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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Lake Powell Reaches
Lowest Level Since Construction of Glen Canyon Dam (KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City,
UT)
Infrastructure Bill
Allots Billions to Enhance Grid’s Cyber Defenses, Creates New Authority for
Homeland Security (Utility Dive)
Oregon: Coho Returns
Set Record at North Fork Dam (KJMN Radio, Portland, OR)
New Electricity Project
in WA State Takes a Twist on Hydropower (Crosscut Seattle, WA)
https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/11/new-electricity-project-wa-takes-twist-hydropower
U.S. Electricity
Customers Experienced Eight Hours of Power Interruptions in 2020 (U.S. Energy
Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50316
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. U.S.
Electricity Customers Experienced Eight Hours of Power Interruptions in 2020
2. Saving
Nuclear Plant Could Help California Hit Climate Goals – Report
3. Nuclear
Is Hot, for the Moment
4. Britain
Backs Rolls-Royce Mini Nuclear Plants in Net Zero Drive
5. WA
State: Suspect Arrested After Seattle Utility Worker Carjacked at Knifepoint in
Madison Valley
6. COVID-19
Relief Money Is Spurring a Push to Electrify Navajo Nation Homes
7. ‘Financial
Colonialism’: A Bitcoin Mine in Navajo Nation Flares Tensions
8. U.S.
Natural Gas Output to Rise, Demand to Ease In 2021
9. Canada:
Despite Recent Price Hikes, Heating with Gas Is Still So Cheap It’s Going to Be
Hard to Kick the Habit
10. Puerto
Rico Court Orders Arrest of Luma Energy CEO Over Documents
11. People
Shift: How the Pandemic Changed Utility Customer Service Practices
12. WA
State: Skagit Project Relicensing - An Open Letter to Our Partners
13. Commentary:
Trust in Utilities at All-Time High; How Can Companies Capitalize?
14. New
Electricity Project in WA State Takes a Twist on Hydropower
15. Planned
GE Power & Renewable Energy Spinoff Poised for Major Growth, Analysts Say
16. Project
to Examine Whether Electric Car Batteries Could Power Homes
17. Harnessing
the Energy of the Ocean to Power Homes, Planes & Whisky Distilleries
18. Do
Smart Plugs Save Energy, And Why They Can Stop You Wasting Money
19. Oregon:
Coho Returns Set Record at North Fork Dam
20. California:
Salmon Surge into New Nimbus Fish Hatchery Ladder on American River
21. NOAA
Moves Toward Designating New National Marine Sanctuary Off Central California
22. Trump
Administration Used ‘Faulty’ Science to Cut Spotted Owl Protections, Wildlife
Officials Say
23. Lake
Powell Reaches Lowest Level Since Construction of Glen Canyon Dam
24. The
Dalles Approves Controversial Water Deal with Google
25. As
Cities Grow, Wastewater Recycling Gets Another Look
26. Study
of Temperatures Over Last 24,000 Years Shows Modern-Day Warming Is
Unprecedented
27. Loss
of Glaciers Will Hurt Tourism, Power Supplies & More
28. USDA
Wants to ‘Reconnect’ Rural America Through Broadband Expansion
29. President
of Land O’Lakes Reflects on Experience in Rural America and Her Drive for
Better Broadband
30. Infrastructure
Bill Allots Billions to Enhance Grid’s Cyber Defenses, Creates New Authority
for Homeland Security
31. Is
Your Electric Car as Eco-Friendly as You Thought?
32. Electric
City: How Cooking Schools Helped Tacoma Embrace Changing Technologies
33. Twitter
Blue Launches in the U.S. & New Zealand with Expanded Feature Set
34. Here’s
What the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Will Look Like in the West
35. Tornado
Warning, Hail, Snow & a Small Earthquake: Washington State Had a Wild
Weather Day
36. WA State Supreme Court Rules Governor Issued Illegal Transportation Bill Vetoes
WORD OF THE DAY
Cabal \kuh-BAHL\ Noun – The artifices and intrigues of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government); also: a group engaged in such artifices and intrigues 2: club, group
“Lord of the Rings” fanboys were aghast. It wasn’t until it was too late that they discovered an anti-Gandalf cabal of Saruman clones in the center of their role-playing community. “The White Wizard takes your game piece,” crowed the renegade group’s leader, as he reached forth his “Cheetos”-stained fingers to snatch the small, collector’s edition statue of the Gray Wizard from the game board.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50316
2.
Saving Nuclear Plant Could Help California Hit
Climate Goals – Report (Reuters)
3.
Nuclear Is Hot, for the Moment (Atlantic
Magazine)
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/11/nuclear-power-hot-moment/620665/
4.
Britain Backs Rolls-Royce Mini Nuclear Plants in
Net Zero Drive (Reuters)
5.
