Wednesday, September 15, 2021

The Energy News Digest for September 15, 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

Arizona: Divided Salt River Project Board OKs Expansion of Gas-Burning Power Plant (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-arizona-phoenix-3d25282e738667e046afb541d656c6ca

WA State: New Pipeline Will Deposit Treated Water from Ex-Uranium Mine Directly into Lake Roosevelt (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/sep/15/new-pipeline-will-deposit-treated-water-from-ex-ur/

Thousands of Salmon Washing Up Dead on California Creek Banks Due to Climate Crisis (The Independent, UK)

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/california-chinook-salmon-population-disappearing-b1920088.html

Utah’s Water Outlook Slightly Improved, But West Remains in Grip of Long-Term Drought (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2021/09/14/utahs-water-outlook/

California Overwhelmingly Rejects Recall, Keeps Newsom as Governor (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-14/recall-election-california-newsom-results

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Arizona: Divided Salt River Project Board OKs Expansion of Gas-Burning Power Plant

2.      California: Emergency Natural Gas Electric Generation Station in Roseville Goes Live This Week

3.      Washington State Urges People with Overdue Utility Bills to Get Help Before Shutoff Moratorium Ends Sept. 30

4.      Out-Of-Season Outage Closes the Dalles Dam Navigation Lock

5.      British Columbia Not Effectively Overseeing Safety of Dams: Auditor General

6.      Comment on the Draft 2021 Northwest Power Plan

7.      U.S. Regulators Approve Texas Nuclear Dump Despite Opposition

8.      National Grid Site Fire Shuts Down Power Cable Between France & UK

9.      Guest Essay: Don’t Be Fooled: Hydropower Is an Essential Part of a U.S. Climate Solution

10.   Guest Essay: Dam Breaching Advocacy Ignores Climate Science, Public Safety Needs

11.   Guest Essay: Renewable Hydrogen Pilot Given Green Light in Washington State

12.   Nevada: Bureau of Land Management Moves Forward on Green Link West Solar Project

13.   California Grid Limits May Worsen Inequitable Access to Solar Energy: Study

14.   CAISO Launches Graph Showing California Battery Storage Deployment & Effects

15.   Idaho: Open House for Lava Ridge Wind Project, Scoping Period Extended

16.   Idaho: Ketchum Analyzing Whether Hot Springs Could Offer Clean Energy

17.   Firm Behind ‘World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine’ to Head Up New $31 Million Energy Project

18.   Idaho: Software Switch Powers Energy Savings Equivalent to Three Homes at Pocatello Regional Airport

19.   Thousands of Salmon Washing Up Dead on California Creek Banks Due to Climate Crisis

20.   Swinomish Tribe to Sue Army Corps over Salmon

21.   Bringing Spring Chinook Salmon Back Home

22.   Three Killer Whales Are Pregnant & Boaters Need to Stay Far Away, Washington State Officials Say

23.   WA State: New Pipeline Will Deposit Treated Water from Ex-Uranium Mine Directly into Lake Roosevelt

24.   Experts Seek Ways to Avoid ‘Dead Zones’ In Puget Sound Caused by Excess Nutrients from Humans

25.   Utah’s Water Outlook Slightly Improved, But West Remains in Grip of Long-Term Drought

26.   Oregonians Are Pessimistic About Solving Climate Change, Survey Finds

27.   Lack of Broadband Creates Daily Struggle on Reservation in Northern Nevada

28.   New Internet Provider Brings Open-Market Broadband to Winlock

29.   NISC Selects AWS as its Preferred Cloud Provider

30.   Utilities Would Like to Speak to the Manager About Your Tweets

31.   Goodbye, Darkness: Light Pollution Has Increased 49% Over Past 25 Years, Study Finds

32.   California Overwhelmingly Rejects Recall, Keeps Newsom as Governor

33.   Nicholas Deluges U.S. Gulf Coast with Heavy Rain, Flooding

34.   Microsoft Remote Work Study: Average Length of Workweek Has Increased 10% During Pandemic

WORD OF THE DAY

Scarify \SKAIR-uh-fye\ Verb – 1: to make scratches or small cuts in (as the skin) 2: to lacerate the feelings of *3: to cut or soften the wall of (a hard seed) to hasten germination 4: to clear ground of debris in preparation for replanting, as in logging clean up

