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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Washington OKs Bill Setting Path to 100% Electric Vehicles
by 2030, Prods Utilities to Prep for Grid Impacts (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/washington-100-ev-goal-by-2030-utilities-grid-impacts/598682/
DOE Launches 100-Day Grid Security Push as Biden Ends Trump
Ban on Some Chinese-Made Equipment (Utility Dive)
Rural Electric Co-Ops Warn Congress a 2035 100% Clean
Electricity Target Is ‘Overly Ambitious’ (Utility Dive)
Biden Infrastructure Plan Sparks Lobbying War Over How to
Fix America’s Internet (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/21/biden-infrastructure-broadband-lobbying-484002
U.S. House Passes Cannabis Banking Bill – Will the Senate?
(Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/us-house-passes-cannabis-banking-bill.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
DOE Launches 100-Day Grid Security Push as Biden
Ends Trump Ban on Some Chinese-Made Equipment
2.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Researchers Release Study on Projected Costs to Meet Future Electricity
Capacity
3.
Los Alamos National Laboratory Looks to Boost
Power Supply Ahead of Nuclear Mission
4.
Washington State Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan
Federal Bill on Hydropower, Renewable Energy
5.
Montana: NorthWestern Energy Building $250
Million Natural Gas Power Plant in Laurel
6.
Bonneville Power Administration Selects Suzanne
Cooper as Senior Vice President of Power Services
7.
Bonneville Power Administration Names Joel Cook
New Chief Operating Officer
8.
NW Power & Conservation Council – Oregon
Governor Taps Long-Time Political Ally as Not-Obvious Choice for High-Paid Energy
Policy Post
9.
Chelan PUD Commissioners Consider Expanding
Support of Affordable Housing
10.
Western Area Power Administration’s Colorado
River Storage Project to Explore Membership in Southwest Power Pool
11.
Five Federal Sources of Support for Paying
Utility Bills
12.
Colstrip Bill Reminds Many of Montana’s Energy
Deregulation Debacle
13.
Op/Ed: Clean Energy Infrastructure Vital to
Washington’s Future
14.
Electrify Everything: Why We Need to Go Big on
Going Electric
15.
Idaho: Meetings on Proposed Wind Farm East of
Shoshone
16.
Navajo Nation Solar Project Will Cement San Juan
County’s Position as Exporter of Renewable Energy
17.
Americans Want More Renewable Energy. Can
‘Community Choice’ Help Them Get It?
18.
WA State: May 5 – Orcas Power & Light Hosts
Solar Town Hall
19.
Developers Flock to Cold Storage as Americans
Stock Their Freezers
20.
White House Finalizes Pacific Ocean Protections
for Humpback Whale
21.
Water Level Raised in Lower Snake River
22.
This Stunning Time-Lapse Shows the Megadrought’s
Toll on the West’s Largest Reservoir
23.
Rural Electric Co-Ops Warn Congress a 2035 100%
Clean Electricity Target Is ‘Overly Ambitious’
24.
A Third of Carbon Emissions Come from Natural
Gas. Are Americans Willing to Drop Gas Cooking?
25.
Coal Is Set to Roar Back – So Are Its Climate
Risks
26.
WA State: New Modeling Shows Cap-&-Trade
Bill Could Spike Gas Prices
27.
The Science of Climate Change Explained: Facts,
Evidence and Proof – Definitive Answers to the Big Questions.
28.
Biden Infrastructure Plan Sparks Lobbying War
Over How to Fix America’s Internet
29.
Why Verizon Is Sweetening 5G Home with
Promotions, Free Devices
30.
The Best Broadband in the U.S. Isn’t in New York
or San Francisco. It’s in Chattanooga.
31.
Chinese Hackers Compromise Dozens of Government
Agencies, Defense Contractors
32.
U.S. Unveils Plan to Protect Power Grid from
Foreign Hackers
33.
Google: These Five Datacenters – Including in
Oregon – Are Now Running on Carbon-Free Clean Electricity
34.
Washington OKs Bill Setting Path to 100%
Electric Vehicles by 2030, Prods Utilities to Prep for Grid Impacts
35.
