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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
PacifiCorp Will Pay
$250 Million to Companies Who Lost Timber in Southern Oregon Fire (The
Oregonian, Portland, OR)
Report Cites
Climate Change for Collapse of Western Alaska Salmon Runs (Wrangell Sentinel,
AK)
Energy Droughts. in
Wind and Solar Can Last Nearly a Week, Research Shows (Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory)
https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/energy-droughts-wind-and-solar-can-last-nearly-week-research-shows
Tesla Blamed
Drivers for Failures of Parts It Long Knew Were Defective (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-musk-steering-suspension/
Xfinity Notifies
Its Customers of Data Breach Linked to Software Vulnerability (Associated
Press)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. PacifiCorp
Will Pay $250 Million to Companies Who Lost Timber in Southern Oregon Fire
2. Pacific
Northwest Battle Over Salmon & Dams Intensifies as Biden Administration
Moves Toward Breaching
3. Suddenly,
U.S. Electricity Demand Is Spiking. Can the Grid Keep Up?
4. ‘Latest
Battleground’ – How Politics Seized the Electric Grid
5. California
ISO Board Conditionally Advances Development of Transmission Pathway
6. Gas
Pipeline Expansion Could Fuel Pacific Northwest Climate Emergencies
7. The
Best Electric Utilities Across America, According to Customers
8. Energy
Droughts. in Wind and Solar Can Last Nearly a Week, Research Shows
9. The
Clean Energy Backlog Barely Budged This Year. What’s The Way Forward?
10. California
Solar Duck Curve Gets Bigger
11. Idaho
Power Addresses Solar Panel Scammers
12. Biden-Harris
Admin Announces $530 Million for Building Energy Efficiency & Resilience to
Cut Consumer Costs
13. Report
Cites Climate Change for Collapse of Western Alaska Salmon Runs
14. Analysis
of Northwest, Other Salmon Hatcheries Finds Nearly All Hurt Wild Salmon
Populations
15. Biden
Administration Moves to Protect Old-Growth Forests as Climate Change Brings
Fires, Pests
16. WA
State Sets Aside 2,000 Acres of Forestland
17. Chelan
PUD Looking to Buy 5,000 Acres in Foothills Above Malaga
18. Why
Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?
19. New
Look at Old Study Could Correct Colorado River Compact Flaw
20. Flooding
Drives Millions to Move as Climate Migration Patterns Emerge
21. Washington’s
Fourth Quarter Carbon Auction Brings in $371 Million for $2 Billion in 2023
22. Wyoming
Issues First Carbon Sequestration Permits. National Leaders Take Note
23. Seattle
& Other Cities Mull Creative Workarounds to Ditch Gas
24. Congress:
Republican Lawmakers Slam Broadband Discounts for Poor People, Threaten to Kill
Program
25. Xfinity
Notifies Its Customers of Data Breach Linked to Software Vulnerability
26. Google
to Pay $700 Million to U.S. States, Consumers in App Store Settlement
27. Washington
State Lawmakers, Attorney General Eye Artificial Intelligence Task Force
28. Tesla
Blamed Drivers for Failures of Parts It Long Knew Were Defective
29. The
Demand Charge Dilemma at Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
30. Flightless
Bird: E-Scooter Company Bird Declares Bankruptcy
31. Video:
‘Twas the Night of the Outage
32. Taters
the Cat Stars in NASA’s First Video Streamed from Deep Space
33. Anti-Diversity,
Equity, And Inclusion Efforts Apparently Hurting Environmental Sector
34. Northeastern
U.S. Mops Up Ahead of Holidays After Deadly Storm Slams the Region, Killing at
Least Five People
35. Washington
Remains Among States with Highest Gas Prices in the Country
36. Four
Things to Know About the Apple Watch Fiasco
37. Editorial:
We’re Working to Find the Causes of Yukon Salmon Declines
38. Guest
Essay: We Can Balance Hydropower & Salmon by Removing Obsolete Dams
39. Guest
Essay: Energy Alternatives Will Protect Americans from Blackouts in 2024
40. Guest
Essay: Bonneville Power Administration Making Progress on Increasing Power to
Tri-Cities Area
41.
Guest Essay: Why States Should Prohibit Utility
Political Contributions
WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Ergo • \AIR-go\ • Adverb - Therefore, hence
The order was void
The cargo was escargot
Ergo it was yuck
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
PacifiCorp Will Pay $250 Million to Companies
Who Lost Timber in Southern Oregon Fire (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
2.
Pacific Northwest Battle Over Salmon & Dams
Intensifies as Biden Administration Moves Toward Breaching (Idaho Dispatch)
3.
Suddenly, U.S. Electricity Demand Is Spiking. Can
the Grid Keep Up? (Canary Media)
4.
‘Latest Battleground’ – How Politics Seized the
Electric Grid (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/latest-battleground-how-politics-seized-the-electric-grid/
5.
California ISO Board Conditionally Advances
Development of Transmission Pathway (American Public Power Association)
6.
Gas Pipeline Expansion Could Fuel Pacific Northwest
Climate Emergencies (The Guardian, UK)
7.
The Best Electric Utilities Across America,
According to Customers (Money Talks News)
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/slideshows/the-best-electric-utilities-per-jdpower/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
8.
Energy Droughts. in Wind and Solar Can Last
Nearly a Week, Research Shows (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/energy-droughts-wind-and-solar-can-last-nearly-week-research-shows
9.
