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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
WA State: Man
Sentenced for Conspiring to Damage Pierce County Power Substations on Christmas
Day, 2022 (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article282839348.html
Leaked Document
Says U.S. Is Willing to Build Energy Projects in Case Snake River Dams Are
Breached (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Puget Sound Energy
to Build Montana Wind Farm as Coal-Fired Energy Winds Down (Seattle Times, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
Here’s How WA Spent
First Sliver of Cap-And-Trade Dollars (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/dec/07/heres-how-wa-spent-first-sliver-of-cap-and-trade-dollars/
Top White House
Cyber Aide Says Recent Iran Hack on Water System Is Call to Tighten
Cybersecurity (Associated Press)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. WA
State: Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Damage Pierce County Power Substations
on Christmas Day, 2022
2. Leaked
Document Says U.S. Is Willing to Build Energy Projects in Case Snake River Dams
Are Breached
3. ‘Highly
Irregular’: Legal Experts Weigh in on Leaked Snake River Dam Package
4. Electric
Co-ops Warn of Dam Breaches, Energy Losses in Montana
5. U.S.
Rep Bentz (OR) to Lead Hearing on Removal of Lower Snake River Dams
6. Left
in the Dark: Examining the Biden Administration’s Efforts to Eliminate the
Pacific Northwest’s Clean Energy Production – PNW Power Leaders on the Witness
List
7. Two
Federal Bills Seek to Protect, Expand Hydropower Production
8. Infographic:
The Big Picture: A U.S. Hydropower Profile
9. WA
State: Grant PUD Reports Rehab of Priest Rapids Unit Completed Ahead of
Schedule
10. House
Committee Passes Transformer, Hydropower, and Reliability Legislation
11. Americans
Pinched as Electricity Costs Hit All-Time Highs
12. Western
Area Power Administration Approves One Transmission Rate Across Four Projects
in Desert Southwest
13. The
United States Begins the Winter with the Most Natural Gas in Storage Since 2020
14. Much
of Kenya Falls into Darkness in the Third Nationwide Power Blackout in Three
Months
15. Puget
Sound Energy to Build Montana Wind Farm as Coal-Fired Energy Winds Down
16. Arizona:
Gila River Indian Community to Receive Solar Panels Over Canals
17. ‘A
Scam All Around’: Navajo Nation Groups Oppose Pumped Hydropower Project
18. California:
Shasta County Fights Back, Plans Media Campaign Against Fountain Wind Project
19. New
Power Generation: Is the Las Vegas Strip Becoming a Model for Renewable Energy
Use?
20. Don’t
Use a Space Heater This Winter. Do This Instead.
21. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture Awards Energy Grants to Wyoming Businesses
22. 2024
Columbia Spring Chinook, Sockeye Forecasts Out
23. WA
State: Major Renovations Planned for Spokane Hatchery
24. WA
State: Rattlesnake Mountain in Soon to Be Co-Managed by Indigenous Tribes &
Federal Government
25. California
Officials Say Sacramento River Delta Tunnel Project Will Slow Water Loss from
Climate Change
26. Here’s
How WA Spent First Sliver of Cap-And-Trade Dollars
27. WA
Gov. Jay Inslee Praises First-Of-A-Kind ‘Green’ Fertilizer Plant Planned in
Richland
28. Washington
Democrat Proposes Ban on Small-Gas Engines
29. What
Is Carbon Capture & Why Does It Keep Coming Up at COP28?
30. Idaho:
Latah County Receives $15 Million to Kickstart Its Broadband & Internet
Expansion Project
31. WA
State: Grant Provides Fiber Expansion for Cloquallum Communities in Mason
County
32. Top
White House Cyber Aide Says Recent Iran Hack on Water System Is Call to Tighten
Cybersecurity
33. Electric
Vehicle Chargers Have a Big Reliability Problem. Can the Government Fix It?
34. Oregon:
Central Electric Co-Op Issues $3.5 Million in Capital Credits – But $1 Million
Not Mailed Due to Lack of Current Address
35. New
Bill Would End Washington’s Twice-Yearly Time Changes Once & for All
36. Guest
Essay: White House Secrecy Could Drastically Raise Electric Rates
37. Guest
Essay: Uphold WA’s Landmark Climate Commitment Act
38. Guest
Essay: The Biden Administration Has a Chance to Do Clean Hydrogen Right
39.
Editorial: Google Ordered to Pay for News in
Canada; U.S. Should Be Next
WORD OF THE DAY
Fetor /FEET-urr/ Noun – A strong offensive smell: stench.
“Even though your feet smell like cheese, we prefer to think they smell like ‘good’ cheese.”
- The robots from Mystery Science Theater 3000 comment on the fetor that emanates from host Joel Hodgson’s feet.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
WA State: Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Damage
Pierce County Power Substations on Christmas Day, 2022 (Tacoma News-Tribune, WA
– Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article282839348.html
2.
Leaked Document Says U.S. Is Willing to Build
Energy Projects in Case Snake River Dams Are Breached (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
3.
‘Highly Irregular’: Legal Experts Weigh in on Leaked
Snake River Dam Package (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
4.
Electric Co-ops Warn of Dam Breaches, Energy
Losses in Montana (KGVO Radio, Missoula, MT)
https://newstalkkgvo.com/dam-breaches-energy-losses/
5.
U.S. Rep Bentz (OR) to Lead Hearing on Removal of
Lower Snake River Dams (Elkhorn Media Group, LaGrande, OR)
https://elkhornmediagroup.com/bentz-to-lead-hearing-on-removal-of-lower-snake-river-dams/
6.
