Wednesday, December 23, 2020

The Energy News Digest for December 23, 2020

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association. 

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

FBI: White Supremacists Plotted Attack on U.S. Power Grid (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2020-12-22/fbi-white-supremacists-plotted-attack-on-us-power-grid

Christmas Eve Blackout May Leave Southern California in the Dark (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-21/christmas-eve-blackout-may-leave-southern-california-in-the-dark

 

Power Out at Oregon Prison Amid COVID-19 Outbreak (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oregon/articles/2020-12-23/power-out-at-oregon-prison-amid-covid-19-outbreak

New Washington State Whale Watching Rules to Take Effect in 2021 (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/23/washington-whale-watching-new-rules/

Survey Shows Considerable Glacier Loss in the Mountains of Oregon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/23/climate-change-oregon-mountains-glacier-loss/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      FBI: White Supremacists Plotted Attack on U.S. Power Grid

2.      Christmas Eve Blackout May Leave Southern California in the Dark

3.      Power Out at Oregon Prison Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

4.      Oregon: NW Natural Offers Hotel Rooms, Blankets to Hood River Customers During Outage

5.      Portland General Electric Energy Trading Losses Will Cost Top Execs

6.      Lawsuit Seeks Reports on Willamette River Dams’ Structural Integrity

7.      Oregon Regulators Turn PacifiCorp Rate Hike Request into a Cut

8.      WA State: Schuyler Burkhart Named Next Grays Harbor PUD General Manager

9.      Seattle’s Move to Electric Heat Won’t Kill the Gas Stove, Yet

10.   British Columbia: First Peace River Dam Turbines Expected to Arrive Here Next Month

11.   Energy Department: Idaho Top Choice for New Test Reactor

12.   A Teen & a Cat Knocked Out Power to 1,000 Pasco Customers

13.   Starlings’ Aerial Antics Behind Mystery of Scots’ Power Outages

14.   Researchers Identify Which West Coast Regions Hold Greatest Wave Energy Potential

15.   Pacific Northwest Poised to Test 100% Renewables as Utilities Weigh Gas Vs. Storage

16.   Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission Issues Policy Statement on Renewable Natural Gas

17.   Green Home-Renovation Firm Bankrupted by Tougher Rules, Lawsuits

18.   New Washington State Whale Watching Rules to Take Effect in 2021

19.   Op/Ed: States Need Federal Cooperation to Save Salmon

20.   New Blue Whale Population Discovered after Scientists Hear Unknown Song

21.   Congress Passes Bill on Navajo Nation Water Rights in Utah

22.   Flint Agrees to Pay $20 Million in Water Crisis Settlement

23.   Survey Shows Considerable Glacier Loss in the Mountains of Oregon

24.   Warmer Winters Causing More Ice-Free Lakes in Northern Hemisphere, Study Finds

25.   Senator Cantwell Pushed for Tribal Broadband & FCC Telehealth Program in COVID Relief Bill

26.   Millions of Low-Income Americans Will Receive Internet Access Rebates Under New $7 Billion Broadband Stimulus Plan

27.   Industry Groups Ask FCC to Raise Broadband Speed Definition to a Gigabit

28.   FERC Proposes Incentives for Voluntary Cybersecurity Investments, in Race to Secure Nation’s Electric Grid

29.   Grammar Mistakes That Medium’s Copy Editors Really Don’t Want You to Make

30.   BP Joins Gas-From-Cow-Manure Push with Joint Venture in U.S.

31.   President Trump Threatens COVID Relief, House Speaker Pelosi Urges ‘Sign the Bill’

32.   In Massive Energy Investments, Some See Just a Start

WORD OF THE DAY

Frenetic /fruh-NET-ick/ Adjective – Marked by excitement, disorder, or anxiety-driven activity: frenzied, frantic.

Frenetic. See Costco, 5 PM, Sunday, December 23, 2018.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      FBI: White Supremacists Plotted Attack on U.S. Power Grid (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2020-12-22/fbi-white-supremacists-plotted-attack-on-us-power-grid

2.      Christmas Eve Blackout May Leave Southern California in the Dark (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-21/christmas-eve-blackout-may-leave-southern-california-in-the-dark

3.      Power Out at Oregon Prison Amid COVID-19 Outbreak (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/oregon/articles/2020-12-23/power-out-at-oregon-prison-amid-covid-19-outbreak

4.      Oregon: NW Natural Offers Hotel Rooms, Blankets to Hood River Customers During Outage (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

https://katu.com/news/local/nw-natural-offers-hotel-rooms-blankets-to-hood-river-customers-during-outage

5.      Portland General Electric Energy Trading Losses Will Cost Top Execs (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2020/12/portland-general-electric-energy.html

6.      Lawsuit Seeks Reports on Willamette River Dams’ Structural Integrity (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/22/willamette-river-dam-structural-integrity-lawsuit/

7.      Oregon Regulators Turn PacifiCorp Rate Hike Request into a Cut (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2020/12/oregon-regulators-turn-pacificorp-rate.html

8.      WA State: Schuyler Burkhart Named Next Grays Harbor PUD General Manager (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

https://www.kxro.com/schuyler-burkhart-named-next-pud-general-manager/

9.      Seattle’s Move to Electric Heat Won’t Kill the Gas Stove, Yet (Seattle Metro, WA)

https://www.seattlemet.com/home-and-real-estate/2020/12/how-seattles-move-toward-electric-buildings-green-renewable-energy-affects-gas-stoves

