Friday, May 29, 2020

The Energy News Digest for May 29, 2020


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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Advocates Call for Extension on Utility Cutoffs, Eviction Bans (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

Seattle Judge Asked to Halt Salmon Fishing in Alaska (Courthouse News Service)

Moses Lake: Electric Plane Takes Flight in Aviation First (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Washington State Recovers $300 Million in Fraudulent Unemployment Claims (Associated Press)

New Positive COVID-19 Case in Mason County (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.          Washington State Advocates Call for Extension on Utility Cutoffs, Eviction Bans
2.          California: Sacramento Municipal Utility District Extends Suspension of Power Shutoffs for Non-Payment through January 4, 2021
3.          California Regulators Back Pacific Gas & Electric Bankruptcy Plan
4.          California: Contractor Electrocuted While Working on Trees in Sacramento, Fire Officials Say
5.          Tennessee Valley Authority Fights to Keep Its Biggest Customer – Memphis & Other Distributors Eye Split with Utility
6.          Op/Ed: Rethinking Utility Customer Engagement in Trying Times
7.          Infrastructure Bill Addresses Several Issues of Importance to Public Power
8.          Seattle Judge Asked to Halt Salmon Fishing in Alaska
9.          Idaho Sockeye Begin Perilous Journey
10.       British Columbia Forests Watchdog Finds Sediment from Road Work Affecting Fish Habitat
11.       Yakima: Lower Valley Dairies Receive Washington State Grants for Clean Energy Projects
12.       24 Congressional Democrats Urge FERC to Reject Net Metering Overhaul
13.       Energy Efficiency Helped the Empire State Building Save Money & Cut Carbon. It Can Help You, Too.
14.       New Free Wi-Fi Site Offered in Port Angeles
15.       Op/Ed: Inequality of Distance Learning Is a Pandemic in the Waiting
16.       Moses Lake: Electric Plane Takes Flight in Aviation First
17.       Costly Electric Vehicles Confront a Harsh Coronavirus Reality
18.       Retail Co-Location May Prove Key to Sustainable Funding for EV Charging, Panel Finds
19.       Ancient Antarctic Ice Sheet Loss Dwarfs Modern Melting, Study Finds
20.       The Climate Change Clues Hidden in Art History
21.       Trump vs. Twitter: What You Need to Know About the Free Speech Showdown
22.       Solar Probe to Pass Through Comet’s Tail for ‘Bonus Science’
23.       Washington State Recovers $300 Million in Fraudulent Unemployment Claims
24.       Judge Considering Challenge to Inslee Emergency Virus Orders
25.       Gov. Inslee Will Have 2:30 PM News Conference on Stay-at-Home Order
26.       Lessons to Learn from Washington’s Decades-Long Experience of Mail-In Voting
27.       New Positive COVID-19 Case in Mason County
28.       Washington State Sees 358 New COVID-19 Cases, 11 New Deaths
29.       Half of Newly Diagnosed Coronavirus Cases in Washington Are in People Under 40
30.       Are We in Phase 2 Yet? Reopening Washington State, Explained
31.       Parts of Washington State Are Seeing Record High Unemployment Rates
32.       Decrease in the Increase – Washington State Sees Drop in New Unemployment Benefits Claims Last Week
33.       People Are Mistaking COVID-19 Stimulus Payments for Junk Mail or a Scam
34.       ‘All in Washington’ Initiative Aims to Put Private COVID-19 Dollars Back in Community, With Boost from Jeff Bezos
35.       Racially Charged Violence Rages for Third Night in Minneapolis

WORD OF THE DAY

Iota • \eye-OWE-tuh\ • Noun - 1: the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet 2: an infinitesimal amount: jot

“I don’t give a flying fig, a jot, a tiny bit, one iota, about your promotion,” barked the perennially rejected executive candidate to his effusive office mate.

