The Energy News Digest for May 20, 2020

The Hot Shots edition of The Energy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Mason County Weather Forecast for May 20, 2020

Marine Forecast for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

Olympic Mountain Forecast for Mason County

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Ten More Counties, including Mason, in Washington State Can Apply for Phase 2 Of COVID-19 Reopening (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-phase-2-counties-washington-state/281-cdcc2a2e-05f3-4564-ad0f-892d4d4b09c4

Oregon Proposes Omitting Power Plants From ‘Cap & Reduce’ Plan to Meet GHG Target (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oregon-proposes-omitting-power-plants-from-cap-and-reduce-plan-to-meet-gh/578301/

Eugene Water & Electric Board to Retain Hydro Project Under New Contracts (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/eugene-water-electric-board-retain-hydro-project-under-new-contracts

Op/Ed: The Pandemic Shows Why Washington Needs Universal Internet Access (Crosscut Seattle)

https://crosscut.com/2020/05/pandemic-shows-why-washington-needs-universal-internet-access

Dead Gray Whale Washes Ashore on Bainbridge Island (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/dead-gray-whale-washes-ashore-bainbridge-island/XTY3ZJE7C5GXXN2SPI5H3K2QEU/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Eugene Water & Electric Board to Retain Hydro Project Under New Contracts

2.        Pole Fires Knock Out Electricity in Terrace Heights, Moxee & West Valley

3.        National EPRI Survey Gauges Pandemic-Related Consumer Views on Energy Use, Bills, & Contact with Utilities

4.        Boulder, Xcel Energy Enter Settlement Discussions on Municipalization

5.        Dead Gray Whale Washes Ashore on Bainbridge Island

6.        Between Science & Curiosity, Dead Whale Draws a Crowd

7.        Washington State Asks Public to Consider Environmental Impact for Whale Watching Vessels & Southern Resident Killer Whales

8.        Northwest RiverPartners Urges Practicality & Transparency Over EPA River Temperature Report for Columbia & Snake River Dams

9.        In California, A Push Grows to Turn Dead Trees into Biomass Energy Yale

10.     Details Released of a Huge Offshore Wind Turbine That Can Power 18,000 Homes Per Year

11.     Energy Efficiency Has Been Hit Hard by COVID-19; Don’t Question Its Merits

12.     Op/Ed: The Pandemic Shows Why Washington Needs Universal Internet Access

13.     CenturyLink Expanding Fiber Network in Spokane

14.     Montana: U.S. Senator Tester Says Pandemic Has Shown Big Need for Better Broadband

15.     Technology Gap Causes Difficulties for Rural Alaska Students

16.     FCC Clarifies Wireless Buildout Streamlining Rules

17.     Electric Trucks Are the ‘Inevitable Future,’ Fleets Say

18.     Oregon Proposes Omitting Power Plants From ‘Cap & Reduce’ Plan to Meet GHG Target

19.     Oregon & State of Washington Join Other States Facing Flurry of Lawsuits Over Coronavirus Stay-Home Orders

20.     At 67%, Gov. Inslee Receives High Marks for Coronavirus Response in New Poll

21.     Another Big Job-Loss Wave Looms: State & City Workers

22.     Republican Senators Put Brakes on Additional Coronavirus Aid

23.     Ten More Counties, including Mason, in Washington State Can Apply for Phase 2 Of COVID-19 Reopening

24.     A Coronavirus Turf War in Klickitat County, Washington

25.     Washington State, Oregon Expected to Have Worst Fire Season in the Country

26.     Shelton Police Arrest Suspect in Attempted Burglary of ATM

27.     Thousands Evacuated as River Dams Break in Central Michigan

WORD OF THE DAY

Aphasia \uh-FAZE-ee-yuh\ Noun – Loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain damage

Robinson Crusoe may have maintained the ability to use and comprehend words by writing in his journals. But, one wonders if he suffered a form of aphasia from the lack of verbal communications with other humans.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Eugene Water & Electric Board to Retain Hydro Project Under New Contracts (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/eugene-water-electric-board-retain-hydro-project-under-new-contracts

2.      Pole Fires Knock Out Electricity in Terrace Heights, Moxee & West Valley (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/pole-fires-knock-out-electricity-in-terrace-heights-moxee-and-west-valley/article_6ad5628a-a707-532e-9557-11451e5016a5.html

3.      National EPRI Survey Gauges Pandemic-Related Consumer Views on Energy Use, Bills, & Contact with Utilities (PR Newswire)

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-epri-survey-gauges-pandemic-related-consumer-views-on-energy-use-bills-and-contact-with-utilities-301056864.html

