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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
WA State: $10 Million Enticement Could Help Modernize
Ferndale Smelter, Help Sale Go Through (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Load Growth, Retiring Fossil Fuels Creating ‘Urgent Need’
for New Electric Resources in the U.S. Southwest (Utility Dive)
Mixed Water Supply Conditions in the Pacific Northwest
Affect 2022 Hydropower Outlook (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51378
WA Gov. Inslee Supports Wind Farms Ahead of Horse Heaven
Decision During Tri-Cities Visit (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article258656458.html
The Sun Has Erupted Non-Stop All Month – There Are More
Giant Flares Coming (Science Alert)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Load Growth, Retiring Fossil Fuels Creating
‘Urgent Need’ for New Electric Resources in the U.S. Southwest
2.
Mixed Water Supply Conditions in the Pacific
Northwest Affect 2022 Hydropower Outlook
3.
Pipeline Expansion Would Increase the Flow of
Natural Gas Through the Pacific Northwest
4.
Council Adopts 2021 Northwest Power Plan –
Highlights Renewables, Energy Efficiency in a Changing Power System
5.
Report Says New Nuclear Reactor Is Risky;
Utilities Disagree
6.
14 States Urge FERC to Tighten Accounting Rules
to Prevent Utilities from Recouping Lobbying Expenses
7.
Solar-Powered Homes Caught in Crossfire as a
Rural Colorado Electric Co-Op Aims to Squeeze More from Second-Home Owners
8.
9th Circuit Rules Publicly Owned Utilities Not
Exempt from Federal Antitrust Challenges Under Filed-Rate Doctrine
9.
New Mexico: Proposed Study of Publicly Owned
Utilities Gains No Traction Before End of Legislative Session
10.
How Electric Stoves Are Poised to Dethrone the
Mighty Gas Range
11.
Bonneville Power Administration Engineers Share
Advice for Girls Considering a STEM Career
12.
Can Quebec’s Dams Power New York City?
Blackstone Is Betting $4.5 Billion on It.
13.
Ethiopia Starts Partial Power Generation from
Blue Nile Dam
14.
Guest Essay: You Can’t ‘Offset’ Extinction of
Fraser River Chinook Salmon
15.
Lower Snake River Dams Important to Western
Montana Co-Ops
16.
Guest Essay: Clearing the Air on WA State’s
Clean Energy Bill
17.
Hydropower for a Resilient Grid — Why We Need It
18.
WA Gov. Inslee Supports Wind Farms Ahead of
Horse Heaven Decision During Tri-Cities Visit
19.
Idaho: Magic Valley Wind Project Moves Forward,
BLM Considers Alternatives
20.
Nevada: Developer Files with FERC for 1 GW
Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project
21.
REC Silicon Still Committed to 2023 Reopening in
Moses Lake, WA
22.
United Kingdom: Wind Farms Were Paid Not to
Generate Half Their Potential Electricity
23.
What Are the Top Ten Energy Users in Your Home?
24.
Replace Incandescent Bulbs with LEDs for Energy
Savings
25.
Thousands of Fish Stocked in Salt River Project
Canals to Clear Vegetation
26.
Cascades See Boost to Snowpack with Weekend Storms
27.
WA State: Work Continues on Skagit Public
Utility District’s Water Pipeline Project
28.
Greenland Ice Sheet the World’s Largest ‘Dam’
Due to Rapid Melting
29.
Montana: Bitcoin Miners Revived a Dying Coal
Plant – Then Carbon Dioxide Emissions Soared
30.
Idaho: Facebook Parent Meta Is Opening a 100%
Renewable Data Center Here
31.
Oregon Electric Vehicle Startup Arcimoto Opens
New 250,000 Square-Foot Factory
32.
Clark Public Utilities to Launch New Smart EV
Charging Program
33.
Utilities Using New Tactics to Improve Bill
Collection, Customer Experience
34.
The Sun Has Erupted Non-Stop All Month – There
Are More Giant Flares Coming
35.
Interest In Seaweed Farming Across Puget Sound
Is ‘Booming’
36.
WA State: $10 Million Enticement Could Help
Modernize Ferndale Smelter, Help Sale Go Through
37. WA Democrats in Olympia Undeterred by Anger from Oregon, Idaho & Alaska Over Targeted Fuel Tax
WORD OF THE DAY
Apropos \ah-pruh-POE \ Adverb – 1: at an opportune time: seasonably 2: by way of interjection or further comment: with regard to the present topic.
Whistling in the dark, the debate over streetlights goes on until, apropos of nothing, the meaning of life, the universe, and everything commandeered the discussions…always ending, inexplicably, in the number 42.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Load Growth, Retiring Fossil Fuels Creating ‘Urgent
Need’ for New Electric Resources in the U.S. Southwest (Utility Dive)
2.
Mixed Water Supply Conditions in the Pacific Northwest
Affect 2022 Hydropower Outlook (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51378
3.
Pipeline Expansion Would Increase the Flow of
Natural Gas Through the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02/20/oregon-natural-gas-pipeline-idaho-washington/
4.
Council Adopts 2021 Northwest Power Plan – Highlights
Renewables, Energy Efficiency in a Changing Power System (NW Power & Conservation
Council)
https://www.nwcouncil.org/news/2021power-plan-adopted
5.
