Wednesday, June 30, 2021

The Energy News Digest for June 30, 2021

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

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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.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

‘It Makes Me Sick’; Avista Customers Left in the Dark Left Frustrated, Angry Over Continual Outages (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/it-makes-me-sick-avista-customers-left-in-the-dark-left-frustrated-angry-over-continual/article_5e371202-d935-11eb-a949-ff969da8d0b7.html

Heat Wave Sets Up ‘Grim’ Migration for Salmon on Columbia, Snake Rivers (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/northwest/heat-wave-sets-up-grim-migration-for-salmon-on-columbia-snake-rivers/

Klamath Basin: Drought Has Pitted Farmers Against Native Tribes Protecting Endangered Fish (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/29/1011415106/drought-has-pitted-farmers-against-native-tribes-protecting-endangered-fish

McMorris Rodgers, Murray Lead Bipartisan Group Calling on President Biden to Prioritize New Columbia River Treaty (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/29/mcmorris-rodgers-murray-lead-bipartisan-group-call/

Shawn Vestal: Avista’s Eastern Washington State Heat-Wave Blackouts Came Packaged in a Communications Breakdown (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/29/shawn-vestal-the-heat-wave-blackouts-came-packaged/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Scorching Heat Wave to Continue in East Idaho, Could Last Through July 4 Weekend

2.      Extreme Heat Builds Over Montana for the Rest of the Week

3.      President Biden Meets with Western Governors to Discuss Record Heat Wave, Drought

4.      ‘It Makes Me Sick’; Avista Customers Left in the Dark Left Frustrated, Angry Over Continual Outages

5.      Kootenai Electric ‘Not Planning’ Any Rolling Blackouts

6.      Why Spokane’s ‘Rolling Blackouts’ Aren’t Like the Ones in Texas or California

7.      Oregon Heat Wave Tests Power Equipment

8.      Bonneville Power Administration Says ‘Don’t Panic’ as TC Hits Record High for Amount of Energy Transferred

9.      McMorris Rodgers, Murray Lead Bipartisan Group Calling on President Biden to Prioritize New Columbia River Treaty

10.   White Paper: Dollars & Sense – Addressing False Assumptions About the Energy & Economics of the Lower Snake Dams

11.   Justices Deny Wyoming, Montana Coal Suit Against Washington State

12.   Biden Administration, House Dems Talk Up Need for Interconnection Reform

13.   The Electricity Grid’s Big Looming Problem: Getting Power to Where It’s Needed

14.   NERC Report Outlines Potential Electricity Disruptions in the United States This Summer

15.   NuScale Power Secures Investment & Support for Small Modular Reactor Deployment from GS Energy

16.   California: Pacific Gas & Electric Crews Start Digging in Rincon Valley to Bury Lines Underground in Effort to Reduce Power Shut-Offs

17.   EIA: Energy Use Will Grow by 2.3% in 2021, After Falling 3.9% Last Year

18.   FERC Just Established an Office of Public Participation. Why Did It Take 40 Years?

19.   China Turns On World’s Second-Biggest Hydropower Dam

20.   News Release: McMorris Rodgers: Extreme Heatwave Highlights Importance of Reliable Power

21.   Guest Essay: The Power of Our Interconnected Grid with Ample Supply

22.   Guest Essay: Seattle’s Heat Wave Makes Our Climate Change Catch-22 Obvious

23.   The Infrastructure Guessing Game

24.   APPA Podcast: Executive Director of Northwest River Partners Details Key Current Hydropower Issues

25.   Net Zero Goals Need Revival of ‘Forgotten Giant’ Hydropower, International Energy Agency Says

26.   California Tests Off-The-Grid Solutions to Power Outages

27.   PacifiCorp Submits 19 Shortlisted Projects for Renewables Solicitation in Oregon

28.   Treasury, IRS Extend Safe Harbor for Renewable Energy Projects

29.   Pacific NW Tribes Want to Be at the Table for Green Energy Planning

30.   WA State: Skagit PUD’s New Energy Recovery System Produces Carbon-Free Electricity

31.   U.S. Natural Gas Producers Hope Customers Will Pay More for ‘Green Gas’

32.   Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Makes the Case for Incentivizing Heat Pumps

