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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Utility Disconnections
May Resume July 31 in Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Oregon: Summer
Reservoir Levels Could Be Hazardously Low for Willamette Valley (KGW-TV,
Portland, OR)
Montana: Giant Solar
Project Proposed in South Butte, Landowners Concerned (Montana Standard)
Higher Spring Chinook
Salmon Counts Lead to More Columbia River Sport Fishing Dates (Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
WA State Secretary of
State Files Petition for Legal Clarification on How to Handle Broadband Bills
(Washington State Wire)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Utility
Disconnections May Resume July 31 in Washington State
2. Congressional
Democrats Unveil $30 Billion Bill to Cancel Water Debts & Bail Out Utility
Firms
3. Oregon:
$3.72 Million FEMA Grant Helps Lane Electric Pay for Repairs from February 2019
Storm
4. Owners
of Colstrip Generating Station Widen Federal Lawsuit Against
Contract-Challenging Montana Laws
5. Montana:
NorthWestern’s Plans for Laurel Power Plant Take Shape
6. Countering
Dam Removal Proposal, Cantwell Hints at Her Ideas for Snake River Salmon During
Senate Hearing
7. A
‘Literal Tinderbox’: Oregon Regulators Brace for 2021 Wildfire Season with
Temporary Utility Rules
8. California
Drought Cuts Hydropower, Boosts Natural Gas Prices
9. Declining
Lake Powell Levels Prompt Colorado River States to Form New Plan
10. California’s
Next Climate Challenge: Replacing Its Last Nuclear Power Plant
11. New
Mexico Weighs Changes to Permit for Nuclear Waste Dump
12. U.S.
Natural Gas Generation in 2021 Sees Its First Year-Over-Year Decline in Three
Years
13. Utah:
Two Shocked While Changing Power Lines, Stopping One Man’s Heart Multiple Times
14. Wow:
Las Vegas Hotel Adds “Energy Surcharge”
15. Kurt
Miller: Anti-Hydro Narrative Misses the Big Picture of Climate Change, Equity
& Salmon
16. Editorial:
Act Now to Save Salmon, Regardless of Dams’ Fate
17. The
Pacific Northwest Agrees: Keep Your Hands Off Our Dams
18. Opinion:
Idaho Republicans Have No Confidence in Simpson
19. Editorial:
When Should Oregon End Ban on Utility Shut-Off Notices?
20. Montana:
Giant Solar Project Proposed in South Butte, Landowners Concerned
21. Sacramento
Municipal Utility District Plans to Slash Rooftop Solar Subsidies for
Sacramento Customers. Here’s Why
22. Biden’s
Solar Ambitions Collide with China Labor Complaints
23. From
Forest to Furnace: How the U.K.’S Wood-Pellet Plants Are Driving Logging in
British Columbia
24. Biden
Administration Takes First Step Toward Light Bulb Efficiency Standard
25. Rapid
‘Energy Efficiency as a Service’ Growth Belies Financing, Other Difficulties,
Analysts Say
26. Higher
Spring Chinook Salmon Counts Lead to More Columbia River Sport Fishing Dates
27. WA
State: Puyallup Tribe Raises New Alarms for Fish Impacts of Embattled Electron
Dam Project
28. California:
‘Like Some Sea Creature from the Deep’: Vampire Fish Making Comeback to
American River
29. Oregon:
Summer Reservoir Levels Could Be Hazardously Low for Willamette Valley
30. A
Wet Week Plus Full Reservoirs Should Put the Pacific Northwest in Relatively
Good Shape for This Summer
31. Klamath
Irrigators Group Urges Supporters to Stop Harassing Government Workers
32. Carbon
Storage Offers Hope for Climate, Cash for Farmers
33. Industry
Presses House Committee on Facilitating New Transmission Critical to Biden
Climate Goals
34. WA
State Secretary of State Files Petition for Legal Clarification on How to
Handle Broadband Bills
35. Municipal
Broadband in Washington Will Soon Offer Options Beyond Comcast
36. Oregon
Cooperative Promises to Build Where No One Else Will
37. Pope
Francis to Get First Electric Popemobile from U.S. Firm Fisker
38. U.S. Pot Sellers Stash Cash as Banks Leave Them High & Dry
WORD OF THE DAY
Epiphany • \i-PIH-fun-ee\ • Noun – 1 capitalized: January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ 2: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being 3a (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3): an illuminating discovery b: a revealing scene or moment
“I have no Bulwer-Lyttonesque example sentences for this word,” sighed the news digest editor. “Even this small realization could be considered some sort of an epiphany,” he muttered, “but I doubt it”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1. Utility
Disconnections May Resume July 31 in Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
2.
Congressional Democrats Unveil $30 Billion Bill to
Cancel Water Debts & Bail Out Utility Firms (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/20/democrats-bill-water-utility-companies-coronavirus
3.
Oregon: $3.72 Million FEMA Grant Helps Lane
Electric Pay for Repairs from February 2019 Storm (KVAL-TV, Eugene, OR)
4.
Owners of Colstrip Generating Station Widen
Federal Lawsuit Against Contract-Challenging Montana Laws (Daily Energy Insider)
5.
