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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Court Case on Fate
of Snake River Dams Postponed at Least 45 More Days (Washington State Standard)
Oregon: Utility
Rates for Portland General Electric Customers Expected to Rise by 17% in 2024
(KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
WA State:
Installing Solar Panels, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Spokane May Soon
Be More Costly (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/oct/30/installing-solar-panels-electric-vehicle-charging-/
The Challenge in
Mandating Electric Heating in Washington State (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/10/31/heat-pump-rule-requirement-gas-electric
Ecology Nears
Decision on Linking WA’s Cap-And-Trade Program to CA-Quebec Market (The Center
Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_1e9199ae-781d-11ee-b2e1-6f5ef1f3a326.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Oregon:
Utility Rates for Portland General Electric Customers Expected to Rise by 17%
in 2024
2. California:
Bay Area Pacific Gas & Electric Bills Are More Than Double the National
Average, New Report Says
3. Federal
Tax Credit Adjustment to Idaho Customer Power Bills
4. News
Release: DOE & WAPA Unveil $1.3 Billion Commitment to Expand &
Strengthen the Nation’s Grid
5. U.S.
Energy Dept. Pours Billions into Power Grids, But Warns It’s Not Enough
6. WA
State: Snohomish PUD Warns of Scammers
Trying to Cash in During Meter Replacement in Everett & Snohomish County
7. President
Biden Seeks $1.6 Billion in Supplemental Spending for LIHEAP
8. Federal
Grants Could Improve Utility Safety & Add Jobs
9. Court
Case on Fate of Snake River Dams Postponed at Least 45 More Days
10. Salmon
Vs. Dams Suit Stays on Pause Until Dec. 15
11. Lower
Snake River Dam Removal Still Possible as Talks Continue
12. New
Secret Plan Proposed in Snake River Dam Lawsuit
13. News
Release: NW RiverPartners Reacts to Latest Delay in Lower Snake River Dam Talks
14. WA
State: Installing Solar Panels, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Spokane
May Soon Be More Costly
15. The
Solar-Panel Backlash Is Here
16. Northwest
Hydrogen Hub Backers Highlight Project’s Expected Economic Benefits
17. The
Challenge in Mandating Electric Heating in Washington State
18. IRA-Driven
Electrification, Other Steps Could Cut Building GHG Emissions Up to 70%: EPA
19. Decent
Year for Salmon in the Columbia
20. WA
State: Beaver Family That Moved into Seattle’s Carkeek Park May Complicate
Salmon-Spawning Journey
21. Earth’s
Freshwater Is Getting Saltier, And People Are to Blame
22. Ecology
Nears Decision on Linking WA’s Cap-And-Trade Program to CA-Quebec Market
23. British
Columbia Drought Conditions Increasing Risk of Hazardous ‘Zombie’ Trees
24. Carbon
Emissions Threaten 1.5 Centigrade Climate Threshold Sooner Than Thought –
Report
25. FCC
Launches Major Revamp of Broadband Availability Benchmark
26. Rural
Internet Service Providers Should Keep an Eye Out on Open Access Competition –
CoBank Study
27. Musk
Says Tesla Aims to Make 200,000 Cybertrucks a Year
28. Supreme
Court to Wade into Social Media Free Speech Firestorm
29. Facing
a Social Media Crisis? Here’s How to Come Out on Top
30. Seattle
Is Emerging as Fusiontown, U.S.A.
31. Lawsuit
Challenges Montana Legislature’s New PSC Map as Unconstitutional Gerrymander
32. In
a First, MIT Trains Students to Resolve Clean Energy Conflicts
33. WA
State: Neighbors Push Back on New Building Codes Designed to Fight Wildfires
34. The
Pacific Northwest November Precipitation Switch
35. ‘Fall
Back’ This Weekend for Daylight Saving Time. Here’s What You Need to Know
36. Guest
Essay: Return of the Sockeye
37.
Editorial: Clean Energy, Not Expanding Gas
Pipeline, Is WA’s Future
WORD OF THE DAY
Croesus • \KREE-sus\ • Noun – A very rich person.
Newton felt every bit a modern Croesus. That is until he discovered that collecting all the grocery store coupons worth 1/20th of a cent would cost more to put in a warehouse than they were worth.
Croesus was the king of Lydia from 560/561 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. Croesus was renowned for his wealth & in Greek & Persian cultures. His name became a synonym for a wealthy man; in English, expressions such as “rich as Croesus” or “richer than Croesus” indicate great wealth.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Oregon: Utility Rates for Portland General
Electric Customers Expected to Rise by 17% in 2024 (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
2.
California: Bay Area Pacific Gas & Electric Bills
Are More Than Double the National Average, New Report Says (KNTV-TV, San Jose,
CA)
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/bay-area-pge-bills-report/3354642/
3.
Federal Tax Credit Adjustment to Idaho Customer
Power Bills (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)
4.
News Release: DOE & WAPA Unveil $1.3 Billion
Commitment to Expand & Strengthen the Nation’s Grid (Western Area Power Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/doe-wapa-unveil-1-3b-commitment-to-expand-strengthen-the-nations-grid/
5.
U.S. Energy Dept. Pours Billions into Power
Grids, But Warns It’s Not Enough (Las Vegas Sun, NV)
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2023/oct/31/energy-dept-pours-billions-into-power-grids-but-wa/
6.
