The Energy News Digest for July 28, 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.

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

California’s Power Grid Operator Has Issued a Statewide Alert Urging Residents to Cut Back Electricity Use (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/california-power-usage-warning/index.html

Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam Removal (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/oregon-utility-commission-oks-klamath-dam-removal/article_fc4d620b-4e87-5efd-bcad-352699304b42.html

California Preps for Catastrophic Summer Salmon Slaughter (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-preps-for-catastrophic-summer-salmon-slaughter/

Oregon Governor Signs Ambitious Clean Energy Bill (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/27/oregon-governor-signs-ambitious-clean-energy-bill/

COVID Conundrum: As Delta Variant Surges, Masks Are Back (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/as-delta-variant-surges-masks-are-back-205621502.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California’s Power Grid Operator Has Issued a Statewide Alert Urging Residents to Cut Back Electricity Use

2.      Electricity Use Did Not Drop Last Time Californians Were Asked to Voluntarily Cut Back

3.      West Intertie Capacity Raised with Bootleg Fire Containment, Thermal Still Strong

4.      Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam Removal

5.      Rural Alaska Awaits Court Decision on Energy Subsidy With $1 Billion on the Line

6.      WA State: Redmond-Based Clean Energy Startup to Build Pioneering Fusion Energy Facility

7.      Alaska: New Electric Cable Installed Between Petersburg, Wrangell

8.      California: Dixie Fire Threatens Payments to Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Victim Fund

9.      WA State: Martin Selected to Replace Skolrood as Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner

10.   WA State: Clallam County PUD to Get $350k for Payment Assistance

11.   Unfortunately, I Care About Power Lines Now

12.   Newsletter: Texas Outages Made Transmission Upgrades Look Cheap

13.   Guest Essay: Who Comes Out Ahead on the Broadband Infrastructure Bill?

14.   Guest Essay: Treat Broadband as Infrastructure & We Have a Chance to Get It Right

15.   Can Retrofitting Dams for Hydro Provide a Green Energy Boost?

16.   Renewables Became the Second-Most Prevalent U.S. Electricity Source in 2020

17.   California: Bloom Energy Sues City of Santa Clara for the Second Time

18.   U.S. Studies Plan to Pay Fishing Industry for Offshore Wind Impacts

19.   A Different Kind of Solar Technology Is Poised to Go Big

20.   Less Than Half of Seattle Homes Have Air Conditioning. After a Deadly Heat Wave, ‘Everybody’ Wants It.

21.   Lower Valley Energy & Bonneville Power Administration Help Wyoming Laundry Facility Clean Up Their Act

22.   California Preps for Catastrophic Summer Salmon Slaughter

23.   Underwater Video Shows Heat-Stressed Salmon – It Could Have Been Worse

24.   Salmon Getting Through Fraser River Slide Zone as Officials Ponder Permanent Fix

25.   Canada: Commercial Salmon Fishers Left High & Dry Over Sudden DFO Closures

26.   WA State: Whatcom Council to Vote on Permanent Ban of New Fossil Fuel Industries at Cherry Point

27.   Western Drought Drives Water Levels at Great Salt Lake & Lake Powell to Historic Lows

28.   ‘Adapt or We’ll Break’: A Water Expert Lays Out the West’s Risky Future in the Megadrought Era

29.   Montana: Drought Conditions Mean Lower Water Levels at Hebgen Reservoir

30.   WA State: $70 Million in Chehalis Basin Funds on Hold as Strategy Board Unable to Reach Agreement

31.   Oregon Governor Signs Ambitious Clean Energy Bill

32.   ‘Nowhere Is Safe’: Heat Shatters Vision of Pacific Northwest as Climate Refuge

