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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Vast Numbers of People in Washington Are Shut Out of the
Digital World; Will Massive Government Funding Solve the Problem? (Seattle
Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
U.S. to Face Increasing Power Reliability Issues Over Next
Ten Years – NERC (Reuters)
Sweeping Plan to Wean Oregonians from Fossil Fuels Approved
by Regulators (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
California Cannabis Companies Warn of Impending Industry
Collapse (Associated Press)
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/california-marijuana-industry-collapse-newsom/2781457/
Major Cold Wave Ahead for the Pacific Northwest – A White
Christmas is Possible (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/12/major-cold-wave-ahead-for-northwest.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
U.S. to Face Increasing Power Reliability Issues
Over Next Ten Years – NERC
2.
California Utility Faces $550 Million in
Penalties for Five Wildfires
3.
Idaho U.S. Rep. Simpson Details Snake River Dam
Removal Concept
4.
Federal Study Demonstrates Hydropower’s Ability
to Support Grid Reliability
5.
EIA Forecasts U.S. Natural Gas Production Will
Establish a New Monthly Record High in 2022
6.
Coal-Fired Power Generation on Track to Hit
All-Time High This Year, IEA Says
7.
The Feds Have Collected More Than $44 Billion
for a Permanent Nuclear Waste Dump — Here’s Why We Still Don’t Have One
8.
British Columbia: John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade:
Up to $822 Million, Six Years of Work to Help Secure Island Power Generation
9.
Homer Electric Association Sues Over Its Largest
Ever Instance of Power Theft
10.
Clark Public Utilities Ranked Highest in Segment
for Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power, 14 Years in a Row
11.
WA State: A Tougher Grid - Chelan PUD Energizes
Fire-Hardened Transmission Line in Chelan
12.
In Significant Climate Change Action, New York
City Bans New Gas Hookups
13.
FERC Eyes Rule Changes to Prevent Utilities from
Charging Ratepayers for Political Expenses
14.
European Energy Prices Soar as a Deep Freeze
Arrives
15.
Guest Essay: Montana - Protesting Non-Union,
Out-of-State Labor on Wind Farm Project
16.
Guest Essay: Pumped Storage Electricity Can
Benefit Everyone
17.
Free Press Roundup: More Than 6,150 News Jobs
Lost in Pandemic
18.
California: Controversial Lake Elsinore
Hydroelectric Project Blocked by Federal Government
19.
Green Group, Tribe Sue U.S. Land Agency Over
Nevada Geothermal Plant
20.
U.S. Fishing Industry Teams Up with Oil Lobby to
Fight Offshore Wind
21.
‘Corrosive Communities’: How a Facebook Fight
Over Wind Power Predicts the Future of Local Politics in America
22.
A ‘Green’ Energy Project Leaves a Mississippi
Town Gasping for Air
23.
Rebates Up to $11,000 Now Available on Heat
Pumps for British Columbia Homes
24.
Columbia River Spring Chinook Projections Are Up
for 2022
25.
British Columbia’s ‘Southern Resident’ Orcas
Have Been Wandering Far from Home. Could This Be the End?
26.
Washington State Launches Program to Cut
Underwater Noise in Puget Sound
27.
Climate Change Is Forcing Species from Their
Habitats. Does That Make Them Invasive?
28.
Sweeping Plan to Wean Oregonians from Fossil
Fuels Approved by Regulators
29.
U.S. Senator Manchin’s Opposition to Build Back
Better Bill Undercuts President Biden’s Climate Agenda
30.
Oregon: Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Back on
Table in Multnomah County
31.
Centralia, WA a Fossil Fuel Transition Success
Story – And a transition model for communities like Anacortes, Ferndale, and
Tacoma.
32.
Vast Numbers of People in Washington Are Shut
Out of the Digital World; Will Massive Government Funding Solve the Problem?
33.
WA State: Internet’s ‘Final Frontier’: Broadband
Is Coming to Skykomish!
34.
Aviation and Tech Industries Spar Over Whether
or Not 5G Can Actually Crash a Plane
35.
