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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
December 7, 2023 - Helping Customers Understand Energy Usage and Conservation Measures
- Improve your ability to assist customers in understanding their bills and your utility’s rates.
- Learn to communicate more professionally and credibly.
- Learn to explain myths and scams about energy efficiency.
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Projects to Get Up to $1 Billion
in Federal Support (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/briefs/2023/10/northwest-hydrogen-projects-get-1b-federal-support
The Future of Electric Vehicles Looms Over Negotiations in
the U.S. Autoworkers Strike (Associated Press)
Reserves, Hydropower Supply, Rising Costs: Seattle City
Light to Raise Rates by Nearly 10% (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3935106/seattle-city-light-to-raise-rates-by-nearly-10/
WA State: Quincy Continues to Be a Draw for Data Centers
(Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2023/oct/14/quincy-continues-be-draw-data-centers/
New Report Shows Electric Co-ops Are ‘Powerful Engines of
Economic Development’ (National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Reserves, Hydropower Supply, Rising Costs:
Seattle City Light to Raise Rates by Nearly 10%
2.
Industrial Leaders & Farmers Push for More
Participation in Grant PUD Rate Hikes Discussion
3.
NW Power Council Meets in Redmond, Learns Region
Is Off to Good Start in Meeting Energy Efficiency Goals
4.
Capital Power to Buy Stake in Pierce County,
Washington Gas-Fired Power Plant
5.
Oregon: Corps Studies Need for Hydropower
6.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than
$38 Million to Support Hydropower Facilities Across the Country
7.
EIA Expects Most U.S. Households Will Pay Less
for Heating This Winter
8.
EIA Projections Indicate Global Energy
Consumption Increases Through 2050, Outpacing Efficiency Gains & Driving
Continued Emissions Growth
9.
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Slide 3% to One-Week Low
on Rising Output, Mild Forecasts
10.
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Projects to Get Up to
$1 Billion in Federal Support
11.
Pacific NW Wins $1 Billion from Feds for
Hydrogen Hub. Now What?
12.
Regional Group Involving Douglas PUD Selected as
Hydrogen Hub
13.
President Biden Awards $7 Billion for Clean
Hydrogen Hubs Across the Country to Help Replace Fossil Fuels
14.
Schoesler: New Regional Hydrogen Hub Dependent
on Hydropower
15.
How Do Americans Feel About Clean Energy?
16.
Pikeminnow Program Sees ‘A Really Solid Year’ as
Catch, Effort Increase
17.
With Runs Rising, State Questions How to Manage
Columbia, Cowlitz River Smelt
18.
Shhh! The Orcas Are Back in Puget Sound
19.
American Public Power Association Highlights
Bonneville Power Administration Pollinator Work in Podcast
20.
Big Trouble on the Columbia: EPA Studies River’s
Toxic Algae Spread
21.
Environmental Groups Seek Change to Water Flows
for California’s Kern River
22.
WA State: Seattle Reservoirs Continue to Drop as
Call Continues to Conserve Water
23.
After a Century of Displacement, Shasta Indian
Nation Sees Hope in Dam Removal
24.
WA State: ‘Committed to the Process’: Chairman
Clarifies Chehalis Tribe’s Stance on Proposed Dam
25.
Why Expanding WA’s Carbon Market Could Deliver
Savings for Consumers
26.
WA State: Broadband Expansion to 2,300 Homes,
Businesses in Winlock Area Breaks Ground
27.
The High Cost of Slow Internet: A Look at U.S.
Broadband Prices
28.
U.S. News & World Report Internet Cost,
Speed, and Value Consumer Survey 2023
29.
WA State: Quincy Continues to Be a Draw for Data
Centers
30.
The Future of Electric Vehicles Looms Over
Negotiations in the U.S. Autoworkers Strike
31.
EV Sales Have Soared In WA; Our Map Shows Where
They’re Registered
32.
U.S. Electric-Vehicle Sales Hit Record High,
Tesla Loses Market Share, Report Says
33.