4.      Boulder, Xcel Energy Enter Settlement Discussions on Municipalization (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/boulder-xcel-energy-enter-settlement-discussions-municipalization

FISH & WILDLIFE

5.      Dead Gray Whale Washes Ashore on Bainbridge Island (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/dead-gray-whale-washes-ashore-bainbridge-island/XTY3ZJE7C5GXXN2SPI5H3K2QEU/

6.      Between Science & Curiosity, Dead Whale Draws a Crowd (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/northwest/between-science-and-curiosity-dead-whale-draws-a-crowd/

7.      Washington State Asks Public to Consider Environmental Impact for Whale Watching Vessels & Southern Resident Killer Whales (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/wdfw-asks-public-to-consider-environmental-impact-for-whale-watching-vessels-and-southern-resident-killer/article_2694c95e-99d3-11ea-b987-bb4f93887ef8.html

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

8.      Northwest RiverPartners Urges Practicality & Transparency Over EPA River Temperature Report for Columbia & Snake River Dams (NW RiverPartners)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2020/05/northwest-riverpartners-urges.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

9.      In California, A Push Grows to Turn Dead Trees into Biomass Energy Yale (Environment 360)

https://e360.yale.edu/features/in-california-a-push-grows-to-turn-dead-trees-into-biomass-energy

10.   Details Released of a Huge Offshore Wind Turbine That Can Power 18,000 Homes Per Year (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/19/siemens-gamesa-releases-details-of-huge-offshore-wind-turbine.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

11.   Energy Efficiency Has Been Hit Hard by COVID-19; Don’t Question Its Merits (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/energy-efficiency-has-been-hit-hard-by-covid-19-dont-question-its-merits/578231/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

12.   Op/Ed: The Pandemic Shows Why Washington Needs Universal Internet Access (Crosscut Seattle)

https://crosscut.com/2020/05/pandemic-shows-why-washington-needs-universal-internet-access

13.   CenturyLink Expanding Fiber Network in Spokane (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/may/19/centurylink-expanding-fiber-network-in-spokane/

14.   Montana: U.S. Senator Tester Says Pandemic Has Shown Big Need for Better Broadband (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/tester-says-pandemic-has-shown-big-need-for-better-broadband

15.   Technology Gap Causes Difficulties for Rural Alaska Students (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alaska/articles/2020-05-20/technology-gap-causes-difficulties-for-rural-alaska-students

16.   FCC Clarifies Wireless Buildout Streamlining Rules (Multichannel News)

https://www.multichannel.com/news/fcc-clarifies-wireless-buildout-streamlining-rules

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

17.   Electric Trucks Are the ‘Inevitable Future,’ Fleets Say (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/Electric-Class-8-trucks-CARB-2020-coronavirus/578211/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

18.   Oregon Proposes Omitting Power Plants From ‘Cap & Reduce’ Plan to Meet GHG Target (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oregon-proposes-omitting-power-plants-from-cap-and-reduce-plan-to-meet-gh/578301/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

19.   Oregon & State of Washington Join Other States Facing Flurry of Lawsuits Over Coronavirus Stay-Home Orders (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-and-washington-join-other-states-facing-flurry-of-lawsuits-over-coronavirus-shutdown-orders/283-27336bf1-8f75-42ae-8f75-cbcb940c827b

20.   At 67%, Gov. Inslee Receives High Marks for Coronavirus Response in New Poll (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/1884320/gov-inslee-approval-rating-coronavirus-response/

21.   Another Big Job-Loss Wave Looms: State & City Workers (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2020/0519/Another-big-job-loss-wave-looms-state-and-city-workers

22.   Republican Senators Put Brakes on Additional Coronavirus Aid (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-congress/republican-senators-put-brakes-on-additional-coronavirus-aid-idUSKBN22V2M4

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

23.   Ten More Counties, including Mason, in Washington State Can Apply for Phase 2 Of COVID-19 Reopening (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-phase-2-counties-washington-state/281-cdcc2a2e-05f3-4564-ad0f-892d4d4b09c4

24.   A Coronavirus Turf War in Klickitat County, Washington (New Yorker Magazine)

https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/a-coronavirus-turf-war-in-klickitat-county

GENERAL NEWS

25.   Washington State, Oregon Expected to Have Worst Fire Season in the Country (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

https://q13fox.com/2020/05/19/washington-oregon-expected-to-have-worst-fire-season-in-the-country/

26.   Shelton Police Arrest Suspect in Attempted Burglary of ATM (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/shelton-police-arrest-suspect-in-attempted-robbery/article_a31cf3e0-9aa8-11ea-bcdc-6fa5034a4556.html

