Monday, November 8, 2021

The Energy News Digest for November 8, 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

Energy, Utilities Groups Applaud Passage of $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/featured/32633-energy-utilities-groups-applaud-passage-of-1-2t-infrastructure-bill/

‘Imagine the Unimaginable’: How the Pacific Northwest Is Trying to Build a Reliable Grid in a Changing Climate (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pacific-northwest-reliable-grid-changing-climate/608959/

Georgia Nuclear Plant Price Doubles to $28.5 Billion as Other Owners Balk (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-georgia-atlanta-utilities-fba6c81491158da38c08aaf85960b888

Arborists Warn of ‘Zombie Trees’ Stressed by February Ice Storm, Extreme Summer Heat (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2021/11/arborists-warn-of-zombie-trees.html

WA State Gov. Inslee Announces Plans to Fully Electrify Washington’s Public Fleets by 2035 (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/local/inslee-announces-plans-to-fully-electrify-washingtons-public-fleets-by-2035

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Energy, Utilities Groups Applaud Passage of $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

2.      ‘Imagine the Unimaginable’: How the Pacific Northwest Is Trying to Build a Reliable Grid in a Changing Climate

3.      Georgia Nuclear Plant Price Doubles to $28.5 Billion as Other Owners Balk

4.      This Next-Generation Nuclear Power Plant Is Pitched for Washington State. Can It ‘Change the World?’

5.      WA State: Everett-Based Helion Raises $500 Million for Fusion Energy Generator

6.      Electrification of the Natural Gas Sector Is Not Happening Rapidly in British Columbia, Despite the NDP’s Climate Plan

7.      Oregon: Helicopter with Saw Makes Short Work of Eugene Water& Electric Board Tree Project along McKenzie River

8.      WA State: Copper Theft Spikes in Sequim, Including Live Wires

9.      Use of Electricity in Houses to Grow More Quickly in Developing Economies

10.   John Oliver Takes a Deep Dive into the Messy, Troubling World of America’s Power Grid

11.   Maine: Avangrid Files Lawsuit, Vows to Continue Power Line Project Despite Voters’ Rejection

12.   Drone at Pennsylvania Electric Substation Was First to ‘Specifically Target Energy Infrastructure’

13.   Elon Musk Is Officially in the Texas Electricity Business

14.   Columnist: California Governor Gavin Newsom Proclaims Natural Gas to Be Zero-Carbon

15.   Guest Essay: Tennessee is Selling a Power Advantage

16.   Guest Essay: Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo Should Come to the Table Around Northwest Salmon Solution

17.   Wind Manufacturers Blown Off Course

18.   Bees, Sheep, Crops: Solar Developers Tout Multiple Benefits

19.   A Nova Scotia Fish Hatchery Is Confronted by Death, Disease & Climate Change

20.   Arborists Warn of ‘Zombie Trees’ Stressed by February Ice Storm, Extreme Summer Heat

21.   Hope After Wildfire: Tiny Sequoias Could Grow into Giants

22.   This Alaskan Town Is Finally Getting High-Speed Internet, Thanks to the Pandemic

23.   AT&T, Verizon Agree to Pause 5G Rollout Over FAA Safety Concerns

24.   Mapping Rural Cellular Coverage

25.   Why Does Google Need So Much Water in the Dalles – Where Is It Coming From?

26.   Most Washingtonians Experienced a Data Breach This Year, New Report Finds

27.   Inslee Announces Plans to Fully Electrify Washington’s Public Fleets by 2035

28.   Video: You Can Power Your House With...Wind Turbine Art?

29.   Roads, Transit, Internet: What’s in the Infrastructure Bill

30.   Here’s How the Federal Infrastructure Bill Would Impact Oregon & Washington

31.   Here’s What California Stands to Gain from Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

32.   United States Land Borders Reopen to Fully Vaccinated Canadians

33.   Snowstorm to Blast Cascade & Olympic Mountains with Over a Foot of Snow

WORD OF THE DAY

Tontine \TAWN-teen\ Noun - A joint financial arrangement whereby the participants usually contribute equally to a prize that is awarded entirely to the participant who survives all the others.