Ambrose wandered aimlessly through the wasteland that was his backyard. A stunted tree with a crazily angled swing off a cracked limb; an abandoned fish pond filled with frogs eggs and mosquito larvae; and his barren garden plot, half an acre of rocky soil that looked as if God had scarified it as a part of a biblical curse. “hmm, maybe potatoes this year,” he pondered.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Arizona: Divided Salt River Project Board OKs Expansion of Gas-Burning Power Plant (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-arizona-phoenix-3d25282e738667e046afb541d656c6ca

2.      California: Emergency Natural Gas Electric Generation Station in Roseville Goes Live This Week (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2021/09/13/roseville-emergency-electric-generation-station.html

3.      Washington State Urges People with Overdue Utility Bills to Get Help Before Shutoff Moratorium Ends Sept. 30 (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/washington-state-utility-payment-moratorium-ends-september-30-financial-aid-help/281-1f7b3353-8494-4feb-9a48-4e837a725f9b

4.      Out-Of-Season Outage Closes the Dalles Dam Navigation Lock (KLCK Radio, Goldendale, WA)

https://gorgenewscenter.com/2021/09/13/out-of-season-outage-closes-the-dalles-dam-navigation-lock/

5.      British Columbia Not Effectively Overseeing Safety of Dams: Auditor General (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/b-c-not-effectively-overseeing-safety-of-dams-auditor-general-1.24357818

6.      Comment on the Draft 2021 Northwest Power Plan (Market Screener)

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/Comment-on-the-Draft-2021-Northwest-Power-Plan--36426847/

7.      U.S. Regulators Approve Texas Nuclear Dump Despite Opposition (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-13/nuclear-regulators-approve-texas-nuclear-dump-despite-opposition

8.      National Grid Site Fire Shuts Down Power Cable Between France & UK (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-58570893

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

9.      Guest Essay: Don’t Be Fooled: Hydropower Is an Essential Part of a U.S. Climate Solution (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/570578-dont-be-fooled-hydropower-is-an-essential-part-of-a-us-climate

10.   Guest Essay: Dam breaching advocacy ignores climate science, public safety needs (Post-Register, Post Falls, ID)

https://www.postregister.com/opinion/guest_column/opinion-dam-breaching-advocacy-ignores-climate-science-public-safety-needs/article_597070aa-1bc3-551f-b420-1df8053e4d4b.html

11.   Guest Essay: Renewable Hydrogen Pilot Given Green Light in Washington State (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/wvbusiness/don-brunell-renewable-hydrogen-pilot-given-green-light-in-washington/article_23c153d4-fc9a-11eb-9a3d-933a2e1ed933.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

12.   Nevada: Bureau of Land Management Moves Forward on Green Link West Solar Project (Pahrump Valley Times, NV)

https://pvtimes.com/news/blm-moves-forward-on-green-link-west-project-104555/

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/571978-california-grid-limits-may-worsen-inequitable-access-to-solar

14.   CAISO Launches Graph Showing California Battery Storage Deployment & Effects (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/31908-caiso-launches-graph-showing-california-battery-storage-deployment-and-effects/?amp

15.   Idaho: Open House for Lava Ridge Wind Project, Scoping Period Extended (KLIX Radio, Twin Falls, ID)

https://newsradio1310.com/open-house-for-lava-ridge-wind-project-scoping-period-extended/

16.   Idaho: Ketchum Analyzing Whether Hot Springs Could Offer Clean Energy (Idaho Mountain Express, Ketchum, ID)

https://www.mtexpress.com/news/ketchum/ketchum-analyzing-whether-hot-springs-could-offer-clean-energy/article_c655a40e-14d9-11ec-befb-57f3a3f43a12.html

