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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
The deadline to nominate an exceptional Public Power employee for NWPPA’s 2023 Annual Awards has been extended to Friday, Feb. 10. Honor a colleague by submitting a nomination today at www.nwppa.org/members/awards-nominations/.
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
California’s Newsom Seeks Federal Probe into Soaring
Natural-Gas Prices (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/california-newsom-seeks-federal-probe-215426746.html
Judge Refuses to Block Digging at Lithium Mine on
Nevada-Oregon Line (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/26/judge-refuses-to-block-digging-at-lithium-mine-on-nv-or-line/
Gov. Little, Idaho Delegation Share ‘Deep Concerns’ about
Lava Ridge; Magic Valley Legislators Sign Opposition Letter (Twin Falls
Times-News, ID)
A Tech Race Begins as Microsoft Adds Artificial Intelligence
to Its Search Engine (New York Times, NY – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/microsoft-ai-chatgpt-bing.html
Raising Sons Is Draining Killer Whale Mothers, Study Finds
(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/southern-resident-killer-whales-reproduction-1.6740030?cmp=rss
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
California’s Newsom Seeks Federal Probe into
Soaring Natural-Gas Prices
2.
EIA Lowers U.S. Natural Gas Price Forecast After
a Warmer-Than-Average Start to 2023
3.
Oregon: In State First, Eugene Bans Natural Gas
in New Low-Rise Residential Buildings
4.
What’s Going on with WA Gas Stoves? Here Are
Facts Behind Discussion on Gas Appliance Bans
5.
Chelan County PUD Enters into 20-Year Contract
with Puget Sound Energy for Hydropower Output
6.
Falling Lake Powell Water Levels Put Wyoming
Hydro Power at Risk
7.
Bill Gates Says High-Voltage Power Lines Will
Save America. He’s Right.
8.
We Don’t Need ‘Miracle’ Technologies to Fix the
Climate. We Have the Tools Now
9.
Gov. Little, Idaho Delegation Share ‘Deep
Concerns’ about Lava Ridge; Magic Valley Legislators Sign Opposition Letter
10.
Switzerland’s Solar Dam: Why Are Mountains &
Snow the Perfect Mix for Solar Energy?
11.
Rebates for Home Energy Upgrades Are Coming
Soon. Here’s How to Plan
12.
Raising Sons Is Draining Killer Whale Mothers,
Study Finds
13.
Environmental Win in Alaska Affects Oregon
Fishermen
14.
Maine’s Atlantic Salmon on the Brink
15.
Oregon: Fender’s Blue Butterfly Population
Rebounds in the Willamette Valley
16.
Judge Refuses to Block Digging at Lithium Mine
on Nevada-Oregon Line
17.
Tribe, Salmon Win in Fight Over Upper Klamath
Lake Water
18.
‘Generational Snowpack’ Left by California
Storms Bolsters Water Supply
19.
Study: 15 Million People Live Under Threat of
Glacial Floods
20.
AT&T Goes to Court over FCC Decision on Pole
Attachment Rates
21.
A Tech Race Begins as Microsoft Adds Artificial
Intelligence to Its Search Engine
22.
Google Hopes ‘Bard’ Will Outsmart ChatGPT,
Microsoft in Artificial Intelligence
23.
Electric Vehicles Lose Up to 30% Range When
Temperatures Dip Below Freezing, Study Finds
24.
Electric Vehicles Can Now Power Your Home for
Three Days
25.
Utilities Question Whether Washington Service
Shutoff Proposal Is Needed
26.
Canadian Mining Company Reports Finding $3
Billion Gold Deposit Near Republic
27.
Biden in State of Union Exhorts Congress:
‘Finish the Job’
28. Expect a Dry Spring, Mild Summer as La Nina Transitions to El Nino, ‘Weatherman’ Says
WORD OF THE DAY – THE HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Fabulist /FAB-yuh-list/ Noun – 1: a creator or writer of fables 2: liar.
Tiny little lies
Topple the sad fabulist
Truth is easier
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
California’s Newsom Seeks Federal Probe into
Soaring Natural-Gas Prices (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/california-newsom-seeks-federal-probe-215426746.html
2.
EIA Lowers U.S. Natural Gas Price Forecast After
a Warmer-Than-Average Start to 2023 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press526.php
3.
Oregon: In State First, Eugene Bans Natural Gas in
New Low-Rise Residential Buildings (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)
4.
What’s Going on with WA Gas Stoves? Here Are
Facts Behind Discussion on Gas Appliance Bans (Tacoma News Tribune, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article271753237.html
5.