Eligible Electric & Plug-In Vehicle Buyers
Will Get U.S. Tax Credits Immediately in 2024
34.
Federal Judge Hears Arguments on Requests to
Block Montana’s TikTok Ban
35.
New Report Shows Electric Co-ops Are ‘Powerful
Engines of Economic Development’
36.
Echoes of Enron: Use of Weather Derivatives
Surges as Extreme Climate Events Rock the Globe
37.
Commentary: Time to Talk About the Forgotten ‘H’
of Salmon Recovery
38.
In Our View: Offshore Wind Farms Present
Opportunities
39. Column: Solar Companies & Environmentalists Say They’re Ready to Stop Fighting. They’d Better Be
WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Maelstrom ● \MAIL-strum\ ● Noun – A situation in which there are a lot of confused activities, emotions, etc.; a dangerous area of water that moves very fast in a circle.
Storm bears down
on us
Nature’s fury
unleashed
Gods broom sweeps briskly
ENERGY &
UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Reserves, Hydropower Supply, Rising Costs: Seattle
City Light to Raise Rates by Nearly 10% (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3935106/seattle-city-light-to-raise-rates-by-nearly-10/
2.
Industrial Leaders & Farmers Push for More
Participation in Grant PUD Rate Hikes Discussion (SourceOne News, Ephrata, WA)
3.
NW Power Council Meets in Redmond, Learns Region
Is Off to Good Start In Meeting Energy Efficiency Goals (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
4.
Capital Power to Buy Stake in Pierce County, Washington
Gas-Fired Power Plant (Power Technology)
https://www.power-technology.com/news/capital-power-gas-power-plant/
5.
Oregon: Corps Studies Need for Hydropower
(Lebanon Local News, OR)
https://www.lebanonlocalnews.com/corps-studies-need-for-hydropower/
6.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than
$38 Million to Support Hydropower Facilities Across the Country (U.S. Dept of
Energy)
7.
EIA Expects Most U.S. Households Will Pay Less
for Heating This Winter (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press543.php
8.
EIA Projections Indicate Global Energy
Consumption Increases Through 2050, Outpacing Efficiency Gains & Driving
Continued Emissions Growth (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press542.php
9.
U.S. Natural Gas Prices Slide 3% to One-Week Low
on Rising Output, Mild Forecasts (Hellenic Shipping News)
HIGH-FLYING WITH
HYDROGEN
10.
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Projects to Get Up to
$1 Billion in Federal Support (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/briefs/2023/10/northwest-hydrogen-projects-get-1b-federal-support
11.
Pacific NW Wins $1 Billion from Feds for
Hydrogen Hub. Now What? (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
12.
Regional Group Involving Douglas PUD Selected as
Hydrogen Hub (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/regional-group-involving-douglas-pud-selected-as-hydrogen-hub/
13.
President Biden Awards $7 Billion for Clean
Hydrogen Hubs Across the Country to Help Replace Fossil Fuels (Associated
Press)
14.
Schoesler: New Regional Hydrogen Hub Dependent on
Hydropower (Elkhorn Media Group)
https://elkhornmediagroup.com/schoesler-new-regional-hydrogen-hub-dependent-on-hydropower/
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
15.
How Do Americans Feel About Clean Energy?
(KXAN-TV, Austin, TX)
https://www.kxan.com/weather/how-do-americans-feel-about-clean-energy/
FISH &
WILDLIFE
16.
Pikeminnow Program Sees ‘A Really Solid Year’ as
Catch, Effort Increase (Northwest Sportsman)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/pikeminnow-program-sees-a-really-solid-year-as-catch-effort-increase/
17.
With Runs Rising, State Questions How to Manage Columbia,
Cowlitz River Smelt (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
18.
Shhh! The Orcas Are Back in Puget Sound (KUOW
News, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/shhh-the-orcas-are-back-in-town
19.
