The Energy News Digest for January 4, 2021

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Snow & Irrigation: Water Content of Snowpack in Upper Columbia Basin Is at 116% of Average (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jan/04/officials-expect-wetter-year-more-snow/

WA State: Grant PUD Priest Rapids Dam Workers Released from Sequestration (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jan/04/priest-rapids-workers-released-sequestration-after/

WA State: Violet Power to Build Solar Panel Plant at Port of Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jan/04/violet-power-build-port-moses-lake/

Montana’s Largest Wind Farm Will Be Built Near Colstrip Beginning in 2021 (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/01/montanas-largest-wind-farm-will-be.html

WA State: Lake Washington Sockeye Hit Record Low, Another Signature Seattle Fish at Brink of Extinction (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jan/01/lake-washington-sockeye-hit-record-low-another-sig/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      WA State: Grant PUD Priest Rapids Dam Workers Released from Sequestration

2.      Natural Gas – The Cleanest Fossil Fuel Is Set for a Post-Pandemic Rebound

3.      Clark Public Utilities, Salt River Project, FPL & PPL Among Top Utilities in J.D. Power Residential Satisfaction Study

4.      Snohomish County PUD’s Water Utility Marks 75th Anniversary

5.      How Hydropower Can Help the Grid Recover from Extreme Events

6.      Hydropower to the People: Mathematician Brings Energy to New Position

7.      Awash in Renewable Energy, Nordics Beckon to Power-Guzzling Data Centers

8.      News Release: USDA Builds Rural American Prosperity with Record Levels of Investment in 2020

9.      WA State: Violet Power to Build Solar Panel Plant at Port of Moses Lake

10.   Montana’s Largest Wind Farm Will Be Built Near Colstrip Beginning in 2021

11.   Renewables Giant NextEra Wants to Build a Massive Solar Power Plant in Oregon

12.   A Monster Wind Turbine Is Upending an Industry

13.   WA State: Lake Washington Sockeye Hit Record Low, Another Signature Seattle Fish at Brink of Extinction

14.   After Idaho Salmon Workgroup, a Push for Regional Recovery

15.   Op/Ed: We Can Do Better on Salmon Discussion

16.   Montana: Judge Rules Groups Can’t Challenge Endangered Species Plans

17.   President Trump Vetoes California Fishing Bill Over Seafood Trade Deficit

18.   WA State: Puyallup Tribe Sues Electron Dam Owner Over Artificial Turf Pollution

19.   Snow & Irrigation: Water Content of Snowpack in Upper Columbia Basin Is at 116% of Average

20.   Climate’s Toll on the Colorado River: ‘We Can Weather Maybe a Couple of Years’

21.   Column: Wall Street Can Now Bet on the Price of California Water – Watch Out

22.   2020 Saw a Record Drop in Emissions—But It’s Not the Climate Win It Should Be

23.   Montana: Missoula’s Deadline for Carbon Neutrality Looms as Climate Change Presses In

24.   T-Mobile Says Hackers Accessed Some Customer Call Records in Data Breach

25.   In 2020, We Reached Peak Internet. Here’s What Worked — And What Flopped.

26.   Thanks to Congress, The FCC Can Now Update America’s Broadband Maps

27.   Five Best States to Get High-Speed Broadband Internet

28.   Flir, One of Oregon’s Last Homegrown Technology Companies, Sells for $8 Billion

29.   Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp to Spend $8 Million in Clean Fuels Program Earnings to Boost Electric Vehicles

30.   WA State: Skagit County Receives Almost $1 Million for Guemes Island Electric Ferry Project

31.   Distillers That Made Hand Sanitizer Won’t Face Federal Fine

32.   USPS Delays Are Threatening Small-Town Newspapers. So Is a Postage Price Increase.

33.   EIA Releases New U.S. Energy Atlas with Updated Maps & Enhanced Navigation

WORD OF THE DAY

Fictioneer \fik-shuh-NEER\ Noun – One who writes fiction especially in quantity & without high standards.

