Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Energy News Digest for December 3, 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





HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Canada: Ottawa Cites Salmon Species Extinction Risk in Call for Input on Fraser River Slide Response (Columbia Valley Pioneer, BC)
https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.com/news/ottawa-cites-salmon-species-extinction-risk-in-call-for-input-on-slide-response/

Eastern Oregon Natural Gas Project Gets More Time – Still Faces Hurdles (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Earth’s Temperature Likely Marks Hottest Decade on Record: Report (Reuters)

OPALCO Addresses Snake River Dam Resolution (The Islands’ Sounder, Eastsound, WA)

T-Mobile Rolls Out 5G Service in Spokane Area This Week (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.        Eastern Oregon Natural Gas Project Gets More Time – Still Faces Hurdles
2.        Overpowered: Why a U.S. Gas-Building Spree Continues Despite Electricity Glut
3.        Coal Exports Choked by Green-Minded Towns on U.S. West Coast
4.        Regulators Should ‘Ask Tough Questions About Carbon Capture’ Before Closing Coal: Wyoming PSC Chair
5.        U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plant Retirements Linked to Plants with Higher Operating Costs
6.        Grant PUD Expects ‘Lights to Go Out’ Less with $58 Million Electrical System Upgrade
7.        Franklin PUD Partners with HAPO Community Credit Union to Help Keep Families Warm This Winter
8.        Do Pacific Gas & Electric, SoCal Edison Need Higher Profits? California Regulators Seem Inclined to Say No
9.        Op/Ed: Expensive California Electricity Is Still Too Cheap
10.     Distribution Fault Anticipation Technology to Keep Lights on Could Help Prevent Wildfires
11.     Tennessee Valley Authority Fined $145,000 for Inaccurate Nuclear Power Plant Info
12.     Canada: Ottawa Cites Salmon Species Extinction Risk in Call for Input on Fraser River Slide Response
13.     Biologist ‘Gobsmacked’ the Salmon Sperm He Helped Freeze 20 Years Ago May Now Boost a Dwindling Stock
14.     OPALCO Addresses Snake River Dam Resolution
15.     Alaska; Fisherman Sentenced for Fishing in State Research Area
16.     Angler Collects $53,000 Reward for Fishing the Columbia & Snake Rivers Last Summer
17.     Thurston County Welcomes Spawning Salmon Home for the Holidays
18.     News Release: California – Bad News for the Bay-Delta Tomorrow: Trump Admin’s New Biological Opinions
19.     Hanford Boosts Contaminated Groundwater Cleanup to Protect the Columbia River
20.     Skagit River Watershed – Water Temperature Problem in Local Creeks Regains Attention
21.     Politicians Knew the Inconvenient Truth about the Colorado River 100 Years Ago – And Ignored It
22.     Cheap at Last, Batteries Are Making a Solar Dream Come True
23.     Oregon Town to Use Cameras, Citizens to Police Streets at Night
24.     T-Mobile Rolls Out 5G Service in Spokane Area This Week
25.     5G Broadband Is an Existential Threat to the Cable Industry – Executives & Investors Aren’t Worried
26.     USDA Provides $6 Million to Expand Broadband Infrastructure for Two Rural Oregon Counties
27.     USDA Invests $18.88 Million In Rural Broadband for Alaskan Families
28.     $50 Million Available from British Columbia Government to Improve Internet in Rural & Indigenous Communities
29.     Setting Up Free Internet Around Georgia Ahead of Primarily Online 2020 Census
30.     You’ve Been Hacked! Data Breaches in Washington on the Rise
31.     How Europe’s ‘Digital Tax’ Plans Will Hit U.S. Tech Companies
32.     Putin Signs Law Making Russian Apps Mandatory on Smartphones, Computers
33.     Earth’s Temperature Likely Marks Hottest Decade on Record: Report
34.     Under Pressure, Two Utilities Ditch Pro-Coal Trade Group
35.     Why ‘Carbon Neutral’ Is the New Climate Change Mantra
36.     Seattle Metro Area Is One of Just Three in America Where Marijuana Use Tops Nicotine, Data Shows
37.     ‘Horrific’ 220-Pound Ball of Plastic Found in the Stomach of a Dead Sperm Whale
38.     Maia Bellon, Washington State Ecology Director Resigning
39.     Facing Looming Budget Crisis, Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Asks for $26 Million from State
40.     Senate Approves Successor to Rick Perry as Energy Secretary
41.     Seattle Children’s Hospital Knew of Deadly Mold Danger Since 2005, Lawsuit Says
42.     One-Third of Washington’s Rural Hospitals Are at Risk. What Will Happen If They Close?
43.     Rash of Suspicious Central Washington Haystack Fires Means Major Export Is Up in Smoke
44.     U.S. May Face French Fry Shortage Due to Poor Potato Crop: Report
45.     Christmas Tree Prices Remain High amid Low Supply
46.     Washington State Stakes Claim in Wine World

WORD OF THE DAY

Stolid • \STAH-lid\ • adjective - Having or expressing little or no sensibility: unemotional

Jennifer was of stolid, Midwestern stock. Even as her potluck tuna casserole flopped at the church social, she returned the next week to silence her critics with her prize-winning “Spam” casserole. It was a hit…especially since the slices were cut into fish-shaped bits; a passive-aggressive nose-thumbing to her previous week’s critics.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Eastern Oregon Natural Gas Project Gets More Time – Still Faces Hurdles (Portland Business Journal, OR)

