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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
Extraordinary Cold in Store for the Pacific Northwest (Cliff
Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/12/extraordinary-cold-in-store-for-pacific.html
‘Policy Leaders … Take Note.’ Survey Finds Pacific NW
Residents Support Keeping Snake Dams (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article256748177.html
Major Overhaul of Grand Coulee Hydroelectric Units Complete
(International Water Power & Dam Construction Magazine)
California: Biden Administration Moves to Expand Solar Power
on U.S. Land (Associated Press)
Next Year Is Forecast to Be One of the Warmest on Record
(Bloomberg News)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
‘Policy Leaders … Take Note.’ Survey Finds
Pacific NW Residents Support Keeping Snake Dams
2.
New Survey Shows Support for Snake River Dams, in
Contrast to Earlier Survey
3.
News Release: New Survey Finds Majority of
Pacific Northwest Residents Support Lower Snake River Dams & Hydroelectric
Power
4.
Major Overhaul of Grand Coulee Hydroelectric
Units Complete
5.
WA State: District Court for Western Dist. of WA
Dismisses Tribe’s Suit Against Seattle City Light
6.
WA State: Franklin PUD Warns of Door-to-Door
Scams
7.
Western Area Power Administration Liaison
Supports Tribal Customers
8.
‘Ms. Claus’ Donates $20,000 to Help Pay
Electricity Bills – Nashville-Davidson, Tennessee
9.
Quebec Looks Beyond Hydroelectricity as Last
Planned Megaproject Set to Wrap
10.
Electricity Prices Surge to Record as Europe
Struggles to Keep Lights on
11.
Guest Essay: Nuclear & Hydropower Plants
Provide Most Zero-Emission Electricity in the U.S.
12.
Guest Essay: Nuclear Energy Is the Best Solution
for Combatting Climate Change
13.
California: Biden Administration Moves to Expand
Solar Power on U.S. Land
14.
Feds OK Huge New Solar Farms on Public
California Desert Lands; Critics Cry Foul on One
15.
WA Gov. Inslee Approves New Solar Project Near
Moxee, with Work Expected to Start Next Year
16.
Leaked Emails Show Florida’s Biggest Utility
Drafting Anti-Solar Bill
17.
Southern California Edison’s $1.2 Billion Grid
Reliability Storage Contract Receives Approval from Regulators
18.
Secretary of Energy Visits Sacramento Municipal
Utility District Battery Storage Site, Training Facility
19.
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Recognizes
Two Bonneville Power Administration Employees with Top Energy Efficiency Awards
20.
U.S. Smart Meter Penetration Hits 65%, Expanding
Utility Demand Response Resources: Analysts
21.
WA State: Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe: Court of
Appeals Ruling Won’t Stop Fish Farm Attempt
22.
Alaska Proposal Seeks Funding for Ocean Farming,
Aquaculture
23.
What a New Study Revealed About How Some Chinook
Salmon Migrate
24.
Montana: Change in Snowpack Statistics Ignores
Climate Change Effects
25.
Next Year Is Forecast to Be One of the Warmest
on Record
26.
With the Loss of U.S. Senator Manchin’s (D-WV)
Vote, Biden’s Climate Change Agenda May Be Doomed
27.
USDA Gives Rural Broadband a $119 Million Boost
28.
Rural Online Businesses Expect a Coming
Broadband Boom
29.
Spokane Electrician Faces $144,000 in Fines;
Accused of Installing Electric Vehicle Chargers without Permit
30.
Three Words That Weaken Your Writing
31.
Seeing the Stars: Small Towns & Rural Parks
Pursue Dark Sky Goals
32.
Extraordinary Cold in Store for the Pacific
Northwest
33.
At Least Some Pockets of Pacific Northwest Snow
Likely This Weekend
34.
WA State: Timber Company Returns Two Miles of
Waterfront Property to Squaxin Island Tribe
35.
League of Oregon Cities’ Leader Resigns Days
After Telling Beaverton Mayor: ‘You Have NO SOUL … You Are WEAK’
36. Deeds Show Davenport Hotels in Spokane Sold for More Than $200 Million
WORD OF THE DAY
Golem \GOH-lum\ Noun - 1: an artificial being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life *2: someone or something resembling a golem.
The employees trudged into their gray, windowless sarcophagus, a place they called “work”; their putty-gray faces frozen in a mask of hopeless resignation. Fortunately, one of these workers rose above the level of golem: a laughing, horn-honking red-haired clown known only to his co-workers as “Bozo”.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
‘Policy Leaders … Take Note.’ Survey Finds Pacific
NW Residents Support Keeping Snake Dams (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article256748177.html
2.
New Survey Shows Support for Snake River Dams, in
Contrast to Earlier Survey (Northwest News Network)
3.
News Release: New Survey Finds Majority of
Pacific Northwest Residents Support Lower Snake River Dams & Hydroelectric
Power (Northwest RiverPartners – Links to PDF File)
https://nwriverpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021-NWRP-LSRD-Survey-PressRelease.pdf
4.
Major Overhaul of Grand Coulee Hydroelectric
Units Complete (International Water Power & Dam Construction Magazine)
5.
