Energy News Digest for September 13, 2019

Programming Note:

The Energy News Digest will be communing with its communicator & energy efficiency family September 16 – 18. It will return, probably NOT rested & relaxed September 19. Watch the News Digest Facebook & Twitter feeds for breaking energy news, should it warrant.

-----

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

Mason County Weather Forecast for September 13, 2019

Marine Forecast for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

Olympic Mountain Forecast for Mason County

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Gas & Electric Reaches $11 Billion Insurance Settlement Over Wildfire Claims (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pge-reaches-11b-insurance-settlement-over-wildfire-claims/562882/

Seattle Pays $450,000 to Ex-City Light Worker Who Spoke Out About Sexual Harassment (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-to-pay-450000-to-ex-seattle-city-light-worker-who-spoke-out-about-sexual-harassment/

A Warming Puget Sound Means Dying Kelp, Researchers Say. That Hurts Orcas & Salmon (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www-1.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article235040067.html?

U.S. Biologists Eye Unusual Deaths of Alaska Ice Seals (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/c6838b7a2eda4b188248dd4cc14d61ee

Wahkiakum County Broadband Won’t Come Cheap (Wahkiakum County Eagle, Cathlamet, WA)
https://www.waheagle.com/story/2019/09/12/news/county-broadband-wont-come-cheap/16685.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Pacific Gas & Electric Reaches $11 Billion Insurance Settlement Over Wildfire Claims

2.      Seattle Pays $450,000 to Ex-City Light Worker Who Spoke Out About Sexual Harassment

3.      Bonneville Dam Lock Shutdown Shouldn’t Affect Plateau Wheat Shipping

4.      For Private Utilities – Utility Regulators Finalize Plan for Implementing Washington State’s 100% Clean Electricity Law

5.      Bonneville Power Administration Tests Operations with Future Reliability Coordinator

6.      Canada: BC Hydro Halts Community’s Painted Poles Art Project

7.      A Swift Fall from Political Power for PG&E, California’s Largest Utility

8.      Can Environmentalists Get Their Heads Wrapped Around Using Nuclear Energy?

9.      Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to Host New Effort to Bring Power to Navajo Nation Residents

10.   U.S. Biologists Eye Unusual Deaths of Alaska Ice Seals

11.   Meeting on Idaho Salmon Restoration Set for Lewiston

12.   Fish-Friendly Construction Aims to Help Threatened Nevada Trout

13.   Dolphins in the English Channel Carry ‘Toxic Cocktail’ of Chemicals

14.   A Warming Puget Sound Means Dying Kelp, Researchers Say. That Hurts Orcas & Salmon

15.   PacifiCorp to Construct Wind Farm in Montana

16.   U.S. Wind to ‘Peak’ in 2020 as Tax Credits Expire — Report

17.   ‘Struth – Trump Says He Looks Orange Because of Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

18.   Wahkiakum County Broadband Won’t Come Cheap

19.   Anacortes: This Island Town Is Building a Public Broadband Network. Is It a Model for Bridging Digital Divide?

20.   Alaska Considering Early Close for Telephone, Internet Fund

21.   Rural Alaska Clinics Depend on Broadband. What Happens When It Goes Out?

22.   Climate Change: Electrical Industry’s ‘Dirty Secret’ Boosts Warming

23.   14 Of the Most Astounding Astronomy Photos Taken in 2019

24.   Doctors Eyeing Three Possible Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses in Eastern Washington

WORD OF THE DAY

Onomatopoeia • \on-uh-mott-uh-PEE-uh\ • noun - 1: the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss) 2: the use of words whose sound suggests the sense.