33.   White House Wants Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Bill - Sources

34.   FCC to Fix Rural Broadband Program That Gave Money to Connect Parking Lots to Internet

35.   WA State: Jefferson County PUD Seeks to Expand Internet – Agency Pursuing $12.4M in Funds

36.   ISPs Abuse FCC Covid Broadband Discount Program, Showing It’s a Band Aid on a Much Bigger Problem

37.   WA State: Icicle Broadcasting Has Sold Three of Its Local Radio Stations

38.   COVID Conundrum: As Delta Variant Surges, Masks Are Back

39.   Oregon Health Authority: All Oregonians Should Wear a Mask Indoors as Cases, Hospitalizations Rise

40.   WA State’s Governor Urges the Vaccinated to Wear Masks Indoors in Certain Counties, Won’t Impose New Mandates

41.   WA State Dismisses Wheat Growers Pleas, Then Declares Drought Emergency Too Late

WORD OF THE DAY

Euphonious \you-FONE-ee-us\ Adjective – Pleasing or agreeable to the ear

The soothing sound of water rushing over pebbles in the nearby small stream provided a euphonious backdrop for the loving couple’s noon-time picnic. Unfortunately for them, the stagnant, brackish pools below the rushing rapids provided a “mosquito hotel” which issued forth a constant stream of the voracious, blood-sucking insects, all focused on being the first to partake of the movable feast represented by the lounging couple.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California’s Power Grid Operator Has Issued a Statewide Alert Urging Residents to Cut Back Electricity Use (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/california-power-usage-warning/index.html

2.      Electricity Use Did Not Drop Last Time Californians Were Asked to Voluntarily Cut Back (Newsweek)

https://www.newsweek.com/electricity-use-did-not-drop-last-time-californians-were-asked-voluntarily-cut-back-1613111

3.      West Intertie Capacity Raised with Bootleg Fire Containment, Thermal Still Strong (S&P Global)

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/072621-west-intertie-capacity-raised-with-bootleg-fire-containment-thermal-still-strong

4.      Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam Removal (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/oregon-utility-commission-oks-klamath-dam-removal/article_fc4d620b-4e87-5efd-bcad-352699304b42.html

5.      Rural Alaska Awaits Court Decision on Energy Subsidy With $1 Billion on the Line (Alaska Public Media)

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/07/27/rural-alaska-awaits-court-decision-on-energy-subsidy-with-1b-on-the-line/

6.      WA State: Redmond-Based Clean Energy Startup to Build Pioneering Fusion Energy Facility (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/redmond-based-clean-energy-startup-to-build-pioneering-fusion-energy-facility/

7.      Alaska: New Electric Cable Installed Between Petersburg, Wrangell (KFSK Radio, Petersburg, AK)

https://www.kfsk.org/2021/07/27/new-electric-cable-installed-between-petersburg-wrangell/

8.      California: Dixie Fire Threatens Payments to Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Victim Fund (KXTV-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/dixie-fire-threatens-payments-to-pge-wildfire-victim-fund/103-dabe3694-62e9-4647-8739-2040f2a4de49

9.      WA State: Martin Selected to Replace Skolrood as Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

https://www.kxro.com/martin-selected-to-replace-skolrood-as-pud-commissioner/

10.   WA State: Clallam County PUD to Get $350k for Payment Assistance (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2021/07/27/clallam-county-pud-to-get-350k-for-payment-assistance/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

11.   Unfortunately, I Care About Power Lines Now (Atlantic Magazine)

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/america-is-bad-at-building-power-lines-lets-fix-that-transmission-climate/619591/

12.   Newsletter: Texas Outages Made Transmission Upgrades Look Cheap (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/newsletter-make-grid-expansion-a-disaster-resilience-play/

13.   Guest Essay: Who Comes Out Ahead on the Broadband Infrastructure Bill? (The Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/07/28/who-comes-out-ahead-on-the-broadband-infrastructure-bill/

14.   Guest Essay: Treat Broadband as Infrastructure & We Have a Chance to Get It Right (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/564936-treat-broadband-as-infrastructure-and-we-have-a-chance-to-get-it-right?rl=1

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15.   Can Retrofitting Dams for Hydro Provide a Green Energy Boost? (Yale Environment 360)

https://e360.yale.edu/features/can-retrofitting-dams-for-hydro-provide-a-green-energy-boost

16.   Renewables Became the Second-Most Prevalent U.S. Electricity Source in 2020 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48896

17.   California: Bloom Energy Sues City of Santa Clara for the Second Time (Cupertino Today, CA)

https://cupertinotoday.com/2021/07/26/bloom-energy-sues-city-of-santa-clara-for-the-second-time/

18.   U.S. Studies Plan to Pay Fishing Industry for Offshore Wind Impacts (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/exclusive-us-studies-plan-pay-fishing-industry-offshore-wind-impacts-2021-07-28/

