The Energy News Digest for February 24, 2021

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

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

WA State Utility Disconnection Moratorium Extended Until July 31 (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2021-02-23/utility-disconnection-moratorium-extended-until-july-31

California Utility Customers $1.25 Billion Behind on Bills (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-02-23/california-utility-customers-more-than-1-billion-behind-on-bills

Public Broadband Act Passes Washington State House – PUD Authority Expanded (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/42943

WA State: County Leaders Speak Out Against Congressman Simpson’s Salmon Proposal (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

https://lmtribune.com/northwest/county-leaders-speak-out-against-simpson-s-proposal/article_c62fda23-0df3-5d4e-8eb6-d96926755853.html

Four ERCOT Board Members Who Live Outside of Texas Resign in the Aftermath of the Power Outage (Beaumont Enterprise, TX)

https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/texas/article/Four-ERCOT-board-members-resign-15973404.php

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Four ERCOT Board Members Who Live Outside of Texas Resign in the Aftermath of the Power Outage

2.      Thousands of Texas Electric Customers Will Be Involuntarily Switched to New Providers as Companies Fail

3.      Who's Really Left Holding the Bag for Those Sky-High Electricity Bills in Texas?

4.      Mother Whose 11-Year-Old Son Died in Texas Freeze Sues for $100 Million

5.      Energy Deregulation Worsened the Texas Crisis — And Enron Is Partly to Blame

6.      Op/Ed: The Real Problem in Texas: Deregulation

7.      Editorial: Texas Energy Leadership Lays an Egg

8.      WA State Utility Disconnection Moratorium Extended Until July 31

9.      California Utility Customers $1.25 Billion Behind on Bills

10.   Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Victims Sue Former Management for Neglect

11.   Engineer: Mass Power Outage in Idaho Due to Winter Weather ‘Unlikely’

12.   Opinion: Are Rolling Blackouts Becoming the New Normal?

13.   California's Electricity Prices Are So High That Researchers Worry People Won't Ditch Fossil Fuel

14.   Arizona Utility to Pay Customers Over $24 Million in Settlement over Online Rate Tool

15.   Former South Carolina Utility CEO Pleads Guilty to Nuclear Plant Fraud

16.   The Activists Who Embrace Nuclear Power

17.   Avista Posts Fourth Quarter Earnings of $58 Million

18.   New Orleans, LA: Utility: Much More Power Cut Than Necessary Mardi Gras Night

19.   Kentucky: Co-Op Lineman Falls 27 Feet, Serious Injuries; 7,000 Still Without Power

20.   A New Generation of Linemen

21.   Renewable Energy Advocates Bristle at Biden's Move to Preserve California Desert Land Use Plan

22.   WA State: County Leaders Speak Out Against Congressman Simpson’s Salmon Proposal

23.   Scientists Say Removing Snake River Dams ‘Is Necessary’ to Restore Salmon Population

24.   Alaska: Op/Ed – President Biden Must Quickly Reinstate Protections for ‘America’s Salmon Forest’

25.   British Columbia Salmon Farmers Ask Ottawa for More Time Before Closing Fish Farms

26.   Oregon Fines Private Lake Community $429,000 for Draining Reservoir, Allegedly Killing 30,000 Fish

27.   Electrical Transmission Lines Have Power to Enhance Habitat Connectivity for Wildlife

28.   U.S. Energy Regulator to Examine Climate Change's Threat to Power Reliability

29.   As Cities Grapple with Climate Change, Gas Utilities Fight to Stay in Business

30.   Public Broadband Act Passes Washington State House – PUD Authority Expanded

31.   Montana: Democratic Broadband Bill Gets Hearing in House Committee

32.   Net Neutrality Law to Take Effect in California after Judge Deals Blow to Telecom Industry

33.   Washington State Advances Bill to Ban Gas Cars by 2030, One-Upping California

34.   WA State Gov. Inslee’s ‘Clean Buildings’ Proposal Stalled in House Committee

35.   Washington State Cap-And-Trade Bill Gets Overhaul

WORD OF THE DAY

Propitiate • \pro-PISH-ee-yate\ • Verb - To gain or regain the favor or goodwill of: appease, conciliate