33.   Should Energy Bills Be Reimbursed for Remote Workers?

34.   Washington State Issues Excise Tax Information on BPA Credits Used for Low-Income Assistance, Weatherization

35.   United Kingdom: Bee Behaviour to Influence Energy Efficiency Communication to Homes

36.   Heat Wave Sets Up ‘Grim’ Migration for Salmon on Columbia, Snake Rivers

37.   Off California, Sea Otters Feast & Play a Part in Climate Change Battle

38.   Washington State Board to Uphold Temperature Limits in Columbia, Snake Rivers

39.   Klamath Basin: Drought Has Pitted Farmers Against Native Tribes Protecting Endangered Fish

40.   Water Futures Market Fails to Make a Splash with California Farmers

41.   Why Some of the World’s Biggest Companies Are Increasingly Worried About Water Scarcity

42.   Pacific Northwest Heat Wave ‘Tip of the Melting Iceberg’ of Climate Change, WA State Gov. Inslee Says

43.   Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Wilts New GOP Climate Resolve

44.   AccuWeather Meteorologist: Heatwaves Not Climate Change Related

45.   How Climate Change ‘Loads the Dice’ for Heat Waves

46.   President Biden Compares Broadband Push to Early 20th Century Rural Electrification

47.   Without Broadband, Rural Economies May Miss Out on the Post-Pandemic Recovery

48.   Starlink Broadband Service Will Be Here in August, Elon Musk Says

49.   Ohio GOP Ends Attempt to Ban Municipal Broadband After Protest from Residents

50.   The Internet Is Rotting

51.   Shawn Vestal: Avista’s Eastern Washington State Heat-Wave Blackouts Came Packaged in a Communications Breakdown

52.   Oregon Ends Mask & Social-Distancing Mandates

53.   Washington State Fully Reopens, But Don’t Ditch the Mask Just Yet

54.   Bipartisan Senate Infrastructure Plan Is a Stalking Horse for Privatization

WORD OF THE DAY

Euphuism • \YOOF-you-wiz-um\ • noun – 1: an elegant Elizabethan literary style marked by excessive use of balance, antithesis, and alliteration and by frequent use of similes drawn from mythology and nature *2: artificial elegance of language.

Here’s an example of euphuism from William Blake, and its mellow speak interpretation, courtesy of Doonesbury – circa May 16, 1979:

Rick Redfern: “The moon, like a flower – In heaven’s high bower – With silent delight – Sits and smiles on the night” The mellow speak interpretation: “Oh wow, look at the moon!”

SOUL ON FIRE – FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT

1.      Scorching Heat Wave to Continue in East Idaho, Could Last Through July 4 Weekend (Idaho State Journal)

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/scorching-heat-wave-to-continue-in-east-idaho-could-last-through-july-4-weekend/article_7ca23f86-8e3b-5cdd-86bc-73eb957541da.html

2.      Extreme Heat Builds Over Montana for the Rest of the Week (KBZK-TV, Bozeman, MT)

https://www.kbzk.com/weather/extreme-heat-builds-over-montana-for-the-rest-of-the-week

3.      President Biden Meets with Western Governors to Discuss Record Heat Wave, Drought (CNBC News)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/30/biden-to-meet-with-western-governors-about-record-heat-wave-drought.html

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

4.      ‘It Makes Me Sick’; Avista Customers Left in the Dark Left Frustrated, Angry Over Continual Outages (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/it-makes-me-sick-avista-customers-left-in-the-dark-left-frustrated-angry-over-continual/article_5e371202-d935-11eb-a949-ff969da8d0b7.html

5.      Kootenai Electric ‘Not Planning’ Any Rolling Blackouts (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.kxly.com/kootenai-electric-not-planning-any-rolling-blackouts/

6.      Why Spokane’s ‘Rolling Blackouts’ Aren’t Like the Ones in Texas or California (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.krem.com/article/news/news-explainers/why-spokanes-rolling-blackouts-arent-like-the-ones-in-texas-or-california/293-1ca46c76-44c1-4561-977f-553c45582956

7.      Oregon Heat Wave Tests Power Equipment (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/weather/oregon-heat-wave-tests-power-equipment/283-0774c2bd-3c5c-489b-8a54-20250d86a001

8.      Bonneville Power Administration Says ‘Don’t Panic’ as TC Hits Record High for Amount of Energy Transferred (KVEW/KAPP-TV, Tri-Cities/Yakima, WA)

https://www.yaktrinews.com/bpa-says-dont-panic-as-tc-hits-record-high-for-amount-of-energy-transferred/

9.      McMorris Rodgers, Murray Lead Bipartisan Group Calling on President Biden to Prioritize New Columbia River Treaty (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/29/mcmorris-rodgers-murray-lead-bipartisan-group-call/

10.   White Paper: Dollars & Sense – Addressing False Assumptions About the Energy & Economics of the Lower Snake Dams (Northwest River Partners)

https://clallampud.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2021-07-01-NW-RiverPartners_Dollars-Sense-Addressing-Incorrect-Claims-About-the-LSRD.pdf