19.   A Different Kind of Solar Technology Is Poised to Go Big (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/energy/cadmium-telluride-technology-first-solar/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

20.   Less Than Half of Seattle Homes Have Air Conditioning. After a Deadly Heat Wave, ‘Everybody’ Wants It. (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/us/seattle-air-conditioning.html

21.   Lower Valley Energy & Bonneville Power Administration Help Wyoming Laundry Facility Clean Up Their Act (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Lower-Valley-Energy-and-BPA-help-Wyoming-laundry-facility-clean-up-their-act.aspx

FISH & WILDLIFE

22.   California Preps for Catastrophic Summer Salmon Slaughter (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-preps-for-catastrophic-summer-salmon-slaughter/

23.   Underwater Video Shows Heat-Stressed Salmon – It Could Have Been Worse (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/28/heat-stress-salmon/

24.   Salmon Getting Through Fraser River Slide Zone as Officials Ponder Permanent Fix (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/salmon-getting-through-fraser-river-slide-zone-as-officials-ponder-permanent-fix-1.24346757

25.   Canada: Commercial Salmon Fishers Left High & Dry Over Sudden DFO Closures (Saanich News, BC)

https://www.saanichnews.com/news/commercial-salmon-fishers-left-high-and-dry-over-sudden-dfo-closures/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

26.   WA State: Whatcom Council to Vote on Permanent Ban of New Fossil Fuel Industries at Cherry Point (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/post/whatcom-council-vote-permanent-ban-new-fossil-fuel-industries-cherry-point

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

27.   Western Drought Drives Water Levels at Great Salt Lake & Lake Powell to Historic Lows (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/07/27/great-salt-lake-lake-powell-historic-low-water-levels/

28.   ‘Adapt or We’ll Break’: A Water Expert Lays Out the West’s Risky Future in the Megadrought Era (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/adapt-or-we-ll-break-a-water-expert-lays-out-the-wes-1847376800

29.   Montana: Drought Conditions Mean Lower Water Levels at Hebgen Reservoir (KXLF-TV, Butte, MT)

https://www.kxlf.com/news/local-news/drought-conditions-mean-lower-water-levels-at-hebgen-reservoir

30.   WA State: $70 Million in Chehalis Basin Funds on Hold as Strategy Board Unable to Reach Agreement (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article253038213.html?

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

31.   Oregon Governor Signs Ambitious Clean Energy Bill (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/27/oregon-governor-signs-ambitious-clean-energy-bill/

32.   ‘Nowhere Is Safe’: Heat Shatters Vision of Pacific Northwest as Climate Refuge (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/21/pacific-northwest-heatwave-dome-climate-change

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

33.   White House Wants Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Bill - Sources (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill-may-extend-broadband-payment-help-enacted-2021-07-27/

34.   FCC to Fix Rural Broadband Program That Gave Money to Connect Parking Lots to Internet (The Daily Dot)

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/fcc-rural-broadband-program-parking-lots-internet/

35.   WA State: Jefferson County PUD Seeks to Expand Internet – Agency Pursuing $12.4M in Funds (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/jefferson-county-pud-seeks-to-expand-internet/

36.   ISPs Abuse FCC Covid Broadband Discount Program, Showing It’s a Band Aid on a Much Bigger Problem (TechDirt)

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210720/09290247206/isps-abuse-fcc-covid-broadband-discount-program-showing-band-aid-much-bigger-problem.shtml

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

37.   WA State: Icicle Broadcasting Has Sold Three of Its Local Radio Stations (North Central Washington Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

https://www.ncwlife.com/icicle-broadcasting-has-sold-three-of-its-local-radio-stations/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

38.   COVID Conundrum: As Delta Variant Surges, Masks Are Back (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/as-delta-variant-surges-masks-are-back-205621502.html

39.   Oregon Health Authority: All Oregonians Should Wear a Mask Indoors as Cases, Hospitalizations Rise (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-health-authority-recommends-masks-indoors/283-66d9894a-adcf-4bad-a20d-ae0123c56a14

40.   WA State’s Governor Urges the Vaccinated to Wear Masks Indoors in Certain Counties, Won’t Impose New Mandates (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washingtons-governor-urges-the-vaccinated-to-wear-masks-indoors-in-certain-counties-wont-impose-new-mandates/

