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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Pacific Northwest Electric Utilities Spending Millions to
Lower Wildfire Risk (U.S. News & World Report)
Washington State Utilities Keep Close Eye on Great
Resignation Trends as They Prep for Wildfire Season (Utility Dive)
Megadrought Threatens California Power Blackouts This Summer
(Claims Journal)
https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/west/2022/04/28/310155.htm
California: A Longer Life for Diablo Canyon? Gov. Newsom
Touts Nuke Extension (Associated Press)
https://mynorthwest.com/3453616/a-longer-life-for-diablo-canyon-newsom-touts-nuke-extension/
Plan to Fill Giant Utah Caves with Hydrogen Gets $504
Million Federal Boost (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/04/29/plan-fill-giant-utah/
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Pacific Northwest Electric Utilities Spending
Millions to Lower Wildfire Risk
2.
Washington State Utilities Keep Close Eye on
Great Resignation Trends as They Prep for Wildfire Season
3.
Megadrought Threatens California Power Blackouts
This Summer
4.
California: A Longer Life for Diablo Canyon?
Gov. Newsom Touts Nuke Extension
5.
B.C. Hydro Boosts Fraud Risk Management at Peace
River Dam Project – Is It Too Little Too Late?
6.
Noted Economist Is Not Pumped About Pacific
Northwest Pumped Hydropower
7.
U.S. Rep. Newhouse (WA) Grills Energy, Ag
Secretaries on Breaching Snake Dams, Hanford & New Nuclear
8.
May 16: Canadian Public Info Session Being Held
to Update Columbia River Treaty Talks
9.
WA State Working Families Eligible for $6.49
Million in Energy Bill Assistance. Here’s How
10.
U.S. Nuclear Power Agency Seeks Staff
Documentation of NuScale’s Quake Protection
11.
Montana: Flathead Electric Co-Op Added More Than
2,000 Meters in 2021 Alone
12.
North Dakota: How Drone Companies Are Assisting
Utilities in Restoring Power
13.
U.S. Department of Energy Hydropower Collegiate
Competition
14.
Further Electrifying Washington State Is a
Shared Goal, But Gov. Inslee’s Plan to Get Us There Is Short-Circuiting Out
15.
Guest Essay: Kurt Miller – Aluminum Fight Proves
Hydropower Is Green in Multiple Ways
16.
Editorial: Montana - Colstrip Case Shows Results
of Sloppy Law
17.
Power to the People: Rural Cooperatives
Reminders of Massive Effort to Bring Electric to Farms
18.
Biden Administration Moves Ahead with Proposed
Oregon Offshore Wind Power
19.
U.S. Senators Plead with President Biden for
Quick End to Solar Trade Probe
20.
Vast Reaches of Utah’s West Desert Could Be
Leased for Geothermal Power
21.
Fire Smolders at Chandler Battery Storage
Facility Nearly Two Weeks Later
22.
Wind Projects Rejected in Nebraska & Ohio,
Wind Rejections Across U.S. Now Total 328 Since 2015
23.
Everyone Wants to Build Green Energy Projects.
What’s the Holdup?
24.
Idaho Chinook Count Comes in at Highest Since
2015 — On Pace with the 10-Year Average
25.
WA State: Salmon Summit Teaches Kids About
Conservation, Science
26.
Pacific Northwest Anglers Will Get Paid More to
Catch a Certain Type of Fish in 2022
27.
Lake Powell Officials Face an Impossible Choice
in the West’s Megadrought: Water or Electricity
28.
New Government Maps Show Nearly All of the West
Is in Drought and It’s Not Even Summer Yet: “This Is Unprecedented”
29.
Backed-Up Pipes, Stinky Yards: Climate Change Is
Wrecking Septic Tanks
30.
Legislation Provides Path for Broadband
Expansion in Grays Harbor County
31.
Amazon Has Bold Ambitions to Take on SpaceX in
the Satellite Internet Business
32.
