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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
High Wind Causing Power Outages Around Puget Sound (KIRO
News, Seattle, WA)
Agreement on Columbia, Snake Dams Cuts Risk of Blackouts,
High Electric Costs (Tri-City Herald, WA)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article255187912.html
Longer, More Frequent Outages Afflict the U.S. Power Grid as
States Fail to Prepare for Climate Change (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/24/climate-change-power-outages/
Lawsuit Says Montana Ignored Climate in Approving $250
Million Power Plant (Reuters)
Record Number of Calves Born to Salish Sea Humpback Whales
This Year (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
High Wind Causing Power Outages Around Puget
Sound
2.
S.F. Bay Area Weather: Category 5 Atmospheric
River Brings Flooding, Evacuation Orders & Outages
3.
Record Storm Slams West Coast as Tens of Millions
on East Coast Brace for Nor’easter
4.
Satellite Imagery Shows the Staggering Bomb
Cyclone Hitting the West Coast
5.
Agreement on Columbia, Snake Dams Cuts Risk of
Blackouts, High Electric Costs
6.
Parties in Federal Columbia River Salmon Lawsuit
Seek Pause in Litigation to Jointly Develop a Solution
7.
U.S. Sen Murray, WA Gov Inslee Detail Salmon
Recovery Process That Could Include Snake River Dam Removal
8.
20-Year Legal Tug-of-War Between Federal
Managers on the Snake River & Conservation & Tribal Interests May Be
Put on Hold Until Next Summer
9.
Columbia River System Operations - Press
Statement on Injunctive Relief Settlement
10.
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Reacts
to Inslee, Murray Proposal to Study Lower Snake River Dam Breaching
11.
Longer, More Frequent Outages Afflict the U.S.
Power Grid as States Fail to Prepare for Climate Change
12.
Five Northern California Counties Sue Pacific
Gas & Electric Over Massive Dixie Fire
13.
EIA Forecasts U.S. Winter Natural Gas Bills Will
Be 30% Higher Than Last Winter
14.
U.S. to Give Nuclear Waste Plant in Idaho
Another Try
15.
U.S. Air Force to Install Nuclear Micro-Reactor
at Alaskan Base
16.
To Secure the Energy Supply Chain, Feds Want to
Reimagine the Power Sector as Defense
17.
Oregon: Eugene Water & Electric Board
Beginning State-Mandated Wildfire Mitigation Planning
18.
Montana Electric Utility Regulators Revamping
Staff After Audit Flagged ‘Unhealthy Organizational Culture’
19.
FERC Rejects Utilities’ Request to Open
Tennessee Valley Authority to Competition
20.
Guest Essay: Pacific Northwest Energy – A
Thoughtful Approach Needed for Regional Transmission Organizations
21.
Guest Essay: A Dam Good Idea — Making a Lasting
Difference by Investing in the Infrastructure of Our Dams
22.
Feds Consider Big Solar Expansion in Nevada’s
Mojave Desert
23.
A Melting Glacier Could Mean a Chance for
Alaska’s Biggest Hydroelectric Project to Expand
24.
Alaska: Kwethluk Is Installing Wind Turbines
That Will Power Half the Community
25.
Who Owns the Wind, Anyway? The Case for
‘Socializing’ Wind Power
26.
Record Number of Calves Born to Salish Sea
Humpback Whales This Year
27.
Endangered Whale Population Sinks Close to
20-Year Low
28.
As a Snohomish PUD Dam Tries to Mimic Nature,
Sultan River Comes to Life
29.
Sea Otters Could Be Returning to Oregon Coast
30.
Farmer Fined $304,000 Over Alleged Snake River
Water Theft During Drought
31.
Latest Projection: Lake Powell Could Reach
Critically Low Water Level by July
32.
Lawsuit Says Montana Ignored Climate in
Approving $250 Million Power Plant
33.
Redfin: Climate Change Will Exacerbate U.S.
Housing Shortage
34.
