The Energy News Digest for May 26, 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

Biden Administration Opens Up California Coast for 4.6 GW of Offshore Wind Development (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/biden-administration-opens-up-california-coast-for-46-gw-floating-offshore-wind/600820/

As Drought Worsens, Tensions Erupt Over Control of SoCal’s Largest Water Supplier (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-05-26/metropolitan-water-district-southern-california-general-manager-tensions-erupt

With Utility Disconnections Set to Resume in Washington, Advocates Push for More Time (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/with-utility-disconnections-set-to-resume-in-washington-advocates-push-for-more-time/281-76c364d3-8cc4-4632-b9ff-c3cf055db9b8

WA State Gov. Inslee Order Allows Employees to Drop Face Masks at Work If They Provide Vaccine Proof (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/inslee-order-allowing-employers-to-demand-covid-vaccine-proof-generates-pushback

Facebook, Instagram Will Now Let You Hide ‘Like’ Counts (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-05-26/facebook-instagram-will-now-let-you-hide-like-counts

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      With Utility Disconnections Set to Resume in Washington, Advocates Push for More Time

2.      Municipal Electricity Provider in California Files Bankruptcy

3.      Report: PacifiCorp Again Set to Cut Pay for Some Employees Who Choose to Work from Home

4.      Utility Companies, WA State DNR Holding Workshop on Wildfire Preparedness

5.      California: San Diego City Council Approves New Electric & Gas Franchise Agreement with SDG&E

6.      NuScale Power and Grant PUD Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Explore Nuclear Energy Deployment in Washington State

7.      Oregon: Bonneville Power Administration Capital at Work: Fairview Substation Makeover

8.      Grant PUD Wins Washington State Grant for Energy Efficiency

9.      WA State: Grays Harbor PUD Board President Russ Skolrood to Resign

10.   EIA Expects More Electricity Consumption This Summer as Economy Recovers from Pandemic

11.   Why the Tennessee Valley Authority was the New Deal’s Most Ambitious—and Controversial—Program

12.   Guest Essay: Build Our Future Electricity Supply Around Hydropower

13.   Guest Essay: Rivers, Hydropower & Climate Resilience

14.   Other Views: Time for Dialogue on Dam Removal Issues

15.   Viewpoint: Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Portland General Electric’s Maria Pope Make the Case for the Clean Energy for America Act

16.   Biden Administration Opens Up California Coast for 4.6 GW of Offshore Wind Development

17.   Oregon: Good Energy – Hood River Farmers Use Irrigation Water to Make Energy

18.   WA State: Lewis EDC Hires Consultant to Help Push Renewable Energy Projects

19.   The PNW Is a Leader on Forage Fish Management — But It Needs Better Data

20.   Environmental Group Sues Over Southern Oregon Post-Fire Tree Removal

21.   As Drought Worsens, Tensions Erupt Over Control of SoCal’s Largest Water Supplier

22.   Amid Calls for More Water Storage in Arid West, Large Dam Projects Stall

23.   Oregon’s Big Climate Bill of 2021 Generates Little Friction

24.   ‘Tree Farts’ from Ghost Forests Are Driving Climate Change, Study Warns

25.   Higher Speeds: Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden Pushes to Raise Standards for Stimulus-Funded Broadband

26.   Vice President Kamala Harris Compares Administration’s Broadband Effort to Rural Electrification

27.   Cryptocurrency Has Raised Environmental Concerns — Local Governments Are Stepping In

28.   Facebook, Instagram Will Now Let You Hide ‘Like’ Counts

29.   Successful Utility Themes for Advancing the Modern Energy Consumer

30.   Willie Wiredhand as RMEC Mascot

31.   What Qualifies as ‘Cheugy’ in the Pacific Northwest? Generation Z Weighs In

32.   WA State Gov. Inslee Order Allows Employees to Drop Face Masks at Work If They Provide Vaccine Proof

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      With Utility Disconnections Set to Resume in Washington, Advocates Push for More Time (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/with-utility-disconnections-set-to-resume-in-washington-advocates-push-for-more-time/281-76c364d3-8cc4-4632-b9ff-c3cf055db9b8

