The Energy News Digest: The Energy News Digest for June 9, 2021

Wednesday, June 9, 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.

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

Editorial: Utilities Should Prepare Shut-Off Plans for Wildfire Emergencies (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/utilities-should-prepare-shut-off-plans-for-wildfire-emergencies/

Montana: Group Aims to Overturn Nuclear Power Plant Bill Removing Requirement of Public Vote (Helena Independent-Review, MT)

https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/group-aims-to-overturn-nuclear-power-plant-bill/article_7a359611-010e-546e-b4ef-0d068eea41ff.html

Feds Plan to Curtail West Coast Salmon Fishing to Help Orcas (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2021-06-08/feds-plan-to-curtail-west-coast-salmon-fishing-to-help-orcas

Carbon Dioxide, Which Drives Climate Change, Reaches Highest Level In 4 Million Years (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/06/08/carbon-dioxide-highest-level-in-4-million-years/

Global Supply Chain Squeeze, Soaring Costs Threaten Solar Energy Boom (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/global-supply-chain-squeeze-soaring-costs-threaten-solar-energy-boom-2021-06-09/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1. Montana: Group Aims to Overturn Nuclear Power Plant Bill Removing Requirement of Public Vote

2. Montana Senator Hopes Wyoming Nuclear Deal Sparks Interest in Idea

3. Idaho Power Watching Ransomware Surge Carefully

4. ‘Private Industry Can’t Do It Alone’: Lessons for Electric Utilities from the Colonial Ransomware Fallout

5. National Farm Industry Leaders to Visit Idaho, Learn About Dams

6. New Mexico: BLM to Host Public Meetings on SunZia Southwest Transmission Line Project

7. California: San Diego City Council Gives Final Approval on New Electric & Gas Franchise Agreement with SDG&E

8. Portland General Electric Wants to Lock Up Power from Deschutes Hydro Plants Through 2040

9. Texas Governor Says Power Grid Fixed; Experts Cite Problems

10. South Carolina’s State-Owned Utility Survives as Public Company

11. Editorial: Utilities Should Prepare Shut-Off Plans for Wildfire Emergencies

12. Editorial: Bonneville Power Administration Power Shut-Offs Wise During Fire Season

13. Editorial: Green Groups Against Renewable Energy

14. Global Supply Chain Squeeze, Soaring Costs Threaten Solar Energy Boom

15. Prairie-Chicken Listing Expected to Put Wind Farms in Crosshairs

16. Pacific Gas & Electric Swaps Traditional Electric Poles, Wires for First Remote Microgrid in High Fire-Threat Area

17. Wave Energy Making Progress Off California Coast, But Won’t Electrify Your Home Anytime Soon

18. Feds Eye Gulf Coast for Offshore Wind Sites

19. White House & DOE Take Bonneville Power Administration’s Regional Emerging Technology Efforts National

20. Why Is Growing Marijuana So Energy-Intensive?

21. Feds Plan to Curtail West Coast Salmon Fishing to Help Orcas

22. WA State: Seattle City Light’s Skagit River Dam Operations Should Improve to Help Feed Starving Whales, Experts Say

23. Australia Whales: ‘Unbelievable’ Super-Group Caught on Film

24. WA State: Electron Dam Owner Fined $500,000 Over Puyallup River Pollution

25. Amid Mega-Drought, Rightwing Militia Stokes Water Rebellion in U.S. West

26. Eastern Washington in First-of-Its-Kind Drought Advisory with Dry Conditions Across U.S.

27. Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam to Reach Lowest Water Level in Decades

28. US Senator Weighs in on New Mexico Stream Access Fight

29. Carbon Dioxide, Which Drives Climate Change, Reaches Highest Level In 4 Million Years

30. Electric Power Sector Carbon Dioxide Emissions Drop as Generation Mix Shifts from Coal to Natural Gas

31. Washington State’s Climate Change Fight: Clean Fuels Standards & Cap-&-Trade Program

32. Capturing Carbon Emissions: Pragmatic Solution or Costly Distraction?

33. Montana Prepping for Burst of Broadband Expansion with Federal Dollars

34. Outdated Census Data Limiting Internet Access to Rural Eastern Washington

35. 2.31 Million U.S. Households Sign Up for Broadband Subsidy – FCC

36. Electricity Transformed Rural America Nearly a Century Ago. Now, Millions of People on Farms & in Small Towns Desperately Need Broadband.

