The Energy News Digest for July 14, 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.

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

The Energy News Digest for July 12, 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.

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

Historic Summit of Pacific Northwest Tribes Presses Snake River Dam Removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/northwest/historic-summit-of-tribes-presses-dam-removal-on-inslee-biden-congress/

Oregon Wildfire Robs California of Critical Electricity Supply from Pacific Northwest During Heat Wave (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2021/07/oregon-wildfire-robs-california-of-critical-electricity-supply-from-pacific-northwest-during-heatwave.html

Idaho Power Set Record High 3,745 MW Electricity Usage in June (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/31042-idaho-power-set-record-high-3745-mw-electricity-usage-in-june/?amp

Bill Aims to Spend Billions to Fix Nation’s Aging Dams (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/bill-aims-spend-billions-fix-nations-aging-dams-78756529

Pandemic Garbage Boom Ignites Debate Over Waste as Energy (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-science-health-environment-and-nature-pandemics-1e8ce74a2d5d0b079beaac3327a87d19

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Oregon Wildfire Robs California of Critical Electricity Supply from Pacific Northwest During Heat Wave

2.      British Columbia’s Wildfire Service Battles 77 New Fires Over Weekend, Local State of Emergency Declared

3.      U.S. West Scorches Under Heat Wave, Death Valley Reaches 130 Degrees

4.      Residents of Gates, Oregon, Aim Their Ire at Pacific Power Nearly a Year After Their Town Burned

5.      Pacific Northwest Heat Wave ‘Virtually Impossible’ without Climate Change - Research

6.      Idaho Power Set Record High 3,745 MW Electricity Usage in June

7.      Bill Aims to Spend Billions to Fix Nation’s Aging Dams

8.      In The Pacific Northwest, Hydroelectric Dams Are Being Removed – This may be good news for salmon. It is less good for carbon-dioxide emissions

9.      Western States Have the Lowest Energy Costs

10.   Propane Prices in Washington State Will Continue to Soar Through Summer. Here’s Why

11.   Cities Want to Ban Natural Gas in New Construction. State Lawmakers Are Blocking Them

12.   As Momentum Builds for a Clean Energy Standard, Utility Trade Group Gets on Board — With Push for Partial Gas Credits

13.   River Nile Dam: Why Ethiopia Can’t Stop It Being Filled

14.   Guest Essay: Pacific Northwest Hydropower System Provides Hope in Climate Fight

15.   California: Guest Essay – Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Zero-Carbon Plan Is a Transformative Initiative for Clean Air & Sustainable Future

16.   Guest Essay: Columbia Basin Collaborative Anything But Collaborative

17.   Guest Essay: Electricity Transmission Deserves Bipartisan Focus

18.   Pandemic Garbage Boom Ignites Debate Over Waste as Energy

19.   Burning Garbage Helps Generate Power at 30-Year-Old Plant

20.   California PUC Opens ‘Mother of All Proceedings’ to Prepare the Grid for New Wave of Distributed Energy Resources

21.   California: Bat Death Toll Near Turbines Raises Concerns

22.   How Marginalized Communities in the South Are Paying the Price for ‘Green Energy’ in Europe

23.   New Energy Facility in Arizona Will Convert Cow Manure to Renewable Fuel for Cars, Heating Homes

24.   Heat Pumps are the Most Climate Friendly Way to Heat Homes, But Still Emit a Climate Super Pollutant, Despite the Availability of a Cleaner Chemical

25.   Historic Summit of Pacific Northwest Tribes Presses Snake River Dam Removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress

26.   With Snake River Spring, Summer Chinook on a ‘Quasi-Extinction Threshold,’ Pacific Northwest Tribes Call for Dam Removals

27.   Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s Billboard Accuses Seattle Leaders of ‘Environmental & Social Injustice’

28.   Science Shows Dams & Salmon Can Coexist, Newhouse Says

29.   Thousands of Fish Dropped from Plane to Restock Utah Lakes

30.   ‘Unrecognizable.’ Lake Mead, A Lifeline for Water in Los Angeles & the West, Tips Toward Crisis

31.   Key Players in California Water Confront Drought, Fish & More at Modesto Summit

32.   Hottest June On Record in the U.S., Second Hottest for Washington State

33.   Marbled Murrelet Gets Endangered Status in Oregon as Climate Change Threatens Its Survival

34.   The Ugly Side of 5G: New Cell Towers Spoil the Scenery & Crowd People’s Homes

35.   WA State: Pierce County Council Puts $15 Million Toward Broadband Infrastructure

36.   Broadband: FCC Should Analyze Small Business Speed Needs

37.   Bitcoin Miners Break New Ground in Texas, A State Hailed as the New Cryptocurrency Capital

38.   Critics: Postal Service Plans Imperil Community Newspapers

39.   Packing Tips for the Broadband Customer Journey

40.   Texas: Saharan Dust Brings Hazy Brazos Valley Skies This Week

41.   Meth Addiction in Fish Poses Threat to Ecosystem Balance, Study Says

42.   As Chatterjee’s Tenure Ends, FERC Could Be ‘Single Most Impactful Agency’ on Climate

43.   Records Retention Rage: Handling of Seattle Mayor’s Texts Brings $5 Million Claims Against Seattle

44.   Misunderstanding Public Rights-of-Way

WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Dibble • \DIB-bull\ • Noun - A small hand implement used to make holes in the ground for plants, seeds, or bulbs.

Dibble makes the hole

Gardener nurtures the seed

In time, nature blooms

WESTERN HEAT – THE DEVIL’S FRYING PAN

1.      Oregon Wildfire Robs California of Critical Electricity Supply from Pacific Northwest During Heat Wave (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2021/07/oregon-wildfire-robs-california-of-critical-electricity-supply-from-pacific-northwest-during-heatwave.html

2.      British Columbia’s Wildfire Service Battles 77 New Fires Over Weekend, Local State of Emergency Declared (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfires-weekend-1.6098451

3.      U.S. West Scorches Under Heat Wave, Death Valley Reaches 130 Degrees (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-west-scorches-under-heat-wave-death-valley-reaches-130-degrees-2021-07-12/

4.      Residents of Gates, Oregon, Aim Their Ire at Pacific Power Nearly a Year After Their Town Burned (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/12/residents-of-gates-oregon-aim-their-ire-at-pacific-power-nearly-a-year-after-their-town-burned/

5.      Pacific Northwest Heat Wave ‘Virtually Impossible’ without Climate Change - Research (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/heat-wave-pacific-northwest-could-soon-repeat-due-climate-change-research-2021-07-07/

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

6.      Idaho Power Set Record High 3,745 MW Electricity Usage in June (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/31042-idaho-power-set-record-high-3745-mw-electricity-usage-in-june/?amp

7.      Bill Aims to Spend Billions to Fix Nation’s Aging Dams (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/bill-aims-spend-billions-fix-nations-aging-dams-78756529

8.      In The Pacific Northwest, Hydroelectric Dams Are Being Removed – This may be good news for salmon. It is less good for carbon-dioxide emissions (The Economist Magazine)

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/07/10/in-the-pacific-north-west-hydroelectric-dams-are-being-removed

9.      Western States Have the Lowest Energy Costs (U.S. News & World Report)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2021-07-09/western-states-have-the-lowest-energy-costs

10.   Propane Prices in Washington State Will Continue to Soar Through Summer. Here’s Why (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article252678553.html

11.   Cities Want to Ban Natural Gas in New Construction. State Lawmakers Are Blocking Them (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/cities-want-to-ban-natural-gas-from-new-homes-state-lawmakers-try-to-stop-them/

12.   As Momentum Builds for a Clean Energy Standard, Utility Trade Group Gets on Board — With Push for Partial Gas Credits (Morning Consult)

https://morningconsult.com/2021/07/08/clean-energy-standard-utilities/

13.   River Nile Dam: Why Ethiopia Can’t Stop It Being Filled (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/river-nile-dam-why-ethiopia-050935577.html

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

14.   Guest Essay: Pacific Northwest Hydropower System Provides Hope in Climate Fight (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

https://www.eastoregonian.com/opinion/columnists/other-views-northwest-hydropower-system-provides-hope-in-climate-fight/article_81493342-daac-11eb-8787-838c452291d6.html

15.   California: Guest Essay – Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Zero-Carbon Plan Is a Transformative Initiative for Clean Air & Sustainable Future (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2021/07/12/smud-zero-carbon-plan.html

16.   Guest Essay: Columbia Basin Collaborative Anything But Collaborative (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

https://www.registerguard.com/story/opinion/letters/2021/07/08/columbia-river-salmon-snake-river-dam-removal-oregon-lawsuit-guest-view/7888913002/

17.   Guest Essay: Electricity Transmission Deserves Bipartisan Focus (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/561949-electricity-transmission-deserves-bipartisan-focus

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

18.   Pandemic Garbage Boom Ignites Debate Over Waste as Energy (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-science-health-environment-and-nature-pandemics-1e8ce74a2d5d0b079beaac3327a87d19

19.   Burning Garbage Helps Generate Power at 30-Year-Old Plant (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article252598758.html

20.   California PUC Opens ‘Mother of All Proceedings’ to Prepare the Grid for New Wave of Distributed Energy Resources (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-puc-opens-mother-of-all-proceedings-to-prepare-the-grid-for-ne/602913/

21.   California: Bat Death Toll Near Turbines Raises Concerns (The Independent, Livermore, CA)

https://www.independentnews.com/news/bat-death-toll-near-turbines-raises-concerns/article_180d3f82-dfec-11eb-9d35-1320c32c4b36.html

22.   How Marginalized Communities in the South Are Paying the Price for ‘Green Energy’ in Europe (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/07/us/american-south-biomass-energy-invs/

23.   New Energy Facility in Arizona Will Convert Cow Manure to Renewable Fuel for Cars, Heating Homes (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/new-energy-facility-in-arizona-will-convert-cow-manure-to-renewable-fuel-for-cars-heating-homes/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

24.   Heat Pumps are the Most Climate Friendly Way to Heat Homes, But Still Emit a Climate Super Pollutant, Despite the Availability of a Cleaner Chemical (Bloomberg News)

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12072021/heat-pumps-climate-efficiency-hfcs/

FISH & WILDLIFE

25.   Historic Summit of Pacific Northwest Tribes Presses Snake River Dam Removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/northwest/historic-summit-of-tribes-presses-dam-removal-on-inslee-biden-congress/

26.   With Snake River Spring, Summer Chinook on a ‘Quasi-Extinction Threshold,’ Pacific Northwest Tribes Call for Dam Removals (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/12/northwest-tribes-snake-river-dams-chinook/

27.   Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s Billboard Accuses Seattle Leaders of ‘Environmental & Social Injustice’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/investigations/upper-skagit-indian-tribe-billboard-in-seattle-highlights-environmental-struggle-with-city-light-gorge-dam/281-34317fcc-2e02-4ff5-9b6d-85449f2f60c5

28.   Science Shows Dams & Salmon Can Coexist, Newhouse Says (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)

https://www.pnwag.net/2021/07/06/science-shows-dams-and-salmon-can-coexist-newhouse-says/

29.   Thousands of Fish Dropped from Plane to Restock Utah Lakes (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-57793082

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

30.   ‘Unrecognizable.’ Lake Mead, A Lifeline for Water in Los Angeles & the West, Tips Toward Crisis (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-07-11/lake-mead-hoover-dam-drought-nevada-arizona-california

31.   Key Players in California Water Confront Drought, Fish & More at Modesto Summit (Modesto Bee, CA)

https://www.modbee.com/news/business/agriculture/article252666658.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

32.   Hottest June On Record in the U.S., Second Hottest for Washington State (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3029338/hottest-june-on-record-us/

33.   Marbled Murrelet Gets Endangered Status in Oregon as Climate Change Threatens Its Survival (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/10/marbled-murrelet-endangered-status-oregon-climate-change-threat/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

34.   The Ugly Side of 5G: New Cell Towers Spoil the Scenery & Crowd People’s Homes (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/5g-towers-dewey-beach/2021/07/11/455e3866-e0f4-11eb-9f54-7eee10b5fcd2_story.html

35.   WA State: Pierce County Council Puts $15 Million Toward Broadband Infrastructure (South Sound Business)

https://southsoundbiz.com/pierce-county-council-puts-15-million-toward-broadband-infrastructure/

36.   Broadband: FCC Should Analyze Small Business Speed Needs (Government Accounting Office)

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-494

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

37.   Bitcoin Miners Break New Ground in Texas, A State Hailed as the New Cryptocurrency Capital (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/07/08/bitcoin-mining-texas-electricity/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

38.   Critics: Postal Service Plans Imperil Community Newspapers (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-07-08/critics-postal-service-plans-imperil-community-newspapers

39.   Packing Tips for the Broadband Customer Journey (Pioneer Utility Resources)

https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/journey/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

40.   Texas: Saharan Dust Brings Hazy Brazos Valley Skies This Week (KBTX-TV, Bryan, TX)

https://www.kbtx.com/2021/07/12/saharan-dust-brings-hazy-brazos-valley-skies-this-week/

41.   Meth Addiction in Fish Poses Threat to Ecosystem Balance, Study Says (WAGA-TV, Atlanta, GA)

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/meth-addiction-in-fish-poses-threat-to-ecosystem-balance-study-says

BUSINESS, GOVERNANCE, & MANAGEMENT

42.   As Chatterjee’s Tenure Ends, FERC Could Be ‘Single Most Impactful Agency’ on Climate (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/as-chatterjees-tenure-ends-ferc-could-be-single-most-impactful-agency-o/603140/

43.   Records Retention Rage: Handling of Seattle Mayor’s Texts Brings $5 Million Claims Against Seattle (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, W)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Handling-of-mayor-s-texts-brings-5M-claims-16302616.php

44.   Misunderstanding Public Rights-of-Way (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/07/07/misunderstanding-public-rights-of-way/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Super Mario 64 Game Sells for Record-Breaking $1.5 Million at Auction

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57804089

Richard Branson Beats Jeff Bezos in Billionaire Space Race

https://news.yahoo.com/richard-branson-beats-jeff-bezos-111543167.html

‘There’s Definitely More’: Michigan Man Unearths More Than 150 Bowling Balls During Home Renovation

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/11/michigan-bowling-ball-home-renovation-discovery/7933631002/

Multnomah Falls Visitors Must Make Advance Reservations Starting July 20

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/multnomah-falls-visitors-must-make-advance-reservations-starting-july-20/283-7d92ef74-1499-4128-8b67-5ac325b518ec

SONG OF THE DAY

David Bowie – Space Oddity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjai76Bm9mA