2.      Overpowered: Why a U.S. Gas-Building Spree Continues Despite Electricity Glut (S&P Global)

3.      Coal Exports Choked by Green-Minded Towns on U.S. West Coast (Bloomberg News)

4.      Regulators Should ‘Ask Tough Questions About Carbon Capture’ Before Closing Coal: Wyoming PSC Chair (Utility Dive)

5.      U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plant Retirements Linked to Plants with Higher Operating Costs (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

6.      Grant PUD Expects ‘Lights to Go Out’ Less with $58 Million Electrical System Upgrade (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

7.      Franklin PUD Partners with HAPO Community Credit Union to Help Keep Families Warm This Winter (KNDO/KNDU TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

8.      Do Pacific Gas & Electric, SoCal Edison Need Higher Profits? California Regulators Seem Inclined to Say No (Los Angeles Times, CA)

9.      Op/Ed: Expensive California Electricity Is Still Too Cheap (Monroe News, MI)

10.   Distribution Fault Anticipation Technology to Keep Lights on Could Help Prevent Wildfires (Associated Press)

11.   Tennessee Valley Authority Fined $145,000 for Inaccurate Nuclear Power Plant Info (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

12.   Canada: Ottawa Cites Salmon Species Extinction Risk in Call for Input on Fraser River Slide Response (Columbia Valley Pioneer, BC)
https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.com/news/ottawa-cites-salmon-species-extinction-risk-in-call-for-input-on-slide-response/

13.   Biologist ‘Gobsmacked’ the Salmon Sperm He Helped Freeze 20 Years Ago May Now Boost a Dwindling Stock (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

14.   OPALCO Addresses Snake River Dam Resolution (The Islands’ Sounder, Eastsound, WA)

15.   Alaska; Fisherman Sentenced for Fishing in State Research Area (Associated Press)

16.   Angler Collects $53,000 Reward for Fishing the Columbia & Snake Rivers Last Summer (Tri-City Herald, WA)

17.   Thurston County Welcomes Spawning Salmon Home for the Holidays (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

18.   News Release: California – Bad News for the Bay-Delta Tomorrow: Trump Admin’s New Biological Opinions (Natural Resources Defense Council, NYC)

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

19.   Hanford Boosts Contaminated Groundwater Cleanup to Protect the Columbia River (Tri-City Herald, WA)

20.   Skagit River Watershed – Water Temperature Problem in Local Creeks Regains Attention (Skagit Valley Herald, Mt Vernon, WA)

21.   Politicians Knew the Inconvenient Truth about the Colorado River 100 Years Ago – And Ignored It (Grist Online)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

22.   Cheap at Last, Batteries Are Making a Solar Dream Come True (Wired Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

23.   Oregon Town to Use Cameras, Citizens to Police Streets at Night (Associated Press)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

24.   T-Mobile Rolls Out 5G Service in Spokane Area This Week (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

25.   5G Broadband Is an Existential Threat to the Cable Industry – Executives & Investors Aren’t Worried (CNBC News)

26.   USDA Provides $6 Million to Expand Broadband Infrastructure for Two Rural Oregon Counties (USDA)
https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/12/03/usda-provides-6-million-expand-broadband-infrastructure-two-rural

27.   USDA Invests $18.88 Million In Rural Broadband for Alaskan Families (USDA)

28.   $50 Million Available from British Columbia Government to Improve Internet in Rural & Indigenous Communities (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

29.   Setting Up Free Internet Around Georgia Ahead of Primarily Online 2020 Census (National Public Radio)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

30.   You’ve Been Hacked! Data Breaches in Washington on the Rise (Everett Herald, WA)

31.   How Europe’s ‘Digital Tax’ Plans Will Hit U.S. Tech Companies (Washington Post)

32.   Putin Signs Law Making Russian Apps Mandatory on Smartphones, Computers (Reuters)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

33.   Earth’s Temperature Likely Marks Hottest Decade on Record: Report (Reuters)

34.   Under Pressure, Two Utilities Ditch Pro-Coal Trade Group (E&E News)

35.   Why ‘Carbon Neutral’ Is the New Climate Change Mantra (Washington Post)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

36.   Seattle Metro Area Is One of Just Three in America Where Marijuana Use Tops Nicotine, Data Shows (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

37.   ‘Horrific’ 220-Pound Ball of Plastic Found in the Stomach of a Dead Sperm Whale (Gizmodo)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

38.   Maia Bellon, Washington State Ecology Director Resigning (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

39.   Facing Looming Budget Crisis, Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Asks for $26 Million from State (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

40.   Senate Approves Successor to Rick Perry as Energy Secretary (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

41.   Seattle Children’s Hospital Knew of Deadly Mold Danger Since 2005, Lawsuit Says (KOMO TV, Seattle, WA)

42.   One-Third of Washington’s Rural Hospitals Are at Risk. What Will Happen If They Close? (Crosscut Seattle)

43.   Rash of Suspicious Central Washington Haystack Fires Means Major Export Is Up in Smoke (Northwest News Network)

44.   U.S. May Face French Fry Shortage Due to Poor Potato Crop: Report (The Hill, Washington, DC)

45.   Christmas Tree Prices Remain High amid Low Supply (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

46.   Washington State Stakes Claim in Wine World (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

This Map Shows How the U.S. Really Has Eleven Separate ‘Nations’ with Entirely Different Cultures

Just, Wow! Listen to The Isolated Vocals of the Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’ & Marvel at Brian Wilson’s Genius

‘Blasted’ from the Broadcast: Is the National Anthem Played Too Loudly at Naval Base Kitsap?

Mississippi Residents Protest Pothole with Holiday Décor

SONG OF THE DAY

Simon & Garfunkel – America

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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