The Energy News Digest for February 16, 2022

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association. 

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Salmon Treaty Failing to Address Alaskan Harvest of Struggling British Columbia Stocks, Advocates Say (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/salmon-treaty-failures-1.6353626?cmp=rss

U.S. Could See a Century’s Worth of Sea Rise in Just 30 Years (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/floods-climate-science-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration-texas-81ea3dfde46f98ed675c92a0447c8114

Montana Regulators Stick with Coal as Utilities Move On (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-regulators-stick-with-coal-as-utilities-move-on/article_8e4b8042-94ea-51df-b63b-cd53fbcaa888.html

WA State: Rural Broadband Takes Center Stage at Mason PUD 3 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

https://www.ifiberone.com/south_sound/rural-broadband-takes-center-stage-at-mason-pud-3/video_d80c295e-8e62-11ec-b452-17e744914ad5.html

New Mexico Hydrogen Hub Bill Is Tabled (Santa Fe New Mexican)

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/hydrogen-hub-bill-on-hold-again/article_66d41896-8df9-11ec-b95e-c39f328e0fa6.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Montana Regulators Stick with Coal as Utilities Move On

2.      Fund For Victims of Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfires Is Coming Up Short. Will California Step in to Help?

3.      ‘A Lot of People Need Help’: Soaring U.S. Electric Bills Leave Some Struggling to Pay

4.      Montana: Glacier Electric Warns Area Members of Scam

5.      The Kitchen of the Future Won’t Be Cooking with Gas

6.      Commentary: Addressing the Myths About Snake River Salmon & Dams

7.      News Release: Congressmen Newhouse (WA-R), Kilmer (WA-D) Introduce Legislation to Invest in Energy Research, Create Jobs in Washington

8.      New Mexico Hydrogen Hub Bill Is Tabled

9.      California: Tulare County Continues to Progress on Nation’s Largest Solar Farm

10.   WA State Solar Bill Could Provide Tax Breaks to Panel Manufacturers

11.   Bill ‘Curbing Wind Farms’ Stays Alive in WA State Legislature

12.   More Idaho Homes are Going to be Electrified by Garbage

13.   Energy from the Sun Will Help Power This Pierce County, WA School. Here’s the Plan

14.   Dozens of Lawmakers Press President Biden to Prioritize Appliance Efficiency Standard Updates

15.   Pacific Salmon Treaty Failing to Address Alaskan Harvest of Struggling British Columbia Stocks, Advocates Say

16.   Northern Pike Suppression Efforts Push Back Invasive Fish in Lake Roosevelt

17.   Plan for Snohomish River Watershed Meant to Tackle Threats to Salmon ‘Head On’

18.   Colorado River: States & Feds Are Working on New Plan to Avoid Another Emergency Water Release to Save Lake Powell

19.   U.S. Could See a Century’s Worth of Sea Rise in Just 30 Years

20.   WA State: Rural Broadband Takes Center Stage at Mason PUD 3

21.   Rural Broadband Access ‘Going to Change’ as Washington Avails New Funds

22.   Grant Will Help Expand Broadband Availability in Adams County, WA

23.   Rural Electric Co-Ops Are the Fastest Growing Group of Broadband Providers

24.   California: Roseville Eyes Electric Bus Depot to Get Toward Zero-Carbon Goal

25.   Bonneville Power Administration Launching New Websites: BPA.Gov & Legacy Customer Portal Offline Feb. 25-27

26.   Facebook Renames Its News Feed to Just ‘Feed’

27.   Tennessee Valley Authority Says It Will Power Marijuana Operations After All

28.   U.S. Corn-Based Ethanol Worse for the Climate Than Gasoline, Study Finds

29.   Another Cold Blast is Coming to the Pacific Northwest

WORD OF THE DAY

Meticulous \muh-TIK-yuh-lus\ Adjective – Marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details.

Slowly, but gently Joel placed his summer-blooming bulbs into the rich, dark earth; meticulously placing a generous helping of cayenne pepper around the precious little treasures. “Feast on THAT,” he muttered under his breath as a final benediction for the bulb and the voracious voles and pocket gophers that were secretly watching his ministrations from beneath the hydrangea bush.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Montana Regulators Stick with Coal as Utilities Move On (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-regulators-stick-with-coal-as-utilities-move-on/article_8e4b8042-94ea-51df-b63b-cd53fbcaa888.html

2.      Fund For Victims of Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfires Is Coming Up Short. Will California Step in to Help? (Sacramento Bee, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article258384133.html

