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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
California Fires
Live Updates: Firefighters Battle Los Angeles, Ventura Blazes as ‘Particularly
Dangerous’ Winds Warning Still in Effect (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo)
Los Angeles
Wildfires Spark Initial Round of Lawsuits Against Utilities (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/los-angeles-wildfires-lawsuits-utilities/
Nevada’s Joshua
Trees Bulldozed in Mesquite; Solar Company Defends Solar Farm (KLAS-TV, Las
Vegas, NV)
Washington State
Wanted to Be a National Leader on Solar Panel Recycling, But It’s Had a Tough
Start (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
TikTok Prepares to
Shut Down App in U.S. on Sunday, Sources Say (Reuters)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tiktok-preparing-us-shut-off-041323685.html
News Highlights (See
Stories Below)
1. Los
Angeles Wildfires Spark Initial Round of Lawsuits Against Utilities
2. California
Utility Faces Billions in Claims for Fire Damage Even If It Did Nothing Wrong
3. Regulators
Criticized Edison’s Wildfire Safety Actions Months Before Deadly Eaton Fire
4. Fairbanks
Electric Utility Sees Issues with Power Supply from Southcentral Alaska
5. EIA
Extends Five Key Energy Forecasts Through December 2026
6. DOE
Selects Utilities for Groundbreaking Technical Assistance Program to Advance
Grid Deployment and Integration – Includes Golden Valley Electric Ass’n &
Puget Sound Energy
7. U.S.
Beauty Queen & ‘New Face of Nuclear Energy’ Campaigns to Sway Public
Opinion in Australia
8. Nevada’s
Joshua Trees Bulldozed in Mesquite; Solar Company Defends Solar Farm
9. People
Are Rushing to Install Solar Panels Before Trump Becomes President
10. Washington
State Wanted to Be a National Leader on Solar Panel Recycling, But It’s Had a
Tough Start
11. Solar
Panels as Apple Tree Shades in WSU Wenatchee Test Orchard
12. USDA
Continues Historic Commitment, Partnering with Rural Communities on Clean,
Affordable Energy – Includes Inland Power & Light
13. WA
State: Pend Oreille PUD Receives Full
Funding to Restore Metaline Falls Water System
14. U.S.
Supreme Court Declines to Hear from Oil & Gas Companies Trying to Block
Climate Change Lawsuits
15. Biden
Orders Energy & Defense Departments to Lease Sites for Artificial
Intelligence Data Centers, Clean Energy Generation
16. Federal
Highway Administration Announces Grants for Electric Vehicle Projects in Public
Power Communities – Including SMUD
17. TikTok
Prepares to Shut Down App in U.S. on Sunday, Sources Say
18. RedNote:
What to Know About the Chinese App TikTok Users Are Flocking To
19. Agents,
Secure Sources and Video: 2025 Artificial Intelligence Trends for Public Power
Utilities
20. WA
Is ‘A Light to the World’ Gov. Inslee Tells Lawmakers in His Final State of the
State Address
21. OR
Gov. Kotek Appoints Karin Power to the Public Utility Commission
22. Washington
Utility, Property Taxes Would Surge by 3% Under Democrat’s Bill
23. Trump
Nominee Chris Wright to Lay Out Top Three Goals as Energy Secretary
24. California
Fires Live Updates: Firefighters Battle Los Angeles, Ventura Blazes as
‘Particularly Dangerous’ Winds Warning Still in Effect
25. Six
Washington Counties Suffered an Estimated $34 Million in Damage During Bomb
Cyclone
26. Audio:
How Texas Became America’s Clean Energy Leader
27.
Audio: Can a River Have Rights? Everett Is
Finding Out
Word of the Day
Deus Ex Machina /DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuhnoun/ Noun – A character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve.
Viktor, the villain of the Poughkeepsie hangnail scandal that rocked the Professional Tiddlywinks Association, met his ignominious end at the association’s season-ending tournament. Waving his ill-gotten trophy above his head, shouting invective at his detractors in the parking lot, a bolt of lightning – like a deus ex machina - cut his dark life to an abrupt end.
Energy & Utility
Issues
1.
Los Angeles Wildfires Spark Initial Round of
Lawsuits Against Utilities (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/los-angeles-wildfires-lawsuits-utilities/
2.
California Utility Faces Billions in Claims for
Fire Damage Even If It Did Nothing Wrong (Reuters)
3.
Regulators Criticized Edison’s Wildfire Safety
Actions Months Before Deadly Eaton Fire (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via AOL)
https://www.aol.com/news/regulators-criticized-edisons-wildfire-safety-203317126.html
4.
Fairbanks Electric Utility Sees Issues with
Power Supply from Southcentral Alaska (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)
5.