41.   WA State Dismisses Wheat Growers Pleas, Then Declares Drought Emergency Too Late (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article253035658.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Vigilant Driver Helps Rescue Kitten Found Dangling Off Hood Canal Bridge

https://mynorthwest.com/3057343/driver-rescues-kitten-dangling-hood-canal-bridge/

Man on Scooter Steals Millions from Upmarket Paris Jeweler

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57995190

Oprah Winfrey Sells Her 43-Acre Waterfront Estate on Orcas Island for $14 Million

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/oprah-winfrey-sells-43-acre-waterfront-estate-orcas-island

The Pied Piper Was Real: 130 Children Disappeared and Never Came Back – It Took Over 700 Years to Figure Out What Happened To Them

https://historyofyesterday.com/the-pied-piper-was-real-130-children-disappeared-and-never-came-back-542085ffb34

SONG OF THE DAY

Joni Mitchell – Help Me

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

The Energy News Digest for July 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.

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

U.S. Set for Punishing Temperatures as Huge ‘Heat Dome’ to Settle Over Country (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/24/america-heatwave-climate-crisis-heat-dome

Lower Snake River Dams Help Region Power Through Recent Pacific Northwest Heatwave (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Lower-Snake-River-dams-help-region-power-through-recent-heatwave.aspx

California Power Grid Declares Flex Alert for Monday, Asks for Electricity Conservation (California News-Times)

https://californianewstimes.com/california-power-grid-declares-flex-alert-for-monday-asks-for-electricity-conservation/435514/

Warming Rivers in U.S. West Killing Fish, Imperiling Industry (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/26/warming-rivers-in-us-west-killing-fish-imperiling-industry/

U.S. Energy Sect. Granholm Announces New Building Energy Codes (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/564134-granholm-announces-new-building-energy-codes

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Lower Snake River Dams Help Region Power Through Recent Pacific Northwest Heatwave

2.      Snake River Dams – This Is What Saved the Tri-Cities Area from Rolling Blackouts in Historic Heatwave, Says Bonneville Power Administration

3.      California Power Grid Declares Flex Alert for Monday, Asks for Electricity Conservation

4.      Drought Shrinking California Hydro, Increasing Reliance on Thermal, Imports

5.      Californians Tired of Doing Their Part During Triple-Digit Heat

6.      WA State: Feds Approve 32 Studies in Skagit River Dam Relicensing Process

7.      Montana Attorney General Intervenes in NorthWestern Energy Application for Natural Gas Power Plant

8.      California Prepares to Bury 10,000 Miles of Power Lines as Wildfires Force New Evacuations

9.      Columbia River Powerlines: How Strengthening the Pacific Northwest’s Electrical Grid Could End Up Doing Harm

10.   WA State: How the Snohomish PUD Kept Things Humming During the Record Heat Wave

11.   WA State: Clallam County Commissioners to Consider Rescue Funds for Utility Assistance

12.   Oregon: ‘Homeless Tapped Into’ Power Wires in Overlook Neighborhood

13.   Editorial: ‘Collaborative’ Effort to Save NW Salmon Looks Like Another Anti-Snake Dam Task Force

14.   Guest Essay: Come Together to Save Puget Sound & Snake River Salmon

15.   Editorial: Puget Sound Salmon Have No Chance Unless We Push for a Bigger Investment

16.   Southern Idaho Leaders Gain New Perspective of Lava Ridge Wind Proposal

17.   I-Team: Company Withdraws Plans for Massive Solar Farm, Which Would Have Been Nevada’s Largest

18.   REC Silicon Eyes Reopening, Upgrading in Moses Lake, WA

19.   ‘I Can See the Industry Disappearing’: U.S. Fishermen Sound Alarm at Plans for Offshore Wind

