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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Amid Explosive
Demand, America Is Running Out of Power (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/07/ai-data-centers-power/
The Dangerous
Combination of Aging Utility Infrastructure & Rising Wildfire Risk (Boise
State Public Radio, ID)
California: ‘We
Cannot Fish in a Wind Farm’: Local Fishermen File Lawsuit Over Offshore Wind
Project (KSBY-TV, San Luis Obispo, CA)
Removing WA Salmon
Barriers Surges to $1 Million a Day, But Results Are Murky (Seattle Times, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
The U.S. Just Had
Its Hottest Winter on Record (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/11/weather-winter-record-warmth
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Amid
Explosive Demand, America Is Running Out of Power
2. The
Dangerous Combination of Aging Utility Infrastructure & Rising Wildfire
Risk
3. Oregonians
Face Crippling Power Costs
4. Montana:
January 2024 Cold Snap to Cost NorthWestern Customers $39 Million
5. NW
Natural Charges Get Customers’ Attention – Utility Has Added ‘WA Climate Act
Fee’ to Bills
6. Chelan
PUD and Avista Announce Long-Term Clean Energy Contract
7. Idea
to Raise Minimum Hells Canyon Snake River Outflows Draws Mixed Reviews
8. California:
CPUC Launches Long-Term Undergrounding Initiative for Utilities
9. Western
Area Power Administration’s Transparency Site Updated with FY 2023 Data
10. Energy
Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Selections for Award Negotiations
11. California:
‘We Cannot Fish in a Wind Farm’: Local Fishermen File Lawsuit Over Offshore
Wind Project
12. Congress
Inserts Conditions for Idaho Wind Farm in Federal Spending Bill
13. Seattle
Solar Company Seeks to Sidestep Eastern Washington County
14. Two
Questions for the Godfather of California Solar
15. Thurston
County Judge Denies Motion to Pause New Washington Energy Codes
16. Yes,
Heat Pumps Slash Emissions Even If Powered by a Dirty Grid
17. Removing
WA Salmon Barriers Surges to $1 Million a Day, But Results Are Murky
18. Swinomish
Tribe Saw an 80% Drop in the Salmon Harvest. Now They Plan to Sue the EPA
19. The
U.S. Just Had Its Hottest Winter on Record
20. Washington
Holds First Carbon Auction of 2024, with Program’s Future in Doubt
21. Oregon
Gets Set to Award $149 Million for Broadband Deployments
22. Washington:
Douglas PUD Proposal Would Cut Off Electricity to Bitcoin Miners
23. The
AI Industry Is Pushing a Nuclear Power Revival — Partly to Fuel Itself
24. China
Could Flood U.S. Electric-Vehicle Market with Its Offerings, Energy Secretary
Jennifer Granholm Warns
25. Meet
The Man Behind the National Park Service’s Hilarious Social Media
26. Washington
Lawmakers to Refund Some Cap-And-Trade Taxes to Farmers
27. GOP:
WA Gov. Inslee Threatened to Torpedo Legislation If Dems Didn’t Pass
Controversial Gas Bill
28. WA
Lawmakers Rush to Show Climate Act’s Value Before It Goes to the Ballot
29. Oregon:
Small Plane Crashes, Killing Pilot, After Hitting Wire atop BPA Transmission
Line SE of Madras
30. Former
WSDOT Economist Sues Agency & Governor’s Office, Claims He Was Pressured to
Lie About Gas Prices
31. Setting
The Record Straight on Western Market Options: It’s Not Just About Footprint
32. Season
Premier: Grand Analogies of the Energy System
33.
Guest Essay: A Bold Blueprint for Salmon
Restoration in the Columbia River Basin Puts Region on the Right Course
WORD OF THE DAY
Panoply \pan-uh-PLEE\ Noun – 1a: a full suit of armor b: ceremonial attire 2: something forming a protective covering 3a: a magnificent or impressive array b: a display of all appropriate appurtenances.
“Before we get started on this root canal,” said the dentist, “please allow me to show you the panoply of tools I will be shoving into your mouth.” All Francine could think about was how the inquisitors began their business during the dark ages.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Amid Explosive Demand, America Is Running Out of
Power (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/03/07/ai-data-centers-power/
2.
The Dangerous Combination of Aging Utility
Infrastructure & Rising Wildfire Risk (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
3.
Oregonians Face Crippling Power Costs (Ashland
Daily Tidings, OR)
https://www.dailytidings.com/oregonians-face-crippling-power-costs/
4.
Montana: January 2024 Cold Snap to Cost NorthWestern
Customers $39 Million (The Daily Montanan)
https://dailymontanan.com/2024/03/07/january-2024-cold-snap-to-cost-northwestern-customers-39m/
5.