Alejandro bristled at having his astounding output florid romance novels branding him as “a fictioneer.” “I prefer to be called a common hack,” he sniffed. “At least that provides some level of respect for my craft”.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      WA State: Grant PUD Priest Rapids Dam Workers Released from Sequestration (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jan/04/priest-rapids-workers-released-sequestration-after/

2.      Natural Gas – The Cleanest Fossil Fuel Is Set for a Post-Pandemic Rebound (Bloomberg News)

https://gcaptain.com/the-cleanest-fossil-fuel-is-set-for-a-post-pandemic-rebound/

3.      Clark Public Utilities, Salt River Project, FPL & PPL Among Top Utilities in J.D. Power Residential Satisfaction Study (Power Engineering)

https://www.power-eng.com/news/salt-river-project-clark-pu-fpl-ppl-among-top-utilities-in-j-d-power-residential-satisfaction-study/

4.      Snohomish County PUD’s Water Utility Marks 75th Anniversary (Everett Herald, WA)

https://www.heraldnet.com/life/snohomish-county-puds-water-utility-marks-75th-anniversary/

5.      How Hydropower Can Help the Grid Recover from Extreme Events (East Idaho News, Idaho Falls, ID)

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2021/01/how-hydropower-can-help-the-grid-recover-from-extreme-events/

6.      Hydropower to the People: Mathematician Brings Energy to New Position (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/386159/hydropower-people-mathematician-brings-energy-new-position

7.      Awash in Renewable Energy, Nordics Beckon to Power-Guzzling Data Centers (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2021/12/31/awash-in-renewable-energy-nordics-beckon-to-power-guzzling-data-centers/

8.      News Release: USDA Builds Rural American Prosperity with Record Levels of Investment in 2020 (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

https://www.wibw.com/2021/01/02/usda-builds-rural-american-prosperity-with-record-levels-of-investment-in-2020/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

9.      WA State: Violet Power to Build Solar Panel Plant at Port of Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jan/04/violet-power-build-port-moses-lake/

10.   Montana’s Largest Wind Farm Will Be Built Near Colstrip Beginning in 2021 (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/01/montanas-largest-wind-farm-will-be.html

11.   Renewables Giant NextEra Wants to Build a Massive Solar Power Plant in Oregon (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/renewables-giant-nextera-wants-to-build.html

12.   A Monster Wind Turbine Is Upending an Industry (The Business Journals)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-monster-wind-turbine-is-upending.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

13.   WA State: Lake Washington Sockeye Hit Record Low, Another Signature Seattle Fish at Brink of Extinction (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jan/01/lake-washington-sockeye-hit-record-low-another-sig/

14.   After Idaho Salmon Workgroup, a Push for Regional Recovery (Public News Service)

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-01-04/salmon-recovery/after-id-salmon-workgroup-a-push-for-regional-recovery/a72661-1

15.   Op/Ed: We Can Do Better on Salmon Discussion (San Juan Islander, Friday Harbor, WA)

https://sanjuanislander.com/opinion/opinion-piece/32067/we-can-do-better-on-salmon-discussion

16.   Montana: Judge Rules Groups Can’t Challenge Endangered Species Plans (Associated Press)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/federal-judge-groups-cant-challenge-u-s-governments-endangered-species-plans/

17.   President Trump Vetoes California Fishing Bill Over Seafood Trade Deficit (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Trump-vetoes-Calif-fishing-bill-over-seafood-15840519.php

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

18.   WA State: Puyallup Tribe Sues Electron Dam Owner Over Artificial Turf Pollution (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/puyallup-tribe-sues-electron-dam-owner-over-artificial-turf-pollution/SVOJ74ILEBEO3CWPZRKFNLOYPU/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

19.   Snow & Irrigation: Water Content of Snowpack in Upper Columbia Basin Is at 116% of Average (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2021/jan/04/officials-expect-wetter-year-more-snow/

20.   Climate’s Toll on the Colorado River: ‘We Can Weather Maybe a Couple of Years’ (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/01/01/colorado-rivers-headwaters-climate-change-drives-efforts-adapt/6461183002/

21.   Column: Wall Street Can Now Bet on the Price of California Water – Watch Out (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-01-03/wall-street-california-water-futures

