Thursday, April 30, 2020

The Energy News Digest for April 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

‘We Will Have Major Social Distancing After May 4th.’ WA Governor Offers Reality Check in Interview. (Northwest News Network)

Pacific Gas & Electric’s Settlement with Wildfire Victims Faces Crucial Vote (NY Times)

Ecotrust to Pay $4.4M To Oregon to Settle Tax Credit Case (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Study: Seals Nab 16 Percent of Steelhead in Nisqually Estuary (Nisqually Valley News, Yelm, WA)

Okanogan PUD Will Deploy 15 Free Hotspots (Okanogan PUD, Okanogan, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Pacific Gas & Electric’s Settlement with Wildfire Victims Faces Crucial Vote
2.        Ecotrust to Pay $4.4M To Oregon to Settle Tax Credit Case
3.        Chelan PUD Watching Closely to See If Its Customers Are Having Financial Troubles
4.        Clallam County Agencies Talk Coronavirus Impact on Utilities, Customers
5.        Study: Gas-Powered Appliances May Be Hazardous for Your Health
6.        Former Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman Blasts TVA for Ad Promotions during COVID-19 Pandemic
7.        Op/Ed: Nuclear Energy Remains Essential to Electricity Generation Amid COVID-19
8.        Study: Seals Nab 16 Percent of Steelhead in Nisqually Estuary
9.        2020 Pikeminnow Season Opening Delayed – States’ Responses to Covid-19 Outbreak Impacts Fishing Season, Boat Ramps
10.     Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp Say COVID-19 Won’t Jeopardize Wind Power Tax Breaks
11.     Fires Are Coming - Pacific Gas & Electric & Some Cities Are Holding Up Battery Backups
12.     Okanogan PUD Will Deploy 15 Free Hotspots
13.     Telemedicine Provides Health Care Option
14.     Microsoft’s Cloud Business Helps Offset Pandemic Woes
15.     Managers Turn to Surveillance Software, Always-On Webcams to Ensure Employees Are (Really) Working from Home
16.     Forty Electric School Buses Coming to School Districts, Including Two in Grays Harbor, one at Mary M. Knight School in Mason
17.     Coronavirus Is Driving Down Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Levels Last Seen 10 Years Ago, Agency Says
18.     How to Harness Online Collaboration Tools
19.     ‘We Will Have Major Social Distancing After May 4th.’ WA Governor Offers Reality Check in Interview.
20.     Washington State Hustles for Masks, Gowns, & Gloves, But Is Millions Short of What It Wants
21.     Election Could Suffer if Federal Government Doesn’t Increase Postal Service Funding amid Coronavirus, Wyman Says
22.     Editorial: Hard-Hit Local Governments Need Federal Help
23.     To Safely Reopen, Make the Workweek Shorter. Then Keep It Shorter.
24.     Second Round of Testing at Foster Farms Kelso Plant Reveals New Coronavirus Cases
25.     Flying Out of Paine Field in Everett? The Airport Will Check Your Body Temperature First
26.     Olympic National Park to Begin Phased-In Reopening Next Week
27.     City of Shelton Announces New Inspections Protocol
28.     Sierra Pacific Industries Donates New Surface for Huff ‘N’ Puff Trail
29.     Eighth-Graders’ Understanding Of History, Geography Declines Sharply Nationwide

WORD OF THE DAY

Trichotillomania \trick-kuh-tillah-MANE-ee-uh\ Noun - An abnormal desire to pull out one’s hair

A bald man with trichotillomania; think about it.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Pacific Gas & Electric’s Settlement with Wildfire Victims Faces Crucial Vote (NY Times)

2.      Ecotrust to Pay $4.4M To Oregon to Settle Tax Credit Case (Portland Business Journal, OR)

3.      Chelan PUD Watching Closely to See If Its Customers Are Having Financial Troubles (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

4.      Clallam County Agencies Talk Coronavirus Impact on Utilities, Customers (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

5.      Study: Gas-Powered Appliances May Be Hazardous for Your Health (Grist Online)

6.      Former Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman Blasts TVA for Ad Promotions during COVID-19 Pandemic (Chattanooga Times Free-Press, TN)

7.      Op/Ed: Nuclear Energy Remains Essential to Electricity Generation Amid COVID-19 (Morning Consult)

FISH & WILDLIFE

8.      Study: Seals Nab 16 Percent of Steelhead in Nisqually Estuary (Nisqually Valley News, Yelm, WA)

9.      2020 Pikeminnow Season Opening Delayed – States’ Responses to Covid-19 Outbreak Impacts Fishing Season, Boat Ramps (Bonneville Power Administration)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

10.   Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp Say COVID-19 Won’t Jeopardize Wind Power Tax Breaks (Portland Business Journal, OR)

11.   Fires Are Coming - Pacific Gas & Electric & Some Cities Are Holding Up Battery Backups (Los Angeles Times, CA)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

12.   Okanogan PUD Will Deploy 15 Free Hotspots (Okanogan PUD, Okanogan, WA)

13.   Telemedicine Provides Health Care Option (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

14.   Microsoft’s Cloud Business Helps Offset Pandemic Woes (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

15.   Managers Turn to Surveillance Software, Always-On Webcams to Ensure Employees Are (Really) Working from Home (Washington Post)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

16.   Forty Electric School Buses Coming to School Districts, Including Two in Grays Harbor, one at Mary M. Knight School in Mason (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

17.   Coronavirus Is Driving Down Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Levels Last Seen 10 Years Ago, Agency Says (Washington Post)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

18.   How to Harness Online Collaboration Tools (Pioneer Utility Resources)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

19.   ‘We Will Have Major Social Distancing After May 4th.’ WA Governor Offers Reality Check in Interview. (Northwest News Network)

20.   Washington State Hustles for Masks, Gowns, & Gloves, But Is Millions Short of What It Wants (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

21.   Election Could Suffer if Federal Government Doesn’t Increase Postal Service Funding amid Coronavirus, Wyman Says (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

22.   Editorial: Hard-Hit Local Governments Need Federal Help (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

23.   To Safely Reopen, Make the Workweek Shorter. Then Keep It Shorter. (Atlantic Magazine)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

24.   Second Round of Testing at Foster Farms Kelso Plant Reveals New Coronavirus Cases (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

25.   Flying Out of Paine Field in Everett? The Airport Will Check Your Body Temperature First (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

26.   Olympic National Park to Begin Phased-In Reopening Next Week (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

27.   City of Shelton Announces New Inspections Protocol (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

28.   Sierra Pacific Industries Donates New Surface for Huff ‘N’ Puff Trail (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

29.   Eighth-Graders’ Understanding Of History, Geography Declines Sharply Nationwide (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Mexican Wrestlers Are Sewing Lucha Libre Masks to Protect People from the Coronavirus

How ‘Betty the Weathercat’ Became a Star on TV News in Indiana

‘I Was Actually Very Shocked’: Neighborhood Battles over Blue Christmas Lights Honoring Medical Workers

Alaska School Board Removes ‘The Great Gatsby’ From Curriculum for ‘Controversial’ Content

SONG OF THE DAY

Al Stewart - Year of the Cat

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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