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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Fate of Republican Mike Simpson’s Plan to Remove Snake River
Dams Lies with Democrats & Biden Infrastructure Package (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/07/fate-of-republican-mike-simpsons-plan-to-remove-sn/
Texas Regulators Will Not Correct $16 Billion in Electricity
‘Overcharges.’ Why? (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article249723448.html
Oregon Biggest Wind Farm Appears on Its Way to New Ownership
in a $700 Million Transaction (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/oregon-biggest-wind-farm-appears-on-its.html
Oregon Tribe Wins Ruling on Water Rights, But Klamath Basin
Irrigators Challenge Allocation (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
When Chinook Salmon Is Off the Menu, Other Prey Will Do for
Endangered Orcas (Mongabay)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Fate of Republican Mike Simpson’s Plan to Remove
Snake River Dams Lies with Democrats & Biden Infrastructure Package
2.
Dam Power: Snake River Dams Are Not Big Power
Producers, But Play an Important Regional Role
3.
Bill to Expand Hydropower Nationally Back in
Play
4.
Dan Newhouse, Cathy McMorris Rodgers Seek to
Boost Hydropower after Idaho Rep’s Dam Removal Idea
5.
Op/Ed: Create a Future on the Lower Snake River
That Works for Everyone
6.
Op/Ed: New Studies Will Test Flexibility of
‘Simpson Concept’ for Salmon & Dams
7.
WA State: ‘The River Was Stolen from Us’: A
Tribe’s Battle to Retake the Skagit River
8.
Op/Ed: Colorado Republicans Do Want to Tackle
Climate Change & Here’s How – We Must Develop Nuclear & Hydro Power
9.
Cold Weather Brings Near Record-High Natural Gas
Spot Prices
10.
U.S. Utilities Look at Improving Power Supply as
More Work from Home
11.
Texas Regulators Will Not Correct $16 Billion in
Electricity ‘Overcharges.’ Why?
12.
Lender to U.S. Electric Co-Ops Carries $4
Billion in Exposure to Waylaid Texas Market
13.
Texas City-Run & Rural Electric Firms Face
Bailout over Storm Crisis
14.
Oregon Biggest Wind Farm Appears on Its Way to
New Ownership in a $700 Million Transaction
15.
Douglas PUD Breaking Ground on Renewable
Hydrogen Facility
16.
WA State: Turning Trash to Natural Gas –
Utilities Fight for Their Future Amid Climate Change
17.
Wind Turbines on Washington State’s Horse Heaven
Hills – How Not to Pursue a Green New Deal
18.
Building Code Council Approves Plan to Limit
City, State Input Despite Pushback
19.
When Chinook Salmon Is Off the Menu, Other Prey
Will Do for Endangered Orcas
20.
Study: Chinook Salmon Are Key to Northwest Orcas
All Year
21.
Twice as Many Salmon – Here’s What Washington
State Fish & Wildlife Says About 2021 Nooksack Salmon Runs
22.
News Release: State of Oregon’s Decision to
Litigate Undermines Hopes for Regional Collaboration on Salmon
23.
Oregon Tribe Wins Ruling on Water Rights, But
Klamath Basin Irrigators Challenge Allocation
24.
In Rapidly Warming & Drying Colorado River
Basin, The Negotiating Table Is Being Set
25.
Persistent Dryness in the West Is Exacerbating
Region’s ‘Megadrought’
26.
Oregon’s New Carbon Cap Program Takes Shape, But
Much Debate Remains
27.
A Furious Industry Backlash Greets Moves by
California Cities to Ban Natural Gas in New Construction
28.
Indoor Weed Farms Are Hotboxing the Planet
29.
Federal Money to SpaceX May Hurt Public
Broadband Efforts in WA State
30.
WA State: Why Did Lewis County’s State
Representatives Oppose Retail Broadband Bill?
31.
WA State: Pass the Public Option for Broadband
32.
Canada: Eastern Ontarians Get a Pricey Taste of
High-Speed Internet with Elon Musk’s Starlink
33.
Broadband & Bad Actors
34.
U.S. Senators: Broadband Speed Minimum Should Be
100Mbps for Downloads and Uploads
35.
Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Aquarium Moss
Balls, Northwest Wildlife Agencies Warn
36.
FERC: Glick Commits to Avoid Repeat of
‘Disturbing’ Lack of Action in Texas after 2011 Outages
37. Biden Appointments, Including Nez Perce Fisheries Champion, Bolster Native American Presence in Federal Government
WORD OF THE DAY
Dross \DRAHSS\ Noun - 1: the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal 2: waste or foreign matter: impurity 3: something that is base, trivial, or inferior.
Norbert emerged from his bath feeling more soiled than when he went in. As the youngest of four children, he had the last shot at the murky bathwater on Saturday’s “bath day.” He was especially unhappy about the floating dross left over from his brother Ike, who earlier in the day had an unfortunate encounter with the manure lagoon behind the large, red barn.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Fate of Republican Mike Simpson’s Plan to Remove
Snake River Dams Lies with Democrats & Biden Infrastructure Package (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/07/fate-of-republican-mike-simpsons-plan-to-remove-sn/
2.
Dam Power: Snake River Dams Are Not Big Power Producers,
But Play an Important Regional Role (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/07/dam-power-snake-river-dams-are-not-big-power-produ/
3.
Bill to Expand Hydropower Nationally Back in Play
– Representatives reintroduce legislation calling for more development, less
red tape for energy source (Lewiston Tribune, ID)
4.
Dan Newhouse, Cathy McMorris Rodgers Seek to Boost
Hydropower after Idaho Rep’s Dam Removal Idea (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
5.
