Monday, August 17, 2020

The Energy News Digest for August 17, 2020


Thanks to the Northwest Public Power Association, The Energy News Digest is in your inbox. The news digest is issued weekly, on Mondays & Wednesdays.

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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.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Governor Newsom Wants Probe of California Blackouts, as Grid Officials Suspend Volatile Power Trading (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Hundreds of Sea Lions Could Be Killed on Columbia River in Effort to Save Endangered Fish (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

U.S. West Faces Reckoning Over Water But Avoids Cuts for Now (Associated Press)

States With the Biggest Household Carbon Footprints (Conway Daily Sun, NH)

Ninth Circuit Upholds FCC’s Small Cell Deployment Order Designed to Promote 5G (Broadband Breakfast)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Governor Newsom Wants Probe of California Blackouts, as Grid Officials Suspend Volatile Power Trading
2.        U.S. West Power Prices at Record High as California Prepares for More Outages
3.        Western Area Power Administration Hydropower Supports California During Energy Emergency
4.        Rolling Blackouts in California Have Power Experts Stumped
5.        UAMPS Responds to Concerns Over Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Project
6.        Pandemic Electric Bills Are Searing Hot, as Families Stay Home
7.        British Columbia’s Peace River Dam Has Become a Cash Bonfire. Hard Decisions Are Ahead
8.        Bonneville Power Administration Takes Additional Precautions to Protect Workforce
9.        WA State: Grand Coulee Dam Power Plant to Be Renamed After Ephrata Men
10.     Editorial: Breaching Snake Dams Still Not a Good Option
11.     Editorial: A Cyber-Risk We’re Not Prepared For: What if the Power Grid Collapsed & America Went Dark?
12.     Analysis: States' Renewable Mandates Continue to Grow; Nine Set 100% Clean Energy Goals
13.     Solar Panels Are Starting to Die. What Will We Do with the Megatons of Toxic Trash?
14.     U.S. Air Conditioning Use Could Surge Nearly 60 Percent by 2050
15.     HVAC Companies See High Interest in Air Filters, UV Lights in War on COVID-19
16.     Hundreds of Sea Lions Could Be Killed on Columbia River in Effort to Save Endangered Fish
17.     With Record-Low Salmon Returning This Year to Fraser River, British Columbia Fishers Face Tough Times
18.     Sacramento Municipal Utility District Stocking El Dorado County Reservoirs with Thousands of Trout
19.     U.S. West Faces Reckoning Over Water But Avoids Cuts for Now
20.     California: Hoopa Valley Tribe Files Lawsuit to Block Contract with Central Valley Agribusiness
21.     States with the Biggest Household Carbon Footprints
22.     Why ‘Carbon Offsets’ Don’t Do All That They Promise
23.     Propelling the Transition: Green Hydrogen Could Be the Final Piece in a Zero-Emissions Future
24.     Rural Families without Internet Face Tough Choice on School
25.     WA State Broadband Office Wants Your Help Mapping Statewide Internet Access
26.     Wyoming to Use Federal CARES Act Funding to Expand Broadband Infrastructure
27.     How to Use Google Meet, The Simpler Alternative to Zoom
28.     Rare ‘Fire Tornadoes’ Caused By Massive Wildfire in Northern California
29.     Death Valley Hits 130 Degrees, Thought to Be Highest Temperature on Earth in Over a Century
30.     Ninth Circuit Upholds FCC’s Small Cell Deployment Order Designed to Promote 5G
31.     Mail-In Voting Rules in 46 States May Leave Some Ballots Uncounted, USPS
32.     White House Withdraws Nomination of William Pendley to Head the Bureau of Land Management

WORD OF THE DAY

Indubitable • \in-DOO-buh-tuh-bull\ • Adjective - Too evident to be doubted: unquestionable

“The sun will rise, the sun will set…that is an indubitable fact,” intoned the professor as he held sway over his 8 AM philosophy class. “As is the fact that that using the Socratic Method this early in the morning with teen-agers is a total waste,” he murmured to himself.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Governor Newsom Wants Probe of California Blackouts, as Grid Officials Suspend Volatile Power Trading (Sacramento Bee, CA)

