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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Oregon: Pacific
Power Files for $304 Million Rate Adjustment to Support Wildfire Management,
Infrastructure & Renewables (Daily Energy Insider)
How an Endangered
Hawk Could Topple Plans for WA’s Largest Wind Farm (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
‘Green
Colonialism’: Tribes Disappointed with Offshore Oregon Energy Plans (KOIN-TV,
Portland, OR)
Barker: Forecast
for Spring Chinook Not Terrible, But Also Not Good (Spokesman-Review, Spokane,
WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/feb/21/barker-forecast-for-spring-chinook-not-terrible-bu/
What This Year’s
Mild Winter Means for Wildfire Season in the Western U.S. (National Public
Radio)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Oregon:
Pacific Power Files for $304 Million Rate Adjustment to Support Wildfire
Management, Infrastructure & Renewables
2. Montana
Consumer Counsel: NorthWestern Owes Customers $13 Million for Natural Gas
3. WA
State: Electron Dam Must Remove ‘Temporary’ Structure from Puyallup River after
Court Ruling
4. Federal
Energy Regulators Deny Permits for A Controversial Project on the Navajo Nation
5. Washington
Senate Committee Advances Natural Gas Bill
6. Power
Play: Project to Move Power Through Nebraska Sandhills Has Stalled … For 12
Years.
7. FERC
Approves NERC Reliability Standards for Cold Weather Operations and
Preparedness
8. How
an Endangered Hawk Could Topple Plans for WA’s Largest Wind Farm
9. ‘Green
Colonialism’: Tribes Disappointed with Offshore Oregon Energy Plans
10. Arizona
Tribe First to Span Canals with Solar Panels
11. WA
State: Mosbrucker Bill to Let PUD’s Sell Bio-Gas Products Passes House
12. Barker:
Forecast for Spring Chinook Not Terrible, But Also Not Good
13. Pacific
Salmon Face No Shortage of Challenges, Shrinking Snowpack High Among Them
14. Washington
House of Representatives Passes Bill to Study Avian Salmon Predation
15. Southern
Resident Orcas Now Considered an Endangered Species in Oregon
16. To
Keep Whales Safe, Coast Guard Launches Boat Alert System in Seattle
17. As
the Klamath River Dries, Tribal Nations & Farmers Come to Rare Agreement
18. California
Enjoys the Northwest’s Water
19. How
Will Climate Change Affect Our Back-And-Forth La Niña, El Niño Weather
Patterns?
20. Massive
ExxonMobil Carbon Capture Project in Eastern Montana Reviewed
21. Personal
Net Zero? Gas Utilities Pitch Offset Plans.
22. Incoming
Washington Broadband Office Director Highlights Rural Internet Access
23. Auto
Execs: Chinese Electric Vehicles Could ‘Demolish’ U.S. Production
24. Montana:
Schweitzer Calls for Shakeup of Montana Utility Regulators
25. What
This Year’s Mild Winter Means for Wildfire Season in the Western U.S.
26. Lawmakers
Urge Gov. Inslee to Declare State of Emergency for Washington State Ferries
27. Editorial: Wind Power Prepares United States for Future
WORD OF THE DAY
Cartographer \car-TAH-gruh-fer \ Noun - One that makes maps.
The 14th century artist backed away from his world map…pleased with the colors, shapes of the continents, & the symmetrical arrangement of the land masses. “It’s a good thing we won’t be using this for navigation,” mused the Genoan sailor to his first mate. “That big land mass painted by this ‘so-called’ cartographer between us & Indies would keep our hands off the spice trade for years.”
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Oregon: Pacific Power Files for $304 Million Rate
Adjustment to Support Wildfire Management, Infrastructure & Renewables (Daily
Energy Insider)
2.
Montana Consumer Counsel: NorthWestern Owes
Customers $13 Million for Natural Gas (The Daily Montanan)
3.
WA State: Electron Dam Must Remove ‘Temporary’
Structure from Puyallup River after Court Ruling (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
4.
