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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Spring Spill Begins Facilitating Fish Passage at Snake &
Columbia River Dams (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Montana Senators Hijack Bill, Revive Colstrip Power Plant
Legislation (Ravalli Republic, Hamilton, MT)
Idaho: Magic Valley Energy Holds Meetings for Proposed Wind
Project (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
Oregon Governor Brown Calls on Legislature to Support
Statewide ‘Broadband Expansion’ (KTVL-TV, Medford, OR)
As Washington Legislature Wraps Up, Lawmakers Pass a New
Budget, Capital Gains Tax & Clean-Fuels Standard (Seattle Times, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Montana Senators Hijack Bill, Revive Colstrip
Power Plant Legislation
2.
WA State: Tacoma Bans Use of Fossil Fuels in New
City Buildings. Are Commercial, Residential Next?
3.
Canada: Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets Boost
Enthusiasm for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
4.
Snake River Is Most Endangered in the Country:
Inside the Fight to Save It
5.
WA State: Tepid Approval of Dam Removals – Snake
River Project Divides Electeds
6.
Hawaii Is Most Expensive State in America for
Energy Bills
7.
Your Job Saved Money on Electric Bills During
the Pandemic. You Didn’t.
8.
Washington Politicians Are Failing Salmon,
Forests, & the Climate. Market Innovation Is Saving Them.
9.
Op/Ed: Hydropower Crucial to a Future for
Electric Vehicles
10.
Op/Ed: It’s Time to Remove Restrictions on
Electric Vehicle Sales in Washington State
11.
Op/Ed: Bryan Smith Perpetuates Myths About Lower
Snake River Dams
12.
Editorial: The Part of the Broadband Debate
We’re Missing
13.
Idaho: Magic Valley Energy Holds Meetings for
Proposed Wind Project
14.
Idaho Falls Power Conducts Microgrid Test
15.
Using Hydrogen to Back Up the Grid
16.
In-River Hydro Project in Alaska Chosen for
Federal Assistance Aimed to Get Communities Off Diesel
17.
Renewable Electricity Can Slash Cascadia
Pollution, Research Shows
18.
Power from Colorado Water Is Now Renewable
Energy Under New Law
19.
Number of Americans Using Solar Power Expected
to More Than Triple by 2030
20.
‘World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine’ Gears Up
for Operation
21.
Spring Spill Begins Facilitating Fish Passage at
Snake & Columbia River Dams
22.
NOAA Unveils Ambitious Five-Year Plan to Save Puget
Sound’s Struggling Orcas
23.
Parched California Orders Nestle to Back Off the
Water Bottling
24.
Avista Unveils Emissions Strategy
25.
Oregon Governor Brown Calls on Legislature to
Support Statewide ‘Broadband Expansion’
26.
U.S. Rep Schrier: Broadband Is Vital for Rural
Washington State
27.
President Biden Wants Local Governments to
Provide Broadband Internet. Could They Compete with Comcast & Verizon?
28.
About Half the Public Thinks Local Governments
Should Be Able to Pursue Their Own Broadband Network Build-Outs
29.
Why Bitcoin Is Bad for the Environment
30.
Daimler Trucks North America, Portland General
Electric Launch First Heavy Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Charging Site
31.
VP Kamala Harris Encourages a Nervous New
Hampshire Electric Coop Worker During His Speech
32.
This Portable Lantern Can Be Charged by Salt
Water or Urine
33.
As Washington Legislature Wraps Up, Lawmakers
Pass a New Budget, Capital Gains Tax & Clean-Fuels Standard
34.
Montana: Bill Would Launch Investigation Against
‘Environmental Groups’
35. Oregon State Professor Tapped by President Biden to Lead National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
WORD OF THE DAY
Parvum Opus \PARR-vum OPE-uss\ Noun – Translated literally from Latin as “little work” (as opposed to magnum opus, which is “great work”).
Alfred’s once-tiny daughter always resented his referring to her as his “parvum opus”. As a child she did not reach her growth spurt until her late teens, when she shot up from a diminutive four-foot-two to a six-foot-seven giantess by the age of 21. Her retort one day was that her “magnum opus” was to crack him over the head with a broom…which effectively ended his “little joke”.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Montana Senators Hijack Bill, Revive Colstrip Power
Plant Legislation (Ravalli Republic, Hamilton, MT)
2.
WA State: Tacoma Bans Use of Fossil Fuels in New
City Buildings. Are Commercial, Residential Next? (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article250840924.html
3.
Canada: Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets Boost
Enthusiasm for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
4.
Snake River Is Most Endangered in the Country: Inside
the Fight to Save It (ABC News)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/snake-river-endangered-country-inside-fight-save/story?id=77254773
5.
WA State: Tepid Approval of Dam Removals – Snake
River Project Divides Electeds (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/tepid-approval-of-dam-removals/
6.
Hawaii Is Most Expensive State in America for Energy
Bills (Honolulu Star Advertiser, HI)
7.
Your Job Saved Money on Electric Bills During the
Pandemic. You Didn’t. (Vox)
https://www.vox.com/recode/22398250/electric-bills-pandemic-work-from-home-office-remote
SOAPBOX SERENADE – EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
8.
