Monday, October 18, 2021

The Energy News Digest for October 18, 2021

After communing with fellow communications, The Energy News Digest returns this week tanned, rested, and relaxed.

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

California Scrambles to Find Electricity to Offset Plant Closures (CNBC)

https://cbnc.com/california-scrambles-to-find-electricity-to-offset-plant-closures/

Faced with a Power Crisis, China May Have ‘Little Choice’ But to Ramp Up Coal Consumption (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/18/power-crunch-china-has-little-choice-but-increase-coal-use-analysts-say.html

Researchers Make Surprising Discovery While Tracking Chinook Salmon in Salish Sea, British Columbia – Lots of Salmon (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/researchers-make-surprising-discovery-while-tracking-chinook-salmon-in-salish-sea-b-c/

President Biden’s Wind Farm Sale Opens Path to Turbines on Nearly All Coasts (Bakersfield Californian, CA)

https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/news/biden-wind-farm-sale-opens-path-to-turbines-on-nearly-all-coasts/article_f93af0f7-3c78-58b6-bdb8-d358b9a61342.html

Vice-President Harris to Discuss Drought, Climate Change at Lake Mead (Associated Press)

https://mynorthwest.com/3191436/harris-to-discuss-drought-climate-change-at-lake-mead/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California Scrambles to Find Electricity to Offset Plant Closures

2.      Faced with a Power Crisis, China May Have ‘Little Choice’ But to Ramp Up Coal Consumption

3.      Annual U.S. Coal-Fired Electricity Generation Will Increase for the First Time Since 2014

4.      Hydropower Decline Adds Strain to Power Grids in Drought

5.      Oregon: Energy Bills Expected to Increase, Impacting Gas & Electric Bills

6.      ‘I Have Never Felt So Hopeless’: Millions in U.S. Fear Utility Shutoffs as Debts Rise

7.      WA State: Cowlitz County PUD Uses Helicopter to Trim Trees Due to Climbing Crew Shortage

8.      Meet Transmission Energy Imbalance Market Settlements: The Team That Doesn’t Settle for Less

9.      Guest Essay: An Opportunity for Respectful Dialogue on Salmon & Dams

10.   Guest Essay: Clean Energy, Wild Salmon Critical for the Future of the Columbia Basin

11.   Guest Essay: George Caan & Kent Lopez - Keeping the Lights on as We Transition to a Clean Energy Future – Lessons from California

12.   Editorial: Bonneville Power Administration Has Reason to Boast

13.   President Biden’s Wind Farm Sale Opens Path to Turbines on Nearly All Coasts

14.   Idaho National Lab to Work with PNW Hydrogen on Clean Hydrogen Project

15.   The Carbon Fight’s Mundane Frontier: Retrofitting Homes & Buildings

16.   How to Get the Most Out of a Home Energy Audit

17.   Researchers Make Surprising Discovery While Tracking Chinook Salmon in Salish Sea, British Columbia – Lots of Salmon

18.   No Apparent Shortage of Prey for Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canadian Waters During Summer

19.   WA Gov. Inslee, U.S. Senator Murray Plan New Report on Breaching Snake River Dams. ‘We Need an Answer’

20.   The Fight to Save the Pacific Northwest Salmon

21.   Idaho – Pink Salmon Makes Rare Appearance 400 Miles Inland

22.   States, Tribes, & NGOs Hold Polluters Accountable in a ‘Tidal Wave’ of Greenwashing Lawsuits

23.   Vancouver, BC: Company Set to Build Wastewater Treatment Plant Decries Contract Cancellation

24.   Vice-President Harris to Discuss Drought, Climate Change at Lake Mead

25.   Lake Tahoe Water Level Drops as Drought, Climate Change Plague Resort

26.   BC Hydro Report Points to Carbon Footprint Confusion

27.   WA State: Thurston County May Get High Speed Internet Thanks to Nisqually Tribe

28.   WA State: Lewis County Joins ToledoTel in Effort to Expand Broadband

29.   New York: Bitcoin-Mining Power Plant Raises Ire of Environmentalists

30.   La Niña’s Back. Here’s How It Will Affect the Weather

WORD OF THE DAY

Empyreal /emp-pie-REE-ull/ Adjective – 1: of or relating to the heavens or firmament: celestial 2: sublime.

Spangled night of stars

Sky of empyreal glory

Pinpoint lights shine bright

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California Scrambles to Find Electricity to Offset Plant Closures (CNBC)

https://cbnc.com/california-scrambles-to-find-electricity-to-offset-plant-closures/

2.      Faced with a Power Crisis, China May Have ‘Little Choice’ But to Ramp Up Coal Consumption (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/18/power-crunch-china-has-little-choice-but-increase-coal-use-analysts-say.html

3.      Annual U.S. Coal-Fired Electricity Generation Will Increase for the First Time Since 2014 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=49996

4.      Hydropower Decline Adds Strain to Power Grids in Drought (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2021-10-10/hydropower-decline-adds-strain-to-power-grids-in-drought

5.      Oregon: Energy Bills Expected to Increase, Impacting Gas & Electric Bills (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

https://katu.com/news/local/energy-bills-expected-to-increase-impacting-gas-and-electric-bills

6.      ‘I Have Never Felt So Hopeless’: Millions in U.S. Fear Utility Shutoffs as Debts Rise (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/13/us-utility-bills-shutoffs-debt-covid-coronavirus

7.      WA State: Cowlitz County PUD Uses Helicopter to Trim Trees Due to Climbing Crew Shortage (Longview Daily News, WA)

https://tdn.com/news/local/business/cowlitz-county-pud-uses-helicopter-to-trim-trees-due-to-climbing-crew-shortage/article_e1ccf04c-3c21-54e9-a726-3099871a878a.html

