Wednesday, August 18, 2021

The Energy News Digest for August 18, 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

Western U.S. States Face Federal Water Cuts for First Time amid Reservoir Shortage (Associated Press)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/united-states-water-shortage-lake-mead-1.6143396?cmp=rss

Pacific Gas & Electric Starts Planned Power Shutoffs to 51,000 Customers as Dixie Fire Rampages (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-08-17/pge-california-power-shutoffs-expand-dixie-fire-grows

California: Environmental Group Opposes Proposed Solar Farm in Jacumba Hot Springs (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-08-17/environmental-group-opposes-proposal-for-solar-farm-project-in-jacumba-hot-springs

Solar Could Be 40% of U.S. Power by 2035 - Biden Administration (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/solar-could-be-40-us-power-by-2035-biden-administration-2021-08-17/

California Takes a Massive Step Toward All-Electric Homes (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/california-takes-a-massive-step-toward-all-electric-hom-1847496829

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Pacific Gas & Electric Starts Planned Power Shutoffs to 51,000 Customers as Dixie Fire Rampages

2.      Nevada: High Wind Threat Prompts NV Energy to Issue Outage Watch for Carson-Minden PSOM Zone

3.      EIA Predicts Lower Than Average U.S. Natural Gas Inventories Headed into Winter

4.      U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (R-OR) Pledges Medicaid Funding for Air Conditioners

5.      NuScale Power signs Memorandum of Understanding with Xcel Energy to Explore Potential Plant Operations

6.      Virginia Co-Op’s Fee Hike ($5) Would Shrink Savings from Solar, Energy Efficiency

7.      Guest Essay: Washington State’s Carbon Tax – All Pain, No Gain

8.      California: Environmental Group Opposes Proposed Solar Farm in Jacumba Hot Springs

9.      Solar Could Be 40% of U.S. Power by 2035 - Biden Administration

10.   Report: Washington State’s Solar Energy Production Up 2,479.8 Percent

11.   Hawaii: U.S. Navy Invests $6 Million to Continue Wave Energy Conversion Research

12.   Video: The Journey of Hydropower – How Energy Moves from Nature to Your Home

13.   Hydrogen Power Offers Jobs Boost, Says Government

14.   California Takes a Massive Step Toward All-Electric Homes

15.   Tiny Homes Can Mean Big Costs, Especially Depending on Where You Live

16.   Will Klamath River Basin Salmon Outlast the Dam Removal Process?

17.   Thousands of Live Sand Dollars Wash Up on Oregon Coast at Seaside

18.   ‘I Consider Them Friends’: Anglers Sacrifice to Save Trout

19.   News Release: Portable Generator Manufacturers’ Association Fights California Ban

20.   Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Season

21.   Western U.S. States Face Federal Water Cuts for First Time amid Reservoir Shortage

22.   First-Ever Water Shortage Declared on the Colorado River, Triggering Water Cuts for Some States in the West

23.   Statement on Federal Govt’s August Projections for Colorado River

24.   Washington State Drought Recovery Unlikely This Fall, Officials Say

25.   Silver Bullets: Can Cloud Seeding Ease the Drought in the West?

26.   WA State: Tapping into the Internet Superhighway – Ports in Walla Walla, Columbia Counties Awarded $2 Million for Rural Broadband Projects

27.   Idaho Works to Boost Broadband in Rural Areas as the State Continues to Grow

28.   WA State: Broadband Meeting Set in Brinnon Tonight

29.   North American Bulk Power Providers Reporting More Cyber Incidents, Says NERC

30.   Why Teslas Keep Striking Parked Firetrucks & Police Cars

31.   How the View from Space Is Helping Fight Wildfires on the Ground

WORD OF THE DAY – GENERATIONAL HUMOR WARNING!

Rorschach Test \ROAR-shack - test\ Noun – a personality and intelligence test in which a subject interprets inkblot designs in terms that reveal intellectual and emotional factors —called also Rorschach, Rorschach inkblot test. Etymology: Hermann Rorschach died 1922 Swiss psychiatrist

Bartholomew befuddled his psychiatrists. Whenever they administered a Rorschach Test, the inkblots elicited mainly silence. That is, until Barty started an odd, braying laugh at unusual times during which the most elaborate ink blots were portrayed. Unbeknownst to the psychiatrists, Bartholomew misunderstood the test instructions: he thought he was taking a Horshack test.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Pacific Gas & Electric Starts Planned Power Shutoffs to 51,000 Customers as Dixie Fire Rampages (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-08-17/pge-california-power-shutoffs-expand-dixie-fire-grows

2.      Nevada: High Wind Threat Prompts NV Energy to Issue Outage Watch for Carson-Minden PSOM Zone (Carson Now, NV)

https://carsonnow.org/story/08/17/2021/high-wind-threat-prompts-nv-energy-issue-outage-watch-carson-minden-psom-zone

3.      EIA Predicts Lower Than Average U.S. Natural Gas Inventories Headed into Winter (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/31562-eia-predicts-lower-than-average-u-s-natural-gas-inventories-headed-into-winter/?amp

4.      U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (R-OR) Pledges Medicaid Funding for Air Conditioners (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/weather/2021/08/sen-ron-wyden-pledges-medicaid-funding-for-air-conditioners.html

5.      NuScale Power signs Memorandum of Understanding with Xcel Energy to Explore Potential Plant Operations (Power Magazine)

https://www.powermag.com/press-releases/nuscale-power-signs-memorandum-of-understanding-with-xcel-energy-to-explore-potential-plant-operations/