2.      Municipal Electricity Provider in California Files Bankruptcy (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-25/municipal-electricity-provider-in-california-files-bankruptcy

3.      Report: PacifiCorp Again Set to Cut Pay for Some Employees Who Choose to Work from Home (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/05/report-pacificorp-again-set-to-cut-pay.html

4.      Utility Companies, WA State DNR Holding Workshop on Wildfire Preparedness (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/find_it/utility-companies-dnr-holding-workshop-on-wildfire-preparedness/article_6e41b47e-be0d-11eb-9356-f73954416aae.html

5.      California: San Diego City Council Approves New Electric & Gas Franchise Agreement with SDG&E (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-05-25/san-diego-city-council-approves-new-franchis

6.      NuScale Power and Grant PUD Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Explore Nuclear Energy Deployment in Washington State (KULR-TV, Billings, MT)

https://www.kulr8.com/news/money/nuscale-power-and-grant-county-public-utility-district-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-to-explore-nuclear/article_6b5b4705-4b09-56d4-9059-4254ee2872b4.html

7.      Oregon: Bonneville Power Administration Capital at Work: Fairview Substation Makeover (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-capital-at-work-Fairview-Substation-makeover.aspx

8.      Grant PUD Wins Washington State Grant for Energy Efficiency (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/may/25/utility-wins-state-grant-energy-efficiency/

9.      WA State: Grays Harbor PUD Board President Russ Skolrood to Resign (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

https://www.kxro.com/pud-board-president-russ-skolrood-to-resign/

10.   EIA Expects More Electricity Consumption This Summer as Economy Recovers from Pandemic (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48096

11.   Why the Tennessee Valley Authority was the New Deal’s Most Ambitious—and Controversial—Program (The History Channel)

https://www.history.com/news/tennessee-valley-authority-new-deal-progress-controversy

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

12.   Guest Essay: Build Our Future Electricity Supply Around Hydropower (Battleground Reflector, WA)

https://www.thereflector.com/stories/build-our-future-electricity-supply-around-hydropower,266729

13.   Guest Essay: Rivers, Hydropower & Climate Resilience (The Hill, Washington DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/555296-rivers-hydropower-and-climate-resilience

14.   Other Views: Time for Dialogue on Dam Removal Issues (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

https://www.eastoregonian.com/opinion/columnists/other-views-time-for-dialogue-on-dam-removal-issues/article_b7659606-bc1f-11eb-982c-9b0953477e82.html

15.   Viewpoint: Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Portland General Electric’s Maria Pope Make the Case for the Clean Energy for America Act (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/05/viewpoint-oregon-us-senator-ron-wyden.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

16.   Biden Administration Opens Up California Coast for 4.6 GW of Offshore Wind Development (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/biden-administration-opens-up-california-coast-for-46-gw-floating-offshore-wind/600820/

17.   Oregon: Good Energy – Hood River Farmers Use Irrigation Water to Make Energy (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/farmers-hood-river-irrigation-water-energy/283-6918a27b-1a56-4781-a05e-f6589976a446

18.   WA State: Lewis EDC Hires Consultant to Help Push Renewable Energy Projects (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-edc-hires-consultant-to-help-push-renewable-energy-projects,266624

FISH & WILDLIFE

19.   The PNW Is a Leader on Forage Fish Management — But It Needs Better Data (Crosscut Seattle, WA)

https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/05/pnw-leader-forage-fish-management-it-needs-better-data

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

20.   Environmental Group Sues Over Southern Oregon Post-Fire Tree Removal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/05/25/environmental-group-sues-over-post-fire-tree-removal/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

21.   As Drought Worsens, Tensions Erupt Over Control of SoCal’s Largest Water Supplier (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-05-26/metropolitan-water-district-southern-california-general-manager-tensions-erupt

22.   Amid Calls for More Water Storage in Arid West, Large Dam Projects Stall (S&P Global)

https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/amid-calls-for-more-water-storage-in-arid-west-large-dam-projects-stall-64430422

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

23.   Oregon’s Big Climate Bill of 2021 Generates Little Friction (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/05/26/big-oregon-climate-bill-of-2021-generates-little-friction/