WA State: District Court for Western Dist. of WA
Dismisses Tribe’s Suit Against Seattle City Light (JD Supra)
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/district-court-for-western-dist-of-wa-5408265/
6.
WA State: Franklin PUD Warns of Door-to-Door
Scams (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA)
7.
Western Area Power Administration Liaison
Supports Tribal Customers (Western Area Power Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2021/Pages/Liaison-supports-Tribal-customers.aspx
8.
‘Ms. Claus’ Donates $20,000 to Help Pay
Electricity Bills – Nashville-Davidson, Tennessee (Eminetra)
9.
Quebec Looks Beyond Hydroelectricity as Last
Planned Megaproject Set to Wrap (The Globe & Mail, Canada)
10.
Electricity Prices Surge to Record as Europe
Struggles to Keep Lights on (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/electricity-prices-surge-record-europe-123757846.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
11.
Guest Essay: Nuclear and hydropower plants
provide most zero-emission electricity in the U.S. (Washington Times)
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/20/nuclear-and-hydropower-plants-provide-most-zero-em/
12.
Guest Essay: Nuclear Energy Is the Best Solution
for Combatting Climate Change (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/nuclear-energy-best-solution-combatting-130115472.html
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
13.
California: Biden Administration Moves to Expand
Solar Power on U.S. Land (Associated Press)
14.
Feds OK Huge New Solar Farms on Public California
Desert Lands; Critics Cry Foul on One (Palm Springs Desert Sun, CA)
15.
WA Gov. Inslee Approves New Solar Project Near Moxee,
with Work Expected to Start Next Year (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
16.
Leaked Emails Show Florida’s Biggest Utility
Drafting Anti-Solar Bill (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/leaked-emails-show-florida-s-biggest-utility-drafting-a-1848258098
17.
Southern California Edison’s $1.2 Billion Grid
Reliability Storage Contract Receives Approval from Regulators (Utility Dive)
18.
Secretary of Energy Visits Sacramento Municipal Utility
District Battery Storage Site, Training Facility (American Public Power
Association)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
19.
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Recognizes
Two Bonneville Power Administration Employees with Top Energy Efficiency Awards
(Bonneville Power Administration)
20.
U.S. Smart Meter Penetration Hits 65%, Expanding
Utility Demand Response Resources: Analysts (Utility Dive)
FISH & WILDLIFE
21.
WA State: Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe: Court of
Appeals Ruling Won’t Stop Fish Farm Attempt (Peninsula Daily News, Port
Angeles, WA)
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/tribe-court-of-appeals-ruling-wont-stop-fish-farm-attempt/
22.
Alaska Proposal Seeks Funding for Ocean Farming,
Aquaculture (Yahoo! News)
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/alaska-proposal-seeks-funding-ocean-204841807.html
23.
What a New Study Revealed About How Some Chinook
Salmon Migrate (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
24.
Montana: Change in Snowpack Statistics Ignores
Climate Change Effects (Missoula Current, MT)
https://missoulacurrent.com/outdoors/2021/12/snowpack-statistics-climate/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
25.
Next Year Is Forecast to Be One of the Warmest
on Record (Bloomberg News)
26.
With the Loss of U.S. Senator Manchin’s (D-WV)
Vote, Biden’s Climate Change Agenda May Be Doomed (National Public Radio)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
USDA Gives Rural Broadband a $119 Million Boost
(Fierce Telecom)
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/usda-give-rural-broadband-119m-boost
28.
Rural Online Businesses Expect a Coming
Broadband Boom (Axios)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
29.
Spokane Electrician Faces $144,000 in Fines;
Accused of Installing Electric Vehicle Chargers without Permit (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/dec/20/spokane-electrician-faces-144000-in-fines-accused-/
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
30.
Three Words That Weaken Your Writing (Medium –
The Partnered Pen)
https://medium.com/the-partnered-pen/3-words-that-weaken-your-writing-9a28ca287695
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
31.
Seeing the Stars: Small Towns & Rural Parks
Pursue Dark Sky Goals (The Daily Yonder)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
32.
Extraordinary Cold in Store for the Pacific
Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/12/extraordinary-cold-in-store-for-pacific.html
33.
At Least Some Pockets of Pacific Northwest Snow
Likely This Weekend (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
34.
WA State: Timber Company Returns Two Miles of Waterfront
Property to Squaxin Island Tribe (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
35.
League of Oregon Cities’ Leader Resigns Days
After Telling Beaverton Mayor: ‘You Have NO SOUL … You Are WEAK’ (Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
36.
Deeds Show Davenport Hotels in Spokane Sold for More
Than $200 Million (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/dec/21/davenport-hotels-in-spokane-sell-for-more-than-200/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Whirling Dervish Ritual Honors Rumi, Sufi Mystic Poet
Hello, Shelton: Record-Breaking Christmas Tree Maze in Small
Pacific Northwest Town
Deer Keep Getting into Fights with Rudolph Lawn Ornament, Canadian
Video Shows
https://news.yahoo.com/deer-keep-getting-fights-rudolph-175515902.html
Incredible Tale of How Man Survived Being Struck by 120,000
Volts of Electricity -- TWICE
SONGS OF THE SEASON
Classics Christmas with Fireplace
