PROGRAMMING NOTE
The Energy News Digest will be on hiatus over the next few weeks. Upon its return, it will be tanned, rested, and relaxed – ready for another year of a diet of excellent energy news.
ABOUT THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST
The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.
The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
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
Former Bonneville Power Administration Chief Cautions
Lawmakers About Cryptocurrency’s Impact on Pacific Northwest Hydropower
(Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/21/former-bpa-chief-cautions-lawmakers-about-cryptocu/
Idaho Power, PacifiCorp & Bonneville Power
Administration Propose New Plan for Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line
(Bonneville Power Administration)
California Rooftop Solar War Intensifies as Regulators Pull
Reform Proposal (California News-Times)
Bill Would Pause New Washington State Wind & Solar
Farms, Including Huge Tri-Cities Project (Tri-Cities Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article257603113.html
Panel Reviews Nuclear Power Options in Montana (Helena
Independent-Record, MT)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Idaho Power, PacifiCorp & Bonneville Power
Administration Propose New Plan for Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line
2.
Power Transmission – Energy Entities Eye
Clean-Energy Strategy for Western States
3.
Panel Reviews Nuclear Power Options in Montana
4.
Arizona: Bill to Eliminate Electric Competition
Law Considered
5.
Avista Files Multiyear Rate Plan in Washington
6.
California: Despite Safety Concerns, Pacific Gas
& Electric’s Criminal Probation to End
7.
WA State: Lewis County PUD Tables COVID-19
Vaccine Mandate Policy After Supreme Court Ruling
8.
Supply Chain Challenges Impact New Mexico
Utilities
9.
WA State: Olympia Sets Out to Electrify
City-Owned Buildings
10.
Winter Storms & Spiking Energy Prices Could
Lead to Record High Heating Bills
11.
Why Does Electricity Make a Humming Noise?
12.
Editorial: Broadband Competition Is Coming
Whether It’s Called ‘Socialism’ or Not
13.
California Rooftop Solar War Intensifies as
Regulators Pull Reform Proposal
14.
Bill Would Pause New Washington State Wind &
Solar Farms, Including Huge Tri-Cities Project
15.
Nevada Geothermal Power Lawsuit Bound for U.S.
Appeals Court
16.
Could Florida Turn Off the Sun? Advocates Say a
Utility-Backed Bill Imperils Rooftop Solar in the Sunshine State
17.
Old-Fashioned, Inefficient Light Bulbs Live on
at the Nation’s Dollar Stores
18.
President Biden Launches Green Buildings
Partnership with States, Cities
19.
Smart Meters Were Supposed to Educate Consumers
About Energy Usage & Cut Their Bills. Have They?
20.
Improving Ocean Conditions a ‘Blessing’ for
Idaho’s Salmon & Steelhead, Expert Says
21.
WA State Salmon Recovery Bill Sparks Plenty of
Testimony
22.
River Flows Linked to the Ups & Downs of
Imperiled Chinook Salmon Population
23.
International Coalition Purchases Mining Rights
to ‘Ecologically Sensitive’ Skagit River Headwaters
24.
Justices Resolve to Define What Makes a Wetland
25.
A Bitter Feud Centers on Source of Arrowhead
Bottled Water
26.
EIA Expects U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide
Emissions to Increase in 2022 & 2023
27.
WA State: Grant PUD Is Expanding Its Fiber-Optic
Network to Every Corner of Grant County
28.
WA State: Nisqually Indian Tribe Works to Extend
Broadband Services to Unserved Areas
29.
Idaho: Lincoln County Wraps Up the First Phase
of Broadband Infrastructure Project
30.
WA State: New Broadband Infrastructure Funding
to Connect 14 Washington Communities to High-Speed Internet Service
31.
Former Bonneville Power Administration Chief
Cautions Lawmakers About Cryptocurrency’s Impact on Pacific Northwest
Hydropower
32.
America’s Best-Selling Electric Vehicles Ride on
Two Wheels
33. Idaho Is Sitting on One of the Most Important Elements on Earth
WORD OF THE DAY
Salad Days \SAL-ud-DAYZ\ Noun – A time of youthful inexperience or indiscretion; also: an early flourishing period: heyday.
“The sad thing is,” shouted the aging circus animal keeper to his companion “is that these are our salad days.” “Why don’t you leave to find a better job then?” the younger man called back, flipping another shovel of elephant dung into the nearby wheelbarrow. “What,” said the grizzled veteran, “and give up show business?”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Idaho Power, PacifiCorp & Bonneville Power
Administration Propose New Plan for Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line
(Bonneville Power Administration)
2.
Power Transmission – Energy Entities Eye
Clean-Energy Strategy for Western States (Associated Press)
https://www.kmvt.com/2022/01/21/energy-entities-eye-clean-energy-strategy-western-states/
3.
Panel Reviews Nuclear Power Options in Montana (Helena
Independent-Record, MT)
4.
Arizona: Bill to Eliminate Electric Competition
Law Considered (KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ)
https://www.abc15.com/news/state/bill-to-eliminate-electric-competition-law-considered
5.
Avista Files Multiyear Rate Plan in Washington (Bakersfield
Californian, CA)
6.
California: Despite Safety Concerns, Pacific Gas
& Electric’s Criminal Probation to End (Associated Press)
https://ktla.com/news/despite-safety-concerns-pges-criminal-probation-to-end/
7.
WA State: Lewis County PUD Tables COVID-19
Vaccine Mandate Policy After Supreme Court Ruling (The Chronicle, Centralia,
WA)
8.
Supply Chain Challenges Impact New Mexico Utilities
(New Mexico Political Report)
https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2022/01/13/supply-chain-challenges-impact-new-mexico-utilities/
9.
WA State: Olympia Sets Out to Electrify City-Owned
Buildings (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)
https://www.thurstontalk.com/2022/01/19/olympia-sets-out-to-electrify-city-owned-buildings/
10.
Winter Storms & Spiking Energy Prices Could
Lead to Record High Heating Bills (Cable News Network)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/23/business/heating-costs-record-highs/index.html
11.
Why Does Electricity Make a Humming Noise?
(California News Times – Because it doesn’t know the words)
https://californianewstimes.com/why-does-electricity-make-a-humming-noise/663821/
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
Editorial: Broadband Competition Is Coming
Whether It’s Called ‘Socialism’ or Not (Fierce Telecom)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
13.
California Rooftop Solar War Intensifies as
Regulators Pull Reform Proposal (California News-Times)
14.
Bill Would Pause New Washington State Wind &
Solar Farms, Including Huge Tri-Cities Project (Tri-Cities Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article257603113.html
15.
Nevada Geothermal Power Lawsuit Bound for U.S. Appeals
Court (Associated Press)
https://ktar.com/story/4851310/nevada-geothermal-power-lawsuit-bound-for-us-appeals-court/
16.
Could Florida Turn Off the Sun? Advocates Say a Utility-Backed
Bill Imperils Rooftop Solar in the Sunshine State (Cable News Network)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/23/politics/florida-solar-industry/index.html
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
17.
Old-Fashioned, Inefficient Light Bulbs Live on at
the Nation’s Dollar Stores (NY Times – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/23/climate/led-light-bulbs-dollar-store.html
18.
President Biden Launches Green Buildings
Partnership with States, Cities (The Hill, Washington, DC)
19.
Smart Meters Were Supposed to Educate Consumers
About Energy Usage & Cut Their Bills. Have They? (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
Improving Ocean Conditions a ‘Blessing’ for Idaho’s
Salmon & Steelhead, Expert Says (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article257310537.html
21.
WA State Salmon Recovery Bill Sparks Plenty of
Testimony (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2022/jan/21/salmon-recovery-bill-sparks-plenty-testimony/
22.
River Flows Linked to the Ups & Downs of Imperiled
Chinook Salmon Population (Science Daily)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220121145428.htm
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
23.
International Coalition Purchases Mining Rights to
‘Ecologically Sensitive’ Skagit River Headwaters (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
24.
Justices Resolve to Define What Makes a Wetland
(Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/justices-resolve-to-define-what-makes-a-wetland/
25.
A Bitter Feud Centers on Source of Arrowhead Bottled
Water (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
26.
EIA Expects U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide
Emissions to Increase in 2022 & 2023 (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50958
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
WA State: Grant PUD Is Expanding Its Fiber-Optic
Network to Every Corner of Grant County (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2022/jan/21/spreading-out-grant-pud-expanding-its-fiber-optic-/
28.
WA State: Nisqually Indian Tribe Works to Extend
Broadband Services to Unserved Areas (Nisqually Valley News, Yelm, WA)
https://www.yelmonline.com/stories/tribe-works-to-extend-broadband-services-to-unserved-areas,282873
29.
Idaho: Lincoln County Wraps Up the First Phase of
Broadband Infrastructure Project (KMTV-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)
30.
WA State: New Broadband Infrastructure Funding
to Connect 14 Washington Communities to High-Speed Internet Service (South
Sound Business)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
31.
Former Bonneville Power Administration Chief
Cautions Lawmakers About Cryptocurrency’s Impact on Pacific Northwest Hydropower
(Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/21/former-bpa-chief-cautions-lawmakers-about-cryptocu/
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
32.
America’s Best-Selling Electric Vehicles Ride on
Two Wheels (Bloomberg News)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-21/u-s-e-bike-sales-outpaced-electric-cars-in-2021
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
33.
Idaho Is Sitting on One of the Most Important
Elements on Earth (Atlantic Magazine)
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/01/cobalt-clean-energy-climate-change-idaho/621321/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Robot Umpires Are Coming: Ball & Strike System to Be
Tested, Debuted in Tacoma This Year
Dog Saved After Drone Carrying Sausage Lures Her to Safety
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dog-saved-by-drone_n_61e9e1d8e4b044598d2d120e
M&M’s Candy Mascots Get a Makeover, with Less Sex Appeal
& More Gen-Z Anxiety
Carrot-Suited Runner Breaks Marathon World Record in Arizona
SONG OF THE DAY
Heart – Dreamboat Annie
