.
WA State: Skagit PUD Installing Small-Scale
Hydroelectric Turbine
24.
The Hydropower Industry’s Sustainability
Conundrum
25.
WA State: Chelan PUD Program Boosts Power-Saving
Upgrades
26.
Energy Company to Breed Endangered California
Condors to Replace Birds Killed by Turbine Blades
27.
Biden Administration Won’t Defend Trump-Era
Relaxation of Bird Protections
28.
Seattle City Light Agrees to Study Fish Passage
over Dams on Skagit River
29.
Scientists: Removing Snake River Dams ‘Necessary’
to Restore Idaho Salmon Population
30.
U.S. House Passes Wild Olympics Bill with
Public-Lands Package
31.
President Biden Is Hiking the Cost of Carbon. It
Will Change How U.S. Tackles Global Warming
32.
Comcast Announces Rural Broadband Expansions in
Snohomish & Spokane Counties
33.
New York: Regulators Stifle Broadband Expansion
with Exorbitant Pole Attachment Fees
34.
FCC Votes to Finalize Rules for New Temporary
Low-Income Internet Subsidy
35.
Oregon’s Cheap Power, Undersea Cable Lure Five
New Data Centers
36.
Utilities United Against Scams Focuses on
Education During National Consumer Protection Week
37.
The Debate over Electric Vehicle Charging at
Interstate Rest Stops
38.
Dairy Farmers Advised to Stop Adding Palm Oil to
Feed as Butter Controversy Heats Up
39. WA State: Spokane Valley Demands Say in Debate over Utility Tax
WORD OF THE DAY
Gormless /GORM-luss/ Adjective - Chiefly British: lacking intelligence: stupid.
Worthless, inert mass
The mob’s gormless intellect
We’re watching “Cop Rock”
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
1.
Texas Electric Cooperative Hit with $2.1 Billion
Bill Files for Bankruptcy (Bloomberg News)
2.
As Texans Went Without Heat, Light or Water,
Some Companies Scored a Big Payday (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/27/texas-power-winners-losers/
3.
Griddy Is Being Sued for $1 Billion for
Allegedly Price Gouging During Texas Winter Storm (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/griddy-is-being-sued-for-1-billion-for-allegedly-price-1846368435
4.
WA State’s Franklin PUD Explains Measures to Prevent
Texas-Like Outage (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
https://www.yaktrinews.com/franklin-pud-explains-measures-to-prevent-texas-like-outage/
5.
Energy Secretary Granholm: Texas Outages Show
Need for Changes to U.S. Power Systems (National Public Radio)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
6.
Snake River Dams Proposal Looms over Governors’
Group (Lewiston Tribune, ID)
7.
Q&A
with Architect of Proposal to Breach Lower Snake River Dams: ‘I’m Conservative,
& I Also Value Conservation’ (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
8.
New Website Imagines the Snake River without Dams
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/feb/28/new-website-imagines-the-snake-river-without-dams/
9.
Oregon
PUC Extends Disconnection, Late-Fee Moratorium for Pandemic-Hit Utility
Customers (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/oregon-puc-extends-disconnection-late.html
10.
Oregon:
Northeast Portland Residents Fear They’ll Be Stuck with Bills after Ice Storm
Power Surge Fries Appliances (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
11.
British Columbia Will Complete $16 Billion Peace
River Dam Project by 2025 (Victoria Buzz, BC)
https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2021/02/bc-will-complete-16b-site-c-damn-project-by-2025/
12.
British Columbia: Indigenous Input Key to Columbia
River Treaty Negotiations (Kimberly Bulletin, BC)
https://www.kimberleybulletin.com/news/indigenous-input-key-to-columbia-river-treaty-negotiations/
13.
Puget Sound Energy Plans Dramatically Increases Distributed
Energy Resources, But Sets Conflict over Gas (Utility Dive)
14.
National Academies Call on Congress to Address ‘Persistent
Under-Investment in Electric Innovation’ (Utility Dive)
15.
Op/Ed: Utilities Need to Harden the Grid as They
Green It. Consumers Aren’t Ready for the Cost (Utility Dive)
16.
California: Edison’s Aggressive Tree Trimming
Rankles Mission Viejo Neighbors (Orange County Register, Anaheim, CA)
17.
Northwest Natural Reports Fourth Quarter Profit
(Vancouver Columbian, WA)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/feb/26/northwest-natural-reports-q4-profit/
18.
2021 State of Western Area Power Administration’s
Assets Released (Western Area Power Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsReleases/2021/Pages/2021-state-of-the-assets-released.aspx
SPECIAL: DOES YOUR UTILITY KEEP THE LIGHTS ON?
19. Pacific Northwest Rated – How Reliable Is Your Utility?
Alaska
https://patch.com/alaska/anchorage/how-reliable-your-alaska-electric-supplier
California
https://patch.com/california/lajolla/how-reliable-your-california-electric-supplier
Idaho
https://patch.com/idaho/boise/how-reliable-your-idaho-electric-supplier
Montana
https://patch.com/montana/missoula/how-reliable-your-montana-electric-utility
Nevada
https://patch.com/nevada/reno/how-reliable-your-nevada-electric-supplier
Oregon
https://patch.com/oregon/hillsboro/how-reliable-your-oregon-electric-supplier
Utah
https://patch.com/utah/salt-lake-city/how-reliable-your-utah-electric-supplier
Washington State
https://patch.com/washington/redmond/how-reliable-your-washington-electric-supplier
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
20.
WA State: Tri-Cities Area Wind Farm Project
Draws Criticism from Some Residents (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
https://keprtv.com/news/local/wind-farm-project-draws-criticism-from-some-residents
21.
Wyoming Coal Mines Eyed for Disposal of Old
Windmill Parts (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/industrial-waste-wyoming-gillette-085d653f2f46a279236b7633a7b6014f
22.
WA State: Washington State Cooperative (OPALCO)
Installs First of Many Microgrids Planned for Orcas Islands (Microgrid
Knowledge)
https://microgridknowledge.com/decatur-washington-island-microgrids/
23.
WA State: Skagit PUD Installing Small-Scale
Hydroelectric Turbine (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)
24.
The Hydropower Industry’s Sustainability
Conundrum (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/the-hydropower-industrys-sustainability-conundrum/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
25.
WA State: Chelan PUD Program Boosts Power-Saving
Upgrades (Wenatchee World, WA)
FISH & WILDLIFE
26.
Energy Company to Breed Endangered California Condors
to Replace Birds Killed by Turbine Blades (Los Angeles Times, CA)
27.
Biden Administration Won’t Defend Trump-Era
Relaxation of Bird Protections (The Hill, Washington, DC)
28.
Seattle City Light Agrees to Study Fish Passage over
Dams on Skagit River (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
29.
Scientists: Removing Snake River Dams ‘Necessary’
to Restore Idaho Salmon Population (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
30.
U.S. House Passes Wild Olympics Bill with
Public-Lands Package (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
31.
President Biden Is Hiking the Cost of Carbon. It
Will Change How U.S. Tackles Global Warming (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
32.
Comcast Announces Rural Broadband Expansions in Snohomish
& Spokane Counties (Yahoo Finance)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/comcast-announces-rural-broadband-expansions-160100012.html
33.
New York: Regulators Stifle Broadband Expansion with
Exorbitant Pole Attachment Fees (The Jamestown Post-Journal, NY)
34.
FCC Votes to Finalize Rules for New Temporary
Low-Income Internet Subsidy (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-idUSKBN2AQ075
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
35.
Oregon’s Cheap Power, Undersea Cable Lure Five
New Data Centers (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/oregons-cheap-power-undersea-cable-lure.html
36.
Utilities United Against Scams Focuses on Education
During National Consumer Protection Week (Daily Energy Insider)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
37.
The Debate over Electric Vehicle Charging at Interstate
Rest Stops (Utility Dive)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
38.
Dairy Farmers Advised to Stop Adding Palm Oil to
Feed as Butter Controversy Heats Up (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
39.
WA State: Spokane Valley Demands Say in Debate over
Utility Tax (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/01/spokane-valley-demands-say-in-debate-over-utility-/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Doctor Appears in Court Video Call While Performing Surgery
Two Skiers Defy Death in Descent of Yosemite’s Half Dome
This Lego Waffle Maker Lets You Build a Brick Creation with
Your Breakfast
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/lego-waffle-maker-lets-build-211700239.html
Arizona Thrift Store Worker Returns Veteran’s Purple Heart to
Family
SONG OF THE DAY
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) – Robert Palmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87hAnSXfMRQ
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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