The famous “turkey drop” from ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ was no match for the “Ferret Drop” promotion of KFER radio one bleak, wintry day in December. The promotion, meant to propitiate listeners who had been stiffed by the limited edition “ball of sisal twine” give-away, went horribly wrong when the helicopter pilot misread his instructions and hovered 1,000 feet above the mall parking lot (instead of the ten feet as directed in the crumpled and smudged instruction sheet.) Fortunately for the apparently ill-fated weasels, their leader fashioned a makeshift parachute from a discarded mascot costume…which delivered the lucky ferrets into a briar patch from which the fabled “Ferret Foundation” grew.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

1.      Four ERCOT Board Members Who Live Outside of Texas Resign in the Aftermath of the Power Outage (Beaumont Enterprise, TX)

https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/texas/article/Four-ERCOT-board-members-resign-15973404.php

2.      Thousands of Texas Electric Customers Will Be Involuntarily Switched to New Providers as Companies Fail (Dallas Business Journal, TX)

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2021/02/22/texas-electric-customers.html

3.      Who's Really Left Holding the Bag for Those Sky-High Electricity Bills in Texas? (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/who-s-really-left-holding-bag-those-sky-high-electricity-n1258678

4.      Mother Whose 11-Year-Old Son Died in Texas Freeze Sues for $100 Million (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-weather-texas-lawsuit-idUSKBN2AM27W

5.      Energy Deregulation Worsened the Texas Crisis — And Enron Is Partly to Blame (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/02/23/energy-deregulation-worsened-texas-crisis-enron-is-partly-blame/

6.      Op/Ed: The Real Problem in Texas: Deregulation (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/the-real-problem-in-texas-deregulation/595564/

7.      Editorial: Texas Energy Leadership Lays an Egg (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/texas-leadership-lays-an-egg/

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

8.      WA State Utility Disconnection Moratorium Extended Until July 31 (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2021-02-23/utility-disconnection-moratorium-extended-until-july-31

9.      California Utility Customers $1.25 Billion Behind on Bills (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-02-23/california-utility-customers-more-than-1-billion-behind-on-bills

10.   Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Victims Sue Former Management for Neglect (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-02-24/pg-e-wildfire-victims-sue-former-management-for-neglect

11.   Engineer: Mass Power Outage in Idaho Due to Winter Weather ‘Unlikely’ (KMTV-TV, Twin Falls, ID)

https://www.kmvt.com/2021/02/24/engineer-mass-power-outage-in-idaho-due-to-winter-weather-unlikely/

12.   Opinion: Are Rolling Blackouts Becoming the New Normal? (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/opinion-are-rolling-blackouts-becoming.html

13.   California's Electricity Prices Are So High That Researchers Worry People Won't Ditch Fossil Fuel (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/californias-electricity-prices-are-so.html

14.   Arizona Utility to Pay Customers Over $24 Million in Settlement over Online Rate Tool (KTAR News, Phoenix, AZ)

https://ktar.com/story/4080151/arizona-utility-to-pay-customers-over-24-million-in-settlement/

15.   Former South Carolina Utility CEO Pleads Guilty to Nuclear Plant Fraud (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-02-24/former-sc-utility-executive-to-plead-guilty-in-two-courts

16.   The Activists Who Embrace Nuclear Power (New Yorker Magazine)

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-activists-who-embrace-nuclear-power

17.   Avista Posts Fourth Quarter Earnings of $58 Million (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/feb/24/avista-posts-q4-earnings-of-58m/

18.   New Orleans, LA: Utility: Much More Power Cut Than Necessary Mardi Gras Night (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-02-23/utility-much-more-power-cut-than-necessary-mardi-gras-night

19.   Kentucky: Co-Op Lineman Falls 27 Feet, Serious Injuries; 7,000 Still Without Power (WTVQ-TV, Lexington, KY)

https://www.wtvq.com/2021/02/23/electric-co-op-lineman-falls-27-feet-serious-injuries/

20.   A New Generation of Linemen (KFYR-TV, Bismarck, ND)

https://www.kfyrtv.com/2021/02/23/a-new-generation-of-linemen/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

21.   Renewable Energy Advocates Bristle at Biden's Move to Preserve California Desert Land Use Plan (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/biden-interior-preserve-california-desert-land-use-plan-disappoints-wind-developers/595584/

FISH & WILDLIFE

22.   WA State: County Leaders Speak Out Against Congressman Simpson’s Salmon Proposal (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

https://lmtribune.com/northwest/county-leaders-speak-out-against-simpson-s-proposal/article_c62fda23-0df3-5d4e-8eb6-d96926755853.html

