Friday, October 25, 2019

Energy News Digest for October 25, 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

California Wine Country Fire Began Near Damaged Pacific Gas & Electric Tower, 2,000 Flee (Reuters)

Puget Sound Energy Wants 14% Increase on Natural-Gas Bills (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Editorial: Removing Dams Would Damn N.W. Economy (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Export Markets Cool for Washington’s Giant Clam, The Geoduck, as Tariffs Mount & Chinese Consumers Get Picky (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

For Readers in Tacoma & Olympia, A Saturday Newspaper Will Soon Be a Thing of the Past (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Puget Sound Energy Wants 14% Increase on Natural-Gas Bills
2.      Pair of Rate Hikes to Hit NW Natural Customers in Clark County
3.      Editorial: Removing Dams Would Damn N.W. Economy
4.      Op/Ed: The Path to Carbon Free Flows Through Hydropower
5.      McMorris Rodgers: Dams an Eco-Friendly Form of Transportation
6.      Chelan PUD Plans to Fire-Harden Electric Grid in Chelan Area
7.      Franklin PUD Inspects a Thousand Utility Poles Yearly
8.      Unpaid Debts & Lost Grants: Co-Ops Struggle with 2017 Tax Law as Congress Moves to Address Impacts
9.      California Wine Country Fire Began Near Damaged Pacific Gas & Electric Tower, 2,000 Flee
10.   For California, Massive Power Blackouts Could Become a Way of Life
11.   Three Key Solutions to California’s Wildfire Safety Blackout Mess – Grid Hardening, Land-Use Reform, & Restructuring PG&E
12.   Export Markets Cool for Washington’s Giant Clam, The Geoduck, as Tariffs Mount & Chinese Consumers Get Picky
13.   Federal Government Wants Your Opinion on Whale-Watching Rules to Protect Orcas
14.   Bonneville Power Administration Helps Restore Floodplain Habitat in the Lower Columbia River Estuary
15.   Scientists Warn of Salmon Extinction if Snake River Dams Stay
16.   Small Planes Are Flying Kokanee Salmon to Orcas Island Hatchery
17.   Corps of Engineers Extends Deadline to Review Pebble Mine Comments
18.   Air Pollution Is Getting Worse – Data Show More People Are Dying
19.   Wyoming: Largest Planned Wind Farm in US Gets Key Federal Approval
20.   Montana: PacifiCorp Outlines Launch of Wind Farm Near Bridger
21.   Grant PUD Fiber Slightly Behind Schedule
22.   High-Speed Internet Still Rare in Parts of Rural Texas
23.   Op/Ed: Rural Broadband in Jeopardy Unless Congress Fixes Taxing Problem
24.   Old Windows & Bad Passwords: Utility Cyber Vulnerabilities Grow Despite Comparative Strengths
25.   Wahkiakum PUD Studies Charger for Electric Cars
26.   Oregon Trail Electric Co-op Gets Green Light to Install Charging Station
27.   Is Population Control the Answer to Fixing Climate Change?
28.   For Readers in Tacoma & Olympia, A Saturday Newspaper Will Soon Be a Thing of the Past
29.   Washington State Investigating City of Olympia Mailer Urging No Vote on Car-Tab I-976
30.   Supreme Court: State Employee Birthdates Are Public Record
31.   Ninth and Second Circuit Picks Advance to Full Senate
32.   Federal Judge Weighs Allegations of Hanford Kickbacks, Fraud & Inflated Pricing
33.   North Mason Chamber Board Votes to Support Fire Bond
34.   Everett: Section of US 2 Closed as Crews Work to Clear Massive Logjam from River
35.   In Landslide Victory, Fawn Sharp Elected to Lead National Congress of American Indians

WORD OF THE DAY

Foppery • \FAHP-uh-ree\ • noun - *1: foolish character or action: folly 2: the behavior or dress of a fop

Pressure was mounting in the small utility’s outage center. What started out as a trickle of calls from customers quickly became a torrent of whining and abuse for the harried phone operators. It was at that critical moment that Belvedere set the stage for his eventual firing. He jumped on the table and belted out “I Will Survive” before the astonished dispatchers and engineers. Needless to say, his foppery was about as welcome as a beer belch in church.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    Puget Sound Energy Wants 14% Increase on Natural-Gas Bills (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

