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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Decades of Climate Data Reveal Longer Droughts, Erratic
Rainfall in Southwest U.S. (Courthouse News Service)
Pacific Gas & Electric Faces Criminal Charges Over 2019
Wine Country Fire (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/pge-faces-criminal-charges-over-2019-wine-country-fire/
Wyoming Bills to Slow Coal Plant Closures Sent to Governor
as Four Other States Pursue Similar Steps (Utility Dive)
PacifiCorp Wind Farm Tied to Facebook’s Green Goals Goes
Online (Portland Business Journal)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/pacificorp-wind-farm-tied-to-facebooks.html
President Biden Proposal Includes $100 Billion for Power
Infrastructure (American Public Power Association)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Pacific Gas & Electric Faces Criminal
Charges Over 2019 Wine Country Fire
2.
Wyoming Bills to Slow Coal Plant Closures Sent
to Governor as Four Other States Pursue Similar Steps
3.
Montana: Senate Republicans Advance Colstrip
Bill, Which Critics Say Burdens NorthWestern Ratepayers
4.
Puget Sound Energy Signs Agreement with WA State
to Settle Request for Rate Increase
5.
Avista Utilities Submits Resource Plan to
Washington, Idaho Regulators Outlining Clean-Energy Goals
6.
Pacific Gas & Electric Reminding Customers
with Past Due Balances to Plan Now Before COVID Protections End
7.
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe: Seattle’s Skagit
River Dams Put Treaty Rights at Risk
8.
WA State: Seattle City Light Dam Relicensing
Study Plan Due. Here Are the Concerns of State, Tribes
9.
WA State: Relicensing the Skagit Hydroelectric
Project
10.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Hears Pleas During
WA Visit to Breach Snake River Dams
11.
Cold Snap Caused Most Texas Outages During
Storm, Grid Operator Says
12.
WA State: Chelan PUD Considers Waiving
Electrical Connection Fees to Support Affordable Housing Development
13.
SoCal Edison to Remove 11,000 Palm Trees to Cut
Fire Risk
14.
Electric Cooperatives Express Concerns Over
Postal Rate Hikes
15.
The Dynamics of Hydropower’s Grid Flexibility
16.
State of the Electric Utility, 2021
17.
Op/Ed: The Bonneville Power Administration
Should Lead Pacific Northwest Modernization & Investment
18.
Op/Ed: Gov. Brown Makes Wrong Move on Snake
River Dams
19.
Editorial: Don’t Turn the Lights Out on
California’s Solar Rooftop Revolution
20.
Opinion: Biden Wants to Get All Americans
Online. That Won’t Be Easy.
21.
PacifiCorp Wind Farm Tied to Facebook’s Green
Goals Goes Online
22.
Hawaii NIMBY Fight Reveals Biden Offshore Wind
Challenge
23.
Analysis: High Stakes at Sea in Global Rush for
Wind Power
24.
First Projects in Oregon’s Mandated Community
Solar Program Now Coming Online
25.
Local Governments Set Record for New Renewable
Energy Procurement in 2020, Groups Report
26.
The Subprime Solar Trap for Low-Income
Homeowners
27.
Idaho Power Customers Log Energy Savings
28.
Isamu Akasaki, 92, Dies; Nobel Winner Lit Up the
World with LEDs
29.
Video: The Fight to Boost the Pacific Herring
Population
30.
Rare White Orca Spotted in the Salish Sea Easter
Weekend with 55 Other Killer Whales
31.
Decades of Climate Data Reveal Longer Droughts,
Erratic Rainfall in Southwest U.S.
32.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Releases a
Plan to Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Supply by 2030
33.
Audio: Sacramento Municipal Utility District CEO
& GM Paul Lau Discusses Priorities, Utility’s Zero Carbon Plan
34.
Municipal Broadband War Reignited in Biden’s
Infrastructure Push
35.
State Broadband Authorities Play Crucial Role in
Mapping, Planning and Educating for Digital Inclusion
36.
Report: Rural Fiber Penetration at 23%, Almost
1/3 of Rural Customers Seek Faster Broadband
37.
Congress Thinks New FCC Maps Will Fix the
Digital Divide. But We Need Much More.
38.
Legislation Would Double Electric Vehicle
Registration Fees in Idaho
39.
Electric Vehicles Selling in Record Numbers in
British Columbia, Province Says
40.
President Biden Proposal Includes $100 Billion
for Power Infrastructure
41.
What President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Means
for Washington State’s Public Broadband Crusade
42.
Grid Growing Pains
43. Seattle WA State Senator Apologizes for Joining a Zoom Hearing While Driving
WORD OF THE DAY
Meshuggener • \muh-SHUG-uhner\ • Noun – A foolish or crazy person
“Good Grief!” Exclaimed the vaudeville hall booking agent. “We asked for ‘Charlie McCarthy,’ and that meshuggener Edgar Bergen has the audacity to bring ‘Mortimer Snerd’ instead.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Pacific Gas & Electric Faces Criminal
Charges Over 2019 Wine Country Fire (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/pge-faces-criminal-charges-over-2019-wine-country-fire/
2.
Wyoming Bills to Slow Coal Plant Closures Sent to
Governor as Four Other States Pursue Similar Steps (Utility Dive)
3.
Montana: Senate Republicans Advance Colstrip Bill,
Which Critics Say Burdens NorthWestern Ratepayers (Helena Independent-Record,
MT)
4.
Puget Sound Energy Signs Agreement with WA State
to Settle Request for Rate Increase (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
5.
Avista Utilities Submits Resource Plan to
Washington, Idaho Regulators Outlining Clean-Energy Goals (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/avista-utilities-submits-resource-plan.html
6.
