The Energy News Digest for February 8, 2021

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

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson Releases Plan Calling for Breaching Snake River Dams after 2030 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/feb/07/rep-mike-simpson-of-idaho-releases-plan-calling-fo/

There Could Be an Energy Bill Debt Tsunami, Too – Unpaid utility bills have been piling up since the coronavirus crisis began (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-04/unpaid-energy-bills-bring-calls-for-utility-relief

Why Cheap Wind Power Is Making Quebec’s Big, Old Dams More Valuable as a ‘Battery,’ Say Experts (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/apuiat-dam-wind-power-1.5903334

Colorado River Outlook Darkens Dramatically in New Study (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ)

https://tucson.com/news/local/colorado-river-outlook-darkens-dramatically-in-new-study/article_15e0185d-60d7-597d-ba7f-366b8e69920e.html

Convergence Zone Snow Tonight & Major Lowland Snow Event Possible Later This Week (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/02/convergence-zone-snow-tonight-and-major.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson Releases Plan Calling for Breaching Snake River Dams after 2030

2.      GOP Congressman Pitches $34 Billion Plan to Breach Lower Snake River Dams in New Vision for Pacific Northwest

3.      This GOP Congressman Wants to Remove Four Dams to Save Idaho’s Salmon. It’ll Cost Billions.

4.      ‘Risky Proposition.’ Can $33 Billion Make Up for Loss of Snake River Dams? Tri-Cities Groups Leery

5.      Advocacy Group Advises Further Examination of Critical Issues Impacting Pacific NW Communities

6.      There Could Be an Energy Bill Debt Tsunami, Too – Unpaid utility bills have been piling up since the coronavirus crisis began

7.      American Utilities Are Getting Pummeled by Unpaid Bills

8.      WA State: Chelan PUD Commissioners Boost Fund to Help Cover the Bills for People in Need

9.      California Utilities to Spend Billions to Cut Wildfire Risk

10.   Coal-Fired Power Took a Beating During the Pandemic, Study Finds

11.   Rescuers in India Digging for 37 Trapped in Glacier Flood – Dam Burst

12.   Why Cheap Wind Power Is Making Quebec’s Big, Old Dams More Valuable as a ‘Battery,’ Say Experts

13.   EIA Projects Renewables Share of U.S. Electricity Generation Mix Will Double by 2050

14.   Wind Developers Are Retrofitting Newer Projects with Bigger, Better Blades

15.   WA State: Snohomish PUD Can Help Homeowners Harness the Power of the Sun

16.   Rooftop Solar Power Is on the Rise, But Canada Has Yet to Embrace Its Sunny Ways

17.   Energy Adviser: Upgrades Can Help You Save

18.   Arizona: Salt River Project Offering Customers Shade Trees to Save Energy, Conserve Water

19.   Bird Lovers Helping to Learn Why Haystack Rock Puffin Numbers Are Falling

20.   Oregon: Salmon in the Smoke – Recent Forest Fires Emphasize the Danger the McKenzie River’s Wild Chinook Salmon Are In

21.   Invasive Asian Carp Is Getting a New Name & a Public Makeover to Draw More Eaters

22.   Colorado River Outlook Darkens Dramatically in New Study

23.   Bitcoin’s Wild Ride Renews Worries About Its Massive Carbon Footprint

24.   Small Internet Service Providers Say SpaceX’s Starlink Shouldn’t Get Federal Funds to Expand Internet Access

25.   NTIA Provides More Details on $1 Billion Tribal Broadband Program

26.   WA State: ‘A Basic Requirement for Modern Life’: Hansen Bill Seeks to Bolster Broadband Rollout

27.   Montana Democrats Tout Bills to Expand Rural Broadband

28.   Idaho Governor Brad Little Visits Orofino to Check in on Broadband Expansion

29.   Alaska Communications Extends Broadband Connectivity to Rural Alaska

30.   Ford Boosts Investment Plan for Electric Vehicles & Self Driving Vehicles, Reports Loss

31.   2021: When Electric Trucks Trickle In

32.   Convergence Zone Snow Tonight & Major Lowland Snow Event Possible Later This Week

33.   APPA, Other Groups Call for a $10 Billion Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for LIHEAP

WORD OF THE DAY

Haughty /HOT-tee/ Adjective - Blatantly and disdainfully proud

The thin-lipped Duke strode across the crushed velvet carpet, his haughty demeanor in harsh contrast to the long strand of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson Releases Plan Calling for Breaching Snake River Dams after 2030 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/feb/07/rep-mike-simpson-of-idaho-releases-plan-calling-fo/

