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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Federal Judge Signs
Off on Lower Snake River Dams Agreement (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall
Advisory)
Snake River Dam
Agreement Challenged in Court Over Electric Rates, Reliability Worries
(Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Plans to Build
Washington’s Largest Wind Farm Held Up Again Amid Local Controversy
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/feb/08/plans-to-build-washingtons-largest-wind-farm-held-/
Amazon Will Start
Buying Clean Power for Oregon Data Centers (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
The Boldt
Decision’s Impact on Indigenous Rights 50 Years Later (Crosscut Seattle)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Federal
Judge Signs Off on Lower Snake River Dams Agreement
2. Snake
River Dam Agreement Challenged in Court Over Electric Rates, Reliability
Worries
3. Recent
Snowstorms May Bolster California Hydroelectric Output This Summer
4. California
Could Make — Or Break — The Western Grid
5. Green
Energy Advocates Say Anchorage Electric Utility Is ‘Freezing Out’ Efforts to
Draft a Gas-Saving Price Structure
6. Richard
Bustamante Selected as Vice President of Bonneville Power Administration
Transmission System Operations
7. WA
State: Clallam County PUD Commissioner Waddell Dies
8. Phillips
Named FERC Chair as Clements Decides Against Second Term
9. Plans
to Build Washington’s Largest Wind Farm Held Up Again Amid Local Controversy
10. Pumped
Storage: Controversial Hydro Energy Project Moves Closer to Breaking Ground
11. World’s
Foremost Authority on Solar Sheep Advising Wyoming $500 Million Solar Farm
12. Pacific
Power Launches Demand Response Program Using Smart Thermostats, To Boost
Efficiency
13. The
Boldt Decision’s Impact on Indigenous Rights 50 Years Later
14. Plan
to Restore Salmon Population in the Upper Columbia River Basin Moves Ahead
15. What’s
Next for Columbia River Salmon Restoration Efforts
16. Audio:
How Cloud Seeding Could Increase the Amount of Snowfall in Idaho
17. Washington
State Advances Legislation to Link Carbon Market with California-Quebec
18. Jury
Awards Climate Scientist Michael Mann $1 Million in Defamation Lawsuit
19. UTOPIA
Fiber Debunks $1 Million Out-Of-State Dark Money Campaign Bombarding Utah
Residents with Misinformation About Its Network
20. Landlines
In California May Be Facing Their Death Blow: What to Know
21. America
Tires of Big Telecom’s ****, Driving Boom in Community-Owned Broadband Networks
22. Amazon
Will Start Buying Clean Power for Oregon Data Centers
23. Bill
to Study Electric Vehicle Battery Fires on Fast Track in Olympia
24. Five
Ways to Make Your Brand Part of the Next Viral Trend
25. WA
State: Douglas PUD Getting Hydrogen Powered Cars as Plant Ramps Up
26. News
Release: Agreement Threatening Northwest Clean Power Moves Forward Despite
Objections
27.
Guest Essay: Your Solar & Wind Power Won’t
Save You When It’s Minus 10
WORD OF THE DAY – THE HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Divine /duh-VINE/ Adjective – 1a: of, relating to, or proceeding directly from God b: being a deity c: directed to a deity 2a: supremely good, superb b: heavenly, godlike.
Gershwin’s piano.
Wood, ebony, ivory
Made divine music
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Federal Judge Signs Off on Lower Snake River Dams
Agreement (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
2.
Snake River Dam Agreement Challenged in Court
Over Electric Rates, Reliability Worries (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
3.
Recent Snowstorms May Bolster California Hydroelectric
Output This Summer (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)
4.
California Could Make — Or Break — The Western Grid
(E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/california-could-make-or-break-the-western-grid/
5.
Green Energy Advocates Say Anchorage Electric
Utility Is ‘Freezing Out’ Efforts to Draft a Gas-Saving Price Structure (Northern
Journal, AK)
https://www.northernjournal.com/p/green-energy-advocates-say-anchorage
6.
