Tuesday, June 30, 2020

The Energy News Digest for June 30, 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.

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. Now, go play.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS





HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Offers Rate Relief to Customers Hit Economically by Pandemic (Bonneville Power Administration)

‘Backstop’ Bill to Turn Pacific Gas & Electric into Non-Profit Headed to California Governor’s Desk (Utility Dive)

Op/Ed: Snake River Dams in Hot Water (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

A Remote Corner of Idaho Has Become the Best Hope for the U.S. Challenge to Huawei (Washington Post)

South Thurston County Location Under Consideration for ‘Sea-Tac-Size’ Airport (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Bonneville Power Administration Offers Rate Relief to Customers Hit Economically by Pandemic
2.        ‘Backstop’ Bill to Turn Pacific Gas & Electric into Non-Profit Headed to California Governor’s Desk
3.        Stay-at-Home Orders Led to Less Commercial & Industrial Electricity Use in April
4.        Canada: Report Captures Columbia River Treaty Community Voices
5.        Some in Grant & Adams Counties Eligible for Help with Bills
6.        Comprehensive Energy Bill Could See Senate Floor as Early as July: Murkowski Chief Counsel
7.        Russia Denies Nuclear Power Plant Leaks as Mysterious Radiation Spike Reported Over Northern Europe
8.        Op/Ed: Federalizing Net Metering Is Unequivocally Anti-Conservative
9.        Heat Pump Purchases – British Columbia Government to Give Loans for Fuel Efficient Switch on Home Heating
10.     Op/Ed: Snake River Dams in Hot Water
11.     Koalas Face Extinction in New South Wales by 2050, Report Finds
12.     A Remote Corner of Idaho Has Become the Best Hope for the U.S. Challenge to Huawei
13.     Report: One in Four California Kids Don’t Have Adequate Internet Access to Learn from Home
14.     Many Libraries Still Have Slow Broadband
15.     COVID-19-Related Broadband Funding Bill Introduced
16.     Electrify America Completes First Route Across U.S. with Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
17.     Legal, Regulated Psychedelic Mushrooms One Step Closer to Being on Oregon’s November Ballot
18.     Washington Likely to Seek Loan to Keep Jobless Fund Solvent
19.     APPA Voices Support for Bill’s Smart Infrastructure Investment Provisions
20.     Washington State Reports 501 New COVID-19 Cases
21.     Gov. Kate Brown to Expand Mask Mandate Throughout Oregon
22.     Editorial: Mask Mandate Suppresses Virus, Not Rights
23.     South Thurston County Location Under Consideration for ‘Sea-Tac-Size’ Airport
24.     Washington State’s Population Tops 7.6 Million
25.     Seattle Crews Move In, Take Some Barriers Out of CHOP Zone
26.     Second Federal Lawsuit Filed Over Seattle’s CHOP Zone
27.     Auburn Man Loses Fingers While Lighting Fireworks
28.     Les Schwab Tire Suspends Plans to Sell Company, Citing Coronavirus

WORD OF THE DAY

Sycophant \SICK-kuh-funt or fant\ Noun - A servile self-seeking flatterer

“Happy Boss’s Day Mister Dithers,” groveled the sycophantic Dagwood.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Bonneville Power Administration Offers Rate Relief to Customers Hit Economically by Pandemic (Bonneville Power Administration)

2.      ‘Backstop’ Bill to Turn Pacific Gas & Electric into Non-Profit Headed to California Governor’s Desk (Utility Dive)

3.      Stay-at-Home Orders Led to Less Commercial & Industrial Electricity Use in April (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

4.      Canada: Report Captures Columbia River Treaty Community Voices (East Kootenay News Online, BC)

5.      Some in Grant & Adams Counties Eligible for Help with Bills (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

6.      Comprehensive Energy Bill Could See Senate Floor as Early as July: Murkowski Chief Counsel (Utility Dive)

7.      Russia Denies Nuclear Power Plant Leaks as Mysterious Radiation Spike Reported Over Northern Europe (Washington Examiner)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

8.      Op/Ed: Federalizing Net Metering Is Unequivocally Anti-Conservative (Utility Dive)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

9.      Heat Pump Purchases – British Columbia Government to Give Loans for Fuel Efficient Switch on Home Heating (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

10.   Op/Ed: Snake River Dams in Hot Water (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

11.   Koalas Face Extinction in New South Wales by 2050, Report Finds (British Broadcasting Corporation)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

12.   A Remote Corner of Idaho Has Become the Best Hope for the U.S. Challenge to Huawei (Washington Post)

13.   Report: One in Four California Kids Don’t Have Adequate Internet Access to Learn from Home (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)

14.   Many Libraries Still Have Slow Broadband (Pots & Pans)

15.   COVID-19-Related Broadband Funding Bill Introduced – Wyden (Sen. OR) bill would provide bigger subsidy for low-income residents (Multichannel News)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

16.   Electrify America Completes First Route Across U.S. with Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (American Public Power Association)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

17.   Legal, Regulated Psychedelic Mushrooms One Step Closer to Being on Oregon’s November Ballot (Oregonian, Portland)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

18.   Washington Likely to Seek Loan to Keep Jobless Fund Solvent (Associated Press)

19.   APPA Voices Support for Bill’s Smart Infrastructure Investment Provisions (American Public Power Association)

SICKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

20.   Washington State Reports 501 New COVID-19 Cases (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

21.   Gov. Kate Brown to Expand Mask Mandate Throughout Oregon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

22.   Editorial: Mask Mandate Suppresses Virus, Not Rights (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

23.   South Thurston County Location Under Consideration for ‘Sea-Tac-Size’ Airport (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

24.   Washington State’s Population Tops 7.6 Million (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

25.   Seattle Crews Move In, Take Some Barriers Out of CHOP Zone (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

26.   Second Federal Lawsuit Filed Over Seattle’s CHOP Zone (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

27.   Auburn Man Loses Fingers While Lighting Fireworks (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

28.   Les Schwab Tire Suspends Plans to Sell Company, Citing Coronavirus (Oregonian, Portland)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Carl Reiner, Longtime Comedy Legend, Dies at 98

Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner – The 2000-Year-Old Man

Man Falls Through Floor of Home, Plunges Down 30-Foot Well

Man takes 92 wet sponge hits to the face for Guinness record

SONG OF THE DAY

Postmodern Jukebox – Mr. Blue Sky