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Items of Note from the Northwest Public Power Association
NWPPA Presents: Wildfires – What Utilities Need to Know – January 28, 202, Portland, OR.
Join wildfire experts, policymakers, utility leaders, and emergency responders to gain insights and strategies for addressing the multifaceted challenges wildfires pose to utilities in the West.
Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories
California Wildfire Fueled by High Winds Forces Malibu
Evacuations (Reuters)
Increased Investments in Infrastructure Leads Bonneville
Power Administration to Proposed Rate Increases (KOZE-Radio, Lewiston, ID)
U.S. & Canada Update Columbia River Treaty for Improved
Flood Risk Management (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2024/12/09/us-canada-columbia-river-treaty/
Shrinking Size of Chinook in Alaska's Two Biggest River
Systems Jeopardizes Runs (Wrangel Sentinel, AK)
Voters Upheld Washington's Major Climate Law. Advocates Hope
It'll Be a Blueprint for Other States (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Increased Investments in Infrastructure Leads
Bonneville Power Administration to Proposed Rate Increases
2.
U.S. & Canada Update Columbia River Treaty
for Improved Flood Risk Management
3.
Oregon U.S. Sen. Wyden Says Portland General
Electric Will ‘Do Everything Possible’ to Keep Rates Below Inflation After 2025
4.
Pacific Gas & Electric Bills Are Rising Far
Faster Than Other Utility Titans: Official Report
5.
California: East County Residents Could Be
Without Power Until at Least Friday
6.
Puget Sound Energy Nabs Largest Share of
420-Mile North Plains Connector Transmission Project
7.
Video: Who Stands to Gain from British
Columbia’s Massive Peace River (Site-C) Dam?
8.
Northwest Power & Conservation Council
Reports Progress
9.
WA State: Power Poles – And More – Knocked Down
Near Lewis County Town When Driver Turns RV Around, Troopers Say
10.
EIA Expects Higher Natural Gas Prices, Even with
Robust Inventories Through Winter
11.
Gassier But Cleaner U.S. Power System Hits New
Output Record in 2024
12.
French Power Supply Disrupted by Striking
Workers
13.
British Columbia: BC Hydro Approves Nine
Wind-Power Projects, but Pressure to Build Capacity Remains
14.
Shrinking Size of Chinook in Alaska's Two
Biggest River Systems Jeopardizes Runs
15.
Monarch Butterflies to Be Listed as a Threatened
Species in the U.S.
16.
Mining Company Charged Ten Years After Spilling
Toxic Waste into British Columbia Waters
17.
Will Trump Pay to Save the Colorado River?
Locals Are Worried
18.
Comcast Shares Tumble as Executive Calls
Broadband ‘Intensely Competitive’
19.
Broadband Stats: Demand for Wi-Fi Skyrockets
20.
Google Plans to Build Gigawatts of Clean Power
& Data Centers Together
21.
Artificial Intelligence Wants to Go Nuclear.
Will It Work?
22.
California: Why Gov. Newsom's Electric Vehicle
Mandate Is in Trouble
23.
New California Program Will Offer $2,000 Toward
the Purchase of an E-Bike
24.
Electric Transportation Partnership Launches in
Idaho, States Across the West
25.
What Did You Google in 2024? From the Elections
to Copa América, Here's What Search Trends Show
26.
How to Catch the Geminids, One of the Strongest
Meteor Showers of the Year
27.
Voters Upheld Washington's Major Climate Law.
Advocates Hope It'll Be a Blueprint for Other States
28.
Natural Gas Group Touts Washington’s I-2066 as
Evidence Americans Love Natural Gas
29.
U.S. House Passes Disaster Recovery Bills
Supported by APPA
30.
California Wildfire Fueled by High Winds Forces
Malibu Evacuations
31.
A Major Cyclone Will Approach Our Coast, but Not
a Repeat of November 19
32.
Here Are the States with the Longest &
Shortest Life Expectancies, according to the CDC
33.
Commentary: Nine Days Without Wind Power Is a
Reminder of the Need for Reliable Energy
34.
Guest Essay: Data Centers Hum Along in Nevada
without Much Discussion: That Should Change
35.
Guest Essay: Can Regulators Protect Small
Customers from Rising Transmission Costs for Big Data Centers?
Word of the Day
Phalanx \FAY-lanks\ Noun – 1: a body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files; broadly: a body of troops in close array 2 plural phalanges: one of the digital bones of the hand or foot of a vertebrate 3:a massed arrangement of persons, animals, or things: an organized body of persons
The Mysterious Magic space heater salesman strode into the room, head held high, surrounded by his phalanx of high-priced Philadelphia lawyers. One could not imagine a more impressive sight, until a small child squeaked, “Mamma look, that man has no clothes!”
Energy
& Utility Issues
1.
Increased Investments in Infrastructure Leads Bonneville
Power Administration to Proposed Rate Increases (KOZE-Radio, Lewiston, ID)
2.
U.S. & Canada Update Columbia River Treaty for
Improved Flood Risk Management (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2024/12/09/us-canada-columbia-river-treaty/
3.
Oregon U.S. Sen. Wyden Says Portland General
Electric Will ‘Do Everything Possible’ to Keep Rates Below Inflation After 2025
(Oregon Capital Chronicle)
4.
