Tuesday, May 26, 2020

The Energy News Digest for May 26, 2020


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

COVID-19 – Mason County Approved to Move to Phase 2 of Safe Start Plan (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Washington State Aims to Regulate Water Temperature at Federal Dams, Wading into Controversy (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

British Columbia: Salmon Expected to Begin Arriving Soon at Fraser River Landslide (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

After Coronavirus Shutdowns, Consumers’ Unpaid Utility Bills Loom as Costly Problem (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Weather Could Hit 80 Degrees in Some Parts of Western Washington State This Week (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Washington State Aims to Regulate Water Temperature at Federal Dams, Wading into Controversy
2.        Op/Ed: Do Dams Really Impact River Temps in the Columbia/Snake Rivers? Here’s the Science.
3.        After Coronavirus Shutdowns, Consumers’ Unpaid Utility Bills Loom as Costly Problem
4.        Proposed Oregon Pipeline Gains Momentum Despite State Opposition
5.        Emerald PUD Uses DEED Grant for Data Analytics Project with The Energy Authority
6.        Pacific Gas & Electric’s Long-Running Bankruptcy Saga Enters Pivotal Stage
7.        Brace for Blackouts in the Summer of COVID-19
8.        Energy Won’t Be the Same When This Is Over
9.        Four Colorado Utilities to Join the West’s Real-Time Energy Market
10.     S&P, Fitch Weigh in on Impact of Recession, Pandemic on Public Power
11.     British Columbia: Salmon Expected to Begin Arriving Soon at Fraser River Landslide
12.     Judge Refuses to Divert Water for Endangered Salmon on Klamath River
13.     Decision on Sea Lion Removal Application Likely by Fall
14.     Outdoors: Spot Shrimp Fishery Opening Later This Week
15.     Millions of Noisy Cicadas to Emerge This Year After 17 Years Underground
16.     Pebble Mine Alters Alaska Road Plan, Riling Environmentalists
17.     Friday Harbor’s Solar Panel Project to Be Activated This Week
18.     You Can Help Buy a Solar Array for Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum
19.     Clean Energy Has Taken a Hit. Will It Rebound?
20.     U.S. Senators Murkowski, Collins, Tillis Urge Treasury to Extend Aid to Solar Industry
21.     Okanogan County: First Phase of Broadband Access Study Completed; Provides ‘Map’ of Local Infrastructure
22.     Crowdsourcing Our Broadband Access
23.     Home Broadband Usage Explodes
24.     Without Internet Access, Students & Teachers in Rural Areas Struggle to Keep Up
25.     Climate Change Is Turning the Snow in Antarctica Bright Green. Scientists Can See It from Space.
26.     More Harm Than Good? Twitter Struggles to Label Misleading COVID-19 Tweets
27.     The Next Americans in Space
28.     COVID-19 – Mason County Approved to Move to Phase 2 of Safe Start Plan
29.     Public Health Workers Threatened, Harassed While Fighting COVID-19
30.     ‘No Mask, No Service’ Signs Pop Up as Businesses Begin to Slowly Reopen
31.     Weather Could Hit 80 Degrees in Some Parts of Western Washington State This Week
32.     Second Explosive Device Detonates at Gig Harbor House within One Week
33.     Pastor Sentenced for Stealing Oso Slide Donations
34.     Olympic College to Offer Predominantly Online Instruction for Summer & Fall Quarters
35.     Pacific Northwest Cherry Crops Facing Disease & Decreased Harvest

WORD OF THE DAY

Enfant Terrible • \on-fahnt tuh-REEB-luh\ • Noun - 1a: a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment b: a person known for shocking remarks or outrageous behavior 2: a usually young & successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde.

