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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Geologists ‘Closely Monitoring’ Rising Magma Under Oregon
Volcanic Region (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
Washington Wind Power Farms May Conflict with Habitat
Preservation Projects (Energy News Network)
Puget Sound Energy Lays Out Three-Year Rate Plan Through
2025 (Daily Energy Insider)
Transient Whales, Whose Salish Sea Visits Are Increasing,
Spending Time in Hood Canal (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Utilities’ Carbon-Reduction Goals Will Have Little Impact on
U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51178
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Puget Sound Energy Lays Out Three-Year Rate Plan
Through 2025
2.
California Urged to Keep Nuclear Plant Open to
Meet Climate Goals
3.
Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It
Really Needs Energy
4.
California Gas Utility Fined $10 Million for
Ratepayer Money Misuse
5.
Bonneville Power Administration Delays Energy
Imbalance Market Go-Live from March to May
6.
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Become
49.99% Owners of Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project
7.
Missouri River Power Output Below Average in
2021
8.
Editorial: California Can’t Enact a ‘Solar Tax’
& Still Be a Climate Leader
9.
Guest Essay: New Federal Infrastructure Funds
Offer Big Opportunities for Southwest Utah
10.
Washington Wind Power Farms May Conflict with
Habitat Preservation Projects
11.
California: Group Opposes $1.5 Billion San
Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project
12.
Aurora Solar Plans Solar Project in Asotin
Washington State
13.
Arizona: Appeals Court Decision Opens Door to
Sue Public Power Utilities for Rooftop Solar Fees Under Antitrust Law
14.
Montana: NorthWestern’s Plans for State’s First
Battery-Storage Project Advances
15.
Scorecard: States Adopt New Energy-Saving Rules
but COVID-19 Slows Overall Progress
16.
Transient Whales, Whose Salish Sea Visits Are
Increasing, Spending Time in Hood Canal
17.
WA State Loses 250,000 Steelhead Smolts Due to
Equipment Failure
18.
Oregon: Power Failure Damages Rogue River
Hatchery Output
19.
Oregon Coastal Tribe Takes on Decline of Chinook
Salmon through Unique Partnership
20.
Ocean Heat Waves Trigger ‘Squid Bloom’ Along
Pacific Coast, Scientists Say
21.
Utilities’ Carbon-Reduction Goals Will Have
Little Impact on U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions
22.
U.S. Carbon Pipeline Proposals Trigger Backlash
Over Potential Land Seizures
23.
New State Plan to Drive Growth of Rural
Broadband Across Arizona
24.
Washington U.S. Senator Details Broadband Plans
for State
25.
Does The Home You Want to Buy Have Good
High-Speed Internet? You May Have to Do Some Sleuthing to Find Out.
26.
Microsoft, Google, Other Corporate Buyers Get
Creative as Demand for Renewable Energy Spikes
27.
Alaska Electric Utilities Are Proposing New
Rates for Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Stations
28.
United Kingdom: Cannabis Farms Are Stealing So
Much Electricity in Rotherham That It’s Causing Power Outages
29.
Buoy Will Monitor Underwater Noise in Hopes of
Quieting Puget Sound for Endangered Orcas
30.
Sounds of a Healthy Ocean Can Bring Degraded
Marine Ecosystems Back to Life
31.
Geologists ‘Closely Monitoring’ Rising Magma
Under Oregon Volcanic Region
32.
Deal Seeks to Revive Last Aluminum Smelter in
Pacific Northwest
33. WA State: Thieves Targeting Copper Wire in Seattle, Impacting City Infrastructure & Taxpayers
WORD OF THE DAY
Homily • \HAH-muh-lee\ • noun – 1: a usually short sermon *2: a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme 3: an inspirational catchphrase; also: platitude
The $12,000-per-show lecturer droned interminably. His homily on the virtues of living in a hut made of sticks and wearing bark clothing to reduce his “carbon footprint” was wearing on the money-paying attendees. “I think his best contribution to reducing CO2 emissions would be for him to shut up,” muttered Al to his seatmate in the climate-controlled auditorium.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Puget Sound Energy Lays Out Three-Year Rate Plan
Through 2025 (Daily Energy Insider)
2.
California Urged to Keep Nuclear Plant Open to Meet
Climate Goals (Reuters)
3.
Europe Is Losing Nuclear Power Just When It
Really Needs Energy (Bloomberg News)
4.
California Gas Utility Fined $10 Million for
Ratepayer Money Misuse (Associated Press)
5.