NW Natural Charges Get Customers’ Attention – Utility
Has Added ‘WA Climate Act Fee’ to Bills (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/mar/09/nw-natural-charges-get-customers-attention/
6.
Chelan PUD and Avista Announce Long-Term Clean
Energy Contract (Globe Newswire)
7.
Idea to Raise Minimum Hells Canyon Snake River Outflows
Draws Mixed Reviews (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
8.
California: CPUC Launches Long-Term
Undergrounding Initiative for Utilities (Daily Energy Insider)
9.
Western Area Power Administration’s Transparency
Site Updated with FY 2023 Data (Western Area Power Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/wapas-transparency-site-updated-with-fy-2023-data/
10.
Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas
Selections for Award Negotiations (U.S. Department of Energy)
https://www.energy.gov/oced/energy-improvements-rural-or-remote-areas-selections-award-negotiations
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
11.
California: ‘We Cannot Fish in a Wind Farm’: Local
Fishermen File Lawsuit Over Offshore Wind Project (KSBY-TV, San Luis Obispo, CA)
12.
Congress Inserts Conditions for Idaho Wind Farm in
Federal Spending Bill (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2024-03-11/idaho-wind-farm-lava-ridge-congress
13.
Seattle Solar Company Seeks to Sidestep Eastern
Washington County (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
14.
Two Questions for the Godfather of California Solar
(Politico)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
15.
Thurston County Judge Denies Motion to Pause New
Washington Energy Codes (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_720b452e-dd87-11ee-a378-f3dfff0510fa.html
16.
Yes, Heat Pumps Slash Emissions Even If Powered by
a Dirty Grid (Canary Media)
FISH & WILDLIFE
17.
Removing WA Salmon Barriers Surges to $1 Million
a Day, But Results Are Murky (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
18.
Swinomish Tribe Saw an 80% Drop in the Salmon
Harvest. Now They Plan to Sue the EPA. (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
19.
The U.S. Just Had Its Hottest Winter on Record (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/11/weather-winter-record-warmth
20.
Washington Holds First Carbon Auction of 2024, with
Program’s Future in Doubt (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
21.
Oregon Gets Set to Award $149 Million for
Broadband Deployments (Telecompetitor)
https://www.telecompetitor.com/oregon-gets-set-to-award-149m-for-broadband-deployments/
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
22.
Washington: Douglas PUD Proposal Would Cut Off
Electricity to Bitcoin Miners (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, Wa)
https://kpq.com/electricity-rates-impacting-bitcoin-miners/
23.
The AI Industry Is Pushing a Nuclear Power
Revival — Partly to Fuel Itself (NBC News)
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/nuclear-power-oklo-sam-altman-ai-energy-rcna139094
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
24.
China Could Flood U.S. Electric-Vehicle Market with
Its Offerings, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Warns (NBC News)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
25.
Meet The Man Behind the National Park Service’s
Hilarious Social Media (The Weather Channel)
https://weather.com/travel/news/news/2024-03-08-national-park-service-social-media-matt-turner
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
26.
Washington Lawmakers to Refund Some
Cap-And-Trade Taxes to Farmers (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)
27.
GOP: WA Gov. Inslee Threatened to Torpedo
Legislation If Dems Didn’t Pass Controversial Gas Bill (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
28.
WA Lawmakers Rush to Show Climate Act’s Value
Before It Goes to the Ballot (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
29.
Oregon: Small Plane Crashes, Killing Pilot,
After Hitting Wire atop BPA Transmission Line SE of Madras (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
30.
Former WSDOT Economist Sues Agency &
Governor’s Office, Claims He Was Pressured to Lie About Gas Prices (KING-TV, Seattle,
WA)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
31.
Setting The Record Straight on Western Market
Options: It’s Not Just About Footprint (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/western-market-caiso-spp-bonneville-power-administration/709809/
32.
Season Premier: Grand Analogies of the Energy
System (Public Power Underground Podcast)
https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/grand-analogies-of-the-energy-system
33.
Guest Essay: A Bold Blueprint for Salmon
Restoration in the Columbia River Basin Puts Region on the Right Course (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/mar/09/emily-washines-and-bill-arthur-a-bold-blueprint-fo/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
What Happens to the
Coins Tossed into Rome’s Trevi Fountain?
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/italy-fountain-coins/
Winners of the 2024
Academy Awards
https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024
Long-Lost Silent
Film Featuring Clara Bow from 1923 Resurfaces in Omaha
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/03/08/long-lost-silent-film-Clara-Bow/5651709934657/
Scottish Students'
Message in a Bottle Travels Six Miles in 40 Years
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/03/11/scotland-message-in-a-bottle-40-years/9471710176618/
SONG OF THE DAY
Billie Eilish,
Finneas - What Was I Made For?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rL1EHELPAk
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.
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stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual
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