23.   Scientists Say Removing Snake River Dams ‘Is Necessary’ to Restore Salmon Population (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

https://lmtribune.com/northwest/scientists-say-removing-snake-river-dams-is-necessary-to-restore-salmon-population/article_968f82ef-e213-5710-89a4-daf6d946bade.html

24.   Alaska: Op/Ed – President Biden Must Quickly Reinstate Protections for ‘America’s Salmon Forest’ (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/biden-must-quickly-reinstate-protections-for-americas-salmon-forest/

25.   British Columbia Salmon Farmers Ask Ottawa for More Time Before Closing Fish Farms (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-salmon-farmers-ask-ottawa-for-more-time-1.5925440?cmp=rss

26.   Oregon Fines Private Lake Community $429,000 for Draining Reservoir, Allegedly Killing 30,000 Fish (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2021/02/oregon-fines-private-lake-community-429k-for-draining-reservoir-allegedly-killing-30000-fish.html

27.   Electrical Transmission Lines Have Power to Enhance Habitat Connectivity for Wildlife (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-electrical-transmission-lines-power-habitat.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

28.   U.S. Energy Regulator to Examine Climate Change's Threat to Power Reliability (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-weather-texas-ferc-idUSKBN2AM2J2

29.   As Cities Grapple with Climate Change, Gas Utilities Fight to Stay in Business (National Public Radio)

https://www.nprillinois.org/post/cities-grapple-climate-change-gas-utilities-fight-stay-business#stream/0

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

30.   Public Broadband Act Passes Washington State House – PUD Authority Expanded (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/42943

31.   Montana: Democratic Broadband Bill Gets Hearing in House Committee (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/democratic-broadband-bill-gets-hearing-in-house-committee/article_dc89faa0-b3a6-5025-a61a-f5f11dbb52b6.html

32.   Net Neutrality Law to Take Effect in California after Judge Deals Blow to Telecom Industry (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/23/net-neutrality-law-take-effect-california-after-judge-deals-blow-telecom-industry/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

33.   Washington State Advances Bill to Ban Gas Cars by 2030, One-Upping California (Electrek)

https://electrek.co/2021/02/23/washington-state-advances-bill-to-ban-gas-cars-by-2030-one-upping-california/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

34.   WA State Gov. Inslee’s ‘Clean Buildings’ Proposal Stalled in House Committee (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article249438665.html

35.   Washington State Cap-And-Trade Bill Gets Overhaul (The Lens, Business Institute of Washington)

https://thelens.news/2021/02/23/cap-and-trade-bill-gets-overhaul/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Space Fans Crack Secret Message on NASA's Mars Parachute

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/secret-message-parachute-1.5925673?cmp=rss

She Went to Seattle Thrift Shop for Crochet Supplies & Left with a Kilogram of Cocaine

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/she-went-to-seattle-thrift-shop-for-crochet-supplies-and-left-with-a-kilogram-of-cocaine/

TikTok Users Spread Conspiracy That Texas Snow Was Manufactured by the Government

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/539995-tiktok-users-spread-conspiracy-that-texas-snow-was-manufactured?rl=1

78 Pounds of Wool Sheared from Sheep Found Living in the Wild

https://www.upi.com/Odd_news/2021/02/24/australia-Baarack-sheep-overgrown-fleece-78-pounds/2231614192920/

SONG OF THE DAY

Eric Clapton – Cocaine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdDhV45lYHU

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions.

California's Electricity Prices Are So High That Researchers Worry People Won't Ditch Fossil Fuel (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) - - California’s electricity prices are growing so high that they threaten the state’s ability to convince enough people to ditch fossil fuel-powered cars and appliances, new research says.

The state’s electric rates are now two to three times what it costs to provide power, a paper released by the energy institute at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and the nonprofit think tank Next 10 reported.

As much as 77% of what investor-owned electric companies recover through rates are related to fixed costs that don’t change based on consumption, the paper says. That includes generation, transmission and distribution costs but also subsidies for low-income households and public programs such as increasing energy efficiency, the authors concluded.

Low- and average-income residents are disproportionately burdened by the state’s high electricity prices because they use only modestly less power than people with higher incomes. High-income households are also more likely to install solar panels on their roofs, reducing their utility bills, the paper said.

Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist who spearheaded the paper, said he’s concerned that California is saddling its electric rates with too many things that are divorced from the direct cost of powering homes and businesses. Investments to reduce wildfire risk are one example, as are bill subsidies and funding for various other public programs.

He said the state should look at paying for some of those extra programs and policies through income or sales taxes instead. Another option could be allowing California utilities to implement fixed charges that vary based on income, meaning wealthier households would pay a higher monthly fee.

Otherwise, the state could end up in a situation where electric rates are “vastly higher than the true cost of using electricity,” Borenstein said. “At the same time, we’re going to have rates that are going to be so high that it will be a huge discouragement to using electricity for things that we need people to adopt if we’re going to decarbonize the economy.”

California has some of the highest electric rates in the country, though the specifics vary by utility. Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s residential electric rates are about 80% higher than the national average, while San Diego Gas & Electric charges about double the national average and Southern California Edison’s are 45% higher, according to Borenstein’s paper.

Monthly bills for California customers have historically been relatively low thanks to the state’s temperate climate. Still, Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network consumer group, agreed that Californians pay for too much through their electric rates.

“There are too many costs that have nothing to do with providing safe, reliable clean energy,” Toney said. “That’s really what ratepayers should be paying. We got no business paying for things like electric vehicles and home electrification — other sectors need to pay for that.”

Borenstein will present his findings Wednesday at a special California Public Utilities Commission hearing that will focus on electricity prices.

In advance of that hearing, the commission released its own paper projecting steady increases in electricity rates for the three major power companies over the next 10 years. The paper warned that upward pressure on rates could “trigger equity and affordability concerns for vulnerable customer populations” if not handled properly.

Opinion: Are Rolling Blackouts Becoming the New Normal? (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

Kurt Miller, Executive Director
Northwest RiverPartners

(VANCOUVER, WA) - - The hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who spent days without electricity, due to the recent ice storm, learned firsthand that power outages represent something more than an inconvenience.

If you lose power during a period of extreme cold or heat, lives can be at risk. It's one thing to know that downed trees are causing you and your neighbors to be without electricity and that local utility crews are working 24/7 to restore it. But imagine the millions of people in Texas who had their power purposely shut off by the state's grid operator.

A sustained blast of Arctic air spiked the state's heating demand at the same time that natural gas pipelines filled with ice, coal piles froze, and over half of Texas' substantial wind turbine fleet stopped producing electricity, in part due to frozen blades.

As a result, the Texas grid operator had to ration electricity by purposely shutting off supply to different sections of the grid on a rotating basis — also known as rolling blackouts.

Similarly, this past summer, California's grid operator implemented rolling blackouts during an extreme heatwave that coincided with wildfire smoke that reduced solar power production. Unfortunately, that's how blackouts tend to work — they are most apt to occur when we need electricity the most. In part, this relationship occurs because extreme temperatures put power plants under additional stress, which leads to a higher probability of plant failures.

Intermittent renewables, like wind and solar power tend to be particularly susceptible to regionwide weather events, because they depend on specific types of weather for their fuel.

To help fight climate change and reduce the frequency of related extreme weather events, many policy leaders agree we need to move away from fossil-fueled plants. However, by putting all of our eggs in one basket with wind, solar and batteries, we are left at the mercy of the very events we are trying to prevent.

If we do so, rolling blackouts may become the new normal on a nationwide scale. Given the life and death implications of blackouts during extreme weather, we cannot afford to have a vulnerable grid. Instead, we need to consider a more balanced carbon reduction approach that includes other carbon-free resources.

Recently, notable national and international organizations are urging policy leaders to remember the critical role of hydropower. The International Energy Agency, a Paris-based watchdog, is encouraging a doubling of global investment in sustainable hydropower, calling it renewable energy's forgotten workhorse.

Separately, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, in a recent report, called on Congress to, "(preserve) operating nuclear plants and hydroelectric facilities where possible." The Academies include a social justice framework to make their argument, stating that our existing low-cost carbon-free resources are necessary to keep electricity affordable, or we risk leaving vulnerable communities behind.

In 2020, the Union of Concerned Scientists was part of a larger consortium that acknowledged the critical role that hydropower plays in helping add intermittent renewables to the grid. Even U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, who is advocating breaching the lower Snake River dams in Washington state in an attempt to help struggling salmon populations, acknowledges how important those dams are to the Pacific Northwest. His proposed $33.5 billion package to mitigate their potential loss speaks volumes.