Bonneville Power Administration Delays Energy Imbalance
Market Go-Live from March to May (Bonneville Power Administration)
https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-delays-EIM-go-live-from-March-to-May.aspx
6.
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Become
49.99% Owners of Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project (Portland General Electric
News Release)
7.
Missouri River Power Output Below Average in 2021
(Associated Press)
https://www.kxnet.com/news/state-news/corps-missouri-river-power-output-below-average-in-2021/
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
8.
Editorial: California Can’t Enact a ‘Solar Tax’ &
Still Be a Climate Leader (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-02-06/rooftop-solar
9.
Guest Essay: New Federal Infrastructure Funds
Offer Big Opportunities for Southwest Utah (The Spectrum, St George, UT)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
10.
Washington Wind Power Farms May Conflict with
Habitat Preservation Projects (Energy News Network)
11.
California: Group Opposes $1.5 Billion San
Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project (KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA)
12.
Aurora Solar Plans Solar Project in Asotin
Washington State (Construction Review Online)
13.
Arizona: Appeals Court Decision Opens Door to
Sue Public Power Utilities for Rooftop Solar Fees Under Antitrust Law (Utility
Dive)
14.
Montana: NorthWestern’s Plans for State’s First
Battery-Storage Project Advances (Billings Gazette, MT)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
15.
Scorecard: States Adopt New Energy-Saving Rules
but COVID-19 Slows Overall Progress (American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy)
https://www.aceee.org/press-release/2020/12/2020-state-energy-efficiency-scorecard
FISH & WILDLIFE
16.
Transient Whales, Whose Salish Sea Visits Are
Increasing, Spending Time in Hood Canal (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)
17.
WA State Loses 250,000 Steelhead Smolts Due to Equipment
Failure (Associated Press)
18.
Oregon: Power Failure Damages Rogue River Hatchery
Output (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/power-failure-damages-hatchery-output-013600747.html
19.
Oregon Coastal Tribe Takes on Decline of Chinook
Salmon through Unique Partnership (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
20.
Ocean Heat Waves Trigger ‘Squid Bloom’ Along Pacific
Coast, Scientists Say (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
21.
Utilities’ Carbon-Reduction Goals Will Have
Little Impact on U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51178
22.
U.S. Carbon Pipeline Proposals Trigger Backlash
Over Potential Land Seizures (Reuters)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
23.
New State Plan to Drive Growth of Rural
Broadband Across Arizona (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ)
24.
Washington U.S. Senator Details Broadband Plans
for State (Government Technology)
https://www.govtech.com/network/washington-senator-details-broadband-plans-for-state
25.
Does The Home You Want to Buy Have Good
High-Speed Internet? You May Have to Do Some Sleuthing to Find Out. (Washington
Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/03/finding-good-internet-in-new-home/
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
26.
Microsoft, Google, Other Corporate Buyers Get
Creative as Demand for Renewable Energy Spikes (Utility Dive)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
27.
Alaska Electric Utilities Are Proposing New
Rates for Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Stations (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)
https://www.ktoo.org/2022/02/05/alaska-new-rates-for-fast-charging-stations-electric-cars/
KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS
28.
United Kingdom: Cannabis Farms Are Stealing So
Much Electricity in Rotherham That It’s Causing Power Outages (Technotrenz)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
29.
Buoy Will Monitor Underwater Noise in Hopes of Quieting
Puget Sound for Endangered Orcas (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
30.
Sounds of a Healthy Ocean Can Bring Degraded
Marine Ecosystems Back to Life (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/02/05/ocean-sounds-climate-change/
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
31.
Geologists ‘Closely Monitoring’ Rising Magma
Under Oregon Volcanic Region (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
32.
Deal Seeks to Revive Last Aluminum Smelter in Pacific
Northwest (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Paywall Advisory)
33.
WA State: Thieves Targeting Copper Wire in Seattle,
Impacting City Infrastructure & Taxpayers (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Rediscovered Dürer Drawing Bought
at Estate Sale for $30 Gets Revalued at $10 Million
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/market/rediscovered-durer-drawing-agnews-auction-1234617450/
Okanogan, WA - A Couple Renovating a 115-Year-Old Building
Discovered Two 60-Foot-Long Hidden Murals
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/couple-discover-murals-during-renovation-trnd/index.html
Legoland California Aims for World
Record with SoFi Stadium Replica
Battery Made from 2,923 Lemons Breaks Guinness World Record
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/02/04/Guinness-World-Records-lemon-battery/9921643998870/
SONG OF THE DAY
Paul Simon - Mother & Child Reunion
