Friday, April 17, 2020

The Energy News Digest for April 17, 2020


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

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Utility Industry Groups Push for First Responder Status for Workers Amid COVID-19 Crisis
2.      Power Shutoff Bans Amid Pandemic May Require Cost Recovery for Utilities
3.      Op/Ed: Electric Utilities, Conservation Groups Unite to Seek Solutions for Columbia River Basin Dams
4.      Op/Ed: A Reliable Grid Is Needed Now More Than Ever
5.      Oregon: Columbia River PUD on the Hunt for a New Manager
6.      Mason PUD 1 Honored with National Award for Safety
7.      Get Ready for More, Longer Blackouts
8.      Bankruptcy Judge Pushes Back on PG&E's Plan to Route $4M Fine Through Fire Victim Trust
9.      Federal Government Will Re-Evaluate Northern Spotted Owl Habitat
10.   Fish Are Biting, Customers Aren’t. Idaho Hunting, Fishing Guides See Huge Drop in Trips
11.   Study: Warming Makes U.S. West Megadrought Worst in Modern Age
12.   Skagit PUD Installs Third Self-Serve Water Station
13.   More Than 100,000 Clean-Energy Workers Lost Their Jobs in March
14.   Trump’s Energy Efficiency Rule Draws Lawsuit from California
15.   Reduce Your Energy Consumption While Staying at Home
16.   Groups Sue Feds Over 'Arbitrary' Threshold They Say Will Avoid Tougher Efficiency Standards for Appliances
17.   Americans Are Losing Service Despite FCC Pledge Not to Disconnect
18.   Charter Still Hates Broadband Competition, Asks FCC to Help Prevent It
19.   Microsoft Takes A Not-So-Subtle Shot at Zoom’s Security Woes with New Teams Ad
20.   Google to Start Reducing Nest Camera Quality to Help Ease the Strain on Broadband Networks
21.   Jefferson County Carbon Study Shows Emissions Decline 40%
22.   Former Jay Inslee 2020 Staffers Form New Group to Promote Climate Plan to Democrats
23.   Facebook to Warn Users Who ‘Liked’ Coronavirus Hoaxes
24.   Meet the Anthony Fauci of 1918 Washington State
25.   Far-Right Politicians Denounce Government’s COVID-19 Response in Washington, Idaho
26.   Colton Myers Announces Campaign as Democrat for 35th District State Rep.
27.   The $1,200 Coronavirus Stimulus Checks Are Arriving – People Are Mostly Spending Them on Food
28.   San Juan Islands Officials Ask Visitors to Stay Away to Slow Spread of COVID-19
29.   Construction Workers Sidelined By COVID-19 Lobby for Restart of Their Industry
30.   City of Shelton Welcomes New Public Works Director
31.   Hired by Shelton – City of Newberg Public Works Director Leaves Behind Legacy of Innovation
32.   Troy Jasmin Talks Online Scams on the Rise
33.   A Dry Storm is Hitting the Pacific Northwest
34.   Olympic National Park Looks for Mountaineers, Hunters to Target Nonnative Goats

POEM OF THE DAY – IT’S NATIONAL HAIKU DAY

The humble haiku
Evocative, compact prose
Let’s sing its praises


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Utility Industry Groups Push for First Responder Status for Workers Amid COVID-19 Crisis (Utility Dive)

2.      Power Shutoff Bans Amid Pandemic May Require Cost Recovery for Utilities (Utility Dive)

3.      Op/Ed: Electric Utilities, Conservation Groups Unite to Seek Solutions for Columbia River Basin Dams (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

4.      Op/Ed: A Reliable Grid Is Needed Now More Than Ever – “If communities in Oregon were to face a major electricity blackout ... the state would be paralyzed.” (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

5.      Oregon: Columbia River PUD on the Hunt for a New Manager (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

6.      Mason PUD 1 Honored with National Award for Safety (Mason PUD 1, Potlatch, WA)

7.      Get Ready for More, Longer Blackouts (Bloomberg News)

8.      Bankruptcy Judge Pushes Back on PG&E's Plan to Route $4M Fine Through Fire Victim Trust (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

9.      Federal Government Will Re-Evaluate Northern Spotted Owl Habitat (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

10.   Fish Are Biting, Customers Aren’t. Idaho Hunting, Fishing Guides See Huge Drop in Trips (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

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

11.   Study: Warming Makes U.S. West Megadrought Worst in Modern Age (Associated Press)

12.   Skagit PUD Installs Third Self-Serve Water Station (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

13.   More Than 100,000 Clean-Energy Workers Lost Their Jobs in March (Los Angeles Times, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   Trump’s Energy Efficiency Rule Draws Lawsuit from California (Bloomberg News)

15.   Reduce Your Energy Consumption While Staying at Home (Bonneville Power Administration)

16.   Groups Sue Feds Over 'Arbitrary' Threshold They Say Will Avoid Tougher Efficiency Standards for Appliances (Utility Dive)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

17.   Americans Are Losing Service Despite FCC Pledge Not to Disconnect (NBC News)

18.   Charter Still Hates Broadband Competition, Asks FCC to Help Prevent It (Ars Technica)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

19.   Microsoft Takes A Not-So-Subtle Shot at Zoom’s Security Woes with New Teams Ad (Fast Company)

20.   Google to Start Reducing Nest Camera Quality to Help Ease the Strain on Broadband Networks (The Verge)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT


22.   Former Jay Inslee 2020 Staffers Form New Group to Promote Climate Plan to Democrats (Huffington Post)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

23.   Facebook to Warn Users Who ‘Liked’ Coronavirus Hoaxes (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

24.   Meet the Anthony Fauci of 1918 Washington State (Crosscut Seattle)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

25.   Far-Right Politicians Denounce Government’s COVID-19 Response in Washington, Idaho (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

26.   Colton Myers Announces Campaign as Democrat for 35th District State Rep. (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

27.   The $1,200 Coronavirus Stimulus Checks Are Arriving – People Are Mostly Spending Them on Food (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

28.   San Juan Islands Officials Ask Visitors to Stay Away to Slow Spread of COVID-19 (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

29.   Construction Workers Sidelined By COVID-19 Lobby for Restart of Their Industry (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

GENERAL NEWS


31.   Hired by Shelton – City of Newberg Public Works Director Leaves Behind Legacy of Innovation (City of Newberg, OR)

32.   Troy Jasmin talks online scams on the rise (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

33.   A Dry Storm is Hitting the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

34.   Olympic National Park Looks for Mountaineers, Hunters to Target Nonnative Goats (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Police Department Reminds Residents to Wear Pants While Checking Mailbox

Invite a Llama or Goat to Your Next Corporate Zoom Meeting or Video Call for Under $100

Ten Pioneer-Era Apple Types Thought Extinct Found in U.S. West

Coronavirus: Ricky Gervais Tells Celebs to Stop 'Complaining About Being in a Mansion with a Swimming Pool'

SONG OF THE DAY

Jackson Browne – Doctor My Eyes

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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