37. How One Fastly Customer Broke the Internet

38. U.S. Recovers Millions in Cryptocurrency Paid to Colonial Pipeline Hackers

39. Ohio Asks Court to Declare Google a Public Utility

40. Hashtags Felt Dated & Cringeworthy. So Why Are Influencers Still Using Them?

41. Biden Nominee for Public Lands Boss Faces GOP Opposition

42. WA State: Marijuana Stores Can Offer Joints for Vaccines

WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Demonym /DEH-muh-nimm/ Noun – A word (such as Nevadan or Sooner) used to denote a person who inhabits or is native to a particular place.

We’re all from somewhere.

Hometown demonyms be damned.

Get thee back there soon.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1. Montana: Group Aims to Overturn Nuclear Power Plant Bill Removing Requirement of Public Vote (Helena Independent-Review, MT)

https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/group-aims-to-overturn-nuclear-power-plant-bill/article_7a359611-010e-546e-b4ef-0d068eea41ff.html

2. Montana Senator Hopes Wyoming Nuclear Deal Sparks Interest in Idea (Ravalli Republic, Hamilton, MT)

https://ravallirepublic.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/montana-senator-hopes-wyoming-nuclear-deal-sparks-interest-in-idea/article_10c1dccf-48a2-5b8c-9fb8-21c77b01f2d8.html

3. Idaho Power Watching Ransomware Surge Carefully (KBOI-TV, Boise, ID)

https://idahonews.com/news/local/idaho-power-watching-ransomware-surge-carefully

4. ‘Private Industry Can’t Do It Alone’: Lessons for Electric Utilities from the Colonial Ransomware Fallout (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/private-industry-cant-do-it-alone-lessons-for-electric-utilities-from-t/601473/

5. National Farm Industry Leaders to Visit Idaho, Learn About Dams (Intermountain Farm & Ranch)

https://www.postregister.com/farmandranch/idaho/national-farm-industry-leaders-to-visit-idaho-learn-about-dams/article_087a14fc-028d-591d-a7ba-caae7286677e.html

6. New Mexico: BLM to Host Public Meetings on SunZia Southwest Transmission Line Project (Deming Headlight, NM)

https://www.demingheadlight.com/story/news/2021/06/08/blm-host-public-meetings-sunzia-southwest-transmission-line/7588588002/

7. California: San Diego City Council Gives Final Approval on New Electric & Gas Franchise Agreement with SDG&E (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/energy-green/story/2021-06-08/franchise-vote-number-2

8. Portland General Electric Wants to Lock Up Power from Deschutes Hydro Plants Through 2040 (Portland Business Journal, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2021/06/07/pge-pelton-round-butte-ppa.html

9. Texas Governor Says Power Grid Fixed; Experts Cite Problems (Associated Press)

https://mynorthwest.com/2955277/texas-governor-says-power-grid-fixed-experts-cite-problems/

10. South Carolina’s State-Owned Utility Survives as Public Company (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-06-08/s-carolinas-state-owned-utility-survives-as-public-company

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

11. Editorial: Utilities Should Prepare Shut-Off Plans for Wildfire Emergencies (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/utilities-should-prepare-shut-off-plans-for-wildfire-emergencies/

12. Editorial: Bonneville Power Administration Power Shut-Offs Wise During Fire Season (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.union-bulletin.com/opinion/editorials/bpa-power-shut-offs-wise-during-fire-season/article_406776dc-c589-11eb-965a-c7909ecfeb93.html

13. Editorial: Green Groups Against Renewable Energy (Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-green-groups-against-renewable-energy-2373957/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

14. Global Supply Chain Squeeze, Soaring Costs Threaten Solar Energy Boom (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/global-supply-chain-squeeze-soaring-costs-threaten-solar-energy-boom-2021-06-09/

15. Prairie-Chicken Listing Expected to Put Wind Farms in Crosshairs (Bloomberg News)

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/prairie-chicken-listing-expected-to-put-wind-farms-in-crosshairs

16. Pacific Gas & Electric Swaps Traditional Electric Poles, Wires for First Remote Microgrid in High Fire-Threat Area (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/30623-pge-swaps-traditional-electric-poles-wires-for-first-remote-microgrid-in-high-fire-threat-area/

17. Wave Energy Making Progress Off California Coast, But Won’t Electrify Your Home Anytime Soon (Mendocino Voice, CA)

https://mendovoice.com/2021/06/wave-energy-making-progress-off-california-coast-but-wont-electrify-your-home-anytime-soon/