24.   ‘Tree Farts’ from Ghost Forests Are Driving Climate Change, Study Warns (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/tree-farts-ghost-forests-162811674.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

25.   Higher Speeds: Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden Pushes to Raise Standards for Stimulus-Funded Broadband (The Verge)

https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/25/22452886/american-rescue-plan-broadband-telehealth-ron-wyden-fcc-treasury-janet-yellen

26.   Vice President Kamala Harris Compares Administration’s Broadband Effort to Rural Electrification (Broadband Breakfast)

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2021/05/vice-president-kamala-harris-compares-administrations-broadband-effort-to-rural-electrification/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

27.   Cryptocurrency Has Raised Environmental Concerns — Local Governments Are Stepping In (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/25/1000274002/cryptocurrency-has-raised-environmental-concerns-local-governments-are-stepping-

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

28.   Facebook, Instagram Will Now Let You Hide ‘Like’ Counts (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-05-26/facebook-instagram-will-now-let-you-hide-like-counts

29.   Successful Utility Themes for Advancing the Modern Energy Consumer (Smart Energy International)

https://www.smart-energy.com/industry-sectors/customer-services-management/successful-utility-themes-for-advancing-the-modern-energy-consumer/

30.   Willie Wiredhand as RMEC Mascot (The Mena Star, AZ)

http://www.menastar.com/news/article_f1e0cf44-bdcd-11eb-8f0a-8fd56a8d4adb.html

31.   What Qualifies as ‘Cheugy’ in the Pacific Northwest? Generation Z Weighs In (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/from-mount-rainier-stickers-to-teslas-what-qualifies-as-cheugy-in-the-northwest-local-gen-zers-weigh-in/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

32.   WA State Gov. Inslee Order Allows Employees to Drop Face Masks at Work If They Provide Vaccine Proof (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/inslee-order-allowing-employers-to-demand-covid-vaccine-proof-generates-pushback

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

A Lemur on My Keyboard - Thai Girl Plays for Animals in Deserted Zoo

https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-thailand-zoo/a-lemur-on-my-keyboard-thai-girl-plays-for-animals-in-deserted-zoo-idUSL3N2ND2GP

13 Spectacular Pics of the ‘Super Blood Moon’ Eclipse from Around the World

https://gizmodo.com/13-spectacular-pics-of-the-super-blood-moon-eclipse-fro-1846971983

These Were the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/baby-names-most-popular-2020-social-security-list_l_60ac8375e4b0d45b752d32b8

Drained Lake Reveals Remnants of Lost Italian Village

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/drained-lake-reveals-remnants-lost-italian-village-2021-05-19/

SONG OF THE DAY

Linda Ronstadt – Ooh Baby Baby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhkKVhEZV5k

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.

The Energy News Digest for May 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

Utility Disconnections May Resume July 31 in Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/utility-disconnections-may-resume-july-31-washington-state/281-2abc58e4-fca8-4f8d-98c6-cd7512c07581

Oregon: Summer Reservoir Levels Could Be Hazardously Low for Willamette Valley (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/summer-reservoir-levels-could-be-hazardously-low-for-willamette-valley/283-2f314848-eeba-4664-8205-29646c79bde1

Montana: Giant Solar Project Proposed in South Butte, Landowners Concerned (Montana Standard)

https://mtstandard.com/news/local/giant-solar-project-proposed-in-south-butte-landowners-concerned/article_653a61a1-d565-5f21-9639-0052f3df86e7.html

Higher Spring Chinook Salmon Counts Lead to More Columbia River Sport Fishing Dates (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2021/05/higher-spring-chinook-salmon-counts-lead-to-more-columbia-river-sport-fishing-dates.html

WA State Secretary of State Files Petition for Legal Clarification on How to Handle Broadband Bills (Washington State Wire)

https://washingtonstatewire.com/secretary-of-state-files-petition-for-legal-clarification-on-how-to-handle-broadband-bills/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Utility Disconnections May Resume July 31 in Washington State

