Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The Energy News Digest for July 14, 2021

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

As Western Wildfires Rage, Region to Remain ‘Tragically Dry’ for at Least a Week. In Oregon, A Blaze May Burn Until Fall. (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/14/wildfires-western-us-burn-drought-conditions-persist/7962130002/

Idaho Falls City Council Approves $4.2 Million Purchase of Rocky Mountain Power Grid Customers, Property (Idaho Falls Post-Register, ID)

https://www.postregister.com/news/government/idaho-falls-city-council-approves-4-2m-purchase-of-power-grid-customers-property/article_68cd2422-53ee-56e4-b2a9-ab04691cd0bd.html

Offshore Wind Push Gains Momentum in California (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/offshore-wind-push-gains-momentum-in-california/

DOE to Propose First Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Homes in Almost 25 Years (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-to-propose-first-efficiency-standards-for-manufactured-homes-in-almost/603214/

Internet Dead Zones & ‘Thick’ Homework Packets Took an Emotional Toll on Navajo Students During COVID-19 School Year. They Didn’t Give Up. (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/07/13/navajo-nation-students-covid-19-school-year-searchlight-new-mexico/7952305002/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      As Western Wildfires Rage, Region to Remain ‘Tragically Dry’ for at Least a Week. In Oregon, A Blaze May Burn Until Fall.

2.      More Than 60 Wildfires Rage Across US West – Including Blaze Bigger Than Portland

3.      Bootleg Fire, Largest in US, Tops 200,000 Acres; 21 Homes, Structures Lost; Area Closures Extended

4.      Here’s Where Wildfires are Burning in Washington State

5.      Nearly 800 People Believed to Have Died in Pacific Northwest Heat Wave

6.      California Wildfires Are So Intense, They’re Sparking Firenadoes

7.      Idaho Falls City Council Approves $4.2 Million Purchase of Rocky Mountain Power Grid Customers, Property

8.      Hydropower Worries Grow as Colorado River Reservoirs Keep Dropping

9.      California: Lake Oroville Water Levels Expected to Fall So Low, Hydropower Plant May Shut Down

10.   Californians Told to Use Less Water & Electricity in New Summer Normal

11.   Canada; BC Hydro Investigating Damage to Submarine Cables That Carry Power to Vancouver Island

12.   NorthWestern Energy’s Proposed Gas-Fired Plant Disappoints Montana Cities Seeking All-Green Power

13.   Puget Sound Energy Seeks Bids for New Energy Resources

14.   WA State: Chelan PUD Prepares Long-Term Power Contracts for a New Energy Market

15.   California: Imperial Irrigation District Agrees to Form Panel with Coachella Valley Representatives; Mayes Says It’s Not Enough

16.   Tennessee Valley Authority to Spend $1 Billion Building 1,500 MW of Gas Turbines

17.   Lawsuits Filed in Texas Allege Price Gouging During Recent Blackouts

18.   Record Natural Gas Prices Give Power Markets a Jolt

19.   Maine Governor Scuttles Public Vote on Consumer-Owned Electric Utility

20.   Opinion: Elon Musk’s Starlink Will Become the Black Hole Project

21.   Offshore Wind Push Gains Momentum in California

22.   Nevada: ‘Water Battery’ Being Considered on Mokelumne River

23.   Shade from Solar Panels Increases Abundance of Flowers, Benefiting Pollinators

24.   Rise In Cremations Opens Unused Cemetery Space to New Solar Projects

25.   DOE to Propose First Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Homes in Almost 25 Years

26.   Salmon Returns Hit Ten-Year Averages

27.   Idaho Student Activists Push for Dams to Be Removed to Save Salmon

28.   News Release: Northwest RiverPartners Urges Columbia Basin Collaborative to Reevaluate Current Framework; Establish More Equitable, Holistic Approach

29.   California: 17 Million Gallons of Raw Sewage Spills in Los Angeles

30.   Federal Lawmakers Clash Over Tree-Planting Bill

31.   U.S. Treasury’s Yellen Says Carbon Pricing Can Work, with Caveats

32.   Why Pricing Carbon Is Still More Theory Than Reality

33.   Climate Change Is Shrinking Italy’s Iconic Lake Como, & Fast

34.   Internet Dead Zones & ‘Thick’ Homework Packets Took an Emotional Toll on Navajo Students During COVID-19 School Year. They Didn’t Give Up.

35.   WA State: Double Trouble? Dueling Broadband Bills Finally Resolved

36.   How Internet & TV Providers Get Away with Jacking Up Your Bill

37.   Congress to Examine Ransomware Threat as NERC, FERC Call for ‘Continued Vigilance’ to Secure Electric Grid

38.   Got an Old Power Plant Lying Around? Crypto Miners Are Buying Them Up

39.   How Electric Vehicles Could Transform the Power Grid

40.   City of Olympia Will Add More Staff to Revamp Communication Strategy

41.   La Niña Condition Forecast for Winter. What Does That Mean for Central California Coast?

42.   U.S. Senate Democrats Announce $3.5 Trillion Budget Agreement

43.   Text Messages Not Archived - City of Seattle Countersues Newspaper in Public Records Case

WORD OF THE DAY

Tussle • \TUSS-sull\ • Noun - 1: a physical contest or struggle: scuffle 2: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle

Graduates get mad

Tussle over a tassel

Flip it left, or right?

