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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Pacific Northwest
Republicans Object to Leaked Draft of Snake River Dams Agreement
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/dec/03/northwest-republicans-object-to-leaked-draft-of-sn/
Culture Complaints
Spark WA Utilities Commission Investigation (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2023/11/culture-complaints-spark-wa-utilities-commission-investigation
Washington Farm
Bureau: Cap-And-Trade Costs Farmers Over $153 Million (Capital Press – Paywall
Advisory)
Former WSDOT
Economist Accuses State Leaders of Retaliation for Refusing to Lie About Gas
Prices (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Arizona: Work
Resumes on $10 Billion Renewable Energy Transmission Project Despite Tribal
Objections (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/work-resumes-on-10b-renewable-energy-18525148.php
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Arizona:
Work Resumes on $10 Billion Renewable Energy Transmission Project Despite
Tribal Objections
2. U.S.
Leads Coalition to Triple Nuclear Power by 2050 In Effort to Address Climate
Change
3. The
Future of Nuclear Energy Will Be Decided in Idaho
4. Property
Owners Seek to Have Boardman to Hemingway Eminent Domain Lawsuit Dismissed
5. Companies
Say They’re Closing in on Nuclear Fusion as an Energy Source. Will It Work?
6. Former
Top Ohio Utility Regulator Surrenders in $60 Million Bribery Scheme Linked to
Energy Bill
7. Pacific
Northwest Republicans Object to Leaked Draft of Snake River Dams Agreement
8. White
House: Snake River Dam Mediation ‘Still in Active Negotiations’
9. Western
Montana Electric Co-ops Wary of Snake River Dam Removal
10. Feds
Consider Removing Snake River Dams in Leaked Agreement with Plaintiffs in
Lawsuit
11. Court
Filings Reveal Secret Agreement Between Biden Admin, Eco Groups Seeking to Tear
Down Key Power Source
12. Groups
Voice Concern About Columbia River Basin Restoration Document
13. News
Release: Update on Lower Snake River Dams Mediation Efforts
14. USDA
Grows Solar Power in Rural Oregon Despite Limited Transmission, Assistance
15. WA
Gov. Inslee Touts Green Energy at New Moses Lake Battery Factory
16. Solar
Energy – Production Underway at REC
17. Salt
River Project Pursues Plan to Use Solar, Hydro Energy to Power Thousands of
Arizona Homes
18. Puget
Sound Energy Plans to Nearly Double Clean Energy Portfolio by 2025
19. Clean
Energy Traffic Jam Snarls Grid Access in Key Solar Market
20. Why
Utilities Can’t Afford to Ignore Stored Solar Panels
21. New
Washington State Rules Promoting Heat Pumps Face Pushback
22. World’s
Largest Gathering of Bald Eagles Threatened by Alaska Copper Mine Project,
Environmentalists Say
23. Okanagan
River Salmon Eyed for Endangered-Species Protection
24. Inside
The Effort to Truck Sockeye Salmon Past Lake Washington
25. Army
Water Regulators Await Torrent of Winter Moisture Set to Blast the Pacific
Northwest
26. Washington
Farm Bureau: Cap-And-Trade Costs Farmers Over $153 Million
27. Initiative
Poses Extra Hurdle for Merging of Washington, California Carbon Markets
28. FCC
To Vote on New Pole Attachments Rules to Promote Broadband Expansion
29. WA
State: Ribbon Cutting for Brinnon Broadband
30. Bitcoin
Has Surpassed $41,000 for the First Time Since April 2022. What’s Behind the
Price Surge?
31. Electric
Vehicle Chargers: New Target for Washington Copper Thieves
32. How
Power Companies Can Ride the Electric Vehicle Wave for New Revenue
33. Idaho
& the Energy Future: The Nuclear Batteries That Power NASA Missions
34. Culture
Complaints Spark WA Utilities Commission Investigation
35. Former
WSDOT Economist Accuses State Leaders of Retaliation for Refusing to Lie About
Gas Prices
36. A
Potent Atmospheric River Will Bring Heavy Rain & Some Flooding to the
Pacific Northwest
37. Editorial:
Secret Talks on Snake River Dams Bad Policy
38. Opinion:
NRECA – U.S. Government’s Secret Anti-Hydro Deal is Major Threat to Reliability
in Pacific Northwest
39.
Editorial: How Deep Is WA Gov. Inslee’s New
Appreciation for Local Perspectives?
WORD OF THE DAY
Supererogation \soop-err-air-uh-GAY-shun\ Noun - The act of performing more than is required by duty, obligation, or need.
“Barty, you have an exemplary talent…your supererogation is an inspiration to all,” barked the supervisor to his cowering minion. “Great,” thought Barty, “Now I need to buy a dictionary to see if that was a compliment or not.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Arizona: Work Resumes on $10 Billion Renewable
Energy Transmission Project Despite Tribal Objections (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/work-resumes-on-10b-renewable-energy-18525148.php
2.
U.S. Leads Coalition to Triple Nuclear Power by 2050
In Effort to Address Climate Change (CNBC News)
3.
The Future of Nuclear Energy Will Be Decided in Idaho
(Japan Times)
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/03/world/nuclear-energy-future/
4.
Property Owners Seek to Have Boardman to Hemingway
Eminent Domain Lawsuit Dismissed (LaGrande Observer, OR – Paywall Advisory)
5.
Companies Say They’re Closing in on Nuclear
Fusion as an Energy Source. Will It Work? (National Public Radio)
6.
Former Top Ohio Utility Regulator Surrenders in $60
Million Bribery Scheme Linked to Energy Bill (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/former-top-ohio-utility-regulator-surrenders-in-18532294.php
(NOW) NOT-SO-SECRET SNAKE RIVER SESSIONS
7.