3.      ‘A Lot of People Need Help’: Soaring U.S. Electric Bills Leave Some Struggling to Pay (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-lot-people-need-help-soaring-electric-bills-leave-struggling-pay-rcna16347

4.      Montana: Glacier Electric Warns Area Members of Scam (Cutbank Pioneer Press, MT)

http://www.cutbankpioneerpress.com/cut_bank_pioneer_press/article_035a91de-8eba-11ec-8ab2-1f72802c0be7.html

5.      The Kitchen of the Future Won’t Be Cooking with Gas (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/15/climate-fight-gas-kitchen-00008750

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

6.      Commentary: Addressing the Myths About Snake River Salmon & Dams (Washington Policy Center)

https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/addressing-the-myths-about-snake-river-salmon-and-dams

7.      News Release: Congressmen Newhouse (WA-R), Kilmer (WA-D) Introduce Legislation to Invest in Energy Research, Create Jobs in Washington (U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse)

https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-kilmer-introduce-legislation-invest-energy-research-create

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

8.      New Mexico Hydrogen Hub Bill Is Tabled (Santa Fe New Mexican)

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/hydrogen-hub-bill-on-hold-again/article_66d41896-8df9-11ec-b95e-c39f328e0fa6.html

9.      California: Tulare County Continues to Progress on Nation’s Largest Solar Farm (The Porterville Recorder, CA)

https://www.recorderonline.com/news/county-continues-to-progress-on-nations-largest-solar-farm/article_1426d580-8385-11ec-84ef-8b5f0fee2097.html

10.   WA State Solar Bill Could Provide Tax Breaks to Panel Manufacturers (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2022/feb/15/solar-bill-could-provide-tax-breaks-panel-manufact/

11.   Bill ‘Curbing Wind Farms’ Stays Alive in WA State Legislature (Wind Watch)

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2022/02/16/bill-curbing-wind-farms-stays-alive-in-state-legislature/

12.   More Idaho Homes are Going to be Electrified by Garbage (KLIX Radio, Twin Falls, ID)

https://newsradio1310.com/more-idaho-homes-are-going-to-be-electrified-by-garbage/

13.   Energy from the Sun Will Help Power This Pierce County, WA School. Here’s the Plan (Tacoma News Tribune, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/puyallup-herald/ph-news/article258182133.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   Dozens of Lawmakers Press President Biden to Prioritize Appliance Efficiency Standard Updates (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/dozens-of-lawmakers-press-biden-to-prioritize-appliance-efficiency-standard/618814/

FISH & WILDLIFE

15.   Pacific Salmon Treaty Failing to Address Alaskan Harvest of Struggling British Columbia Stocks, Advocates Say (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/salmon-treaty-failures-1.6353626?cmp=rss

16.   Northern Pike Suppression Efforts Push Back Invasive Fish in Lake Roosevelt (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/northern-pike-suppression-efforts-push-back-invasive-fish-in-lake-roosevelt

17.   Plan for Snohomish River Watershed Meant to Tackle Threats to Salmon ‘Head On’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/hilary-franz-announces-watershed-resilience-action-plan/281-5a5d22f9-608e-4069-b294-a4bff237d512

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

18.   Colorado River: States & Feds Are Working on New Plan to Avoid Another Emergency Water Release to Save Lake Powell (Colorado Public Radio)

https://www.cpr.org/2022/02/16/colorado-river-lake-powell-water-levels-drought/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

19.   U.S. Could See a Century’s Worth of Sea Rise in Just 30 Years (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/floods-climate-science-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration-texas-81ea3dfde46f98ed675c92a0447c8114

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

20.   WA State: Rural Broadband Takes Center Stage at Mason PUD 3 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

https://www.ifiberone.com/south_sound/rural-broadband-takes-center-stage-at-mason-pud-3/video_d80c295e-8e62-11ec-b452-17e744914ad5.html

21.   Rural Broadband Access ‘Going to Change’ as Washington Avails New Funds (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3351661/rural-broadband-access-going-to-change-as-washington-avails-new-funds/

22.   Grant Will Help Expand Broadband Availability in Adams County, WA (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2022/feb/16/grant-will-help-expand-broadband-availability-adam/

23.   Rural Electric Co-Ops Are the Fastest Growing Group of Broadband Providers (Fierce Telecom)

https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/rural-electric-co-ops-are-fastest-growing-group-broadband-providers

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

24.   California: Roseville Eyes Electric Bus Depot to Get Toward Zero-Carbon Goal (Sacramento Business Journal, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/inno/stories/news/2022/02/14/roseville-electric-bus-depot.html