20.   U.S. Energy Sect. Granholm Announces New Building Energy Codes

21.   Beat the Heat: Ways to Cool Down & Reduce Energy Use During Hot Summer Days

22.   Idaho Falls Power Recognizes Anheuser-Busch for Energy Efficiency Award

23.   Forty Under 40 2021: Becca Yates, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

24.   Warming Rivers in U.S. West Killing Fish, Imperiling Industry

25.   Heat Waves Put New Stress on British Columbia’s Already Struggling Salmon

26.   Idaho Sockeye Step Up Their Game

27.   WA State: Skagit Dams in Crosshairs of Renewed Push to Save Salmon, Orcas

28.   Maine: Groups Urge State to Protect Last Wild Atlantic Salmon in U.S.

29.   Low Oxygen Levels Off Oregon, Washington Coast Raise Fears of Marine Dead Zones

30.   Colorado River Shortage Expected to Hit Farms First

31.   Lake Powell — Nation’s Second-Largest Reservoir — Hits Record Low

32.   Water Levels at Great Salt Lake Hit Historic Low

33.   In 2020, the United States Produced the Least CO2 Emissions from Energy in Nearly 40 Years

34.   New Laws Take Effect in Washington State Aimed at Bridging the Digital Divide

35.   WA State: Okanogan PUD Submits Fiber Project for Grant

36.   WA State: Port of Woodland Broadband Project Gets $2 Million Grant for Final Phase

37.   Idaho National Lab, Visgence Demonstrate Capability to Shield Power Grid from Cyberattacks

38.   Electric Utilities Are ‘Deeply Concerned’: Test Shows Wi-Fi Devices in 6 GHz Spectrum Can Disrupt Grid

39.   GM Recalls Bolt Electric Vehicles Again Because Some Batteries May Pose Fire Risk

40.   Eugene’s Homegrown Arcimoto Electric Vehicles Finding Their Way to Local Customers

41.   Driven By Pandemic, Social Media Use Surged in Seattle

42.   U.S. Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) Among Three Senators to Introduce Legislation Supporting Local News

43.   Drones Are Zapping Clouds with Electricity to Create Rain in United Arab Emirates Project

44.   WA State: Lewis EDC’s New Pilot Project Looks to Increase ‘American Rescue Plan’ Returns for Local Governments

45.   U.S. Set for Punishing Temperatures as Huge ‘Heat Dome’ to Settle Over Country

46.   Wildfires Blasting Through West Draw States to Lend Support

47.   California’s Largest Fire Burns Homes as Blazes Scorch West

WORD OF THE DAY

Debutant \DEB-yoo-tawnt\ Noun - One making a debut.

The new employee was trembling with anticipation. His first official act was to make a twenty-minute presentation to the board of directors on his position’s duties. For a debutant, having the entire job description being listed as “other duties as assigned,” was daunting enough…but to hold forth for 20 minutes on his mysterious responsibilities was the figurative “Mount Everest” of public speaking.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Lower Snake River Dams Help Region Power Through Recent Pacific Northwest Heatwave (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Lower-Snake-River-dams-help-region-power-through-recent-heatwave.aspx

2.      Snake River Dams – This Is What Saved the Tri-Cities Area from Rolling Blackouts in Historic Heatwave, Says Bonneville Power Administration (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article252965453.html

3.      California Power Grid Declares Flex Alert for Monday, Asks for Electricity Conservation (California News-Times)

https://californianewstimes.com/california-power-grid-declares-flex-alert-for-monday-asks-for-electricity-conservation/435514/

4.      Drought Shrinking California Hydro, Increasing Reliance on Thermal, Imports (S&P Global)

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/072321-drought-shrinking-california-hydro-increasing-reliance-on-thermal-imports

5.      Californians Tired of Doing Their Part During Triple-Digit Heat (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/07/23/california-show-conservation-fatigue-in-the-face-of-power-cut-threat-1388946

6.      WA State: Feds Approve 32 Studies in Skagit River Dam Relicensing Process (Skagit Valley Herald, Mt. Vernon, WA)

https://www.goskagit.com/news/environment/feds-approve-32-studies-in-dam-relicensing-process/article_e6a0b2b2-6f65-5760-b974-b176ab78a413.html

7.      Montana Attorney General Intervenes in NorthWestern Energy Application for Natural Gas Power Plant (The Daily Montanan)

https://dailymontanan.com/2021/07/22/attorney-general-intervenes-in-northwestern-energy-application/

8.      California Prepares to Bury 10,000 Miles of Power Lines as Wildfires Force New Evacuations (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/22/california-wildfires-nevada-oregon-pge-power-lines