WA State: Wahkiakum West Buys Skamokawa Internet
to Move to East County
33.
Wenatchee Valley Featured in CNN Story on
Bitcoin Mining
34.
U.S. Postal Service Replaces Fleet with
Gas-Powered Over Electric Vehicles, Prompting Washington AG Lawsuit
35.
Plan to Fill Giant Utah Caves with Hydrogen Gets
$504 Million Federal Boost
36.
Cut The BS: This WA State Startup Is Converting
Cow Manure into Clean-Burning Hydrogen Fuel
37.
A Much Colder Than Normal April: But How
Unusual?
38. Supreme Court Expands Free Speech on Government Property
WORD OF THE DAY
Virescent \vuh-RESS-sunt\ Adjective - Beginning to be green: greenish.
The lesser-known brother of Theodore Geisel, Abner, was considered the more cerebral of the siblings. Whereas Ted waxed eloquently about “Green Eggs & Ham,” Abner’s treatise was titled “The Psychological Effects of Virescent Fried Chicken Embryos & Salt-Cured Pork Flesh on Anthropomorphic Creatures in Children’s Literature.” Understandably, Ted’s writings were much better sellers in every way.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Pacific Northwest Electric Utilities Spending
Millions to Lower Wildfire Risk (U.S. News & World Report)
2.
Washington State Utilities Keep Close Eye on Great
Resignation Trends as They Prep for Wildfire Season (Utility Dive)
3.
Megadrought Threatens California Power Blackouts
This Summer (Claims Journal)
https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/west/2022/04/28/310155.htm
4.
California: A Longer Life for Diablo Canyon? Gov.
Newsom Touts Nuke Extension (Associated Press)
https://mynorthwest.com/3453616/a-longer-life-for-diablo-canyon-newsom-touts-nuke-extension/
5.
B.C. Hydro Boosts Fraud Risk Management at Peace
River Dam Project – Is It Too Little Too Late? (Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation)
6.
Noted Economist Is Not Pumped About Pacific
Northwest Pumped Hydropower (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/northwest/noted-economist-is-not-pumped-about-pumped-hydropower/
7.
U.S. Rep. Newhouse (WA) Grills Energy, Ag
Secretaries on Breaching Snake Dams, Hanford & New Nuclear (Tri-City Herald,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/hanford/article260874837.html
8.
May 16: Canadian Public Info Session Being Held to
Update Columbia River Treaty Talks (The Nelson Star, BC)
9.
WA State Working Families Eligible for $6.49
Million in Energy Bill Assistance. Here’s How (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article260827112.html
10.
U.S. Nuclear Power Agency Seeks Staff
Documentation of NuScale’s Quake Protection (Reuters)
11.
Montana: Flathead Electric Co-Op Added More Than
2,000 Meters in 2021 Alone (Hungry Horse News, Columbia Falls, MT)
https://hungryhorsenews.com/news/2022/apr/27/co-op-added-more-2000-meters-2021-alone/
12.
North Dakota: How Drone Companies Are Assisting
Utilities in Restoring Power (KFYR-TV, Bismarck, ND)
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2022/04/28/how-drone-companies-are-assisting-utilities-restoring-power/
13.
U.S. Department of Energy Hydropower Collegiate
Competition (National Renewable Energy Laboratory – PDF File)
https://openei.org/wiki/Hydropower/Prizes_and_Competitions/Hydropower_Collegiate_Competition_(HCC)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
14.
Further Electrifying Washington State Is a
Shared Goal, But Gov. Inslee’s Plan to Get Us There Is Short-Circuiting Out (The
Inlander, Spokane, WA)
15.
Guest Essay: Kurt Miller – Aluminum Fight Proves
Hydropower Is Green in Multiple Ways (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/apr/27/kurt-miller-aluminum-fight-proves-hydropower-is-gr/
16.
Editorial: Montana - Colstrip Case Shows Results
of Sloppy Law (The Missoulian, MT)
17.
