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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
As Western Wildfires Rage, Region to Remain ‘Tragically Dry’
for at Least a Week. In Oregon, A Blaze May Burn Until Fall. (USA Today)
Idaho Falls City Council Approves $4.2 Million Purchase of
Rocky Mountain Power Grid Customers, Property (Idaho Falls Post-Register, ID)
Offshore Wind Push Gains Momentum in California (Courthouse
News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/offshore-wind-push-gains-momentum-in-california/
DOE to Propose First Efficiency Standards for Manufactured
Homes in Almost 25 Years (Utility Dive)
Internet Dead Zones & ‘Thick’ Homework Packets Took an
Emotional Toll on Navajo Students During COVID-19 School Year. They Didn’t Give
Up. (USA Today)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
As Western Wildfires Rage, Region to Remain
‘Tragically Dry’ for at Least a Week. In Oregon, A Blaze May Burn Until Fall.
2.
More Than 60 Wildfires Rage Across US West –
Including Blaze Bigger Than Portland
3.
Bootleg Fire, Largest in US, Tops 200,000 Acres;
21 Homes, Structures Lost; Area Closures Extended
4.
Here’s Where Wildfires are Burning in Washington
State
5.
Nearly 800 People Believed to Have Died in
Pacific Northwest Heat Wave
6.
California Wildfires Are So Intense, They’re
Sparking Firenadoes
7.
Idaho Falls City Council Approves $4.2 Million
Purchase of Rocky Mountain Power Grid Customers, Property
8.
Hydropower Worries Grow as Colorado River
Reservoirs Keep Dropping
9.
California: Lake Oroville Water Levels Expected
to Fall So Low, Hydropower Plant May Shut Down
10.
Californians Told to Use Less Water &
Electricity in New Summer Normal
11.
Canada; BC Hydro Investigating Damage to
Submarine Cables That Carry Power to Vancouver Island
12.
NorthWestern Energy’s Proposed Gas-Fired Plant
Disappoints Montana Cities Seeking All-Green Power
13.
Puget Sound Energy Seeks Bids for New Energy
Resources
14.
WA State: Chelan PUD Prepares Long-Term Power
Contracts for a New Energy Market
15.
California: Imperial Irrigation District Agrees
to Form Panel with Coachella Valley Representatives; Mayes Says It’s Not Enough
16.
Tennessee Valley Authority to Spend $1 Billion
Building 1,500 MW of Gas Turbines
17.
Lawsuits Filed in Texas Allege Price Gouging
During Recent Blackouts
18.
Record Natural Gas Prices Give Power Markets a
Jolt
19.
Maine Governor Scuttles Public Vote on
Consumer-Owned Electric Utility
20.
Opinion: Elon Musk’s Starlink Will Become the
Black Hole Project
21.
Offshore Wind Push Gains Momentum in California
22.
Nevada: ‘Water Battery’ Being Considered on
Mokelumne River
23.
Shade from Solar Panels Increases Abundance of
Flowers, Benefiting Pollinators
24.
Rise In Cremations Opens Unused Cemetery Space
to New Solar Projects
25.
DOE to Propose First Efficiency Standards for
Manufactured Homes in Almost 25 Years
26.
Salmon Returns Hit Ten-Year Averages
27.
Idaho Student Activists Push for Dams to Be
Removed to Save Salmon
28.
News Release: Northwest RiverPartners Urges
Columbia Basin Collaborative to Reevaluate Current Framework; Establish More
Equitable, Holistic Approach
29.
California: 17 Million Gallons of Raw Sewage
Spills in Los Angeles
30.
Federal Lawmakers Clash Over Tree-Planting Bill
31.
U.S. Treasury’s Yellen Says Carbon Pricing Can
Work, with Caveats
32.
Why Pricing Carbon Is Still More Theory Than
Reality
33.
Climate Change Is Shrinking Italy’s Iconic Lake
Como, & Fast
34.
Internet Dead Zones & ‘Thick’ Homework
Packets Took an Emotional Toll on Navajo Students During COVID-19 School Year.
They Didn’t Give Up.
35.