18. Feds Eye Gulf Coast for Offshore Wind Sites (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/feds-eye-gulf-coast-for-offshore-wind-sites/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

19. White House & DOE Take Bonneville Power Administration’s Regional Emerging Technology Efforts National (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/White-House-and-DOE-take-BPA%E2%80%99s-regional-emerging-technology-efforts-national.aspx

20. Why Is Growing Marijuana So Energy-Intensive? (Slate Magazine)

https://slate.com/technology/2021/06/marijuana-climate-change-green-indoor-growing.html?via=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

21. Feds Plan to Curtail West Coast Salmon Fishing to Help Orcas (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2021-06-08/feds-plan-to-curtail-west-coast-salmon-fishing-to-help-orcas

22. WA State: Seattle City Light’s Skagit River Dam Operations Should Improve to Help Feed Starving Whales, Experts Say (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/investigations/seattle-city-light-skagit-river-dam-operations-should-improve-to-help-feed-killer-whales-orcas/281-a78a6c6d-f206-467a-9414-bd4a614ff9ae

23. Australia Whales: ‘Unbelievable’ Super-Group Caught on Film (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-57396055

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

24. WA State: Electron Dam Owner Fined $500,000 Over Puyallup River Pollution (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/2954369/electron-hydro-puyallup-river-fine/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

25. Amid Mega-Drought, Rightwing Militia Stokes Water Rebellion in U.S. West (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/rightwing-protesters-klamath-falls-threaten-100017379.html

26. Eastern Washington in First-of-Its-Kind Drought Advisory with Dry Conditions Across U.S. (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/2954059/eastern-wa-drought-advisory/

27. Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam to Reach Lowest Water Level in Decades (KMOV-TV, St Louis, MO)

https://www.kmov.com/lake-mead-at-the-hoover-dam-to-reach-lowest-water-level-in-decades/article_cc9cfdaf-e882-5f77-b6bc-c496532ed71b.html

28. US Senator Weighs in on New Mexico Stream Access Fight (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2021-06-08/us-senator-weighs-in-on-new-mexico-stream-access-fight

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

29. Carbon Dioxide, Which Drives Climate Change, Reaches Highest Level In 4 Million Years (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/06/08/carbon-dioxide-highest-level-in-4-million-years/

30. Electric Power Sector Carbon Dioxide Emissions Drop as Generation Mix Shifts from Coal to Natural Gas (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48296

31. Washington State’s Climate Change Fight: Clean Fuels Standards & Cap-&-Trade Program (JD Supra)

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/washington-state-s-climate-change-fight-7618379/

32. Capturing Carbon Emissions: Pragmatic Solution or Costly Distraction? (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2021/0602/Capturing-carbon-emissions-pragmatic-solution-or-costly-distraction?icid=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

33. Montana Prepping for Burst of Broadband Expansion with Federal Dollars (Missoula Current, MT)

https://missoulacurrent.com/business/2021/06/broadband-expansion-montana/

34. Outdated Census Data Limiting Internet Access to Rural Eastern Washington (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/outdated-census-data-limiting-internet-access-to-rural-eastern-washington/article_80094748-c62e-11eb-a901-47aebecc9fa8.html

35. 2.31 Million U.S. Households Sign Up for Broadband Subsidy – FCC (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/more-than-23-million-us-households-sign-up-broadband-subsidy-fcc-2021-06-07/

36. Electricity Transformed Rural America Nearly a Century Ago. Now, Millions of People on Farms & in Small Towns Desperately Need Broadband. (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/tech/2021/06/07/broadband-internet-transforms-life-rural-america-left-behind/7588252002/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

37. How One Fastly Customer Broke the Internet (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/how-one-fastly-customer-broke-the-internet-1847061755

38. U.S. Recovers Millions in Cryptocurrency Paid to Colonial Pipeline Hackers (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/557185-us-recovers-millions-in-cryptocurrency-paid-to-colonial-pipeline-hackers?rl=1

39. Ohio Asks Court to Declare Google a Public Utility (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/ohio-asks-court-to-declare-google-a-public-utility/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

40. Hashtags Felt Dated & Cringeworthy. So Why Are Influencers Still Using Them? (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-06-01/hashtags-influencers-use-themhttps://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-06-01/hashtags-influencers-use-them

BUSINESS, GOVERNANCE, & MANAGEMENT