2.      Congressional Democrats Unveil $30 Billion Bill to Cancel Water Debts & Bail Out Utility Firms

3.      Oregon: $3.72 Million FEMA Grant Helps Lane Electric Pay for Repairs from February 2019 Storm

4.      Owners of Colstrip Generating Station Widen Federal Lawsuit Against Contract-Challenging Montana Laws

5.      Montana: NorthWestern’s Plans for Laurel Power Plant Take Shape

6.      Countering Dam Removal Proposal, Cantwell Hints at Her Ideas for Snake River Salmon During Senate Hearing

7.      A ‘Literal Tinderbox’: Oregon Regulators Brace for 2021 Wildfire Season with Temporary Utility Rules

8.      California Drought Cuts Hydropower, Boosts Natural Gas Prices

9.      Declining Lake Powell Levels Prompt Colorado River States to Form New Plan

10.   California’s Next Climate Challenge: Replacing Its Last Nuclear Power Plant

11.   New Mexico Weighs Changes to Permit for Nuclear Waste Dump

12.   U.S. Natural Gas Generation in 2021 Sees Its First Year-Over-Year Decline in Three Years

13.   Utah: Two Shocked While Changing Power Lines, Stopping One Man’s Heart Multiple Times

14.   Wow: Las Vegas Hotel Adds “Energy Surcharge”

15.   Kurt Miller: Anti-Hydro Narrative Misses the Big Picture of Climate Change, Equity & Salmon

16.   Editorial: Act Now to Save Salmon, Regardless of Dams’ Fate

17.   The Pacific Northwest Agrees: Keep Your Hands Off Our Dams

18.   Opinion: Idaho Republicans Have No Confidence in Simpson

19.   Editorial: When Should Oregon End Ban on Utility Shut-Off Notices?

20.   Montana: Giant Solar Project Proposed in South Butte, Landowners Concerned

21.   Sacramento Municipal Utility District Plans to Slash Rooftop Solar Subsidies for Sacramento Customers. Here’s Why

22.   Biden’s Solar Ambitions Collide with China Labor Complaints

23.   From Forest to Furnace: How the U.K.’S Wood-Pellet Plants Are Driving Logging in British Columbia

24.   Biden Administration Takes First Step Toward Light Bulb Efficiency Standard

25.   Rapid ‘Energy Efficiency as a Service’ Growth Belies Financing, Other Difficulties, Analysts Say

26.   Higher Spring Chinook Salmon Counts Lead to More Columbia River Sport Fishing Dates

27.   WA State: Puyallup Tribe Raises New Alarms for Fish Impacts of Embattled Electron Dam Project

28.   California: ‘Like Some Sea Creature from the Deep’: Vampire Fish Making Comeback to American River

29.   Oregon: Summer Reservoir Levels Could Be Hazardously Low for Willamette Valley

30.   A Wet Week Plus Full Reservoirs Should Put the Pacific Northwest in Relatively Good Shape for This Summer

31.   Klamath Irrigators Group Urges Supporters to Stop Harassing Government Workers

32.   Carbon Storage Offers Hope for Climate, Cash for Farmers

33.   Industry Presses House Committee on Facilitating New Transmission Critical to Biden Climate Goals

34.   WA State Secretary of State Files Petition for Legal Clarification on How to Handle Broadband Bills

35.   Municipal Broadband in Washington Will Soon Offer Options Beyond Comcast

36.   Oregon Cooperative Promises to Build Where No One Else Will

37.   Pope Francis to Get First Electric Popemobile from U.S. Firm Fisker

38.   U.S. Pot Sellers Stash Cash as Banks Leave Them High & Dry

WORD OF THE DAY

Epiphany • \i-PIH-fun-ee\ • Noun – 1 capitalized: January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ 2: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being 3a (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3): an illuminating discovery b: a revealing scene or moment

“I have no Bulwer-Lyttonesque example sentences for this word,” sighed the news digest editor. “Even this small realization could be considered some sort of an epiphany,” he muttered, “but I doubt it”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Utility Disconnections May Resume July 31 in Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/utility-disconnections-may-resume-july-31-washington-state/281-2abc58e4-fca8-4f8d-98c6-cd7512c07581

2.      Congressional Democrats Unveil $30 Billion Bill to Cancel Water Debts & Bail Out Utility Firms (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/20/democrats-bill-water-utility-companies-coronavirus