WESTERN HEAT & WILDFIRES

1.      As Western Wildfires Rage, Region to Remain ‘Tragically Dry’ for at Least a Week. In Oregon, A Blaze May Burn Until Fall. (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/14/wildfires-western-us-burn-drought-conditions-persist/7962130002/

2.      More Than 60 Wildfires Rage Across US West – Including Blaze Bigger Than Portland (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/13/us-wildfires-california-oregon-washington

3.      Bootleg Fire, Largest in US, Tops 200,000 Acres; 21 Homes, Structures Lost; Area Closures Extended (KTVZ-TV, Eugene, OR)

https://ktvz.com/news/oregon-northwest/2021/07/13/bootleg-fire-tops-200000-acres-evacuations-area-closures-extended-to-lake-county/

4.      Here’s Where Wildfires are Burning in Washington State (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2021/07/09/washington-fires-map-where-wildfires-currently-burning/7909995002/

5.      Nearly 800 People Believed to Have Died in Pacific Northwest Heat Wave (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/nearly-700-people-believed-to-have-died-in-northwest-heat-wave

6.      California Wildfires Are So Intense, They’re Sparking Firenadoes (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/california-wildfires-are-so-intense-they-re-sparking-f-1847273001

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

7.      Idaho Falls City Council Approves $4.2 Million Purchase of Rocky Mountain Power Grid Customers, Property (Idaho Falls Post-Register, ID)

https://www.postregister.com/news/government/idaho-falls-city-council-approves-4-2m-purchase-of-power-grid-customers-property/article_68cd2422-53ee-56e4-b2a9-ab04691cd0bd.html

8.      Hydropower Worries Grow as Colorado River Reservoirs Keep Dropping (KUNC Radio, Greeley, CO)

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-07-13/hydropower-worries-grow-as-colorado-river-reservoirs-keep-dropping

9.      California: Lake Oroville Water Levels Expected to Fall So Low, Hydropower Plant May Shut Down (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/lake-oroville-water-levels-expected-fall-low-hydro-power-plant-shut-down/37017528

10.   Californians Told to Use Less Water & Electricity in New Summer Normal (BusinessDay)

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/world/americas/2021-07-13-californians-told-to-use-less-water-and-electricity-in-new-summer-normal/

11.   Canada; BC Hydro Investigating Damage to Submarine Cables That Carry Power to Vancouver Island (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hydro-heat-damage-1.6100521?cmp=rss

12.   NorthWestern Energy’s Proposed Gas-Fired Plant Disappoints Montana Cities Seeking All-Green Power (KTVH-TV, Helena, MT)

https://www.ktvh.com/news/montana-news/nw-energys-proposed-gas-fired-plant-disappoints-mt-cities-seeking-all-green-power

13.   Puget Sound Energy Seeks Bids for New Energy Resources (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

https://www.thurstontalk.com/2021/07/13/puget-sound-energy-seeks-bids-for-new-energy-resources/

14.   WA State: Chelan PUD Prepares Long-Term Power Contracts for a New Energy Market (Leavenworth Echo, WA)

https://www.leavenworthecho.com/news/chelan-pud-prepares-long-term-power-contracts-new-energy-market

15.   California: Imperial Irrigation District Agrees to Form Panel with Coachella Valley Representatives; Mayes Says It’s Not Enough (Palm Springs Desert Sun, CA)

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2021/07/13/iid-agrees-formation-coachella-valley-energy-commission/7959808002/

16.   Tennessee Valley Authority to Spend $1 Billion Building 1,500 MW of Gas Turbines (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/tva-spend-1-billion-building-1500-mw-gas-turbines

17.   Lawsuits Filed in Texas Allege Price Gouging During Recent Blackouts (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/14/1015895930/lawsuits-filed-in-texas-allege-price-gouging-during-recent-blackouts

18.   Record Natural Gas Prices Give Power Markets a Jolt (Wall Street Journal)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/record-natural-gas-prices-give-power-markets-a-jolt-11626168995

19.   Maine Governor Scuttles Public Vote on Consumer-Owned Electric Utility (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/featured/31092-maine-governor-scuttles-public-vote-on-consumer-owned-electric-utility/?amp

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

20.   Opinion: Elon Musk’s Starlink Will Become the Black Hole Project (Medium)

https://medium.com/recurrent-patterns/elon-musks-starlink-will-become-the-black-hole-project-45b59797cc23

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

21.   Offshore Wind Push Gains Momentum in California (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/offshore-wind-push-gains-momentum-in-california/

