Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The Energy News Digest for March 31, 2020


The Hot Shots edition of The Energy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

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

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Oregon’s U.S. Senators Wyden, Merkley Call for Utility-Customer Protections (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Staying at Home More Difficult for Pierce County Residents with Substandard or No Internet (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Pacific Gas & Electric Can’t Be Sued for Fire-Prevention Power Blackouts: Bankruptcy Judge (Courthouse News Service)

Proposed British Columbia Container Terminal Would Threaten Endangered Killer Whales, Review Panel Finds (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Inslee: Thousands Are Calling About Stay-at-Home Violators; Online Complaint Forms to Fight Coronavirus (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Pacific Gas & Electric Can’t Be Sued for Fire-Prevention Power Blackouts: Bankruptcy Judge
2.        Coastal Gas Plant Will Shut Down by 2023 As Fossil Fuels Dry Up in California
3.        Op/Ed: No One Wants to Be Labeled an Un-Woke ‘Salmon Racist’
4.        Op/Ed: NorthWestern Energy’s Plans Flawed, Troubling
5.        Oregon’s U.S. Senators Wyden, Merkley Call for Utility-Customer Protections
6.        Utilities Aim to Keep Specially Trained Employees Healthy & Working
7.        Electricity Demand Decreases Due to Coronavirus Lockdowns
8.        Proposed British Columbia Container Terminal Would Threaten Endangered Killer Whales, Review Panel Finds
9.        Pacific Snake Eel, Rarely Seen in Oregon, Found near Astoria
10.     Trump Administration Scraps Obama Fuel-Efficiency Standard, Opts for Laxer Rule
11.     Will Data Flatten the Power Industry — Or Hand a New Advantage to Its Incumbents?
12.     Staying at Home More Difficult for Pierce County Residents with Substandard or No Internet
13.     School Shutdowns Raise Stakes of Digital Divide for Students
14.     Broadband Is Now Our Lifeline, 20 Million Still Lack Access
15.     Those Without Broadband Struggle in a Stuck-At-Home Nation
16.     Governing by Webcam: Councils, Boards Move Meetings Online
17.     Yes, Electric Cars Are Cleaner, Even When the Power Comes from Coal
18.     The Other First Responders: Local Journalists
19.     Editorial: Don’t Let Local News Become a Victim of Coronavirus
20.     Coronavirus: World Leaders’ Posts Deleted Over Fake News
21.     Inslee: Thousands Are Calling About Stay-at-Home Violators; Online Complaint Forms to Fight Coronavirus
22.     Coronavirus: Washington State’s Small Businesses Could Get Federal Aid. What You Need to Know
23.     Washington State Dept. of Licensing Offices Closing to Public
24.     Washington State Governor’s Office Says ‘Letter of Transit’ Rumors Aren’t True
25.     President Trump Pushes $2 Trillion Infrastructure Package in Next Coronavirus Bill, Saying It Must Be ‘VERY BIG & BOLD’
26.     Mason County COVID-19 Cases Increase to Five
27.     Experts Try to Understand Rural Spike in Positive COVID-19 Tests
28.     Coronavirus Updates: Scammers Targeting Stimulus Payments
29.     No Money for Rent or Mortgage? Here’s What to Do.
30.     Cold Air Blast & a Few Snowflakes in Western Washington State
31.     Swarm of 650 Earthquakes Rattles Utah, Idaho & California, Experts Say
32.     Washington State Launches Expedited Hiring Process for Correctional Officers amid Coronavirus Outbreak
33.     Report: Mass Breakout in Yakima Started as Jail Riot
34.     Marriott Says New Data Breach Affects 5.2 Million Guests

WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Adjective /PLEN-uh-ree/ Adjective – 1: complete in every respect: absolute, unqualified, 2: fully attended or constituted by all entitled to be present.