WA State: Double Trouble? Dueling Broadband
Bills Finally Resolved
36.
How Internet & TV Providers Get Away with
Jacking Up Your Bill
37.
Congress to Examine Ransomware Threat as NERC,
FERC Call for ‘Continued Vigilance’ to Secure Electric Grid
38.
Got an Old Power Plant Lying Around? Crypto
Miners Are Buying Them Up
39.
How Electric Vehicles Could Transform the Power
Grid
40.
City of Olympia Will Add More Staff to Revamp
Communication Strategy
41.
La Niña Condition Forecast for Winter. What Does
That Mean for Central California Coast?
42.
U.S. Senate Democrats Announce $3.5 Trillion
Budget Agreement
43. Text Messages Not Archived - City of Seattle Countersues Newspaper in Public Records Case
WORD OF THE DAY
Tussle • \TUSS-sull\ • Noun - 1: a physical contest or struggle: scuffle 2: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle
Graduates get mad
Tussle over a tassel
Flip it left, or right?
WESTERN HEAT & WILDFIRES
1.
As Western Wildfires Rage, Region to Remain ‘Tragically
Dry’ for at Least a Week. In Oregon, A Blaze May Burn Until Fall. (USA Today)
2.
More Than 60 Wildfires Rage Across US West –
Including Blaze Bigger Than Portland (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/13/us-wildfires-california-oregon-washington
3.
Bootleg Fire, Largest in US, Tops 200,000 Acres;
21 Homes, Structures Lost; Area Closures Extended (KTVZ-TV, Eugene, OR)
4.
Here’s Where Wildfires are Burning in Washington
State (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)
5.
Nearly 800 People Believed to Have Died in Pacific
Northwest Heat Wave (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)
https://kuow.org/stories/nearly-700-people-believed-to-have-died-in-northwest-heat-wave
6.
California Wildfires Are So Intense, They’re
Sparking Firenadoes (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/california-wildfires-are-so-intense-they-re-sparking-f-1847273001
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
7.
Idaho Falls City Council Approves $4.2 Million Purchase
of Rocky Mountain Power Grid Customers, Property (Idaho Falls Post-Register,
ID)
8.
Hydropower Worries Grow as Colorado River
Reservoirs Keep Dropping (KUNC Radio, Greeley, CO)
9.
California: Lake Oroville Water Levels Expected to
Fall So Low, Hydropower Plant May Shut Down (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)
10.
Californians Told to Use Less Water &
Electricity in New Summer Normal (BusinessDay)
11.
Canada; BC Hydro Investigating Damage to Submarine
Cables That Carry Power to Vancouver Island (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hydro-heat-damage-1.6100521?cmp=rss
12.
NorthWestern Energy’s Proposed Gas-Fired Plant
Disappoints Montana Cities Seeking All-Green Power (KTVH-TV, Helena, MT)
13.
Puget Sound Energy Seeks Bids for New Energy
Resources (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)
https://www.thurstontalk.com/2021/07/13/puget-sound-energy-seeks-bids-for-new-energy-resources/
14.
WA State: Chelan PUD Prepares Long-Term Power
Contracts for a New Energy Market (Leavenworth Echo, WA)
https://www.leavenworthecho.com/news/chelan-pud-prepares-long-term-power-contracts-new-energy-market
15.
California: Imperial Irrigation District Agrees to
Form Panel with Coachella Valley Representatives; Mayes Says It’s Not Enough
(Palm Springs Desert Sun, CA)
16.
Tennessee Valley Authority to Spend $1 Billion
Building 1,500 MW of Gas Turbines (American Public Power Association)
https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/tva-spend-1-billion-building-1500-mw-gas-turbines
17.
Lawsuits Filed in Texas Allege Price Gouging
During Recent Blackouts (National Public Radio)
18.
Record Natural Gas Prices Give Power Markets a
Jolt (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/record-natural-gas-prices-give-power-markets-a-jolt-11626168995
19.
Maine Governor Scuttles Public Vote on Consumer-Owned
Electric Utility (Daily Energy Insider)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
20.