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

25.   Bonneville Power Administration Launching New Websites: BPA.Gov & Legacy Customer Portal Offline Feb. 25-27 (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-launching-new-websites-BPAgov-and-legacy-Customer-Portal-offline-Feb-25-27.aspx

26.   Facebook Renames Its News Feed to Just ‘Feed’ (Mashable)

https://www.engadget.com/facebook-renames-news-feed-just-feed-183907945.html

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

27.   Tennessee Valley Authority Says It Will Power Marijuana Operations After All (High Times)

https://hightimes.com/news/tva-says-it-will-power-marijuana-operations-after-all/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

28.   U.S. Corn-Based Ethanol Worse for the Climate Than Gasoline, Study Finds (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-corn-based-ethanol-worse-climate-than-gasoline-study-finds-2022-02-14/

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

29.   Another Cold Blast is Coming to the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/02/another-cold-blast-is-coming-to.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Video: The Moment a Sloth Was Saved from Electrical Wires

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-60400099

Arizona Priest Resigns After ‘Incorrect’ Wording Leads to Thousands of Invalid Baptisms

https://kfor.com/news/arizona-priest-resigns-after-incorrect-wording-leads-to-thousands-of-invalid-baptisms/

Mexico Was Warned About an Avocado Ban If Cartels Threatened U.S. Inspectors Again

https://foxsanantonio.com/newsletter-daily/mexico-was-warned-about-an-avocado-ban-if-cartels-threatened-us-inspectors-again

Scramble the Fighters! Thousands of Protesters Sign Up to Egg Jeff Bezos’ Yacht at Dutch Bridge Site

https://www.geekwire.com/2022/scramble-the-fighters-thousands-of-protesters-sign-up-to-egg-jeff-bezos-yacht-at-dutch-bridge-site/

SONG OF THE DAY

Aretha Franklin – Bridge Over Troubled Water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWwaMcj5gqQ

The Energy News Digest for February 14, 2022

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association. 

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Columbia River Chinook Forecast Is Best in Three Years (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/chinook-forecast-best-3-years-141900459.html

Macron Announces France Is to Build Up to 14 New Nuclear Reactors (The Independent, UK)

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/france-to-build-up-to-14-new-nuclear-reactors-b2012331.html

West Megadrought Worsens to Driest in at Least 1,200 Years (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-west-megadrought-f02449c2db4f0ebeb1557bb39504c62d

9th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts 90-Day Ban at Geothermal Plant in Nevada (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/nevada/articles/2022-02-08/9th-circuit-lifts-90-day-ban-at-geothermal-plant-in-nevada

Dozens of SpaceX Satellites Are Falling Out of Orbit After Solar Storm (iHeart Radio)

https://www.iheart.com/content/2022-02-09-dozens-of-spacex-satellites-are-falling-out-of-orbit-after-solar-storm/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Macron Announces France Is to Build Up to 14 New Nuclear Reactors

2.      Tennessee Valley Authority Launches New Nuclear Program

3.      Counterfeit Parts Found in Some U.S. Nuclear Plants - Inspector General

4.      Pacific Gas & Electric Customers Monthly Electric Bills Going Up

5.      ConEd to New Yorkers: Don’t Blame Us for Soaring Power Bills

6.      WA State: Tacoma to Maintain Utility Disconnection Moratorium Through March 31

7.      Montana: Power Plant Opponents Rally at Billings Courthouse Thursday

8.      Bellingham Bans Natural Gas for Heating in Some New Buildings

9.      Bonneville Power Administration Encouraged by First Quarter Results

10.   News Release: How Seattle City Light Relocated a Transmission Line with International Implications

11.   New Mexico: Study of Public Utility Failing to Gain Traction So Far

12.   Guest Essay: WA Governor Inslee’s Natural Gas Bills Will Increase Energy Costs, Eliminate Family-Wage Jobs

13.   Guest Essay: Better Internet Access for Tillamook County, OR

14.   9th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts 90-Day Ban at Geothermal Plant in Nevada

15.   Kenai Peninsula Landfill Project Would Turn Garbage Gas to Fuel

16.   Wind Power Developers Encouraged by Findings on Bald Eagle Population

17.   Uneven Load: How Rural Communities Shoulder the Environmental Burden of Cities

18.   Hydropower Cements Its Place as the World’s Most Popular Renewable Energy

19.   How Some Energy Efficiency Incentives Slow Climate Action

20.   Corvallis Startup Will Open ‘Smart Windows’ Factory in Salem, Using Technology Developed at HP

21.   Oregon Department of Transportation Completes Portland LED Streetlight Project

22.   Columbia River Chinook Forecast Is Best in Three Years

23.   Oregon Dungeness Crab Season Breaking Records

24.   Atlantic Salmon Returns Drop in Critical Maine River

25.   Scientists Question WA State Plan That Doubles Sewer Bills at Puget Sound Treatment Plants

26.   West Megadrought Worsens to Driest in at Least 1,200 Years

27.   Montana Launches Broadband Map as Bidding Begins for Federal Funding

28.   How The State Plans to Invest in Idaho’s Broadband

29.   Dozens of SpaceX Satellites Are Falling Out of Orbit After Solar Storm

30.   Fitch Outlines Public Power Supply Risks Tied to Crypto Currency Mining

31.   Oregon: City of Bend Works to Increase Number of People Driving Electric Vehicles

32.   Gov. Inslee’s $7,500 Electric Car Rebate Remains Uncertain in WA State Legislature

33.   Montana: Missoula City Council to Consider Energy Use by Cannabis Companies

34.   Marketplace Suspends Most NFT Sales, Citing ‘Rampant’ Fakes & Plagiarism

35.   Public Records: Phone Was Manually Set to Delete Former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Texts

WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Billet-Doux /bill-ee – DOO/ Noun – Love letter. Literally translated as “sweet letter.”

It’s Valentine’s Day

Billet doux in each mailbox

Dripping with sweet love

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Macron Announces France Is to Build Up to 14 New Nuclear Reactors (The Independent, UK)

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/france-to-build-up-to-14-new-nuclear-reactors-b2012331.html

2.      Tennessee Valley Authority Launches New Nuclear Program (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2022-02-10/largest-us-public-power-company-launches-new-nuclear-program

3.      Counterfeit Parts Found in Some U.S. Nuclear Plants - Inspector General (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/counterfeit-parts-present-many-us-nuclear-power-plants-inspector-general-2022-02-10/

4.      Pacific Gas & Electric Customers Monthly Electric Bills Going Up (KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA)

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/pge-monthly-electric-bills-going-up/

5.      ConEd to New Yorkers: Don’t Blame Us for Soaring Power Bills (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/coned-yorkers-dont-blame-us-204251479.html

6.      WA State: Tacoma to Maintain Utility Disconnection Moratorium Through March 31 (South Sound Business)

https://www.southsoundbiz.com/news/tacoma-to-maintain-utility-disconnection-moratorium-through-march-31/article_1dded912-89ff-11ec-9ac7-bf76ee516eb1.html

7.      Montana: Power Plant Opponents Rally at Billings Courthouse Thursday (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/power-plant-opponents-rally-at-billings-courthouse-thursday/article_12859e43-28be-53e3-bafb-5b54404514a6.html

8.      Bellingham Bans Natural Gas for Heating in Some New Buildings (Cascadia Daily)

https://www.cascadiadaily.com/news/2022/feb/08/bellingham-bans-natural-gas-for-heating-uses-in-so/

9.      Bonneville Power Administration Encouraged by First Quarter Results (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-encouraged-by-first-quarter-results.aspx

10.   News Release: How Seattle City Light Relocated a Transmission Line with International Implications (Seattle City Light, WA)

https://powerlines.seattle.gov/2022/02/11/move-the-line-how-city-light-relocated-a-transmission-line-with-international-implications/

11.   New Mexico: Study of Public Utility Failing to Gain Traction So Far (Santa Fe New Mexican)

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/study-of-public-utility-failing-to-gain-traction-so-far/article_e6a5377c-88ee-11ec-b4d2-7331c4ba431f.html

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

12.   Guest Essay: WA Governor Inslee’s Natural Gas Bills Will Increase Energy Costs, Eliminate Family-Wage Jobs (Washington State Wire, Olympias, WA)

https://washingtonstatewire.com/op-ed-inslees-natural-gas-bills-will-increase-energy-costs-eliminate-family-wage-jobs/

13.   Guest Essay: Better Internet Access for Tillamook County, OR (Tillamook County Pioneer, OR)

https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/op-ed-better-internet-access/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

14.   9th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts 90-Day Ban at Geothermal Plant in Nevada (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/nevada/articles/2022-02-08/9th-circuit-lifts-90-day-ban-at-geothermal-plant-in-nevada

15.   Kenai Peninsula Landfill Project Would Turn Garbage Gas to Fuel (Alaska Public Radio)

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2022/02/11/kenai-peninsula-landfill-project-would-turn-garbage-gas-to-fuel/