Idaho Bill That Would Double Electric Vehicle
Fees Unlikely to Move Forward This Session
36.
Replica of ‘First’ Electric Car Drives Through
Paris to Mark 140 Years
37.
Pacific NW on List of NRECA Winners in Spotlight
on Excellence Communications – NWPPA, Montana Electric Coop Ass’n, Umatilla
Electric Coop, Flathead Electric
38.
Waters Off Washington State Coast Glow Blue with
Bioluminescence
39.
U.S. House Passes Cannabis Banking Bill – Will
the Senate?
40. Morning Wire: Washington State Broadband Bills, Cap Gains Amendments, Budget Timeline
WORD OF THE DAY
Vox Populi \VOCKS-POP-you-lie\ Noun – Popular sentiment.
From Merriam Webster: Vox populi is a Latin phrase that literally translates as “the voice of the people.” It can be found in the longer maxim, Vox populi, vox Dei, which means “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” Many people think that expression means that the people are always right, but it really implies that the will of the masses—right or wrong—is often irresistible. Since the mid-20th century, English speakers, especially British ones, have trimmed vox populi down to the abbreviated form vox pop, an expression used particularly for popular opinion as it is used & expressed by the media.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
DOE Launches 100-Day Grid Security Push as Biden
Ends Trump Ban on Some Chinese-Made Equipment (Utility Dive)
2.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Researchers
Release Study on Projected Costs to Meet Future Electricity Capacity (Daily
Energy Insider)
3.
Los Alamos National Laboratory Looks to Boost
Power Supply Ahead of Nuclear Mission (Associated Press)
4.
Washington State Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan
Federal Bill on Hydropower, Renewable Energy (KVEW/KAPP-TV, Tri-Cities/Yakima, WA)
5.
Montana: NorthWestern Energy Building $250
Million Natural Gas Power Plant in Laurel (Billings Gazette, MT)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/montana-northwestern-energy-building.html
6.
Bonneville Power Administration Selects Suzanne
Cooper as Senior Vice President of Power Services (Bonneville Power
Administration)
7.
Bonneville Power Administration Names Joel Cook New
Chief Operating Officer (Bonneville Power Administration)
https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-names-Joel-Cook-new-chief-operating-officer.aspx
8.
NW Power & Conservation Council – Oregon Governor
Taps Long-Time Political Ally as Not-Obvious Choice for High-Paid Energy Policy
Post (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
9.
Chelan PUD Commissioners Consider Expanding
Support of Affordable Housing (Leavenworth Echo, WA)
https://www.leavenworthecho.com/news/pud-commissioners-consider-expanding-support-affordable-housing
10.
Western Area Power Administration’s Colorado
River Storage Project to Explore Membership in Southwest Power Pool (American
Public Power Association)
11.
Five Federal Sources of Support for Paying
Utility Bills (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/five-federal-sources-support-paying-utility-bills
SOAPBOX SERENADE – OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
12.
Colstrip Bill Reminds Many of Montana’s Energy
Deregulation Debacle (Missoula Current, MT)
https://missoulacurrent.com/outdoors/2021/04/energy-deregulation/?print=print
13.
Op/Ed: Clean Energy Infrastructure Vital to
Washington’s Future (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/oped-clean-energy-infrastructure-vital.html
14.
Electrify Everything: Why We Need to Go Big on Going
Electric (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/article/electrify-everything-why-we-need-to-go-big-on-going-electric/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
15.
Idaho: Meetings on Proposed Wind Farm East of
Shoshone (KLIX Radio, Twin Falls, ID)
https://newsradio1310.com/meetings-on-proposed-wind-farm-east-of-shoshone-423-424/
16.
Navajo Nation Solar Project Will Cement San Juan
County’s Position as Exporter of Renewable Energy (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2021/04/19/navajo-nation-solar/801-237-2900/
17.
Americans Want More Renewable Energy. Can ‘Community
Choice’ Help Them Get It? (National Geographic Magazine)
18.