“What a stupid prize,” muttered Barty to his assembled friends who had come to the party celebrating the tontine that had begun late in his senior year in high school. The prize was a gift certificate to the local tattoo and massage parlor.

Rather than depending on death, the agreement centered on the one person who had not succumbed to having a Mike Tyson-like tattoo engraved on their face. Of the 21 students in the pool, he was the only one not to enjoy the benefits of tattoo ink on his head. His posterior, however, was a different matter. Anyone who had the chance to see Barty’s ample tuckus was “treated” to a startlingly lifelike portrait of Mike Tyson’s face.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Energy, Utilities Groups Applaud Passage of $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/featured/32633-energy-utilities-groups-applaud-passage-of-1-2t-infrastructure-bill/

2.      ‘Imagine the Unimaginable’: How the Pacific Northwest Is Trying to Build a Reliable Grid in a Changing Climate (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pacific-northwest-reliable-grid-changing-climate/608959/

3.      Georgia Nuclear Plant Price Doubles to $28.5 Billion as Other Owners Balk (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-georgia-atlanta-utilities-fba6c81491158da38c08aaf85960b888

4.      This Next-Generation Nuclear Power Plant Is Pitched for Washington State. Can It ‘Change the World?’ (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/this-next-generation-nuclear-power-plant-is-pitched-for-washington-state-can-it-change-the-world/

5.      WA State: Everett-Based Helion Raises $500 Million for Fusion Energy Generator (The Business Journals)

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/inno/stories/fundings/2021/11/05/everett-based-helion-raises-500m.html

6.      Electrification of the Natural Gas Sector Is Not Happening Rapidly in British Columbia, Despite the NDP’s Climate Plan (The Canadian)

https://thecanadian.news/2021/10/31/electrification-of-the-natural-gas-sector-is-not-happening-rapidly-in-british-columbia-despite-the-ndps-climate-plan/

7.      Oregon: Helicopter with Saw Makes Short Work of Eugene Water& Electric Board Tree Project along McKenzie River (KMTR-TV, Eugene, OR)

https://nbc16.com/newsletter-daily/heli-trimming

8.      WA State: Copper Theft Spikes in Sequim, Including Live Wires (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2021/11/03/copper-theft-spikes-in-sequim-including-live-wires/

9.      Use of Electricity in Houses to Grow More Quickly in Developing Economies (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50256

10.   John Oliver Takes a Deep Dive into the Messy, Troubling World of America’s Power Grid (Mashable – Includes PG-13 Language)

https://mashable.com/video/john-oliver-power-grid

11.   Maine: Avangrid Files Lawsuit, Vows to Continue Power Line Project Despite Voters’ Rejection (Portland Press-Herald, ME)

https://www.pressherald.com/2021/11/03/avangrid-vows-to-move-ahead-with-maine-power-line-project/

12.   Drone at Pennsylvania Electric Substation Was First to ‘Specifically Target Energy Infrastructure’ (WPVI-TV, Philadelphia, PA)

https://6abc.com/drone-threat-pennsylvania-substation-electric-grid-supply/11197345/

13.   Elon Musk Is Officially in the Texas Electricity Business (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-is-officially-in-the-texas-electricity-busine-1848016342

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

14.   Columnist: California Governor Gavin Newsom Proclaims Natural Gas to Be Zero-Carbon (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2021/11/03/california-governor-gavin-newsom-proclaims-natural-gas-to-be-zero-carbon/?sh=359c86bf62ad

15.   Guest Essay: Tennessee is Selling a Power Advantage (Nisqually Valley News, Yelm, WA)

https://www.yelmonline.com/stories/brunell-commentary-tennessee-is-selling-a-power-advantage,276514?fr=operanews

