Friday, December 21, 2018

Energy News Digest for December 21, 2018


The Hot Shots edition of the news digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

To subscribe to the Energy News Digest, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

PROGRAMMING NOTE

The Energy News Digest will be celebrating Christmas and its shoulders next week. After a December 24 – 26 hiatus, it will return, somewhat bloated on eggnog and other seasonal delicacies. Merry Christmas, happy holidays. May your Festivus “airing of the grievances” be brief.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS






HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Weather Will Be OK, But Thousands Will Be Without Power Through the Weekend (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Jefferson County Public Utility District Commissioners Remove General Manager (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Thirsty Data Centers: Apple Pledges $9 Million for Prineville, Oregon Water Storage (Associated Press)

Hells Canyon Agreement: No Salmonid Reintroduction Above Dams for Now, Stresses Habitat, Research (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Library Levy: Boosted Facebook Post Results in PDC Fine for Pierce County Library System *News

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Weather Will Be OK, But Thousands Will Be Without Power Through the Weekend
2.      6:30 AM Update: Mason PUD 3 Restoration Efforts Complete, Last day of Fall Features Damaging Windstorm
3.      Shout Out to Coastal Utilities: Wild Sights from Thursday’s High Winds & Flooding
4.      Jefferson County Public Utility District Commissioners Remove General Manager
5.      Repaired Rod at Rocky Reach Dam Holding Up Well
6.      EIA Report Finds Nearly All Power Plants Retired Since 2008 Were Powered by Fossil Fuels
7.      NERC Stress Test Finds Grid Can Withstand Transformation, New & Varied Energy Sources
8.      Hells Canyon Agreement: No Salmonid Reintroduction Above Dams for Now, Stresses Habitat, Research
9.      Mid-Columbia: No Direct Impact Here from Bonneville Power Administration Spill Agreement
10.   Washington State Investigating Catastrophic Salmon Deaths at Pierce County Hatchery
11.   More Than 180,000 Salmon-Eating Fish Removed from Columbia & Snake Rivers
12.   Groups Sue Trump Administration for ‘Harassing’ Whales with Seismic Blasting
13.   Third Lawsuit Over Killing Barred Owls Dismissed
14.   Rooftop Solar Remains Marginal in America
15.   New Jersey Regulators Hand Third Rejection to Atlantic City Offshore Wind Pilot
16.   Study: Schafer Island Beach Best Spot to Land Transoceanic Fiber Optic Cable
17.   2018 Was the Year of 5G Hype – The 5G Reality Is Yet to Come
18.   Thirsty Data Centers: Apple Pledges $9 Million for Prineville, Oregon Water Storage
19.   U-S Sens. Jeff Flake & Chris Coons Introduce Bipartisan Carbon Tax Bill
20.   Library Levy: Boosted Facebook Post Results in PDC Fine for Pierce County Library System
21.   Facebook Just Can’t Seem to Learn from Its Mistakes
22.   Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World
23.   The World’s Biggest Beer Company Is Looking at Making Cannabis Drinks
24.   Bring-Your-Own-Mug Campaign Changes Some Coffee-Drinking Habits in Tacoma
25.   Washington State Rep. Manweller Submits Resignation
26.   Officials in Washington State Legislature Launch Workplace Review of Rep. Jeff Morris
27.   Shutdown Looming: President Trump, Republican Senators Meet to Thrash Out Wall-Funding Dilemma
28.   Holiday Travel Numbers Expected to Hit a Record High; Snow Possible in Low-Lying Areas of Eastern Washington
29.   Marking the Winter Solstice, from Neolithic Times to Today
30.   City of Shelton Names New Municipal Court Judge
31.   Volunteers Come Together to Clean Up Area Behind Westside Lanes in West Olympia
32.   Washington Minimum Wage Increases to $12 an Hour in January
33.   Seattle Soda-Tax Collections Top $16 Million in Nine Months

WORD OF THE DAY

Frenetic /fruh-NET-ick/ Adjective – Marked by excitement, disorder, or anxiety-driven activity: frenzied, frantic.

Frenetic. See Costco, 5 PM, Sunday, December 23, 2018.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Weather Will Be OK, But Thousands Will Be Without Power Through the Weekend (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

6:30 AM Update: Mason PUD 3 Restoration Efforts Complete, Last day of Fall Features Damaging Windstorm (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Shout Out to Coastal Utilities: Wild Sights from Thursday’s High Winds & Flooding (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Jefferson County Public Utility District Commissioners Remove General Manager (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Repaired Rod at Rocky Reach Dam Holding Up Well (NCW Life Channel, East Wenatchee, WA)

EIA Report Finds Nearly All Power Plants Retired Since 2008 Were Powered by Fossil Fuels (Daily Energy Insider)

NERC Stress Test Finds Grid Can Withstand Transformation, New & Varied Energy Sources (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Hells Canyon Agreement: No Salmonid Reintroduction Above Dams for Now, Stresses Habitat, Research (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Mid-Columbia: No Direct Impact Here from Bonneville Power Administration Spill Agreement (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Washington State Investigating Catastrophic Salmon Deaths at Pierce County Hatchery (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

More Than 180,000 Salmon-Eating Fish Removed from Columbia & Snake Rivers (KNDO/KNDU,-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Groups Sue Trump Administration for ‘Harassing’ Whales with Seismic Blasting (Grist Online)

Third Lawsuit Over Killing Barred Owls Dismissed (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Rooftop Solar Remains Marginal in America (The Economist)

New Jersey Regulators Hand Third Rejection to Atlantic City Offshore Wind Pilot (Utility Dive)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Study: Schafer Island Beach Best Spot to Land Transoceanic Fiber Optic Cable (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

2018 Was the Year of 5G Hype – The 5G Reality Is Yet to Come (Washington Post)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

Thirsty Data Centers: Apple Pledges $9 Million for Prineville, Oregon Water Storage (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Sens. Jeff Flake & Chris Coons Introduce Bipartisan Carbon Tax Bill (Washington Examiner)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Library Levy: Boosted Facebook Post Results in PDC Fine for Pierce County Library System (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Facebook Just Can’t Seem to Learn from Its Mistakes (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Apollo 8’s Earthrise: The Shot Seen Round the World (NY Times)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

The World’s Biggest Beer Company Is Looking at Making Cannabis Drinks (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

Bring-Your-Own-Mug Campaign Changes Some Coffee-Drinking Habits in Tacoma (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Washington State Rep. Manweller Submits Resignation (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)


Shutdown Looming: President Trump, Republican Senators Meet to Thrash Out Wall-Funding Dilemma (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Holiday Travel Numbers Expected to Hit a Record High; Snow Possible in Low-Lying Areas of Eastern Washington (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Marking the Winter Solstice, from Neolithic Times to Today (Penn Today)

City of Shelton Names New Municipal Court Judge (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Volunteers Come Together to Clean Up Area Behind Westside Lanes in West Olympia (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Washington Minimum Wage Increases to $12 an Hour in January (Associated Press)

Seattle Soda-Tax Collections Top $16 Million in Nine Months (Associated Press)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Emotional Support Chicken Allowed on Flights — While Supplies Last

Maybe Don’t Eat Glitter, FDA Says

WATCH: Parents Surprise Daughter with Dog She Loved from Shelter

Oregon Dad Uses Personal Ad to Find Dates for Three Sons During New Zealand Vacation

SONG OF THE DAY

Kelly Clarkson – Please Come Home for Christmas

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.