Pacific Gas & Electric Reminding Customers with
Past Due Balances to Plan Now Before COVID Protections End (Daily Energy
Insider)
7.
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe: Seattle’s Skagit
River Dams Put Treaty Rights at Risk (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
8.
WA State: Seattle City Light Dam Relicensing
Study Plan Due. Here Are the Concerns Of State, Tribes (Bellingham Herald, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article250443741.html
9.
WA State: Relicensing the Skagit Hydroelectric
Project (Seattle City Light, WA)
https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/in-the-community/current-projects/skagit-relicensing
10.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Hears Pleas During WA
Visit to Breach Snake River Dams (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/article250468691.html
11.
Cold Snap Caused Most Texas Outages During
Storm, Grid Operator Says (Axios)
12.
WA State: Chelan PUD Considers Waiving
Electrical Connection Fees to Support Affordable Housing Development (KPQ
Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
13.
SoCal Edison to Remove 11,000 Palm Trees to Cut
Fire Risk (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/california-trees-santa-clarita-4e716e7a5894d02a8b7b661a942eabf1
14.
Electric Cooperatives Express Concerns Over
Postal Rate Hikes (Smith County Eagle, Wirtz, VA)
https://www.smithmountaineagle.com/news/article_94992e98-970e-11eb-abb0-6b090684877f.html
15.
The Dynamics of Hydropower’s Grid Flexibility (National
Hydropower Association)
https://www.hydro.org/powerhouse/the-dynamics-of-hydropowers-grid-flexibility/
16.
State of the Electric Utility, 2021 (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/state-of-the-electric-utility-2021/596069/
SOAPBOX SERENADE - OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
17.
Op/Ed: The Bonneville Power Administration Should
Lead Pacific Northwest Modernization & Investment (Seattle Times, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/bpa-should-lead-northwest-modernization-and-investment/
18.
Op/Ed: Gov. Brown Makes Wrong Move on Snake
River Dams (LaGrande Observer, OR)
19.
Editorial: Don’t Turn the Lights Out on California’s
Solar Rooftop Revolution (Los Angeles Times, CA)
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-04-07/california-solar-net-metering
20.
Opinion: Biden Wants to Get All Americans Online.
That Won’t Be Easy. (Washington Post)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
21.
PacifiCorp Wind Farm Tied to Facebook’s Green
Goals Goes Online (Portland Business Journal)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/pacificorp-wind-farm-tied-to-facebooks.html
22.
Hawaii NIMBY Fight Reveals Biden Offshore Wind
Challenge (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063728671
23.
Analysis: High Stakes at Sea in Global Rush for Wind
Power (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2BU0R8
24.
First Projects in Oregon’s Mandated Community
Solar Program Now Coming Online (Solar Power World)
25.
Local Governments Set Record for New Renewable
Energy Procurement in 2020, Groups Report (Utility Dive)
26.
The Subprime Solar Trap for Low-Income
Homeowners (Bloomberg News)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-04-06/the-subprime-solar-trap-for-low-income-homeowners
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
27.
Idaho Power Customers Log Energy Savings (KIFI-TV,
Idaho Falls, ID)
https://localnews8.com/news/local-news/2021/04/06/idaho-power-customers-log-energy-savings/
28.
Isamu Akasaki, 92, Dies; Nobel Winner Lit Up the
World with LEDs (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
FISH & WILDLIFE
29.
Video: The Fight to Boost the Pacific Herring
Population (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1882290243757
30.
Rare White Orca Spotted in the Salish Sea Easter
Weekend with 55 Other Killer Whales (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
31.
Decades of Climate Data Reveal Longer Droughts,
Erratic Rainfall in Southwest U.S. (Courthouse News Service)
32.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Releases a
Plan to Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Supply by 2030 (American
Public Power Association)
33.
Audio: Sacramento Municipal Utility District CEO
& GM Paul Lau Discusses Priorities, Utility’s Zero Carbon Plan (American
Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/podcasts
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
34.
Municipal Broadband War Reignited in Biden’s
Infrastructure Push (Bloomberg News)
35.
State Broadband Authorities Play Crucial Role in
Mapping, Planning and Educating for Digital Inclusion (Broadband Breakfast)
36.
Report: Rural Fiber Penetration at 23%, Almost
1/3 of Rural Customers Seek Faster Broadband (Telecompetitor)
37.
Congress Thinks New FCC Maps Will Fix the
Digital Divide. But We Need Much More. (Slate Magazine)
https://slate.com/technology/2021/04/fcc-new-broadband-service-maps-homework-gap.html?via=rss
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
38.
Legislation Would Double Electric Vehicle
Registration Fees in Idaho (Associated Press)
39.
Electric Vehicles Selling in Record Numbers in British
Columbia, Province Says (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/electric-vehicle-car-sales-bc-1.5977885?cmp=rss
GOVERNANCE, BUSINESS, AND MANAGEMENT
40.
President Biden Proposal Includes $100 Billion for
Power Infrastructure (American Public Power Association)
41.
What President Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Means
for Washington State’s Public Broadband Crusade (GeekWire)
42.
Grid Growing Pains (Politico)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/04/grid-growing-pains-politico.html
43.
Seattle WA State Senator Apologizes for Joining a
Zoom Hearing While Driving (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Unicorn-Stealing Rescue Dog Returns to Dollar General One
More Time Before Moving to New Home
https://people.com/pets/unicorn-toy-dog-returns-to-dollar-general-before-adoption/
Man, a Steal! Rare Superman Comic Sells for Record $3.25 Million
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/man-steal-rare-superman-comic-224450462.html
What’s on Tap? It’s National Beer Day!
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal Pays Off Engagement Ring for
Random Man at Jewelry Store
SONG OF THE DAY
John Williams – Superman Movie Soundtrack Suite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGYYHNr70pg
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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