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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Pacific Northwest Forecast Projects a 20% Increase in Load
Over the Next Five Years (American Public Power Association)
Data Center at Cascade Locks on Columbia River Would Nearly
Double Town’s Energy Consumption (Columbia Insight)
Mixed Water Supply Condition Across Western States Affects
2023 Hydropower Outlook (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=56440
WA Gov. Inslee Signs Bill Limiting Wind Turbine Lights. But
He Vetoes Local Control (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article275223791.html
WA State: Puyallup Dam Faces ‘Biggest Environmental Crime’
Fine of $1 Million (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3886408/puyallup-dam-faces-biggest-environmental-crime-fine-of-1m/
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Pacific Northwest Forecast Projects a 20%
Increase in Load Over the Next Five Years
2.
U.S. Power Use to Slide in 2023 on Slower
Economic Growth
3.
Feds Expect More Generation from Renewables
& Natural Gas This Summer
4.
Public Comment Open for Idaho State-Wide Avista
Rate Increase
5.
U.S. Regulators OK Spent Nuclear Fuel Facility
in New Mexico
6.
WA State: Everett Nuclear Fusion Energy Company
Nets First Customer – Microsoft
7.
Income-Based Electric Bills: The Newest Utility
Fight in California
8.
WA State: Jefferson PUD’s ‘Smart Meter’
Installations Set to Go County-Wide
9.
Nine States, DC, & NYC Call for Federal
Action on Gas Stoves – Includes Oregon & Washington
10.
WA Gov. Inslee Signs Bill Limiting Wind Turbine
Lights. But He Vetoes Local Control
11.
WA Gov. Inslee Signs Wind-Turbine Recycling Bill
12.
Amazon Is the 500-Pound Gorilla in a Room Full
of Puppies When It Comes to Corporate Buying of Wind & Solar Power
13.
California: Ocean Water to Fresh:
First-Of-Its-Kind Wave-Powered Pilot Project in Fort Bragg Set to Test (Santa
Rosa Press-Democrat, CA)
14.
How Bird Poop Is Affecting Your Solar Panels
15.
New Efficiency Standards for Electric Motors
Will Save Consumers $8.8 Billion Over 30 Years, DOE Says
16.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Hatcheries
Release Chinook Salmon
17.
California: News Release – Reclamation Takes
Advantage of Full Shasta Reservoir to Release Flows for Migrating Salmon
18.
WA State: Puyallup Dam Faces ‘Biggest
Environmental Crime’ Fine of $1 Million
19.
Mixed Water Supply Condition Across Western
States Affects 2023 Hydropower Outlook
20.
WA Farmers Caught Between State, Refining
Companies Over Climate Law’s Carbon Fuel Tax
21.
Washington Department of Commerce Names Lisa
Heaton to Lead Digital Equity Work
22.
Data Center at Cascade Locks on Columbia River
Would Nearly Double Town’s Energy Consumption
23.
Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz Announces
Campaign for WA Governor
24.
Big E. Washington Employer Lays Off Hundreds of
Workers. Paper Mill Is Being Idled
25. To Aid Killer Whales, The Real Apex Predator Gets Some Pushback
WORD OF THE DAY
Truculent \TRUCK-yuh-lunt\ Adjective – *1: feeling or displaying ferocity: cruel, savage 2: deadly, destructive 3: scathingly harsh: vitriolic 4: aggressively self-assertive: belligerent.
At the laughing comments about his “vintage” Yugo hatchback, Franze’s face froze into a mask-like, bulldog expression. “I’ll challenge your AMC Pacer to a drag race any day,” he raged, his truculent, protective manner overtaking what started as a polite conservation about jumper cables, baling wire and duct tape.
ENERGY &
UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Pacific Northwest Forecast Projects a 20%
Increase in Load Over the Next Five Years (American Public Power Association)
2.
U.S. Power Use to Slide in 2023 on Slower
Economic Growth (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-power-use-slide-2023-slower-economic-growth-2023-05-09/
3.
