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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Leaked ‘Secret
Plan’ Reveals Biden Admin’s $1 Billion Proposal Preparing for Snake Dam
Breaching (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
New Nuclear
Projects Remain a Challenge for Public Power (Fitch Ratings)
Pacific Power’s
Parent Company Wants to Limit Liability from Future Wildfire-Related Lawsuits
After Oregon Ruling (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
Solar Adoption in
Oregon Rose Sharply Over Past Decade (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/11/26/solar-power-oregon/
Climate Change,
Drought, Wildfires Reduce Value of Private Forestland in the West by Billions
(Washington State Standard)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Leaked
‘Secret Plan’ Reveals Biden Admin’s $1 Billion Proposal Preparing for Snake Dam
Breaching
2. News
Release: Secret Agreement Between U.S. Government & Anti-Hydro Plaintiff
Groups Represents ‘Greatest Threat’ for the Region
3. News
Release: Northwest Lawmakers Request Additional Information on Package of
Actions and Commitments to Determine the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams
4. New
Nuclear Projects Remain a Challenge for Public Power
5. Pacific
Power’s Parent Company Wants to Limit Liability from Future Wildfire-Related
Lawsuits After Oregon Ruling
6. Nevada
Public Utilities Commission Faces Legal Challenge Over Electricity Rate
Subsidies
7. APPA
President & CEO Scott Corwin Sees Natural Gas Continuing to Play Key Role
in Maintaining Reliability
8. WA
State: Chelan County PUD Uses Helicopter for Transmission Line Tag Replacement
9. Alaska:
GVEA’s New Executive Wrestles with Power-Generation Challenges
10. APPA
Urges Members to Sign Letter to Congress in Support of LIHEAP
11. Solar
Adoption in Oregon Rose Sharply Over Past Decade
12. WA
State: Klickitat County Adopts Moratorium on Large-Scale Solar Development
13. Google’s
Geothermal Energy Project Now Powers Nevada Data Centers
14. Environmentalists
Face Off Against Environmentalists Over Offshore Wind Projects
15. Permitting
Purgatory – Inside Biden’s Race to Connect Renewables to the Grid
16. Study:
Salton Sea Has Enough Lithium to Make More Than 375 Million EV Batteries
17. WA
Adopts New Rules to Phase Out Fossil Fuels in New Construction
18. Energy
Efficiency Must Double in Pace by 2030 to Hit Climate Goals, IEA Says
19. Does
Unplugging Appliances Save Electricity? Yes—and See the 8 Biggest Energy Hogs
20. Salmon
Competing with Industry as Glaciers Melt Says Study — Exposing New Habitat
21. U.S.
Moves to Protect Wolverines as Climate Change Melts Their Mountain Refuges,
Threatens Extinction
22. Tensions
Are Bubbling Up at Thirsty Arizona Alfalfa Farms as Foreign Firms Exploit
Unregulated Water
23. NASA
Satellites Could Be a New Tool to Help Estimate Snowpack, Manage Water
Resources
24. Climate
Change, Drought, Wildfires Reduce Value of Private Forestland in the West by
Billions
25. Lower
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Are Partially Due to Shifts in Power Generation
Sources
26. New
Hardiness Zone Map Will Help U.S. Gardeners Keep Pace with Climate Change
27. USDA
Invests $2.28 Million to Expand Healthcare, Broadband in Rural Oregon
28. FCC
to Consider ‘Rapid Response Team’ for Pole Attachment Disputes at December
Meeting
29. Fake
AI-Generated Woman on Tech Conference Agenda Leads Microsoft & Amazon Execs
to Drop Out
30. iPhone’s
New NameDrop Feature Has Cops Warning Parents — Do You Need to Be Worried?
31. A
Rough Patch on the Road to an Electric Car Future
32. Is
the Internet Bad for Mental Health? What the Latest Study Really Means.
33. Canada:
Federal Government Reaches Deal with Google on Online News Act
34. High-Fat
Flight Is First Jetliner to Make Fossil Fuel-Free Trans-Atlantic Crossing from
London to NY
35. Seattle
Lobbying Firm Strategies 360 Files for Bankruptcy Amid Legal Feud
36. Freezing
Rain & Snow Hits Thursday for Most of Washington State
37. Seattle
Winter May Come Sooner Than You Think
38. Christmas
Trees — And the Farmers Who Grow Them — Are Vanishing
39. Editorial:
WA Governor’s Spokesman Insinuates State Is Succeeding at ‘Salmon Restoration.’
He’s Wrong.
40. Guest Essay: WA Has an Obligation to Tribes & All Citizens to Fix Salmon-Blocking Culverts
WORD OF THE DAY
Afflatus • \ah-FLAYT-tuss\ • Noun – A divine imparting of knowledge or power.
Wilbur, a novice in the competitive fire-house chili contests, surprised the grizzled culinary judges by winning the grand champion award. Although there was no evidence of cheating, the judges were perplexed by Wilbur’s unexpected knowledge and skill in the contest, which could only be attributed to divine inspiration. As an aside, the judges agreed that the “afflatus quotient” was strong with him.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Leaked ‘Secret Plan’ Reveals Biden Admin’s $1
Billion Proposal Preparing for Snake Dam Breaching (The Chronicle, Centralia,
WA)
2.
News Release: Secret Agreement Between U.S. Government
& Anti-Hydro Plaintiff Groups Represents ‘Greatest Threat’ for the Region
(NW RiverPartners)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2023/11/news-release-secret-agreement-between.html
3.
News Release: Northwest Lawmakers Request
Additional Information on Package of Actions and Commitments to Determine the
Future of the Lower Snake River Dams (U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, WA)
4.