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

22.   2020 Saw a Record Drop in Emissions—But It’s Not the Climate Win It Should Be (Fast Company)

https://www.fastcompany.com/90584553/2020-saw-a-record-drop-in-emissions-but-its-not-the-climate-win-it-should-be

23.   Montana: Missoula’s Deadline for Carbon Neutrality Looms as Climate Change Presses In (Missoula Current, MT)

https://missoulacurrent.com/outdoors/2020/12/countdown-carbon-neutrality/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

24.   T-Mobile Says Hackers Accessed Some Customer Call Records in Data Breach (Tech Crunch)

https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/03/t-mobile-call-records-data-breach/

25.   In 2020, We Reached Peak Internet. Here’s What Worked — And What Flopped. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/topics/road-to-recovery/2020/12/28/covid-19-tech/

26.   Thanks to Congress, The FCC Can Now Update America’s Broadband Maps (Microsoft)

https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/12/28/fcc-congress-rural-broadband-digital-divide/

27.   Five Best States to Get High-Speed Broadband Internet (The National Interest)

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/5-best-states-get-high-speed-broadband-internet-175508

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

28.   Flir, One of Oregon’s Last Homegrown Technology Companies, Sells for $8 Billion (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2021/01/flir-one-of-oregons-last-homegrown-technology-companies-sells-for-9-billion.html

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

29.   Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp to Spend $8 Million in Clean Fuels Program Earnings to Boost Electric Vehicles (Portland Business Journal, OR)

https://energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/2021/01/portland-general-electric-pacificorp-to.html

30.   WA State: Skagit County Receives Almost $1 Million for Guemes Island Electric Ferry Project (Skagit Valley Herald, Mt Vernon, WA)

https://www.goskagit.com/anacortes/news/skagit-county-receives-almost-1-million-for-guemes-island-electric-ferry-project/article_0587363a-4a3f-11eb-bc0d-070809b99652.html

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

31.   Distillers That Made Hand Sanitizer Won’t Face Federal Fine (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/01/01/bc-wa-distillers-hand-sanitizer/

32.   USPS Delays Are Threatening Small-Town Newspapers. So Is a Postage Price Increase. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/04/usps-delays-newspapers/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

33.   EIA Releases New U.S. Energy Atlas with Updated Maps & Enhanced Navigation (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45697

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

‘Among the Stars’: Ashes of James Doohan, Scotty from ‘Star Trek,’ Hidden on International Space Station

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/12/28/star-trek-scotty-james-doohans-ashes-smuggled-space-station/4057236001/

Man Files Lawsuit Over ‘Hawaiian Rolls’ Not Being Made in Hawaii

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/31/Man-files-lawsuit-over-Hawaiian-rolls-not-being-made-in-Hawaii/9771609440753/

‘Blood Everywhere’: Aggressive Squirrels Terrorizing, Attacking NYC Residents for Weeks

https://seattle.cbslocal.com/2020/12/30/squirrel-attacks-rego-park-queens/

French Bulldog Wilbur Is Kentucky Town’s New ‘Mayor’

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article248219725.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Star Trek Mega Suite

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

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Possible Paywall restrictions are noted in the media attribution.

Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp to Spend $8 Million in Clean Fuels Program Earnings to Boost Electric Vehicles (Portland Business Journal, OR)

(PORTLAND, OR) - - Oregon’s two major investor-owned electric utilities plan to put more than $8 million earned from the state’s Clean Fuels Program into transportation electrification programs according to budgets submitted to state regulators this week.

Public Utility Commission staff, in a report to commissioners, said the 2021 spending plans from Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp are in line with a 2018 PUC directive for use of the funds. That order called for putting the money toward helping the state meet its transportation electrification goals, with an emphasis on programs that benefit residential customers and traditionally underserved communities.

Charging EVs in the state delivers credits under the Clean Fuels Program, which rates transportation fuels on carbon intensity, a measure of the lifecycle emissions for a given amount of energy produced.

Fuel providers are required to meet a tightening standard for gasoline and diesel and their substitutes. Credits are generated from fuels that come in under the carbon intensity standard, including electricity when used to power vehicles. Providers who don't meet the standard need to buy credits to be in compliance with the program.