11.   Justices Deny Wyoming, Montana Coal Suit Against Washington State (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-montana-wyoming-washington-global-trade-173c144d577e8c7b9af078b37739220a

12.   Biden Administration, House Dems Talk Up Need for Interconnection Reform (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/biden-administration-house-dems-talk-up-need-for-interconnection-reform/602614/

13.   The Electricity Grid’s Big Looming Problem: Getting Power to Where It’s Needed (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/06/29/power-grid-problems/

14.   NERC Report Outlines Potential Electricity Disruptions in the United States This Summer (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48536

15.   NuScale Power Secures Investment & Support for Small Modular Reactor Deployment from GS Energy (The Argus Press)

https://www.argus-press.com/news/national/article_8cbab116-0285-5826-b200-635bb21933ab.html

16.   California: Pacific Gas & Electric Crews Start Digging in Rincon Valley to Bury Lines Underground in Effort to Reduce Power Shut-Offs (Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, CA)

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/pge-crews-start-digging-in-rincon-valley-to-bury-lines-underground-in-effo/

17.   EIA: Energy Use Will Grow by 2.3% in 2021, After Falling 3.9% Last Year (NRECA)

https://www.cooperative.com/news/Pages/EIA-Short-Term-Outlook-June-2021.aspx

18.   FERC Just Established an Office of Public Participation. Why Did It Take 40 Years? (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-just-established-an-office-of-public-participation-why-did-it-take-40/602612/

19.   China Turns On World’s Second-Biggest Hydropower Dam (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/china-dams-business-49bd453ecd314b3b1292aaa429c91be6

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

20.   News Release: McMorris Rodgers: Extreme Heatwave Highlights Importance of Reliable Power (U.S. Rep McMorris Rodgers, WA)

https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-extreme-heatwave-highlights-importance-of-reliable-power/

21.   Guest Essay: The Power of Our Interconnected Grid with Ample Supply (The Grand Coulee Star, WA)

https://www.grandcoulee.com/story/2021/06/30/opinion/the-power-of-our-interconnected-grid-with-ample-supply/14318.html

22.   Guest Essay: Seattle’s Heat Wave Makes Our Climate Change Catch-22 Obvious (MSNBC)

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/seattle-s-heatwave-makes-our-climate-change-catch-22-obvious-n1272680

23.   The Infrastructure Guessing Game (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/06/30/the-infrastructure-guess-game/

24.   APPA Podcast: Executive Director of Northwest River Partners Details Key Current Hydropower Issues (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/podcasts

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

25.   Net Zero Goals Need Revival of ‘Forgotten Giant’ Hydropower, International Energy Agency Says (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/net-zero-goals-need-revival-forgotten-giant-hydropower-iea-says-2021-06-30/

26.   California Tests Off-The-Grid Solutions to Power Outages (Associated Press)

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/california-tests-off-grid-solutions-power-outages-78579351

27.   PacifiCorp Submits 19 Shortlisted Projects for Renewables Solicitation in Oregon (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/30897-pacificorp-submits-19-shortlisted-projects-for-renewables-solicitation-in-oregon/?amp

28.   Treasury, IRS Extend Safe Harbor for Renewable Energy Projects (KVOA-TV, Tucson, AZ)

https://kvoa.com/news/local-news/2021/06/29/treasury-irs-extend-safe-harbor-for-renewable-energy-projects/

29.   Pacific NW Tribes Want to Be at the Table for Green Energy Planning (Crosscut Seattle, WA)

https://crosscut.com/news/2021/06/nw-tribes-want-be-table-green-energy-planning

30.   WA State: Skagit PUD’s New Energy Recovery System Produces Carbon-Free Electricity (Skagit PUD, Mt Vernon, WA)

https://www.skagitpud.org/news/new-energy-recovery-system-produces-carbon-free-electricity/

31.   U.S. Natural Gas Producers Hope Customers Will Pay More for ‘Green Gas’ (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-naturalgas-transition-focus-idUSKCN2E60F3

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

32.   Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Makes the Case for Incentivizing Heat Pumps (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/historic-pacific-northwest-heat-waves-make-the-case-for-making-the-us-a-heat-pump-nation/

33.   Should Energy Bills Be Reimbursed for Remote Workers? (KRYV Radio, Sacramento, CA)

https://937theriver.iheart.com/content/2021-06-28-should-energy-bills-be-reimbursed-for-remote-workers/