CenturyLink Sale Could Bolster Broadband
Internet in Parts of Central Pennsylvania
36.
Anti-5G Necklaces Found to Be Radioactive
37.
California Cannabis Companies Warn of Impending
Industry Collapse
38.
Awash in Illegal Cannabis Farms, Oregon Plans
Millions for Relief
39.
Congress to Take Up Marijuana Reform This Spring
40.
Idaho Experiment That Showed Nuclear Power Was
More Than a Weapon Turns 70 Years Old
41.
When a Town Turned Off All Its Lights, The Milky
Way Reemerged
42.
Major Cold Wave Ahead for the Pacific Northwest
– A White Christmas is Possible
43. Report: Pacific County, WA No. 6 in U.S. for Second-Home Activity
WORD OF THE DAY
Symposium \sim-POSE-ee-um\ Noun – 1a: a convivial party (as after a banquet in ancient Greece) with music & conversation b: a social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas 2a: a formal meeting at which several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics b: a collection of opinions on a subject; especially: one published by a periodical.
Dagwood, the new linguist at the Liberian Online College Institute was excited about attending the conference in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico on the plural use of symposium. “Which session? Symposium, symposiums, or symposia,” he mused. “Or the blockbuster presentation on Elvis, Elvises, or Elvi?”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
U.S. to Face Increasing Power Reliability Issues
Over Next Ten Years – NERC (Reuters)
2.
California Utility Faces $550 Million in
Penalties for Five Wildfires (Associated Press)
3.
Idaho U.S. Rep. Simpson Details Snake River Dam
Removal Concept (Twin Falls Post-Register, ID)
4.
Federal Study Demonstrates Hydropower’s Ability to
Support Grid Reliability (American Public Power Association)
5.
EIA Forecasts U.S. Natural Gas Production Will
Establish a New Monthly Record High in 2022 (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50678
6.
Coal-Fired Power Generation on Track to Hit
All-Time High This Year, IEA Says (CNBC)
7.
The Feds Have Collected More Than $44 Billion for
a Permanent Nuclear Waste Dump — Here’s Why We Still Don’t Have One (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/18/nuclear-waste-why-theres-no-permanent-nuclear-waste-dump-in-us.html
8.
British Columbia: John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade:
Up to $822 Million, Six Years of Work to Help Secure Island Power Generation
(Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
9.
Homer Electric Association Sues Over Its Largest
Ever Instance of Power Theft (KDLL Radio, Kenai, AK)
10.
Clark Public Utilities Ranked Highest in Segment
for Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power, 14 Years in a Row (Clark Public
Utilities, Vancouver, WA)
https://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/news/news-release-12-15-21/
11.
WA State: A Tougher Grid - Chelan PUD Energizes
Fire-Hardened Transmission Line in Chelan (Lake Chelan Now, WA)
12.
In Significant Climate Change Action, New York
City Bans New Gas Hookups (Yahoo! News)
13.
FERC Eyes Rule Changes to Prevent Utilities from
Charging Ratepayers for Political Expenses (Utility Dive)
14.
European Energy Prices Soar as a Deep Freeze
Arrives (Bloomberg News)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
15.
Guest Essay: Montana - Protesting Non-Union,
Out-of-State Labor on Wind Farm Project (Montana Standard, Butte MT)
16.
Guest Essay: Pumped Storage Electricity Can
Benefit Everyone (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
17.
Free Press Roundup: More Than 6,150 News Jobs
Lost in Pandemic (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/free-press-roundup-more-than-6150-news-jobs-lost-in-pandemic/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE – The ‘Build It, We Dare You Edition’
18.
California: Controversial Lake Elsinore Hydroelectric
Project Blocked by Federal Government (Riverside Press-Enterprise, CA)
19.
Green Group, Tribe Sue U.S. Land Agency Over Nevada
Geothermal Plant (Reuters)
20.
U.S. Fishing Industry Teams Up with Oil Lobby to
Fight Offshore Wind (Reuters)
21.