Left in the Dark: Examining the Biden
Administration’s Efforts to Eliminate the Pacific Northwest’s Clean Energy
Production – PNW Power Leaders on the Witness List (U.S. House Water, Wildlife
and Fisheries Subcommittee)
https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=415287
7.
Two Federal Bills Seek to Protect, Expand
Hydropower Production (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2f44401c-9604-11ee-9d80-4736fc332748.html
8.
Infographic: The Big Picture: A U.S. Hydropower
Profile (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/the-big-picture-a-u-s-hydropower-profile-infographic/
9.
WA State: Grant PUD Reports Rehab of Priest
Rapids Unit Completed Ahead of Schedule (Hydro Review)
10.
House Committee Passes Transformer, Hydropower,
and Reliability Legislation (American Public Power Association)
11.
Americans Pinched as Electricity Costs Hit
All-Time Highs (Newsweek)
12.
Western Area Power Administration Approves One
Transmission Rate Across Four Projects in Desert Southwest (Western Area Power
Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/wapa-approves-one-transmission-rate-across-four-projects-in-desert-southwest/
13.
The United States Begins the Winter with the Most
Natural Gas in Storage Since 2020 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61044
14.
Much of Kenya Falls into Darkness in the Third
Nationwide Power Blackout in Three Months (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
15.
Puget Sound Energy to Build Montana Wind Farm as
Coal-Fired Energy Winds Down (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
16.
Arizona: Gila River Indian Community to Receive
Solar Panels Over Canals (KTAR Radio, Phoenix, AZ)
https://ktar.com/story/5552547/gila-river-indian-community-to-receive-solar-panels-over-canals/
17.
‘A Scam All Around’: Navajo Nation Groups Oppose
Pumped Hydropower Project (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/10/navajo-nation-arizona-hydropower-projects
18.
California: Shasta County Fights Back, Plans
Media Campaign Against Fountain Wind Project (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA – Paywall
Advisory)
19.
New Power Generation: Is the Las Vegas Strip
Becoming a Model for Renewable Energy Use? (Las Vegas Weekly, NV)
https://lasvegasweekly.com/news/2023/dec/07/is-vegas-strip-becoming-model-renewable-energy/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
20.
Don’t Use a Space Heater This Winter. Do This
Instead. (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/don-t-use-a-space-heater-this-winter-do-this-instead/ar-AA1lceUl
21.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Awards Energy
Grants to Wyoming Businesses (Wyoming Public Media)
FISH & WILDLIFE
22.
2024 Columbia Spring Chinook, Sockeye Forecasts
Out (NW Sportsman Magazine)
https://nwsportsmanmag.com/2024-columbia-spring-chinook-sockeye-forecasts-out/
23.
WA State: Major Renovations Planned for Spokane
Hatchery (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/dec/08/major-renovations-planned-for-spokane-hatchery-to-/
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
24.
WA State: Rattlesnake Mountain in Soon to Be
Co-Managed by Indigenous Tribes & Federal Government (Oregon:
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
25.
California Officials Say Sacramento River Delta
Tunnel Project Will Slow Water Loss from Climate Change (Courthouse News
Service)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
26.
Here’s How WA Spent First Sliver of
Cap-And-Trade Dollars (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/dec/07/heres-how-wa-spent-first-sliver-of-cap-and-trade-dollars/
27.
WA Gov. Jay Inslee Praises First-Of-A-Kind ‘Green’
Fertilizer Plant Planned in Richland (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article282843718.html
28.
Washington Democrat Proposes Ban on Small-Gas
Engines (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
29.
What Is Carbon Capture & Why Does It Keep
Coming Up at COP28? (Associated Press)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
30.
Idaho: Latah County Receives $15 Million to Kickstart
Its Broadband & Internet Expansion Project (Boise State Public Radio)
31.
WA State: Grant Provides Fiber Expansion for
Cloquallum Communities in Mason County (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)
https://masonwebtv.com/archives/54781#more-54781
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
32.
Top White House Cyber Aide Says Recent Iran Hack
on Water System Is Call to Tighten Cybersecurity (Associated Press)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
33.
Electric Vehicle Chargers Have a Big Reliability
Problem. Can the Government Fix It? (Canary Media)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
34.
Oregon: Central Electric Co-Op Issues $3.5
Million in Capital Credits – But $1 Million Not Mailed Due to Lack of Current
Address (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
35.
New Bill Would End Washington’s Twice-Yearly
Time Changes Once & for All (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
36.
Guest Essay: White House Secrecy Could
Drastically Raise Electric Rates (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
37.
Guest Essay: Uphold WA’s Landmark Climate
Commitment Act (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/uphold-was-landmark-climate-commitment-act/
38.
Guest Essay: The Biden Administration Has a
Chance to Do Clean Hydrogen Right (Canary Media)
39.
Editorial: Google Ordered to Pay for News in Canada;
U.S. Should Be Next (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/google-ordered-to-pay-for-news-in-canada-u-s-should-be-next/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
One-Of-A-Kind
Eclipse: Asteroid To Pass in Front of Star Betelgeuse. Who Will See It?
https://news.yahoo.com/one-kind-eclipse-asteroid-pass-183218957.html?.tsrc=1013
Extremely Rare
White Alligator Is Born at a Florida Reptile Park
The Meaning Behind Pantone’s
Color of the Year 2024
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/meaning-behind-pantone-color-2024-133037377.html
Brenda Lee Is Much
Bigger Than Her 1958 Christmas Song That Just Hit No.1
SONG OF THE DAY
Rockwiz – Radar
Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFjReNpCInA
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
paywall restrictions. Regular clearing of your browser’s history and cookie
files may help access some paywall sites.