9.      Columbia River Powerlines: How Strengthening the Pacific Northwest’s Electrical Grid Could End Up Doing Harm (Crosscut Seattle, WA)

https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/07/how-strengthening-pnws-electrical-grid-could-end-doing-harm

10.   WA State: How the Snohomish PUD Kept Things Humming During the Record Heat Wave (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/how-the-pud-kept-things-humming-during-the-record-heat-wave/

11.   WA State: Clallam County Commissioners to Consider Rescue Funds for Utility Assistance (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/clallam-county-commissioners-to-consider-rescue-funds-for-utility-assistance/

12.   Oregon: ‘Homeless Tapped Into’ Power Wires in Overlook Neighborhood (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/homeless-tapped-into-power-wires-in-overlook-neighborhood/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

13.   Editorial: ‘Collaborative’ Effort to Save NW Salmon Looks Like Another Anti-Snake Dam Task Force (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/editorials/article252977263.html

14.   Guest Essay: Come Together to Save Puget Sound & Snake River Salmon (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/come-together-to-save-puget-sound-and-snake-river-salmon/

15.   Editorial: Puget Sound Salmon Have No Chance Unless We Push for a Bigger Investment (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/opinion/editorials/article252967908.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

16.   Southern Idaho Leaders Gain New Perspective of Lava Ridge Wind Proposal (KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)

https://www.kmvt.com/2021/07/22/southern-idaho-leaders-gain-new-perspective-lava-ridge-wind-proposal/

17.   I-Team: Company Withdraws Plans for Massive Solar Farm, Which Would Have Been Nevada’s Largest (KLAS-TV, Las Vegas NV)

https://www.8newsnow.com/i-team/i-team-company-withdraws-plans-for-massive-solar-farm-which-would-have-been-nevadas-largest/

18.   REC Silicon Eyes Reopening, Upgrading in Moses Lake, WA (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jul/23/rec-eyes-reopening-upgrading-moses-lake/

19.   ‘I Can See the Industry Disappearing’: U.S. Fishermen Sound Alarm at Plans for Offshore Wind (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/24/offshore-wind-development-new-jersey-us-fishermen-ocean-life

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

20.   U.S. Energy Sect. Granholm Announces New Building Energy Codes (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/564134-granholm-announces-new-building-energy-codes

21.   Beat the Heat: Ways to Cool Down & Reduce Energy Use During Hot Summer Days (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Beat-the-Heat-Ways-to-cool-down-and-reduce-energy-use-during-hot-summer-days.aspx

22.   Idaho Falls Power Recognizes Anheuser-Busch for Energy Efficiency Award (Idaho Falls Magazine, ID)

https://www.idahofallsmagazine.com/2021/07/idaho-falls-power-recognizes-anheuserbusch

23.   Forty Under 40 2021: Becca Yates, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (Portland Business Journal, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2021/07/26/forty-under-40-2021-becca-yates-northwest-energy.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

24.   Warming Rivers in U.S. West Killing Fish, Imperiling Industry (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/26/warming-rivers-in-us-west-killing-fish-imperiling-industry/

25.   Heat Waves Put New Stress on British Columbia’s Already Struggling Salmon (Global News, Canada)

https://globalnews.ca/news/8036106/heat-waves-put-new-stress-on-b-c-s-already-struggling-salmon/

26.   Idaho Sockeye Step Up Their Game (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/northwest/sockeye-step-up-their-game/article_6ff644da-ec19-11eb-bf14-37a8f1246e50.html

27.   WA State: Skagit Dams in Crosshairs of Renewed Push to Save Salmon, Orcas (Crosscut Seattle, WA)

https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/07/skagit-dams-crosshairs-renewed-push-save-salmon-orcas

28.   Maine: Groups Urge State to Protect Last Wild Atlantic Salmon in U.S. (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-salmon-048e071677132ae1428f2b05328dfccd

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

29.   Low Oxygen Levels Off Oregon, Washington Coast Raise Fears of Marine Dead Zones (Associated Press)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2021/07/low-oxygen-levels-off-oregon-washington-coast-raise-fears-of-marine-dead-zones.html

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

30.   Colorado River Shortage Expected to Hit Farms First (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/colorado-river-shortage-expected-to-hit-farms-first/