Cold, empty spaces
No plenary session here
Cancelled by COVID


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Pacific Gas & Electric Can’t Be Sued for Fire-Prevention Power Blackouts: Bankruptcy Judge (Courthouse News Service)

2.      Coastal Gas Plant Will Shut Down by 2023 As Fossil Fuels Dry Up in California (Los Angeles Times, CA)

3.      Op/Ed: No One Wants to Be Labeled an Un-Woke ‘Salmon Racist’ (Idaho State Journal)

4.      Op/Ed: NorthWestern Energy’s Plans Flawed, Troubling (Billings Gazette, MT)

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS – COVID CONUNDRUM

5.      Oregon’s U.S. Senators Wyden, Merkley Call for Utility-Customer Protections (Portland Business Journal, OR)

6.      Utilities Aim to Keep Specially Trained Employees Healthy & Working (National Public Radio)

7.      Electricity Demand Decreases Due to Coronavirus Lockdowns (Power Magazine)

FISH & WILDLIFE

8.      Proposed British Columbia Container Terminal Would Threaten Endangered Killer Whales, Review Panel Finds (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

9.      Pacific Snake Eel, Rarely Seen in Oregon, Found near Astoria (Oregonian, Portland)

“CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE” – WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

10.   Trump Administration Scraps Obama Fuel-Efficiency Standard, Opts for Laxer Rule (USA Today)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

11.   Will Data Flatten the Power Industry — Or Hand a New Advantage to Its Incumbents? (Forbes Magazine)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

12.   Staying at Home More Difficult for Pierce County Residents with Substandard or No Internet (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

13.   School Shutdowns Raise Stakes of Digital Divide for Students (Associated Press)

14.   Broadband Is Now Our Lifeline, 20 Million Still Lack Access (The Hill, Washington, DC)

15.   Those Without Broadband Struggle in a Stuck-At-Home Nation (Associated Press)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

16.   Governing by Webcam: Councils, Boards Move Meetings Online (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

17.   Yes, Electric Cars Are Cleaner, Even When the Power Comes from Coal (Forbes Magazine)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

18.   The Other First Responders: Local Journalists (Christian Science Monitor)

19.   Editorial: Don’t Let Local News Become a Victim of Coronavirus (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

20.   Coronavirus: World Leaders’ Posts Deleted Over Fake News (British Broadcasting Corporation)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

21.   Inslee: Thousands Are Calling About Stay-at-Home Violators; Online Complaint Forms to Fight Coronavirus (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

22.   Coronavirus: Washington State’s Small Businesses Could Get Federal Aid. What You Need to Know (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

23.   Washington State Dept. of Licensing Offices Closing to Public (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

24.   Washington State Governor’s Office Says ‘Letter of Transit’ Rumors Aren’t True (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

25.   President Trump Pushes $2 Trillion Infrastructure Package in Next Coronavirus Bill, Saying It Must Be ‘VERY BIG & BOLD’ (Washington Post)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

26.   Mason County COVID-19 Cases Increase to Five (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

27.   Experts Try to Understand Rural Spike in Positive COVID-19 Tests (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

28.   Coronavirus Updates: Scammers Targeting Stimulus Payments (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

29.   No Money for Rent or Mortgage? Here’s What to Do. (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

30.   Cold Air Blast & a Few Snowflakes in Western Washington State (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

31.   Swarm of 650 Earthquakes Rattles Utah, Idaho & California, Experts Say (Sacramento Bee, CA)

32.   Washington State Launches Expedited Hiring Process for Correctional Officers amid Coronavirus Outbreak (Associated Press)

33.   Report: Mass Breakout in Yakima Started as Jail Riot (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

34.   Marriott Says New Data Breach Affects 5.2 Million Guests (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

GOATS & VAN GOUGH – DIVERSIONS

Dutch Museum Closed by Virus Has Van Gogh Painting Stolen

Fauci Socks, Fauci Doughnuts, Fauci Fan Art: The Coronavirus Expert Attracts a Cult Following

Wild Goats Roam Through an Empty Welsh Town

Town Creates Neighborhood ‘Safari’ for Kids During Pandemic

SONG OF THE DAY

The Carpenters – Solitaire

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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

Monday, March 30, 2020

The Energy News Digest for March 30, 2020


The Hot Shots edition of The Energy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

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

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS





HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Creates Website to Report Businesses Violating Coronavirus Mandates (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Klamath River: Largest U.S. Dam Removal Stirs Debate over Coveted West Water (Associated Press)