“Whiz…bang…pow…vroom,” bellowed the toddler as he bounced around the room with his toy cars. His manic bouts of onomatopoeia did not end at nap time, as he snored loudly in French…much to his mother’s amusement.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    Pacific Gas & Electric Reaches $11 Billion Insurance Settlement Over Wildfire Claims (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pge-reaches-11b-insurance-settlement-over-wildfire-claims/562882/

2.    Seattle Pays $450,000 to Ex-City Light Worker Who Spoke Out About Sexual Harassment (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-to-pay-450000-to-ex-seattle-city-light-worker-who-spoke-out-about-sexual-harassment/

3.    Bonneville Dam Lock Shutdown Shouldn’t Affect Plateau Wheat Shipping (NCW Life News, East Wenatchee, WA)

https://www.ncwlife.com/bonneville-shutdown-shouldnt-affect-plateau-wheat-shipping/

4.    For Private Utilities – Utility Regulators Finalize Plan for Implementing Washington State’s 100% Clean Electricity Law (EE Online)

https://electricenergyonline.com/detail_news.php?ID=787203&cat=;90;91

5.    Bonneville Power Administration Tests Operations with Future Reliability Coordinator (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-tests-operations-with-future-reliability-coordinator.aspx

6.    Canada: BC Hydro halts community’s painted poles art project (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fernwood-painted-poles-1.5281760?cmp=rss

7.    A Swift Fall from Political Power for PG&E, California’s Largest Utility (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-12/pge-wildfires-california-utility-political-fall-bankruptcy

8.    Can Environmentalists Get Their Heads Wrapped Around Using Nuclear Energy? (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2019/09/13/can-environmentalists-get-their-heads-wrapped-around-using-nuclear-energy/#4a0099dd1041

9.    Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to Host New Effort to Bring Power to Navajo Nation Residents (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/ntua-host-new-effort-bring-power-navajo-nation-residents

FISH & WILDLIFE

10. U.S. Biologists Eye Unusual Deaths of Alaska Ice Seals (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/c6838b7a2eda4b188248dd4cc14d61ee

11. Meeting on Idaho Salmon Restoration Set for Lewiston (KLIX Radio, Lewiston, ID)

https://newsradio1310.com/meeting-on-idaho-salmon-restoration-set-in-lewiston/

12. Fish-Friendly Construction Aims to Help Threatened Nevada Trout (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2019/0912/Fish-friendly-construction-aims-to-help-threatened-Nevada-trout

13. Dolphins in the English Channel Carry ‘Toxic Cocktail’ of Chemicals (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/12/dolphins-in-channel-carry-toxic-cocktail-of-chemicals

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

14. A Warming Puget Sound Means Dying Kelp, Researchers Say. That Hurts Orcas & Salmon (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www-1.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article235040067.html?

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15. PacifiCorp to Construct Wind Farm in Montana (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/sep/12/pacificorp-to-construct-wind-farm-in-montana/

16. U.S. Wind to ‘Peak’ in 2020 as Tax Credits Expire — Report (EE News)

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/09/13/u-s-wind-to-peak-in-2020-as-tax-credits-expire-report/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

17. ‘Struth – Trump Says He Looks Orange Because of Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/trump-orange-energy-efficient-lightbulbs/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

18. Wahkiakum County Broadband Won’t Come Cheap (Wahkiakum County Eagle, Cathlamet, WA)
https://www.waheagle.com/story/2019/09/12/news/county-broadband-wont-come-cheap/16685.html

19. Anacortes: This Island Town Is Building a Public Broadband Network. Is It a Model for Bridging Digital Divide? (GeekWire)

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/small-island-town-building-public-broadband-network-model-bridging-digital-divide/

20. Alaska Considering Early Close for Telephone, Internet Fund (Associated Press)

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article235048952.html

21. Rural Alaska Clinics Depend on Broadband. What Happens When It Goes Out? (Alaska Public Media)

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/09/12/rural-alaska-clinics-depend-on-broadband-what-happens-when-it-goes-out/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

22. Climate Change: Electrical Industry’s ‘Dirty Secret’ Boosts Warming (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49567197

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

23. 14 Of the Most Astounding Astronomy Photos Taken in 2019 (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/insight-investment-astronomy-photographer-year-space-photos/