Op/Ed: Create a Future on the Lower Snake River That
Works for Everyone (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/07/guest-opinion-create-a-future-on-the-lower-snake-r/
6.
Op/Ed: New Studies Will Test Flexibility of ‘Simpson
Concept’ for Salmon & Dams (Washington Wire, Olympia, WA)
7.
WA State: ‘The River Was Stolen from Us’: A
Tribe’s Battle to Retake the Skagit River (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/05/upper-skagit-tribe-gorge-dam-seattle
8.
Op/Ed: Colorado Republicans Do Want to Tackle Climate
Change & Here’s How – We Must Develop Nuclear & Hydro Power (Denver
Post, CO)
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/05/ray-scott-colorado-republican-climate-change/
9.
Cold Weather Brings Near Record-High Natural Gas
Spot Prices (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=47016
10.
U.S. Utilities Look at Improving Power Supply as
More Work from Home (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ceraweek-conference-power-work-from-h-idUSKBN2AW2NR
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
11.
Texas Regulators Will Not Correct $16 Billion in
Electricity ‘Overcharges.’ Why? (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article249723448.html
12.
Lender to U.S. Electric Co-Ops Carries $4
Billion in Exposure to Waylaid Texas Market (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-texas-power-lender-idUSKBN2AX2K9
13.
Texas City-Run & Rural Electric Firms Face
Bailout over Storm Crisis (Reuters)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
14.
Oregon Biggest Wind Farm Appears on Its Way to
New Ownership in a $700 Million Transaction (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/oregon-biggest-wind-farm-appears-on-its.html
15.
Douglas PUD Breaking Ground on Renewable
Hydrogen Facility (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.kpq.com/douglas-pud-breaking-ground-on-renewable-hydrogen-facility/
16.
WA State: Turning Trash to Natural Gas – Utilities
Fight for Their Future Amid Climate Change (Inside Climate News)
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04032021/bio-gas-washington-trash-to-natural-gas/
17.
Wind Turbines on Washington State’s Horse Heaven
Hills – How Not to Pursue a Green New Deal (Forbes Magazine)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
Building Code Council Approves Plan to Limit
City, State Input Despite Pushback (Energy News Network)
FISH & WILDLIFE
19.
When Chinook Salmon Is Off the Menu, Other Prey
Will Do for Endangered Orcas (Mongabay)
20.
Study: Chinook Salmon Are Key to Northwest Orcas
All Year (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/03/04/study-chinook-salmon-are-key-to-northwest-orcas-all-year/
21.
Twice as Many Salmon – Here’s What Washington State
Fish & Wildlife Says About 2021 Nooksack Salmon Runs (Bellingham Herald,
WA)
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article249727568.html
22.
News Release: State of Oregon’s Decision to
Litigate Undermines Hopes for Regional Collaboration on Salmon (Northwest
RiverPartners)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/03/news-release-state-of-oregons-decision.html
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
23.
Oregon Tribe Wins Ruling on Water Rights, But Klamath
Basin Irrigators Challenge Allocation (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
24.
In Rapidly Warming & Drying Colorado River
Basin, The Negotiating Table Is Being Set (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
25.
Persistent Dryness in the West Is Exacerbating
Region’s ‘Megadrought’ (USA Today)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
26.
Oregon’s New Carbon Cap Program Takes Shape, But
Much Debate Remains (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
27.
A Furious Industry Backlash Greets Moves by California
Cities to Ban Natural Gas in New Construction (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
28.
Indoor Weed Farms Are Hotboxing the Planet (Gizmodo)
https://earther.gizmodo.com/indoor-weed-farms-are-hotboxing-the-planet-1846429482
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
29.
Federal Money to SpaceX May Hurt Public
Broadband Efforts in WA State (Crosscut Seattle, WA)
https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/03/federal-money-spacex-may-hurt-public-broadband-efforts-wa
30.
WA State: Why Did Lewis County’s State
Representatives Oppose Retail Broadband Bill? (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
31.
WA State: Pass the Public Option for Broadband
(The Stranger, Seattle, WA)
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2021/03/04/55466333/pass-the-public-option-for-broadband
32.
Canada: Eastern Ontarians Get a Pricey Taste of High-Speed
Internet with Elon Musk’s Starlink (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/starlink-high-speed-internet-rural-ontario-1.5937037?cmp=rss
33.
Broadband & Bad Actors (Pots & Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/03/08/broadband-and-bad-actors/
34.
U.S. Senators: Broadband Speed Minimum Should Be
100Mbps for Downloads and Uploads (PC Magazine)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
35.
Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Aquarium Moss
Balls, Northwest Wildlife Agencies Warn (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
36.
FERC: Glick Commits to Avoid Repeat of ‘Disturbing’
Lack of Action in Texas after 2011 Outages (Utility Dive)
37.
Biden Appointments, Including Nez Perce Fisheries
Champion, Bolster Native American Presence in Federal Government (Seattle Times,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Man Suspected of Stealing Thousands of Dollars Worth of Legos
From Tigard Shop
United Kingdom: Tintern ‘Secret’ Medieval Tunnel System
Found by Accident
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-56281726
A 1990s iMac Processor Powers NASA’s Perseverance Rover
https://gizmodo.com/a-1990s-imac-processor-powers-nasa-s-perseverance-rover-1846380844
Toy Pirate Ship Makes Journey from Scotland to Miami
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/toy-pirate-ship-makes-journey-from-scotland-to-miami/2398068/
SONG OF THE DAY
Jimmy Buffett - A Pirate Looks at Forty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT-m3Xz-QkQ
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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