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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP STORIES
Extreme Weather, Low
Hydro & Fuel Shortages Could Threaten Grid in Multiple Regions This Winter:
NERC (Utility Dive)
For British Columbia’s
Salmon, Floods Represent Another Challenge to Survival (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-salmon-floods-1.6256629?cmp=rss
Life Without Reliable
Internet Remains a Daily Struggle for Millions of Americans (National Public
Radio)
Cloud Seeding Gains
Steam as U.S. West Faces Worsening Droughts (Stars & Stripes)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Extreme
Weather, Low Hydro & Fuel Shortages Could Threaten Grid in Multiple Regions
This Winter: NERC
2. Texas
Grid Vulnerable to Blackouts During Severe Winter Weather, Even with New
Preparations, ERCOT Estimates Show
3. Montana:
NorthWestern Gas-Fired Power Plant Proposal Stalls Over City’s Objections
4. Oregon:
‘We Need to Be Tough’: Eugene Officials Will Discuss Requiring All-Electric in
New Building Projects
5. Missoula
Urges Northwest Power & Conservation Council to Go Further in New Electric
Plan
6. Federal
Regulators Tell Jordan Cove Developers in Southwest Oregon to ‘Clarify’ Their
Intentions
7. Coal-Fired
Power Plants to Close After New Wastewater Rule
8. Nuclear
Regulators Uphold Violations at Georgia Reactors
9. Investors
Sue Over $100 Million Deal for Texas Power Plants
10. White
House Offering More Aid for Winter Heat, Utility Bills
11. Central
Maine Power Agrees to Stop Electricity Transmission Corridor Work, for Now
12. NASA
Seeks Ideas for a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
13. Guest
Essay: WA Sen. Murray & Gov. Inslee Are Trying to Answer the Wrong Question
About Snake Dams
14. WA
Governor’s Fundraising E-Mail Signals Strong Role for Politics in New Snake
River Study
15. Comment:
Plan with Dams’ Removal Provides Best Hope for Salmon
16. Editorial
Board: Wyoming Nuclear Power Plant Warrants Cautious Optimism – Questions Still
Remain
17. Idaho:
Small Hydropower Proves to Be an Ally for Rural Communities
18. For
British Columbia’s Salmon, Floods Represent Another Challenge to Survival
19. Tribes
Ask for More Support for Salmon Reintroduction to the Upper Columbia River
20. Biden
Mulls Reversing Trump Rules on Western Grouse Species
21. Zero
Humpbacks Off Seattle Coast 25 Years Ago – Now 500 Return with Record Number of
Calves
22. Cloud
Seeding Gains Steam as U.S. West Faces Worsening Droughts
23. Life
Without Reliable Internet Remains a Daily Struggle for Millions of Americans
24. Tribal
Lands Lag on Internet Deployment. Local Efforts, Not Government Intervention,
Is Providing a Path Forward in Some Cases
25. United
Kingdom: Broadband Beats Bedrooms: Fast Internet Access Now a Top Two
‘Must-Have’ for Home Buyers
26. Bitcoin
Miners Are Flocking to Texas as Grid Operator Warns of Future Blackouts
27. Video:
Virginia Campaign Wants You to Watch This Video Before Putting a Space Heater —
Or Pancake Griddle — At Your Desk
28. NASA
Hopes to Hit an Asteroid Now in Case We Really Need to Knock One Away Later
29. Farmers
Are Turning Cow Poo into Power with Batteries Created from Cow Pat
30. WA
Gov. Jay Inslee Will Seek Federal Aid for Flood Damage
31. Expect Fewer Christmas Trees, Higher Prices Thanks to Summer Heat Wave
WORD OF THE DAY
Compunctious \kum-PUNK-shus\ Adjective – 1: arising from remorse or regret 2: feeling remorse or regret.
Immediately after leaving the comfort station, Gertrude suffered guilty, compunctious feelings. She felt the hard stares of her co-workers, the shrugged shoulders. “Perhaps I should have replaced the toilet paper after using the last sheets,” she pondered.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
2.
Texas Grid Vulnerable to Blackouts During Severe
Winter Weather, Even with New Preparations, ERCOT Estimates Show (KBTX-TV,
Bryan TX)
3.
Montana: NorthWestern Gas-Fired Power Plant
Proposal Stalls Over City’s Objections (Kilgore News-Herald, TX)
4.
Oregon: ‘We Need to Be Tough’: Eugene Officials
Will Discuss Requiring All-Electric in New Building Projects (Eugene Register-Guard,
OR – Paywall Advisory)
5.
Missoula Urges Northwest Power & Conservation
Council to Go Further in New Electric Plan (Missoula Current, MT)
https://missoulacurrent.com/outdoors/2021/11/missoula-power-council/
6.