It's important to recognize that there is no perfect form of electricity generation. But a common-sense approach is to maintain existing hydropower generation wherever possible. It takes a healthy balance of energy sources to meet demand when we need it most.

At a time when we already are struggling to recover the economy and keep our communities safe and healthy, we cannot allow rolling blackouts to become the new normal.

 -----

Kurt Miller is executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, a not-for-profit organization that advocates hydropower for community-owned utilities across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Nevada.

The Energy News Digest for February 22, 2021

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

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

As Some Texans See Electric Bills Skyrocket, Most Central Texans (Coop & Municipal customers) Should Be Spared Pricing Spikes (Austin American Statesman, TX)

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/21/some-texans-report-sky-high-bills-customers-austin-energy-bluebonnet-electric-cooperative-and-pedern/4532667001/

Power Restoration from Oregon Storm Could Take a Week More (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://apnews.com/article/ice-storms-storms-portland-oregon-e14cdf8b3b5b66f43a886e0498cd4f98

Warming Seas Could Wipe Out Snake River Chinook by 2060, Scientists Predict (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-seas-snake-river-chinook-scientists.html

Climate Change Will Exacerbate Flooding in Columbia River Basin, OSU Study Finds (Columbia Insight)

https://columbiainsight.org/climate-change-will-exacerbate-flooding/

U.S. House Republicans Propose Nationwide Ban on Municipal Broadband Networks (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/02/gop-plan-for-broadband-competition-would-ban-city-run-networks-across-us/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      As Some Texans See Electric Bills Skyrocket, Most Central Texans (Coop & Municipal customers) Should Be Spared Pricing Spikes

2.      Texas Homes Slammed by Thousand-Dollar Power Bills after Storm

3.      Texas Utility Commission Orders Delay of Power Disconnections Due to Concerns over High Bills

4.      Texas & California Built Different Power Grids, But Neither Stood Up to Climate Change

5.      ‘The Grid’ Author on How Texas Crisis Highlights a Fragile U.S. Infrastructure

6.      Power Restoration from Oregon Storm Could Take a Week More

7.      Can Utilities Prevent the Extreme Power Outages Oregon Experienced in Last Week’s Ice Storm? Maybe, But at a Cost

8.      Inland Northwest Protected, But Not Immune from Power Outages

9.      California Officials Oppose Pacific Gas & Electric Mandates That Could Expand Blackouts

10.   Clallam County, WA – Bonneville Power Administration Takes Out ‘Danger Trees’

11.   Snake River Dams Proposal Draws Accolades, Criticism

12.   Op/Ed: Simpson Dam Idea Broadly Fails Idaho Interests

13.   Op/Ed: Rep. Simpson’s Snake River Dams Plan Raises Concerns & Questions

14.   Moody’s Announces Completion of a Periodic Review of Ratings of Energy Northwest, WA - Project 1

15.   First Native American Tribe Set to Be a Transmission Owner in the California ISO

16.   Paratrooper Rescued after Becoming Tangled in Arizona Power Lines

17.   FERC Gives Preliminary Permit to 2.2 GW Storage Project That Would Use Navajo Coal Plant Power Lines

18.   Oregon’s Clean Energy Sector Took a 6,000-Job Hit in 2020

19.   WA State – Group Seeks to Save Horse Heaven Ridges from Wind Project

20.   Biden Energy Dept Orders Sweeping Review of Trump Energy Rules

21.   Warming Seas Could Wipe Out Snake River Chinook by 2060, Scientists Predict

22.   Climate Change Threatens Chinook Salmon throughout Their Life Cycle

23.   Seattle’s Skagit River Dams Hurt Salmon, Orcas & Native American Culture, Agencies Say

24.   Herring Catch Quota in British Columbia’s Georgia Strait Will Ensure Health of Species

25.   Another Calf Born to Endangered Northwest Salish Sea Orcas

26.   Climate Change Will Exacerbate Flooding in Columbia River Basin, OSU Study Finds

27.   A Dam Good Example of Collaboration on California Water Issues

28.   WA State: Skagit PUD Moving Ahead on $35.5 Million Infrastructure Project

29.   Colorado River Study Means It’s Time to Cut Water Use Now, Outside Experts Say

30.   Oregon Climate Program Draws Fire for Leaving Out Natural Gas Power Plants

31.   U.S. House Republicans Propose Nationwide Ban on Municipal Broadband Networks

32.   WA State: Grant PUD Expands Fiber Optic Network throughout County

33.   AT&T Scrambles to Install Fiber For 90-Year-Old after His Viral Wall Street Journal Ad

34.   WA State: Hack of Seattle Payments Processing Firm Puts Local Governments & Utilities on Alert

35.   ‘That Rhythm Is Gone’: Washington State Legislators on the Pros & Cons of Virtual Government

WORD OF THE DAY

Cognoscente \conn-yuh-SHEN-tee\ Noun – A person who has expert knowledge in a subject: connoisseur.