16.   Guest Essay: Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo Should Come to the Table Around Northwest Salmon Solution (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

https://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article255530246.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

17.   Wind Manufacturers Blown Off Course (Wall Street Journal)

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/11/08/wind-manufacturers-blown-off-course/

18.   Bees, Sheep, Crops: Solar Developers Tout Multiple Benefits (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-8f388056808946fbc1aa9a4d6bbc812e

FISH & WILDLIFE

19.   A Nova Scotia Fish Hatchery Is Confronted by Death, Disease & Climate Change (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-fish-hatchery-salmon-climate-change-1.6238668?cmp=rss

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

20.   Arborists Warn of ‘Zombie Trees’ Stressed by February Ice Storm, Extreme Summer Heat (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2021/11/arborists-warn-of-zombie-trees.html

21.   Hope After Wildfire: Tiny Sequoias Could Grow into Giants (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/07/hope-after-wildfire-tiny-sequoias-could-grow-into-giants/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

22.   This Alaskan Town Is Finally Getting High-Speed Internet, Thanks to the Pandemic (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/07/1052855054/alaska-tribe-broadband-infrastructure

23.   AT&T, Verizon Agree to Pause 5G Rollout Over FAA Safety Concerns (C|Net News)

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/at-t-and-verizon-agree-to-pause-5g-rollout-over-faa-safety-concerns/

24.   Mapping Rural Cellular Coverage (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2021/11/05/rural-cellular-coverage-2/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

25.   Why Does Google Need So Much Water in the Dalles – Where Is It Coming From? Q&A (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2021/11/why-does-google-need-so-much-water-in-the-dalles-and-wheres-coming-from-qa.html

26.   Most Washingtonians Experienced a Data Breach This Year, New Report Finds (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/data-breaches-reach-record-high-in-washington-state

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

27.   WA State Gov Inslee Announces Plans to Fully Electrify Washington’s Public Fleets by 2035 (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/local/inslee-announces-plans-to-fully-electrify-washingtons-public-fleets-by-2035

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

28.   Video: You Can Power Your House With...Wind Turbine Art? (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/video/wind-turbine-art

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

29.   Roads, Transit, Internet: What’s in the Infrastructure Bill (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-business-broadband-internet-congress-d89d6bb1b39cd9c67ae9fc91f5eb4c0d

30.   Here’s How the Federal Infrastructure Bill Would Impact Oregon & Washington (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-washington-federal-infrastructure-bill/283-441763e1-e819-4444-a647-71d57a7a3d85

31.   Here’s What California Stands to Gain from Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/california/article255606451.html

32.   United States Land Borders Reopen to Fully Vaccinated Canadians (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cross-border-travel-fully-vaccinated-1.6240750?cmp=rss

33.   Snowstorm to Blast Cascade & Olympic Mountains with Over a Foot of Snow (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/weather/winter-weather-advisory-issued-for-the-cascades-with-several-inches-of-snow-possible/281-1543d3c9-3967-4da1-8240-56e92795a698

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Large Cache of Stolen Vintage Comics, Collectible Action Figures Recovered by Seattle Police

https://www.king5.com/article/news/crime/seattle-police-comic-collectibles-recovered/281-69360590-6f3c-4ba5-afd9-dd4b3f719da3

Naked Man Found in Walls of Theater, NY Officials Say. He Was Trapped for Days

https://news.yahoo.com/naked-man-found-walls-theater-185925810.html

‘Vax’ Earns 2021 Word of the Year from Oxford English Dictionary

https://www.fox13news.com/news/vax-earns-2021-word-of-the-year-from-oxford-english-dictionary

Doug the Ugly New Zealand Potato Could Be World’s Biggest

https://apnews.com/article/oddities-lifestyle-new-zealand-gardening-a6ce44c5937ff8e180554fe4e27169da

SONG OF THE DAY

A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ7NVjZ-Eyg