2.      U.S. West Power Prices at Record High as California Prepares for More Outages (Reuters)

3.      Western Area Power Administration Hydropower Supports California During Energy Emergency (Western Area Power Administration)

4.      Rolling Blackouts in California Have Power Experts Stumped (NY Times)

5.      UAMPS Responds to Concerns Over Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Project (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

6.      Pandemic Electric Bills Are Searing Hot, as Families Stay Home (Utah Public Radio)

7.      British Columbia’s Peace River Dam Has Become a Cash Bonfire. Hard Decisions Are Ahead (Globe & Mail, Canada)

8.      Bonneville Power Administration Takes Additional Precautions to Protect Workforce (Bonneville Power Administration)

9.      WA State: Grand Coulee Dam Power Plant to Be Renamed After Ephrata Men (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

10.   Editorial: Breaching Snake Dams Still Not a Good Option (LaGrande Observer, OR)

11.   Editorial: A Cyber-Risk We’re Not Prepared For: What if the Power Grid Collapsed & America Went Dark? (Washington, Post)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

12.   Analysis: States' Renewable Mandates Continue to Grow; Nine Set 100% Clean Energy Goals (S&P Global – Platts)

13.   Solar Panels Are Starting to Die. What Will We Do with the Megatons of Toxic Trash? (Grist Online)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   U.S. Air Conditioning Use Could Surge Nearly 60 Percent by 2050 (Gizmodo)

15.   HVAC Companies See High Interest in Air Filters, UV Lights in War on COVID-19 (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

16.   Hundreds of Sea Lions Could Be Killed on Columbia River in Effort to Save Endangered Fish (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

17.   With Record-Low Salmon Returning This Year to Fraser River, British Columbia Fishers Face Tough Times (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

18.   Sacramento Municipal Utility District Stocking El Dorado County Reservoirs with Thousands of Trout (Sacramento Municipal Utility District, CA)

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

19.   U.S. West Faces Reckoning Over Water But Avoids Cuts for Now (Associated Press)

20.   California: Hoopa Valley Tribe Files Lawsuit to Block Contract with Central Valley Agribusiness (North Coast Journal, Eureka, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

21.   States with the Biggest Household Carbon Footprints (Conway Daily Sun, NH)

22.   Why ‘Carbon Offsets’ Don’t Do All That They Promise (Washington, Post)

23.   Propelling the Transition: Green Hydrogen Could Be the Final Piece in a Zero-Emissions Future (Utility Dive)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

24.   Rural Families without Internet Face Tough Choice on School (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

25.   WA State Broadband Office Wants Your Help Mapping Statewide Internet Access (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

26.   Wyoming to Use Federal CARES Act Funding to Expand Broadband Infrastructure (KULR-TV, Billings, MT)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

27.   How to Use Google Meet, The Simpler Alternative to Zoom (Fast Company)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

28.   Rare ‘Fire Tornadoes’ Caused By Massive Wildfire in Northern California (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

29.   Death Valley Hits 130 Degrees, Thought to Be Highest Temperature on Earth in Over a Century (Yahoo News)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

30.   Ninth Circuit Upholds FCC’s Small Cell Deployment Order Designed to Promote 5G (Broadband Breakfast)

31.   Mail-In Voting Rules in 46 States May Leave Some Ballots Uncounted, USPS Warns (ABC News)

32.   White House Withdraws Nomination of William Pendley to Head the Bureau of Land Management (Washington, Post)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Clowns Suffer, Adapt in Peru Due to the Pandemic

One-Armed Golfer Sinks Hole-In-One

Pepperoni Is the Latest Coronavirus Shortage. Will the Scarcity Affect Your Pizza Habit?

Elon Musk Says Goat-Mimicking Horn Sounds Are 'Definitely Coming' to Tesla Fleet

SONG OF THE DAY

Dean Martin - That's Amore