Pacific Gas & Electric Bills Are Rising Far
Faster Than Other Utility Titans: Official Report (MSN News)
5.
California: East County Residents Could Be
Without Power Until at Least Friday (KPBS Broadcasting, San Diego, CA)
6.
Puget Sound Energy Nabs Largest Share of 420-Mile
North Plains Connector Transmission Project (PowerGrid International)
7.
Video: Who Stands to Gain from British Columbia’s
Massive Peace River (Site-C) Dam? (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6587882
8.
Northwest Power & Conservation Council Reports
Progress (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/power-conservation-council-reports-progress-082600041.html
9.
WA State: Power Poles – And More – Knocked Down
Near Lewis County Town When Driver Turns RV Around, Troopers Say (The Olympian,
WA – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/power-poles-knocked-down-near-174438140.html
10.
EIA Expects Higher Natural Gas Prices, Even with
Robust Inventories Through Winter (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press563.php
11.
Gassier But Cleaner U.S. Power System Hits New
Output Record in 2024 (Reuters)
12.
French Power Supply Disrupted by Striking
Workers (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-power-supply-disrupted-by-striking-workers-2024-12-10/
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
13.
British Columbia: BC Hydro Approves Nine
Wind-Power Projects, but Pressure to Build Capacity Remains (Vancouver Sun, BC)
https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-hydro-approves-wind-power-projects-boost-capacity
Fish
& Wildlife
14.
Shrinking Size of Chinook in Alaska's Two
Biggest River Systems Jeopardizes Runs (Wrangel Sentinel, AK)
15.
Monarch Butterflies to Be Listed as a Threatened
Species in the U.S. (Associated Press)
Environmental
Afflatus – Clean Up on Aisle Three
16.
Mining Company Charged Ten Years After Spilling
Toxic Waste into British Columbia Waters (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/charges-approved-mount-polley-1.7406534
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
17.
Will Trump Pay to Save the Colorado River? Locals
Are Worried (National Public Radio)
London
Calling –Telecommunications
18.
Comcast Shares Tumble as Executive Calls
Broadband ‘Intensely Competitive’ (CNBC News)
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/09/comcast-cmcsa-stock-falls-broadband.html
19.
Broadband Stats: Demand for Wi-Fi Skyrockets
(The Internet & Television Association)
https://www.ncta.com/whats-new/broadband-stats-demand-for-wi-fi-skyrockets
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
20.
Google Plans to Build Gigawatts of Clean Power &
Data Centers Together (Canary Media)
21.
Artificial Intelligence Wants to Go Nuclear. Will
It Work? (National Public Radio)
I
Sing the Car Electric
22.
California: Why Gov. Newsom's Electric Vehicle Mandate
Is in Trouble (Los Angeles Times, CA – Via Yahoo!)
https://www.aol.com/news/why-newsoms-electric-vehicle-mandate-110044568.html
23.
New California Program Will Offer $2,000 Toward the
Purchase of an E-Bike (KTVU-TV, Oakland, CA)
https://www.ktvu.com/news/new-california-program-will-offer-2000-toward-purchase-e-bike
24.
Electric Transportation Partnership Launches in Idaho,
States Across the West (Idaho Capital Sun)
Public
Relations, Marketing & Media
25.
What Did You Google in 2024? From the Elections to
Copa América, Here's What Search Trends Show (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/what-did-you-google-in-2024-from-the-elections-19972113.php
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
26.
How to Catch the Geminids, One of the Strongest
Meteor Showers of the Year (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/how-to-catch-the-geminids-one-of-the-strongest-19973169.php
Politics,
Governance, and Management
27.
Voters Upheld Washington's Major Climate Law. Advocates
Hope It'll Be a Blueprint for Other States (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
28.
Natural Gas Group Touts Washington’s I-2066 as Evidence
Americans Love Natural Gas (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_44c0fcb4-b782-11ef-b121-bf48facfc70c.html
29.
U.S. House Passes Disaster Recovery Bills
Supported by APPA (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/house-passes-disaster-recovery-bills-supported-appa
Other
Things to Know About Today
30.
California Wildfire Fueled by High Winds Forces Malibu
Evacuations (Reuters)
31.
A Major Cyclone Will Approach Our Coast, but Not
a Repeat of November 19 (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-major-cyclone-will-approach-our-coast.html
32.
Here Are the States with the Longest &
Shortest Life Expectancies, according to the CDC (CNBC News)
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
33.
Commentary: Nine Days Without Wind Power Is a Reminder
of the Need for Reliable Energy (Washington Policy Institute)
34.
Guest Essay: Data Centers Hum Along in Nevada
without Much Discussion: That Should Change (Nevada Independent)
35.
Guest Essay: Can Regulators Protect Small
Customers from Rising Transmission Costs for Big Data Centers? (Utility Dive)
Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions
Googly Eyes on Bend Sculptures Draw City’s Rebuke, But
Locals Love Them
Washington State University Unveils Newest Apple Variety Name
National Geographic Announces Its “Pictures of the Year”
https://mymodernmet.com/nat-geo-pictures-year-2024/
A New Zealander Studied for a Year to Win the Spanish World Scrabble
Title. He Doesn’t Speak Spanish
Song of the Day
Postmodern Jukebox – The Chain (Fleetwood Mac Cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Jyt75NcbI
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