At 88, Barney was the youngest resident at “Shady Lanes Retirement Home.” Even at the time of life when it becomes OK to blithely blurt out what you really feel about something, He was considered the facility’s “Enfant Terrible” for his truly outrageous, yet painfully accurate, observations of life in the elder care wing.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Washington State Aims to Regulate Water Temperature at Federal Dams, Wading into Controversy (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

2.      Op/Ed: Do Dams Really Impact River Temps in the Columbia/Snake Rivers? Here’s the Science. (Longview Daily News, WA)

3.      After Coronavirus Shutdowns, Consumers’ Unpaid Utility Bills Loom as Costly Problem (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

4.      Proposed Oregon Pipeline Gains Momentum Despite State Opposition (Courthouse News Service)

5.      Emerald PUD Uses DEED Grant for Data Analytics Project with The Energy Authority (American Public Power Association)

6.      Pacific Gas & Electric’s Long-Running Bankruptcy Saga Enters Pivotal Stage (ABC News)

7.      Brace for Blackouts in the Summer of COVID-19 (The Daily Beast)

8.      Energy Won’t Be the Same When This Is Over (Washington Post)

9.      Four Colorado Utilities to Join the West’s Real-Time Energy Market (Orange County Breeze, Los Alamitos, CA)

10.   S&P, Fitch Weigh in on Impact of Recession, Pandemic on Public Power (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

11.   British Columbia: Salmon Expected to Begin Arriving Soon at Fraser River Landslide (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

12.   Judge Refuses to Divert Water for Endangered Salmon on Klamath River (Courthouse News Service)

13.   Decision on Sea Lion Removal Application Likely by Fall (Battleground Reflector, WA)

14.   Outdoors: Spot Shrimp Fishery Opening Later This Week (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

15.   Millions of Noisy Cicadas to Emerge This Year After 17 Years Underground (Gizmodo)

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

16.   Pebble Mine Alters Alaska Road Plan, Riling Environmentalists (Bloomberg News)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

17.   Friday Harbor’s Solar Panel Project to Be Activated This Week (San Juan Islander, Friday Harbor, WA)

18.   You Can Help Buy a Solar Array for Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

19.   Clean Energy Has Taken a Hit. Will It Rebound? (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

20.   U.S. Senators Murkowski, Collins, Tillis Urge Treasury to Extend Aid to Solar Industry (Utility Dive)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

21.   Okanogan County: First Phase of Broadband Access Study Completed; Provides ‘Map’ of Local Infrastructure (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

22.   Crowdsourcing Our Broadband Access (Deer Park Gazette, WA)

23.   Home Broadband Usage Explodes (Pots & Pans)

24.   Without Internet Access, Students & Teachers in Rural Areas Struggle to Keep Up (National Public Radio)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

25.   Climate Change Is Turning the Snow in Antarctica Bright Green. Scientists Can See It from Space. (USA Today)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

26.   More Harm Than Good? Twitter Struggles to Label Misleading COVID-19 Tweets (C|Net News)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

27.   The Next Americans in Space – They’ve lived parallel lives & married astronauts. Now they’re about to fly SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. (Washington Post)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

28.   COVID-19 – Mason County Approved to Move to Phase 2 of Safe Start Plan (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

29.   Public Health Workers Threatened, Harassed While Fighting COVID-19 (Crosscut Seattle)

30.   ‘No Mask, No Service’ Signs Pop Up as Businesses Begin to Slowly Reopen (CBS News)

GENERAL NEWS

31.   Weather Could Hit 80 Degrees in Some Parts of Western Washington State This Week (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

32.   Second Explosive Device Detonates at Gig Harbor House within One Week (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

33.   Pastor Sentenced for Stealing Oso Slide Donations (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

34.   Olympic College to Offer Predominantly Online Instruction for Summer & Fall Quarters (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

35.   Pacific Northwest Cherry Crops Facing Disease & Decreased Harvest (Associated Press)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Chicago Artist Fills Pesky Potholes with Pandemic Art

Real or “Flavored” Wood? Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Pellet Grill Company

Methow Valley Family Farm Supplies Flour to Stay-at-Home Bakers

Alligator Rumored to Have Been Hitler’s Dies in Moscow

SONG OF THE DAY

Waylon Jennings - Where Corn Don't Grow

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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