‘Corrosive Communities’: How a Facebook Fight
Over Wind Power Predicts the Future of Local Politics in America (Buzzfeed
News)
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/facebook-groups-wind-turbine-construction
22.
A ‘Green’ Energy Project Leaves a Mississippi
Town Gasping for Air (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biomass-energy-power-plants_n_61bcb6cae4b0a3722477d16a
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
23.
Rebates Up to $11,000 Now Available on Heat
Pumps for British Columbia Homes (Surry Now Leader, BC)
FISH & WILDLIFE
24.
Columbia River Spring Chinook Projections Are Up
for 2022 (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
25.
British Columbia’s ‘Southern Resident’ Orcas
Have Been Wandering Far from Home. Could This Be the End? (Maclean’s)
26.
Washington State Launches Program to Cut
Underwater Noise in Puget Sound (Crosscut Seattle)
27.
Climate Change Is Forcing Species from Their
Habitats. Does That Make Them Invasive? (National Public Radio)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
28.
Sweeping Plan to Wean Oregonians from Fossil
Fuels Approved by Regulators (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
29.
U.S. Senator Manchin’s Opposition to Build Back
Better Bill Undercuts President Biden’s Climate Agenda (Washington Post –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/12/19/manchin-climate-build-back-better/
30.
Oregon: Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Back on Table
in Multnomah County (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
31.
Centralia, WA a Fossil Fuel Transition Success
Story – And a transition model for communities like Anacortes, Ferndale, and
Tacoma. (Sightline Institute)
https://www.sightline.org/2021/12/14/centralia-a-fossil-fuel-transition-success-story/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
32.
Vast Numbers of People in Washington Are Shut
Out of the Digital World; Will Massive Government Funding Solve the Problem? (Seattle
Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
33.
WA State: Internet’s ‘Final Frontier’: Broadband
Is Coming to Skykomish! (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/internets-final-frontier-broadband-is-coming-to-skykomish/
34.
Aviation and Tech Industries Spar Over Whether
or Not 5G Can Actually Crash a Plane (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/aviation-and-tech-industries-spar-over-whether-or-not-5-1848245328
35.
CenturyLink Sale Could Bolster Broadband
Internet in Parts of Central Pennsylvania (PennLive)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
36.
Anti-5G Necklaces Found to Be Radioactive (British
Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59703523
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
37.
California Cannabis Companies Warn of Impending
Industry Collapse (Associated Press)
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/california-marijuana-industry-collapse-newsom/2781457/
38.
Awash in Illegal Cannabis Farms, Oregon Plans
Millions for Relief (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
39.
Congress to Take Up Marijuana Reform This Spring
(The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/586399-congress-to-take-up-marijuana-reform-this-spring
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
40.
Idaho Experiment That Showed Nuclear Power Was
More Than a Weapon Turns 70 Years Old (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
41.
When a Town Turned Off All Its Lights, The Milky
Way Reemerged (Fast Company)
https://www.fastcompany.com/90707309/when-a-town-turned-off-all-its-lights-the-milky-way-reemerged
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
42.
Major Cold Wave Ahead for the Pacific Northwest –
A White Christmas is Possible (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/12/major-cold-wave-ahead-for-northwest.html
43.
Report: Pacific County, WA No. 6 in U.S. for Second-Home
Activity (South Sound Business, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
A Family Heard Buzzing Behind Their Shower for Years – Then They
Found 80,000 Bees
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/16/bees-behind-shower-florida/8924296002/
Seattle Group Brings Krampus to Leavenworth Holiday
Celebration
https://crosscut.com/news/2021/12/seattle-group-brings-krampus-leavenworth-holiday-celebration
Former Spokane Fire captain, Marine was Salvation Army’s ‘Gold
Coin Man’
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/dec/19/former-spokane-fire-captain-marine-was-salvation-a/
A Woman Gave Birth in Her Tesla. It Handled Most of the Driving.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/12/19/tesla-birth/
SONG OF THE DAY
Rimsky Korsakov - Flight of the Bumblebee