GENERAL NEWS

24. Doctors Eyeing Three Possible Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses in Eastern Washington (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://q13fox.com/2019/09/13/doctors-eyeing-three-possible-vaping-related-lung-illnesses-in-eastern-washington/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Eddie Money, ‘Two Tickets to Paradise’ Singer, Dies at 70

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/eddie-money-two-tickets-paradise-140445527.html

Training Surgeons Like Dogs, Icky Money Win 2019 Ig Nobels

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/training-surgeons-like-dogs-icky-money-win-ig-nobels/article_e4bfb4eb-8fc2-56ea-9e96-e55725d83200.html

Civil War Cannonball Found in Kansas City Area Tree

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/civil-war-cannonball-found-in-kansas-city-area-tree/article_c7e89ff3-0409-5753-92ae-d0d96e7ef489.html

22 Years Later – Google Maps Shows Sunken Car Where Missing Man’s Body Was Found

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49677843

SONG OF THE DAY

Eddie Money – Think I’m In Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJbBSIFN36k

Eddie Money – I Wanna Go Back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxqHEgzBr1M

OK, I Give:

Eddie Money – Two Tickets to Paradise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTqCusP0uzQ

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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

Energy News Digest for September 12, 2019

The Hot Shots edition is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

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

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Mason County Weather Forecast for September 12, 2019

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Columbia River Barge Lock at Bonneville Dam to Return to Service September 30 (Associated Press)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/state_news/columbia-river-barge-lock-to-return-to-service-sept/article_92003cfb-4032-5749-8559-c2580cf41df7.html

Port of Longview Handles Parts for Western Washington’s First Major Wind Farm (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://www.chronline.com/northwest_regional_news/port-of-longview-handles-parts-for-western-washington-s-first/article_bce398b4-d4c5-11e9-9592-2f791bfdbf51.html

Video – Lower Snake River Dams - Mason County PUD 3 & PUD 1 In-Studio (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/daybreak/mason-county-pud-and-pud-in-studio/video_2aadbbd0-d4bd-11e9-acdd-83ea7e7897e2.html

Canada: Salmon Collapse Hitting Workers Hard (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/business/salmon-collapse-hitting-workers-hard-1.23943913

Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/news/article/pacific-northwest-climate-change-snowfall-research-rain/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Columbia River Barge Lock at Bonneville Dam to Return to Service September 30

2.      Video – Lower Snake River Dams - Mason County PUD 3 & PUD 1 In-Studio

3.      Controversial Snake River Dam Study Underway

4.      Idaho National Laboratory Partners with Utilities to Produce Hydrogen

5.      Power Outages in British Columbia Briefly Leave More Than 120,000 Customers in the Dark

6.      U.S. Natural Gas Production Reaches a New Record Despite Low Prices

7.      Tri-State Joins Suite of New Participants in Southwest, California Energy Imbalance Markets

8.      Oil Tycoon T. Boone Pickens Dead at 91

9.      Canada: Salmon Collapse Hitting Workers Hard

10.   Eastern Oregon Minnow Removed from the Endangered Species List

11.   Hoary Bat Numbers Declining at Rate That Suggests Species in Jeopardy in Pacific Northwest

12.   Sage Grouse Numbers Stumble in Montana, Across U.S. West

13.   Editorial: Only Smart Policies Stand in the Way of Extinction – “…this average is far below the pre-dam era…”

14.   Hanford Officials Move Nuclear Waste from Columbia River

15.   Administration Finalizes Repeal of 2015 Water Rule Trump Called ‘Destructive & Horrible’

16.   Port of Longview Handles Parts for Western Washington’s First Major Wind Farm

17.   University of Idaho Ranks Sixth for Renewable Energy Use

18.   Louisiana: Panel Says Utilities Can Pay Less for Customers’ Solar Power

19.   Editorial: On Bulbs, Democrats Offer Dim Demagoguery

20.   Comcast, Cable Giants Sue Maine Over Law Forcing Them to Let Customers Pay for Specific Channels

21.   Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall in the Pacific Northwest

22.   Analysis: Are Social Media Users Abandoning Facebook & Instagram?

23.   Facebook Expands New Tool Aiming to Shrink ‘News Deserts’

24.   Getting the Skinny on the Semicolon

25.   Washington State Supreme Court Will Rule on Car Tab Lawsuit Against Sound Transit

26.   Sweep of Homeless Camp Under Olympia’s Fourth Avenue Bridge Delayed

27.   Lime Works to Recharge Its Seattle Bike Fleet, Following a Rash of Dead Batteries

28.   Daylight Saving Movement Gets Another Nudge, This Time from Canada

WORD OF THE DAY

Draconian • \drack-CONE-ee-un\ • adjective - of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him 2: cruel; also: severe

“I know that you’re upset about the lunch thefts from the lunchroom ‘fridge,” whined the CEO’s assistant. “But I think that blood tests and retina scans to get into the icebox are a little draconian.”

Draco was the first legislator of ancient Athens, Greece, 7th century BC. He replaced the prevailing system of oral law & blood feud by a written code to be enforced only by a court. Because of its harshness, this code also gave rise to the term “draconian”.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    Columbia River Barge Lock at Bonneville Dam to Return to Service September 30 (Associated Press)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/state_news/columbia-river-barge-lock-to-return-to-service-sept/article_92003cfb-4032-5749-8559-c2580cf41df7.html

2.    Video – Lower Snake River Dams - Mason County PUD 3 & PUD 1 In-Studio (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/daybreak/mason-county-pud-and-pud-in-studio/video_2aadbbd0-d4bd-11e9-acdd-83ea7e7897e2.html

3.    Controversial Snake River Dam Study Underway (KONA Radio, Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.610kona.com/controversial-snake-river-dam-study-underway/

4.    Idaho National Laboratory Partners with Utilities to Produce Hydrogen (Associated Press)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/sep/11/us-nuclear-lab-partners-with-utilities-to-produce-/

5.    Power Outages in British Columbia Briefly Leave More Than 120,000 Customers in the Dark (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/power-outages-in-b-c-briefly-leave-more-than-120-000-customers-in-the-dark-1.23943625

6.    U.S. Natural Gas Production Reaches a New Record Despite Low Prices (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41273

7.    Tri-State Joins Suite of New Participants in Southwest, California Energy Imbalance Markets (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/tri-state-joins-suite-of-new-participants-in-california-southwest-energy-i/562625/

8.    Oil Tycoon T. Boone Pickens Dead at 91 (Yahoo! Finance)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-boone-pickens-oil-billionaire-dead-at-91-181051193.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

9.    Canada: Salmon Collapse Hitting Workers Hard (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/business/salmon-collapse-hitting-workers-hard-1.23943913

10. Eastern Oregon Minnow Removed from the Endangered Species List (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/news/article/eastern-oregon-foskett-speckled-dace-endangered-species/

11. Hoary Bat Numbers Declining at Rate That Suggests Species in Jeopardy in Pacific Northwest (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2019-09-hoary-declining-species-jeopardy-pacific.html

12. Sage Grouse Numbers Stumble in Montana, Across U.S. West (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2019-09-12/sage-grouse-numbers-stumble-in-montana-across-us-west

13. Editorial: Only Smart Policies Stand in the Way of Extinction – “…this average is far below the pre-dam era…” (Longview Daily News, WA)

https://tdn.com/opinion/editorial/only-smart-policies-stand-in-the-way-of-extinction/article_93b5d68c-4bd6-5e0c-89b7-09ac52eb355f.html

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

14. Hanford Officials Move Nuclear Waste from Columbia River (KHQ TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/digital_hub/hanford-officials-move-nuclear-waste-from-columbia-river/article_7eb14276-d56f-11e9-bbe2-63dc1e1b464d.html