3.      Oregon: $3.72 Million FEMA Grant Helps Lane Electric Pay for Repairs from February 2019 Storm (KVAL-TV, Eugene, OR)

https://www.kval.com/news/local/372m-fema-grant-helps-lane-electric-pay-for-repairs-from-february-2019-storm

4.      Owners of Colstrip Generating Station Widen Federal Lawsuit Against Contract-Challenging Montana Laws (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/30400-owners-of-colstrip-generating-station-widen-federal-lawsuit-against-contract-challenging-montana-laws/

5.      Montana: NorthWestern’s Plans for Laurel Power Plant Take Shape (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/northwesterns-plans-for-laurel-power-plant-take-shape/article_4758786b-ddf6-5da2-a1bd-da81a5511e1e.html

6.      Countering Dam Removal Proposal, Cantwell Hints at Her Ideas for Snake River Salmon During Senate Hearing (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/20/amid-dam-proposal-cantwell-hints-at-her-ideas-for-/

7.      A ‘Literal Tinderbox’: Oregon Regulators Brace for 2021 Wildfire Season with Temporary Utility Rules (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/a-literal-tinderbox-oregon-2021-wildfire-season/600626/

8.      California Drought Cuts Hydropower, Boosts Natural Gas Prices (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/california-drought-cuts-hydropower-boosts-natgas-prices-2021-05-21/

9.      Declining Lake Powell Levels Prompt Colorado River States to Form New Plan (KUNC Radio, Greeley, CO)

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-05-20/declining-lake-powell-levels-prompt-colorado-river-states-to-form-new-plan

10.   California’s Next Climate Challenge: Replacing Its Last Nuclear Power Plant (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/05/californias-next-climate-challenge.html

11.   New Mexico Weighs Changes to Permit for Nuclear Waste Dump (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/nm-state-wire-new-mexico-nuclear-waste-business-science-171b011df1d62d4a433b78f8c03e1760

12.   U.S. Natural Gas Generation in 2021 Sees Its First Year-Over-Year Decline in Three Years (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48076

13.   Utah: Two Shocked While Changing Power Lines, Stopping One Man’s Heart Multiple Times (KUTV-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://kutv.com/news/local/two-men-electrocuted-while-changing-power-lines

14.   Wow: Las Vegas Hotel Adds “Energy Surcharge” (One Mile at a Time)

https://onemileatatime.com/las-vegas-hotel-energy-surcharge/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

15.   Kurt Miller: Anti-Hydro Narrative Misses the Big Picture of Climate Change, Equity & Salmon (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/23/kurt-miller-anti-hydro-narrative-misses-the-big-pi/

16.   Editorial: Act Now to Save Salmon, Regardless of Dams’ Fate (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-act-now-to-save-salmon-regardless-of-dams-fate/

17.   The Pacific Northwest Agrees: Keep Your Hands Off Our Dams (Star of the Grand Coulee, WA)

https://www.grandcoulee.com/story/2021/05/19/opinion/the-pacific-northwest-agrees-keep-your-hands-off-our-dams/14188.html

18.   Opinion: Idaho Republicans Have No Confidence in Simpson (Idaho Falls Post-Register, ID)

https://www.postregister.com/opinion/columns/opinion-idaho-republicans-have-no-confidence-in-simpson/article_b5df7d1e-77d4-5645-b679-c7b82b94145b.html

19.   Editorial: When Should Oregon End Ban on Utility Shut-Off Notices? (Bend Bulletin, OR)

https://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/editorial-when-should-oregon-end-ban-on-utility-shut-off-notices/article_a5a9bf34-b8c6-11eb-a42e-5361a9db2b52.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

20.   Montana: Giant Solar Project Proposed in South Butte, Landowners Concerned (Montana Standard)

https://mtstandard.com/news/local/giant-solar-project-proposed-in-south-butte-landowners-concerned/article_653a61a1-d565-5f21-9639-0052f3df86e7.html

21.   Sacramento Municipal Utility District Plans to Slash Rooftop Solar Subsidies for Sacramento Customers. Here’s Why (Sacramento Bee, CA)

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article251531428.html

22.   Biden’s Solar Ambitions Collide with China Labor Complaints (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/china-environment-and-nature-technology-business-ae48f28a422ed0bba8d88d8ac9062114

23.   From Forest to Furnace: How the U.K.’S Wood-Pellet Plants Are Driving Logging in British Columbia (The Narwhal)

https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-wood-pellets-drax-pinnacle-renewable-energy/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

24.   Biden Administration Takes First Step Toward Light Bulb Efficiency Standard (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/554661-biden-administration-takes-step-toward-instating-lightbulb

25.   Rapid ‘Energy Efficiency as a Service’ Growth Belies Financing, Other Difficulties, Analysts Say (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/rapid-energy-efficiency-as-a-service-growth-belies-financing-other-diffi/600498/

FISH & WILDLIFE

26.   Higher Spring Chinook Salmon Counts Lead to More Columbia River Sport Fishing Dates (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2021/05/higher-spring-chinook-salmon-counts-lead-to-more-columbia-river-sport-fishing-dates.html

27.   WA State: Puyallup Tribe Raises New Alarms for Fish Impacts of Embattled Electron Dam Project (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/puyallup-tribe-court-battle-against-electron-hydro-over-river-dam-pollution/281-7dbb543a-8110-417e-b765-8d2617320b93

28.   California: ‘Like Some Sea Creature from the Deep’: Vampire Fish Making Comeback to American River (CBS News)

https://seattle.cbslocal.com/2021/05/20/american-river-vampire-fish/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

29.   Oregon: Summer Reservoir Levels Could Be Hazardously Low for Willamette Valley (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/summer-reservoir-levels-could-be-hazardously-low-for-willamette-valley/283-2f314848-eeba-4664-8205-29646c79bde1

30.   A Wet Week Plus Full Reservoirs Should Put the Pacific Northwest in Relatively Good Shape for This Summer (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-wet-week-plus-full-reservoirs-should.html

31.   Klamath Irrigators Group Urges Supporters to Stop Harassing Government Workers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/05/23/klamath-irrigators-group-urges-supporters-to-stop-harassing-government-workers/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

32.   Carbon Storage Offers Hope for Climate, Cash for Farmers (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Carbon-storage-offers-hope-for-climate-cash-for-16192971.php

33.   Industry Presses House Committee on Facilitating New Transmission Critical to Biden Climate Goals (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/industry-presses-house-committee-on-facilitating-new-transmission-critical/600583/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

34.   WA State Secretary of State Files Petition for Legal Clarification on How to Handle Broadband Bills (Washington State Wire)

https://washingtonstatewire.com/secretary-of-state-files-petition-for-legal-clarification-on-how-to-handle-broadband-bills/

35.   Municipal Broadband in Washington Will Soon Offer Options Beyond Comcast (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/2917448/municipal-broadband-washington-options-beyond-comcast/

36.   Oregon Cooperative Promises to Build Where No One Else Will (Community Networks)

https://muninetworks.org/content/oregon-cooperative-promises-build-where-no-one-else-will

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

37.   Pope Francis to Get First Electric Popemobile from U.S. Firm Fisker (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/technology/pope-francis-get-first-electric-popemobile-us-firm-fisker-2021-05-21/

GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT, AND COMMERCE

38.   U.S. Pot Sellers Stash Cash as Banks Leave Them High & Dry (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-pot-sellers-stash-cash-banks-leave-them-high-dry-2021-05-24/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Arundel Castle: Mary Queen of Scots Beads Stolen in Raid

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57224777

Happy 80th Birthday Robert Allen Zimmerman AKA Bob Dylan

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/24/999699847/happy-80th-birthday-robert-allen-zimmerman-aka-bob-dylan

Missing Man Found Dead Inside Spanish Dinosaur Statue

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/24/missing-man-found-dead-inside-spanish-dinosaur-statue

Boy, 9, Finds $5,000 Under Floor Mat of Family’s Used SUV

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/05/24/Landon-Melvin-Plainfield-Indiana-envelope-cash-floor-mat-SUV/8681621878606/

SONG OF THE DAY

Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC10VWDTzmU

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.