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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)
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)
3.
West Intertie Capacity Raised with Bootleg Fire Containment,
Thermal Still Strong (S&P Global)
4.
Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam
Removal (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)
5.
Rural Alaska Awaits Court Decision on Energy
Subsidy With $1 Billion on the Line (Alaska Public Media)
6.
WA State: Redmond-Based Clean Energy Startup to Build
Pioneering Fusion Energy Facility (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
25.
Canada: Commercial Salmon Fishers Left High &
Dry Over Sudden DFO Closures (Saanich News, BC)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
SONG OF THE DAY
Joni Mitchell – Help Me