While charging-station owners and network operators can register as their own credit generators, credits from widely scattered and difficult-to-track residential charging go to the electricity providers, including PGE and PacifiCorp. They earn cash from the sale of those credits.

Both utilities plan to use the money to make investments in charging infrastructure in 2021, but their big expenditures will be on grant programs.

PGE said it will put $3.75 million of about $6.5 million into its Drive Change Fund. The utility wants half the fund dollars to go to organizations led by people who are Black or Indigenous, or people of color. Electric school buses are a big focus too — PGE said it would carve out $1.5 million from the fund to help districts and school bus fleet operators buy electric buses and charging infrastructure.

That charging infrastructure will have demand-response capability, PGE said, which means the utility will be able to use the batteries of plugged-in buses to help meet peak system demand. That’s an example of how electric vehicles can provide valuable grid benefits, rather than create an expensive burden.

PacifiCorp forecasts having less money to work with, about $1.5 million. That’s because it serves fewer customers, and because more are outside Portland in areas were EV penetration is lower. The utility plans to spend about $1 million on grants, about two-thirds directly with a focus on traditionally underserved communities. The other third would help organizations meet matching-fund requirements for other grant programs, such as ones run by the federal government.

The Clean Fuels Program currently targets a 10 percent improvement in transportation fuel carbon intensity by 2025. But a March climate order by Gov. Kate Brown called for extending the program to 2035, with a 25 percent target. The Department of Environmental Quality is gearing up for rulemaking to implement that order.

Separately, the electric utilities are pursuing transportation electrification plans financed by ratepayers under a 2016 law that called for such investments, which are required to benefit all utility customers.

Renewables Giant NextEra Wants to Build a Massive Solar Power Plant in Oregon (Portland Business Journal, OR)

An energy company that’s been turning heads recently is preparing to ask Oregon regulators for clearance to build what would be the biggest solar farm in the state.

NextEra Energy Resources, the renewables arm of NextEra Energy, filed a notice of intent to apply for a site certificate for a 500-megawatt solar project in Morrow County.

NextEra is among a handful of fast-growing renewables-focused companies whose valuations now rival the globe’s oil titans. They’ve been dubbed the “new green energy giants” (Wall Street Journal) or “clean supermajors” (Bloomberg).

The filing with the Energy Facility Siting Council doesn’t guarantee the project will be built soon, or ever. Many proposed projects linger for years, even after they’ve been approved, waiting for market conditions that bring a buyer for the plant or the energy, which in some cases never happens.

But NextEra has a history of success in competitive solicitations, and utilities in the region are stepping up their renewable energy acquisitions. They’re spurred by public policies either in place or expected, demand from big power users, and cold, hard economics that can give solar and wind — often paired with energy storage — an edge over fossil fuels.

NextEra’s Wagon Trail Solar Project, with an unspecified amount of storage, would be located about 30 miles southwest of Hermiston, around and in some cases overlapping the Wheatridge projects that NextEra has been developing.

One of those Wheatridge projects, a 300-megawatt wind farm, began commercial operation this month. NextEra owns a 200-megawatt portion of the wind farm and sells the energy produced from it to Portland General Electric, while PGE has taken ownership of the remaining 100 megawatts. NextEra is also building adjoining solar and energy storage facilities at the site that will serve PGE.

NextEra was also among the companies emerging with wind-power contracts in PacifiCorp’s “Energy Vision 2020” renewable-energy expansion that’s nearing completion.

PacifiCorp is now winnowing bidders in yet another renewables solicitation, and PGE expects to issue its own request for proposals for “non-emitting resources” next year.

The largest operating solar power plant in Oregon is the 56-megawatt Gala Project outside Prineville. It was developed by Avangrid Renewables and the power is sold to Apple.

But Avangrid Renewables, based in Portland, is now developing a 162-megawatt plant in Gilliam County. That project’s energy will be sold to PGE under a 15-year agreement and credited to 17 big PGE customers participating in the utility’s “Green Future Impact” program.

Avangrid Renewables is a subsidiary of Avangrid, which is majority owned by Iberdrola. Iberdrola, based in Spain, is often lumped in with NextEra in discussions of the world’s high-flying renewable energy players, along with Italy-based Enel and Denmark-based Orsted.