Report Says New Nuclear Reactor Is Risky;
Utilities Disagree (Associated Press)
6.
14 States Urge FERC to Tighten Accounting Rules to
Prevent Utilities from Recouping Lobbying Expenses (Utility Dive)
7.
Solar-Powered Homes Caught in Crossfire as a Rural
Colorado Electric Co-Op Aims to Squeeze More from Second-Home Owners (Colorado
Sun, Denver, CO)
https://coloradosun.com/2022/02/21/sangre-de-cristo-electric-rate-high-part-time-residents/
8.
9th Circuit Rules Publicly Owned Utilities Not
Exempt from Federal Antitrust Challenges Under Filed-Rate Doctrine (JDSupra)
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/9th-circuit-rules-publicly-owned-5305821/
9.
New Mexico: Proposed Study of Publicly Owned
Utilities Gains No Traction Before End of Legislative Session (Santa Fe New
Mexican)
10.
How Electric Stoves Are Poised to Dethrone the Mighty
Gas Range (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/electric-stoves-poised-dethrone-mighty-121358152.html
11.
Bonneville Power Administration Engineers Share
Advice for Girls Considering a STEM Career (Bonneville Power Administration)
12.
Can Quebec’s Dams Power New York City?
Blackstone Is Betting $4.5 Billion on It. (Wall Street Journal – Paywall Advisory)
13.
Ethiopia Starts Partial Power Generation from Blue
Nile Dam (Associated Press)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
14.
Guest Essay: You Can’t ‘Offset’ Extinction of Fraser
River Chinook Salmon (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/you-cant-offset-extinction-of-fraser-river-chinook-salmon/
15.
Lower Snake River Dams Important to Western
Montana Co-Ops (Rural Montana, Electric Co-Op Association Magazine)
https://online.fliphtml5.com/oztl/luii/#p=14
16.
Guest Essay: Clearing the Air on WA State’s Clean
Energy Bill (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)
17.
Hydropower for a Resilient Grid — Why We Need It
(Clean Technica)
https://cleantechnica.com/2022/02/06/hydropower-for-a-resilient-grid-why-we-need-it/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
18.
WA Gov. Inslee Supports Wind Farms Ahead of Horse
Heaven Decision During Tri-Cities Visit (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article258656458.html
19.
Idaho: Magic Valley Wind Project Moves Forward, BLM
Considers Alternatives (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
20.
Nevada: Developer Files with FERC for 1 GW Pumped
Hydro Energy Storage Project (Hydro Review)
21.
REC Silicon Still Committed to 2023 Reopening in
Moses Lake, WA (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2022/feb/21/rec-still-committed-2023-reopening/
22.
United Kingdom: Wind Farms Were Paid Not to
Generate Half Their Potential Electricity (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/wind-farms-were-paid-not-170702811.html?soc_src=yahooapp
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
23.
What Are the Top Ten Energy Users in Your Home?
(KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA)
24.
Replace Incandescent Bulbs with LEDs for Energy
Savings (Quad City Herald, Brewster, WA)
https://www.qcherald.com/public-utility-dist/replace-incandescent-bulbs-leds-energy-savings
FISH & WILDLIFE
25.
Thousands of Fish Stocked in Salt River Project
Canals to Clear Vegetation (KTAR News, Phoenix, AZ)
https://ktar.com/story/4899768/thousands-of-fish-stocked-in-srp-canals-to-clear-vegetation/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
26.
Cascades See Boost to Snowpack with Weekend
Storms (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.kpq.com/cascades-see-boost-to-snowpack-with-weekend-storms/
27.
WA State: Work Continues on Skagit Public
Utility District’s Water Pipeline Project (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
28.
Greenland Ice Sheet the World’s Largest ‘Dam’
Due to Rapid Melting (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/greenland-ice-sheet-the-worlds-largest-dam-due-to-rapid-melting/
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
29.
Montana: Bitcoin Miners Revived a Dying Coal
Plant – Then Carbon Dioxide Emissions Soared (The Guardian, UK)
30.
Idaho: Facebook Parent Meta Is Opening a 100%
Renewable Data Center Here (Environmental Leader)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
31.
Oregon Electric Vehicle Startup Arcimoto Opens
New 250,000 Square-Foot Factory (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
32.
Clark Public Utilities to Launch New Smart EV
Charging Program (Vancouver/SW Washington Business Journal)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
33.
Utilities Using New Tactics to Improve Bill
Collection, Customer Experience (Utility Dive)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
34.
The Sun Has Erupted Non-Stop All Month – There
Are More Giant Flares Coming (Science Alert)
35.
Interest In Seaweed Farming Across Puget Sound Is
‘Booming’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
36.
WA State: $10 Million Enticement Could Help
Modernize Ferndale Smelter, Help Sale Go Through (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
37.
WA Democrats in Olympia Undeterred by Anger from
Oregon, Idaho & Alaska Over Targeted Fuel Tax (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Three WA Cities Among Nation’s Best for Surviving a Zombie
Apocalypse
Huge Opal Sells for Nearly $144,000 at Alaska Auction
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/huge-opal-sells-125k-alaska-200346403.html
Runner Takes on Canadian Half Marathon While Wearing 90 T-Shirts
Massive Black Bear ‘Hank the Tank’ Continues California Home
Break-In Spree
SONG OF THE DAY
A Flock of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
