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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
In Ida’s Wake,
Louisiana Faces a Month without Power as Heat Soars (Reuters)
2 Alabama Electric
Company Employees Killed While on Duty (Associated Press)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/alabama-electric-company-employees-killed-duty-79761680
WA State Gov. Inslee to
End Utility Moratorium September 30 (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
https://keprtv.com/news/local/gov-inslee-to-end-utility-moratorium-september-30th
Residential Electric
Panels Represent a Nearly $100B ‘Roadblock’ to Full Electrification, Report
Finds (Utility Dive)
Record 2020 Wind
Installations Represented 42% of New Power (Bloomberg News)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. In
Ida’s Wake, Louisiana Faces a Month without Power as Heat Soars
2. 2
Alabama Electric Company Employees Killed While on Duty
3. WA
State Gov. Inslee to End Utility Moratorium September 30
4. Irrigation
Districts Secure Ruling from FERC, Await Action by Grant PUD on Rates
5. Avista
Makes Annual Price Adjustment Requests in Washington
6. WA
State: Clallam PUD to Raise Rates in 2022, 2023
7. Texas
Utility Settles Over Sky-High Energy Bills from Freeze
8. Zenith
Oil Terminal Fined by State of Oregon for ‘Flagrant’ Conduct
9. Pacific
Gas & Electric Installs More Than 200 New Weather Stations to Better
Monitor Severe Weather Events
10. Sept.
Is National Preparedness Month: PGE, Pacific Power Urge Building an ‘Outage
Kit’
11. Bills
Soar as Spain Approaches Record for Electricity Prices
12. Guest
Essay: George Nethercutt – It’s Time for Washington State to Establish a
Competitive Electricity Market
13. $2.3
Billion to Improve or Remove U.S. Dams Included in New Federal Infrastructure
Bill in Wake of a Stanford Uncommon Dialogue Agreement
14. Guest
Column: Montana’s Economic Potential Is Tied to Reliable, Affordable
Electricity
15. Guest
Column: Portland Clean Energy Fund Needs Better Criteria for Choosing Climate
Projects
16. Record
2020 Wind Installations Represented 42% of New Power
17. WA
State: Input Wanted on Douglas County Prohibition on Large Solar & Wind
Farms
18. California:
San Diego County to Join 5-City CCA as Alternative to SDG&E. Will It Bring
Lower Electric Rates?
19. This
Startup Helps Build Solar Farms Where the Grid Is Dirtiest
20. Residential
Electric Panels Represent a Nearly $100B ‘Roadblock’ to Full Electrification,
Report Finds
21. Increased
Energy Incentives on the Rise Throughout Idaho
22. Vermont
Digs in on Incentives to Boost Geothermal Heat Pumps
23. Pressed
By Drought & Climate Change, A California City Turns to Desalination
24. Former
Republican FERC Chairman Joins Group Promoting Carbon Tax
25. Invasive
Earthworms Are Remaking Our Forests – Climate Scientists Are Worried
26. How
Five States Tackled Broadband Expansion During the Pandemic
27. Here’s
How Much Electricity It Takes to Mine Bitcoin & Why People Are Worried
28. Ida-Wrecked Power Grid Could Boost Support for Infrastructure Bill
WORD OF THE DAY
Symbiosis \sim-bee-OH-sis\ Noun - 1: the living together in close association of two dissimilar organisms especially when mutually beneficial *2: a cooperative relationship.
In the silent depths of the clear blue water, the gray torpedo-like bulk of the shark sliced through the water, remora fish in close by…awaiting crumbs from the table in their symbiotic relationship with the remorseless hunter of the deep.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1. In
Ida’s Wake, Louisiana Faces a Month without Power as Heat Soars (Reuters)
2. 2
Alabama Electric Company Employees Killed While on Duty (Associated Press)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/alabama-electric-company-employees-killed-duty-79761680
3.
WA State Gov. Inslee to End Utility Moratorium September
30 (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
https://keprtv.com/news/local/gov-inslee-to-end-utility-moratorium-september-30th
4.