EIA Extends Five Key Energy Forecasts Through December
2026 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=64264
6.
DOE Selects Utilities for Groundbreaking
Technical Assistance Program to Advance Grid Deployment and Integration –
Includes Golden Valley Electric Ass’n & Puget Sound Energy (U.S. Dept. of
Energy)
7.
U.S. Beauty Queen & ‘New Face of Nuclear
Energy’ Campaigns to Sway Public Opinion in Australia (Australia Broadcasting
Corporation)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-16/nuclear-power-campaign-deploys-miss-america/104795806
Renewable Energy &
Self Storage
8.
Nevada’s Joshua Trees Bulldozed in Mesquite;
Solar Company Defends Solar Farm (KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV)
9.
People Are Rushing to Install Solar Panels
Before Trump Becomes President (National Public Radio)
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/12/nx-s1-5228024/trump-solar-tax-credits?utm_medium=email
10.
Washington State Wanted to Be a National Leader
on Solar Panel Recycling, But It’s Had a Tough Start (The Chronicle, Centralia,
WA)
11.
Solar Panels as Apple Tree Shades in WSU
Wenatchee Test Orchard (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
https://kpq.com/solar-panels-shade-apple-orchard/
12.
USDA Continues Historic Commitment, Partnering
with Rural Communities on Clean, Affordable Energy – Includes Inland Power
& Light (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)
Water, Water, Anywhere?
13.
WA State:
Pend Oreille PUD Receives Full Funding to Restore Metaline Falls Water
System (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)
Climate Change
Sequestration Vault
14.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear from Oil &
Gas Companies Trying to Block Climate Change Lawsuits (Associated Press)
The Wizarding World of
Technology & Cybersecurity
15.
Biden Orders Energy & Defense Departments to
Lease Sites for Artificial Intelligence Data Centers, Clean Energy Generation (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/biden-doe-dod-lease-sites-ai-data-centers-clean-energy/737257/
I Sing the Car Electric
16.
Federal Highway Administration Announces Grants
for Electric Vehicle Projects in Public Power Communities – Including SMUD (American
Public Power Association)
Public Relations,
Marketing & Media
17.
TikTok Prepares to Shut Down App in U.S. on Sunday,
Sources Say (Reuters)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tiktok-preparing-us-shut-off-041323685.html
18.
RedNote: What to Know About the Chinese App
TikTok Users Are Flocking To (Reuters)
19.
Agents, Secure Sources and Video: 2025
Artificial Intelligence Trends for Public Power Utilities (Pioneer Utility
Resources)
https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/ai-agents-sources-video/
Politics, Governance,
and Management
20.
WA Is ‘A Light to the World’ Gov. Inslee Tells
Lawmakers in His Final State of the State Address (The Olympian, WA – Via MSN)
21.
OR Gov. Kotek Appoints Karin Power to the Public
Utility Commission (Willamette Week)
https://www.wweek.com/news/2025/01/14/kotek-appoints-karin-power-to-the-public-utility-commission/
22.
Washington Utility, Property Taxes Would Surge by
3% Under Democrat’s Bill (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
23.
Trump Nominee Chris Wright to Lay Out Top Three
Goals as Energy Secretary (Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/15/chris-wright-energy-secretary-opening-statement?utm_medium=email
Other Things to Know About
Today
24.
California Fires Live Updates: Firefighters Battle
Los Angeles, Ventura Blazes as ‘Particularly Dangerous’ Winds Warning Still in Effect
(Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo)
25.
Six Washington Counties Suffered an Estimated
$34 Million in Damage During Bomb Cyclone (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
26.
Audio: How Texas Became America’s Clean Energy
Leader (On Point – WBUR Radio)
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2025/01/15/texas-clean-energy-wind-solar-renewable
27.
Audio: Can a River Have Rights? Everett Is
Finding Out (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/can-a-river-have-rights-everett-is-finding-out
Diversions - Alligators in the Sewer
Planters Offers $45,000
& Benefits to Drive Its Iconic Nutmobile
https://www.fox13news.com/news/planters-nutmobile-driver-job
Enormous Dinosaur
Skull Uncovers a Previously Unknown Species
https://gizmodo.com/enormous-dinosaur-skull-uncovers-a-previously-unknown-species-2000549301
Belgium’s Pastoral
Pastime of Pigeon Racing Faces High Anxiety Over Crime Wave
Old Farmer’s
Almanac Reveals Washington’s 2025 Weather Forecast
https://kpq.com/ixp/1137/p/extended-60-day-weather-forecast/
Song of the Day
Joe Cocker - Bird
on a Wire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwbJ1Od_E7E
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