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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
Power Supply Conference – December 5, 2023, in Portland, OR
Conference Overview: The NWPPA Power Supply Conference provides the expertise and insight to inform power supply decisions.
Who Should Attend: Power supply professionals; policymakers; general managers and CEOs; and finance, rate, and risk department managers.
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Struggling Salmon
Fishermen Getting Federal Help in Oregon & Along West Coast – It May Be Too
Late (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Dwindling Chinook
Salmon in Oregon River Fires Up Calls for Endangered Species Act Designation
(Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/25/chinook-salmon-endagered-species-designation-requests/
Meta Sued By 42
Attorneys General Alleging Facebook, Instagram Features Are Addictive &
Target Kids (CNBC News)
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/24/bipartisan-group-of-ags-sue-meta-for-addictive-features.html
Wash. Still Facing
Drought Despite Season Change, Expected Snowfall (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle,
WA)
Northwest
RiverPartners Names Heather Stebbings as Interim Executive Director (Northwest
RiverPartners)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2023/10/northwest-riverpartners-names-heather.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Montana
Public Service Commission to Take Up NorthWestern Rate Hike
2. ‘Wyoming
Is Watching’ as Historic Rocky Mountain Power Electric Rate Hike Hearing Begins
This Week
3. Many
Families to Get a Break on Winter Heating Costs, But Uncertainties Persist
4. News
Release: U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (WA) Bill to Unleash Hydropower Inches
Closer to Becoming Law
5. Mapping
a Modern Hydropower Vision
6. Idaho,
Utilities Receive Federal Funds for Electric Grid Resilience
7. BLM
Shares Public Feedback & Revised Process in Idaho Renewable Energy Strategy
8. Idaho
Power Customers Urge Utilities Commission to Reject Proposal to Change Solar
Credit System
9. ‘It
Does Not Smell’: Wash. Program to Use Sewage to Keep Businesses Warm
10. White
House Points to Nationwide Clean Energy Jobs Growth as IRA Success Story
11. Video:
Idaho Power Debunks Phantom Load
12. What’s
the Best Thermostat Setting to Stay Warm & Save Money in Idaho This Fall
& Winter?
13. South
Tahoe PUD Gives Winterizing Tips
14. Struggling
Salmon Fishermen Getting Federal Help in Oregon & Along West Coast – It May
Be Too Late
15. Dwindling
Chinook Salmon in Oregon River Fires Up Calls for Endangered Species Act
Designation
16. Court
Ruling: Coyote Valley Dam in California
17. Why
This Government Proclamation Actually Matters to the Columbia River
18. Wash.
Still Facing Drought Despite Season Change, Expected Snowfall
19. Ecology
Looks to Make Washington Reserve Carbon Auction Reforms Permanent
20. WA
State: Climate Solutions Collide at Ocean Shores Scotch Broom Site
21. U.S.
Sen. Capito (WV) Wants Action on Poles, Easy Info on Satellite Apps, MobileX in
Walmart
22. President
Biden Announces Technology Hubs for 32 States, Including Oregon &
Washington
23. Biden-Harris
Administration Designates 31 Tech Hubs Across America
24. Data
Centers to Northern Nevada: No Signs of Slowing
25. British
Columbia Accelerates Electric Vehicle Target, with 100-Per-Cent Goal by 2035
26. Focus:
The Battery Test Race to Work Out What Used Electric Vehicles Are Really Worth
27. The
Real Reason You Should Get an E-bike
28. Meta
Sued By 42 Attorneys General Alleging Facebook, Instagram Features Are
Addictive & Target Kids
29. Navigating
the Shifting Landscape of Social Media (Municipal Research & Services
30. Northwest
RiverPartners Names Heather Stebbings as Interim Executive Director
31. Washington
State’s Clark Public Utilities Details Promising Workforce Recruitment Tool
32. First
Major Storm of the Season Drops Up to a Foot of Snow in Montana
33. WA
State: Lowland Showers & Mountain Snow Wrap Up Wednesday
34. Off-Duty
Pilot Who Tried to Cut Plane’s Engines Said He’d Taken Magic Mushrooms 48 Hours
Earlier
35.
Guest Essay: Lava Ridge Wind Project Proposal
Out-Of-Touch with Idahoans
WORD OF THE DAY
Cicerone \siss-uh-ROE-nee\ Noun – 1: a guide who conducts sightseers *2: mentor, tutor.
“If you look to your left, you’ll see an actual copy of the replica of a Halloween costume of Elvis’ jumpsuit from the later stage of his career,” droned the ponderous cicerone who was leading a rag-tag group of tourists at the low-budget Elvis impersonator museum in Las Vegas. “This is the worst fifty bucks I’ve ever spent on something,” muttered Ambrose to his impeccably coifed companion.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Montana Public Service Commission to Take Up
NorthWestern Rate Hike (The Daily Montanan)
2.
‘Wyoming Is Watching’ as Historic Rocky Mountain
Power Electric Rate Hike Hearing Begins This Week (Wyofile)
https://wyofile.com/wyoming-is-watching-as-historic-electric-rate-hike-hearing-begins-this-week/
3.
Many Families to Get a Break on Winter Heating
Costs, But Uncertainties Persist (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/winter-energy-heating-assistance-798586435290886cb502586fdec33061
4.