31.   Lake Powell — Nation’s Second-Largest Reservoir — Hits Record Low (KUNC-Radio, Greeley, CO)

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-07-24/lake-powell-nations-second-largest-reservoir-hits-record-low

32.   Water Levels at Great Salt Lake Hit Historic Low (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/26/water-levels-at-great-salt-lake-hit-historic-low/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

33.   In 2020, the United States Produced the Least CO2 Emissions from Energy in Nearly 40 Years (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48856

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

34.   New Laws Take Effect in Washington State Aimed at Bridging the Digital Divide (Seattle Medium)

https://seattlemedium.com/new-laws-take-effect-in-washington-state-aimed-at-bridging-the-digital-divide/

35.   WA State: Okanogan PUD Submits Fiber Project for Grant (Okanogan PUD, Okanogan, WA)

https://www.okanoganpud.org/node/1512

36.   WA State: Port of Woodland Broadband Project Gets $2 Million Grant for Final Phase (Longview Daily News, WA)

https://tdn.com/news/local/business/port-of-woodland-broadband-project-gets-2-million-grant-for-final-phase/article_b6dc17ef-0da6-54ea-a7e9-6553b7a8bd70.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

37.   Idaho National Lab, Visgence Demonstrate Capability to Shield Power Grid from Cyberattacks (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/31234-idaho-national-lab-visgence-show-off-capability-to-shield-power-grid-from-cyberattacks/?amp

38.   Electric Utilities Are ‘Deeply Concerned’: Test Shows Wi-Fi Devices in 6 GHz Spectrum Can Disrupt Grid (NRECA)

https://www.cooperative.com/news/pages/test-shows-wi-fi-devices-in-6-ghz-spectrum-can-disrupt-grid.aspx

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

39.   GM Recalls Bolt Electric Vehicles Again Because Some Batteries May Pose Fire Risk (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2021/07/23/gm-recall-bolt-electric-vehicle-batteries-fire-risk/8067751002/

40.   Eugene’s Homegrown Arcimoto Electric Vehicles Finding Their Way to Local Customers (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2021/07/25/eugene-arcimoto-electric-vehicles-fuv-find-their-way-local-customers-mark-frohnmayer/8028548002/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

41.   Driven By Pandemic, Social Media Use Surged in Seattle (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/driven-by-pandemic-social-media-use-surged-in-seattle/

42.   U.S. Sen. Cantwell (D-WA) Among Three Senators to Introduce Legislation Supporting Local News (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.kxly.com/sen-cantwell-among-three-senators-to-introduce-legislation-supporting-local-news/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

43.   Drones Are Zapping Clouds with Electricity to Create Rain in United Arab Emirates Project (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/07/21/cloud-seeding-uae-artificial-rain-drones-electricity/8040330002/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

44.   WA State: Lewis EDC’s New Pilot Project Looks to Increase ‘American Rescue Plan’ Returns for Local Governments (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-edcs-new-pilot-project-looks-to-increase-american-rescue-plan-returns-for-local,269585

FIRES, HEAT, & DROUGHT

45.   U.S. Set for Punishing Temperatures as Huge ‘Heat Dome’ to Settle Over Country (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/24/america-heatwave-climate-crisis-heat-dome

46.   Wildfires Blasting Through West Draw States to Lend Support (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/fires-environment-and-nature-wildfires-20422ed333c200409dc34f610acc1088

47.   California’s Largest Fire Burns Homes as Blazes Scorch West (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-07-26/californias-largest-fire-burns-homes-as-blazes-scorch-west

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Pink Offers to Pay Bikini Bottoms Fine for Norway Women’s Handball Team

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57967486

Reporter Suspended for Smearing Herself with Mud & Pretending to Have Helped with Flood-Cleanup Efforts

https://www.insider.com/german-rtl-reporter-smears-herself-with-mud-fakes-flood-clean-up-2021-7

The Seemingly Cursed Tokyo Olympics Are Now in the Path of a Tropical Storm

https://gizmodo.com/the-seemingly-cursed-tokyo-olympics-are-now-in-the-path-1847359708

Video: Extreme Heat Roasts Oregon Christmas Trees

https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idOVEMXHC2Z

SONG OF THE DAY

Dire Straits - Lady Writer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMBELh1zyo