8.      Meet Transmission Energy Imbalance Market Settlements: The Team That Doesn’t Settle for Less (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Meet-Transmission-EIM-Settlements-The-team-that-doesn%E2%80%99t-settle-for-less-.aspx

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

9.      Guest Essay: An Opportunity for Respectful Dialogue on Salmon & Dams (Eugene Register-Guard, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.registerguard.com/story/opinion/columns/2021/10/16/guest-view-opportunity-respectful-dialogue-salmon-and-dams-snake-river/8443322002/

10.   Guest Essay: Clean Energy, Wild Salmon Critical for the Future of the Columbia Basin (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2021/10/opinion-clean-energy-wild-salmon-both-critical-for-the-future-of-the-columbia-basin.html

11.   Guest Essay: George Caan & Kent Lopez - Keeping the lights on as we transition to a clean energy future – lessons from California (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/oct/12/george-caan-and-kent-lopez-keeping-the-lights-on-a/

12.   Editorial: Bonneville Power Administration Has Reason to Boast (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

https://lmtribune.com/opinion/opinion-bonneville-power-administration-has-reason-to-boast/article_7d6d1141-6555-566f-8dcc-e5fdb53bf692.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

13.   President Biden’s Wind Farm Sale Opens Path to Turbines on Nearly All Coasts (Bakersfield Californian, CA)

https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/news/biden-wind-farm-sale-opens-path-to-turbines-on-nearly-all-coasts/article_f93af0f7-3c78-58b6-bdb8-d358b9a61342.html

14.   Idaho National Lab to Work with PNW Hydrogen on Clean Hydrogen Project (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/32256-idaho-national-lab-to-work-with-pnw-hydrogen-on-clean-hydrogen-project/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

15.   The Carbon Fight’s Mundane Frontier: Retrofitting Homes & Buildings (Crosscut Seattle, WA)

https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/10/carbon-fights-mundane-frontier-retrofitting-homes-and-buildings

16.   How to Get the Most Out of a Home Energy Audit (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-energy-audit-1.6211198?cmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

17.   Researchers Make Surprising Discovery While Tracking Chinook Salmon in Salish Sea, British Columbia – Lots of Salmon (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/researchers-make-surprising-discovery-while-tracking-chinook-salmon-in-salish-sea-b-c/

18.   No Apparent Shortage of Prey for Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canadian Waters During Summer (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC)

https://news.ubc.ca/2021/10/12/no-apparent-shortage-of-prey-for-southern-resident-killer-whales-in-canadian-waters/

19.   WA Gov. Inslee, U.S. Senator Murray Plan New Report on Breaching Snake River Dams. ‘We Need an Answer’ (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article255030822.html

20.   The Fight to Save the Pacific Northwest Salmon (TIME Magazine)

https://time.com/6105484/pacific-salmon-endangered-washington/

21.   Idaho – Pink Salmon Makes Rare Appearance 400 Miles Inland (Idaho State Journal)

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/pink-salmon-makes-rare-appearance-400-miles-inland/article_9645c6ce-b56d-5d31-96a1-8e2484beebe5.html

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

22.   States, Tribes, & NGOs Hold Polluters Accountable in a ‘Tidal Wave’ of Greenwashing Lawsuits (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/politics/states-tribes-ngos-hold-polluters-accountable-greenwashing-lawsuits-sauk-suiattle-indian-tribe/

23.   Vancouver, BC: Company Set to Build Wastewater Treatment Plant Decries Contract Cancellation (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/company-set-to-build-wastewater-treatment-plant-decries-contract-cancellation-1.24364448

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

24.   Vice-President Harris to Discuss Drought, Climate Change at Lake Mead (Associated Press)

https://mynorthwest.com/3191436/harris-to-discuss-drought-climate-change-at-lake-mead/

25.   Lake Tahoe Water Level Drops as Drought, Climate Change Plague Resort (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-17/lake-tahoe-water-level-drops

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

26.   BC Hydro Report Points to Carbon Footprint Confusion (e-know Canada)

https://www.e-know.ca/regions/east-kootenay/bc-hydro-report-points-to-carbon-footprint-confusion/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

27.   WA State: Thurston County May Get High-Speed Internet Thanks to Nisqually Tribe (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article255046322.html

28.   WA State: Lewis County Joins ToledoTel in Effort to Expand Broadband (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-joins-toledotel-in-effort-to-expand-broadband,275185

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

29.   New York: Bitcoin-Mining Power Plant Raises Ire of Environmentalists (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-mining-new-york-power-plant-climate-change-516dbd319394a6a30f83d94947abad20

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

30.   La Niña’s Back. Here’s How It Will Affect the Weather (Associated Press)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/la-nina-2021-1.6212257?cmp=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Craft Brewing in the Pacific NW Dates So Far Back That Archaeologists Are on the Case

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/history-and-culture/2021-10-14/craft-brewing-in-the-pacific-nw-dates-so-far-back-that-archaeologists-are-on-the-case

A Museum Says They Gave an Artist $84,000 in Cash to Use in Artwork. He Delivered Blank Canvases & Titled Them ‘Take the Money & Run.’

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jens-haaning-take-the-money-and-run-blank-canvases-kunsten-museum-modern-art-denmark/

Couple Gets to Airport to Find Luggage Is Overweight Because of Stowaway Dog

https://finance.yahoo.com/finance/news/couple-gets-airport-luggage-overweight-064224661.html

Squirrel Fills North Dakota Man’s Pickup Truck with 42 Gallons of Walnuts

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/10/04/squirrel-walnuts-pickup-truck-Bill-Fischer-Fargo-North-Dakota/1391633367678/

SONG OF THE DAY

Tom T. Hall – I Like Beer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOiyksNlrY0