The Energy News Digest for December 30, 2020

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Aloha Moisture Approaching the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/12/aloha-moisture-approaching-northwest.html

Oregon Regulators Back Portland General Electric on Boost for All-Electric Home Connections (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2020/12/oregon-regulators-back-portland-general.html

Toxic Algae Blooms at Oregon-California Border Spurred by Climate Change, Study Says (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)

https://www.klcc.org/post/toxic-algae-blooms-oregon-california-border-spurred-climate-change-study-says

When Nashville Bombing Hit a Telecom Hub, the Ripples Reached Far Beyond – Investigators are questioning whether the perpetrator specifically targeted the building (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/us/nashville-bombing-telecommunications.html

Fired Tyson Boss Says COVID Office Pool Was a ‘Morale Boost’ (Associated Press)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/dec/28/fired-tyson-boss-says-covid-office-pool-was-a-morale-boost/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.    Oregon Regulators Back Portland General Electric on Boost for All-Electric Home Connections

2.    Editorial: Oregon’s State Climate Policy Reshapes Incentive for Electricity

3.    Gas-fired Electricity Advances across Most U.S. Regions over Past Five Years, EIA Says

4.    California: Pacific Gas & Electric Judge Proposes Stricter Probation after Wildfires

5.    California: Decommissioning Lawsuit, San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant

6.    Ohio: Scandal-Battered Utility Now Faces Specter of Pricy Lawsuits

7.    Vermonters Won’t Face Utility Shutoffs This Winter. Here’s What Utility Companies Had to Say.

8.    WA State: Brinnon, Quilcene Knitters Make Caps for Jefferson PUD, Mason PUD 1 Workers

9.    California: Large Energy Storage Project Would Create New Reservoir Above Isabella Lake

10. Wyoming: Commercial Solar Project Proposed in Sheridan County

11. 190,000 Ceiling Fans Recalled Because the Blades Detach & Fly Off

12. Commentary: We’ve Hit the Phase of the Trump Presidency Where People Are Suing Over Dishwashers

13. Toxic Algae Blooms at Oregon-California Border Spurred by Climate Change, Study Says

14. Opponents of Oregon’s Climate Policies Argue for Another Chance to Sue

15. California’s Landmark Cap-And-Trade Policy Faces Growing Claims of Environmental Racism

16. Climate Change Led to Record Insurance Payouts in 2020

17. When Nashville Bombing Hit a Telecom Hub, the Ripples Reached Far Beyond

18. U.S. Senator Wyden: Stimulus Bill Funds Broadband, Assistance for Farmers, Ranchers

19. WA State: Better Internet Coming to Pacific County? Not So Fast

20. Q&A: WA State Rep. DelBene on Data Privacy, Rural Broadband & the Biden Administration’s Tech Agenda

21. A Look at Less-Publicized PR Crisis Communication Tips

22. Politico Acquires Energy & Environment-Focused Trade Publication E&E News

23. Fourth Small Earthquake in Three Days Hits Puget Sound Area

24. Fired Tyson Boss Says COVID Office Pool Was a ‘Morale Boost’

25. Aloha Moisture Approaching the Pacific Northwest

WORD OF THE DAY

Supererogation • \soop-err-air-uh-GAY-shun\ • Noun - The act of performing more than is required by duty, obligation, or need

“Bartholomew, you have an exemplary talent…your supererogation is an inspiration to all the other employees here,” barked the supervisor to his cowering minion.

“Great,” thought Barty, “Now I need to buy a dictionary to see if that was a compliment or not.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Oregon Regulators Back Portland General Electric on Boost for All-Electric Home Connections (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2020/12/oregon-regulators-back-portland-general.html

2.      Editorial: Oregon’s State Climate Policy Reshapes Incentive for Electricity (Bend Bulletin, OR)

https://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/editorial-state-climate-policy-reshapes-incentive-for-electricity/article_74101302-4a07-11eb-a5ff-1b7635174c19.html

3.      Gas-fired Electricity Advances across Most U.S. Regions over Past Five Years, EIA Says (Natural Gas Intelligence)

https://www.naturalgasintel.com/gas-fired-electricity-advances-across-most-u-s-regions-over-past-5-years-eia-says/

4.      California: Pacific Gas & Electric Judge Proposes Stricter Probation after Wildfires (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-29/pg-e-judge-proposes-stricter-probation-terms-after-wildfires

5.      California: Decommissioning Lawsuit, San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/nuclear-power-5/

6.      Ohio: Scandal-Battered Utility Now Faces Specter of Pricy Lawsuits (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Scandal-battered-utility-now-faces-specter-of-15835773.php

7.      Vermonters Won’t Face Utility Shutoffs This Winter. Here’s What Utility Companies Had to Say. (Burlington Free Press, VT)

https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2020/12/29/covid-utility-shutoffs-moratorium-vermont-reinstated/4070846001/

8.      WA State: Brinnon, Quilcene Knitters Make Caps for Jefferson PUD, Mason PUD 1 Workers (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/brinnon-quilcene-knitters-make-caps-for-pud-workers/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

9.      California: Large Energy Storage Project Would Create New Reservoir Above Isabella Lake (Bakersfield, Californian, CA)

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/large-energy-storage-project-would-create-new-reservoir-above-isabella-lake/article_a79ff7ee-4955-11eb-a6d5-5b06b053bb14.html

10.   Wyoming: Commercial Solar Project Proposed in Sheridan County (The Buffalo Bulletin, WY)

http://www.buffalobulletin.com/news/article_331c073e-49e9-11eb-8e08-8bfb8980aafa.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

11.   190,000 Ceiling Fans Recalled Because the Blades Detach & Fly Off (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/28/business/ceiling-fan-recall-trnd/index.html

12.   Commentary: We’ve Hit the Phase of the Trump Presidency Where People Are Suing Over Dishwashers (Gizmodo)

https://earther.gizmodo.com/weve-hit-the-phase-of-the-trump-presidency-where-people-1845963893

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

13.   Toxic Algae Blooms at Oregon-California Border Spurred by Climate Change, Study Says (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)

https://www.klcc.org/post/toxic-algae-blooms-oregon-california-border-spurred-climate-change-study-says

14.   Opponents of Oregon’s Climate Policies Argue for Another Chance to Sue (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/29/oregon-greenhouse-gas-emissions-court-challenge/

15.   California’s Landmark Cap-And-Trade Policy Faces Growing Claims of Environmental Racism (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2020/12/29/californias-landmark-cap-and-trade-policy-facing-backlash-from-environmental-racism/4064871001/

16.   Climate Change Led to Record Insurance Payouts in 2020 (Bloomberg News)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/28/climate-change-led-to-record-insurance-payouts-in-/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

17.   When Nashville Bombing Hit a Telecom Hub, the Ripples Reached Far Beyond – Investigators are questioning whether the perpetrator specifically targeted the building (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/us/nashville-bombing-telecommunications.html

18.   U.S. Senator Wyden: Stimulus Bill Funds Broadband, Assistance for Farmers, Ranchers (Blue Mountain Eagle, John Day, OR)

https://www.bluemountaineagle.com/news/wyden-stimulus-bill-funds-broadband-assistance-for-farmers-ranchers/article_9eaa06ba-4573-11eb-965f-1b4cd6f1aca5.html

19.   WA State: Better Internet Coming to Pacific County? Not So Fast (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

https://www.chinookobserver.com/news/local/better-internet-coming-not-so-fast/article_13c7bbb0-499b-11eb-8705-2bafe8662273.html

20.   Q&A: WA State Rep. DelBene on Data Privacy, Rural Broadband & the Biden Administration’s Tech Agenda (Geekwire)

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/qa-rep-delbene-data-privacy-rural-broadband-biden-administrations-tech-agenda/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

21.   A Look at Less-Publicized PR Crisis Communication Tips (PR News)

https://www.prnewsonline.com/crisis-tips-misinformation

22.   Politico Acquires Energy & Environment-Focused Trade Publication E&E News (Washington Business Journal, DC)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2020/12/politico-acquires-energy-environment.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

23.   Fourth Small Earthquake in Three Days Hits Puget Sound Area (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/fourth-small-earthquake-in-3-days-hits-puget-sound-area/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

24.   Fired Tyson Boss Says COVID Office Pool Was a ‘Morale Boost’ (Associated Press)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/dec/28/fired-tyson-boss-says-covid-office-pool-was-a-morale-boost/

WALLOPED BY THE WEATHER

25.   Aloha Moisture Approaching the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/12/aloha-moisture-approaching-northwest.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Man Tracks Down Author of 37-Year-Old Diaries in Crawlspace of Home

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/29/Man-tracks-down-author-of-37-year-old-diaries-in-crawlspace-of-home/9001609279459/

Utah Boy Catches 48-Pound Trout Six Months after Landing 41-Pounder

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/29/Utah-boy-catches-48-pound-trout-six-months-after-landing-41-pounder/9151609272540/

Virginia Man Finds Stolen 1969 Camaro after 17 Years

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/28/Virginia-man-finds-stolen-1969-Camaro-after-17-years/8071609187420/

Kentucky Man Uses Flamethrower to Clear Snow from Driveway

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/28/Kentucky-man-uses-flamethrower-to-clear-snow-from-driveway/3571609177928/

SONG OF THE DAY

Earth Wind & Fire – Boogie Wonderland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fxT82Nbwb8

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.

Politico Acquires Energy & Environment-Focused Trade Publication E&E News (Washington Business Journal, DC)

(WASHINGTON, DC) - - Politico, the politics and policy news organization, has agreed to acquire energy and environment trade publication E&E News, the two entities said late Tuesday.

E&E News, which produces five daily newsletters covering energy policy and related topics, will remain its own brand under the Politico umbrella. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. It was not immediately clear when the deal would close.

E&E News was founded in 1998 and now has 65 reporters in several offices around the United States, including a main office in Northwest D.C. Politico, which launched in 2007, is based in Arlington.

"Your ongoing support has positioned us to enter into this momentous agreement at a time when our journalism and business have never been stronger," E&E News co-founder and publisher Michael Witt wrote in a letter to readers. "In joining Politico, I believe E&E News can maximize its potential and reach even greater heights. I could not have parted with it for any less."

The acquisition furthers Politico Publisher Robert Allbritton's goal to expand the news organization's reach into more areas within the politics and policy space, according to a release.

“We are doubling down on our policy coverage by investing in journalism and growing our product offerings in the energy and environmental policy space, which touches all aspects of the economy and government," Allbritton said in a statement.

Politico currently has 600 employees in the U.S. and 200 in Europe, where it runs Politico Europe in partnership with Axel Springer. The company in 2020 launched AgencyIQ, a subscription product based on regulatory affairs.

Oregon Regulators Back Portland General Electric on Boost for All-Electric Home Connections (Portland Business Journal, OR)

(SALEM, OR) - - Oregon utility regulators got a taste this month of the tension building over a push to “electrify everything.”

The movement, promoted by climate activists as a key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is focused heavily on how buildings are heated and poses an obvious threat to natural gas distribution companies.

In the case at hand, Portland General Electric proposed boosting the rebate on the cost of extending service to all-electric homes to $2,260, compared to about $1,600 for other homes.

The Public Utility Commission agreed, although it was careful to say the decision was based on the economic benefits that the proposal would bring all PGE ratepayers by increasing revenue that supports the utility’s distribution system by a margin that exceeds new costs.

Still, the discussion of what are known as line-extension allowances brought out electrification advocates and NW Natural, the region’s dominant gas utility. And it began to frame an electricity vs. gas debate that figures to unfold in earnest in the years ahead.

It’s a debate that climate activists, many of whom would like to see NW Natural’s own line-extension allowance eliminated, are eager to have.

Their basic argument is that decarbonizing electricity is a more viable long-term strategy than cleaning up the gas system.

“We believe this is a really good example of how line-extension policies or construction-allowance policies can be used as a tool to reduce future carbon emissions and lower onsite energy consumption of new buildings,” Brian Stewart, founder of Electrify Now, told the commission at a Dec. 15 meeting.

Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Renew Oregon, Oregon Environmental Council, Sierra Club and other groups joined in supporting PGE’s proposal. And they encouraged the commission to undertake a deeper investigation that looks at the climate implications of line-extension policies, especially in light of Gov. Kate Brown’s executive order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon.

Commission Chair Megan Decker noted that the commission is beginning to probe the complex question as it explores implementing Brown’s order.

NW Natural didn’t strictly oppose PGE’s proposal. But the gas utility rejected a PGE framing that the proposal “supports Oregon’s decarbonization policy by providing an incentive to electrify, and therefore, increasingly decarbonize residential load.”

NW Natural called those “unsupported assertions” that would need a full investigation before being accepted by the commission. The company has argued that new gas efficiency measures, renewable natural gas and green hydrogen can make its gas system climate friendly.

The company even objected to a proposal by ratepayer advocate CUB to exclude from the higher allowance homes that will use “resistance heating” — think baseboards — instead of high-efficiency options such as heat pumps.

Resistance heating is cheap to install, but because it’s inefficient, is costly to use and adds to the grid burden, CUB said, and shouldn’t be encouraged.

NW Natural objected to the exclusion on the grounds that it reframes line-extension allowances — utility payments toward the cost of extending service to new buildings — as more than a question of the economic benefits that new customers bring the system.

But the PUC, pushed by Commissioner Mark Thompson, agreed to add the exclusion. The new pricing is set to go into effect Feb. 1.