34.   Washington State Issues Excise Tax Information on BPA Credits Used for Low-Income Assistance, Weatherization (Bloomberg News)

https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report-state/washington-dor-issues-excise-tax-information-on-bpa-credits-used-for-low-income-assistance-weatherization

35.   United Kingdom: Bee Behaviour to Influence Energy Efficiency Communication to Homes (Bristol University, UK)

http://bristol.ac.uk/news/2021/june/glow.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

36.   Heat Wave Sets Up ‘Grim’ Migration for Salmon on Columbia, Snake Rivers (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/northwest/heat-wave-sets-up-grim-migration-for-salmon-on-columbia-snake-rivers/

37.   Off California, Sea Otters Feast & Play a Part in Climate Change Battle (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/off-california-sea-otters-feast-play-part-climate-change-battle-2021-06-30/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

38.   Washington State Board to Uphold Temperature Limits in Columbia, Snake Rivers (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/washington-state-board-to-uphold-temperature-limits-in-columbia-snake-rivers/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

39.   Klamath Basin: Drought Has Pitted Farmers Against Native Tribes Protecting Endangered Fish (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/29/1011415106/drought-has-pitted-farmers-against-native-tribes-protecting-endangered-fish

40.   Water Futures Market Fails to Make a Splash with California Farmers (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/water-futures-market-fails-make-splash-with-california-farmers-2021-06-29/

41.   Why Some of the World’s Biggest Companies Are Increasingly Worried About Water Scarcity (CNBC News)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/29/water-scarcity-why-some-of-the-worlds-biggest-companies-are-worried.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

42.   Pacific Northwest Heat Wave ‘Tip of the Melting Iceberg’ of Climate Change, WA State Gov. Inslee Says (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/pacific-northwest-heat-wave-tip-of-the-melting-iceberg-of-climate-change-gov-inslee-says/

43.   Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Wilts New GOP Climate Resolve (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/29/northwest-heat-wave-republicans-497062

44.   AccuWeather Meteorologist: Heatwaves Not Climate Change Related (WKOK Radio, Sunbury, PA)

https://www.wkok.com/accuweather-meteorologist-valley-northwest-heat-waves-not-climate-change-related/

45.   How Climate Change ‘Loads the Dice’ for Heat Waves (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/heat-wave-west-coast-hints-climate-change-scientists-say-rcna1297

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

46.   President Biden Compares Broadband Push to Early 20th Century Rural Electrification (Voice of America)

https://www.voanews.com/usa/biden-compares-broadband-push-early-20th-century-rural-electrification

47.   Without Broadband, Rural Economies May Miss Out on the Post-Pandemic Recovery (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/560672-without-broadband-rural-economies-may-miss-out-on-the-post-pandemic

48.   Starlink Broadband Service Will Be Here in August, Elon Musk Says (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/starlink-will-be-here-in-august-elon-musk-says-1847198888

49.   Ohio GOP Ends Attempt to Ban Municipal Broadband After Protest from Residents (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/06/ohio-gop-ends-attempt-to-ban-municipal-broadband-after-protest-from-residents/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

50.   The Internet Is Rotting (Atlantic Magazine)

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/06/the-internet-is-a-collective-hallucination/619320/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

51.   Shawn Vestal: Avista’s Eastern Washington State Heat-Wave Blackouts Came Packaged in a Communications Breakdown (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/29/shawn-vestal-the-heat-wave-blackouts-came-packaged/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

52.   Oregon Ends Mask & Social-Distancing Mandates (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/06/30/oregon-ends-mask-social-distancing-mandate/

53.   Washington State Fully Reopens, But Don’t Ditch the Mask Just Yet (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/face-masks-still-required-in-some-washington-setings-despite-reopening/281-66b941ab-6660-42d8-a8e6-c73a136870ad

54.   Bipartisan Senate Infrastructure Plan Is a Stalking Horse for Privatization (The American Prospect)

https://prospect.org/politics/bipartisan-senate-infrastructure-plan-privatization-asset-recycling/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Tour de France Spectator Arrested Over Sign Crash

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57668657

Bonney Lake Man Drives to California to Bring Back A/C Units for His Neighbors

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/bonney-lake-man-drives-to-california-to-bring-back-ac-units-for-his-neighbors/281-cceba0d2-ade1-4b92-ba3b-2c4be52eae21

From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, a Star Wars Jet Goes to Smithsonian

https://hyperallergic.com/658479/x-wing-starfighter-star-wars-jet-goes-to-smithsonian/

AirCar: Convertible ‘Flying Car’ Takes to the Sky

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-57660603

SONG OF THE DAY

John Williams – Star Wars Suite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3AiYIxBwD0