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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Damage from Virus: Utility Bills Overwhelm Some Households
(Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/overdue-energy-bills-pandemic-fb2f14c89027dc2440c617017c8c7d80
USPS Plans Biggest Rollback of Mail Services in a Generation
(Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Spring Outlook: Drought to Persist, Expand in U.S. West
& High Plains (NOAA)
Oregon Department of Energy Says Illegally Dumped
Radioactive Fracking Waste Can Stay in the Ground (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/03/24/oregon-landfill-radioactive-fracking/
Clallam County PUD Votes 2-1 to Support Snake River Dams
(Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/clallam-county-pud-votes-2-1-to-support.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Damage from Virus: Utility Bills Overwhelm Some
Households
2.
Study of Utility Shutoffs During COVID-19 Finds
Disproportionate Impact in Southeastern States
3.
Clallam County PUD Votes 2-1 to Support Snake
River Dams
4.
Could Breaching 4 Hydro Dams to Save Salmon
Jeopardize Our Electricity? What to Know
5.
Critics: Nuclear Not Needed in Snake River
Replacement Plan
6.
Snake River Dam Beaching Proposal Could Come in
Stages
7.
Fund the Dam Agreement
8.
Federal Judge Considers Ordering California
Utility to Turn Power Off More Often
9.
California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant Is Poised
to Shut Down. What Happens Next?
10.
WA State: Chelan PUD Outlines Potential New
Approach to Energy Sales Contracts
11.
PNW Shows Spark – Public Power Utilities Honored
with American Public Power Association Award for Reliable Electric Operations
12.
PNW Shines – American Public Power Association
Recognizes 129 Utilities for Outstanding Safety Practices
13.
Along Those Lines: Hear from Women Making
Inroads in Male-Dominated Job Roles
14.
Bonus Episode: Southwest Power Pool’s Market+
Concept
15.
States with the Most (and Least) Expensive
Electricity
16.
Researchers Discuss U.S. Electric Power Grid
Future
17.
FERC Open to Revisiting Minimum Offer Price
Rule, as Grid Operators, Utilities Mull Future of Wholesale Markets
18.
Suez Canal Blockage May Ripple Through Global
Energy Market
19.
WA State: Klickitat County Commissioners Enact
Solar Moratorium
20.
WA State: The Goldendale Pumped Storage Hydro
Project Would Provide Much-Needed Energy Storage for the 21st Century Grid
21.
What Are The 5 Largest Wind Energy Farms in the
World?
22.
Trees Store Carbon, But a Wind Farm Produces
Power. Which Is Greener?
23.
EIA’s 2021 Annual Energy Outlook Shows Growing
Use of Batteries on the U.S. Electricity Grid
24.
WA State Senate Hears Dye’s Bill on Urban Heat
Islands
25.
Tonnes of Dumped Herring Off Vancouver Island a
Fish ‘Murder Mystery,’ Says Expert
26.
Op/Ed: The Orca Task Force
27.
U.S. Report: Bald Eagle Populations Soar in
Lower 48 States
28.
Oregon Department of Energy Says Illegally
Dumped Radioactive Fracking Waste Can Stay in the Ground
29.
Pipe Dream: Feds Sued Over Desert Water Pipeline
OK’d by Trump
30.
Bipartisan Federal Lawmakers Introduce $35
Billion Water Infrastructure Bill
31.
100% Clean Energy Supporters Debate How to Get
Oregon to Goal
32.
Major Investors Find Electric Utilities Are Not
on Track to Meet Decarbonization Goals
33.
Potatoes & Fiber Aplenty in Grant County,
Washington
34.
State Lawmakers Introduce ‘Broadband for All
Act’ To Help Close Digital Divide in California
35.
The FCC Wants to Know How Bad Your Broadband Is
36.
Five Tech Commandments to a Safer Digital Life
37.
Mullen Technologies Future in Spokane Uncertain
as Company Plans Electric Vehicle Plant in Memphis
38.
Spring Outlook: Drought to Persist, Expand in
U.S. West & High Plains
39.
U,S. Weather Model Upgraded to Better Forecast
Extreme Events
40.
USPS Plans Biggest Rollback of Mail Services in
a Generation
41.
Lumber Shortage Hitting New Home, Renovation
Projects
42.
Former Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley
Faces Prison Over Tax Fraud
43. Study: Washington Is One of the Top-Ranked States to Find a Remote Job
WORD OF THE DAY
Exigent \ECK-suh-jent\ Adjective – 1: requiring immediate aid or action 2: requiring or calling for much
“Jobs are on the line,” bellowed the attendee at the public meeting. “The inability to get enough energy supply has created exigent circumstances. We need that power to melt our plastics for the production of professional-grade tiddlywinks products for the upcoming pro-am season!” The Wham-O Toy delegation, sitting on a tiddlywink chip surplus, was inscrutable.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Damage from Virus: Utility Bills Overwhelm Some
Households (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/overdue-energy-bills-pandemic-fb2f14c89027dc2440c617017c8c7d80
2.
Study of Utility Shutoffs During COVID-19 Finds
Disproportionate Impact in Southeastern States (Utility Dive)
3.
Clallam County PUD Votes 2-1 to Support Snake
River Dams (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/clallam-county-pud-votes-2-1-to-support.html
4.
Could Breaching 4 Hydro Dams to Save Salmon Jeopardize
Our Electricity? What to Know (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article249965224.html
5.
Critics: Nuclear Not Needed in Snake River
Replacement Plan (Public News Service, ID)
6.
Snake River Dam Beaching Proposal Could Come in Stages
(Moscow-Pullman Daily News, ID)
7.
Fund the Dam Agreement (Politico)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/fund-dam-agreement-politico.html
8.
Federal Judge Considers Ordering California Utility
to Turn Power Off More Often (The Hill, Washington, DC)
9.