Pacific Northwest Republicans Object to Leaked
Draft of Snake River Dams Agreement (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/dec/03/northwest-republicans-object-to-leaked-draft-of-sn/
8.
White House: Snake River Dam Mediation ‘Still in
Active Negotiations’ (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
9.
Western Montana Electric Co-ops Wary of Snake
River Dam Removal (Ravalli Republic, MT)
10.
Feds Consider Removing Snake River Dams in
Leaked Agreement with Plaintiffs in Lawsuit (Idaho Capital Sun)
11.
Court Filings Reveal Secret Agreement Between Biden
Admin, Eco Groups Seeking to Tear Down Key Power Source (Fox News)
12.
Groups Voice Concern About Columbia River Basin
Restoration Document (American Public Power Association)
13.
News Release: Update on Lower Snake River Dams
Mediation Efforts (Washington Association of Wheat Growers)
https://www.wawg.org/update-on-lower-snake-river-dams-mediation-efforts/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
14.
USDA Grows Solar Power in Rural Oregon Despite Limited
Transmission, Assistance (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/12/03/oregon-rural-solar-power-energy/
15.
WA Gov. Inslee Touts Green Energy at New Moses
Lake Battery Factory (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3941172/inslee-visit-grant-co-battery-manufacturer-promote-green-energy/
16.
Solar Energy – Production Underway at REC
(Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2023/nov/30/production-underway-at-rec/
17.
Salt River Project Pursues Plan to Use Solar,
Hydro Energy to Power Thousands of Arizona Homes (Arizona Republic, Phoenix,
AZ)
18.
Puget Sound Energy Plans to Nearly Double Clean
Energy Portfolio by 2025 (Daily Energy Insider)
19.
Clean Energy Traffic Jam Snarls Grid Access in
Key Solar Market (Bloomberg Law)
20.
Why Utilities Can’t Afford to Ignore Stored
Solar Panels (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/spons/why-utilities-cant-afford-to-ignore-stored-solar-panels/700942/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
21.
New Washington State Rules Promoting Heat Pumps
Face Pushback (Axios Seattle)
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/12/04/heat-pumps-building-codes-washington-state
FISH & WILDLIFE
22.
World’s Largest Gathering of Bald Eagles
Threatened by Alaska Copper Mine Project, Environmentalists Say (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chilkat-bald-eagle-preserve-copper-mine/
23.
Okanagan River Salmon Eyed for
Endangered-Species Protection (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://kuow.org/stories/okanagan-river-salmon-eyed-for-endangered-species-protection
24.
Inside The Effort to Truck Sockeye Salmon Past Lake
Washington (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
25.
Army Water Regulators Await Torrent of Winter
Moisture Set to Blast the Pacific Northwest (U.S. Army)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
26.
Washington Farm Bureau: Cap-And-Trade Costs
Farmers Over $153 Million (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
27.
Initiative Poses Extra Hurdle for Merging of
Washington, California Carbon Markets (Washington State Standard)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
28.
FCC To Vote on New Pole Attachments Rules to
Promote Broadband Expansion (National Law Review)
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/fcc-vote-new-pole-attachments-rules-promote-broadband-expansion
29.
WA State: Ribbon Cutting for Brinnon Broadband
(Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)
https://masonwebtv.com/archives/54683
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
30.
Bitcoin Has Surpassed $41,000 for the First Time
Since April 2022. What’s Behind the Price Surge? (Associated Press)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
31.
Electric Vehicle Chargers: New Target for Washington
Copper Thieves (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
32.
How Power Companies Can Ride the Electric
Vehicle Wave for New Revenue (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/how-power-companies-can-ride-the-ev-wave-for-new-revenue/
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
33.
Idaho & the Energy Future: The Nuclear
Batteries That Power NASA Missions (BYU Scroll)
https://byuiscroll.org/idaho-and-the-energy-future-the-nuclear-batteries-that-power-nasa-missions/
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
34.
Culture Complaints Spark WA Utilities Commission
Investigation (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2023/11/culture-complaints-spark-wa-utilities-commission-investigation
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
35.
Former WSDOT Economist Accuses State Leaders of
Retaliation for Refusing to Lie About Gas Prices (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
36.
A Potent Atmospheric River Will Bring Heavy Rain
& Some Flooding to the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-potent-atmospheric-river-will-bring.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
37.
Editorial: Secret Talks on Snake River Dams Bad
Policy (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/dec/01/in-our-view-secret-talks-on-salmon-river-dams-bad-policy/
38.
Opinion: NRECA – U.S. Government’s Secret
Anti-Hydro Deal is Major Threat to Reliability in Pacific Northwest (National Rural
Electric Cooperative Association)
39.
Editorial: How Deep Is WA Gov. Inslee’s New
Appreciation for Local Perspectives? (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/op-ed/article282480693.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Rizz (Charisma) Named
Word of the Year 2023 by Oxford University Press
https://news.yahoo.com/rizz-named-word-2023-oxford-000923783.html?.tsrc=1013
Red Lobster’s Endless
Shrimp Deal Backfires, Chewing Up $11 Million in Profit
https://globalnews.ca/news/10142337/red-lobster-endless-shrimp-deal-profit-loss/
Vandal Costs Woodinville
Winery Hundreds of Thousands after Draining More Than 21,000 Bottles
Washington City
Council Candidate Who Didn’t Vote Loses by One Ballot
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/12/04/Rainier-City-Council-Washington-one-vote/2021701709770/
SONG OF THE DAY
Eric Burdon &
War - Spill the Wine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W77Kwh6f0TE
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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