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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Inside the International Push to Turn a Bankrupt Rural
Washington Newsprint Mill into a Crypto Capital (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin,
WA)
Drought-Stricken California Imposes New Round of Water Cuts
(Associated Press)
Oregon: Industrial Landowners File Suit Against Pacific
Power (KQEN Radio, Roseburg, OR)
https://kqennewsradio.com/2022/03/18/industrial-landowners-file-suit-against-pacific-power/
WA State: Douglas County PUD To Acquire 409 Acres for Hydrogen
Facility, Wells Dam Project (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
WA State: Rural Jefferson County Is Building Its Own
Broadband Network (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2022/03/rural-jefferson-county-building-its-own-broadband-network
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Inside the International Push to Turn a Bankrupt
Rural Washington Newsprint Mill into a Crypto Capital (Walla Walla
Union-Bulletin, WA)
2.
California Grid Operator Approves Reliability,
Renewables Plan
3.
Oregon: Industrial Landowners File Suit Against
Pacific Power
4.
Hydropower Eyes Bigger Energy Role, Less
Environmental Harm
5.
U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Submits
Request to Prevent Dam Breaching, Urges Congress to Prioritize Columbia River
Treaty
6.
Oregon: Tillamook PUD Moving Forward with
Construction, Easements for Oceanside-Netarts Transmission Line, New Substation
7.
Arizona: Salt River Project Proposes
High-Voltage Line for Facebook Center
8.
Western Area Power Administration Names New
Transmission Infrastructure Program Senior Vice President
9.
Bonneville Power Administration Overhauls Its
Radio Communication System
10.
Why Electric Bills Keep Rising
11.
WA State: Material Shortages Impact Klickitat
PUD
12.
Yosemite Trailer Park Residents Forced to Leave
Because of Aging Power Lines, A Fire Hazard
13.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration
Can’t Make Sweetheart Deal to Restart Intalco Plant at Expense of Public
Utilities
14.
Guest Essay: Removing Lower Snake River Dams
Will Hurt the Most Vulnerable Among Us
15.
WA State: Douglas County PUD To Acquire 409
Acres for Hydrogen Facility, Wells Dam Project
16.
Clean Energy Superstar or Smokescreen for Fossil
Fuel Use? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hydrogen.
17.
Target Looks to Massive Solar Panels in a
California Parking Lot as a Green Model to Power Its Stores
18.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Becomes
First Utility to Achieve J.D. Power Sustainability Certification
19.
Energy Information Administration Projects That
Renewable Generation Will Supply 44% Of U.S. Electricity by 2050
20.
For Decades, Dams Have Kept Salmon Out of the
Spokane River. Now, Tribes Are Studying How to Bring the Fish Back
21.
Contaminated Island at Bonneville Dam Added to
Superfund Cleanup List
22.
Drought-Stricken California Imposes New Round of
Water Cuts
23.
Pacific Northwest Reservoirs and Summer Water
Supply Are in Good Shape
24.
Lack of Snowpack Causing Anxiety East of
Cascades
25.
Portland Executive, Denied $12 Million Clean
Energy Contract in Wake of Oregonian Investigation, Sues City
26.
Energy Information Administration Projects U.S.
Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Fall in the Near Term, Then Rise
27.
Communities in Washington & Oregon Selected
for Department of Energy Initiative to Reduce Energy Insecurity Nationwide
28.
WA State: Rural Jefferson County Is Building Its
Own Broadband Network
29.
WA State: Okanogan County Electric Co-Op,
Methownet Teaming Up for Broadband Service Study
30.
Why Utility Pole Owners Are Fighting for the
Status Quo
31.
An Appalachian Town Was Told a Bitcoin Mine
Would Bring an Economic Boom. It Got Noise Pollution & an Eyesore.
32.
Dean of the U.S. House Don Young (R-AK) Dead at
88
33. Steelworkers Poised to Strike at Chevron California Refinery
WORD OF THE DAY
Polyandry • \POLLY-and-ree\ • noun – The state or practice of having more than one husband or male mate at one time
The lack of eligible women in the remote Mongolian village historically led to the practice of polyandry. After several generations, the shortage was revealed as a hoax, as a village one valley over was the seething hotbed for polygamy. The two leaders decided to end their respective practices during a summit session last week. Said one leader “my agreement to your terms is big of me.” “No,” replied his adversary, “what we were practicing was bigamy!”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Inside The International Push to Turn a Bankrupt
Rural Washington Newsprint Mill Into a Crypto Capital (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin,
WA)
2.
California Grid Operator Approves Reliability,
Renewables Plan (Reuters)
3.
Oregon: Industrial Landowners File Suit Against
Pacific Power (KQEN Radio, Roseburg, OR)
https://kqennewsradio.com/2022/03/18/industrial-landowners-file-suit-against-pacific-power/
4.
