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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Salmon Travel Deep into the Pacific Ocean. As It Warms, Many
‘Don’t Come Back.’ (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/03/28/salmon-alaska-climate-change/
How Comcast & Other Telecoms Scuttle Rural WA Broadband
Efforts (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2022/03/how-comcast-and-other-telecoms-scuttle-rural-wa-broadband-efforts
Drought Effects on Hydroelectricity Generation in Western
U.S. Differed by Region in 2021 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51839
U.S. Set to Hold Auction for Floating Wind Farms Off
California Coast (Bloomberg News)
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (OR-D) Worries Crypto Bros Are
Abusing Opportunity Zones with Bogus Investments (Willamette Week)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Drought Effects on Hydroelectricity Generation
in Western U.S. Differed by Region in 2021
2.
Costs, Permitting Hurdles Dampen Potential for
New Nuclear Capacity
3.
California: South San Joaquin Irrigation
District Bid to Replace Pacific Gas & Electric as Power Provider Advances
4.
Montana: Laurel Residents’ Appeal Against
NorthWestern Energy Pipeline Denied
5.
Alaska Utilities, Stakeholders Submit
Long-Sought Plan for a Railbelt Grid Planning Group
6.
Colorado: United Power Should Be Able to Leave
Tri-State for Less Than a Tenth of a Proposed $1.6B Exit Fee, Federal Report
Says
7.
Lake Powell Continues to Disappear as Colorado
Hits Pause on Plan to Prop Up Levels
8.
South Carolina: Santee Cooper Cuts Budget Since
It Can’t Raise Power Rates
9.
Tribes Win Federal Funding as They Enhance
Energy Security & Pursue Microgrids
10.
‘I Think We Have a Wake-Up Call Right Now’ —
FERC’s Phillips Touts Transmission’s Reliability Benefits
11.
American Public Power Association Names Reliable
Public Power Provider Recipients
12.
American Public Power Association Safety Award
Winners
13.
U.S. Set to Hold Auction for Floating Wind Farms
Off California Coast
14.
WA Gov. Inslee Veto Kills Most of Windfarm
‘Slowdown’ Energy Bill
15.
WA State: REC Silicon Hopeful it Will Restart
Moses Lake Plant by 2024
16.
Wind & Solar Generated a Record 10% of the
World’s Power in 2021, Report Shows
17.
Tucson Can Use Landfill Waste as
Climate-Friendly Bus Fuel – Officials Have Yet to Act
18.
EIA Data Show That by 2020, U.S. Households Had
More Efficient Lighting, Larger TVs, & More Refrigerators
19.
Salmon Travel Deep into the Pacific Ocean. As It
Warms, Many ‘Don’t Come Back.’
20.
Officials Seek Change of Course in Wild Salmon
Recovery
21.
California Calls for More Local Water
Conservation
22.
WA State: Bellingham Considers Tax Method for
Funding Programs to Fight Climate Change
23.
Climate Change Is Making Pollen Season Worse
Across the Country
24.
How Comcast & Other Telecoms Scuttle Rural
WA Broadband Efforts
25.
Politicians Meet at Local, Federal Levels to
Discuss Rural Broadband
26.
Regional Utility Districts Can Help Fill Gaps in
Broadband Service
27.
Partnerships With Electric Utilities Can Help
Expand Broadband Access
28.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (OR-D) Worries Crypto
Bros Are Abusing Opportunity Zones with Bogus Investments
29.
White House Officials Open Crypto Climate
Inquiry
30.
EarthTalk: As Millions of Electric Car Batteries
Start to Reach the End of Their Useful Lives, How Can We Avoid an E-Waste
Apocalypse?
31.
The Funniest Travel Account on Instagram Is Run
by the TSA
32.
Accused Eco-Saboteur Joseph M. Dibee Expected to
Enter a Plea to Settle Cases in Oregon, WA & CA
33.
Port Angeles Naturopathic Doctor Sentenced for
Selling Misbranded Drugs, Including for COVID Treatments
34.
Spam Text Messages Flood Verizon Wireless Phones
35.
Ore-Ida to End Production at Its Ontario Plant.
What’s That Mean for Iconic Tater Tots?
36. A Super Jet Stream Will Cross the Pacific Ocean this Weekend.
WORD OF THE DAY
Cabal \kuh-BAHL\ Noun – The artifices and intrigues of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government); also: a group engaged in such artifices and intrigues 2: club, group.
The “Lord of the Rings” fanboys were aghast. It wasn’t until it was too late that they discovered an anti-Gandalf cabal of Saruman clones in center of their role-playing community. “The White Wizard takes your game piece,” crowed the leader of the renegade group, as he reached forth his “Cheetos”-stained fingers to snatch the small, collector’s edition statue of the Gray Wizard off the game board.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Drought Effects on Hydroelectricity Generation in
Western U.S. Differed by Region in 2021 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51839
2.
Costs, Permitting Hurdles Dampen Potential for
New Nuclear Capacity (S&P Global)
3.
California: South San Joaquin Irrigation
District Bid to Replace Pacific Gas & Electric as Power Provider Advances (American
Public Power Association)
4.
Montana: Laurel Residents’ Appeal Against
NorthWestern Energy Pipeline Denied (KTVQ-TV, Billings, MT)
5.
