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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
January 25 – 26 - Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know
(SeaTac, WA)
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough in California Seen as Milestone
Toward Clean Energy Future (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
Wyoming Nuclear Plant Delayed, Tentative Start Date Pushed
to 2030 (Casper Start-Tribune, WY)
Colorado River Water Users Convening Amid Crisis Concerns
(Associated Press)
Feds Announce $30 Million for Dam Removal, Other Projects to
Help Salmon in WA (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Zippy Nets 100K New Passings with iFIBER Acquisition (Fierce
Telecom)
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/ziply-nets-100k-new-passings-ifiber-acquisition
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough in California Seen
as Milestone Toward Clean Energy Future
2.
What Is Nuclear Fusion & Why Is It Such a
Big Deal?
3.
Wyoming Nuclear Plant Delayed, Tentative Start
Date Pushed to 2030
4.
Rising Costs Imperil Nation’s Leading Small
Reactor Project
5.
California: Pacific Gas & Electric Cuts
Thousands of Workers Ahead of Winter Wildfire Maintenance
6.
WA Gov. Inslee to Propose ‘New Ways’ to Site
Energy Projects
7.
Idaho Power Contractor Killed in Landslide on
Oregon Border
8.
Spokane City Council Wipes Away Past-Due City
Utility Bills of Low-Income Residents
9.
Congress Members Call for Additional LIHEAP
Funding
10.
A Costly Winter Looms. How Much Will the West Be
Willing to Sacrifice?
11.
Idaho Falls Power Kicks Off Energized Community
Efforts to Pursue Federal Infrastructure Funding
12.
Snap, Crackle, Pop: Salt Spray Blamed for Odd
Sounds from British Columbia Power Lines
13.
News Release: U.S. Senator Risch (ID) Fights Dam
Breaching – Prevents Democrats’ Attempt to Breach Lower Snake River Dams
14.
Nevada Geothermal Project Downsized After Toad
Gets Protections
15.
U.S. Solar Installations to Fall 23% This Year
Due to China Goods Ban: Report
16.
Why Transforming the Grid Is Critical to
Oregon’s Clean-Energy Future
17.
Putting Hydropower Back on the Energy Transition
Agenda
18.
Feds Announce $30 Million for Dam Removal, Other
Projects to Help Salmon in WA
19.
Bracing for the Economic Fallout After the
Collapse of the Bering Sea Crab Season
20.
After Report on Toxic Salmon in Columbia River,
Northwest Lawmakers Call for Action
21.
Campaign to Expand Olympic Wilderness Nears
Finish Line After 15 Years
22.
Colorado River Water Users Convening Amid Crisis
Concerns
23.
Climate Change Could Make WA Streams Too Hot for
Fish, Report Shows
24.
NOAA Releases Its Annual Report on the Arctic
25.
Ziply Nets 100K New Passings with iFIBER
Acquisition
26.
Douglas County PUD, Microsoft Enter Power
Delivery Agreement
27.
U.S. News Says These Are the 6 Best States to
Own an Electric Vehicle Based on Charging & Cost of Ownership
28.
Federal Lawmakers Unveil Bipartisan Bill That
Aims to Ban TikTok in the U.S.
29.
Leading Utilities Increase Customer Engagement
Through Communication Despite Inflation
30.
Twitter Looking to Stiff Laid-Off Employees on
Their Severance: Report
31.
Mars Rover Captures First Sound of Dust Devil on
Red Planet
32. Looking Back at the Hanukkah Eve Windstorm 16 Years Ago
WORD OF THE DAY
Lodestar • \LOAD-star\ • noun - One that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide. The literal, albeit archaic, the meaning of “lodestar” is “a star that leads or guides; especially the North Star.” (The first half of the word derives from the Middle English word “lode,” meaning “course.”)
His realization that woefully outdated generational references and a hyper-nerdish wardrobe were not to his best advantage, Bertrand began to question using Steve Erkle as his cultural and professional lodestar.
ENERGY &
UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough in California Seen as
Milestone Toward Clean Energy Future (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
2.
What Is Nuclear Fusion & Why Is It Such a Big
Deal? (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/nuclear-fusion-explainer-1.6684298?cmp=rss
3.
Wyoming Nuclear Plant Delayed, Tentative Start
Date Pushed to 2030 (Casper Start-Tribune, WY)
4.
Rising Costs Imperil Nation’s Leading Small
Reactor Project (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/rising-costs-imperil-nations-leading-small-reactor-project/
5.
California: Pacific Gas & Electric Cuts
Thousands of Workers Ahead of Winter Wildfire Maintenance (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/wildfires/pge-cuts-thousands-of-workers-ahead-of-winter-wildfire-maintenance/
6.
