Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The Energy News Digest for July 21, 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

June Heat Wave in the Northwest United States Resulted in More Demand for Electricity (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48796

Wells Run Dry in Many Klamath Basin Homes (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2021/07/wells-run-dry-in-many-klamath-basin-homes.html

Four-State Collaboration May Squeeze Out E. Wash. Interests in Keeping Snake River Dams (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article252767743.html

Judge Hears Fight Over Lithium Mine on Nevada-Oregon Line (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/21/judge-hears-fight-over-lithium-mine-on-nevada-oregon-line/

Massive Wildfires in U.S. West Bring Haze to East Coast (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/science-fires-environment-and-nature-wildfires-cebad62e9bf8d5ed295b60fb9b0961fb

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      June Heat Wave in the Northwest United States Resulted in More Demand for Electricity

2.      Four-State Collaboration May Squeeze Out E. Wash. Interests in Keeping Snake River Dams

3.      Alaska Federation of Natives & Other Groups Sue Dunleavy Administration Over Fund That Subsidizes Rural Energy

4.      The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Calls on Seattle to Remove the Gorge Dam

5.      Portland General Electric, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Extend Partnership on Hydropower Facility for 16 Years

6.      California: Paradigm Shift – Tribe Is Now an Owner of the Power Grid

7.      Portland General Electric Agrees to Pay $6.75M to Settle Trading-Debacle Lawsuit

8.      Montana Coal Production Slides 23% During 2020

9.      U.S. Barrasso (R-WY) Says New Legislation Sets Stage for New Wyoming Natrium Nuclear Reactor

10.   Governments, Utilities & the Nuclear Industry Hope Small Modular Reactors Will Power Canada’s Future. Can They Actually Build One?

11.   A Visit with the Bonneville Power Administration Administrator

12.   Three Viewpoints: A Proposal to Lay Cables Beneath the Columbia River Is Met with Skepticism from an Indigenous Activist & the River’s Advocates.

13.   Cost Allocation Remains Key Challenge for FERC Ahead of Transmission Reform, Glick Says

14.   Maine Legislature Sustains Mills’ Veto of Consumer-Owned Utility Bill

15.   How to Prevent a Power Outage from Becoming a Crisis

16.   Columnist: Damned If You Do – Klamath River – The Thorny Decision to Remove Hydro Dams

17.   News Release: U.S. Reps McMorris Rodgers, Newhouse Call Out Oregon, Radical Groups for Latest Legal Stunt on the Columbia & Lower Snake Rivers

18.   An Inconvenient Truth About Fish & Why Liberals Can’t Accept the Facts

19.   California: Developer’s Deals with Community Organizations Under Fire as Giant Solar Farm Moves Closer to Approval

20.   WA State: Quinault Indian Nation Gets Federal Funding for Solar Power in New Generations Building

21.   Are Wind Turbines a Danger to Wildlife? Ask the Dogs.

22.   Efficiency Builds Community & Generates Savings

23.   Scientists Haven’t Had ‘A Good Look at J-Pod’ Of Orcas in Last Three Months

24.   Salmon-Killing Tires Get Congressional Hearing

25.   Virtual Reality Experience Lets Viewers ‘Swim’ with Pacific Salmon

26.   Renaming Asian Carp: Concern Over Racism, Waterways Inspires Push for New Moniker

27.   Judge Hears Fight Over Lithium Mine on Nevada-Oregon Line

28.   Wells Run Dry in Many Klamath Basin Homes

29.   Oregon Utilities Face Big Challenges Meeting 100% Clean Electricity by 2040 Target

30.   California to Spend $6 Billion to Bridge the Digital Divide

31.   WA State Awards $1.7 Million to Port of Whitman County for Pine City & Malden Broadband Project

32.   WA State Legislature Expands Municipal Authority to Provide Broadband, but to What Extent?

33.   Sick of Traditional Internet Providers, Brooklyn Neighbors Are Setting Up Their Own Wi-Fi with NYC Mesh

34.   The Telecoms Industry Spends $320K a Day to Make Sure Your Broadband Sucks

35.   WA State: King County Named #1 County for Use of Public Technology

36.   The Best Olympic Logos of All Time, According to Design Experts

37.   Massive Wildfires in U.S. West Bring Haze to East Coast

38.   Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, State Leaders Outline Response to ‘Historic’ Start to Oregon Wildfire Season

39.   Two Fast-Moving California Fires Are Creating Their Own Dangerous Weather Systems

40.   State Of Emergency Declared in British Columbia Over Growing Wildfires

41.   2021 Heat Wave Is Now the Deadliest Weather-Related Event in Washington State History

42.   Couple Charged in California Wildfire Sparked by Gender Reveal

43.   U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Advances Energy Infrastructure Legislation as Congress Debates Broader Climate Action

44.   Ditto Outlines Opposition to Using Legislation to Encourage Public Facility Privatization

WORD OF THE DAY

Nonplussed \NON-plust\ Verb - To cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do: perplex.