Power to the People: Rural Cooperatives
Reminders of Massive Effort to Bring Electric to Farms (The Jacksonville
Journal-Courier, IL)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
18.
Biden Administration Moves Ahead with Proposed Oregon
Offshore Wind Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/apr/30/biden-administration-moves-ahead-with-proposed-ore/
19.
U.S. Senators Plead with President Biden for
Quick End to Solar Trade Probe (Bloomberg News)
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/senators-plead-with-biden-for-quick-end-to-solar-trade-probe-1.1759857
20.
Vast Reaches of Utah’s West Desert Could Be
Leased for Geothermal Power (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2022/04/30/vast-reaches-utahs-west/
21.
Fire Smolders at Chandler Battery Storage
Facility Nearly Two Weeks Later (AZ News, Phoenix, AZ)
22.
Wind Projects Rejected in Nebraska & Ohio,
Wind Rejections Across U.S. Now Total 328 Since 2015 (Forbes Magazine)
23.
Everyone Wants to Build Green Energy Projects.
What’s the Holdup? (Wired Magazine)
https://www.wired.com/story/everyone-wants-to-build-green-energy-projects-whats-the-holdup/
FISH & WILDLIFE
24.
Idaho Chinook Count Comes in at Highest Since
2015 — On Pace with the 10-Year Average (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/may/01/idaho-chinook-count-comes-in-at-highest-since-2015/
25.
WA State: Salmon Summit Teaches Kids About
Conservation, Science (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
26.
Pacific Northwest Anglers Will Get Paid More to
Catch a Certain Type of Fish in 2022 (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
https://www.koin.com/local/anglers-will-get-paid-more-to-catch-a-certain-type-of-fish-in-2022/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
27.
Lake Powell Officials Face an Impossible Choice in
the West’s Megadrought: Water or Electricity (Associated Press)
28.
New Government Maps Show Nearly All of the West Is
in Drought and It’s Not Even Summer Yet: “This Is Unprecedented” (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/west-climate-change-water/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
29.
Backed-Up Pipes, Stinky Yards: Climate Change Is
Wrecking Septic Tanks (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
30.
Legislation Provides Path for Broadband
Expansion in Grays Harbor County (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
31.
Amazon Has Bold Ambitions to Take on SpaceX in
the Satellite Internet Business (CNBC)
32.
WA State: Wahkiakum West Buys Skamokawa Internet
to Move to East County (Wahkiakum Eagle, Cathlamet, WA)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
33.
Wenatchee Valley Featured in CNN Story on
Bitcoin Mining (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.kpq.com/wenatchee-valley-featured-in-cnn-story-on-bitcoin-mining/
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
34.
U.S. Postal Service Replaces Fleet with
Gas-Powered Over Electric Vehicles, Prompting Washington AG Lawsuit (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3452021/usps-fleet-gas-powered-electric-vehicles-washington-ag-lawsuit/
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
35.
Plan to Fill Giant Utah Caves with Hydrogen Gets
$504 Million Federal Boost (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/04/29/plan-fill-giant-utah/
36.
Cut The BS: This WA State Startup Is Converting
Cow Manure into Clean-Burning Hydrogen Fuel (GeekWire)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
37.
A Much Colder Than Normal April: But How
Unusual? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-much-colder-than-normal-april-but-how.html
38.
Supreme Court Expands Free Speech on Government
Property (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/supreme-court-expands-free-speech-on-government-property/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Naomi Judd, of Grammy-Winning Duo The Judds, Dies at 76
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/30/naomi-judd-of-grammy-winning-duo-the-judds-dies-at-76/
Pilot in Botched Arizona Red Bull Plane Stunt Apologizes
Dogs’ Breeds Don’t Dictate Their Personalities, Study Finds
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-us-sci-dogs-personality_n_626d425ce4b01131b12373f5
International Harry Potter Day Marks Battle of Hogwarts Date
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/05/02/International-Harry-Potter-Day-Hogwarts/4711651505818/
SONG OF THE DAY
The Judds – Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain
