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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
California Utility
Regulators Move to Avoid Power Outages Following This Year’s Extreme Heat
(Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
WA State: Fish Passage,
Dam Removal Studied as Seattle City Light Aims to Relicense Three Skagit River
Dams (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Oregon: Wind Turbine
Blades Stir Up Trouble for Milton-Freewater Recycling Operation (Walla Walla
Union-Bulletin, WA – Paywall Advisory)
A Month After
‘Malicious’ Cyberattack, A Small Colorado Utility Still Doesn’t Have All
Systems Back Online (Utility Dive)
Weaker Efficiency
Standards for Manufactured Housing Could ‘Threaten Grid Reliability,’ Says
California Agency (Utility Dive)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. California
Utility Regulators Move to Avoid Power Outages Following This Year’s Extreme
Heat
2. WA
State: Fish Passage, Dam Removal Studied as Seattle City Light Aims to
Relicense Three Skagit River Dams
3. With
Coal in the Rearview, Future of Skookumchuck Dam in Question
4. Colorado
Utilities Could Cut Costs 5% by Joining an RTO, PUC Finds, as Western Market
Momentum Builds
5. Despite
Authority to Require RTOs, Glick Says FERC Will Encourage Bottom-Up Approach to
Creating Power Markets
6. How
Nuclear Power Figures into a Green Energy Future
7. Alaska:
Chair of Nuclear Regulatory Commission Touts Safety of Small Reactors Like the
One Planned for Eielson
8. Planning
Is Underway for Project That Will Bring Power to Navajo Nation Residents
9. Western
Area Power Administration: CEO Tracey LeBeau Discusses Efforts to Reduce
Wildfire Threat
10. New
Hampshire: One Small Mistake in a Dump Truck Caused Massive Power Outage
11. California:
Electrical Vault Blast Scatters Concrete, Blows Out Windows at North Hollywood
Apartment Building
12. Hydropower
in West Is Critical to Grid Resilience, Reliability
13. Guest
Essay: Oregon Senator Should Champion Hydropower
14. Dams,
Rivers & Drive-By Truckers: Songs That Explain the Challenge of Sustainable
Energy
15. Editorial:
Don’t Slash Incentives for California Rooftop Solar
16. Oregon:
Wind Turbine Blades Stir Up Trouble for Milton-Freewater Recycling Operation
17. Weaker
Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Housing Could ‘Threaten Grid
Reliability,’ Says California Agency
18. Portland
City Council Votes to Fund Local Air Conditioning Unit Grant Program
19. How
Much Does a Strand of Christmas Lights Add to Your Electric Bill?
20. Power
Loss at Southern Oregon Hatchery Means Smaller Salmon, Trout
21. Hatcheries
May Be the Last Best Hope for Endangered Sucker Fish in the Klamath Basin
22. Melting
Arctic Is a Bonanza for the Ocean’s Natural Born Killers
23. Fixing
Septic Systems Is Key to Protecting Puget Sound Shellfish
24. States
Are Funding a Plan to Keep Colorado River Water in Lake Mead. What Will It Do?
25. Oregon
Gov. Brown Wants Offshore Wind Farms, Otters & Heat Pumps to Help Fight
Global Warming
26. Washington
Needs to ‘Defeat Climate Change at Its Source,’ Says Gov. Inslee
27. $44.6
Million In Grants Approved for Washington State Broadband Projects
28. How
States Are Using Pandemic Relief Funds to Boost Broadband Access
29. How
to Solve the Rural-Urban Digital Divide
30. Decorations
Defeat Broadband: Sky Issues Vital Advice for Broadband Users This Month –
You’d Be Wise Not to Ignore It
31. A
Month After ‘Malicious’ Cyberattack, A Small Colorado Utility Still Doesn’t
Have All Systems Back Online
32. Twitter
Says It Erroneously Suspended Accounts Following Flood of ‘Coordinated &
Malicious’ Reports
33. Why
Do So Many Amateur Writers Punctuate Quotes All Wrong?
34. Report
on Seattle Mayor’s Missing Texts Still Hasn’t Shown Up as She Prepares to Exit
City Hall
35. Explainer: Stuck Jet Stream, La Nina Causing Weird Weather
WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Fomite /FOE-mite/ Noun – An object (such as a dish, doorknob, or article of clothing) that may be contaminated with bacteria or viruses and serve in their transmission.
The
lowly sneeze-guard
Suspected
fomite vector
Bane of the buffet
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
3.
With Coal in the Rearview, Future of
Skookumchuck Dam in Question (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
4.
Colorado Utilities Could Cut Costs 5% by Joining
an RTO, PUC Finds, as Western Market Momentum Builds (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/colorado-utilities-PUC-rto-report-power-markets/610918/
5.
Despite Authority to Require RTOs, Glick Says FERC
Will Encourage Bottom-Up Approach to Creating Power Markets (Utility Dive)
6.