The Clean Energy Backlog Barely Budged This
Year. What’s The Way Forward? (Canary Media)
10.
California Solar Duck Curve Gets Bigger (Clean
Technica)
https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/19/california-solar-duck-curve-gets-bigger/
11.
Idaho Power Addresses Solar Panel Scammers (KMVT-TV,
Twin Falls, ID)
https://www.kmvt.com/2023/12/19/idaho-power-addresses-solar-panel-scammers/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
12.
Biden-Harris Admin Announces $530 Million for
Building Energy Efficiency & Resilience to Cut Consumer Costs (Clean Technica)
FISH & WILDLIFE
13.
Report Cites Climate Change for Collapse of Western
Alaska Salmon Runs (Wrangell Sentinel, AK)
14.
Analysis of Northwest, Other Salmon Hatcheries
Finds Nearly All Hurt Wild Salmon Populations (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
15.
Biden Administration Moves to Protect Old-Growth
Forests as Climate Change Brings Fires, Pests (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/old-growth-forests-biden-climate-change-ba19bef045817ce294c3bda714b59361
16.
WA State Sets Aside 2,000 Acres of Forestland (Peninsula
Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/state-sets-aside-2000-acres-of-forestland/
17.
Chelan PUD Looking to Buy 5,000 Acres in Foothills
Above Malaga (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/land-purchase-chelan-county/
18.
Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange? (Scientific
American)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-alaskas-rivers-turning-orange/
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
19.
New Look at Old Study Could Correct Colorado
River Compact Flaw (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/reassessed-studies-could-correct-colorado-river-compact-flaws/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
20.
Flooding Drives Millions to Move as Climate
Migration Patterns Emerge (Associated Press)
21.
Washington’s Fourth Quarter Carbon Auction
Brings in $371 Million for $2 Billion in 2023 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2f04598e-9e01-11ee-a29b-d36e7f369ea1.html
22.
Wyoming Issues First Carbon Sequestration
Permits. National Leaders Take Note (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
23.
Seattle & Other Cities Mull Creative
Workarounds to Ditch Gas (Canary Media)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
24.
Congress: Republican Lawmakers Slam Broadband
Discounts for Poor People, Threaten to Kill Program (Ars Technica)
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
25.
Xfinity Notifies Its Customers of Data Breach
Linked to Software Vulnerability (Associated Press)
26.
Google to Pay $700 Million to U.S. States,
Consumers in App Store Settlement (Associated Press)
27.
Washington State Lawmakers, Attorney General Eye
Artificial Intelligence Task Force (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_86a0f5bc-9ebf-11ee-8a4f-1f81d0346da8.html
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
28.
Tesla Blamed Drivers for Failures of Parts It
Long Knew Were Defective (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-musk-steering-suspension/
29.
The Demand Charge Dilemma at Electric Vehicle
Charging Stations (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/the-demand-charge-dilemma-at-ev-charging-stations/
30.
Flightless Bird: E-Scooter Company Bird Declares
Bankruptcy (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/flightless-bird-e-scooter-company-bird-declares-bankru-1851114346?utm_source=vip
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
31.
Video: ‘Twas the Night of the Outage (Coos-
Curry Electric Cooperative, OR)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuCIl_PKTkI
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
32.
Taters the Cat Stars in NASA’s First Video
Streamed from Deep Space (The Guardian, UK)
https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2023/dec/19/nasa-cat-video-space
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
33.
Anti-Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Efforts
Apparently Hurting Environmental Sector (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2023/12/14/diversity-equity-inclusion-environmental-groups-united-states
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
34.
Northeastern U.S. Mops Up Ahead of Holidays
After Deadly Storm Slams the Region, Killing at Least Five People (Associated
Press)
35.
Washington Remains Among States with Highest Gas
Prices in the Country (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
36.
Four Things to Know About the Apple Watch Fiasco
(Cable News Network)
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/19/tech/apple-watch-fiasco/index.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
37.
Editorial: We’re Working to Find the Causes of Yukon
Salmon Declines (Anchorage Daily News – Paywall Advisory)
38.
Guest Essay: We Can Balance Hydropower &
Salmon by Removing Obsolete Dams (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
39.
Guest Essay: Energy Alternatives Will Protect
Americans from Blackouts in 2024 (Billings Gazette, MT – Paywall Advisory)
40.
Guest Essay: Bonneville Power Administration Making
Progress on Increasing Power to Tri-Cities Area (Tri-Cities Area Journal of
Business, WA)
https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/articles/4796-bpa-hairston-2023
41.
Guest Essay: Why States Should Prohibit Utility
Political Contributions (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/why-states-should-prohibit-utility-political-contributions/702835/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Meet the Shop Cats
of Olympia, WA
https://www.thurstontalk.com/2023/02/16/meet-the-shop-cats-of-olympia/
Brazilian ‘Geese
Agents’ Honk in Case of Prison Break
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazilian-geese-agents-honk-case-prison-break-2023-12-20/
Lost Dog Found
After 6 1/2 Years Living on Her Own in the Woods
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/12/19/britiain-lost-dog-woods-Crawley-Down-England/5171703024408/
Book Checked Out in
1934 Finally Returned to Massachusetts Library
SONG OF THE DAY
Vince Guaraldi -
Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Z9XREKfqA
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.