WA Gov. Inslee to Propose ‘New Ways’ to Site
Energy Projects (Capital Press)
7.
Idaho Power Contractor Killed in Landslide on Oregon
Border (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/12/13/oregon-man-killed-landslide-idaho-border/
8.
Spokane City Council Wipes Away Past-Due City
Utility Bills of Low-Income Residents (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/dec/12/spokane-city-council-wipes-away-past-due-city-util/
9.
Congress Members Call for Additional LIHEAP Funding
(Daily Energy Insider)
https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/37833-congress-members-call-for-additional-liheap-funding/
10.
A Costly Winter Looms. How Much Will the West Be
Willing to Sacrifice? (Christian Science Monitor)
11.
Idaho Falls Power Kicks Off Energized Community
Efforts to Pursue Federal Infrastructure Funding (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)
12.
Snap, Crackle, Pop: Salt Spray Blamed for Odd
Sounds from British Columbia Power Lines (Surrey Now Leader, BC)
SOAPBOX SERENADE
– VOX POPULI
13.
News Release: U.S. Senator Risch (ID) Fights Dam
Breaching – Prevents Democrats’ Attempt to Breach Lower Snake River Dams (U.S.
Senator Jim Risch, ID)
https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9C05BB38-DB37-42DE-AF91-209C60CE9F8F
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
14.
Nevada Geothermal Project Downsized After Toad
Gets Protections (Energy News Network)
https://energynews.us/newsletter/nevada-geothermal-project-downsized-after-toad-gets-protections/
15.
U.S. Solar Installations to Fall 23% This Year
Due to China Goods Ban: Report (Reuters)
16.
Why Transforming the Grid Is Critical to Oregon’s
Clean-Energy Future (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
17.
Putting Hydropower Back on the Energy Transition
Agenda (Renewable Energy Magazine)
FISH &
WILDLIFE
18.
Feds Announce $30 Million for Dam Removal, Other
Projects to Help Salmon in WA (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
19.
Bracing for the Economic Fallout After the Collapse
of the Bering Sea Crab Season (KUOW News, Seattle, WA)
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
20.
After Report on Toxic Salmon in Columbia River, Northwest
Lawmakers Call for Action (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
21.
Campaign to Expand Olympic Wilderness Nears
Finish Line After 15 Years (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
22.
Colorado River Water Users Convening Amid Crisis
Concerns (Associated Press)
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
23.
Climate Change Could Make WA Streams Too Hot for
Fish, Report Shows (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
24.
NOAA Releases Its Annual Report on the Arctic (National
Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/13/1142594830/noaa-releases-its-annual-report-on-the-arctic
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
25.
Ziply Nets 100K New Passings with iFIBER
Acquisition (Fierce Telecom)
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/ziply-nets-100k-new-passings-ifiber-acquisition
BEAM ME UP,
SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
26.
Douglas County PUD, Microsoft Enter Power
Delivery Agreement (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/douglas-county-pud-microsoft-enter-power-delivery-agreement/
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
27.
U.S. News Says These Are the 6 Best States to
Own an Electric Vehicle Based on Charging & Cost of Ownership (MotorBiscuit)
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/6-best-states-own-an-ev-charging-cost-of-ownership/
PULIC RELATIONS,
MARKETING & MEDIA
28.
Federal Lawmakers Unveil Bipartisan Bill That
Aims to Ban TikTok in the U.S. (CNBC News)
29.
Leading Utilities Increase Customer Engagement
Through Communication Despite Inflation (Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV)
30.
Twitter Looking to Stiff Laid-Off Employees on Their
Severance: Report (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-elon-musk-severance_n_6399046fe4b0c2814647e679
BARREL O’ GREEN
POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
31.
Mars Rover Captures First Sound of Dust Devil on
Red Planet (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/mars-rover-captures-1st-sound-of-dust-devil-on-red-planet/
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
32.
Looking Back at the Hanukkah Eve Windstorm 16
Years Ago (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3749731/looking-back-at-the-hanukkah-eve-wind-storm-16-years-ago/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Inflation Has Reached the North Pole as a Santa Shortage
Looms
A Girl Asked If She Could Keep a Unicorn in Her Yard. Los
Angeles County Gave Her a License
Watch NASA’s Entire Artemis I Moon Mission in Just 60
Seconds
https://www.cnet.com/science/space/watch-nasas-entire-artemis-i-moon-mission-in-just-60-seconds/
Olympia Man Reunited with Cat ‘Precious’ After Van Stolen in
October
https://www.q13fox.com/news/olympia-man-reunited-with-cat-precious-after-van-stolen-in-october
SONG OF THE DAY
Diana Krall - Fly Me to the Moon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b8brVSAAQA
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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