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PROGRAMMING NOTE
The Energy News Digest will be observing President’s Day, Monday February 15, 2021. It will return to regularly scheduled programming on Wednesday, February 17.
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Winter Storm Warning Issued for Portland Area; Blizzard
Conditions Expected in Columbia Gorge (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Inslee Praises Bold Thinking in $33 Billion Proposal to
Breach Four Snake River Dams (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
McMorris Rodgers Calls Dams Breach ‘Fiscally Irresponsible;’
Supports Expanded Hydropower (Ripon Advance)
California’s Aging Dams Face New Perils, 50 Years After
Sylmar Quake Crisis (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Environmental Groups Side with Tribes, Oppose Big Energy
Storage Project on Columbia River (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/environmental-groups-side-with-tribes.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
California’s Aging Dams Face New Perils, 50
Years After Sylmar Quake Crisis
2.
Maine: Construction Starts on Disputed $1
Billion Electricity Corridor to Bring Hydropower from Canada to the NE U.S.
3.
Canada Plans Hydropower Push as Biden Looks to
Clean Up U.S. Grid
4.
California Community Choice Aggregators Form
Joint Powers Authority
5.
Tennessee Valley Authority: Federal Utility
Gives Raise to CEO That Trump Had Criticized – Made $7.3 Million in 2020
6.
Montana: Droppings from Thousands of Roosting
Ravens Cause Power Outages near Roundup
7.
Inslee Praises Bold Thinking in $33 Billion
Proposal to Breach Four Snake River Dams
8.
McMorris Rodgers Calls Dams Breach ‘Fiscally
Irresponsible;’ Supports Expanded Hydropower
9.
Idaho Farm Bureau Blasts Simpson’s Proposed Plan
to Remove Four Lower Snake River Dams
10.
Local Utility Responds to Lower Snake River Dams
Proposal
11.
Snake River Dams: Simpson’s Salmon Plan
12.
Op/Ed: Despite Unknowns, Snake River
Dam-Breaching Proposal Is Opening Honest Conversations
13.
Misleading Snake River Data Undermine
Region-Wide Salmon Recovery Efforts
14.
Editorial: As Good as It Is, Simpson’s Snake
River Dam Plan Isn’t Enough
15.
Environmental Groups Side with Tribes, Oppose
Big Energy Storage Project on Columbia River
16.
California: Palm Springs Residents Will Now Get
Some of Their Energy from Palm Springs Wind Farms
17.
Waste Incinerators Won Renewable Energy
Subsidies Despite Violations
18.
The Greater Appeal of Energy-Efficient
Appliances Is a Reduction in Energy Costs, Not in Emissions
19.
Space Heaters Pose Safety Concerns, May Cause
High Electric Bills
20.
Three Small Changes That Can Make a Big
Difference in Your Utility Bill
21.
Op/Ed: We Must Work Together to Save Treasured
Lake Washington Sockeye
22.
Hackers Breach, Attempt to Poison Florida City’s
Water Supply
23.
Water Wars Heat Up in California
24.
WA State: Republicans Speak Out in House
Environment & Energy Committee Against Natural Gas Bill
25.
How the Fossil Fuel Industry Convinced Americans
to Love Gas Stoves
26.
Alaska Tribes Apply for Broadband Licenses to
Improve Internet Access
27.
WA State: Data Breach at Company That Sends
Utility Bills for Monroe, Redmond
28.
Bitcoin Consumes ‘More Electricity Than
Argentina’
29.
Carmakers in US to Spend $250 Billion on
Electrification By 2023, Push for National Standard, Group Says
30.
Public Power News in an Exciting Virtual Package
– Clatskanie PUD Introduces Public Power Underground Podcast
31.
‘Mission Unstoppable’ on CBS Encouraging Girls
in STEM
32.
Biden Names Pick for Deputy Energy Chief
33.
Winter Storm Warning Issued for Portland Area;
Blizzard Conditions Expected in Columbia Gorge
34. Light Snow Falling in Parts of Western Washington, South Sound to Get Several Inches – Chance for Major Snow Event This Weekend Increasing
WORD OF THE DAY
Docile \DOSS-ill\ Adjective - 1: easily taught 2: easily led or managed.
Ambrose wandered amongst his docile minions, pleased that for once he was in charge. The employees in the stenographers’ pool parted like the ocean before the prow of a giant ship as he passed by. “This is great,” he pondered. “Once I replaced those troublesome employees with Shropshire sheep, complaints dropped off at once.” “Of course,” he mused, “These smelly ruminants get nothing done all day, except to fertilize the carpet.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
California’s Aging Dams Face New Perils, 50
Years After Sylmar Quake Crisis (Los Angeles Times, CA)
2.
Maine: Construction Starts on Disputed $1
Billion Electricity Corridor to Bring Hydropower from Canada to the NE U.S. (Associated
Press)
https://apnews.com/article/environment-maine-847342d3a112b97ae9c5c210205cfa38
3.
Canada Plans Hydropower Push as Biden Looks to Clean
Up U.S. Grid (Reuters)
4.
California Community Choice Aggregators Form
Joint Powers Authority (American Public Power Association)
5.