Opinion: Elon Musk’s Starlink Will Become the Black
Hole Project (Medium)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
21.
Offshore Wind Push Gains Momentum in California (Courthouse
News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/offshore-wind-push-gains-momentum-in-california/
22.
Nevada: ‘Water Battery’ Being Considered on Mokelumne
River (Sierra Nevada Ally)
https://www.sierranevadaally.org/2021/07/12/water-battery-being-considered-on-mokelumne-river/
23.
Shade from Solar Panels Increases Abundance of
Flowers, Benefiting Pollinators (Good News Network)
24.
Rise In Cremations Opens Unused Cemetery Space
to New Solar Projects (Connecticut Public Radio)
https://www.wnpr.org/post/rise-cremations-opens-unused-cemetery-space-new-solar-projects
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
FISH & WILDLIFE
26.
Salmon Returns Hit Ten-Year Averages (Wenatchee
World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
27.
Idaho Student Activists Push for Dams to Be
Removed to Save Salmon (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
28.
News Release: Northwest RiverPartners Urges
Columbia Basin Collaborative to Reevaluate Current Framework; Establish More
Equitable, Holistic Approach (Northwest RiverPartners, Vancouver, OR)
https://nwriverpartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-NWRP-CBC-PressStatement.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
29.
California: 17 Million Gallons of Raw Sewage
Spills in Los Angeles (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/17-million-gallons-of-raw-sewage-spills-in-los-angeles-1847290178
30.
Federal Lawmakers Clash Over Tree-Planting Bill (Courthouse
News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/lawmakers-clash-over-tree-planting-bill/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
31.
U.S. Treasury’s Yellen Says Carbon Pricing Can
Work, with Caveats (Reuters)
32.
Why Pricing Carbon Is Still More Theory Than
Reality (Washington Post)
33.
Climate Change Is Shrinking Italy’s Iconic Lake
Como, & Fast (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-shrinking-italy-lake-como-glacier-melt/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
34.
Internet Dead Zones & ‘Thick’ Homework
Packets Took an Emotional Toll on Navajo Students During COVID-19 School Year. They
Didn’t Give Up. (USA Today)
35.
WA State: Double Trouble? Dueling Broadband Bills
Finally Resolved (Association of Washington Cities)
36.
How Internet & TV Providers Get Away with Jacking
Up Your Bill (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
37.
Congress to Examine Ransomware Threat as NERC,
FERC Call for ‘Continued Vigilance’ to Secure Electric Grid (Utility Dive)
38.
Got an Old Power Plant Lying Around? Crypto
Miners Are Buying Them Up (Curbed)
https://www.curbed.com/2021/07/crypto-currency-mining-old-power-plants.html
I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC
39.
How Electric Vehicles Could Transform the Power
Grid (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/ev-to-grid-1.6100454?cmp=rss
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
40.
City of Olympia Will Add More Staff to Revamp
Communication Strategy (The Olympian, WA)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article252768553.html
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
41.
La Niña Condition Forecast for Winter. What Does
That Mean for Central California Coast? (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/weather/weather-watch/article252730303.html
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
42.
U.S. Senate Democrats Announce $3.5 Trillion
Budget Agreement (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/13/senate-democrats-announce-3-5-trillion-budget-agreement/
43.
Text Messages Not Archived - City of Seattle Countersues
Newspaper in Public Records Case (Associated Press)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Viral Images of Giant Goldfish in U.S. Lake Spotlight
Dangers of Invasive Aquatic Pets
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/giant-goldfish-invasive-species-great-lakes-1.6100855?cmp=rss
Sea Creature That Can Shock Prey With 37 Volts Washes Up on Texas
Beach. What Is It?
https://news.yahoo.com/sea-creature-shock-prey-37-234233173.html
Limited Edition Mac & Cheese Ice Cream Hits Freezers
This Week
A Uniform Opinion: Major League Baseball All-Star Duds Don’t
Draw All-Star Reviews
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mlb/a-uniform-opinion-all-star-duds-dont-draw-all-star-reviews/
SONG OF THE DAY
Spandau Ballet – Gold