WA State: Snohomish PUD Warns of Scammers Trying to Cash
in During Meter Replacement in Everett & Snohomish County (My Everett News,
WA)
7.
President Biden Seeks $1.6 Billion in
Supplemental Spending for LIHEAP (American Public Power Association)
8.
Federal Grants Could Improve Utility Safety &
Add Jobs (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
https://www.nwpb.org/2023/11/01/federal-grants-could-improve-utility-safety-and-add-jobs/
THE NEVERENDING STORY – LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS
9.
Court Case on Fate of Snake River Dams Postponed
at Least 45 More Days (Washington State Standard)
10.
Salmon Vs. Dams Suit Stays on Pause Until Dec.
15 (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
11.
Lower Snake River Dam Removal Still Possible as Talks
Continue (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
12.
New Secret Plan Proposed in Snake River Dam
Lawsuit (Capital Press)
13.
News Release: NW RiverPartners Reacts to Latest
Delay in Lower Snake River Dam Talks (NW RiverPartners, Vancouver, WA)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2023/11/news-release-nw-riverpartners-reacts-to.html
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
14.
WA State: Installing Solar Panels, Electric
Vehicle Charging Stations in Spokane May Soon Be More Costly (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/oct/30/installing-solar-panels-electric-vehicle-charging-/
15.
The Solar-Panel Backlash Is Here (Atlantic
Magazine)
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/10/solar-power-duck-curve-waste/675842/
16.
Northwest Hydrogen Hub Backers Highlight Project’s
Expected Economic Benefits (Washington State Standard)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
17.
The Challenge in Mandating Electric Heating in Washington
State (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/10/31/heat-pump-rule-requirement-gas-electric
18.
IRA-Driven Electrification, Other Steps Could
Cut Building GHG Emissions Up to 70%: EPA (Utility Dive)
FISH & WILDLIFE
19.
Decent Year for Salmon in the Columbia (Columbia
Gorge News, Hood River, OR)
20.
WA State: Beaver Family That Moved into Seattle’s
Carkeek Park May Complicate Salmon-Spawning Journey (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
21.
Earth’s Freshwater Is Getting Saltier, And
People Are to Blame (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/oct/31/earths-freshwater-is-getting-saltier-and-people-ar/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
22.
Ecology Nears Decision on Linking WA’s Cap-And-Trade
Program to CA-Quebec Market (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_1e9199ae-781d-11ee-b2e1-6f5ef1f3a326.html
23.
British Columbia Drought Conditions Increasing
Risk of Hazardous ‘Zombie’ Trees (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hazardous-zombie-trees-1.7014436
24.
Carbon Emissions Threaten 1.5 Centigrade Climate
Threshold Sooner Than Thought – Report (British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://news.yahoo.com/carbon-emissions-threaten-1-5c-160008212.html
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
25.
FCC Launches Major Revamp of Broadband
Availability Benchmark (Multichannel News)
https://www.nexttv.com/news/fcc-launches-major-revamp-of-broadband-availability-benchmark
26.
Rural Internet Service Providers Should Keep an
Eye Out on Open Access Competition – CoBank Study (Fierce Telecom)
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/rural-isps-should-keep-eye-out-open-access-competition-study
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
27.
Musk Says Tesla Aims to Make 200,000 Cybertrucks
a Year (Reuters)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
28.
Supreme Court to Wade into Social Media Free
Speech Firestorm (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-wade-social-media-100000801.html
29.
Facing a Social Media Crisis? Here’s How to Come
Out on Top (Pioneer Utility Resources)
https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/mollymcphersontips/
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
30.
Seattle Is Emerging as Fusiontown, U.S.A. (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/01/seattle-fusiontown-energy-global-warming-nuclear-fusion
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
31.
Lawsuit Challenges Montana Legislature’s New PSC
Map as Unconstitutional Gerrymander (KPVI-TV, Pocatello, ID)
32.
In a First, MIT Trains Students to Resolve Clean
Energy Conflicts (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/in-a-first-mit-trains-students-to-resolve-clean-18458991.php
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
33.
WA State: Neighbors Push Back on New Building
Codes Designed to Fight Wildfires (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
34.
The Pacific Northwest November Precipitation
Switch (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-november-precipitation-switch.html
35.
‘Fall Back’ This Weekend for Daylight Saving
Time. Here’s What You Need to Know (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/fall-back-this-weekend-daylight-saving-time
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
36.
Guest Essay: Return of the Sockeye (Tacoma
Weekly, WA)
https://tacomaweekly.com/return-of-the-sockeye-p6301-197.htm
37.
Editorial: Clean Energy, Not Expanding Gas
Pipeline, Is WA’s Future (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
This Seattle Woman
Has Gone on 45 First Dates in 26 Countries
Oregon Bat William
ShakespEAR Wins Nationwide Beauty Contest
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/11/01/Bat-Beauty-Contest-winner/2501698851165/
About 1,000 Sheep
Paraded Through Utah City’s Main Street
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/10/30/sheep-parade-Cedar-City-Utah/3201698679190/
Teen Trampolinist
Pops Balloons While Somersaulting for World Record
SONG OF THE DAY
The B-52’s -
Private Idaho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxHyliIspkA
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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