Environmental Groups Complain about Snake River Dam Hearings Teleconference Format (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Puget Sound Energy, Major Colstrip Owner to Buy Hydropower from Western Montana Tribes (Helena Independent Republic, MT)

Whales Are Dying, But Numbers Are Unknown. Coronavirus Has Stalled Scientific Fieldwork (Los Angeles Times, CA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Klamath River: Largest U.S. Dam Removal Stirs Debate over Coveted West Water
2.        Environmental Groups Complain about Snake River Dam Hearings Teleconference Format
3.        Puget Sound Energy, Major Colstrip Owner to Buy Hydropower from Western Montana Tribes
4.        Will Your Electricity Bill Go Up If You’re Working from Home?
5.        Grant PUD Closes All Its Recreation Sites, Including Boat Launches & Parks
6.        Snohomish PUD Stops Reading Meters – Will Estimate Bills
7.        Tennessee Valley Authority Extends $1 Billion Of Credit to Local Power Companies to Aid in Paying Bills During COVID-19 Crisis
8.        Whales Are Dying, But Numbers Are Unknown. Coronavirus Has Stalled Scientific Fieldwork
9.        Op/Ed: We Need a Long-Term Solution to Dwindling Salmon Populations
10.     Canada: Pod of Killer Whales Spotted in Indian Arm Near Metro Vancouver’s North Shore
11.     Whales Face More Fatal Ship Collisions as Waters Warm
12.     Comment Period Extended for Environmental Review of Chehalis Basin Flood Reduction Project
13.     Dry Winter Plunges Much of California Into Drought
14.     How a Florida Shopping Center Saved Money & Energy by Upgrading to LED Lighting
15.     FCC Grants Permission to Yakima’s Washington Broadband to Use Higher Frequency During Pandemic
16.     Congress Ignores Rural Broadband
17.     Marijuana Deemed ‘Essential’ In Washington State, Gets Looser Rules Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak
18.     Facebook, Google & Twitter Struggle to Handle November’s Election
19.     Coronavirus Has Opened Corporate Email Floodgates
20.     Columnist: Local Journalism Needs a Coronavirus Stimulus Plan, Too
21.     Netflix Watches as Instagram Unites a Quarantined World
22.     Washington State Creates Website to Report Businesses Violating Coronavirus Mandates
23.     Governor Inslee Eases Restrictions on How Washington State Realtors Can Interact with Clients
24.     Trump Extends Virus Guidelines, Braces U.S. for Big Death Toll
25.     Inside Washington State’s Emergency Operations Center, Where the Fight Against Coronavirus Is Constantly Being Waged
26.     The $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package: What’s in It for Washington State?
27.     Hard-Hit Cruise Lines Don’t Get U.S. Coronavirus Stimulus Money
28.     University of Washington Model Suggests Mid-April Peak for Coronavirus in Washington State with Scores More Deaths
29.     Mt Vernon: A Choir Decided to Go Ahead with Rehearsal. Now Dozens of Members Have COVID-19, Two Are Dead
30.     Stranded Snowbirds: Spread of the Coronavirus Has Left Full-Time RVers & Van Dwellers on the Run
31.     Rich Europeans Flee Virus for Second Homes, Spreading Fear & Fury
32.     Do I Have to Pay Rent in Washington State During the Coronavirus Crisis?
33.     Traffic Alert: Heavy Snow Hits PNW Passes; Vehicle Spinouts Force Temporary Snoqualmie Pass Closure
34.     Construction Community Concerned about Unmanned Job Sites
35.     Aggravated Murder Charges Filed in Trooper’s Death on I-5 Near Chehalis
36.     Oregon State Fire Marshal Says Oregonians Can Now Pump Their Own Gas
37.     Costco to Temporarily Change Store Hours

WORD OF THE DAY

Tautology \tot-TALL-uh-jee\ Noun - 1: Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy 2: An empty or vacuous statement composed of simpler statements in a fashion that makes it logically true whether the simpler statements are factually true or false; for example, the statement Either it will rain tomorrow or it will not rain tomorrow.