17.   Firm Behind ‘World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine’ t Head Up New $31 Million Energy Project (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/firm-behind-most-powerful-tidal-turbine-to-head-up-new-project.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

18.   Idaho: Software Switch Powers Energy Savings Equivalent to Three Homes at Pocatello Regional Airport (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls ID)

https://localnews8.com/news/pocatello/2021/09/13/software-switch-powers-energy-savings-equivalent-to-3-homes-at-pocatello-regional-airport/

FISH & WILDLIFE

19.   Thousands of Salmon Washing Up Dead on California Creek Banks Due to Climate Crisis (The Independent, UK)

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/california-chinook-salmon-population-disappearing-b1920088.html

20.   Swinomish Tribe to Sue Army Corps over Salmon (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/swinomish-tribe-intends-to-sue-army-corps-over-salmon-loss

21.   Bringing Spring Chinook Salmon Back Home (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Bringing-spring-chinook-salmon-back-home.aspx

22.   Three Killer Whales Are Pregnant & Boaters Need to Stay Far Away, Washington State Officials Say (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article254233493.html

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

23.   WA State: New Pipeline Will Deposit Treated Water from Ex-Uranium Mine Directly into Lake Roosevelt (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/sep/15/new-pipeline-will-deposit-treated-water-from-ex-ur/

24.   Experts Seek Ways to Avoid ‘Dead Zones’ In Puget Sound Caused by Excess Nutrients from Humans (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/experts-seek-avoid-dead-zones-puget-sound-excess-nutrients-humans/281-51dfa38a-c7cc-4bf4-9119-daa95d98f2b4

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

25.   Utah’s Water Outlook Slightly Improved, But West Remains in Grip of Long-Term Drought (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2021/09/14/utahs-water-outlook/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

26.   Oregonians Are Pessimistic About Solving Climate Change, Survey Finds (Salem Reporter, OR)

https://www.salemreporter.com/posts/5002/oregonians-are-pessimistic-about-solving-climate-change-survey-finds

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

27.   Lack of Broadband Creates Daily Struggle on Reservation in Northern Nevada (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/14/1036584618/infrastructure-series-broadband

28.   New Internet Provider Brings Open-Market Broadband to Winlock (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/internet-provider-brings-open-market-035900062.html

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

29.   NISC Selects AWS as its Preferred Cloud Provider (Telecompetitor)

https://www.telecompetitor.com/nisc-selects-aws-as-its-preferred-cloud-provider/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

30.   Utilities Would Like to Speak to the Manager About Your Tweets (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/utilities-would-like-to-speak-to-the-manager-about-your-1847642483

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

31.   Goodbye, Darkness: Light Pollution Has Increased 49% Over Past 25 Years, Study Finds (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/14/light-pollution-rise-worldwide-light-up-49-over-25-years/8334059002/

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

32.   California Overwhelmingly Rejects Recall, Keeps Newsom as Governor (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-14/recall-election-california-newsom-results

33.   Nicholas Deluges U.S. Gulf Coast with Heavy Rain, Flooding (Reuters)nds-coastal-texas-louisiana-with-rain-2021-09-14/


34.   Microsoft Remote Work Study: Average Length of Workweek Has Increased 10% During Pandemic (Geekwire)

https://www.geekwire.com/2021/microsoft-remote-work-study-average-length-workweek-increased-10-pandemic/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Must. Have. Food. - Man Claims Disney ‘Brainwashes’ Guests at Theme Parks

https://www.intheknow.com/post/smellitizer-disney-smells-speaker/

Firm Raises $15 Million to Bring Back Woolly Mammoth from Extinction

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/sep/13/firm-bring-back-woolly-mammoth-from-extinction

No Bull: Scientists Potty Train Cows to Use ‘MooLoo’

https://apnews.com/article/oddities-new-zealand-europe-animals-biology-fc795581062bbde21c49143579f99639

This Rubber Duck Started a River Race in Alberta & Washed Ashore in Russia

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rubber-duck-alberta-russia-1.6175532?cmp=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Fleetwood Mac – Tusk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7U7XtYeq8c