Monday, July 15, 2019

Energy News Digest for July 15, 2019


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





HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Alaska: A Decision by the Governor, & Legislators’ Inaction, May Spike the Cost of Electricity in Rural Alaska (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

REC to Shutter Moses Lake Silicon Plant (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Size Limit on Fraser River Chinook Salmon Introduced to Help Fish Blocked at Landslide (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Coal Consumption Down – Energy Information Administration Expects U.S. Energy-Related CO2 Emissions to Fall in 2019 (U.S. Information Administration)

Hood Canal Blooms Again – Biologists Assess Role of Armored Plankton (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Alaska: A Decision by the Governor, & Legislators’ Inaction, May Spike the Cost of Electricity in Rural Alaska
2.      Power Restored after Massive Outage in Lewis County
3.      Maui Electric Customers Asked to Conserve Energy after Wildland Fire Damages Grid
4.      Mason County’s Two PUD Commissions Support Lower Snake River Dams
5.      Northwest Requirements Utilities Names New Chief Executive Officer
6.      Changing of the Guard at Clark Public Utilities – Wittler Takes Over as Utility Wins 12th Consecutive Award for Customer Service
7.      Grant PUD Receives National Award for Community Service Efforts
8.      Congress Mobilizes on Cyber Threats to Electric Grid
9.      President Trump Rejects Import Quotas on Uranium – Creates Group to Find Ways to Boost Domestic Production
10.   Earthquakes Shake Up Yucca Mountain Nuke Dump Talk in Nevada
11.   Alex City Artist Dies after Being Electrocuted
12.   Lichtenberg Wood Art
13.   Size Limit on Fraser River Chinook Salmon Introduced to Help Fish Blocked at Landslide
14.   ‘Very Serious Challenge’: Politicians Tour Site of Fraser River Rock Slide That’s Blocked Migrating Salmon
15.   Chinook Salmon Fishery Opens Tuesday on Columbia
16.   Oregon: Will a $500 Million Project at Detroit Lake Save Endangered Salmon & Steelhead?
17.   British Columbia: $188,000 Funding Provided for Campbell River Spawning Gravel Replacement
18.   Here’s How Ecology Hopes to Prevent a Repeat of the 2017 Atlantic Salmon Pen Collapse
19.   ‘Ghost Nets’: How Lost & Abandoned Fishing Gear Is Destroying Marine Wildlife
20.   Hood Canal Blooms Again – Biologists Assess Role of Armored Plankton
21.   Oklahoma: Aging Small Dams Still Have Big Impact in Period of Extreme Weather
22.   REC to Shutter Moses Lake Silicon Plant
23.   Montana Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project Lines Up Financial Partner
24.   What Most Americans Are Looking for in a New Home: Solar Panels
25.   FCC Tees Up Vote on $20 Billion Rural Broadband Fund
26.   No, 5G Isn’t Going to Make Your 4G LTE Phone Obsolete
27.   Broadband & Education – The Homework Gap
28.   Op/Ed: Consumers Suffer Under California Broadband Deregulation
29.   Wisconsin: CenturyLink in Holding Pattern on Broadband Internet Expansion
30.   Facebook Is Staring Down a Record-Setting $5 Billion Fine
31.   Bitcoin Drops More Than 10% as Scrutiny of Cryptocurrencies Grows
32.   Coal Consumption Down – Energy Information Administration Expects U.S. Energy-Related CO2 Emissions to Fall in 2019
33.   Op/Ed: Extending the Lives of Nuclear Energy Plants Will Help to Combat Climate Change Threat
34.   Toxic Giant Hogweed Sap That Burns, Blisters Skin Found in Clark County
35.   Law Protects Those with Obesity from Discrimination, Washington State Supreme Court Says
36.   5,000-Acre Wildfire Burning in Grant County Caused by Motorcycle Crash
37.   Tacoma Police Kill Man Who Was Allegedly Trying to Set Fire to Detention Center
38.   Don’t Open Any Amazon Prime Day Emails, Just in Case
39.   A Wet Week During the Driest Time of the Year

WORD OF THE DAY

Didactic • \die DACK-tick\ • adjective - 1a: designed or intended to teach b: intended to convey instruction & information as well as pleasure & entertainment 2: making moral observations

Mob Toughs Prepare to Teach Danny Rose a Lesson:

Danny: I got nothing against him. I just met him today. I liked his poem. What’s under discussion here is the girl’s feelings. Where is the girl?
Toughs: We’re gonna take real good care of you, pal.
Danny: I wanna say one thing, and I don’t mean to be didactic or facetious in any manner.
She doesn’t love him. She doesn’t love him anymore.

Ah yes…one of my favorite scenes from just about any Woody Allen movie. I give you “Broadway Danny Rose.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    Alaska: A Decision by the Governor, & Legislators’ Inaction, May Spike the Cost of Electricity in Rural Alaska (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

2.    Power Restored after Massive Outage in Lewis County (Longview Daily News, WA)

3.    Maui Electric Customers Asked to Conserve Energy after Wildland Fire Damages Grid (Honolulu Star Advertiser, HI)

4.    Mason County’s Two PUD Commissions Support Lower Snake River Dams (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

5.    Northwest Requirements Utilities Names New Chief Executive Officer (Northwest Requirements Utilities, Portland, OR)

6.    Changing of the Guard at Clark Public Utilities – Wittler Takes Over as Utility Wins 12th Consecutive Award for Customer Service (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

7.    Grant PUD Receives National Award for Community Service Efforts (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

8.    Congress Mobilizes on Cyber Threats to Electric Grid (The Hill, Washington, DC)

9.    President Trump Rejects Import Quotas on Uranium – Creates Group to Find Ways to Boost Domestic Production (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

10. Earthquakes Shake Up Yucca Mountain Nuke Dump Talk in Nevada (Associated Press)

11. Alex City Artist Dies after Being Electrocuted (WTVM-TV, Columbus, GA)

12. Lichtenberg Wood Art (YouTube)

FISH & WILDLIFE

13. Size Limit on Fraser River Chinook Salmon Introduced to Help Fish Blocked at Landslide (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

14. ‘Very Serious Challenge’: Politicians Tour Site of Fraser River Rock Slide That’s Blocked Migrating Salmon (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

15. Chinook Salmon Fishery Opens Tuesday on Columbia (NCW Life News, East Wenatchee, WA)

16. Oregon: Will a $500 Million Project at Detroit Lake Save Endangered Salmon & Steelhead? (Salem Statesman-Journal)

17. British Columbia: $188,000 Funding Provided for Campbell River Spawning Gravel Replacement (Campbell River Mirror, BC)

18. Here’s How Ecology Hopes to Prevent a Repeat of the 2017 Atlantic Salmon Pen Collapse (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

19. ‘Ghost Nets’: How Lost & Abandoned Fishing Gear Is Destroying Marine Wildlife (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

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

20. Hood Canal Blooms Again – Biologists Assess Role of Armored Plankton (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton – Paywall Advisory)

21. Oklahoma: Aging Small Dams Still Have Big Impact in Period of Extreme Weather (The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

22. REC to Shutter Moses Lake Silicon Plant (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

23. Montana Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project Lines Up Financial Partner (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

24. What Most Americans Are Looking for in a New Home: Solar Panels (Fast Company)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

25. FCC Tees Up Vote on $20 Billion Rural Broadband Fund (MeriTalk)

26. No, 5G Isn’t Going to Make Your 4G LTE Phone Obsolete (C|Net News)

27. Broadband & Education – The Homework Gap (Pots & Pans)

28. Op/Ed: Consumers Suffer Under California Broadband Deregulation (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

29. Wisconsin: CenturyLink in Holding Pattern on Broadband Internet Expansion (Merrill Foto News, Waupaca, WI)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

30. Facebook Is Staring Down a Record-Setting $5 Billion Fine (USA Today)

31. Bitcoin Drops More Than 10% as Scrutiny of Cryptocurrencies Grows (Reuters)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

32. Coal Consumption Down – Energy Information Administration Expects U.S. Energy-Related CO2 Emissions to Fall in 2019 (U.S. Information Administration)

33. Op/Ed: Extending the Lives of Nuclear Energy Plants Will Help to Combat Climate Change Threat (Forbes Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

34. Toxic Giant Hogweed Sap That Burns, Blisters Skin Found in Clark County (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

35. Law Protects Those with Obesity from Discrimination, Washington State Supreme Court Says (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

36. 5,000-Acre Wildfire Burning in Grant County Caused by Motorcycle Crash (KOMO TV, Seattle, WA)

37. Tacoma Police Kill Man Who Was Allegedly Trying to Set Fire to Detention Center (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

38. Don’t Open Any Amazon Prime Day Emails, Just in Case (Gizmodo)

39. A Wet Week During the Driest Time of the Year (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Feds Warn UFO Enthusiasts against Storming Area 51: The Military ‘Stands Ready’

Toxic Lake in Russia’s Siberia Becomes Selfie Sensation

What Happened to the 1200 Paintings Painted by Bob Ross? The Mystery Has Finally Been Solved

The Longest Toilet Break? Belgian Sits for Five Days in Bid for Record

SONG OF THE DAY

John Williams – Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Main Theme – Soundtrack Suite)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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