Oregon: Google Set to Win New Tax Breaks in the
Dalles, But Uncertainty Lingers Over an Earlier Deal
35.
Microsoft: Russian-Backed Hackers Targeting
Cloud Services
36.
‘Public Power Underground’ Podcast Collaboration
with NewsData Unveiled
37.
Likes & Shares: Facebook Wrestles with the
Features It Used to Define Social Networking
38.
Nuclear Fusion Edges Toward the Mainstream
39.
Two Companies Express Interest in Shuttered
Ferndale Aluminum Smelter
40. Washington State Looks for ‘Alternative’ Paths to End Years-Long Wait for Permanent Daylight-Saving Time
WORD OF THE DAY
Temporize \TEMP-puh-rise\ Verb - 1: to act to suit the time or occasion: yield to current or dominant opinion 2: to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time.
“Y’all excuse me while I take a short pause in my speech to collect my thoughts,” drawled the gentleman lawyer to the expectant jury. In reality, the wily old fellow was temporizing during his closing arguments in hopes that the “Pony Express” rider would arrive with the surprise evidence….evidence that could save the defendant from a prison sentence. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, the rider at that moment had taken a side trip “up the lazy river” to linger in the shade of an old oak tree.
WESTERN WEATHER WOES
1.
High Wind Causing Power Outages Around Puget
Sound (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
2.
S.F. Bay Area Weather: Category 5 Atmospheric
River Brings Flooding, Evacuation Orders & Outages (SF Chronicle, CA)
https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather/article/S-F-Bay-Area-weather-live-updates-Track-the-16558095.php
3.
Record Storm Slams West Coast as Tens of Millions
on East Coast Brace for Nor’easter (NBC News)
4.
Satellite Imagery Shows the Staggering Bomb
Cyclone Hitting the West Coast (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/satellite-imagery-shows-the-staggering-bomb-cyclone-hit-1847928101
SNAKE RIVER SERENADE
5.
Agreement on Columbia, Snake Dams Cuts Risk of
Blackouts, High Electric Costs (Tri-City Herald, WA)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article255187912.html
6.
Parties in Federal Columbia River Salmon Lawsuit
Seek Pause in Litigation to Jointly Develop a Solution (Associated Press)
7.
U.S. Sen Murray, WA Gov Inslee Detail Salmon
Recovery Process That Could Include Snake River Dam Removal (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
8.
20-Year Legal Tug-of-War Between Federal
Managers on the Snake River & Conservation & Tribal Interests May Be
Put on Hold Until Next Summer (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/oct/21/20-year-legal-tug-of-war-between-federal-managers-/
9.
Columbia River System Operations - Press
Statement on Injunctive Relief Settlement (News Release – Northwest
RiverPartners, Vancouver, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/10/columbia-river-system-operations-press.html
10.
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Reacts
to Inslee, Murray Proposal to Study Lower Snake River Dam Breaching (News
Release – Pacific Northwest Waterways Association)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/10/pacific-northwest-waterways-association.html
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
11.
Longer, More Frequent Outages Afflict the U.S.
Power Grid as States Fail to Prepare for Climate Change (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/24/climate-change-power-outages/
12.
Five Northern California Counties Sue Pacific
Gas & Electric Over Massive Dixie Fire (KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA)
13.
EIA Forecasts U.S. Winter Natural Gas Bills Will
Be 30% Higher Than Last Winter (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50076
14.
U.S. to Give Nuclear Waste Plant in Idaho
Another Try (Associated Press)
15.
U.S. Air Force to Install Nuclear Micro-Reactor
at Alaskan Base (New Atlas)
https://newatlas.com/military/us-air-force-nuclear-micro-reactor-alaska/
16.
To Secure the Energy Supply Chain, Feds Want to
Reimagine the Power Sector as Defense (Utility Dive)
17.
Oregon: Eugene Water & Electric Board
Beginning State-Mandated Wildfire Mitigation Planning (Eugene Register-Guard,
OR – Paywall Advisory)
18.