Irrigation Districts Secure Ruling from FERC,
Await Action by Grant PUD on Rates (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/sep/01/irrigation-districts-secure-ruling-ferc-await-acti/
5.
Avista Makes Annual Price Adjustment Requests in
Washington (Bakersfield Californian, CA)
6.
WA State: Clallam PUD to Raise Rates in 2022,
2023 (Sequim Gazette, WA)
https://www.sequimgazette.com/news/clallam-pud-to-raise-rates-in-2022-2023/
7.
Texas Utility Settles Over Sky-High Energy Bills
from Freeze (Associated Press)
8.
Zenith Oil Terminal Fined by State of Oregon for
‘Flagrant’ Conduct (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/business-d7cb0ff35668ed489917580422e3d36f
9.
Pacific Gas & Electric Installs More Than
200 New Weather Stations to Better Monitor Severe Weather Events (Daily Energy
Insider)
10.
Sept. Is National Preparedness Month: PGE, Pacific
Power Urge Building an ‘Outage Kit’ (KVTZ-TV, Bend, OR)
11.
Bills Soar as Spain Approaches Record for Electricity
Prices (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Bills-soar-as-Spain-approaches-record-for-16428167.php
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
Guest Essay: George Nethercutt – It’s Time for Washington
State to Establish a Competitive Electricity Market (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/aug/31/george-nethercutt-its-time-for-washington-state-to/
13.
$2.3 Billion to Improve or Remove U.S. Dams
Included in New Federal Infrastructure Bill in Wake of a Stanford Uncommon
Dialogue Agreement (Stanford News)
https://news.stanford.edu/2021/08/30/improve-remove-funding-u-s-dams/
14.
Guest Column: Montana’s Economic Potential Is
Tied to Reliable, Affordable Electricity (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, MT)
15.
Guest Column: Portland Clean Energy Fund Needs
Better Criteria for Choosing Climate Projects (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
16. Record
2020 Wind Installations Represented 42% of New Power (Bloomberg News)
17.
WA State: Input Wanted on Douglas County
Prohibition on Large Solar & Wind Farms (KOZI Radio, Chelan, WA)
https://www.kozi.com/input-wanted-on-douglas-county-prohibition-on-large-solar-and-wind-farms/
18.
California: San Diego County to Join 5-City CCA as
Alternative to SDG&E. Will It Bring Lower Electric Rates? (San Diego
Union-Tribune, CA)
19.
This Startup Helps Build Solar Farms Where the
Grid Is Dirtiest (Fast Company)
https://www.fastcompany.com/90670612/this-startup-helps-build-solar-farms-where-the-grid-is-dirtiest
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
MVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)
https://www.kmvt.com/2021/08/31/increased-energy-incentives-rise-throughout-idaho/
22.
Vermont Digs in on Incentives to Boost
Geothermal Heat Pumps (Energy News Network)
https://energynews.us/2021/09/01/vermont-digs-in-on-incentives-to-boost-geothermal-heat-pumps/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
23.
Pressed By Drought & Climate Change, A California
City Turns to Desalination (Courthouse News Service)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
24.
Former Republican FERC Chairman Joins Group
Promoting Carbon Tax (Washington Examiner)
25.
Invasive Earthworms Are Remaking Our Forests –
Climate Scientists Are Worried (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/invasive-earthworms-threat-forests-climate-change-1.6154164?cmp=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
How Five States Tackled Broadband Expansion
During the Pandemic (Broadband Breakfast)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
27.
Here’s How Much Electricity It Takes to Mine Bitcoin
& Why People Are Worried (C|Net News)
OTHER NEWS WORTH KNOWING
28.
Ida-Wrecked Power Grid Could Boost Support for
Infrastructure Bill (Bloomberg News)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Once Green, Prehistoric
Arabia Drew Early Humans from Africa
Old Farmer’s Almanac
Says We’re in for One of the Coldest Winters in ‘Years.’ Should You Trust It?
Raw Chicken Ends Up on Seattle
Airport’s Baggage Carousel
Man Bounces More Than
10 Miles on Inflatable Ball for Guinness World Record
SONG OF THE DAY
The Cyrcle – Red Rubber
Ball