Merriam-Webster Word Origin - The words “iota” & “jot” share a lot more than just a common meaning -- both ultimately derive from the same word. When Latin scholars transcribed the Greek name of the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, they spelled it as either “iota” or “jota” (the letters “i” & “j” were simply variants of each other), & these spellings eventually passed into English as “iota” & “jot.” Since the Greek letter iota is the smallest letter of its alphabet, both words eventually came to be used in reference to very small things.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Washington State Advocates Call for Extension on Utility Cutoffs, Eviction Bans (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

2.      California: Sacramento Municipal Utility District Extends Suspension of Power Shutoffs for Non-Payment through January 4, 2021 (Sacramento Municipal Utility District, CA)

3.      California Regulators Back Pacific Gas & Electric Bankruptcy Plan (NY Times)

4.      California: Contractor Electrocuted While Working on Trees in Sacramento, Fire Officials Say (Sacramento Bee, CA)

5.      Tennessee Valley Authority Fights to Keep Its Biggest Customer – Memphis & Other Distributors Eye Split with Utility (Chattanooga Times Free-Press, TN)

6.      Op/Ed: Rethinking Utility Customer Engagement in Trying Times (Utility Dive)

7.      Infrastructure Bill Addresses Several Issues of Importance to Public Power (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

8.      Seattle Judge Asked to Halt Salmon Fishing in Alaska (Courthouse News Service)

9.      Idaho Sockeye Begin Perilous Journey (KIVI-TC, Nampa, ID)

10.   British Columbia Forests Watchdog Finds Sediment from Road Work Affecting Fish Habitat (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

11.   Yakima: Lower Valley Dairies Receive Washington State Grants for Clean Energy Projects (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

12.   24 Congressional Democrats Urge FERC to Reject Net Metering Overhaul (Utility Dive)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

13.   Energy Efficiency Helped the Empire State Building Save Money & Cut Carbon. It Can Help You, Too. (Washington Post)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

14.   New Free Wi-Fi Site Offered in Port Angeles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

15.   Op/Ed: Inequality of Distance Learning Is a Pandemic in the Waiting (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

16.   Moses Lake: Electric Plane Takes Flight in Aviation First (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

17.   Costly Electric Vehicles Confront a Harsh Coronavirus Reality (Yahoo News)

18.   Retail Co-Location May Prove Key to Sustainable Funding for EV Charging, Panel Finds (Utility Dive)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

19.   Ancient Antarctic Ice Sheet Loss Dwarfs Modern Melting, Study Finds (Gizmodo)

20.   The Climate Change Clues Hidden in Art History (British Broadcasting Corporation)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

21.   Trump vs. Twitter: What You Need to Know About the Free Speech Showdown (C|Net News)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

22.   Solar Probe to Pass Through Comet’s Tail for ‘Bonus Science’ (ABC News)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

23.   Washington State Recovers $300 Million in Fraudulent Unemployment Claims (Associated Press)

24.   Judge Considering Challenge to Inslee Emergency Virus Orders (Associated Press)

25.   Gov. Inslee Will Have 2:30 PM News Conference on Stay-at-Home Order (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

26.   Lessons to Learn from Washington’s Decades-Long Experience of Mail-In Voting (National Public Radio)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

27.   New Positive COVID-19 Case in Mason County (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

28.   Washington State Sees 358 New COVID-19 Cases, 11 New Deaths (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

29.   Half of Newly Diagnosed Coronavirus Cases in Washington Are in People Under 40 (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

30.   Are We in Phase 2 Yet? Reopening Washington State, Explained (Crosscut Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

31.   Parts of Washington State Are Seeing Record High Unemployment Rates (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

32.   Decrease in the Increase – Washington State Sees Drop in New Unemployment Benefits Claims Last Week (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

33.   People Are Mistaking COVID-19 Stimulus Payments for Junk Mail or a Scam (MSN)

34.   ‘All in Washington’ Initiative Aims to Put Private COVID-19 Dollars Back in Community, With Boost from Jeff Bezos (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

35.   Racially Charged Violence Rages for Third Night in Minneapolis (Reuters)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Costco Plans to Bring Back Free Samples After Suspending the Snacks Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

Rare Cognac Fetches Record Price at Auction: Sotheby’s

Making Massssks from Florida Python Skin

U.S. Family Turns in $1 Million Found on Street

SONG OF THE DAY

Leo Sayer - Long Tall Glasses

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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