WA State: Suspect Arrested After Seattle Utility
Worker Carjacked at Knifepoint in Madison Valley (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
6.
COVID-19 Relief Money Is Spurring a Push to
Electrify Navajo Nation Homes (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/covid-19-relief-money-is-spurring-a-push-to-electrify-navajo-nation-homes
7.
‘Financial Colonialism’: A Bitcoin Mine in
Navajo Nation Flares Tensions (Vice)
8.
U.S. Natural Gas Output to Rise, Demand to Ease
In 2021 (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-natgas-output-rise-demand-ease-2021-eia-2021-11-09/
9.
Canada: Despite Recent Price Hikes, Heating with
Gas Is Still So Cheap It’s Going to Be Hard to Kick the Habit (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/natural-gas-weaning-column-don-pittis-1.6233011?cmp=rss
10.
Puerto Rico Court Orders Arrest of Luma Energy
CEO Over Documents (Bloomberg News)
11.
People Shift: How the Pandemic Changed Utility
Customer Service Practices (American Public Power Association)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
WA State: Skagit Project Relicensing - An Open
Letter to Our Partners (Seattle City Light, WA)
https://powerlines.seattle.gov/2021/11/05/skagit-relicensing-open-letter/
13.
Commentary: Trust in Utilities at All-Time High;
How Can Companies Capitalize? (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/trust-in-utilities-at-all-time-high-how-can-companies-capitalize/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
14. New
Electricity Project in WA State Takes a Twist on Hydropower (Crosscut Seattle, WA)
https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/11/new-electricity-project-wa-takes-twist-hydropower
15.
Planned GE Power & Renewable Energy Spinoff
Poised for Major Growth, Analysts Say (Utility Dive)
16.
Project to Examine Whether Electric Car
Batteries Could Power Homes (British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-59225526
17.
Harnessing the Energy of the Ocean to Power
Homes, Planes & Whisky Distilleries (Washington Post)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
Do Smart Plugs Save Energy, And Why They Can
Stop You Wasting Money (Tech Radar, UK)
https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/do-smart-plugs-save-energy-and-why-they-can-stop-you-wasting-money
FISH & WILDLIFE
19. Oregon:
Coho Returns Set Record at North Fork Dam (KJMN Radio, Portland, OR)
20.
California: Salmon Surge into New Nimbus Fish
Hatchery Ladder on American River (The Stockton Record, CA)
21.
NOAA Moves Toward Designating New National
Marine Sanctuary Off Central California (The Hill, Washington, DC)
22.
Trump Administration Used ‘Faulty’ Science to
Cut Spotted Owl Protections, Wildlife Officials Say (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
24.
The Dalles Approves Controversial Water Deal with
Google (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/09/google-the-dalles-water-data-center/
25.
As Cities Grow, Wastewater Recycling Gets
Another Look (Associated Press)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
26.
Study of Temperatures Over Last 24,000 Years
Shows Modern-Day Warming Is Unprecedented (Courthouse News Service)
27.
Loss of Glaciers Will Hurt Tourism, Power
Supplies & More (Associated Press)
https://ktar.com/story/4762666/loss-of-glaciers-will-hurt-tourism-power-supplies-and-more/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
28.
USDA Wants to ‘Reconnect’ Rural America Through
Broadband Expansion (WYMT-TV, Hazard, KY)
https://www.wymt.com/2021/11/09/usda-wants-reconnect-rural-america-through-broadband-expansion/
29.
President of Land O’Lakes Reflects on Experience
in Rural America and Her Drive for Better Broadband (Broadband Breakfast)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
31.
Is Your Electric Car as Eco-Friendly as You Thought?
(Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/is-your-electric-car-eco-friendly-you-thought-2021-11-10/
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
32. Electric
City: How Cooking Schools Helped Tacoma Embrace Changing Technologies (Thurston
Talks, Olympia, WA)
33.
Twitter Blue Launches in the U.S. & New
Zealand with Expanded Feature Set (Tech Crunch)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
34.
Here’s What the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure
Bill Will Look Like in the West (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)
35.
Tornado Warning, Hail, Snow & a Small
Earthquake: Washington State Had a Wild Weather Day (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
36.
WA State Supreme Court Rules Governor Issued
Illegal Transportation Bill Vetoes (Washington Policy Center)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Beatles: Song Featuring
George Harrison & Ringo Starr Found
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-59233136
Oregon: Salem Tree Farm
Uses Helicopter to Harvest Christmas Trees
Augmented Reality
Project Brings Olympics Birthplace to Life
Apple’s Original
Computer Fetches $400,000 at U.S. Auction
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59222749
SONG OF THE DAY
George Harrison - When
We Was Fab