2.      GOP Congressman Pitches $34 Billion Plan to Breach Lower Snake River Dams in New Vision for Pacific Northwest (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/gop-congressman-pitches-34-billion-plan-to-breach-lower-snake-river-dams-in-new-vision-for-northwest/

3.      This GOP Congressman Wants to Remove Four Dams to Save Idaho’s Salmon. It’ll Cost Billions. (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article248988810.html

4.      ‘Risky Proposition.’ Can $33 Billion Make Up for Loss of Snake River Dams? Tri-Cities Groups Leery (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article248998910.html

5.      Advocacy Group Advises Further Examination of Critical Issues Impacting Pacific NW Communities (Northwest River Partners)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/advocacy-group-advises-further.html

6.      There Could Be an Energy Bill Debt Tsunami, Too – Unpaid utility bills have been piling up since the coronavirus crisis began (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-04/unpaid-energy-bills-bring-calls-for-utility-relief

7.      American Utilities Are Getting Pummeled by Unpaid Bills (Oil Price)

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/American-Utilities-Are-Getting-Pummeled-By-Unpaid-Bills.html

8.      WA State: Chelan PUD Commissioners Boost Fund to Help Cover the Bills for People in Need (Cashmere Valley Record, WA)

https://www.cashmerevalleyrecord.com/news/pud-commissioners-boost-fund-help-cover-bills-people-need

9.      California Utilities to Spend Billions to Cut Wildfire Risk (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-fires-california-utilities-san-diego-a60ca66f90009d234c193b7a8a6321d9

10.   Coal-Fired Power Took a Beating During the Pandemic, Study Finds (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/climate/coal-climate-change.html

11.   Rescuers in India Digging for 37 Trapped in Glacier Flood – Dam Burst (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/india-glacier-collapse-updates-782497632330d11acdb3b53c277283e8

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

12.   Why Cheap Wind Power Is Making Quebec’s Big, Old Dams More Valuable as a ‘Battery,’ Say Experts (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/apuiat-dam-wind-power-1.5903334

13.   EIA Projects Renewables Share of U.S. Electricity Generation Mix Will Double by 2050 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46676

14.   Wind Developers Are Retrofitting Newer Projects with Bigger, Better Blades (Energy News Network)

https://energynews.us/2021/02/04/midwest/wind-developers-are-retrofitting-newer-projects-with-bigger-better-blades/

15.   WA State: Snohomish PUD Can Help Homeowners Harness the Power of the Sun (Everett Herald, WA)

https://www.heraldnet.com/life/the-pud-can-help-homeowners-harness-the-power-of-the-sun/

16.   Rooftop Solar Power Is on the Rise, But Canada Has Yet to Embrace Its Sunny Ways (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/what-on-earth-rooftop-solar-power-canada-1.5901134?cmp=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

17.   Energy Adviser: Upgrades Can Help You Save (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/feb/06/energy-adviser-upgrades-can-help-you-save/

18.   Arizona: Salt River Project Offering Customers Shade Trees to Save Energy, Conserve Water (KTAR TV, Phoenix, AZ)

https://ktar.com/story/3985239/srp-offering-customers-shade-trees-to-save-energy-conserve-water/

FISH & WILDLIFE

19.   Bird Lovers Helping to Learn Why Haystack Rock Puffin Numbers Are Falling (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/08/cannon-beach-last-place-to-see-tufted-puffins-from-shore-but-for-how-long/

