Thanks to the Northwest Public Power Association, The Energy News Digest is in your inbox. The news digest is issued weekly, on Mondays & Wednesdays.
The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.
Comments or Questions? Contact the Energy News Digest editor.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
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
Raging Wildfires Destroy Washington Town, Roar Through
California, Oregon (Reuters)
Blackouts Tied to Wildfires Are Spreading Beyond California
(Bloomberg News)
California Governor: ‘No Patience for Climate Change
Deniers’ Amid Historic Wildfires (Politico)
Injured Worker Says Leaders of Skookumchuck Wind Power
Project Fostered Culture of Recklessness (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
Nevada Officials Raise Concerns About Proposed Utah Pipeline
to Tap into More Colorado River Water (Nevada Independent)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Raging Wildfires Destroy Washington Town, Roar
Through California, Oregon
2.
Blackouts Tied to Wildfires Are Spreading Beyond
California
3.
Live Updates: California Wildfire Explodes in
Size; Hundreds of Homes Lost in Oregon
4.
Power Outages Continue to Affect Tens of
Thousands Across Oregon Wednesday as Wildfires, Evacuations Grow
5.
Pacific Gas & Electric ‘s Humboldt Power
Plant is Successfully Operating in ‘Island’ Mode, Saving Thousands from Public
Safety Power Shutoffs
6.
Pacific Gas & Electric Trying a New Tactic
in Power Cuts to Prevent Wildfires
7.
Hazard Mapping System: Fire & Smoke
8.
Public Comment Hearing for Sale of Puget Sound
Energy’s Coal-Fired Power Plant
9.
Virus Relief Helps Bring Electricity to Navajo
Nation Homes
10.
Can a Multi-State Energy Grid Avert Power
Outages in California?
11.
Idaho: Electrical Circuit Breakers Stolen from
43 Businesses in Twin Falls & Ada Counties
12.
Injured Worker Says Leaders of Skookumchuck Wind
Power Project Fostered Culture of Recklessness
13.
Once Hot, Solar Energy Development Fizzled
Before Montana Supreme Court Ruling
14.
California Offshore Winds Show Promise as Power
Source
15.
City of Unalaska Inks Power Purchase Agreement
for Geothermal Power
16.
Oregon Communities Using Municipal Waste to
Create Their Own Clean Energy Futures
17.
Orca That Carried Dead Calf for 17 Days Gives
Birth to Healthy New Baby
18.
British Columbia Fisherman Fined $8K for
Throwing Explosive at Sea Lions
19.
Nevada Officials Raise Concerns About Proposed
Utah Pipeline to Tap into More Colorado River Water
20.
California Governor: ‘No Patience for Climate
Change Deniers’ Amid Historic Wildfires
21.
Wildfires One Sign of the ‘New Washington’
Created by Climate Change, Inslee Says
22.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Warns the Human Toll of
Wildfires Will Be ‘Extremely Difficult’ to Bear
23.
Western Governors Take a Stance on Broadband
24.
The 5G Lie: The Network of the Future Is Still
Slow
25.
FCC: Ajit Pai Touted False Broadband Data
Despite Clear Signs It Wasn’t Accurate
26.
Yes, a Solar Minimum Is Coming. No, It’s Not
Going to Mess Up the World
27.
NRECA Supports Bill to Keep Families Connected
to Broadband Amid Pandemic
28. Op/Ed: Congress Must Address the Coming Utility Bill Crisis
WORD OF THE DAY
Halyard • \HAL-yerd\ • Noun - A rope used to raise or lower something such as a sail or flag.
Benny’s shoulders were screaming in. The self-proclaimed captain of the tramp steamer, the “Greasy Getaway” had ordered him to spell out the opening lines of “Moby Dick” using the signal flags for the rest of the rusty flotilla of ships. The squeaking of the tackle as the halyard was pulled up and down was almost as excruciating as the aches in Ben’s shoulders.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Raging Wildfires Destroy Washington Town, Roar
Through California, Oregon (Reuters)
2.
Blackouts Tied to Wildfires Are Spreading Beyond
California (Bloomberg News)
3.
Live Updates: California Wildfire Explodes in Size;
Hundreds of Homes Lost in Oregon (NY Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/09/us/fires-oregon-california-live-updates.html
4.
Power Outages Continue to Affect Tens of Thousands
Across Oregon Wednesday as Wildfires, Evacuations Grow (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
5.
Pacific Gas & Electric ‘s Humboldt Power
Plant is Successfully Operating in ‘Island’ Mode, Saving Thousands from Public
Safety Power Shutoffs (Lost Coast Outpost, Eureka, CA)
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2020/sep/8/pges-humboldt-power-plant-successfully-operating-i/
6.
Pacific Gas & Electric Trying a New Tactic in
Power Cuts to Prevent Wildfires (Associated Press)
7.
Hazard Mapping System: Fire & Smoke (Salem
Statesman Journal, OR)
https://data.statesmanjournal.com/fires/
8.
Public Comment Hearing for Sale of Puget Sound
Energy’s Coal-Fired Power Plant (The Suburban Times, Lakewood, WA)
https://thesubtimes.com/2020/09/08/public-comment-hearing-for-sale-of-pses-coal-fired-power-plant/
9.
Virus Relief Helps Bring Electricity to Navajo
Nation Homes (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/b9ffecee40ba92f8f8e695d3e319ccc6
10.
Can a Multi-State Energy Grid Avert Power
Outages in California? (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)
11.
Idaho: Electrical Circuit Breakers Stolen from 43
Businesses in Twin Falls & Ada Counties (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
12.
Injured Worker Says Leaders of Skookumchuck Wind
Power Project Fostered Culture of Recklessness (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
13.
Once Hot, Solar Energy Development Fizzled
Before Montana Supreme Court Ruling (Billings Gazette, MT)
14.
California Offshore Winds Show Promise as Power
Source (Science Daily)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200908170537.htm
15.
City of Unalaska Inks Power Purchase Agreement
for Geothermal Power (KUCB Radio, Unalaska, AK)
https://www.kucb.org/post/city-unalaska-inks-power-purchase-agreement-geothermal-power#stream/0
16.
Oregon Communities Using Municipal Waste to
Create Their Own Clean Energy Futures (Portland Business Journal, OR)
FISH & WILDLIFE
17.
Orca That Carried Dead Calf for 17 Days Gives
Birth to Healthy New Baby (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/southern-resident-whales-new-calf-1.5714424?cmp=rss
18.
British Columbia Fisherman Fined $8K for Throwing
Explosive at Sea Lions (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
19.
Nevada Officials Raise Concerns About Proposed Utah
Pipeline to Tap into More Colorado River Water (Nevada Independent)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
20.
California Governor: ‘No Patience for Climate
Change Deniers’ Amid Historic Wildfires (Politico)
21.
Wildfires One Sign of the ‘New Washington’ Created
by Climate Change, Inslee Says (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article245581815.html
22.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Warns the Human Toll of Wildfires
Will Be ‘Extremely Difficult’ to Bear (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
23.
Western Governors Take a Stance on Broadband (Pots
& Pans)
https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2020/09/08/western-governors-take-a-stance-on-broadband/
24.
The 5G Lie: The Network of the Future Is Still
Slow (Washington, Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/08/5g-speed/
25.
FCC: Ajit Pai Touted False Broadband Data
Despite Clear Signs It Wasn’t Accurate (Ars Technica)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
26.
Yes, a Solar Minimum Is Coming. No, It’s Not
Going to Mess Up the World (Science Alert)
https://www.sciencealert.com/we-re-about-to-experience-solar-minimum-here-s-what-that-really-means
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
27.
NRECA Supports Bill to Keep Families Connected
to Broadband Amid Pandemic (National Rural Electric Coop Association)
28.
Op/Ed: Congress Must Address the Coming Utility
Bill Crisis (Inside Sources)
https://www.insidesources.com/congress-must-address-the-coming-utility-bill-crisis/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Kitten Found Dying with Mouth Rubber-Cemented Shut Finds
Home with 6-Year-Old
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/sep/08/kitten-found-dying-with-mouth-rubber-cemented-shut/
State Fair to Go Box Lets You Bring Fair Food Home
https://cw33.com/morning-after/state-fair-to-go-box-lets-you-bring-fair-food-home/
Woman Votes Topless After Being Told Anti-Trump Shirt
Violates New Hampshire Law
https://news.yahoo.com/woman-votes-topless-being-told-190440876.html
John Cage, of Course – Slow Music: Chord Change in Germany of
639-Year Organ Piece
SONG OF THE DAY
Molly Hatchet – Flirtin’ with Disaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K_-D5B7DIg
x