27.   Thousands Evacuated as River Dams Break in Central Michigan (Associated Press)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/may/20/thousands-evacuated-as-river-dams-break-in-central/

DOUGHNUTS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

Scores of Graduates Line Up in Cars for Free Doughnuts at Krispy Kreme in Spokane Valley

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/may/19/scores-of-graduates-line-up-in-cars-on-foot-for-fr/

Singapore Knicker Nicker Gets Nicked for Lockdown Breach

https://www.yahoo.com/news/singapore-knicker-nicker-gets-nicked-lockdown-breach-111317654.html

Robin Hood Weeps – Ancient British Archery Event Cancelled Due to Virus

https://www.yahoo.com/news/ancient-archery-event-cancelled-due-virus-151022034--spt.html

United Kingdom – Royal Swan Census Cancelled Due to Virus

https://www.yahoo.com/news/uk-royal-swan-census-cancelled-due-virus-reports-135145548.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LpdEyGhNxM

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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

Northwest RiverPartners Urges Practicality & Transparency Over EPA River Temperature Report for Columbia & Snake River Dams (NW RiverPartners)

May 20, 2020 (PORTLAND, WA) -- Northwest RiverPartners Urges Practicality and Transparency Over EPA River Temperature Report for Columbia & Snake River Dams

A report released by the Environmental Protection Agency on May 18 entitled “Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Temperature in the Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers” outlines river temperature limits and seeks public comment. The report is related to a recent decision by the Washington State Dept of Ecology to add a river temperature provision into an EPA permit for Columbia River Basin dams.

The TMDL is required because Washington and Oregon identified portions of the Columbia and lower Snake Rivers as impaired because temperatures exceed the states’ water quality standards. These temperature requirements are designed to protect the beneficial uses in these waters, in particular salmon migration and spawning.

River temperatures are a significant concern. In 1994, due to record high temperatures, approximately 466,000 adult fish perished in the undammed Fraser River before reaching their spawning grounds. In 2015, a quarter of a million Snake River sockeye salmon died during a heatwave. Large fish die-offs were also recorded in Alaska last summer due to heatwaves.

Northwest RiverPartners supports efforts to protect salmon from extreme temperatures but takes issue with the standards that have been set by Washington and Oregon. The TMDL report clearly demonstrates that the water entering the U.S. from Canada is already too warm ”by a substantial margin” to meet the Washington state standard in the summer months. The same is true for the water entering the lower Snake River dams from Idaho.

This means that the Washington and Oregon standards cannot be met, regardless of the existence of the lower Columbia and lower Snake dams.

Given these conditions, the EPA notes the significant challenge of meeting the water quality standards in Washington and Oregon and has suggested that the states reconsider their respective standards.

While this is a sophisticated and often complex process between state and federal entities, what remains clear is that the newly proposed burden for regional hydropower operators is unrealistic, unworkable, and unfair to the communities that depend on affordable hydroelectricity to help make ends meet.

Conflicting Research

As part of this report, the EPA attempted to estimate river temperatures with and without dams in place. The agency also tried to allocate temperature responsibility to each dam but acknowledged the task as difficult and imperfect.

The EPA’s model estimated that the dams can cool or heat water, depending on the month and the air temperature condition. In general, the model predicted that during the August-September period, dams cause river temperatures to exceed established targets. It’s important to note, however, that the great majority of salmon smolts and adults do not migrate during these peak temperature months.

Other studies have shown that the dams have a neutral or moderately positive effect on water temperature. As an example, a 2002 peer-reviewed study performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory showed that dams within the Columbia and Snake river basins tend to moderate extreme water temperatures.

Again in 2002, researchers compared pre-lower Snake River dam measurements of water temperature from 1955-1958 to measurements taken after the lower Snake River dams were constructed. They found no evidence that river temperatures had increased as a result of the dams, and instead appeared to have remained unchanged or slightly lower, even though air temperatures had increased. The team identified air temperature and flow levels as the biggest influences on temperatures in the river.

Washington and Oregon’s decision to include river temperatures in their permitting process threatens to needlessly reduce the availability of a carbon-free energy resource and increase electricity bills for millions of customers. These decisions could also directly contradict efforts by both states to reach their bold clean energy goals.

That outcome would be a step in the wrong direction for the climate, for salmon, and for the social welfare of the region.

About Northwest RiverPartners

Northwest RiverPartners is a member-driven organization that serves not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. We also proudly represent partners that support clean energy, low-carbon transportation, and agricultural jobs.