The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.
The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions.
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Alaska Experiences Record-High Temperature for December,
Freezing Rain (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/12/28/alaska-record-temperatures-climate/
Lake Tahoe Shatters 50-Year December Snowfall Record with
More Than 16 Feet of Snow (USA Today – Paywall Advisory)
British Columbia: Electricity Demand Breaks Records Reports
BC Hydro (E-Know, Canada)
https://www.e-know.ca/regions/east-kootenay/electricity-demand-breaks-records-reports-bc-hydro/
Dismissal of Charges Sought in Death of Skookumchuck Wind
Farm Worker (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
What We Learned This Year About Human Waste & Puget
Sound (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/12/what-we-learned-year-about-human-waste-and-puget-sound
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
British Columbia: Electricity Demand Breaks
Records Reports BC Hydro
2.
WA State: Chelan PUD Expecting Record-Breaking
Energy Demand with Frigid Cold This Week
3.
NW Natural Asks Oregon Regulators for a 9.9%
Rate Hike
4.
Idaho Power Seeking Approval for Large-Load
Special Contract
5.
New Mexico Tribes Concerned About Plan to Power
Nuclear Lab
6.
Buffett, Anschutz-Backed Power Lines Get Deal to
Move Forward
7.
How New England Bungled Its Plan to Transition
to Renewable Energy
8.
Clark Public Utilities Gives Out $3.4 Million in
Aid
9.
WA State: Okanogan County PUD Helps Ratepayers
Keep the Lights On
10.
Will Nuclear Fusion Ever Power the World?
11.
Alexa Tells 10-Year-Old Girl to Touch Live Plug
with Penny
12.
One Unexpected Way for Biden to Help the Climate
& Rural America at the Same Time – The president has the power to reform
the wayward Tennessee Valley Authority
13.
Guest Essay: Utility Pole Regs Could Hamper
Montana Broadband Initiative
14.
The Future of the Universal Service Fund
15.
Dismissal of Charges Sought in Death of
Skookumchuck Wind Farm Worker
16.
As Miners Chase Clean-Energy Minerals Across the
West, Tribes Fear a Repeat of the Past
17.
Clean Hydrogen Use Gaining Momentum in Countries
18.
Keep Your Bills Low During Winter Weather with
Energy Saving Tips from the Benton PUD
19.
Here’s How to Save Big on Your Energy Bill
During Whatcom’s Record-Breaking Low Temps
20.
What We Learned This Year About Human Waste
& Puget Sound
21.
Sewage Spill Contaminates Percival Creek,
Capitol Lake, Budd Inlet
22.
Alaska Experiences Record-High Temperature for
December, Freezing Rain
23.
Data Confirms All-Time Record Temperatures
During Summer Heatwave in North Central Washington
24.
Oregon’s Smallest, Southernmost Glacier Has
Disappeared, Observers Say
25.
For The Northwest, Climate Change Was Hard to
Ignore in 2021
26.
Washington State Public Works Board Has Approved
$44.6 Million In New Grants for Broadband Expansion
27.
WA State: Broadband to Expand West of Port
Angeles – Agency Leaders Anticipate More Fund Opportunities
28.
China Urges U.S. to Protect Its Space Station
from Internet-Providing Satellites
29.
The Generation That Desires Good Internet Over
Love: Young People Value Strong Broadband Connection More Than Finding Romance,
Survey Finds
30.
Watch a Tesla Owner Blow Up His Model S with 66
Pounds of Dynamite Instead of Paying $22,000 to Repair It
31.
Montana Producers Prepare for Recreational
Marijuana Jan. 1
32.
How Oklahoma Became a Marijuana Boom State
33.
Is Noon 12 AM or 12 PM?
34.
Lake Tahoe Shatters 50-Year December Snowfall
Record with More Than 16 Feet of Snow
35. Western Washington State: Clear & Cold Before Another Round of Snow Overnight
WORD OF THE DAY
Wreak \REEK\ Verb - 1: to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment) 2: to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling) 3: bring about, cause.
“Good grief,” opined Samuel Morse to his illiterate assistant. “It’s ‘what hath God wrought,’ you ninny. Not, ‘what hath god wreaked’.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
British Columbia: Electricity Demand Breaks
Records Reports BC Hydro (E-Know, Canada)
https://www.e-know.ca/regions/east-kootenay/electricity-demand-breaks-records-reports-bc-hydro/
2.
WA State: Chelan PUD Expecting Record-Breaking
Energy Demand with Frigid Cold This Week (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.kpq.com/chelan-pud-expecting-record-breaking-energy-demand-with-frigid-cold-this-week/
3.
NW Natural Asks Oregon Regulators for a 9.9%
Rate Hike (Portland Business Journal, OR – Paywall Advisory)
4.
Idaho Power Seeking Approval for Large-Load
Special Contract (Daily Energy Insider)
5.
New Mexico Tribes Concerned About Plan to Power
Nuclear Lab (Associated Press)
6.