Montana: NorthWestern’s Plans for Laurel Power
Plant Take Shape (Billings Gazette, MT)
6.
Countering Dam Removal Proposal, Cantwell Hints
at Her Ideas for Snake River Salmon During Senate Hearing (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/20/amid-dam-proposal-cantwell-hints-at-her-ideas-for-/
7.
A ‘Literal Tinderbox’: Oregon Regulators Brace for
2021 Wildfire Season with Temporary Utility Rules (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/a-literal-tinderbox-oregon-2021-wildfire-season/600626/
8.
California Drought Cuts Hydropower, Boosts Natural
Gas Prices (Reuters)
9.
Declining Lake Powell Levels Prompt Colorado
River States to Form New Plan (KUNC Radio, Greeley, CO)
10.
California’s Next Climate Challenge: Replacing
Its Last Nuclear Power Plant (Los Angeles Times, CA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/05/californias-next-climate-challenge.html
11.
New Mexico Weighs Changes to Permit for Nuclear
Waste Dump (Associated Press)
12.
U.S. Natural Gas Generation in 2021 Sees Its
First Year-Over-Year Decline in Three Years (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48076
13.
Utah: Two Shocked While Changing Power Lines,
Stopping One Man’s Heart Multiple Times (KUTV-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://kutv.com/news/local/two-men-electrocuted-while-changing-power-lines
14.
Wow: Las Vegas Hotel Adds “Energy Surcharge”
(One Mile at a Time)
https://onemileatatime.com/las-vegas-hotel-energy-surcharge/
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
15.
Kurt Miller: Anti-Hydro Narrative Misses the Big
Picture of Climate Change, Equity & Salmon (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/23/kurt-miller-anti-hydro-narrative-misses-the-big-pi/
16.
Editorial: Act Now to Save Salmon, Regardless of
Dams’ Fate (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-act-now-to-save-salmon-regardless-of-dams-fate/
17.
The Pacific Northwest Agrees: Keep Your Hands
Off Our Dams (Star of the Grand Coulee, WA)
18.
Opinion: Idaho Republicans Have No Confidence in
Simpson (Idaho Falls Post-Register, ID)
19.
Editorial: When Should Oregon End Ban on Utility
Shut-Off Notices? (Bend Bulletin, OR)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
20. Montana:
Giant Solar Project Proposed in South Butte, Landowners Concerned (Montana
Standard)
21.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Plans to
Slash Rooftop Solar Subsidies for Sacramento Customers. Here’s Why (Sacramento
Bee, CA)
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article251531428.html
22.
Biden’s Solar Ambitions Collide with China Labor
Complaints (Associated Press)
23.
From Forest to Furnace: How the U.K.’S
Wood-Pellet Plants Are Driving Logging in British Columbia (The Narwhal)
https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-wood-pellets-drax-pinnacle-renewable-energy/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
24.
Biden Administration Takes First Step Toward
Light Bulb Efficiency Standard (The Hill, Washington, DC)
25.
Rapid ‘Energy Efficiency as a Service’ Growth
Belies Financing, Other Difficulties, Analysts Say (Utility Dive)
FISH & WILDLIFE
27.
WA State: Puyallup Tribe Raises New Alarms for Fish
Impacts of Embattled Electron Dam Project (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
28.
California: ‘Like Some Sea Creature from the Deep’:
Vampire Fish Making Comeback to American River (CBS News)
https://seattle.cbslocal.com/2021/05/20/american-river-vampire-fish/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
30.
A Wet Week Plus Full Reservoirs Should Put the Pacific
Northwest in Relatively Good Shape for This Summer (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-wet-week-plus-full-reservoirs-should.html
31.
Klamath Irrigators Group Urges Supporters to Stop
Harassing Government Workers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
32.
Carbon Storage Offers Hope for Climate, Cash for
Farmers (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Carbon-storage-offers-hope-for-climate-cash-for-16192971.php
33.
Industry Presses House Committee on Facilitating
New Transmission Critical to Biden Climate Goals (Utility Dive)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
35.
Municipal Broadband in Washington Will Soon
Offer Options Beyond Comcast (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/2917448/municipal-broadband-washington-options-beyond-comcast/
36.
Oregon Cooperative Promises to Build Where No
One Else Will (Community Networks)
https://muninetworks.org/content/oregon-cooperative-promises-build-where-no-one-else-will
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
37.
Pope Francis to Get First Electric Popemobile
from U.S. Firm Fisker (Reuters)
GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT, AND COMMERCE
38.
U.S. Pot Sellers Stash Cash as Banks Leave Them
High & Dry (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-pot-sellers-stash-cash-banks-leave-them-high-dry-2021-05-24/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Arundel Castle: Mary
Queen of Scots Beads Stolen in Raid
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57224777
Happy 80th Birthday
Robert Allen Zimmerman AKA Bob Dylan
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999699847/happy-80th-birthday-robert-allen-zimmerman-aka-bob-dylan
Missing Man Found Dead
Inside Spanish Dinosaur Statue
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/24/missing-man-found-dead-inside-spanish-dinosaur-statue
Boy, 9, Finds $5,000
Under Floor Mat of Family’s Used SUV
SONG OF THE DAY
Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve
Somebody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC10VWDTzmU
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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