Tuesday, April 7, 2020

The Energy News Digest for April 7, 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

Internet Should Be an ‘Essential Utility,’ WA Schools Chief Says as State Pulls Plug on Rest of Term (GeekWire)

Mason County Has 16 Positive COVID-19 Cases (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Coronavirus School Closures to Continue in Washington State Through the End of the School Year (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

DOE Conducts First Public Hearing for Proposed Chehalis River Dam Via Webinar Due to COVID-19 (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Electric Co-Ops Look to Next Relief Package (Politico)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Work Starts in Montana on Disputed Canada-US Oil Pipeline
2.        Wildfire Preparations, Grid Maintenance Considered Essential Work for Pacific Gas & Electric Amidst COVID-19
3.        Op/Ed: River Treaty Still Crucial to Columbia’s Health
4.        Electric Co-Ops Look to Next Relief Package
5.        A Local Electric Company Offers Advice on How to Reduce Your Financial Burden Down the Road
6.        Power Industry Pleads for Priority COVID-19 Testing, PPE for Mission-Essential Workers
7.        Northern Wasco PUD Keeping Lights On – Changes Made to Lessen Nonpriority Callbacks
8.        Op/Ed: Orcas Power & Light - Power Bill Assistance
9.        Storm Hair, Don’t Care
10.     Washington Fishing Closure Extended; Spring Turkey Season on Hold
11.     Court: EPA Must Address Snake, Columbia Water Temperatures
12.     Canada: ‘A Remarkable Thing’ – Salmon Fry Born from Sperm Frozen 20 Years Ago Set to Be Released
13.     DOE Conducts First Public Hearing for Proposed Chehalis River Dam Via Webinar Due to COVID-19
14.     Water Supply Deemed Favorable for Now in Yakima Basin
15.     ‘Flushable’ & Disinfecting Wipes Are Clogging Tri-Cities Sewers &s Toilets
16.     Keep Electric Bills from Spiking While Working at Home with These Low-Cost, Energy-Saving Tips
17.     Using Electricity as a Teaching Aide – Tools on Clark Public Utilities PUD Website Can Save Money & Teach
18.     Internet Should Be an ‘Essential Utility,’ WA Schools Chief Says as State Pulls Plug on Rest of Term
19.     California Legislator Introduces Fiber Broadband for All Bill
20.     Legislators Push for $2 Billion in FCC Broadband Bucks
21.     How Tech’s Lobbyists Are Using the Coronavirus Pandemic to Make Gains
22.     Washington State Nonprofit Files Lawsuit Saying Fox News Misled Viewers About Coronavirus
23.     Remote Possibilities – Coronavirus Has Shocked Businesses into Low-Carbon Practices. Will They Stick?
24.     Coronavirus School Closures to Continue in Washington State Through the End of the School Year
25.     ‘See It, Snap It, Send It’: Washington AG Ferguson Asks Washingtonians to Report Price Gouging
26.     Mason County Has 16 Positive COVID-19 Cases
27.     Latest UW Model Shows Progress in Coronavirus Curve; State Cases at 8,384, Death Toll at 372
28.     QFC, Fred Meyer limiting number of customers in stores
29.     A ‘Liberty’ Rebellion in Idaho Threatens to Undermine Coronavirus Orders
30.     China Connections Key in Fast Delivery of Protective Gear to Seattle Indian Health Board
31.     Police Search for Teen Who Claims She Will Spread Coronavirus
32.     Bremerton Cuts Stormwater Hook-Up Charge by Half as Amazon Development Looms
33.     Man Who Broke Into Cars at Mount Rainier, Olympic National Parks Gets Prison
34.     Northwest Businesses Fight Confusion & the Clock to Get Emergency Loans
35.     Stumbling Toward Spring: Northwest Growers Scramble to Start During Coronavirus Crisis

WORD OF THE DAY

Dogsbody \DOGS-body\ Noun - Drudge, gopher

“Poker playing dogs notwithstanding, get me a beer,” barked the bulldog to his dogsbody.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Work Starts in Montana on Disputed Canada-US Oil Pipeline (Associated Press)

2.      Wildfire Preparations, Grid Maintenance Considered Essential Work for Pacific Gas & Electric Amidst COVID-19 (Daily Energy Insider)