2.    Pair of Rate Hikes to Hit NW Natural Customers in Clark County (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

3.    Editorial: Removing Dams Would Damn N.W. Economy (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

4.    Op/Ed: The Path to Carbon Free Flows Through Hydropower (The Hill, Washington, DC)

5.    McMorris Rodgers: Dams an Eco-Friendly Form of Transportation (Washington Ag Network)

6.    Chelan PUD Plans to Fire-Harden Electric Grid in Chelan Area (NCW Life News, East Wenatchee, WA)

7.    Franklin PUD Inspects a Thousand Utility Poles Yearly (KEPR TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

8.    Unpaid Debts & Lost Grants: Co-Ops Struggle with 2017 Tax Law as Congress Moves to Address Impacts (Utility Dive)

DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

9.    California Wine Country Fire Began Near Damaged Pacific Gas & Electric Tower, 2,000 Flee (Reuters)

10. For California, Massive Power Blackouts Could Become a Way of Life (NBC News)

11. Three Key Solutions to California’s Wildfire Safety Blackout Mess – Grid Hardening, Land-Use Reform, & Restructuring PG&E (Vox)

FISH & WILDLIFE

12. Export Markets Cool for Washington’s Giant Clam, The Geoduck, as Tariffs Mount & Chinese Consumers Get Picky (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

13. Federal Government Wants Your Opinion on Whale-Watching Rules to Protect Orcas (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

14. Bonneville Power Administration Helps Restore Floodplain Habitat in the Lower Columbia River Estuary (Bonneville Power Administration)

15. Scientists Warn of Salmon Extinction if Snake River Dams Stay (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

16. Small Planes Are Flying Kokanee Salmon to Orcas Island Hatchery (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

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

17. Corps of Engineers Extends Deadline to Review Pebble Mine Comments (Associated Press)

18. Air Pollution Is Getting Worse – Data Show More People Are Dying (Washington Post)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

19. Wyoming: Largest Planned Wind Farm in US Gets Key Federal Approval (Utility Dive)

20. Montana: PacifiCorp Outlines Launch of Wind Farm Near Bridger (KTVQ-TV, Billings, MT)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

21. Grant PUD Fiber Slightly Behind Schedule (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, Wa)

22. High-Speed Internet Still Rare in Parts of Rural Texas (Courthouse News Service)

23. Op/Ed: Rural Broadband in Jeopardy Unless Congress Fixes Taxing Problem (The Hill, Washington, DC)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

24. Old Windows & Bad Passwords: Utility Cyber Vulnerabilities Grow Despite Comparative Strengths (Utility Dive)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

25. Wahkiakum PUD Studies Charger for Electric Cars (Wahkiakum County Eagle, Cathlamet, WA)

26. Oregon Trail Electric Co-op Gets Green Light to Install Charging Station (LaGrande Observer, OR)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

27. Is Population Control the Answer to Fixing Climate Change? (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

28. For Readers in Tacoma & Olympia, A Saturday Newspaper Will Soon Be a Thing of the Past (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

29. Washington State Investigating City of Olympia Mailer Urging No Vote on Car-Tab I-976 (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

30. Supreme Court: State Employee Birthdates Are Public Record (Associated Press)

31. Ninth and Second Circuit Picks Advance to Full Senate (Courthouse News Service)

GENERAL NEWS

32. Federal Judge Weighs Allegations of Hanford Kickbacks, Fraud & Inflated Pricing (Tri-City Herald, WA)

33. North Mason Chamber Board Votes to Support Fire Bond (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

34. Everett: Section of US 2 Closed as Crews Work to Clear Massive Logjam from River (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

35. In Landslide Victory, Fawn Sharp Elected to Lead National Congress of American Indians (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

According to Unicode, This Is the Emoji We Use the Most

This Almond Roca Candy Factory Leftover Will Go to Hungry Bees

Almost 400 Drivers Flood Tire Centers After Running Over Screws Near Port Angeles

Soaring Bills: Scientists' Budget Blown by Texting Eagles

SONG OF THE DAY

Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band (with Space Intro)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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