Ariel would be the first to admit that her vocation was a rarity. As the resident tiddlywink cognoscente at “Wham-O,” her enigmatic knowledge of the alchemy of plastics, design criteria for the perfect squidger, even the dimensions of winks and the pot was unrivaled. Like the secret to Colonel Sander’s eleven herbs and spices, Ariel’s knowledge was a mystery of the highest order.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

1.      As Some Texans See Electric Bills Skyrocket, Most Central Texans (Coop & Municipal customers) Should Be Spared Pricing Spikes (Austin American Statesman, TX)

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/21/some-texans-report-sky-high-bills-customers-austin-energy-bluebonnet-electric-cooperative-and-pedern/4532667001/

2.      Texas Homes Slammed by Thousand-Dollar Power Bills after Storm (Bloomberg)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-20/texas-homes-slammed-with-thousand-dollar-bills-after-winter-woe

3.      Texas Utility Commission Orders Delay of Power Disconnections Due to Concerns over High Bills (KXAN-TV, Austin, TX)

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-utility-commission-orders-delay-of-power-disconnections-due-to-potential-high-bills

4.      Texas & California Built Different Power Grids, But Neither Stood Up to Climate Change (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/21/texas-california-climate-change-power-grids-470434

5.      ‘The Grid’ Author on How Texas Crisis Highlights a Fragile U.S. Infrastructure (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/20/969800182/the-grid-author-on-how-texas-crisis-highlights-a-fragile-u-s-infrastructure

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

6.      Power Restoration from Oregon Storm Could Take a Week More (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://apnews.com/article/ice-storms-storms-portland-oregon-e14cdf8b3b5b66f43a886e0498cd4f98

7.      Can Utilities Prevent the Extreme Power Outages Oregon Experienced in Last Week’s Ice Storm? Maybe, But at a Cost (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/weather/2021/02/can-utilities-prevent-the-extreme-power-outages-oregon-experienced-in-last-weeks-ice-storm-maybe-but-at-a-cost.html

8.      Inland Northwest Protected, But Not Immune from Power Outages (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/feb/17/inland-northwest-protected-but-not-immune-from-pow/

9.      California Officials Oppose Pacific Gas & Electric Mandates That Could Expand Blackouts (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-officials-oppose-pge-mandates-that-could-expand-blackouts/

10.   Clallam County, WA – Bonneville Power Administration Takes Out ‘Danger Trees’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/bpa-takes-out-danger-trees/

11.   Snake River Dams Proposal Draws Accolades, Criticism (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/snake-river-dams-proposal-draws-accolades-criticism/

12.   Op/Ed: Simpson Dam Idea Broadly Fails Idaho Interests (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

https://magicvalley.com/opinion/columnists/simpson-dam-idea-broadly-fails-idaho-interests/article_999d74da-18af-55d4-9e9d-eff1f248d96f.html

13.   Op/Ed: Rep. Simpson’s Snake River Dams Plan Raises Concerns & Questions (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

https://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article249314970.html

14.   Moody’s Announces Completion of a Periodic Review of Ratings of Energy Northwest, WA - Project 1 (Yahoo Finance)

https://www.yahoo.com/now/energy-northwest-wa-moodys-announces-205608797.html

15.   First Native American Tribe Set to Be a Transmission Owner in the California ISO (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/first-native-american-tribe-set-be-transmission-owner-california-iso

16.   Paratrooper Rescued after Becoming Tangled in Arizona Power Lines (Associated Press)

https://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/casa-grande/paratrooper-rescued-after-becoming-tangled-in-power-lines-in-arizona

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

17.   FERC Gives Preliminary Permit to 2.2 GW Storage Project That Would Use Navajo Coal Plant Power Lines (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-gives-preliminary-permit-to-22-gw-storage-project-that-would-use-nava/595414/

18.   Oregon’s Clean Energy Sector Took a 6,000-Job Hit in 2020 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/02/oregons-clean-energy-sector-took-6000.html

19.   WA State – Group Seeks to Save Horse Heaven Ridges from Wind Project (KFLD Radio, Tri-Cities, WA)

https://newstalk870.am/group-seeks-to-save-horse-heaven-ridges-from-wind-project/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

20.   Biden Energy Dept Orders Sweeping Review of Trump Energy Rules (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/539651-biden-energy-dept-orders-sweeping-review-of-trump

FISH & WILDLIFE

21.   Warming Seas Could Wipe Out Snake River Chinook by 2060, Scientists Predict (Phys.Org)

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-seas-snake-river-chinook-scientists.html

22.   Climate Change Threatens Chinook Salmon throughout Their Life Cycle (Nature Research Journal)

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-01734-w

23.   Seattle’s Skagit River Dams Hurt Salmon, Orcas & Native American Culture, Agencies Say (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/investigations/seattles-skagit-river-dams-hurt-salmon-orcas-and-native-american-culture-agencies-say/281-d4e483c2-1178-4af1-b8db-634e3b4009f7

24.   Herring Catch Quota in British Columbia’s Georgia Strait Will Ensure Health of Species (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/herring-catch-quota-in-b-c-s-georgia-strait-will-ensure-health-of-species-dfo-1.24284416

25.   Another Calf Born to Endangered Northwest Salish Sea Orcas (Associated Press)

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2021/02/18/another-calf-born-endangered-northwest-salish-sea-orcas/6798399002/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

26.   Climate Change Will Exacerbate Flooding in Columbia River Basin, OSU Study Finds (Columbia Insight)

https://columbiainsight.org/climate-change-will-exacerbate-flooding/

27.   A Dam Good Example of Collaboration on California Water Issues (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/article/a-klamath-dam-good-example-of-collaboration-on-california-water-issues/

28.   WA State: Skagit PUD Moving Ahead on $35.5 Million Infrastructure Project (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)

https://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/skagit-pud-moving-ahead-on-35-5-milion-infrastructure-project/article_858626ca-1669-575a-846d-5732bdc625b1.html

29.   Colorado River Study Means It’s Time to Cut Water Use Now, Outside Experts Say (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ)

https://tucson.com/news/local/colorado-river-study-means-its-time-to-cut-water-use-now-outside-experts-say/article_20dafb95-3d43-5a8d-85ff-92c76708145b.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

30.   Oregon Climate Program Draws Fire for Leaving Out Natural Gas Power Plants (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/02/18/oregon-climate-program-department-environmental-quality-natural-gas/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

31.   U.S. House Republicans Propose Nationwide Ban on Municipal Broadband Networks (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/02/gop-plan-for-broadband-competition-would-ban-city-run-networks-across-us/

32.   WA State: Grant PUD Expands Fiber Optic Network throughout County (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://www.kpq.com/grant-pud-expands-fiber-optic-network-throughout-county/

33.   AT&T Scrambles to Install Fiber For 90-Year-Old after His Viral Wall Street Journal Ad (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/02/90-year-old-gets-att-300mbps-fiber-a-week-after-complaining-in-wsj-print-ad/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

34.   WA State: Hack of Seattle Payments Processing Firm Puts Local Governments & Utilities on Alert (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/hack-of-seattle-payments-processing-firm-puts-local-governments-on-alert/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

35.   ‘That Rhythm Is Gone’: Washington State Legislators on the Pros & Cons of Virtual Government (GeekWire)

https://www.geekwire.com/2021/virtual-legislature/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Today (February 22) is National Margarita Day

https://www.thereisadayforthat.com/holidays/usa/national-margarita-day

Alaska Woman Using Outhouse Attacked by Bear, from Below

https://apnews.com/article/alaska-woman-outhouse-bear-attack-61a23fa15190c00e17a07bc152f9dabb

With No Crowds, Louvre Gets Rare Chance to Refurbish

https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-museums-paris-coronavirus-pandemic-ecf74e80d293b4b3c2cfe6ec6de089c7

Entire School Board Resigns after Trash-Talking Parents in Hot Mic Moment

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oakley-union-school-boards-resigns_n_6032526cc5b673b19b6919c1

SONG OF THE DAY

The Tremeloes - Silence Is Golden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcBJaQeYds8

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions.