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
Columbia River Chinook Forecast Is Best in Three Years
(Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/chinook-forecast-best-3-years-141900459.html
Macron Announces France Is to Build Up to 14 New Nuclear
Reactors (The Independent, UK)
West Megadrought Worsens to Driest in at Least 1,200 Years
(Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-west-megadrought-f02449c2db4f0ebeb1557bb39504c62d
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts 90-Day Ban at Geothermal
Plant in Nevada (Associated Press)
Dozens of SpaceX Satellites Are Falling Out of Orbit After
Solar Storm (iHeart Radio)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Macron Announces France Is to Build Up to 14 New
Nuclear Reactors
2.
Tennessee Valley Authority Launches New Nuclear
Program
3.
Counterfeit Parts Found in Some U.S. Nuclear
Plants - Inspector General
4.
Pacific Gas & Electric Customers Monthly
Electric Bills Going Up
5.
ConEd to New Yorkers: Don’t Blame Us for Soaring
Power Bills
6.
WA State: Tacoma to Maintain Utility
Disconnection Moratorium Through March 31
7.
Montana: Power Plant Opponents Rally at Billings
Courthouse Thursday
8.
Bellingham Bans Natural Gas for Heating in Some
New Buildings
9.
Bonneville Power Administration Encouraged by
First Quarter Results
10.
News Release: How Seattle City Light Relocated a
Transmission Line with International Implications
11.
New Mexico: Study of Public Utility Failing to Gain
Traction So Far
12.
Guest Essay: WA Governor Inslee’s Natural Gas
Bills Will Increase Energy Costs, Eliminate Family-Wage Jobs
13.
Guest Essay: Better Internet Access for
Tillamook County, OR
14.
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts 90-Day Ban at
Geothermal Plant in Nevada
15.
Kenai Peninsula Landfill Project Would Turn
Garbage Gas to Fuel
16.
Wind Power Developers Encouraged by Findings on
Bald Eagle Population
17.
Uneven Load: How Rural Communities Shoulder the
Environmental Burden of Cities
18.
Hydropower Cements Its Place as the World’s Most
Popular Renewable Energy
19.
How Some Energy Efficiency Incentives Slow
Climate Action
20.
Corvallis Startup Will Open ‘Smart Windows’
Factory in Salem, Using Technology Developed at HP
21.
Oregon Department of Transportation Completes
Portland LED Streetlight Project
22.
Columbia River Chinook Forecast Is Best in Three
Years
23.
Oregon Dungeness Crab Season Breaking Records
24.
Atlantic Salmon Returns Drop in Critical Maine
River
25.
Scientists Question WA State Plan That Doubles
Sewer Bills at Puget Sound Treatment Plants
26.
West Megadrought Worsens to Driest in at Least
1,200 Years
27.
Montana Launches Broadband Map as Bidding Begins
for Federal Funding
28.
How The State Plans to Invest in Idaho’s Broadband
29.
Dozens of SpaceX Satellites Are Falling Out of
Orbit After Solar Storm
30.
Fitch Outlines Public Power Supply Risks Tied to
Crypto Currency Mining
31.
Oregon: City of Bend Works to Increase Number of
People Driving Electric Vehicles
32.
Gov. Inslee’s $7,500 Electric Car Rebate Remains
Uncertain in WA State Legislature
33.
Montana: Missoula City Council to Consider
Energy Use by Cannabis Companies
34.
Marketplace Suspends Most NFT Sales, Citing
‘Rampant’ Fakes & Plagiarism
35. Public Records: Phone Was Manually Set to Delete Former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Texts
WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Billet-Doux /bill-ee – DOO/ Noun – Love letter. Literally translated as “sweet letter.”
It’s Valentine’s Day
Billet doux in each mailbox
Dripping with sweet love
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Macron Announces France Is to Build Up to 14 New
Nuclear Reactors (The Independent, UK)
2.
Tennessee Valley Authority Launches New Nuclear
Program (Associated Press)
3.
Counterfeit Parts Found in Some U.S. Nuclear
Plants - Inspector General (Reuters)
4.
Pacific Gas & Electric Customers Monthly
Electric Bills Going Up (KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA)
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/pge-monthly-electric-bills-going-up/
5.
ConEd to New Yorkers: Don’t Blame Us for Soaring
Power Bills (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coned-yorkers-dont-blame-us-204251479.html
6.
WA State: Tacoma to Maintain Utility
Disconnection Moratorium Through March 31 (South Sound Business)
7.
Montana: Power Plant Opponents Rally at Billings
Courthouse Thursday (Billings Gazette, MT)
8.
Bellingham Bans Natural Gas for Heating in Some
New Buildings (Cascadia Daily)
https://www.cascadiadaily.com/news/2022/feb/08/bellingham-bans-natural-gas-for-heating-uses-in-so/
9.
Bonneville Power Administration Encouraged by
First Quarter Results (Bonneville Power Administration)
https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-encouraged-by-first-quarter-results.aspx
10.
News Release: How Seattle City Light Relocated a
Transmission Line with International Implications (Seattle City Light, WA)
11.
New Mexico: Study of Public Utility Failing to
Gain Traction So Far (Santa Fe New Mexican)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
Guest Essay: WA Governor Inslee’s Natural Gas
Bills Will Increase Energy Costs, Eliminate Family-Wage Jobs (Washington State
Wire, Olympias, WA)
13.
Guest Essay: Better Internet Access for
Tillamook County, OR (Tillamook County Pioneer, OR)
https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/op-ed-better-internet-access/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
14.
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts 90-Day Ban at
Geothermal Plant in Nevada (Associated Press)
15.
Kenai Peninsula Landfill Project Would Turn
Garbage Gas to Fuel (Alaska Public Radio)
16.
Wind Power Developers Encouraged by Findings on
Bald Eagle Population (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/wind-power-developers-encouraged-by-findings-on-bald-eagle-population/
17.
Uneven Load: How Rural Communities Shoulder the
Environmental Burden of Cities (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/how-rural-communities-shoulder-the-environmental-burden-of-cities/
18.
Hydropower Cements Its Place as the World’s Most
Popular Renewable Energy (Oil Price)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
19.
How Some Energy Efficiency Incentives Slow
Climate Action (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-energy-efficiency-natural-gas-1.6346764?cmp=rss
20.
Corvallis Startup Will Open ‘Smart Windows’
Factory in Salem, Using Technology Developed at HP (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
21.
Oregon Department of Transportation Completes
Portland LED Streetlight Project (Environmental Leader)
FISH & WILDLIFE
22.
Columbia River Chinook Forecast Is Best in Three
Years (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/chinook-forecast-best-3-years-141900459.html
23.
Oregon Dungeness Crab Season Breaking Records
(KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
24.
Atlantic Salmon Returns Drop in Critical Maine
River (Associated Press)
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
25.
Scientists Question WA State Plan That Doubles
Sewer Bills at Puget Sound Treatment Plants (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
26.
West Megadrought Worsens to Driest in at Least
1,200 Years (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-west-megadrought-f02449c2db4f0ebeb1557bb39504c62d
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
Montana Launches Broadband Map as Bidding Begins
for Federal Funding (StateScoop)
https://statescoop.com/broadband-map-montana-arpa-funding/
28.
How The State Plans to Invest in Idaho’s Broadband
(KBOI-TV< Boise, ID)
https://idahonews.com/news/local/broadband-in-idaho
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
Dozens of SpaceX Satellites Are Falling Out of Orbit After
Solar Storm (iHeart Radio)
30.
Fitch Outlines Public Power Supply Risks Tied to
Crypto Currency Mining (American Public Power Association)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
31.
Oregon: City of Bend Works to Increase Number of
People Driving Electric Vehicles (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
32.
Gov. Inslee’s $7,500 Electric Car Rebate Remains
Uncertain in WA State Legislature (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
33.
Montana: Missoula City Council to Consider
Energy Use by Cannabis Companies (The Missoulian, MT)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
34.
Marketplace Suspends Most NFT Sales, Citing ‘Rampant’
Fakes & Plagiarism (Reuters)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
35.
Public Records: Phone Was Manually Set to Delete
Former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Texts (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/nation-world/national/article258364403.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Stuck in KUOW Purgatory: Seattle Mazda Drivers Can’t Change the
Radio Dial
https://www.kuow.org/stories/we-didn-t-mean-to-ruin-your-mazda-s-stereo
Russian Gallery Security Guard Accused of Drawing Eyes on
Painting
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60330758
Illegally Dumped Rats Take Over Popular California Park,
Officials Say. ‘Disconcerting’
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article258231003.html
A South African Couple Has Turned Elephant Dung into
Award-Winning Gin
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gin-elephant-dung-south-africa
SONG OF THE DAY
Jefferson Starship – With Your Love