Tennessee Valley Authority: Federal Utility
Gives Raise to CEO That Trump Had Criticized – Made $7.3 Million in 2020 (Associated
Press)
6.
Montana: Droppings from Thousands of Roosting
Ravens Cause Power Outages near Roundup (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
SNAKE RIVER CONVERSATIONS – How about the (cough) Hells Canyon Complex (cough)?
7.
Inslee Praises Bold Thinking in $33 Billion
Proposal to Breach Four Snake River Dams (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
8.
McMorris Rodgers Calls Dams Breach ‘Fiscally Irresponsible;’
Supports Expanded Hydropower (Ripon Advance)
9.
Idaho Farm Bureau Blasts Simpson’s Proposed Plan
to Remove Four Lower Snake River Dams (KLEW-TV, Lewiston, ID)
10.
Local Utility Responds to Lower Snake River Dams
Proposal (KVEW/KAPP TV, Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA)
https://www.yaktrinews.com/utilities-company-responds-to-lower-snake-river-dams-proposal/
11.
Snake River Dams: Simpson’s Salmon Plan (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-energy/2021/02/10/simpsons-salmon-plan-793276
12.
Op/Ed: Despite Unknowns, Snake River
Dam-Breaching Proposal Is Opening Honest Conversations (Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
13.
Misleading Snake River Data Undermine
Region-Wide Salmon Recovery Efforts (Washington Policy Center)
14.
Editorial: As Good as It Is, Simpson’s Snake
River Dam Plan Isn’t Enough (Lewiston Tribune, ID)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
15.
Environmental Groups Side with Tribes, Oppose
Big Energy Storage Project on Columbia River (Portland Business Journal, OR)
https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/environmental-groups-side-with-tribes.html
16.
California: Palm Springs Residents Will Now Get
Some of Their Energy from Palm Springs Wind Farms (Palm Springs Desert Sun, CA)
17.
Waste Incinerators Won Renewable Energy
Subsidies Despite Violations (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/09/new-jersey-incinerators-energy-subsidies-467877
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
The Greater Appeal of Energy-Efficient
Appliances Is a Reduction in Energy Costs, Not in Emissions (Morning Consult)
https://morningconsult.com/2021/02/11/energy-efficiency-consumer-appliances/
19.
Space Heaters Pose Safety Concerns, May Cause
High Electric Bills (The Ada Herald, OH)
20.
Three Small Changes That Can Make a Big
Difference in Your Utility Bill (WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC)
FISH & WILDLIFE
21.
Op/Ed: We Must Work Together to Save Treasured Lake
Washington Sockeye (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
22.
Hackers Breach, Attempt to Poison Florida City’s
Water Supply (The Hill, Washington, DC)
23.
Water Wars Heat Up in California (Courthouse
News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/water-wars-heat-up-in-california/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
24.
WA State: Republicans Speak Out in House
Environment & Energy Committee Against Natural Gas Bill (Battleground Reflector,
WA)
http://www.thereflector.com/news/article_eef1fb6a-6be2-11eb-a6fe-cfdf4e9d8695.html
25.
How the Fossil Fuel Industry Convinced Americans
to Love Gas Stoves (Mother Jones)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
Alaska Tribes Apply for Broadband Licenses to
Improve Internet Access (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
27.
WA State: Data Breach at Company That Sends
Utility Bills for Monroe, Redmond (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/2560158/data-breach-utility-bills-monroe-redmond/
28.
Bitcoin Consumes ‘More Electricity Than Argentina’
(British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56012952
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
29.
Carmakers in US to Spend $250 Billion on Electrification
By 2023, Push for National Standard, Group Says (Utility Dive)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
30.
Public Power News in an Exciting Virtual Package
– Clatskanie PUD Introduces Public Power Underground Podcast (Public Power
Underground)
https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/clatskanie-pud-power-department-podcast
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
31.
‘Mission Unstoppable’ on CBS Encouraging Girls in
STEM (CBS News)
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/02/11/mission-unstoppable-on-cbs-encouraging-girls-in-stem/
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
32.
Biden Names Pick for Deputy Energy Chief (The
Hill. Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/538200-biden-names-pick-for-deputy-energy-chief
SNOW. YES, SNOW
33.
Winter Storm Warning Issued for Portland Area;
Blizzard Conditions Expected in Columbia Gorge (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
34.
Light Snow Falling in Parts of Western
Washington, South Sound to Get Several Inches – Chance for Major Snow Event
This Weekend Increasing (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/snow-forecast-wide-range-possibilities/OOP3JE4SRNFHVLTH5FBMEVY5SQ/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Ancient Shell Horn Can Still Play a Tune after 18,000 Years
That Cat Zoom Filter Is Almost Impossible to Find. Here’s Why
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/tech/cat-lawyer-zoom-filter/index.html
The Staying Power of the Smiley Face
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/artsy-smiley-face-origin/index.html
Music to My Fears: Man Swallows Earbud While Sleeping
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Music-to-my-fears-Man-swallows-earbud-while-15930034.php
SONG OF THE DAY
James Taylor - Your Smiling Face
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSsfNlS42Cc
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