“My building is a work of art, and it represents the art of building” drawled the street corner architect in his daily tautological missive…between frequent drags on his “Camel” unfiltered cigarette.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Klamath River: Largest U.S. Dam Removal Stirs Debate over Coveted West Water (Associated Press)

2.      Environmental Groups Complain about Snake River Dam Hearings Teleconference Format (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

3.      Puget Sound Energy, Major Colstrip Owner to Buy Hydropower from Western Montana Tribes (Helena Independent Republic, MT)

4.      Will Your Electricity Bill Go Up If You’re Working from Home? (Quartz)

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS – THE CORONAVIRUS CONUNDRUM

5.      Grant PUD Closes All Its Recreation Sites, Including Boat Launches & Parks (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

6.      Snohomish PUD Stops Reading Meters – Will Estimate Bills (My Everett News, WA)

7.      Tennessee Valley Authority Extends $1 Billion Of Credit to Local Power Companies to Aid in Paying Bills During COVID-19 Crisis (Chattanooga Times-Free Press, TN)

FISH & WILDLIFE


9.      Op/Ed: We Need a Long-Term Solution to Dwindling Salmon Populations (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)

10.   Canada: Pod of Killer Whales Spotted in Indian Arm Near Metro Vancouver’s North Shore (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

11.   Whales Face More Fatal Ship Collisions as Waters Warm (Associated Press)

“CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE” – WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

12.   Comment Period Extended for Environmental Review of Chehalis Basin Flood Reduction Project (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

13.   Dry Winter Plunges Much of California Into Drought (Courthouse News Service)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   How a Florida Shopping Center Saved Money & Energy by Upgrading to LED Lighting (South Florida Business Journal)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

15.   FCC Grants Permission to Yakima’s Washington Broadband to Use Higher Frequency During Pandemic (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

16.   Congress Ignores Rural Broadband (Pots & Pans)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

17.   Marijuana Deemed ‘Essential’ In Washington State, Gets Looser Rules Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

18.   Facebook, Google & Twitter Struggle to Handle November’s Election (NY Times)

19.   Coronavirus Has Opened Corporate Email Floodgates (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)

20.   Columnist: Local Journalism Needs a Coronavirus Stimulus Plan, Too (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

21.   Netflix Watches as Instagram Unites a Quarantined World (Bloomberg News)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

22.   Washington State Creates Website to Report Businesses Violating Coronavirus Mandates (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

23.   Governor Inslee Eases Restrictions on How Washington State Realtors Can Interact with Clients (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

24.   Trump Extends Virus Guidelines, Braces U.S. for Big Death Toll (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

25.   Inside Washington State’s Emergency Operations Center, Where the Fight Against Coronavirus Is Constantly Being Waged (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

26.   The $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package: What’s in It for Washington State? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

27.   Hard-Hit Cruise Lines Don’t Get U.S. Coronavirus Stimulus Money (Los Angeles Times, CA)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

28.   University of Washington Model Suggests Mid-April Peak for Coronavirus in Washington State with Scores More Deaths (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

29.   Mt Vernon: A Choir Decided to Go Ahead with Rehearsal. Now Dozens of Members Have COVID-19, Two Are Dead (Los Angeles Times, CA)

30.   Stranded Snowbirds: Spread of the Coronavirus Has Left Full-Time RVers & Van Dwellers on the Run (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)


32.   Do I Have to Pay Rent in Washington State During the Coronavirus Crisis? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
a
GENERAL NEWS

33.   Traffic Alert: Heavy Snow Hits PNW Passes; Vehicle Spinouts Force Temporary Snoqualmie Pass Closure (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

34.   Construction Community Concerned about Unmanned Job Sites (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

35.   Aggravated Murder Charges Filed in Trooper’s Death on I-5 Near Chehalis (Associated Press)

36.   Oregon State Fire Marshal Says Oregonians Can Now Pump Their Own Gas (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

37.   Costco to Temporarily Change Store Hours (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

TROLLS IN THE GROCERY STORE – DIVERSIONS

Pennsylvania Coughing ‘Prank’ Suspect Arrested, Charged after $35,000 in Groceries Tossed

Striking Photos Show Empty Landmarks Around the World

Armed Vigilantes Blocked a Neighbor’s Driveway with a Tree to Force Him into Quarantine

Man Accused in 100 Mph Chase: He Was Teaching a Dog to Drive

SONG OF THE DAY

Neil Diamond – Solitary Man

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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