Federal Energy Regulators Deny Permits for A
Controversial Project on the Navajo Nation (KUNC Radio, Greeley, CO)
5.
Washington Senate Committee Advances Natural Gas
Bill (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
https://www.chronline.com/stories/washington-senate-committee-advances-natural-gas-bill,334752
6.
Power Play: Project to Move Power Through Nebraska
Sandhills Has Stalled … For 12 Years. (Flatwater Free Press, NE)
7.
FERC Approves NERC Reliability Standards for
Cold Weather Operations and Preparedness (American Public Power Association)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
8.
How an Endangered Hawk Could Topple Plans for WA’s
Largest Wind Farm (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
9.
‘Green Colonialism’: Tribes Disappointed with
Offshore Oregon Energy Plans (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
10.
Arizona Tribe First to Span Canals with Solar
Panels (WBUR Radio, Boston, MA)
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2024/02/19/solar-panels-canals
11.
WA State: Mosbrucker Bill to Let PUD’s Sell
Bio-Gas Products Passes House (Gorge Radio, Hood River, OR)
https://gorgeradio.com/?pg=36529&post=true
FISH & WILDLIFE
12.
Barker: Forecast for Spring Chinook Not
Terrible, But Also Not Good (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/feb/21/barker-forecast-for-spring-chinook-not-terrible-bu/
13.
Pacific Salmon Face No Shortage of Challenges,
Shrinking Snowpack High Among Them (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)
14.
Washington House of Representatives Passes Bill to
Study Avian Salmon Predation (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
15.
Southern Resident Orcas Now Considered an
Endangered Species in Oregon (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
16.
To Keep Whales Safe, Coast Guard Launches Boat
Alert System in Seattle (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/orcas-humpbacks-ferries-seattle-ca034b8cb584f9aca7200a83a51cd0a2
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
17.
As the Klamath River Dries, Tribal Nations &
Farmers Come to Rare Agreement (Grist Online)
https://grist.org/agriculture/tribal-nations-farmers-agree-repair-work-klamath-basin/
18.
California Enjoys the Northwest’s Water (Cliff
Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/02/california-enjoys-northwests-water.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
19.
How Will Climate Change Affect Our
Back-And-Forth La Niña, El Niño Weather Patterns? (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
20.
Massive ExxonMobil Carbon Capture Project in Eastern
Montana Reviewed (Helena Independent-Record, MT)
21.
Personal Net Zero? Gas Utilities Pitch Offset
Plans. (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/personal-net-zero-gas-utilities-pitch-offset-plans/
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
22.
Incoming Washington Broadband Office Director
Highlights Rural Internet Access (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
23.
Auto Execs: Chinese Electric Vehicles Could ‘Demolish’
U.S. Production (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/michigan/article_21bfdb2e-cfdc-11ee-8de1-7f0d96c1e6e1.html
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
24.
Montana: Schweitzer Calls for Shakeup of Montana
Utility Regulators (Billings Gazette, MT – Paywall Advisory)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
25.
What This Year’s Mild Winter Means for Wildfire
Season in the Western U.S. (National Public Radio)
26.
Lawmakers Urge Gov. Inslee to Declare State of Emergency
for Washington State Ferries (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
27.
Editorial: Wind Power Prepares United States for
Future (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/feb/15/in-our-view-wind-power-prepares-united-states-for-future/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Welcome to the ‘Hotel
California’ Case: The Trial Over Handwritten Lyrics to an Eagles Classic
School Art Teacher
Accused of Secretly Selling Kids’ Assignments
When & Where
Double Brood of Cicadas Will Emerge - And What to Expect
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/when-double-brood-cicadas-will-come-out-what-expect-2024-02-19/
A Man Sues Powerball
After Being Told His $340 Million ‘Win’ Was a Mistake
SONG OF THE DAY
Eagles – Hotel
California
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkNYFAJaWY
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
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