22.   Nevada: ‘Water Battery’ Being Considered on Mokelumne River (Sierra Nevada Ally)

https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/07/12/water-battery-being-considered-on-mokelumne-river/

23.   Shade from Solar Panels Increases Abundance of Flowers, Benefiting Pollinators (Good News Network)

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/solar-panel-shade-late-summer-increase-pollinator-numbers-oregon-state-university/

24.   Rise In Cremations Opens Unused Cemetery Space to New Solar Projects (Connecticut Public Radio)

https://www.wnpr.org/post/rise-cremations-opens-unused-cemetery-space-new-solar-projects

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

25.   DOE to Propose First Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Homes in Almost 25 Years (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-to-propose-first-efficiency-standards-for-manufactured-homes-in-almost/603214/

FISH & WILDLIFE

26.   Salmon Returns Hit Ten-Year Averages (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/salmon-returns-hit-10-year-averages/article_9e0ecca6-e044-11eb-9bb0-7b880c131dae.html

27.   Idaho Student Activists Push for Dams to Be Removed to Save Salmon (Boise State Public Radio, ID)

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/show/idaho-matters/2021-07-12/idaho-student-activists-push-for-dams-to-be-removed-to-save-salmon

28.   News Release: Northwest RiverPartners Urges Columbia Basin Collaborative to Reevaluate Current Framework; Establish More Equitable, Holistic Approach (Northwest RiverPartners, Vancouver, OR)

https://nwriverpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-NWRP-CBC-PressStatement.pdf

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

29.   California: 17 Million Gallons of Raw Sewage Spills in Los Angeles (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/17-million-gallons-of-raw-sewage-spills-in-los-angeles-1847290178

30.   Federal Lawmakers Clash Over Tree-Planting Bill (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/lawmakers-clash-over-tree-planting-bill/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

31.   U.S. Treasury’s Yellen Says Carbon Pricing Can Work, with Caveats (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/uss-yellen-carbon-pricing-can-work-with-caveats-2021-07-13/

32.   Why Pricing Carbon Is Still More Theory Than Reality (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/why-pricing-carbon-is-still-more-theory-than-reality/2021/07/13/21ed2b70-e42e-11eb-88c5-4fd6382c47cb_story.html

33.   Climate Change Is Shrinking Italy’s Iconic Lake Como, & Fast (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-shrinking-italy-lake-como-glacier-melt/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

34.   Internet Dead Zones & ‘Thick’ Homework Packets Took an Emotional Toll on Navajo Students During COVID-19 School Year. They Didn’t Give Up. (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/07/13/navajo-nation-students-covid-19-school-year-searchlight-new-mexico/7952305002/

35.   WA State: Double Trouble? Dueling Broadband Bills Finally Resolved (Association of Washington Cities)

https://wacities.org/advocacy/news/advocacy-news/2021/07/12/double-trouble-dueling-broadband-bills-finally-resolved

36.   How Internet & TV Providers Get Away with Jacking Up Your Bill (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/how-internet-and-tv-providers-get-away-with-jacking-up-your-bill/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

37.   Congress to Examine Ransomware Threat as NERC, FERC Call for ‘Continued Vigilance’ to Secure Electric Grid (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/congress-to-examine-ransomware-threat-nerc-ferc-call-for-secure-electric-grid/603195/

38.   Got an Old Power Plant Lying Around? Crypto Miners Are Buying Them Up (Curbed)

https://www.curbed.com/2021/07/crypto-currency-mining-old-power-plants.html

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

39.   How Electric Vehicles Could Transform the Power Grid (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/ev-to-grid-1.6100454?cmp=rss

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

40.   City of Olympia Will Add More Staff to Revamp Communication Strategy (The Olympian, WA)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article252768553.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

41.   La Niña Condition Forecast for Winter. What Does That Mean for Central California Coast? (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/weather/weather-watch/article252730303.html

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

42.   U.S. Senate Democrats Announce $3.5 Trillion Budget Agreement (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/13/senate-democrats-announce-3-5-trillion-budget-agreement/

43.   Text Messages Not Archived - City of Seattle Countersues Newspaper in Public Records Case (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-death-of-george-floyd-seattle-newspapers-b773a78384a0f1f42dd9e76426468f89

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Viral Images of Giant Goldfish in U.S. Lake Spotlight Dangers of Invasive Aquatic Pets

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/giant-goldfish-invasive-species-great-lakes-1.6100855?cmp=rss

Sea Creature That Can Shock Prey With 37 Volts Washes Up on Texas Beach. What Is It?

https://news.yahoo.com/sea-creature-shock-prey-37-234233173.html

Limited Edition Mac & Cheese Ice Cream Hits Freezers This Week

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/limited-edition-mac-cheese-ice-cream-hits-freezers-this-week/2553592/

A Uniform Opinion: Major League Baseball All-Star Duds Don’t Draw All-Star Reviews

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mlb/a-uniform-opinion-all-star-duds-dont-draw-all-star-reviews/

SONG OF THE DAY

Spandau Ballet – Gold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5MoirYSod8