Montana Electric Utility Regulators Revamping Staff
After Audit Flagged ‘Unhealthy Organizational Culture’ (Yellowstone Public
Radio)
19.
FERC Rejects Utilities’ Request to Open Tennessee
Valley Authority to Competition (Utility Dive)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
20.
Guest Essay: Pacific Northwest Energy – A
Thoughtful Approach Needed for Regional Transmission Organizations
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/oct/22/northwest-energy-a-thoughtful-approach-needed-for-/
21.
Guest Essay: A Dam Good Idea — Making a Lasting
Difference by Investing in the Infrastructure of Our Dams (The Hill,
Washington, DC)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
22.
Feds Consider Big Solar Expansion in Nevada’s
Mojave Desert (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/blm-considers-big-solar-expansion-in-nev-s-mojave-desert/
23.
A Melting Glacier Could Mean a Chance for Alaska’s
Biggest Hydroelectric Project to Expand (KTOO-Radio, Juneau, AK)
24.
Alaska: Kwethluk Is Installing Wind Turbines
That Will Power Half the Community (KYUK Broadcasting, Bethel, AK)
25.
Who Owns the Wind, Anyway? The Case for ‘Socializing’
Wind Power (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/energy/who-owns-the-wind-the-case-for-socializing-wind-power-david-hughes/
FISH & WILDLIFE
26.
Record Number of Calves Born to Salish Sea
Humpback Whales This Year (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
27.
Endangered Whale Population Sinks Close to 20-Year
Low (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Endangered-whale-population-sinks-close-to-16561961.php
28.
As a Snohomish PUD Dam Tries to Mimic Nature,
Sultan River Comes to Life (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/as-a-dam-tries-to-mimic-nature-sultan-river-comes-to-life/
29.
Sea Otters Could Be Returning to Oregon Coast (Seattle
Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/sea-otters-could-be-returning-to-oregon-coast/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
30.
Farmer Fined $304,000 Over Alleged Snake River
Water Theft During Drought (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
31.
Latest Projection: Lake Powell Could Reach
Critically Low Water Level by July (KCNC-TV, Denver, CO)
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/10/24/lake-powell-water-reservoir-levels-colorado-river/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
32.
Lawsuit Says Montana Ignored Climate in
Approving $250 Million Power Plant (Reuters)
33.
Redfin: Climate Change Will Exacerbate U.S.
Housing Shortage (Houston Agent Magazine)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
34.
Oregon: Google Set to Win New Tax Breaks in the
Dalles, But Uncertainty Lingers Over an Earlier Deal (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
35.
Microsoft: Russian-Backed Hackers Targeting
Cloud Services (Associated Press)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
36.
‘Public Power Underground’ Podcast Collaboration
with NewsData Unveiled (Clearing Up)
37.
Likes & Shares: Facebook Wrestles with the
Features It Used to Define Social Networking (NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/technology/facebook-like-share-buttons.html
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
38.
Nuclear Fusion Edges Toward the Mainstream (Seattle
Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nuclear-fusion-edges-toward-the-mainstream/
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
39.
Two Companies Express Interest in Shuttered
Ferndale Aluminum Smelter (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
40.
Washington State Looks for ‘Alternative’ Paths to
End Years-Long Wait for Permanent Daylight-Saving Time (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3202927/washington-permanent-daylight-saving-time-senator-murray/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Buzzards Settle in North Carolina Town Despite Scare Tactics
https://apnews.com/article/oddities-north-carolina-raleigh-625257e6cabf1758ebdf143a91a6fa7a
Fat Bear Champ Is Still Gobbling Fish & Getting Fatter
https://mashable.com/article/fat-bear-week-otis
Singing Lemurs Have a Distinctly Human Sense of Rhythm,
Study Finds
Michael Jordan’s Game-Worn Trainers Sell for Record $1.47 Million
at Auction
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59032756
SONG OF THE DAY
Phil Harris – The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book
Soundtrack)