News Release: U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers (WA) Bill
to Unleash Hydropower Inches Closer to Becoming Law (U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris
Rodgers, WA)
5.
Mapping a Modern Hydropower Vision (Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory)
https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/mapping-modern-hydropower-vision
6.
Idaho, Utilities Receive Federal Funds for
Electric Grid Resilience (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
7.
BLM Shares Public Feedback & Revised Process
in Idaho Renewable Energy Strategy (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)
8.
Idaho Power Customers Urge Utilities Commission to
Reject Proposal to Change Solar Credit System (Idaho Capital Sun)
9.
‘It Does Not Smell’: Wash. Program to Use Sewage
to Keep Businesses Warm (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3936274/king-county-pilot-program-will-use-sewage-to-keep-businesses-warm/
10.
White House Points to Nationwide Clean Energy
Jobs Growth as IRA Success Story (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/west-virginia-energy-jobs-nationwide-increase-2022/697569/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
11.
Video: Idaho Power Debunks Phantom Load
(KTVB-TV, Boise, ID)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQklngaNBGU
12.
What’s the Best Thermostat Setting to Stay Warm
& Save Money in Idaho This Fall & Winter? (AOL News)
https://www.aol.com/best-thermostat-setting-stay-warm-132814175.html
13.
South Tahoe PUD Gives Winterizing Tips (The
Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, CA)
https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/south-tahoe-pud-gives-winterizing-tips/
FISH & WILDLIFE
14.
Struggling Salmon Fishermen Getting Federal Help
in Oregon & Along West Coast – It May Be Too Late (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
15.
Dwindling Chinook Salmon in Oregon River Fires
Up Calls for Endangered Species Act Designation (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/25/chinook-salmon-endagered-species-designation-requests/
16.
Court Ruling: Coyote Valley Dam in California
(Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/coyote-valley-dam/
17.
Why This Government Proclamation Actually
Matters to the Columbia River (Columbia Insight)
https://columbiainsight.org/why-this-government-proclamation-actually-matters-to-the-columbia-river/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
18.
Wash. Still Facing Drought Despite Season
Change, Expected Snowfall (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
19.
Ecology Looks to Make Washington Reserve Carbon
Auction Reforms Permanent (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_65e8c976-72af-11ee-aed1-f776f85f931d.html
20.
WA State: Climate Solutions Collide at Ocean Shores
Scotch Broom Site (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/climate-solutions-collide-at-shores-scotch-broom-site/
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
21.
U.S. Sen. Capito (WV) Wants Action on Poles,
Easy Info on Satellite Apps, MobileX in Walmart (Broadband Breakfast)
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
22.
President Biden Announces Technology Hubs for 32
States, Including Oregon & Washington (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
23.
Biden-Harris Administration Designates 31 Tech
Hubs Across America (U.S. Economic Development Administration)
24.
Data Centers to Northern Nevada: No Signs of
Slowing (The Nevada Appeal, Carson City, NV)
https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2023/oct/24/data-centers-to-northern-nevada-no-signs-of-slowing/
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
25.
British Columbia Accelerates Electric Vehicle
Target, with 100-Per-Cent Goal by 2035 (CTV News)
26.
Focus: The Battery Test Race to Work Out What
Used Electric Vehicles Are Really Worth (Reuters)
27.
The Real Reason You Should Get an E-bike
(Atlantic Magazine)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
28.
Meta Sued By 42 Attorneys General Alleging Facebook,
Instagram Features Are Addictive & Target Kids (CNBC News)
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/24/bipartisan-group-of-ags-sue-meta-for-addictive-features.html
29.
Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Social
Media (Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington)
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
30.
Northwest RiverPartners Names Heather Stebbings
as Interim Executive Director (Northwest RiverPartners)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2023/10/northwest-riverpartners-names-heather.html
31.
Washington State’s Clark Public Utilities
Details Promising Workforce Recruitment Tool (American Public Power
Association)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
32.
First Major Storm of the Season Drops Up to a Foot
of Snow in Montana (Associated Press)
https://news.yahoo.com/snow-hits-northern-cascades-rockies-051904645.html
33.
WA State: Lowland Showers & Mountain Snow
Wrap Up Wednesday (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
34.
Off-Duty Pilot Who Tried to Cut Plane’s Engines
Said He’d Taken Magic Mushrooms 48 Hours Earlier (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
35.
Guest Essay: Lava Ridge Wind Project Proposal
Out-Of-Touch with Idahoans (Capital Press)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Richard Roundtree,
Star of the Original ‘Shaft,’ Dies at 81
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/richard-roundtree-star-original-shaft-dies-81-rcna122042
‘Determined’ Snails
Eating Villagers’ Mail
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqq71y6399eo
Legend Of New York
City Sewer Alligators Gets Memorialized in New Manhattan Sculpture (yes, this
is the genesis of this section’s title)
Theft of 2 Million
Dimes (Worth $200K) from Truckload of Coins from U.S. Mint Leaves Four Facing
Federal Charges
https://news.yahoo.com/theft-2-million-dimes-truckload-181814412.html
SONG OF THE DAY
Isaac Hayes – theme
From Shaft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTU_9T5ufzY
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.
Although I choose
stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible
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files may help access some paywall sites.