Washington Politicians Are Failing Salmon,
Forests, & the Climate. Market Innovation Is Saving Them. (Washington Policy
Institute)
9.
Op/Ed: Hydropower Crucial to a Future for Electric
Vehicles (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-hydropower-crucial-to-a-future-for-electric-vehicles/
10.
Op/Ed: It’s Time to Remove Restrictions on
Electric Vehicle Sales in Washington State (Puget Sound Business Journal,
Seattle, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/oped-its-time-to-remove-restrictions-on.html
11.
Op/Ed: Bryan Smith Perpetuates Myths About Lower
Snake River Dams (Idaho Falls Post Register, ID)
12.
Editorial: The Part of the Broadband Debate We’re
Missing (Washington Post)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
13.
Idaho: Magic Valley Energy Holds Meetings for
Proposed Wind Project (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
14.
Idaho Falls Power Conducts Microgrid Test (KIFI-TV,
Idaho Falls ID)
https://localnews8.com/news/2021/04/22/idaho-falls-power-conducts-microgrid-test/
15.
Using Hydrogen to Back Up the Grid (Investigate
West)
https://www.invw.org/2021/04/23/using-hydrogen-to-back-up-the-grid/
16.
In-River Hydro Project in Alaska Chosen for Federal
Assistance Aimed to Get Communities Off Diesel (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)
17.
Renewable Electricity Can Slash Cascadia Pollution,
Research Shows (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
https://katu.com/news/local/renewable-electricity-can-slash-cascadia-pollution-research-shows
18.
Power from Colorado Water Is Now Renewable
Energy Under New Law (Colorado Politics)
19.
Number of Americans Using Solar Power Expected to
More Than Triple by 2030 (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/solar-power-american-triple-2030/
20.
‘World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine’ Gears Up
for Operation (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/22/worlds-most-powerful-tidal-turbine-gears-up-for-operation-.html
FISH & WILDLIFE
21.
Spring Spill Begins Facilitating Fish Passage at
Snake & Columbia River Dams (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
22.
NOAA Unveils Ambitious Five-Year Plan to Save Puget
Sound’s Struggling Orcas (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/2833479/noaa-action-plan-puget-sound-orcas/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
23.
Parched California Orders Nestle to Back Off the
Water Bottling (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/parched-california-orders-nestle-to-back-off-the-bottling-water/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
24.
Avista Unveils Emissions Strategy
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/avista-unveils-emissions-strategy.html
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
25.
Oregon Governor Brown Calls on Legislature to Support
Statewide ‘Broadband Expansion’ (KTVL-TV, Medford, OR)
26.
U.S. Rep Schrier: Broadband Is Vital for Rural Washington
State (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)
https://www.pnwag.net/2021/04/22/schrier-broadband-is-vital-for-rural-washington/
27.
President Biden Wants Local Governments to Provide
Broadband Internet. Could They Compete with Comcast & Verizon? (Philadelphia
Inquirer, PA)
28.
About Half the Public Thinks Local Governments
Should Be Able to Pursue Their Own Broadband Network Build-Outs (Morning
Consult)
https://morningconsult.com/2021/04/26/municipal-broadband-private-isps-poll/
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
29.
Why Bitcoin Is Bad for the Environment (New
Yorker Magazine)
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-bitcoin-is-bad-for-the-environment
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
30.
Daimler Trucks North America, Portland General
Electric Launch First Heavy Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Charging Site (Daily
Energy Insider)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
31.
VP Kamala Harris Encourages a Nervous New
Hampshire Electric Coop Worker During His Speech (Grio)
https://thegrio.com/2021/04/24/kamala-harris-new-hampshire/
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
32.
This Portable Lantern Can Be Charged by Salt
Water or Urine (Interesting Engineering)
https://interestingengineering.com/a-startup-just-created-a-urine-powered-lantern
GOVERNANCE, BUSINESS, & MANAGEMENT
33.
As Washington Legislature Wraps Up, Lawmakers
Pass a New Budget, Capital Gains Tax & Clean-Fuels Standard (Seattle Times,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
34.
Montana: Bill Would Launch Investigation Against
‘Environmental Groups’ (The Daily Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2021/04/23/bill-would-launch-investigation-against-environmental-groups/
35.
Oregon State Professor Tapped by President Biden
to Lead National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
‘Nomadland’ Wins Best Picture at a Social Distanced Oscars
https://apnews.com/article/oscars-2021-guide-67f5600e59179e1161d2db3ba48ad31d
Hundreds Lose Internet Service in Northern B.C. after Beaver
Chews Through Cable
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/beaver-internet-down-1.6001594?cmp=rss
Gender Reveal Party Is Behind Massive Blast That Rocked
Several New Hampshire Towns
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gender-reveal-explosion-new-hampshire_n_60820beae4b082bab00aef39
Meet the Man in a Bear Suit Walking from Los Angeles to San
Francisco
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/meet-man-bear-suit-walking-los-angeles-san-francisco-2021-04-22/
SONG OF THE DAY
AJR – Overture, Soul Soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM9xWqqbG8Q
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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