15. Administration Finalizes Repeal of 2015 Water Rule Trump Called ‘Destructive & Horrible’ (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/administration-finalizes-repeal-of-2015-water-rule-trump-called-destructive-and-horrible/2019/09/11/fddfa49a-d4aa-11e9-9343-40db57cf6abd_story.html?noredirect=on

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

16. Port of Longview Handles Parts for Western Washington’s First Major Wind Farm (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://www.chronline.com/northwest_regional_news/port-of-longview-handles-parts-for-western-washington-s-first/article_bce398b4-d4c5-11e9-9592-2f791bfdbf51.html

17. University of Idaho Ranks Sixth for Renewable Energy Use (Boise State Public Radio, ID)

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/university-idaho-ranks-6th-renewable-energy-use#stream/0

18. Louisiana: Panel Says Utilities Can Pay Less for Customers’ Solar Power (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/6bbfcd451c644ff09cfdf7db4ffdf923

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

19. Editorial: On Bulbs, Democrats Offer Dim Demagoguery (Washington Examiner)

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/on-bulbs-democrats-offer-dim-demagoguery

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

20. Comcast, Cable Giants Sue Maine Over Law Forcing Them to Let Customers Pay for Specific Channels (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/comcast-cable-giants-sue-maine-over-law-forcing-them-t-1838056522

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

21. Research Suggests Climate Change Is Reducing Snowfall in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/news/article/pacific-northwest-climate-change-snowfall-research-rain/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

22. Analysis: Are Social Media Users Abandoning Facebook & Instagram? (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/09/12/are-social-media-users-abandoning-facebook-and-instagram/40113681/

23. Facebook Expands New Tool Aiming to Shrink ‘News Deserts’ (Associated Press)

https://www.apnews.com/9f43460cc7ae4b289f5ef768a4f19816

24. Getting the Skinny on the Semicolon (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/In-a-Word/2019/0912/Getting-the-skinny-on-the-semicolon

GENERAL NEWS

25. Washington State Supreme Court Will Rule on Car Tab Lawsuit Against Sound Transit (KING TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/sound-transit-st3-car-tab-fees-lawsuit-refund/281-035b05e0-90f3-438a-b48a-97c27c367068

26. Sweep of Homeless Camp Under Olympia’s Fourth Avenue Bridge Delayed (KOMO TV, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/local/olympia-to-allow-homeless-camp-to-stay-under-fourth-ave-bridge-for-now

27. Lime Works to Recharge Its Seattle Bike Fleet, Following a Rash of Dead Batteries (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/lime-works-to-recharge-its-seattle-bike-fleet-following-a-rash-of-dead-batteries/

28. Daylight Saving Movement Gets Another Nudge, This Time from Canada (Northwest Public Radio)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/post/daylight-saving-movement-gets-another-nudge-time-canada

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Prosser Winery Dedicates Block of Vineyard to Passengers of United Flight 93

https://www.khq.com/news/winery-dedicates-block-of-vineyard-to-passengers-of-united-flight/article_90706c50-d4ff-11e9-9e47-a71ddfc45f2f.html

Swimsuit Controversy: Alaskan Swimmer Who Was Disqualified for ‘Curvier’ Figure Gets Win Reinstated

https://news.yahoo.com/swimsuit-controversy-alaskan-swimmer-disqualified-200541639.html

Bullied Boy Who Designed University of Tennessee T-Shirt Just Got Free Tuition to the College

https://beta.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/09/12/bullied-boy-who-designed-university-tennessee-t-shirt-just-got-free-tuition-college/

Study: Fewer ‘Economically Attractive’ Men to Blame for Marriage Decline

https://seattle.cbslocal.com/2019/09/12/study-fewer-economically-attractive-men-to-blame-for-marriage-decline/

SONG OF THE DAY

Emmylou Harris – Two More Bottles of Wine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Z2MGv7DLU

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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