6.      Virginia Co-Op’s Fee Hike ($5) Would Shrink Savings from Solar, Energy Efficiency (Energy News Network)

https://energynews.us/2021/08/18/virginia-co-ops-fee-hike-would-shrink-savings-from-solar-energy-efficiency/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

7.      Guest Essay: Washington State’s Carbon Tax – All Pain, No Gain (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

https://lmtribune.com/opinion/washington-state-s-carbon-tax-all-pain-no-gain/article_9430c5c9-4f70-57cb-abfb-10e2386fe387.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

8.      California: Environmental Group Opposes Proposed Solar Farm in Jacumba Hot Springs (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2021-08-17/environmental-group-opposes-proposal-for-solar-farm-project-in-jacumba-hot-springs

9.      Solar Could Be 40% of U.S. Power by 2035 - Biden Administration (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/solar-could-be-40-us-power-by-2035-biden-administration-2021-08-17/

10.   Report: Washington State’s Solar Energy Production Up 2,479.8 Percent (South Sound Business, WA)

https://southsoundbiz.com/report-washingtons-solar-energy-production-up-2479-8-percent/

11.   Hawaii: U.S. Navy Invests $6 Million to Continue Wave Energy Conversion Research (Hawaii Public Radio)

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2021-08-17/navy-invests-university-hawaii-wave-energy-conversion-research

12.   Video: The Journey of Hydropower – How Energy Moves from Nature to Your Home (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6BRNN2XA4Q

13.   Hydrogen Power Offers Jobs Boost, Says Government (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/hydrogen-power-offers-jobs-boost-010835781.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   California Takes a Massive Step Toward All-Electric Homes (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/california-takes-a-massive-step-toward-all-electric-hom-1847496829

15.   Tiny Homes Can Mean Big Costs, Especially Depending on Where You Live (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/tiny-homes-can-mean-big-costs-especially-depending-on-where-you-live.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

16.   Will Klamath River Basin Salmon Outlast the Dam Removal Process? (High Country News)

https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.9/indigenous-affairs-dams-will-klamath-salmon-outlast-the-dam-removal-process

17.   Thousands of Live Sand Dollars Wash Up on Oregon Coast at Seaside (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2021/08/thousands-of-live-sand-dollars-wash-up-on-oregon-coast-at-seaside.html

18.   ‘I Consider Them Friends’: Anglers Sacrifice to Save Trout (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2021/0817/I-consider-them-friends-Anglers-sacrifice-to-save-trout?icid=rss

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

19.   News Release: Portable Generator Manufacturers’ Association Fights California Ban (BusinessWire)

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210816005039/en/Portable-Generator-Manufacturers%E2%80%99-Association-Fights-California-Ban

20.   Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Season (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Improve-your-homes-indoor-air-quality-during-wildfire-season.aspx

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

21.   Western U.S. States Face Federal Water Cuts for First Time amid Reservoir Shortage (Associated Press)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/united-states-water-shortage-lake-mead-1.6143396?cmp=rss

22.   First-Ever Water Shortage Declared on the Colorado River, Triggering Water Cuts for Some States in the West (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/16/colorado-river-water-cuts-drought/

23.   Statement on Federal Govt’s August Projections for Colorado River (Western Area Power Administration)

https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsReleases/2021/Pages/24-month-study-statement.aspx

24.   Washington State Drought Recovery Unlikely This Fall, Officials Say (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/washington-state-drought-recovery-unlikely-this-fall-officials-say/article_404e107b-c610-5d75-b53f-26c99bda850a.html

25.   Silver Bullets: Can Cloud Seeding Ease the Drought in the West? (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2021/0818/Silver-bullets-Can-cloud-seeding-ease-the-drought-in-the-West?icid=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

26.   WA State: Tapping into the Internet Superhighway – Ports in Walla Walla, Columbia Counties Awarded $2 Million for Rural Broadband Projects (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/business/ports-in-walla-walla-columbia-counties-awarded-2-million-for-rural-broadband-projects/article_2f00aace-fbcd-11eb-9d1c-fbea56b8892e.html

27.   Idaho Works to Boost Broadband in Rural Areas as the State Continues to Grow (KIVI-TV, Boise, ID)

https://www.kivitv.com/news/idaho-works-to-boost-broadband-in-rural-areas-as-the-state-continues-to-grow

28.   WA State: Broadband Meeting Set in Brinnon Tonight (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/broadband-meeting-set-in-brinnon-tonight/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

29.   North American Bulk Power Providers Reporting More Cyber Incidents, Says NERC (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Canada)

https://thestarphoenix.com/technology/tech-news/north-american-bulk-power-providers-reporting-more-cyber-incidents-says-nerc

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

30.   Why Teslas Keep Striking Parked Firetrucks & Police Cars (Slate Magazine)

https://slate.com/technology/2021/08/teslas-allegedly-hitting-emergency-vehicles-why-it-could-be-happening.html?via=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

31.   How the View from Space Is Helping Fight Wildfires on the Ground (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/post/how-view-space-helping-fight-wildfires-ground

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Budweiser Now Has a Candle — But It Doesn’t Smell Like Beer

https://www.intheknow.com/post/homesick-budweiser-candle/

Snake Slithers Out of Spice Shelves at Sydney Supermarket

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-58253378

Man Balances 101 Toilet Paper Rolls on His Head for Guinness World Record

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/08/17/Guinness-World-Records-David-Rush-most-toilet-paper-rolls-balanced-head/4681629217237/

19-Year-Old Pilot Attempts to Circle Globe for World Record

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/08/18/belgium-Guinness-World-Records-youngest-pilot-fly-around-the-world-solo-Zara-Rutherford/4401629307271/

SONG OF THE DAY

Melanie – Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfEpdsZ0WHg