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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
California’s Plan to Avoid Blackouts Relies on Fossil Fuels
as Last Resort (Canary Media)
Blackout Risk in Washington State Low But ‘Not Trivial’
(KPVI-TV, Pocatello, ID)
Gov. Dunleavy Signs Bill Streamlining Effort to Bring
Nuclear Microreactors to Alaska Villages (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
WA State: Black Rock Solar Facility Approved in Eastern
Yakima County (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Stormy Repeat: NOAA Predicts Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season
(Associated Press)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
California’s Plan to Avoid Blackouts Relies on
Fossil Fuels as Last Resort
2.
Blackout Risk in Washington State Low But ‘Not
Trivial’
3.
Gov. Dunleavy Signs Bill Streamlining Effort to
Bring Nuclear Microreactors to Alaska Villages
4.
U.S. Releases Environmental Study About New
Idaho Test Reactor
5.
Climate Worries Galvanize a New Pro-Nuclear
Movement in the U.S.
6.
Utah Has the Nation’s Cheapest Electricity, But
It’s Not Very Climate-Friendly – Washington State (2), Idaho (3), Oregon (4)
7.
New York Utilities Fear ‘Potentially Unlimited’
Obligation Under Proposed Refund Rules for Prolonged Outages
8.
Public Power Utilities Take Proactive Approach
in Response to Supply Chain Challenges
9.
Audio: Along Those Lines: ‘Super-Power’—The
Impact of Hydroelectric Dams
10.
Editorial: Return of Wildfire Season Brings New
Concern – Utilities in WA State Will Need to Pay More Attention to Risks to
Powerlines from Wind & Trees.
11.
George Ochenski: The Colstrip Calamity – They
Got the Gold, We Get the Shaft
12.
Should States Fund Municipal Broadband and
Cooperatives?
13.
WA State: Black Rock Solar Facility Approved in
Eastern Yakima County
14.
Federal Investigation Slows Solar Projects in
Oregon
15.
EIA Expects Solar and Wind to Be Larger Sources
of U.S. Electricity Generation This Summer
16.
Alaska: A Tidal Energy Project Could Power
Machinery at Port Mackenzie
17.
Is It Time to Stop Burning Our Garbage?
18.
The U.S. Has Spent More Than $2 Billion on a
Plan to Save Salmon. The Fish Are Vanishing Anyway.
19.
About the Data: How We Analyzed Salmon &
Steelhead Surviva
20.
More Days Added to Columbia Spring Chinook
Fishery, Which Marks Its Best Return Since 2015
21.
Pacific Northwest Leaders Discuss Lower Snake
River Dam Removal at Third Annual Salmon Orca Summit
22.
Salmon at Increased Risk of Exposure to Harmful
Bacteria Near British Columbia Fish Farms, Study Suggests
23.
Invasive Crayfish Found in Oregon for the First
Time
24.
Monarch Butterfly Numbers in Mexico Rise by 35%
25.
Alaska: EPA Proposes Bristol Bay Protections in
Potential Blow to Pebble Mine Development
26.
California Businesses Ordered to Stop Watering
Lawns as Drought Strangles State
27.
WA State: Cool Spring, Slow Runoff Mean Lake
Chelan Is Low on Water
28.
An Ocean First: Underwater Drone Tracks Carbon
Dioxide in Alaska Gulf
29.
WA State: Thurston Youth Perform Die-In Over
Climate Response During Olympia City Council Meeting
30.
Utah: UTOPIA Fiber Wraps Work on Largest Open
Access Broadband Network in U.S.
31.
NTIA Doing All it Can to ‘Pressure’ States to
Allow Municipal Broadband for Infrastructure Builds
32.
Map Highlights Broadband Availability by State
33.
Co-Ops Open the Door for High-speed Broadband
and More Use of Precision Ag
34.
The Mental Block Preventing People from Buying
Electric Vehicles
35.
As College Enrollment Tanks, There’s a Growing
Push to Celebrate Students Going Into Skilled Trades
36.
Anthropologist Shares Unexpected Tip for Staying
Cool During Heat Waves: ‘We All Need to Study This’
37.
Stormy Repeat: NOAA Predicts Busy Atlantic
Hurricane Season
38. Greater Idaho Movement Scales Back Plan for Oregon Annexation
WORD OF THE DAY
Obeisance \oh-BEE-sunss\ Noun – 1: a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission: bow *2: acknowledgment of another's superiority or importance: homage.
“Kiss my grits,” shrilled the agitated Florence Jean Castleberry to the unruly customer at the diner counter. Unexpectedly, the grizzled truck driver immediately dropped to one knee in obeisance, gently removing the steaming bowl of hominy grits from the counter and planting a kiss on the gloppy goo.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
California’s Plan to Avoid Blackouts Relies on
Fossil Fuels as Last Resort (Canary Media)
2.
Blackout Risk in Washington State Low But ‘Not
Trivial’ (KPVI-TV, Pocatello, ID)
3.
Gov. Dunleavy Signs Bill Streamlining Effort to
Bring Nuclear Microreactors to Alaska Villages (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
4.
U.S. Releases Environmental Study About New Idaho
Test Reactor (Associated Press)
5.
Climate Worries Galvanize a New Pro-Nuclear
Movement in the U.S. (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/05/24/diablo-canyon-nuclear-climate/
6.
Utah Has the Nation’s Cheapest Electricity, But
It’s Not Very Climate-Friendly – Washington State (2), Idaho (3), Oregon (4) (Salt
Lake Tribune, UT)
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/05/24/utah-has-nations-cheapest/
7.
New York Utilities Fear ‘Potentially Unlimited’
Obligation Under Proposed Refund Rules for Prolonged Outages (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-york-utilities-coned-psc-outage-reimbursement/624258/
8.
Public Power Utilities Take Proactive Approach in
Response to Supply Chain Challenges (American Public Power Association)
9.
Audio: Along Those Lines: ‘Super-Power’—The
Impact of Hydroelectric Dams (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
https://www.electric.coop/along-those-lines-impact-of-hydroelectric-dams
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
10.
Editorial: Return of Wildfire Season Brings New
Concern – Utilities in WA State Will Need to Pay More Attention to Risks to
Powerlines from Wind & Trees. (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-return-of-wildfire-season-brings-new-concern/
11.
George Ochenski: The Colstrip Calamity – They
Got the Gold, We Get the Shaft (Montana Standard, Butte, MT)
12.
Should States Fund Municipal Broadband and
Cooperatives? (Governing)
https://www.governing.com/now/should-states-fund-municipal-broadband-and-cooperatives
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
13.
WA State: Black Rock Solar Facility Approved in
Eastern Yakima County (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)
14.
Federal Investigation Slows Solar Projects in Oregon
(Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/05/25/solar-investigation-commerce-oregon-panels/
15.
EIA Expects Solar and Wind to Be Larger Sources
of U.S. Electricity Generation This Summer (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=52438
16.
Alaska: A Tidal Energy Project Could Power
Machinery at Port Mackenzie (Alaska Public Media)
17.
Is It Time to Stop Burning Our Garbage?
(Bloomberg News)
FISH & WILDLIFE
18.
The U.S. Has Spent More Than $2 Billion on a Plan
to Save Salmon. The Fish Are Vanishing Anyway. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
19.
About the Data: How We Analyzed Salmon &
Steelhead Survival (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/05/24/how-opb-propublica-analyzed-salmon-steelhead-survival-data/
20.
More Days Added to Columbia Spring Chinook
Fishery, Which Marks Its Best Return Since 2015 (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
21.
Pacific Northwest Leaders Discuss Lower Snake
River Dam Removal at Third Annual Salmon Orca Summit (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
22.
Salmon at Increased Risk of Exposure to Harmful
Bacteria Near British Columbia Fish Farms, Study Suggests (Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation)
23.
Invasive Crayfish Found in Oregon for the First
Time (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/05/22/invasive-crayfish-found-in-oregon-for-first-time/
24.
Monarch Butterfly Numbers in Mexico Rise by 35%
(Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-mexico-city-trees-d4f6220ea3ec24fb46ec22f6ad5da0d8
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
25.
Alaska: EPA Proposes Bristol Bay Protections in Potential
Blow to Pebble Mine Development (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
26.
California Businesses Ordered to Stop Watering
Lawns as Drought Strangles State (Courthouse News Service)
27.
WA State: Cool Spring, Slow Runoff Mean Lake
Chelan Is Low on Water (North Central Washington Life, East Wenatchee, WA)
https://www.ncwlife.com/cool-spring-slow-runoff-mean-lake-chelan-is-low-on-water/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
28.
An Ocean First: Underwater Drone Tracks Carbon
Dioxide in Alaska Gulf (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/An-ocean-first-Underwater-drone-tracks-CO2-in-17197940.php
29.
WA State: Thurston Youth Perform Die-In Over
Climate Response During Olympia City Council Meeting (Olympian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article261768827.html
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
30.
Utah: UTOPIA Fiber Wraps Work on Largest Open
Access Broadband Network in U.S. (Fierce Telecom)
31.
NTIA Doing All it Can to ‘Pressure’ States to
Allow Municipal Broadband for Infrastructure Builds (Broadband Breakfast)
32.
Map Highlights Broadband Availability by State (WWLP-TV,
Springfield, MA)
https://www.wwlp.com/news/national/map-highlights-broadband-availability-by-state/
33.
Co-Ops Open the Door for High-speed Broadband
and More Use of Precision Ag (Farm Journal)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
34.
The Mental Block Preventing People from Buying
Electric Vehicles (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/technology/the-mental-block-preventing-people-from-buying-electric-vehicles/
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
35.
As College Enrollment Tanks, There’s a Growing
Push to Celebrate Students Going Into Skilled Trades (NBC News)
BARREL O’ GREEN
POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
36.
Anthropologist Shares Unexpected Tip for Staying
Cool During Heat Waves: ‘We All Need to Study This’ (Yahoo! News)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
37.
Stormy Repeat: NOAA Predicts Busy Atlantic Hurricane
Season (Associated Press)
38.
Greater Idaho Movement Scales Back Plan for Oregon
Annexation (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
LEGO Unveils ‘The Starry Night’ Set Celebrating Van Gogh’s
Most Famous Painting
https://mymodernmet.com/lego-starry-night-set/
What Is the ‘Dissociative Pout.’ Is It the New ‘Duck Face’?
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/dissociative-pout-duck-face-203009346.html
Reds Fan Accidentally Catches Baseball in Beer Cup, Chugs for
Crowd
German Surfer Rides World Record 86-Foot Wave in Portugal
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/05/25/Guinness-World-Records/4291653499782/
SONG OF THE DAY
‘Heroes’ The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain vs David
Bowie
