Thursday, December 19, 2019

Energy News Digest for December 19, 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

Winter Storm Warning Brings Heavy Mountain Snow, Dangerous Driving Conditions (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Court: Washington State Lawmakers Subject to Records Act (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison Can’t Raise Profit Margins, Regulators Decide (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Tesla to Provide 93 MWh Grid-Scale Storage Battery for Homer Electric Association in Alaska (CleanTechnica)

Washington’s Big, Ugly Clams Caught Up in Trade War. It’s Hurting Businesses, State (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.        Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison Can’t Raise Profit Margins, Regulators Decide
2.        Archived Video – Scott Corwin at 41:20 in the video: Full Committee Hearing to Examine the Impacts of Wildfire on Electric Grid Reliability
3.        Snohomish County PUD Board Approves 2020 Budget with No Rate Increase
4.        USDA Approves Loan for Tillamook PUD Electricity Infrastructure
5.        Meet the Bonneville Power Administration’s Tribal Affairs Team
6.        Xcel, Three Other Colorado Utilities Choose California’s Imbalance Market over Southwest Power Pool
7.        Chelan PUD Announces Handy Generator Tips to Keep Residents & Crews Safe
8.        Tennessee Valley Authority Gets Nation’s First Approval to Potentially Build & Operate Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
9.        Congress Passes RURAL Act, Preserves Co-ops’ Tax-Exempt Status
10.     U.S. Senator Gillibrand Urges Dam Safety Initiative
11.     Georgia Approves Almost $1.8 Billion in Rate Hikes to Cover Coal Ash Clean Up
12.     Russia’s First Floating Nuclear Power Plant Turns On, Set to Replace Coal
13.     French Union Activists Cut Power to Thousands, Eiffel Tower Staff Walks Out as Strikes Continue
14.     Florida Man Pays Electric Bills for 36 Families About to Lose Power
15.     Washington’s Big, Ugly Clams Caught Up in Trade War. It’s Hurting Businesses, State
16.     Herring a Key Food Source & a Candidate for Endangered Species Status
17.     Washington State Recommends Leaving Pocket Gopher on Threatened List
18.     Officials Say Fewer Eagles Returning to Lake Coeur D’Alene
19.     Seattle Barrel Company Used ‘Hidden Drain’ to Dump Caustic Material into Sewer, Federal Prosecutors Say
20.     Tesla to Provide 93 MWh Grid-Scale Storage Battery for Homer Electric Association in Alaska
21.     Nevada: Governors Seek Funds to Improve Broadband in Rural West
22.     Facebook to Tackle Efforts to Interfere with 2020 U.S. Census
23.     British Columbia’s Clear-Cut Forests Are ‘Dead Zones,’ Emitting More Greenhouse Gases Than They Absorb, New Report Finds
24.     Mandi Hitt, Trudy Tracy Named Pioneer Utility Resources’ 2019 Communications Team of the Year
25.     Op/Ed: Ian Cope – When the Children’s Game Ends, Let the Tears Flow
26.     Court: Washington State Lawmakers Subject to Records Act
27.     Washington State Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, Requirements for Ride-Hailing Companies Among Gov. Inslee’s Climate Proposals
28.     Washington State Farm Bureau: Big Concerns in 2020 Include Low Carbon, Gas Tax
29.     Former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland Declares for Congress
30.     Winter Storm Warning Brings Heavy Mountain Snow, Dangerous Driving Conditions
31.     Mason County, Western Washington Flood Watch Through Weekend
32.     ‘Category 3’ Atmospheric River Heading Our Way. What’s That Mean?!?
33.     One Injured in Shelton Head-On
34.     Two Earthquakes Recorded Near Fall City Hours Apart
35.     Report: Othello Expected to Be Crowned ‘King of the World’ in Potato Production

WORD OF THE DAY

Trope • \trōp\ • noun - 1a: a word or expression used in a figurative sense: figure of speech b: a common or overused theme or device: cliché 2: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

“Ahh…the smells of the circus, the call of the barkers, the show man; the SHOW,” enthused the manager of the menagerie to his new hire. “All those tropes about the circus being the greatest show on earth are true,” the grizzled veteran crowed to the fresh-faced recruit.

“But you’re in charge of cleaning up after the elephants,” squeaked the wet-behind-the-ears rookie. “Have you ever thought about getting another job?”

“What,” barked the stoop-shouldered gaffer, “and give up show business?”

(Insert Rim-Shot Here)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.        Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison Can’t Raise Profit Margins, Regulators Decide (Los Angeles Times, CA)


3.        Snohomish County PUD Board Approves 2020 Budget with No Rate Increase (My Edmonds News, WA)

4.        USDA Approves Loan for Tillamook PUD Electricity Infrastructure (Tillamook Headlight-Herald, OR)

5.        Meet the Bonneville Power Administration’s Tribal Affairs team (Bonneville Power Administration)

6.        Xcel, Three Other Colorado Utilities Choose California’s Imbalance Market over Southwest Power Pool (Utility Dive)

7.        Chelan PUD Announces Handy Generator Tips to Keep Residents & Crews Safe (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

8.        Tennessee Valley Authority Gets Nation’s First Approval to Potentially Build & Operate Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (Utility Dive)

9.        Congress Passes RURAL Act, Preserves Co-ops’ Tax-Exempt Status (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

10.     U.S. Senator Gillibrand Urges Dam Safety Initiative (Politico Morning Energy)

11.     Georgia Approves Almost $1.8 Billion in Rate Hikes to Cover Coal Ash Clean Up (Utility Dive)

12.     Russia’s First Floating Nuclear Power Plant Turns On, Set to Replace Coal (Forbes Magazine)

13.     French Union Activists Cut Power to Thousands, Eiffel Tower Staff Walks Out as Strikes Continue (TIME Magazine)

14.     Florida Man Pays Electric Bills for 36 Families About to Lose Power (Tampa Bay Times, FL)

FISH & WILDLIFE

15.     Washington’s Big, Ugly Clams Caught Up in Trade War. It’s Hurting Businesses, State (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

16.     Herring a Key Food Source & a Candidate for Endangered Species Status (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

17.     Washington State Recommends Leaving Pocket Gopher on Threatened List (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

18.     Officials Say Fewer Eagles Returning to Lake Coeur D’Alene (Associated Press)

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

19.     Seattle Barrel Company Used ‘Hidden Drain’ to Dump Caustic Material into Sewer, Federal Prosecutors Say (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

20.     Tesla to Provide 93 MWh Grid-Scale Storage Battery for Homer Electric Association in Alaska (CleanTechnica)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

21.     Nevada: Governors Seek Funds to Improve Broadband in Rural West (The Elko Daily Free Press, NV)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

22.     Facebook to Tackle Efforts to Interfere with 2020 U.S. Census (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

23.     British Columbia’s Clear-Cut Forests Are ‘Dead Zones,’ Emitting More Greenhouse Gases Than They Absorb, New Report Finds (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

24.     Mandi Hitt, Trudy Tracy Named Pioneer Utility Resources’ 2019 Communications Team of the Year (Pioneer Utility Services, Hillsboro, OR)

25.     Op/Ed: Ian Cope – When the Children’s Game Ends, Let the Tears Flow (The Vidette, Montesano, WA)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

26.     Court: Washington State Lawmakers Subject to Records Act (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

27.     Washington State Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, Requirements for Ride-Hailing Companies Among Gov. Inslee’s Climate Proposals (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

28.     Washington State Farm Bureau: Big Concerns in 2020 Include Low Carbon, Gas Tax (Washington Ag Network)

29.     Former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland Declares for Congress (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

30.     Winter Storm Warning Brings Heavy Mountain Snow, Dangerous Driving Conditions (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

31.     Mason County, Western Washington Flood Watch Through Weekend (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

32.     ‘Category 3’ Atmospheric River Heading Our Way. What’s That Mean?!? (KOMO TV, Seattle, WA)

33.     One Injured in Shelton Head-On (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

34.     Two Earthquakes Recorded Near Fall City Hours Apart (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

35.     Report: Othello Expected to Be Crowned ‘King of the World’ in Potato Production (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Uncomfortably Sloped Toilet Designed to Flush Out Procrastinating Employees

‘Oh My Gosh!’: Family Finds Owl Hiding in Their Christmas Tree

This Photo Earned a Vancouver Couple the Title of World’s Best Wedding Photographers

U.S. Government Lists Fictional Nation Wakanda as Trade Partner

SONG OF THE DAY

Gerry Rafferty – Night Owl

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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