20.   Oregon: Salmon in the Smoke – Recent Forest Fires Emphasize the Danger the McKenzie River’s Wild Chinook Salmon Are In (Eugene Weekly, OR)

https://www.eugeneweekly.com/2021/02/04/salmon-in-the-smoke/

21.   Invasive Asian Carp Is Getting a New Name & a Public Makeover to Draw More Eaters (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/invasive-asian-carp-getting-name-111506073.html

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

22.   Colorado River Outlook Darkens Dramatically in New Study (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ)

https://tucson.com/news/local/colorado-river-outlook-darkens-dramatically-in-new-study/article_15e0185d-60d7-597d-ba7f-366b8e69920e.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

23.   Bitcoin’s Wild Ride Renews Worries About Its Massive Carbon Footprint (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/05/bitcoin-btc-surge-renews-worries-about-its-massive-carbon-footprint.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

24.   Small Internet Service Providers Say SpaceX’s Starlink Shouldn’t Get Federal Funds to Expand Internet Access (Markets Insider)

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/starlink-spacex-fcc-rural-america-2021-2-1030046137

25.   NTIA Provides More Details on $1 Billion Tribal Broadband Program (Telecompetitor)

https://www.telecompetitor.com/ntia-provides-more-details-on-1-billion-tribal-broadband-program/

26.   WA State: ‘A Basic Requirement for Modern Life’: Hansen Bill Seeks to Bolster Broadband Rollout (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2021/02/04/a-basic-requirement-modern-life-hansen-bill-seeks-bolster-broadband-rollout/4376022001/

27.   Montana Democrats Tout Bills to Expand Rural Broadband (Helena Independent-Record, MT)

https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/montana-democrats-touts-bills-to-expand-rural-broadband/article_6c24da49-60a8-5d4a-afc7-796195bcc5c5.html

28.   Idaho Governor Brad Little Visits Orofino to Check in on Broadband Expansion (KLEW-TV, Lewiston, ID)

https://klewtv.com/news/local/governor-brad-little-visits-orofino-to-to-check-in-on-broadband-expansion

29.   Alaska Communications Extends Broadband Connectivity to Rural Alaska (Capacity Media)

https://www.capacitymedia.com/articles/3827614/alaska-communications-extends-broadband-connectivity-to-rural-alaska

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

30.   Ford Boosts Investment Plan for Electric Vehicles & Self Driving Vehicles, Reports Loss (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/ford-motor-results/update-4-ford-boosts-investment-plan-for-evs-and-self-driving-vehicles-reports-loss-idUSL1N2KA31A

31.   2021: When Electric Trucks Trickle In (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-class-8-trucks-battery-hydrogen/594526/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

32.   Convergence Zone Snow Tonight & Major Lowland Snow Event Possible Later This Week (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/02/convergence-zone-snow-tonight-and-major.html

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

33.   APPA, Other Groups Call for a $10 Billion Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for LIHEAP (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/appa-other-groups-call-10-billion-emergency-supplemental-appropriation-liheap

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Big Crowd Turns Out for Annual Eaton Family Cattle Drive

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/big-crowd-turns-out-for-annual-cattle-drive/article_0ee3ab49-2654-592f-b563-393b1b7a388e.html

$22,000 Flute Lost on Chicago Train Turns Up in Pawn Shop

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/22-000-flute-lost-on-chicago-train-turns-up-in-pawn-shop/article_7334fbc4-17b1-50d1-a564-a2efb70e0869.html

Wallet Lost in Antarctica in ‘60s Returned to California Man

https://apnews.com/article/antarctica-california-san-diego-ba251d7bdfc451509e7339006ed69b1a

Shelter Offers to Have Cats Poop on the Names of Donors’ Exes

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/02/05/Shelter-offers-to-have-cats-poop-on-the-names-of-donors-exes/9021612555031/

SONG OF THE DAY

Jethro Tull – Bourée

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ZJGaT30wk

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.

Advocacy Group Advises Further Examination of Critical Issues Impacting Pacific NW Communities (Northwest River Partners)

US Rep. Mike Simpson (R - Idaho) has started discussions about a multi-billion-dollar proposal that could dramatically change the way electricity is provided and goods are delivered across the Pacific Northwest. The sheer magnitude of the plan and its timing, amid a federal stimulus push, has captured the region’s attention. Behind the plan is Rep. Simpson’s hope to put an end to the decades-long legal battle over salmon restoration and the lower Snake River dams.

The proposal, which continues to evolve, would create a $32 billion Columbia Basin Fund with many objectives, but the primary aim is to finance the breaching of the lower Snake River dams and to replace them with alternative forms of clean energy and batteries. Because the dams enable other critical benefits, such as transportation and irrigation, the fund would also attempt to compensate the many communities, farms, and businesses that depend on the dams as a mainstay for their livelihoods.

We are encouraged that the scale of the plan’s budget reflects the tremendous value that the lower Snake River dams bring to the region. That long-debated topic is effectively put to rest by the proposal’s significant price tag. Like Rep. Simpson, we also have a vision for regional collaboration that moves the Northwest beyond the courtroom and towards partnership. This collaboration is in the best interest of recovering threatened and endangered salmon populations while we work to achieve a clean and equitable energy future for all of our residents. We appreciate that the Simpson plan clearly reflects extensive input of tribal nations and hundreds of stakeholder groups.

At the same time, Northwest RiverPartners has long-opposed breaching the lower Snake River dams. We truly believe that carbon-free hydroelectricity is an important part of the solution to the salmon crisis. It is also a critical part of providing affordable, clean electricity to the region's vulnerable communities. While we remain open-minded about the Simpson proposal, there are several key issues in the plan that need to be addressed before we can consider it a fair and equitable solution for our Northwest communities.

First, we believe the case for breaching to save salmon lacks scientific rigor. Given the Pacific Coast-wide declines in salmon survival in both dammed and undammed rivers, it is hard to make the case that breaching dams with advanced fish passage technology will reverse this disturbing trend.

In addition, a growing body of science suggests warming, acidifying oceans are the driving factor behind worldwide declines in marine fish populations, including salmon. Breaching the lower Snake River dams does nothing to address this issue.

In fact, the Simpson proposal substantially increases the region’s C02 output by eliminating low-carbon barging and shifting transported goods to semi-trucks and rail. This shift could result in hundreds of thousands of additional tons of C02 in our atmosphere each year.

If sustainable salmon populations don’t return to the Snake River, US taxpayers will have footed the bill to the tune of tens of billions of dollars to end up with a larger carbon footprint than we have today.

We are also concerned by the speculative nature of the plan’s energy replacement component. Hydropower and pumped-storage dams are proven technologies that we can depend on, but long-duration utility-scale batteries and small modular nuclear reactors are still very much in the exploratory stage. We welcome the advancement of these technologies, but the region’s electric customers should not be made reliant on technological breakthroughs to keep the lights on.

We also urge a more circumspect approach to the topic of litigation. The Simpson plan includes a 35-year moratorium on salmon-related lawsuits against dam operators, but with the multitude of laws and regulations governing waterways, we are worried the plan may fall short. We are particularly concerned that state jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act provides an open door for additional legal actions. As it stands, the proposed moratorium seems ripe for a legal challenge and warrants additional safeguards.

Many families in the Northwest rely on dam-dependent employment, whether they are seasonal farmworkers or riverboat operators. Any plan around dam removal must consider how we specifically support these families. As we’ve learned throughout the pandemic, a check from the government cannot make up for the loss of one’s career. We must ensure the transition of livelihoods for those who rely on the lower Snake River dams.

We believe Rep. Simpson’s plan has the best of intentions, and it deserves to be vetted among Northwest stakeholder groups. However, considering the extremely high stakes involved, we cannot afford to ignore the need for a much more thorough analysis of what the plan can actually deliver and the deep impact it may have on our diverse Northwest communities.

The Energy News Digest for February 3, 2021

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

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

WA State: City of Seattle OKs Measure to End Much Commercial Natural Gas Use (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/02/bc-wa-seattle-curbing-natural-gas-use/

Daily U.S. Wind Energy Generation Sets New Record in December- EIA (Yahoo News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/daily-u-wind-energy-generation-161007499.html

‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Southwest Power Pool Begins Operating Western Imbalance Market (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/this-is-just-the-beginning-southwest-power-pool-begins-operating-western/594334/

Study: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Added Heat to Warming Planet (KOMO News, Seattle WA)

https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/study-pandemics-cleaner-air-added-heat-to-warming-planet

Portland General Electric Offers Electric Vehicle Charger Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/portland-general-electric-offers.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      WA State: City of Seattle OKs Measure to End Much Commercial Natural Gas Use

2.      ‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Southwest Power Pool Begins Operating Western Imbalance Market

3.      Op/Ed: Federal Energy Regulatory Committee Complaint Filed Against Tennessee Valley Authority Could Cause Major Rumblings

4.      Arizona: Salt River Project Board Votes to Delay Price Increases until November

5.      Podcast – Past the Dams, Tribes Help the Columbia River Roll On

6.      As Ethiopia Fills Its Nile Dam, Regional Rivalries Overflow

7.      Alabama: What Kinds of Hazards Do Linemen Face Daily? Power Company Explains

8.      Daily U.S. Wind Energy Generation Sets New Record in December- EIA

9.      Portland, Building on Early Wind History, Teems with Renewable Energy Leadership

10.   WA State: Pandemic Slows Growth of the Clean-Tech Sector — For Now

11.   Pacific Gas & Electric Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities

12.   The Empire State Building Runs on the Wind Now

13.   Op/Ed: Want Environmental Justice? Look to Energy Efficiency.

14.   Washington State Wildlife Officials Ask Residents to Take Down Bird Feeders amid Outbreak of Salmonellosis

15.   Bonneville Power Administration Helps Restore & Protect Columbia River Basin Wetlands

16.   Study: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Added Heat to Warming Planet

17.   U.S. Cities Are Vastly Undercounting Emissions, Researchers Find

18.   Biden Team in Talks with Utilities, Car Companies about Emissions: Climate Adviser

19.   WA State: Grays Harbor PUD Launches Feasibility Study for East County-SR 12 Broadband

20.   WA State: Team Seeks to Wire Adams County for Broadband

21.   Washington State Ports Lead Charge for Rural Internet Service

22.   Tribal Business, Government, & Education Efforts Boosted by Broadband Funding

23.   Charter Shares $5 Billion Broadband Plan & Pole Concerns

24.   Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon’s CEO

25.   Google Wants Americans to Subsidize Its Electric Bill

26.   Portland General Electric Offers Electric Vehicle Charger Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control

27.   Utah Legislators Advance Bill to Increase Registration Fees on Electric Cars

28.   Tesla Recalls Nearly 135,000 Model S & X Cars Because of Failing Touchscreens

29.   Editorial: Environmentalists Should Lead the Charge against Electric Vehicles

30.   Why ‘Section 230’ Is at the Heart of Fights Over Online Speech

31.   Burst of Tremor Activity Likely Won’t Pose Risk to Washington State

32.   Washington State Senate Bill 5244 – Needed Support for Nuclear Power

33.   Op/Ed: Collaboration, Not Confrontation – Setting the Stage for Success between FERC & the States

34.   Buttigieg Confirmation for U.S. Dept of Transportation Boosts Hope for Massive Infrastructure Investment

WORD OF THE DAY

Efflorescence \eff-luh-RESS-suns\ Noun - 1a: the action or process of developing and unfolding as if coming into flower b: an instance of such development c: fullness of manifestation: culmination 2: the period or state of flowering 3: the process or product of efflorescing chemically

“Blink and its gone,” bellowed the intergalactic Master Gardener to his well-behaved minions, trailing behind him like so many ducklings as they trekked across the plans of Minubious-Two on their way to observe the once millennial efflorescence of the “scavenging blink-flower.” Unfortunately for the group, their attention at the exact time of flowering was diverted at the worst time, as one of the sentient talking dogs of Canis Carnivora barked “squirrel” at a small rodent running across the remote mountain trail.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      WA State: City of Seattle OKs Measure to End Much Commercial Natural Gas Use (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/02/bc-wa-seattle-curbing-natural-gas-use/

2.      ‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Southwest Power Pool Begins Operating Western Imbalance Market (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/this-is-just-the-beginning-southwest-power-pool-begins-operating-western/594334/

3.      Op/Ed: Federal Energy Regulatory Committee Complaint Filed Against Tennessee Valley Authority Could Cause Major Rumblings (The Tennessean, Nashville, TN)

https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2021/02/02/complaint-filed-against-tva-could-cause-major-rumbling-s-memphis-deal/4348933001/

4.      Arizona: Salt River Project Board Votes to Delay Price Increases until November (KTAR News, Phoenix, AZ)

https://ktar.com/story/3961258/srp-board-votes-to-delay-price-increases-until-november/

5.      Podcast – Past the Dams, Tribes Help the Columbia River Roll On (Crosscut Seattle)

https://crosscut.com/podcast/crosscut-escapes/1/6/podcast-past-dams-tribes-help-columbia-river-roll

6.      As Ethiopia Fills Its Nile Dam, Regional Rivalries Overflow (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2021/0201/As-Ethiopia-fills-its-Nile-dam-regional-rivalries-overflow

7.      Alabama: What Kinds of Hazards Do Linemen Face Daily? Power Company Explains (WDHN-TV, Dothan, AL)

https://www.dothanfirst.com/news/local-news/what-kinds-of-hazards-do-linemen-face-daily-power-company-explains/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

8.      Daily U.S. Wind Energy Generation Sets New Record in December- EIA (Yahoo News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/daily-u-wind-energy-generation-161007499.html

9.      Portland, Building on Early Wind History, Teems with Renewable Energy Leadership (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/portland-building-on-early-wind-history.html

10.   WA State: Pandemic Slows Growth of the Clean-Tech Sector — For Now (Everett Herald, WA)

https://www.heraldnet.com/business/pandemic-slows-growth-of-the-clean-tech-sector-for-now/

11.   Pacific Gas & Electric Plans Utility-Owned ‘Remote Grids’ for Isolated Communities (GreenTech Media)

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/pge-plans-utility-owned-remote-grids-for-isolated-communities

12.   The Empire State Building Runs on the Wind Now (Gizmodo)

https://earther.gizmodo.com/the-empire-state-building-runs-on-the-wind-now-1846189711

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

13.   Op/Ed: Want Environmental Justice? Look to Energy Efficiency. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/agenda/2021/02/01/you-want-environmental-justice-look-to-energy-efficiency-463839

FISH & WILDLIFE

14.   Washington State Wildlife Officials Ask Residents to Take Down Bird Feeders amid Outbreak of Salmonellosis (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/take-down-bird-feeders-in-washington-outbreak-15918454.php

15.   Bonneville Power Administration Helps Restore & Protect Columbia River Basin Wetlands (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-helps-restore-and-protect-Columbia-River-Basin-wetlands.aspx

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

16.   Study: Pandemic’s Cleaner Air Added Heat to Warming Planet (KOMO News, Seattle WA)

https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/study-pandemics-cleaner-air-added-heat-to-warming-planet

17.   U.S. Cities Are Vastly Undercounting Emissions, Researchers Find (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/climate/cities-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html

18.   Biden Team in Talks with Utilities, Car Companies about Emissions: Climate Adviser (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climate-biden-idUSKBN2A31JH

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

19.   WA State: Grays Harbor PUD Launches Feasibility Study for East County-SR 12 Broadband (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

https://www.kxro.com/pud-launches-feasibility-study-for-east-county-sr-12-broadband/

20.   WA State: Team Seeks to Wire Adams County for Broadband (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/feb/03/team-seeks-wire-adams-county-broad/

21.   Washington State Ports Lead Charge for Rural Internet Service (Government Technology)

https://www.govtech.com/network/Washington-Ports-Lead-Charge-for-Rural-Internet-Service.html

22.   Tribal Business, Government, & Education Efforts Boosted by Broadband Funding (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)

https://www.klcc.org/post/tribal-business-government-and-education-efforts-boosted-broadband-funding

23.   Charter Shares $5 Billion Broadband Plan & Pole Concerns (Telecoms)

https://telecoms.com/508474/charter-shares-5-billion-broadband-plan-and-pole-concerns/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

24.   Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon’s CEO (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/jeff-bezos-steps-down-as-amazons-ceo-1846184340

25.   Google Wants Americans to Subsidize Its Electric Bill (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ikebrannon/2021/02/02/google-wants-americans-to-subsidize-their-electric-bill/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

26.   Portland General Electric Offers Electric Vehicle Charger Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/portland-general-electric-offers.html

27.   Utah Legislators Advance Bill to Increase Registration Fees on Electric Cars (KUTV-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-legislators-advance-bill-to-increase-registration-fees-on-electric-cars

28.   Tesla Recalls Nearly 135,000 Model S & X Cars Because of Failing Touchscreens (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/tesla-model-x-s-recall-touchscreen/

29.   Editorial: Environmentalists Should Lead the Charge against Electric Vehicles (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/536296-environmentalists-should-lead-the-charge-against-electric-vehicles

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

30.   Why ‘Section 230’ Is at the Heart of Fights Over Online Speech (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/why-section-230-is-at-the-heartof-fights-over-online-speech/2021/02/02/7296c794-65b1-11eb-bab8-707f8769d785_story.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

31.   Burst of Tremor Activity Likely Won’t Pose Risk to Washington State (KING-TV – Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/weather/earthquakes/unlikely-change-to-tremor-activity-poses-risk-to-washington-state/281-08e35663-1c94-4d65-88f5-d7444072fde8

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

32.   Washington State Senate Bill 5244 – Needed Support for Nuclear Power (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2021/02/03/washington-state-senate-bill-5244--needed-support-for-nuclear-power/?sh=6ee0333e3b8b

33.   Op/Ed: Collaboration, Not Confrontation – Setting the Stage for Success between FERC & the States (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/collaboration-not-confrontation-setting-the-stage-for-success-between-fer/594319/

34.   Buttigieg Confirmation for U.S. Dept of Transportation Boosts Hope for Massive Infrastructure Investment (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/buttigieg-confirmation-boosts-hope-for-massive-infrastructure-investment/594453/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Ancient Mummies with Golden Tongues Unearthed in Egypt

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55902631

Migratory Birds in Texas Getting Drunk on Fermented Berries

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/02/02/Migratory-birds-getting-drunk-on-fermented-berries-in-Texas/9441612297443/

At the Ilani Casino – Edible Race Cars Break Guinness Records in Washington State

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/02/03/Edible-race-cars-break-Guinness-records-in-Washington-state/9461612374466/

The Live Cam That Shows You the Emerald Northern Lights Is Back

https://mashable.com/article/northern-lights-live-cam-aurora-borealis/

SONG OF THE DAY

Journey – Lights

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

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.

Portland General Electric Offers Electric Vehicle Charger Rebates to Residential Customers Who Cede Some Control (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Portland General Electric has begun offering residential electric vehicle charger rebates of $500 — $1,000 for low-income households — with a catch that reflects a key concern of a switch to EVs that the state is eager to see happen.

Participants in the $17 million pilot program, approved by state regulators last October after long negotiations with ratepayer advocates and other stakeholders, are required to cede some control of their EV charger to the utility.

The concept is known in electricity circles as demand response. It’s commonly used with big customers who get paid to reduce their electricity use when trimming demand is more economical than increasing supply.

Because EVs represent a potentially big new power draw, utilities and ratepayer advocates are eager to shift demand from peak periods and toward times when energy, particularly from renewable sources, is abundant.

So the rebate program requires charging devices that are demand-response enabled, and enrollment in a program PGE calls “Smart Charging.” Under the program, the utility can call “managed charging events” during which it takes control of the customer’s charging device.

Customers can bow out of a particular event, but if they participate in three during a Smart Charging “season” — seasons run October to March and April to September — they get a $25 bill credit.

PGE believes the rebate program could pay for itself by boosting revenue through increased sales, and by trimming the likely increase to peak demand, thus avoiding new capacity costs.

The utility had originally proposed a program that would use time-of-use rates to manage demand. That remains a voluntary option under the adopted program.

PGE aims to sign up 5,000 customers in the rebate program by February 2024. That spring, a final report on the project is due, which regulators expect to use in deciding whether to make the program permanent.

In filings, PGE said the basic $500 rebate for a Level 2 home charging station would cover a bit more than a quarter of the estimated $1,840 total cost for the equipment and installation. The higher rebate is available to households that have income less than 80% of the area median.

Portland, Building on Early Wind History, Teems with Renewable Energy Leadership (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Much has been written about the state of Portland recently, but here’s a fresh take: There are a heck of a lot of renewable energy movers and shakers kicking around town.

That’s the realization after taking a closer look at announcements in January by two previously under-the-radar companies, reporting on news from another pair last fall, and factoring in familiar longtime players like Avangrid Renewables and Vestas (not to mention PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric and the Bonneville Power Administration, all of which have significant renewables sides).

“There is a really strong diaspora of energy executives here and, and I think more and more these days, they're all kind of pivoting into renewable energy,” Alex Ellis said.

Ellis is one of four partners at Excelsior Energy Capital. He forms the Portland outpost of a company headquartered in the Minneapolis suburb for which it’s named.

In early January, Excelsior announced a $504 million renewable energy investment fund that it’s using to buy, develop and operate solar and energy-storage projects in North America.

A couple of weeks later, Primergy Solar put out news about its growth, including a raft of new executive hirings as it builds a portfolio of projects for Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners.

Primergy is officially based in Oakland, but the guy heading that burgeoning executive team, CEO Ty Daul, is in, you guessed it, Portland.

“I think a lot of that Portland concentration stems from the early days of wind,” Daul said.

That was at PPM Energy, a Portland-based arm of Scottish Power that developed wind projects in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere when the modern industry was really getting going in the 2000s. In 2007, the Spanish utility company Iberdrola acquired Scottish Power (two years after Berkshire Hathaway bought PacifiCorp from Scottish Power). PPM Energy became Iberdrola Renewables and later morphed into Avangrid Renewables.

“A lot of the individuals and professionals here in Portland either were part of that original group or competed directly with PPM Energy back in the early 2000s,” Daul said.

Ellis wasn’t among them. Looking to get into renewables, he arrived in Portland in 2009 — to work for Daul at Element Power.

That was a Portland-based company that, with Daul as CEO and another PPMer, Raimund Grube, as president and chief operating officer in North America, built a portfolio of solar and wind projects for the private equity firm Hudson Clean Energy Partners.

Jesse Gronner is another Portland exec with PPM roots, which extended into a run at Iberdrola/Avangrid Renewables, where he led renewable energy development for several years until early 2020. Later in the year he founded Triple Oak Power, a wind power development company focused on onshore wind with majority backing from EnCap Investments L.P., a Houston-based oil-and-gas private equity firm that’s growing a clean energy side.

About the same time, Portland-based Skyline Renewables — headed by Martin Mugica, a former chief executive at Iberdrola Renewables — announced a move into solar in Texas, adding to a growing portfolio of wind farms mostly in the Lone Star state.

The companies these executives help run haven’t brought new renewables to Oregon, at least yet.

“We haven't made an investment here,” Ellis, of Excelsior, said, “but we do have an exciting partnership with Unico Solar Investors.” That’s the solar investment and development unit of Unico Investments Group, which is based in Seattle — not Portland, but pretty close.

“Unico has a big presence here in Oregon, and we're hoping to do more with them in the state,” Ellis said.