Federal Regulators Tell Jordan Cove Developers in
Southwest Oregon to ‘Clarify’ Their Intentions (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
7.
Coal-Fired Power Plants to Close After New
Wastewater Rule (Associated Press)
https://ktar.com/story/4778272/coal-fired-power-plants-to-close-after-new-wastewater-rule/
8.
Nuclear Regulators Uphold Violations at Georgia
Reactors (Associated Press)
9.
Investors Sue Over $100 Million Deal for Texas
Power Plants (Bloomberg News)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/investors-sue-over-100-million-deal-for-texas-power-plants
10.
White House Offering More Aid for Winter Heat,
Utility Bills (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/business-gene-sperling-1d6a0239664feee3a6614136789c0ee9
11.
Central Maine Power Agrees to Stop Electricity Transmission
Corridor Work, for Now (Main Public Radio)
12.
NASA Seeks Ideas for a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
(Associated Press)
https://www.yahoo.com/now/nasa-seeks-ideas-nuclear-reactor-174702780.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
13.
Guest Essay: WA Sen. Murray & Gov. Inslee Are
Trying to Answer the Wrong Question About Snake Dams (Yahoo News)
https://news.yahoo.com/wa-sen-murray-gov-inslee-224219168.html
14.
WA Governor’s Fundraising E-Mail Signals Strong
Role for Politics in New Snake River Study (Washington Policy Center)
15.
Comment: Plan with Dams’ Removal Provides Best
Hope for Salmon (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-plan-with-dams-removal-provides-best-hope-for-salmon/
16.
Editorial Board: Wyoming Nuclear Power Plant
Warrants Cautious Optimism – Questions Still Remain (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
17.
Idaho: Small Hydropower Proves to Be an Ally for
Rural Communities (East Idaho News, Idaho Falls, ID)
https://www.eastidahonews.com/2021/11/small-hydropower-proves-to-be-anally-for-rural-communities/
FISH & WILDLIFE
18.
For British Columbia’s Salmon, Floods Represent
Another Challenge to Survival (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-salmon-floods-1.6256629?cmp=rss
19.
Tribes Ask for More Support for Salmon
Reintroduction to the Upper Columbia River (Spokane Public Radio, WA)
20.
Biden Mulls Reversing Trump Rules on Western
Grouse Species (Associated Press)
21.
Zero Humpbacks Off Seattle Coast 25 Years Ago –
Now 500 Return with Record Number of Calves (Good News Network)
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/500-humpbacks-return-with-record-number-of-calves/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
22. Cloud
Seeding Gains Steam as U.S. West Faces Worsening Droughts (Stars & Stripes)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
24.
Tribal Lands Lag on Internet Deployment. Local
Efforts, Not Government Intervention, Is Providing a Path Forward in Some Cases
(Morning Consult)
https://morningconsult.com/2021/11/22/tribal-lands-broadband-deployment-data-feature/
25.
United Kingdom: Broadband Beats Bedrooms: Fast
Internet Access Now a Top Two ‘Must-Have’ for Home Buyers (Total Telecom)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
26.
Bitcoin Miners Are Flocking to Texas as Grid
Operator Warns of Future Blackouts (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/bitcoin-miners-are-flocking-to-texas-as-grid-operator-w-1848103092
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
27.
Video: Virginia Campaign Wants You to Watch This
Video Before Putting a Space Heater — Or Pancake Griddle — At Your Desk (Energy
News Network)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
28.
NASA Hopes to Hit an Asteroid Now in Case We
Really Need to Knock One Away Later (Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2021/nasa-rams-an-asteroid-planetary-defense/
29.
Farmers Are Turning Cow Poo into Power with Batteries
Created from Cow Pat (The Mirror, UK)
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/farmers-making-cow-poo-batteries-25495352
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
30.
WA Gov. Jay Inslee Will Seek Federal Aid for
Flood Damage (Associated Press)
31.
Expect Fewer Christmas Trees, Higher Prices
Thanks to Summer Heat Wave (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Maori
Tribe Tells Anti-Vaccine Protestors to Stop Using Popular Haka
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59286563
Something More
Insidious Than Pythons Is Coming for Florida’s Wildlife, & It’s Terrifying
The Northernmost Town in
the US Won’t See Sunlight for Another 66 Days — Here’s What It’s Like to Live &
Work in Utqiagvik, Alaska
https://news.yahoo.com/northernmost-town-us-wont-see-122900516.html
Alaska: Homer Council to
Weigh Accepting Funds for Little Libraries
SONG OF THE DAY
Todd Rundgren - I Saw
the Light