3.      Op/Ed: River Treaty Still Crucial to Columbia’s Health (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS – THE CORONAVIRUS CONUNDRUM

4.      Electric Co-Ops Look to Next Relief Package (Politico)

5.      A Local Electric Company Offers Advice on How to Reduce Your Financial Burden Down the Road (WGEM-TV, Quincy IL)

6.      Power Industry Pleads for Priority COVID-19 Testing, PPE for Mission-Essential Workers (Power Magazine)

7.      Northern Wasco PUD Keeping Lights On – Changes Made to Lessen Nonpriority Callbacks (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

8.      Op/Ed: Orcas Power & Light - Power Bill Assistance (Islands Weekly, Eastsound, WA)

9.      Storm Hair, Don’t Care (Pioneer Utility Resources)

FISH & WILDLIFE

10.   Washington Fishing Closure Extended; Spring Turkey Season on Hold (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

11.   Court: EPA Must Address Snake, Columbia Water Temperatures (Lewiston Tribune, ID)


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

13.   DOE Conducts First Public Hearing for Proposed Chehalis River Dam Via Webinar Due to COVID-19 (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

14.   Water Supply Deemed Favorable for Now in Yakima Basin (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities/Yakima, WA)

15.   ‘Flushable’ & Disinfecting Wipes Are Clogging Tri-Cities Sewers &s Toilets (Tri-City Herald, WA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

16.   Keep Electric Bills from Spiking While Working at Home with These Low-Cost, Energy-Saving Tips (Oregonian, Portland)

17.   Using Electricity as a Teaching Aide – Tools on Clark Public Utilities PUD Website Can Save Money & Teach (Battle Ground Reflector, WA)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

18.   Internet Should Be an ‘Essential Utility,’ WA Schools Chief Says as State Pulls Plug on Rest of Term (GeekWire)

19.   California Legislator Introduces Fiber Broadband for All Bill (Electronic Frontier Foundation)

20.   Legislators Push for $2 Billion in FCC Broadband Bucks (Multichannel News)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

21.   How Tech’s Lobbyists Are Using the Coronavirus Pandemic to Make Gains (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

22.   Washington State Nonprofit Files Lawsuit Saying Fox News Misled Viewers About Coronavirus (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

23.   Remote Possibilities – Coronavirus Has Shocked Businesses into Low-Carbon Practices. Will They Stick? (Grist Online)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

24.   Coronavirus School Closures to Continue in Washington State Through the End of the School Year (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

25.   ‘See It, Snap It, Send It’: Washington AG Ferguson Asks Washingtonians to Report Price Gouging (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities/Yakima, WA)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

26.   Mason County Has 16 Positive COVID-19 Cases (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

27.   Latest UW Model Shows Progress in Coronavirus Curve; State Cases at 8,384, Death Toll at 372 (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

28.   QFC, Fred Meyer limiting number of customers in stores (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

29.   A ‘Liberty’ Rebellion in Idaho Threatens to Undermine Coronavirus Orders (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

30.   China Connections Key in Fast Delivery of Protective Gear to Seattle Indian Health Board (Northwest News Network)

31.   Police Search for Teen Who Claims She Will Spread Coronavirus (Nexstar Media Wire)

GENERAL NEWS

32.   Bremerton Cuts Stormwater Hook-Up Charge by Half as Amazon Development Looms (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

33.   Man Who Broke Into Cars at Mount Rainier, Olympic National Parks Gets Prison (Associated Press)

34.   Northwest Businesses Fight Confusion & the Clock to Get Emergency Loans (Oregon Public Braodcasting)

35.   Stumbling Toward Spring: Northwest Growers Scramble to Start During Coronavirus Crisis (Northwest News Network)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Honor Blackman, Star of ‘The Avengers’ & ‘Goldfinger,’ Dies at 94

Shoppers Make Run on Chicks, Deplete Spokane Farm Supply Stores

Animated LED Face Mask Reminds Others to Stay Six Feet Away

A Very Good Dog Named Soda Pup Is Delivering Wine During the Coronavirus Crisis

SONG OF THE DAY

Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger (Soundtrack)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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