How Nuclear Power Figures into a Green Energy
Future (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/04/1061539850/how-nuclear-power-figures-into-a-green-energy-future
7.
Alaska: Chair of Nuclear Regulatory Commission Touts
Safety of Small Reactors Like the One Planned for Eielson (KTOO-TV, Juneau, AK)
8.
Planning Is Underway for Project That Will Bring
Power to Navajo Nation Residents (American Public Power Association)
9.
Western Area Power Administration: CEO Tracey
LeBeau Discusses Efforts to Reduce Wildfire Threat (American Public Power
Association - Audio)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1452280/9672215
10.
New Hampshire: One Small Mistake in a Dump Truck
Caused Massive Power Outage (WFXT-TV, Boston, MA)
11.
California: Electrical Vault Blast Scatters
Concrete, Blows Out Windows at North Hollywood Apartment Building (KABC-TV, Los
Angeles, CA)
https://abc7.com/north-hollywood-explosion-electrical-vault/11294444/
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
Hydropower in West Is Critical to Grid
Resilience, Reliability (National Hydropower Association)
13.
Guest Essay: Oregon Senator Should Champion
Hydropower (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR – Paywall Advisory)
14.
Dams, Rivers & Drive-By Truckers: Songs That
Explain the Challenge of Sustainable Energy (Forbes Magazine)
15.
Editorial: Don’t Slash Incentives for California
Rooftop Solar (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-12-06/rooftop-solar-net-metering
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
Portland City Council Votes to Fund Local Air
Conditioning Unit Grant Program (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
19.
How Much Does a Strand of Christmas Lights Add to
Your Electric Bill? (Nextstar Media)
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
Power Loss at Southern Oregon Hatchery Means
Smaller Salmon, Trout (Associated Press)
21.
Hatcheries May Be the Last Best Hope for Endangered
Sucker Fish in the Klamath Basin (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
22.
Melting Arctic Is a Bonanza for the Ocean’s
Natural Born Killers (NY Times – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.wionews.com/world/melting-arctic-is-a-bonanza-for-the-oceans-natural-born-killers-434066
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
23.
Fixing Septic Systems Is Key to Protecting Puget
Sound Shellfish (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/12/fixing-septic-systems-key-protecting-puget-sound-shellfish
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
24.
States Are Funding a Plan to Keep Colorado River
Water in Lake Mead. What Will It Do? (Nevada Independent)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
25.
Oregon Gov. Brown Wants Offshore Wind Farms,
Otters & Heat Pumps to Help Fight Global Warming (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
26.
Washington Needs to ‘Defeat Climate Change at Its
Source,’ Says Gov. Inslee (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3263247/washington-flooding-climate-change-inslee/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
$44.6 Million In Grants Approved for Washington
State Broadband Projects (Washington State Wire, Olympia, WA)
https://washingtonstatewire.com/44-6-million-in-grants-approved-for-wa-broadband-projects/
28.
How States Are Using Pandemic Relief Funds to
Boost Broadband Access (Pew Charitable Trust)
29. How
to Solve the Rural-Urban Digital Divide (High Country News)
https://www.hcn.org/articles/technology-how-to-solve-the-rural-urban-digital-divide
30.
Decorations Defeat Broadband: Sky Issues Vital
Advice for Broadband Users This Month – You’d Be Wise Not to Ignore It (The Express,
UK)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
32.
Twitter Says It Erroneously Suspended Accounts
Following Flood of ‘Coordinated & Malicious’ Reports (Washington Post – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/12/03/twitter-admits-error-in-account-suspensions/
33.
Why Do So Many Amateur Writers Punctuate Quotes
All Wrong? (Medium, Writers’ Blokke)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
34.
Report on Seattle Mayor’s Missing Texts Still Hasn’t
Shown Up as She Prepares to Exit City Hall (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
35.
Explainer: Stuck Jet Stream, La Nina Causing
Weird Weather (Associated Press)
LOUSE IN THE LUGGAGE – DIVERSIONS
300 Giant Cockroaches,
Tarantulas, & Scorpions Found in Luggage at Colombian Airport
https://gizmodo.com/300-giant-cockroaches-tarantulas-and-scorpions-found-1848166203
Chinese Rover to
Investigate ‘Mysterious Hut’ Spotted on Far Side of Moon
https://gizmodo.com/chinese-rover-to-investigate-mysterious-hut-spotted-o-1848165985
A Mountaineer Who Found
a Trove of Rubies, Emeralds, & Sapphires That Belonged to a Passenger
Killed in a Plane Crash Gets a Share of the Gems, Reports Say
https://news.yahoo.com/mountaineer-found-trove-rubies-emeralds-162754804.html
Missing Cat Reunited with
Texas Family After Six Years
SONG OF THE DAY
Maxine Nightingale –
Right Back Where We Started From
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABP0Z3cv7pw