WA State: May 5 – Orcas Power & Light Hosts Solar
Town Hall (San Juan Islander, Friday Harbor, WA)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
19.
Developers Flock to Cold Storage as Americans
Stock Their Freezers (NY Times)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/developers-flock-to-cold-storage-as.html
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
White House Finalizes Pacific Ocean Protections
for Humpback Whale (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/white-house-finalizes-pacific-ocean-protections-for-humpback-whale/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
21.
Water Level Raised in Lower Snake River (Lewiston
Tribune, ID)
22.
This Stunning Time-Lapse Shows the Megadrought’s
Toll on the West’s Largest Reservoir (VOX)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
23.
Rural Electric Co-Ops Warn Congress a 2035 100%
Clean Electricity Target Is ‘Overly Ambitious’ (Utility Dive)
24.
A Third of Carbon Emissions Come from Natural
Gas. Are Americans Willing to Drop Gas Cooking? (WBUR Radio, Boston, MA)
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/04/19/gas-cooking-emissions-climate
25.
Coal Is Set to Roar Back – So Are Its Climate
Risks (NY Times)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/coal-is-set-to-roar-back-so-are-its.html
26.
WA State: New Modeling Shows Cap-&-Trade
Bill Could Spike Gas Prices (Business Institute of Washington)
https://thelens.news/2021/04/20/new-modeling-shows-cap-and-trade-bill-could-spike-gas-prices/
27.
The Science of Climate Change Explained: Facts,
Evidence and Proof – Definitive Answers to the Big Questions. (NY Times)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-science-of-climate-change-explained.html
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
28.
Biden Infrastructure Plan Sparks Lobbying War
Over How to Fix America’s Internet (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/21/biden-infrastructure-broadband-lobbying-484002
29.
Why Verizon Is Sweetening 5G Home with Promotions,
Free Devices (Light Reading)
30.
The Best Broadband in the U.S. Isn’t in New York
or San Francisco. It’s in Chattanooga. (Yahoo Finance)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-broadband-us-isn-t-142308602.html
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
31.
Chinese Hackers Compromise Dozens of Government
Agencies, Defense Contractors (Washington Post)
32.
U.S. Unveils Plan to Protect Power Grid from
Foreign Hackers (Bloomberg News)
33.
Google: These Five Datacenters – Including in Oregon
– Are Now Running on Carbon-Free Clean Electricity (ZDNet News)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
34.
Washington OKs Bill Setting Path to 100% Electric
Vehicles by 2030, Prods Utilities to Prep for Grid Impacts (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/washington-100-ev-goal-by-2030-utilities-grid-impacts/598682/
35.
Idaho Bill That Would Double Electric Vehicle
Fees Unlikely to Move Forward This Session (Idaho Capitol Sun)
36.
Replica of ‘First’ Electric Car Drives Through Paris
to Mark 140 Years (Reuters)
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/replica-first-electric-car-drives-103143611.html
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
37.
Pacific NW on List of NRECA Winners in Spotlight
on Excellence Communications – NWPPA, Montana Electric Coop Ass’n, Umatilla
Electric Coop, Flathead Electric (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
38.
Waters Off Washington State Coast Glow Blue with
Bioluminescence (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT, AND THE ECONOMY
39.
U.S. House Passes Cannabis Banking Bill – Will
the Senate? (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/us-house-passes-cannabis-banking-bill.html
40.
Morning Wire: Washington State Broadband Bills, Cap
Gains Amendments, Budget Timeline (Washington State Wire, WA)
https://washingtonstatewire.com/morning-wire-broadband-bills-cap-gains-amendments-budget-timeline/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
What a Trill: $13,000 Flute in the Wind Since 2012 Recovered
https://apnews.com/article/boston-fc8b4f1eb174419e03c9ecfea3c92542
Firefighters rescue dog alone inside moving vehicle
Man Bowls a Perfect Game with Ball Containing His Father’s
Ashes
Musician Eases Paragliding Fears by Playing Violin – in Flight
SONG OF THE DAY
Jethro Tull – Bourée
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2RNe2jwHE0
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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