Buffett, Anschutz-Backed Power Lines Get Deal to
Move Forward (Bloomberg News)
7.
How New England Bungled Its Plan to Transition to
Renewable Energy (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/29/maine-renewable-energy-hydropower-new-england
8.
Clark Public Utilities Gives Out $3.4 Million in
Aid (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/dec/29/clark-public-utilities-gives-out-3-4m-in-aid/
9.
WA State: Okanogan County PUD Helps Ratepayers
Keep the Lights On (Quad City Herald, Chelan, WA)
https://www.qcherald.com/public-utility-dist/okanogan-county-pud-helps-ratepayers-keep-lights
10.
Will Nuclear Fusion Ever Power the World? (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/will-nuclear-fusion-ever-power-the-world-1848149991
11.
Alexa Tells 10-Year-Old Girl to Touch Live Plug with
Penny (British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59810383
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
One Unexpected Way for Biden to Help the Climate
& Rural America at the Same Time – The president has the power to reform
the wayward Tennessee Valley Authority (The New Republic)
https://newrepublic.com/article/164722/biden-climate-tennessee-valley-authority
13.
Guest Essay: Utility Pole Regs Could Hamper Montana
Broadband Initiative (Montana Standard, Butte. MT)
14.
The Future of the Universal Service Fund (Pots
& Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/12/29/the-future-of-the-universal-service-fund/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
15.
Dismissal of Charges Sought in Death of
Skookumchuck Wind Farm Worker (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
16.
As Miners Chase Clean-Energy Minerals Across the
West, Tribes Fear a Repeat of the Past (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
17.
Clean Hydrogen Use Gaining Momentum in Countries
(U.S. News & World Report)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
Keep Your Bills Low During Winter Weather with
Energy Saving Tips from the Benton PUD (KAPP/KVEW TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
19.
Here’s How to Save Big on Your Energy Bill
During Whatcom’s Record-Breaking Low Temps (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/weather-news/article256893062.html
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
20.
What We Learned This Year About Human Waste &
Puget Sound (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/12/what-we-learned-year-about-human-waste-and-puget-sound
21.
Sewage Spill Contaminates Percival Creek, Capitol
Lake, Budd Inlet (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article256905512.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
Alaska Experiences Record-High Temperature for December,
Freezing Rain (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/12/28/alaska-record-temperatures-climate/
23.
Data Confirms All-Time Record Temperatures
During Summer Heatwave in North Central Washington (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
24.
Oregon’s Smallest, Southernmost Glacier Has
Disappeared, Observers Say (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
25.
For The Northwest, Climate Change Was Hard to
Ignore in 2021 (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/climate-change-was-hard-to-ignore-for-the-northwest-in-2021
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
Washington State Public Works Board Has Approved
$44.6 Million In New Grants for Broadband Expansion (Washington Policy Center)
27.
WA State: Broadband to Expand West of Port
Angeles – Agency Leaders Anticipate More Fund Opportunities (Sequim Gazette,
WA)
https://www.sequimgazette.com/news/broadband-to-expand-west-of-port-angeles/
28.
China Urges U.S. to Protect Its Space Station from
Internet-Providing Satellites (Associated Press)
29.
The Generation That Desires Good Internet Over
Love: Young People Value Strong Broadband Connection More Than Finding Romance,
Survey Finds (The Daily Mail, UK)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
30.
Watch a Tesla Owner Blow Up His Model S with 66
Pounds of Dynamite Instead of Paying $22,000 to Repair It (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/watch-tesla-owner-blow-model-161712290.html
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
31.
Montana Producers Prepare for Recreational
Marijuana Jan. 1 (KFYR-TV, Bismarck, ND)
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2021/12/28/montana-producers-prepare-recreational-marijuana-jan-1/
32.
How Oklahoma Became a Marijuana Boom State (Santa
Rosa Press-Democrat, CA)
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/how-oklahoma-became-a-marijuana-boom-state/?ref=TSM
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
33.
Is Noon 12 AM or 12 PM? (Royal Museums, Greenwich,
UK)
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/noon-12-am-or-12-pm
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
34.
Lake Tahoe Shatters 50-Year December Snowfall
Record with More Than 16 Feet of Snow (USA Today – Paywall Advisory)
35.
Western Washington State: Clear & Cold
Before Another Round of Snow Overnight (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
NFL Hall of Fame Coach & Former Grays Harbor Community
College Alum Choker John Madden Dead at 85
https://www.kxro.com/nfl-hall-of-fame-coach-and-former-grays-harbor-choker-john-madden-dead-at-85/
Trial to Open Next Month in Spectacular German Jewelry Theft
The 3,500-Year-Old Mummy of an Egyptian King Has Been ‘Digitally
Unwrapped’ for the First Time
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/28/world/egyptian-mummy-unwrap-scn/index.html
Letter That Arrived 68 Years Late Returned to Family
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/12/28/long-lost-letter-arrives-68-years-late/4291640716840/
SONG OF THE DAY
Sam Spence – The Power & Glory: Up as She Rises (NFL
Films)