New Nuclear Projects Remain a Challenge for
Public Power (Fitch Ratings)
5.
Pacific Power’s Parent Company Wants to Limit
Liability from Future Wildfire-Related Lawsuits After Oregon Ruling (KGW-TV,
Portland, OR)
6.
Nevada Public Utilities Commission Faces Legal
Challenge Over Electricity Rate Subsidies (Energy Portal)
7.
APPA President & CEO Scott Corwin Sees
Natural Gas Continuing to Play Key Role in Maintaining Reliability (American
Public Power Association)
8.
WA State: Chelan County PUD Uses Helicopter for
Transmission Line Tag Replacement (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
9.
Alaska: GVEA’s New Executive Wrestles with
Power-Generation Challenges (KUAC-Radio, Fairbanks, AK)
10.
APPA Urges Members to Sign Letter to Congress in
Support of LIHEAP (American Public Power Association)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
11.
Solar Adoption in Oregon Rose Sharply Over Past
Decade (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/11/26/solar-power-oregon/
12.
WA State: Klickitat County Adopts Moratorium on
Large-Scale Solar Development (Gorge Radio, Hood River, OR)
https://gorgeradio.com/?pg=35041&post=true
13.
Google’s Geothermal Energy Project Now Powers
Nevada Data Centers (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/google-s-geothermal-energy-project-nevada-data-centers-1851055753
14.
Environmentalists Face Off Against
Environmentalists Over Offshore Wind Projects (Wall Street Journal, Via Windwatch)
15.
Permitting Purgatory – Inside Biden’s Race to
Connect Renewables to the Grid (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/inside-bidens-race-to-connect-renewables-to-the-grid/
16.
Study: Salton Sea Has Enough Lithium to Make
More Than 375 Million EV Batteries (The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
17.
WA Adopts New Rules to Phase Out Fossil Fuels in
New Construction (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
18.
Energy Efficiency Must Double in Pace by 2030 to
Hit Climate Goals, IEA Says (Reuters)
19.
Does Unplugging Appliances Save Electricity?
Yes—and See the 8 Biggest Energy Hogs (Bob Vila)
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/does-unplugging-appliances-save-electricity/
FISH & WILDLIFE
20.
Salmon Competing with Industry as Glaciers Melt
Says Study — Exposing New Habitat (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
21.
U.S. Moves to Protect Wolverines as Climate
Change Melts Their Mountain Refuges, Threatens Extinction (Associated Press)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
22.
Tensions Are Bubbling Up at Thirsty Arizona
Alfalfa Farms as Foreign Firms Exploit Unregulated Water (Associated Press)
23.
NASA Satellites Could Be a New Tool to Help
Estimate Snowpack, Manage Water Resources (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
24.
Climate Change, Drought, Wildfires Reduce Value
of Private Forestland in the West by Billions (Washington State Standard)
25.
Lower Carbon Dioxide Emissions Are Partially Due
to Shifts in Power Generation Sources (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61023
26.
New Hardiness Zone Map Will Help U.S. Gardeners
Keep Pace with Climate Change (Associated Press)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
USDA Invests $2.28 Million to Expand Healthcare,
Broadband in Rural Oregon (Columbia Gorge News, Hood River, OR)
28.
FCC to Consider ‘Rapid Response Team’ for Pole
Attachment Disputes at December Meeting (Broadband Breakfast)
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
29.
Fake AI-Generated Woman on Tech Conference
Agenda Leads Microsoft & Amazon Execs to Drop Out (Associated Press)
30.
iPhone’s New NameDrop Feature Has Cops Warning
Parents — Do You Need to Be Worried? (Yahoo! News)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
31.
A Rough Patch on the Road to an Electric Car
Future (Christian Science Monitor)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2023/1128/A-rough-patch-on-the-road-to-an-electric-car-future
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
32.
Is the Internet Bad for Mental Health? What the
Latest Study Really Means. (Mashable)
https://mashable.com/article/internet-mental-health
33.
Canada: Federal Government Reaches Deal with Google
on Online News Act (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/google-online-news-act-1.7043330?cmp=rss
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
34.
High-Fat Flight Is First Jetliner to Make Fossil
Fuel-Free Trans-Atlantic Crossing from London to NY (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/high-fat-flight-is-first-jetliner-to-make-18520256.php
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
35.
Seattle Lobbying Firm Strategies 360 Files for
Bankruptcy Amid Legal Feud (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
36.
Freezing Rain & Snow Hits Thursday for Most of
Washington State (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/ixp/134/p/snow-thursday-washington-state/
37.
Seattle Winter May Come Sooner Than You Think
(KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3940822/winter-in-the-pacific-northwest-may-be-sooner-than-you-think/
38.
Christmas Trees — And the Farmers Who Grow Them
— Are Vanishing (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/christmas-trees-shortage-1.7040722?cmp=rss
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
39.
Editorial: WA Governor’s Spokesman Insinuates
State Is Succeeding at ‘Salmon Restoration.’ He’s Wrong. (Washington Policy
Center)
40.
Guest Essay: WA Has an Obligation to Tribes
& All Citizens to Fix Salmon-Blocking Culverts (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Driver Blasts
Google Maps for Desert Road Detour on Trip to Los Angeles
It’s the Holidays.
Stop Resisting These Five Inevitable Christmas Songs
Indian Woman Has the
Longest Hair in the World
Sanitation Workers
Dig Through 20 Tons of Trash to Find Lost Wedding Ring
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/11/28/Windham-New-Hampshire-wedding-ring/1041701207579/
SONG OF THE DAY
Canned Heat – On
the Road Again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A5Xl9hPowA
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
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