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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Feds’ Plan for
14,000-Acre ‘Clean Energy’ Park in Eastern Washington Called Shortsighted (The
Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Washington: Over
100 Locals Gather to Organize Opposition to Proposed Wind Farm Next to National
Natural Landmark Kamiak Butte (KQQQ Radio, Pullman, WA)
Approved Killing of
Sea Lions in the Columbia River Likely to Begin Next Week (KOIN-TV, Portland,
OR)
Washington: UTC
Staff Recommends $252,000 Fine for CenturyLink Over Long Wait Times, Lack of
Documents (The Olympian, Olympia, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/business/article286702455.html
12 Months of Record
Ocean Heat Has Scientists Puzzled & Concerned (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/12-months-record-ocean-heat-160332495.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Feds’
Plan for 14,000-Acre ‘Clean Energy’ Park in Eastern Washington Called
Shortsighted
2. NuScale
CEO Touts Data Center Deal, Heavy Industry Small Modular Reactors Interest Amid
$180M Loss For 2023
3. California
ISO Says Western Energy Imbalance Market Showed Its Value During Mid-January
Cold Event
4. Idaho
Power Customers Urged to Weigh in on Proposed Rate Hikes
5. The
Pacific Northwest Is Finalizing Plans for $1 Billion in Investments in ‘Green’
Hydrogen to Power Aviation, Shipping, Long-Haul Trucking & More
6. Navajo
Opposition Spells Likely End of Arizona Pumped Hydro Storage Project
7. New
Report Shows It Is Time to Tap into Hydropower Investment Opportunities
8. It
May Be Too Late for President Biden’s Grid Expansion
9. Cubans
Stage Rare Street Protest Over Power Blackouts
10. Washington:
Over 100 Locals Gather to Organize Opposition to Proposed Wind Farm Next to
National Natural Landmark Kamiak Butte
11. Oregon
Congressional Members Ask Feds for More Comment Time on Offshore Wind Energy
Sites
12. Offshore
Wind or Tribal Rights? President Biden’s California Dilemma.
13. University
of Washington Researchers Finish Tests on Device Hoping to Harness Wave Energy
14. Washington:
Douglas County PUD to Get Hydrogen Cars Through Grant
15. Energy
Department Conditionally Approves $2.26 Billion Loan for Huge Lithium Mine in
Nevada
16. Approved
Killing of Sea Lions in the Columbia River Likely to Begin Next Week
17. Trout
Unlimited Identifies Hundreds of Highly Threatened Fisheries Across the U.S.
18. Coalition
Brings Together Longtime Rivals to Help Salmon
19. BLM
Plan to Strengthen Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation on Public Lands
20. Washington:
Salmon Recovery Proponents Say Several Bills Got Away This Legislative Session
21. 12
Months of Record Ocean Heat Has Scientists Puzzled & Concerned
22. Oregon
Begins Rewriting Landmark Climate Program Derailed by Gas Lawsuit
23. Biden
Administration Announces $120 Million for Tribal Climate Resilience
24. Link
to PDF File for a List of Tribal Climate Resilience Programs
25. Cherry
Blossoms Hitting Earlier Peaks Due to Climate Change, Scientists Warn
26. Washington:
UTC Staff Recommends $252,000 Fine for CenturyLink Over Long Wait Times, Lack
of Documents
27. East
Wenatchee Based LocalTel Being Purchased By Ziply Fiber
28. Apple
in Talks to Let Google’s Gemini Power iPhone Artificial Intelligence Features,
Bloomberg News Says
29. Oregonians
Will Have Two-Month Window This Spring to Apply for an Electric Vehicle Rebate
30. Supreme
Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social
Media Posts
31. WA
Gov. Inslee Seeks Ouster of Regulatory Leader Amid Tumult at the Utilities
& Transportation Commission
32. Former
San Francisco Public Utilities Chief Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for
Bribery Scheme
33. Seattle
Area Average Energy Prices: Gasoline, Utility Gas Prices Dip, Electricity Rises
34. Editorial:
DOE Must Develop Hanford’s Clean Energy Park in Partnership with Tri-Cities
35.
Guest Essay: My Grandfather Scaled Poles to
Deliver Electricity. Broadband Is the New Frontier.
WORD OF THE DAY
Effulgence /if-FULL-juns/ Noun – Radiant splendor: brilliance.
Sunflower’s vast bloom
Golden effulgence, bee’s feast
Peaceful green giant
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Feds’ Plan for 14,000-Acre ‘Clean Energy’ Park in
Eastern Washington Called Shortsighted (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
2.
NuScale CEO Touts Data Center Deal, Heavy
Industry Small Modular Reactors Interest Amid $180M Loss For 2023 (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nuscale-small-modular-reactor-smr-data-center-nuclear/710442/
3.
California ISO Says Western Energy Imbalance
Market Showed Its Value During Mid-January Cold Event (American Public Power
Association)
4.
Idaho Power Customers Urged to Weigh in on Proposed
Rate Hikes (Elkhorn Media Group, LaGrande, OR)
https://elkhornmediagroup.com/idaho-power-customers-urged-to-weigh-in-on-proposed-rate-hikes/
5.