American Public Power Association Highlights Bonneville
Power Administration Pollinator Work in Podcast (Bonneville Power
Administration)
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
20.
Big Trouble on the Columbia: EPA Studies River’s
Toxic Algae Spread (Northwest News Network)
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
21.
Environmental Groups Seek Change to Water Flows
for California’s Kern River (Courthouse News Service)
22.
WA State: Seattle Reservoirs Continue to Drop as
Call Continues to Conserve Water (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
23.
After a Century of Displacement, Shasta Indian
Nation Sees Hope in Dam Removal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
24.
WA State: ‘Committed to the Process’: Chairman Clarifies
Chehalis Tribe’s Stance on Proposed Dam (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
25.
Why Expanding WA’s Carbon Market Could Deliver
Savings for Consumers (Washington State Standard)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
WA State: Broadband Expansion to 2,300 Homes,
Businesses in Winlock Area Breaks Ground (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
27.
The High Cost of Slow Internet: A Look at U.S.
Broadband Prices (Microsoft Network)
28.
U.S. News & World Report Internet Cost,
Speed, and Value Consumer Survey 2023 (U.S. News & World Report)
https://www.usnews.com/360-reviews/services/internet-providers/internet-cost-speed-value-survey
BEAM ME UP,
SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
29.
WA State: Quincy Continues to Be a Draw for Data
Centers (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2023/oct/14/quincy-continues-be-draw-data-centers/
I SING THE CAR
ELECTRIC
30.
The Future of Electric Vehicles Looms Over
Negotiations in the U.S. Autoworkers Strike (Associated Press)
31.
EV Sales Have Soared In WA; Our Map Shows Where
They’re Registered (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
32.
U.S. Electric-Vehicle Sales Hit Record High,
Tesla Loses Market Share, Report Says (Reuters)
33.
Eligible Electric & Plug-In Vehicle Buyers
Will Get U.S. Tax Credits Immediately in 2024 (Associated Press)
PUBLIC RELATIONS,
MARKETING & MEDIA
34.
Federal Judge Hears Arguments on Requests to
Block Montana’s TikTok Ban (Washington State Standard)
MANAGEMENT &
GOVERNANCE
35.
New Report Shows Electric Co-ops Are ‘Powerful
Engines of Economic Development’ (National Rural Electric Cooperatives
Association)
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
36.
Echoes of Enron: Use of Weather Derivatives
Surges as Extreme Climate Events Rock the Globe (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/markets/global-markets-weather-derivatives-analysis-pix-2023-10-11/
SOAPBOX SERENADE
– VOX POPULI
37.
Commentary: Time to Talk About the Forgotten ‘H’
of Salmon Recovery (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
38.
In Our View: Offshore Wind Farms Present
Opportunities (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/oct/13/in-our-view-offshore-wind-farms-present-opportunities/
39.
Column: Solar Companies & Environmentalists
Say They’re Ready to Stop Fighting. They’d Better Be (Los Angeles Times, CA –
Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
104-Year-Old Chicago Woman Dies Days After Potential
Record-Breaking Skydive
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dorothy-hoffner-skydiver-dead_n_652632dde4b0a32c15c0b647
Don’t Mess with This Mama Bear: Grazer Easily Wins Popular
Fat Bear Contest at Alaska National Park
https://apnews.com/article/alaska-brown-bears-fat-contest-afa9de13cf8dc98fe2f5499a6a0f6d02
Missouri Man Breaks Guinness World Record for Longest
Journey on 1,208-Pound Pumpkin Vessel
https://news.yahoo.com/missouri-man-breaks-guinness-world-032152202.html
Suzanne Somers, of ‘Three’s Company,’ Dies at 76
https://apnews.com/article/obituary-suzanne-somers-2b97c5362eab6709f594b30280dc79c3
SONG OF THE DAY
Three’s Company - Theme – Piano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DycQVrcHzyc
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.
I try to choose stories that are accessible without paying a
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information about possible paywall restrictions. Regular clearing of your
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