Hydropower Eyes Bigger Energy Role, Less
Environmental Harm (Associated Press)
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/03/19/hydropower-eyes-bigger-energy-role-less-environmental-harm/
5.
U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Submits
Request to Prevent Dam Breaching, Urges Congress to Prioritize Columbia River
Treaty (News Release, U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, WA)
6.
Oregon: Tillamook PUD Moving Forward with
Construction, Easements for Oceanside-Netarts Transmission Line, New Substation
(Tillamook County Pioneer, OR)
7.
Arizona: Salt River Project Proposes
High-Voltage Line for Facebook Center (Mesa Tribune, AZ)
8.
Western Area Power Administration Names New
Transmission Infrastructure Program Senior Vice President (Western Area Power
Administration)
9.
Bonneville Power Administration Overhauls Its
Radio Communication System (Bonneville Power Administration)
10.
Why Electric Bills Keep Rising (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-us-electric-bills-keep-rising-113414648.html
11.
WA State: Material Shortages Impact Klickitat PUD
(Goldendale Sentinel, WA)
12.
Yosemite Trailer Park Residents Forced to Leave
Because of Aging Power Lines, A Fire Hazard (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall
Advisory)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
13.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration Can’t
Make Sweetheart Deal to Restart Intalco Plant at Expense of Public Utilities
(Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
14.
Guest Essay: Removing Lower Snake River Dams
Will Hurt the Most Vulnerable Among Us (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
15.
WA State: Douglas County PUD To Acquire 409
Acres for Hydrogen Facility, Wells Dam Project (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
16.
Clean Energy Superstar or Smokescreen for Fossil
Fuel Use? Here’s What You Need to Know About Hydrogen. (Washington Post –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/03/17/hydrogen-clean-energy-climate-change/
17.
Target Looks to Massive Solar Panels in a
California Parking Lot as a Green Model to Power Its Stores (CNBC)
18.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Becomes
First Utility to Achieve J.D. Power Sustainability Certification (Transmission
& Distribution World)
19.
Energy Information Administration Projects That
Renewable Generation Will Supply 44% Of U.S. Electricity by 2050 (U.S. Energy
Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51698
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
For Decades, Dams Have Kept Salmon Out of the
Spokane River. Now, Tribes Are Studying How to Bring the Fish Back (Spokesman
Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/mar/17/for-decades-dams-have-kept-salmon-out-of-the-spoka/
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
21.
Contaminated Island at Bonneville Dam Added to
Superfund Cleanup List (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
22.
Drought-Stricken California Imposes New Round of
Water Cuts (Associated Press)
23.
Pacific Northwest Reservoirs and Summer Water
Supply Are in Good Shape (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/03/northwest-reservoirs-and-summer-water.html
24.
Lack of Snowpack Causing Anxiety East of
Cascades (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/lack-of-snowpack-lack-causing-anxiety-east-of-cascades/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
25.
Portland Executive, Denied $12 Million Clean
Energy Contract in Wake of Oregonian Investigation, Sues City (Oregonian,
Portland, OR)
26.
Energy Information Administration Projects U.S.
Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Fall in the Near Term, Then Rise
(U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51718
27.
Communities in Washington & Oregon Selected
for Department of Energy Initiative to Reduce Energy Insecurity Nationwide
(KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
28.
WA State: Rural Jefferson County Is Building Its
Own Broadband Network (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2022/03/rural-jefferson-county-building-its-own-broadband-network
29.
WA State: Okanogan County Electric Co-Op,
Methownet Teaming Up for Broadband Service Study (Methow Valley News, Twisp,
WA)
30.
Why Utility Pole Owners Are Fighting for the
Status Quo (NCTA)
https://www.ncta.com/whats-new/why-utility-pole-owners-are-fighting-for-the-status-quo
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
31.
An Appalachian Town Was Told a Bitcoin Mine
Would Bring an Economic Boom. It Got Noise Pollution & an Eyesore. (The
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA)
https://www.inquirer.com/business/technology/crypto-mining-data-loud-sound-bitcoin-20220321.html
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
32.
Dean of the U.S. House Don Young (R-AK) Dead at
88 (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/dean-of-the-house-don-young-dead-at-88/
33.
Steelworkers Poised to Strike at Chevron
California Refinery (Associated Press)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Fridge-Sized Asteroid Hit Earth Two Hours After It Was First
Spotted, NASA Says
https://news.yahoo.com/fridge-sized-asteroid-hit-earth-212843551.html
Why Brighter Orange Basketballs Are Being Used in the NCAA
Tournament
Poodles Pop in Popularity, But Labs Still No. 1 U.S. Dog
Breed
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/03/15/poodles-pop-in-popularity-but-labs-still-no-1-us-dog-breed/
Message in a Bottle Travels from Bahamas to England in 21
Years
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/03/18/message-bottle-Castle-Beach-Falmouth-England/6801647635927/
SONG OF THE DAY
The Police - Message in a Bottle