The Pacific Northwest Is Finalizing Plans for $1
Billion in Investments in ‘Green’ Hydrogen to Power Aviation, Shipping,
Long-Haul Trucking & More (The Inlander, Spokane, WA)
6.
Navajo Opposition Spells Likely End of Arizona Pumped
Hydro Storage Project (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/navajo-opposition-spells-likely-end-of-arizona-storage-project/
7.
New Report Shows It Is Time to Tap into Hydropower
Investment Opportunities (The National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
8.
It May Be Too Late for President Biden’s Grid
Expansion (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/it-may-be-too-late-for-bidens-grid-expansion/
9.
Cubans Stage Rare Street Protest Over Power
Blackouts (British Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68595885
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
10.
Washington: Over 100 Locals Gather to Organize
Opposition to Proposed Wind Farm Next to National Natural Landmark Kamiak Butte
(KQQQ Radio, Pullman, WA)
11.
Oregon Congressional Members Ask Feds for More
Comment Time on Offshore Wind Energy Sites (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
12.
Offshore Wind or Tribal Rights? President Biden’s
California Dilemma. (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/offshore-wind-or-tribal-rights-bidens-california-dilemma/
13.
University of Washington Researchers Finish
Tests on Device Hoping to Harness Wave Energy (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
14.
Washington: Douglas County PUD to Get Hydrogen
Cars Through Grant (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
15.
Energy Department Conditionally Approves $2.26
Billion Loan for Huge Lithium Mine in Nevada (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/lithium-mine-biden-energy-loan-nevada-5532948703330fc9578da7159b8e4d9c
FISH & WILDLIFE
16.
Approved Killing of Sea Lions in the Columbia
River Likely to Begin Next Week (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
17.
Trout Unlimited Identifies Hundreds of Highly
Threatened Fisheries Across the U.S. (Field & Stream Magazine)
18.
Coalition Brings Together Longtime Rivals to
Help Salmon (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
19.
BLM Plan to Strengthen Greater Sage-Grouse
Conservation on Public Lands (KTVB-TV, Boise, ID)
20.
Washington: Salmon Recovery Proponents Say
Several Bills Got Away This Legislative Session (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_a0f8879a-e325-11ee-abfc-0f3bcb2a1636.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
21.
12 Months of Record Ocean Heat Has Scientists
Puzzled & Concerned (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/12-months-record-ocean-heat-160332495.html
22.
Oregon Begins Rewriting Landmark Climate Program
Derailed by Gas Lawsuit (Washington State Standard)
23.
Biden Administration Announces $120 Million for Tribal
Climate Resilience (The Hill, Washington, DC)
24.
Link to PDF File for a List of Tribal Climate
Resilience Programs (Bureau of Indian Affairs)
https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/media_document/2023_annual_awards_summary.pdf
25.
Cherry Blossoms Hitting Earlier Peaks Due to
Climate Change, Scientists Warn (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2024/03/18/cherry-blossoms-dc-japan-climate-change-peak-bloom
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
26.
Washington: UTC Staff Recommends $252,000 Fine for
CenturyLink Over Long Wait Times, Lack of Documents (The Olympian, Olympia, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/business/article286702455.html
27.
East Wenatchee Based LocalTel Being Purchased By
Ziply Fiber (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/ziply-fiber-acquires-localtel-communications/
BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF
TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
28.
Apple in Talks to Let Google’s Gemini Power
iPhone Artificial Intelligence Features, Bloomberg News Says (Reuters)
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
29.
Oregonians Will Have Two-Month Window This
Spring to Apply for an Electric Vehicle Rebate (Central Oregon Daily, Bend, OR)
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
30.
Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration
Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts (Associated Press)
MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE
31.
WA Gov. Inslee Seeks Ouster of Regulatory Leader
Amid Tumult at the Utilities & Transportation Commission (Washington State Standard)
32.
Former San Francisco Public Utilities Chief
Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Bribery Scheme (Courthouse News Service)
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
33.
Seattle Area Average Energy Prices: Gasoline,
Utility Gas Prices Dip, Electricity Rises (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
34.
Editorial: DOE Must Develop Hanford’s Clean
Energy Park in Partnership with Tri-Cities (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.aol.com/news/doe-must-develop-hanford-clean-120000677.html
35.
Guest Essay: My Grandfather Scaled Poles to
Deliver Electricity. Broadband Is the New Frontier. (The Columbus Dispatch, OH)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/grandfather-scaled-poles-deliver-electricity-093553606.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
The L.A. Lakers Are
Planning to Fix a Few Errors Carved into the Base of Kobe Bryant’s Statue
https://apnews.com/article/kobe-bryant-statue-errors-ca499164c1982b7627465f97bed3026f
Montana Man Pleads
Guilty for Effort to Breed ‘Giant Sheep Hybrids’
March Madness Brackets
Are Here. Here’s How to Pick Your Teams
Missouri Museum
Takes World Record for Wearing Underwear as Hats
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/03/15/Guinness-World-Records-underwear-heads/7471710516602/
SONG OF THE DAY
Luther Vandross – One
Shining Moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhXFt2uENmQ
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
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