Richard Bustamante Selected as Vice President of
Bonneville Power Administration Transmission System Operations (Bonneville
Power Administration)
7.
WA State: Clallam County PUD Commissioner
Waddell Dies (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2024/02/08/clallam-pud-commissioner-waddell-dies/
8.
Phillips Named FERC Chair as Clements Decides
Against Second Term (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/phillips-ferc-chair-clements-second-term-quorum/707208/
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
9.
Plans to Build Washington’s Largest Wind Farm
Held Up Again Amid Local Controversy (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/feb/08/plans-to-build-washingtons-largest-wind-farm-held-/
10.
Pumped Storage: Controversial Hydro Energy
Project Moves Closer to Breaking Ground (Northwest Public Broadcasting)
11.
World’s Foremost Authority on Solar Sheep
Advising Wyoming $500 Million Solar Farm (Cowboy State Daily, WY)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
12.
Pacific Power Launches Demand Response Program
Using Smart Thermostats, To Boost Efficiency (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
FISH & WILDLIFE
13.
The Boldt Decision’s Impact on Indigenous Rights
50 Years Later (Crosscut Seattle)
14.
Plan to Restore Salmon Population in the Upper
Columbia River Basin Moves Ahead (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
15.
What’s Next for Columbia River Salmon
Restoration Efforts (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2024/02/09/columbia-river-basin-salmon-restoration
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
16.
Audio: How Cloud Seeding Could Increase the
Amount of Snowfall in Idaho (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
17.
Washington State Advances Legislation to Link
Carbon Market with California-Quebec (Big Country News, Clarkston, WA)
18.
Jury Awards Climate Scientist Michael Mann $1
Million in Defamation Lawsuit (Associated Press)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
19.
UTOPIA Fiber Debunks $1 Million Out-Of-State
Dark Money Campaign Bombarding Utah Residents with Misinformation About Its
Network (Utah Business)
https://www.utahbusiness.com/utopia-fiber-debunks-dark-money-campaign/
20.
Landlines In California May Be Facing Their
Death Blow: What to Know (Patch – Orange County, CA)
https://patch.com/california/orange-county/landlines-ca-may-be-facing-their-death-blow-what-know
21.
America Tires of Big Telecom’s ****, Driving
Boom in Community-Owned Broadband Networks (TechDirt)
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
22.
Amazon Will Start Buying Clean Power for Oregon Data
Centers (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
23.
Bill to Study Electric Vehicle Battery Fires on Fast
Track in Olympia (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_7935b076-c6e6-11ee-9634-0f5c22f1e3bd.html
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
24.
Five Ways to Make Your Brand Part of the Next
Viral Trend (Forbes Magazine)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
25.
WA State: Douglas PUD Getting Hydrogen Powered
Cars as Plant Ramps Up (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/douglas-pud-promotes-hydrogen-cars/
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
26.
News Release: Agreement Threatening Northwest
Clean Power Moves Forward Despite Objections (Northwest RiverPartners)
https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2024/02/news-release-agreement-threatening.html
27.
Guest Essay: Your Solar & Wind Power Won’t
Save You When It’s Minus 10 (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
‘Rhapsody in Blue’:
After a Century, Gershwin’s Musical Melting Pot Still Resonates
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/12/1230433015/rhapsody-in-blue-gershwin-centennial-jazz-classical
Kansas City Chiefs Win
Third Super Bowl in Five Years in OT Against San Francisco 49ers
Guinness World
Records Reverses Course, Accepts Matchstick Tower
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/02/09/france-Guinness-World-Records-Eiffel-Tower/8401707499901/
Minneapolis Couple
Remodeling Bathroom Find Decades-Old Love Letters
SONG OF THE DAY
George Gershwin -
Rhapsody in Blue - Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH2PH0auTUU
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.
