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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
This year is the 30th anniversary of the Excellence in Communications Awards contest! Help us celebrate by entering your utility’s best communications efforts from 2022. For more details about the contest and to enter, visit www.nwppa.org/awards-nominations. The deadline is Friday, June 30, 2023.
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Fears of Hottest Year
on Record as Global Temperatures Spike (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/15/record-temperatures-global-heating
Punitive Damages Add to
Mounting Costs for PacifiCorp’s Role in 2020 Wildfires (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/14/gas-stove-bill-house-energy-00101869
California’s
Drought-Plagued Lake Oroville Is Now 100% Full After a Series of Powerful
Winter Storms & Melting of Historically Deep Ice Pack (The Daily Mail, UK)
Greater Sage Grouse
Given California Endangered Species Act Protections (Courthouse News Service)
Canadian Wildfires
Impact Solar Production in Eastern U.S., Grid Operators Report (American Public
Power Association)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Punitive
Damages Add to Mounting Costs for PacifiCorp’s Role in 2020 Wildfires
2. Bonneville
Power Administration Employs Helicopters, More as It Tends Power Lines in
Effort to Prevent Wildfires
3. WA
State: Douglas County PUD Approves Rate Change for Large Cryptocurrency Miners
4. U.S.
Rep. McMorris Rodgers (WA) Introduces Bill to Expand Hydropower Production
5. Oregon:
Portland General Electric Investing in Existing Hydroelectric Plants
6. California:
Santa Cruz City Council Suspends Natural Gas Ordinance
7. New
Transmission Construction Highlights BPA-DOE Partnership
8. British
Columbia: BC Hydro Proposed Rate Changes Denied by Utilities Commission
9. The
Largest Dam in Idaho Is an Unbelievable 717-Foot Towering Behemoth
10. Canadian
Wildfires Impact Solar Production in Eastern U.S., Grid Operators Report
11. Batteries
on Freight Trains Could Be Tapped to Support the Power Grid in Emergencies:
Study
12. States
& Clean Energy: Three Issues to Watch
13. A
Shortage of Heat Pump Installers Is Slowing Climate Action in Southeast Alaska
14. Greater
Sage Grouse Given California Endangered Species Act Protections
15. Getting
Fish Passage Over Skagit Dams in WA State Will Take Decades
16. California’s
Drought-Plagued Lake Oroville Is Now 100% Full After a Series of Powerful
Winter Storms & Melting of Historically Deep Ice Pack
17. Shoshone
Falls Water Flows Increasing This Weekend
18. Fears
of Hottest Year on Record as Global Temperatures Spike
19. CenturyLink
Fined Over $1 Million for Statewide 911 Outages in 2018
20. High
Speed Internet Coming to Rural Communities in Eastern Oregon & Western
Idaho
21. WA
State: Jefferson PUD to Get $13.8 Million for High-Speed Internet in County
22. WA
State: Lewis County to See $24.2M Grant for Broadband from Congress
23. Nemont
Receives More Than $34 Million Toward Improving Internet in Northeast Montana
24. Statehouses
Debate Who Should Build Electric Vehicle Charging Networks
25. U.S.
House Passes Another Gas Stove Bill — This Time to Thwart Energy Department
Efficiency Rule
26. Power
Companies Quietly Pushed $215 Million Into U.S. Politics Via Dark Money Groups
27. Cliff
Mass: Upcoming Wet Weather ‘Crucial’ for WA Wildfire Season
28. Visual
Explainer: More Wildfire Smoke in Our Futures, Experts Say. How You Can Prepare
Your Home.
29. Judge
Throws Out $45 Billion Contract Award for Hanford Nuclear Site in E. Washington
30. Guest
Essay: Tri-City Area Legislators Blast WA’s Approval Process for Horse Heaven
Wind Project
31. Guest Essay: In an Artificial Intelligence World, Trusted News Is Ever More Essential
WORD OF THE DAY
Vox Populi /VOCKS – POP-yoo-lye/ Noun – Vox populi is a Latin phrase that translates to “the voice of the people” and means, in essence, “popular sentiment or opinion.”
Hear the raging mob
“Vegetarian Haggis!”
Odd vox populi
ENERGY
& UTILITY ISSUES
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/14/gas-stove-bill-house-energy-00101869
2.
Bonneville Power Administration Employs
Helicopters, More as It Tends Power Lines in Effort to Prevent Wildfires (Vancouver
Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
3.
WA State: Douglas County PUD Approves Rate
Change for Large Cryptocurrency Miners (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
4.
U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (WA) Introduces Bill to
Expand Hydropower Production (Daily Energy Insider)
5.
Oregon: Portland General Electric Investing in Existing
Hydroelectric Plants (Daily Energy Insider)
6.
California: Santa Cruz City Council Suspends
Natural Gas Ordinance (Santa Cruz Sentinel, CA)
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/06/14/santa-cruz-city-council-suspends-natural-ga
7.
New Transmission Construction Highlights BPA-DOE
Partnership (Bonneville Power Administration)
8.
British Columbia: BC Hydro Proposed Rate Changes
Denied by Utilities Commission (CKPG Today, Canada)
https://ckpgtoday.ca/2023/06/14/bc-hydro-proposed-rate-changes-denied-by-utilities-commission/
9.
The Largest Dam in Idaho Is an Unbelievable
717-Foot Towering Behemoth (A-Z Animals)
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/the-largest-dam-in-idaho-is-an-unbelievable-717-foot-towering-behemoth/
RENEWABLE
ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
11.
Batteries on Freight Trains Could Be Tapped to Support
the Power Grid in Emergencies: Study (Utility Dive)
12.
States & Clean Energy: Three Issues to Watch
(E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/states-and-clean-energy-3-issues-to-watch/
CONSERVATION
& EFFICIENCY
13.
A Shortage of Heat Pump Installers Is Slowing
Climate Action in Southeast Alaska (KTOO-Radio, Juneau, AK)
https://www.ktoo.org/2023/06/12/heat-pump-installers-shortage-slows-climate-action-southeast-alaska/
FISH
& WILDLIFE
15.
Getting Fish Passage Over Skagit Dams in WA
State Will Take Decades (KUOW News, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/getting-fish-passage-over-skagit-dams-will-be-a-decades-long-process
WATER,
WATER, ANYWHERE?
17.
Shoshone Falls Water Flows Increasing This
Weekend (KTVB-TV, Boise, ID)
CLIMATE
CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
18. Fears
of Hottest Year on Record as Global Temperatures Spike (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/15/record-temperatures-global-heating
LONDON
CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
19.
CenturyLink Fined Over $1 Million for Statewide
911 Outages in 2018 (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
20.
High Speed Internet Coming to Rural Communities in
Eastern Oregon & Western Idaho (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
21.
WA State: Jefferson PUD to Get $13.8 Million for
High-Speed Internet in County (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
https://www.ptleader.com/stories/pud-to-get-138-million-for-high-speed-internet-in-county,122496
22.
WA State: Lewis County to See $24.2M Grant for Broadband
from Congress (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
https://chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-to-see-242m-grant-for-broadband-from-congress,320883
23.
Nemont Receives More Than $34 Million Toward
Improving Internet in Northeast Montana (KUMV-TV, Williston, ND)
I
SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
24.
Statehouses Debate Who Should Build Electric
Vehicle Charging Networks (Idaho Capital Sun)
https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/06/15/statehouses-debate-who-should-build-ev-charging-networks/
MANAGEMENT
& GOVERNANCE
25.
U.S. House Passes Another Gas Stove Bill — This
Time to Thwart Energy Department Efficiency Rule (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/14/gas-stove-bill-house-energy-00101869
26.
Power Companies Quietly Pushed $215 Million Into
U.S. Politics Via Dark Money Groups (The Guardian, UK)
OTHER
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
27.
Cliff Mass: Upcoming Wet Weather ‘Crucial’ for WA
Wildfire Season (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3900150/cliff-mass-upcoming-wet-weather-crucial-for-wa-wildfire-season/
28.
Visual Explainer: More Wildfire Smoke in Our
Futures, Experts Say. How You Can Prepare Your Home. (USA Today)
29.
Judge Throws Out $45 Billion Contract Award for Hanford
Nuclear Site in E. Washington (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
SOAPBOX
SERENADE – VOX POPULI
30.
Guest Essay: Tri-City Area Legislators Blast WA’s
Approval Process for Horse Heaven Wind Project (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article276354486.html
31.
Guest Essay: In an Artificial Intelligence World,
Trusted News Is Ever More Essential (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/in-an-ai-world-trusted-news-is-ever-more-essential/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
40 Secrets from Young
Frankenstein That Comedy Fans Will Simply Love
https://www.hermoments.com/en/facts-young-frankenstein
Family Discovers
Roughly 1 Million Copper Pennies While Cleaning Out Los Angeles Home
https://news.yahoo.com/family-discovers-roughly-1-million-122525349.html
Shelton Teacher
Skydives While Reading Book Chosen by Students
Klimt Portrait ‘Lady with
a Fan’ Up for Sale with $80 Million Estimate
https://apnews.com/article/gustav-klimt-portrait-sothebys-auction-c1b2bf53301ed1379401612e76f475a2
SONG OF THE DAY
John Morris - Young
Frankenstein Main Title (Movie Soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbHX3fQ2jmg
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