California’s Last Nuclear Power Plant Is Poised to
Shut Down. What Happens Next? (Utility Dive)
10.
WA State: Chelan PUD Outlines Potential New
Approach to Energy Sales Contracts (American Public Power Association)
11.
PNW Shows Spark – Public Power Utilities Honored
with American Public Power Association Award for Reliable Electric Operations (American
Public Power Association)
12.
PNW Shines – American Public Power Association Recognizes
129 Utilities for Outstanding Safety Practices (American Public Power Association)
13.
Along Those Lines: Hear from Women Making
Inroads in Male-Dominated Job Roles (National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association)
14.
Bonus Episode: Southwest Power Pool’s Market+
Concept (Public Power Underground)
https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-spps-market-concept
15.
States with the Most (and Least) Expensive
Electricity (KMVU-TV, Medford, WA)
https://www.fox26medford.com/states-with-the-most-and-least-expensive-electricity/
16.
Researchers Discuss U.S. Electric Power Grid
Future (Washington State University Insider)
https://news.wsu.edu/2021/03/22/researchers-discuss-u-s-electric-power-grid-future-2/
17.
FERC Open to Revisiting Minimum Offer Price Rule,
as Grid Operators, Utilities Mull Future of Wholesale Markets (Utility Dive)
18.
Suez Canal Blockage May Ripple Through Global
Energy Market (Bloomberg News)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
19.
WA State: Klickitat County Commissioners Enact
Solar Moratorium (Blue Mountain Eagle, John Day, OR)
20.
WA State: The Goldendale Pumped Storage Hydro
Project Would Provide Much-Needed Energy Storage for the 21st Century Grid
(Morning Consult)
https://morningconsult.com/opinions/goldendale-project-would-provide-much-needed-energy-storage/
21.
What Are The 5 Largest Wind Energy Farms in the
World? (GineersNow)
https://gineersnow.com/industries/renewables/5-largest-wind-energy-farms-world
22.
Trees Store Carbon, But a Wind Farm Produces
Power. Which Is Greener? (Christian Science Monitor)
23.
EIA’s 2021 Annual Energy Outlook Shows Growing
Use of Batteries on the U.S. Electricity Grid (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=47276
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
24.
WA State Senate Hears Dye’s Bill on Urban Heat
Islands (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/mar/24/senate-hears-dye-sponsored-bill-urban-heat-islands/
FISH & WILDLIFE
25.
Tonnes of Dumped Herring Off Vancouver Island a Fish
‘Murder Mystery,’ Says Expert (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
26.
Op/Ed: The Orca Task Force (Peninsula Daily
News, Port Angeles, WA)
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/opinion/pat-neal-the-orca-task-force/
27.
U.S. Report: Bald Eagle Populations Soar in Lower
48 States (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/US-report-Bald-eagle-populations-soar-in-lower-16050096.php
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
28.
Oregon Department of Energy Says Illegally
Dumped Radioactive Fracking Waste Can Stay in the Ground (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/03/24/oregon-landfill-radioactive-fracking/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
29.
Pipe Dream: Feds Sued Over Desert Water Pipeline
OK’d by Trump (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/pipe-dream-feds-sued-over-desert-water-pipeline-okd-by-trump/
30.
Bipartisan Federal Lawmakers Introduce $35
Billion Water Infrastructure Bill (The Hill, Washington, DC)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
31.
100% Clean Energy Supporters Debate How to Get
Oregon to Goal (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/100-clean-energy-supporters-debate-how.html
32.
Major Investors Find Electric Utilities Are Not on
Track to Meet Decarbonization Goals (Energy & Policy Institute)
https://www.energyandpolicy.org/investors-utility-decarbonization/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
33.
Potatoes & Fiber Aplenty in Grant County,
Washington (Community Networks)
https://muninetworks.org/content/potatoes-and-fiber-aplenty-grant-county-washington
34.
State Lawmakers Introduce ‘Broadband for All Act’
To Help Close Digital Divide in California (KTVU-TV, Oakland, CA)
35.
The FCC Wants to Know How Bad Your Broadband Is
(Light Reading)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
36.
Five Tech Commandments to a Safer Digital Life
(NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/technology/personaltech/online-data-privacy.html
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
37.
Mullen Technologies Future in Spokane Uncertain
as Company Plans Electric Vehicle Plant in Memphis (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/mullen-technologies-future-in-spokane.html
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
38.
Spring Outlook: Drought to Persist, Expand in U.S.
West & High Plains (NOAA)
39.
U,S. Weather Model Upgraded to Better Forecast
Extreme Events (Phys.Org)
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-weather-extreme-events.html
GOVERNANCE, ECONOMY, & MANAGEMENT
40.
USPS Plans Biggest Rollback of Mail Services in
a Generation (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
41.
Lumber Shortage Hitting New Home, Renovation
Projects (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
42.
Former Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley Faces
Prison Over Tax Fraud (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
43.
Study: Washington Is One of the Top-Ranked
States to Find a Remote Job (Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle, WA)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/study-washington-is-one-of-top-ranked.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Popcorn Machine Nixed at North Dakota Capitol After Smoke Alarms
Part of Wright Brothers’ First Airplane on NASA’s Mars Chopper
https://news.yahoo.com/part-wright-brothers-1st-airplane-123300934.html
Scientists Cook Hot Dogs in Lava from Iceland’s Erupting
Volcano
https://gizmodo.com/scientists-cook-hot-dogs-in-lava-from-icelands-erupting-1846541739
Tree Frog Named as 2021 Cadbury Bunny
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/03/23/2021-Cadbury-Bunny-Betty-frog/3841616527898/
SONG OF THE DAY
Hot Butter – Popcorn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EnXLQuAJj4
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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