10.   British Columbia: First Peace River Dam Turbines Expected to Arrive Here Next Month (Alaska Highway News)

https://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/site-c/first-site-c-turbines-expected-to-arrive-here-next-month-1.24259375

11.   Energy Department: Idaho Top Choice for New Test Reactor (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/oak-ridge-jim-risch-environment-tennessee-nuclear-power-38c218ef393f3d4cbc5646250109ef4f

12.   A Teen & a Cat Knocked Out Power to 1,000 Pasco Customers (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article248008150.html

13.   Starlings’ Aerial Antics Behind Mystery of Scots’ Power Outages (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/17/starlings-aerial-antics-behind-mystery-of-scots-power-outages

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

14.   Researchers Identify Which West Coast Regions Hold Greatest Wave Energy Potential (Mirage News)

https://www.miragenews.com/researchers-identify-which-west-coast-regions-hold-greatest-wave-energy-potential/

15.   Pacific Northwest Poised to Test 100% Renewables as Utilities Weigh Gas Vs. Storage (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pacific-northwest-poised-to-test-100-renewables-as-utilities-weigh-gas-vs/592019/

16.   Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission Issues Policy Statement on Renewable Natural Gas (National Law Review)

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/washington-utilities-and-transportation-commission-issues-policy-statement-renewable

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

17.   Green Home-Renovation Firm Bankrupted by Tougher Rules, Lawsuits (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-22/green-home-renovation-firm-bankrupted-by-tougher-rules-lawsuits

FISH & WILDLIFE

18.   New Washington State Whale Watching Rules to Take Effect in 2021 (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/23/washington-whale-watching-new-rules/

19.   Op/Ed: States Need Federal Cooperation to Save Salmon (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/23/eric-crawford-state-of-play-for-salmon/

20.   New Blue Whale Population Discovered after Scientists Hear Unknown Song (Gizmodo)

https://earther.gizmodo.com/new-blue-whale-population-discovered-after-scientists-h-1845933456

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

21.   Congress Passes Bill on Navajo Nation Water Rights in Utah (Associated Press)

https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/congress-passes-bill-on-navajo-nation-water-rights-in-utah/article_357dba8f-5846-52d3-ba38-53c330926d82.html

22.   Flint Agrees to Pay $20 Million in Water Crisis Settlement (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/flint-agrees-to-pay-20-million-in-water-crisis-settlement/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

23.   Survey Shows Considerable Glacier Loss in the Mountains of Oregon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/23/climate-change-oregon-mountains-glacier-loss/

24.   Warmer Winters Causing More Ice-Free Lakes in Northern Hemisphere, Study Finds (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/warmer-winters-ice-free-lakes-1.5851815?cmp=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

25.   Senator Cantwell Pushed for Tribal Broadband & FCC Telehealth Program in COVID Relief Bill (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://www.kpq.com/senator-cantwell-pushed-for-tribal-broadband-fcc-telehealth-program-in-relief-bill/

26.   Millions of Low-Income Americans Will Receive Internet Access Rebates Under New $7 Billion Broadband Stimulus Plan (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/22/internet-rebate-coronavirus-stimulus/

27.   Industry Groups Ask FCC to Raise Broadband Speed Definition to a Gigabit (Telecompetitor)

https://www.telecompetitor.com/industry-groups-ask-fcc-to-raise-broadband-speed-definition-to-a-gigabit/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

28.   FERC Proposes Incentives for Voluntary Cybersecurity Investments, in Race to Secure Nation’s Electric Grid (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-proposes-incentives-for-voluntary-cybersecurity-investments-in-race-t/592591/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

29.   Grammar Mistakes That Medium’s Copy Editors Really Don’t Want You to Make (Medium)

https://medium.com/creators-hub/grammar-mistakes-that-mediums-copy-editors-really-don-t-want-you-to-make-6b9eee0c7e3e

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

30.   BP Joins Gas-From-Cow-Manure Push with Joint Venture in U.S. (Bloomberg News)

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/bp-joins-gas-from-cow-manure-push-with-u-s-joint-venture-1

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

31.   President Trump Threatens COVID Relief, House Speaker Pelosi Urges ‘Sign the Bill’ (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-bills-7d5b7e70e5193e88c6f24e425abbe0af

32.   In Massive Energy Investments, Some See Just a Start (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/531356-in-massive-energy-investments-some-see-just-a-start

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Bill Gross Harassed Neighbor with ‘Gilligan’s Island’ Song, Judge Rules

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-12-23/bill-gross-chihuly-sculpture-gilligans-island-laguna-beach-ruling

Chestnuts Roasting on a Dumpster Fire: 16 Extremely 2020 Yule Log Videos

https://mashable.com/article/2020-yule-log-dumpster-fire-video/

Seuss-Star Trek Mash-Up Crashes and Burns at Ninth Circuit

https://www.courthousenews.com/seuss-star-trek-mash-up-crash-lands-with-ninth-circuit/

Two Delta Passengers Open the Door of a Moving Plane & Slide Out (With A Dog) at LaGuardia Airport

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/us/la-guardia-delta-flight-passengers-exit/index.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Lobo – Me & You & A Dog Named Boo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fgGNZYR5QM

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Possible Paywall restrictions are noted in the media attribution.