Chelan County PUD Enters into 20-Year Contract with
Puget Sound Energy for Hydropower Output (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
6.
Falling Lake Powell Water Levels Put Wyoming
Hydro Power at Risk (Public News Service)
7.
Bill Gates Says High-Voltage Power Lines Will
Save America. He’s Right. (Yahoo! News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bill-gates-says-high-voltage-143500266.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE
– VOX POPULI
8.
We Don’t Need ‘Miracle’ Technologies to Fix the Climate.
We Have the Tools Now (The Guardian, UK)
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
9.
Gov. Little, Idaho Delegation Share ‘Deep
Concerns’ about Lava Ridge; Magic Valley Legislators Sign Opposition Letter (Twin
Falls Times-News, ID)
10.
Switzerland’s Solar Dam: Why Are Mountains &
Snow the Perfect Mix for Solar Energy? (Euronews)
CONSERVATION
& EFFICIENCY
11.
Rebates for Home Energy Upgrades Are Coming
Soon. Here’s How to Plan (Canary Media)
FISH &
WILDLIFE
12.
Raising Sons Is Draining Killer Whale Mothers,
Study Finds (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/southern-resident-killer-whales-reproduction-1.6740030?cmp=rss
13.
Environmental Win in Alaska Affects Oregon Fishermen
(Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/02/07/environmental-win-in-alaska-affects-oregon-fishermen/
14.
Maine’s Atlantic Salmon on the Brink (Trout
Unlimited)
https://www.tu.org/magazine/conservation/maines-salmon-on-the-brink/
15.
Oregon: Fender’s Blue Butterfly Population
Rebounds in the Willamette Valley (Bonneville Power Administration)
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
16.
Judge Refuses to Block Digging at Lithium Mine on
Nevada-Oregon Line (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/26/judge-refuses-to-block-digging-at-lithium-mine-on-nv-or-line/
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
17.
Tribe, Salmon Win in Fight Over Upper Klamath
Lake Water (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/tribe-salmon-win-in-fight-over-upper-klamath-lake-water/
18.
‘Generational Snowpack’ Left by California Storms
Bolsters Water Supply (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/feb/07/california-storms-left-behind-a-generational-snowp/
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
19.
Study: 15 Million People Live Under Threat of Glacial
Floods (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/floods-science-india-peru-pakistan-51368bb5eef49a240d3d466775e34ed6
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
20.
AT&T Goes to Court over FCC Decision on Pole
Attachment Rates (Broadband Breakfast)
https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2023/02/att-goes-to-court-over-fcc-decision-on-pole-attachment-rates/
BEAM ME UP,
SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
21.
A Tech Race Begins as Microsoft Adds Artificial
Intelligence to Its Search Engine (New York Times, NY – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/microsoft-ai-chatgpt-bing.html
22.
Google Hopes ‘Bard’ Will Outsmart ChatGPT,
Microsoft in Artificial Intelligence (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3806300/google-hopes-bard-will-outsmart-chatgpt-microsoft-in-ai-2/
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
23.
Electric Vehicles Lose Up to 30% Range When
Temperatures Dip Below Freezing, Study Finds (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/electric-vehicle-cold-range-1.6738892
24.
Electric Vehicles Can Now Power Your Home for
Three Days (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/07/ev-battery-power-your-home/
GOVERNMENT &
GOVERNANCE
25.
Utilities Question Whether Washington Service
Shutoff Proposal Is Needed (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/utilities-question-whether-service-shutoff-proposal-is-needed/
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
26.
Canadian Mining Company Reports Finding $3
Billion Gold Deposit Near Republic (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/feb/06/canadian-mining-company-reports-finding-3-billion-/
27.
Biden in State of Union Exhorts Congress: ‘Finish
the Job’ (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348
28.
Expect a Dry Spring, Mild Summer as La Nina Transitions
to El Nino, ‘Weatherman’ Says (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/feb/07/expect-a-dry-spring-mild-summer-as-la-nina-transit/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Winning $754.6 Million Powerball Ticket Sold at Auburn, WA
Fred Meyer
Jupiter’s Moon Count Jumps To 92, Most in Solar System
https://www.courthousenews.com/jupiters-moon-count-jumps-to-92-most-in-solar-system/
On Routine House Call, Pest Control Finds 700 Pounds of Acorns
in the Walls
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/02/07/acorns-woodpeckers-california-house/
Researchers Decrypt Coded Letters Written by Mary, Queen of
Scots
https://gizmodo.com/coded-letters-mary-queen-scots-decrypted-1850084477
SONG OF THE DAY
Choir! Choir! Choir!/David Byrne – Heroes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7HJZPlJn_U
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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