Feds Expect More Generation from Renewables &
Natural Gas This Summer (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press533.php
4.
Public Comment Open for Idaho State-Wide Avista Rate
Increase (Big Country News, Clarkston, WA)
5.
U.S. Regulators OK Spent Nuclear Fuel Facility
in New Mexico (Associated Press)
6.
WA State: Everett Nuclear Fusion Energy Company
Nets First Customer – Microsoft (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everett-nuclear-fusion-energy-company-nets-first-customer-microsoft/
7.
Income-Based Electric Bills: The Newest Utility
Fight in California (Canary Media)
8.
WA State: Jefferson PUD’s ‘Smart Meter’
Installations Set to Go County-Wide (Port Towsend Leader, WA)
https://www.ptleader.com/stories/puds-smart-meter-installations-set-to-go-county-wide,118498
9.
Nine States, DC, & NYC Call for Federal
Action on Gas Stoves – Includes Oregon & Washington (The Hill, Washington, DC)
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
10.
WA Gov. Inslee Signs Bill Limiting Wind Turbine
Lights. But He Vetoes Local Control (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article275223791.html
11.
WA Gov. Inslee Signs Wind-Turbine Recycling Bill
(The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
12.
Amazon Is the 500-Pound Gorilla in a Room Full
of Puppies When It Comes to Corporate Buying of Wind & Solar Power (CNBC
News)
13.
California: Ocean Water to Fresh:
First-Of-Its-Kind Wave-Powered Pilot Project in Fort Bragg Set to Test (Santa
Rosa Press-Democrat, CA)
14.
How Bird Poop Is Affecting Your Solar Panels (KSAZ-TV,
Phoenix, AZ)
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/how-bird-poop-is-affecting-your-solar-panels
CONSERVATION
& EFFICIENCY
15.
New Efficiency Standards for Electric Motors
Will Save Consumers $8.8 Billion Over 30 Years, DOE Says (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/efficiency-standards-electric-motors-doe-dishwasher/649954/
FISH &
WILDLIFE
16.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Hatcheries
Release Chinook Salmon (Columbia Gorge News, Hood River, OR)
17.
California: News Release – Reclamation Takes
Advantage of Full Shasta Reservoir to Release Flows for Migrating Salmon
(Bureau of Reclamation)
https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4512?field_story=1
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
18.
WA State: Puyallup Dam Faces ‘Biggest
Environmental Crime’ Fine of $1 Million (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3886408/puyallup-dam-faces-biggest-environmental-crime-fine-of-1m/
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
19.
Mixed Water Supply Condition Across Western
States Affects 2023 Hydropower Outlook (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=56440
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
20.
WA Farmers Caught Between State, Refining
Companies Over Climate Law’s Carbon Fuel Tax (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_441e8a5a-eeb2-11ed-a896-8ff9653749fe.html
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
21.
Washington Department of Commerce Names Lisa
Heaton to Lead Digital Equity Work (WA Dept. Of Commerce)
BEAM ME UP,
SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
22.
Data Center at Cascade Locks on Columbia River Would
Nearly Double Town’s Energy Consumption (Columbia Insight)
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
23.
Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz Announces
Campaign for WA Governor (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3887258/state-lands-commissioner-hilary-franz-campaign-governor/
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
24.
Big E. Washington Employer Lays Off Hundreds of
Workers. Paper Mill Is Being Idled (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/article275241966.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE
– VOX POPULI
25.
To Aid Killer Whales, The Real Apex Predator
Gets Some Pushback (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Oregon Boy Makes Rare Discovery of Columbian Mammoth Tooth
https://www.kptv.com/2023/05/07/oregon-boy-makes-rare-discovery-columbian-mammoth-tooth/
Remembering America’s First Social Network: The Landline
Telephone
Likely Meteorite Crashes Through New Jersey Home
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/05/09/meteorite-new-jersey/1971683646212/
Sewer Truck Spill Covers Cars in Poop on Colorado Highway
SONG OF THE DAY
Jim Croce – Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KfI7m8zQ58
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