Alaska Utilities, Stakeholders Submit
Long-Sought Plan for a Railbelt Grid Planning Group (Alaska Journal of Commerce)
6.
Colorado: United Power Should Be Able to Leave Tri-State
for Less Than a Tenth of a Proposed $1.6B Exit Fee, Federal Report Says (Colorado
Sun, Denver, CO)
https://coloradosun.com/2022/03/30/tri-state-united-power-exit-fee-ferc/
7.
Lake Powell Continues to Disappear as Colorado Hits
Pause on Plan to Prop Up Levels (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/03/28/lake-powell-keep-dropping/
8.
South Carolina: Santee Cooper Cuts Budget Since
It Can’t Raise Power Rates (Associated Press)
9.
Tribes Win Federal Funding as They Enhance
Energy Security & Pursue Microgrids (Microgrid Knowledge)
https://microgridknowledge.com/tribal-microgrid-receives-more-than-500000-in-doe-funding/
10.
‘I Think We Have a Wake-Up Call Right Now’ — FERC’s
Phillips Touts Transmission’s Reliability Benefits (Utility Dive)
11.
American Public Power Association Names Reliable
Public Power Provider Recipients (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/rp3-designated-utilities
12.
American Public Power Association Safety Award
Winners (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/about/members/safety/safety-award-winners
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
13.
U.S. Set to Hold Auction for Floating Wind Farms
Off California Coast (Bloomberg News)
14.
WA Gov. Inslee Veto Kills Most of Windfarm ‘Slowdown’
Energy Bill (KFLD Radio, Pasco, WA)
https://newstalk870.am/inslee-veto-kills-most-of-wind-farm-slowdown-energy-bill/
15.
WA State: REC Silicon Hopeful it Will Restart
Moses Lake Plant by 2024 (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.kpq.com/rec-silicon-hopeful-it-will-restart-moses-lake-plant-by-2024/
16.
Wind & Solar Generated a Record 10% of the World’s
Power in 2021, Report Shows (Cable News Network)
17.
Tucson Can Use Landfill Waste as
Climate-Friendly Bus Fuel – Officials Have Yet to Act (Arizona Daily Star,
Tucson, CA)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
EIA Data Show That by 2020, U.S. Households Had
More Efficient Lighting, Larger TVs, & More Refrigerators (U.S. Energy
Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press499.php
FISH & WILDLIFE
19.
Salmon Travel Deep into the Pacific Ocean. As It
Warms, Many ‘Don’t Come Back.’ (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/03/28/salmon-alaska-climate-change/
20.
Officials Seek Change of Course in Wild Salmon
Recovery (Moscow-Pullman Daily News, ID/WA)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
21.
California Calls for More Local Water
Conservation (Associated Press)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
WA State: Bellingham Considers Tax Method for
Funding Programs to Fight Climate Change (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/politics-government/article259740335.html
23.
Climate Change Is Making Pollen Season Worse
Across the Country (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/29/pollen-climate-change-worse-future/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
24.
How Comcast & Other Telecoms Scuttle Rural WA
Broadband Efforts (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2022/03/how-comcast-and-other-telecoms-scuttle-rural-wa-broadband-efforts
25.
Politicians Meet at Local, Federal Levels to Discuss
Rural Broadband (KMVU-TV, Medford, OR)
https://www.fox26medford.com/politicians-meet-at-local-federal-levels-to-discuss-rural-broadband/
26.
Regional Utility Districts Can Help Fill Gaps in
Broadband Service (PEW Charitable Trust)
27.
Partnerships With Electric Utilities Can Help
Expand Broadband Access (PEW Charitable Trust)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
28.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (OR-D) Worries Crypto
Bros Are Abusing Opportunity Zones with Bogus Investments (Willamette Week)
29.
White House Officials Open Crypto Climate
Inquiry (Axios)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
30.
EarthTalk: As Millions of Electric Car Batteries
Start to Reach the End of Their Useful Lives, How Can We Avoid an E-Waste
Apocalypse? (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
31.
The Funniest Travel Account on Instagram Is Run by
the TSA (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
32.
Accused Eco-Saboteur Joseph M. Dibee Expected to
Enter a Plea to Settle Cases in Oregon, WA & CA (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
33.
Port Angeles Naturopathic Doctor Sentenced for
Selling Misbranded Drugs, Including for COVID Treatments (Associated Press)
34.
Spam Text Messages Flood Verizon Wireless Phones
(Mashable)
https://mashable.com/article/spam-text-messages-verizon-wireless-own-number
35.
Ore-Ida to End Production at Its Ontario Plant. What’s
That Mean for Iconic Tater Tots? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/mar/29/ore-ida-to-end-production-at-its-ontario-plant-wha/
36.
A Super Jet Stream Will Cross the Pacific Ocean this
Weekend. (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/03/a-super-jet-stream-will-cross-pacific.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Is Portland Home to America’s First All-Female Cooperative
Winery Facility?
Oregon: Owner to Sell Historic ‘Terrible Tilly’ Lighthouse
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/03/29/historic-terrible-tilly-tillamook-lighthouse-for-sale/
Look Up! When to Watch For ‘Exquisite’ Celestial Sights &
Cuddling Planets
Metal Detectorist to the Rescue When Beach Proposal Goes
Awry
SONG OF THE DAY
Edison Lighthouse – Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)