16.   Wind Power Developers Encouraged by Findings on Bald Eagle Population (Power Magazine)

https://www.powermag.com/wind-power-developers-encouraged-by-findings-on-bald-eagle-population/

17.   Uneven Load: How Rural Communities Shoulder the Environmental Burden of Cities (Columbia Insight)

https://columbiainsight.org/how-rural-communities-shoulder-the-environmental-burden-of-cities/

18.   Hydropower Cements Its Place as the World’s Most Popular Renewable Energy (Oil Price)

https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Hydropower-Cements-Its-Place-As-The-Worlds-Most-Popular-Renewable-Energy.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

19.   How Some Energy Efficiency Incentives Slow Climate Action (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-energy-efficiency-natural-gas-1.6346764?cmp=rss

20.   Corvallis Startup Will Open ‘Smart Windows’ Factory in Salem, Using Technology Developed at HP (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2022/02/corvallis-startup-will-open-smart-windows-factory-in-salem-using-technology-developed-at-hp.html

21.   Oregon Department of Transportation Completes Portland LED Streetlight Project (Environmental Leader)

https://www.environmentalleader.com/2022/02/oregon-department-of-transportation-completes-portland-led-streetlight-project/

FISH & WILDLIFE

22.   Columbia River Chinook Forecast Is Best in Three Years (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/chinook-forecast-best-3-years-141900459.html

23.   Oregon Dungeness Crab Season Breaking Records (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/money/oregon-crab-season-breaking-records/283-6e2e8346-9003-4146-8aec-493b69b3d061

24.   Atlantic Salmon Returns Drop in Critical Maine River (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/maine/articles/2022-02-14/atlantic-salmon-returns-drop-in-critical-maine-river

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

25.   Scientists Question WA State Plan That Doubles Sewer Bills at Puget Sound Treatment Plants (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/02/12/puget-sound-treatment-plants-sewers-washington/6593326001/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

26.   West Megadrought Worsens to Driest in at Least 1,200 Years (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-west-megadrought-f02449c2db4f0ebeb1557bb39504c62d

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

27.   Montana Launches Broadband Map as Bidding Begins for Federal Funding (StateScoop)

https://statescoop.com/broadband-map-montana-arpa-funding/

28.   How The State Plans to Invest in Idaho’s Broadband (KBOI-TV< Boise, ID)

https://idahonews.com/news/local/broadband-in-idaho

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

Dozens of SpaceX Satellites Are Falling Out of Orbit After Solar Storm (iHeart Radio)

29.   https://www.iheart.com/content/2022-02-09-dozens-of-spacex-satellites-are-falling-out-of-orbit-after-solar-storm/

30.   Fitch Outlines Public Power Supply Risks Tied to Crypto Currency Mining (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/fitch-outlines-public-power-supply-risks-tied-crypto-currency-mining

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

31.   Oregon: City of Bend Works to Increase Number of People Driving Electric Vehicles (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

https://ktvz.com/videos/2022/02/10/city-of-bend-works-to-increase-number-of-people-driving-electric-vehicles/

32.   Gov. Inslee’s $7,500 Electric Car Rebate Remains Uncertain in WA State Legislature (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/gov-inslees-7500-electric-car-rebate-remains-uncertain-in-wa-legislature/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

33.   Montana: Missoula City Council to Consider Energy Use by Cannabis Companies (The Missoulian, MT)

https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-city-council-to-consider-energy-use-by-cannabis-companies/article_9d98eae9-5cf9-5c8d-961a-03f5a20790d9.html

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

34.   Marketplace Suspends Most NFT Sales, Citing ‘Rampant’ Fakes & Plagiarism (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/nft-marketplace-shuts-citing-rampant-fakes-plagiarism-problem-2022-02-11/

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

35.   Public Records: Phone Was Manually Set to Delete Former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Texts (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/nation-world/national/article258364403.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Stuck in KUOW Purgatory: Seattle Mazda Drivers Can’t Change the Radio Dial

https://www.kuow.org/stories/we-didn-t-mean-to-ruin-your-mazda-s-stereo

Russian Gallery Security Guard Accused of Drawing Eyes on Painting

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60330758

Illegally Dumped Rats Take Over Popular California Park, Officials Say. ‘Disconcerting’

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article258231003.html

A South African Couple Has Turned Elephant Dung into Award-Winning Gin

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gin-elephant-dung-south-africa

SONG OF THE DAY

Jefferson Starship – With Your Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SnmYs9OKqU