Barty’s aggressive questioning during trial left the hapless defense witness nonplussed. Although the man had been called as a character witness for the “Burger King”, Barty relentlessly peppered him with questions about “Ronald McDonald”, “Jack in the Box” and the “Taco Time Cactus”. “I don’t know any of those guys,” whined the harried witness.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      June Heat Wave in the Northwest United States Resulted in More Demand for Electricity (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48796

2.      Four-State Collaboration May Squeeze Out E. Wash. Interests in Keeping Snake River Dams (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article252767743.html

3.      Alaska Federation of Natives & Other Groups Sue Dunleavy Administration Over Fund That Subsidizes Rural Energy (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

https://www.adn.com/politics/2021/07/19/alaska-federation-of-natives-and-other-groups-sue-governor-over-fund-that-subsidizes-rural-alaska-energy/

4.      The Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Calls on Seattle to Remove the Gorge Dam (High Country News)

https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.8/indigenous-affairs-dams-the-upper-skagit-indian-tribe-calls-on-seattle-to-remove-the-gorge-dam

5.      Portland General Electric, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Extend Partnership on Hydropower Facility for 16 Years (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/31174-pge-confederated-tribes-of-warm-springs-extend-partnership-on-hydropower-facility-for-16-years/?amp

6.      California: Paradigm Shift – Tribe Is Now an Owner of the Power Grid (Indian Country Today)

https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/tribe-is-now-an-owner-of-the-power-grid

7.      Portland General Electric Agrees to Pay $6.75M to Settle Trading-Debacle Lawsuit (Portland Business Journal, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2021/07/19/pge-trading-losses-lawsuit-settlement.html

8.      Montana Coal Production Slides 23% During 2020 (Helena Independent-Record, MT)

https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-coal-production-slides-23-during-2020/article_45114188-f5f6-581e-8f89-cac67aa6cf9c.html

9.      U.S. Barrasso (R-WY) Says New Legislation Sets Stage for New Wyoming Natrium Nuclear Reactor (Oil City News)

https://oilcity.news/wyoming/energy/2021/07/19/barrasso-says-new-legislation-sets-stage-for-new-wyoming-natrium-nuclear-reactor/

10.   Governments, Utilities & the Nuclear Industry Hope Small Modular Reactors Will Power Canada’s Future. Can They Actually Build One? (Globe & Mail, Canada)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-governments-utilities-and-the-nuclear-industry-hope-small-modular/

11.   A Visit with the Bonneville Power Administration Administrator (Ruralite Magazine)

https://www.ruralite.com/a-visit-with-the-bpa-administrator/

12.   Three Viewpoints: A Proposal to Lay Cables Beneath the Columbia River Is Met with Skepticism from an Indigenous Activist & the River’s Advocates. (Investigate West)

https://www.invw.org/2021/07/21/a-stronger-electricity-grid-is-crucial-to-cutting-carbon-does-that-make-it-green/

13.   Cost Allocation Remains Key Challenge for FERC Ahead of Transmission Reform, Glick Says (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/cost-allocation-remains-key-challenge-for-ferc-ahead-of-transmission-reform/603597/

14.   Maine Legislature Sustains Mills’ Veto of Consumer-Owned Utility Bill (Main Public Radio)

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2021-07-19/maine-legislature-sustains-mills-veto-of-consumer-owned-utility-bill

15.   How to Prevent a Power Outage from Becoming a Crisis (IEEE – Spectrum)

https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/policy/how-to-prevent-a-power-outage-from-becoming-a-crisis

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

16.   Columnist: Damned If You Do – Klamath River – The Thorny Decision to Remove Hydro Dams (Troy Media)

https://troymedia.com/politicslaw/damned-it-you-do-the-thorny-decision-to-remove-hydro-dams/#.YPhsAOhKjIU

17.   News Release: U.S. Reps McMorris Rodgers, Newhouse Call Out Oregon, Radical Groups for Latest Legal Stunt on the Columbia & Lower Snake Rivers (U.S. Rep McMorris Rodgers, R-WA)

https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-newhouse-call-out-oregon-radical-groups-for-latest-legal-stunt-on-the-columbia-and-lower-snake-rivers/

18.   An Inconvenient Truth About Fish & Why Liberals Can’t Accept the Facts (Shift Washington, Mercer Island, WA)

https://shiftwa.org/an-inconvenient-truth-about-fish-and-why-liberals-cant-accept-the-facts/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

19.   California: Developer’s Deals with Community Organizations Under Fire as Giant Solar Farm Moves Closer to Approval (KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA)

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/inewsource/developers-deals-with-community-organizations-under-fire-as-giant-solar-farm-moves-closer-to-approval/509-6b6275e7-2363-4771-b6ed-6697c7579c89

20.   WA State: Quinault Indian Nation Gets Federal Funding for Solar Power in New Generations Building (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/qin-gets-federal-funding-for-solar-power-in-new-generations-building/

21.   Are Wind Turbines a Danger to Wildlife? Ask the Dogs. (Atlantic Magazine)

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/bat-dogs-wind-turbines/619482/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

22.   Efficiency Builds Community & Generates Savings (Pioneer Utility Resources)

https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/esgcommunity/

FISH & WILDLIFE

23.   Scientists Haven’t Had ‘A Good Look at J-Pod’ Of Orcas in Last Three Months (KIRO News, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3046287/where-is-jpod-orcas-puget-sound/

24.   Salmon-Killing Tires Get Congressional Hearing (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/salmon-killing-tires-get-congressional-hearing

25.   Virtual Reality Experience Lets Viewers ‘Swim’ with Pacific Salmon (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/uninterrupted-vr-salmon-1.6104883?cmp=rss

26.   Renaming Asian Carp: Concern Over Racism, Waterways Inspires Push for New Moniker (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/asian-carp-renaming-fish-racism-1.6103742?cmp=rss

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

27.   Judge Hears Fight Over Lithium Mine on Nevada-Oregon Line (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/21/judge-hears-fight-over-lithium-mine-on-nevada-oregon-line/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

28.   Wells Run Dry in Many Klamath Basin Homes (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2021/07/wells-run-dry-in-many-klamath-basin-homes.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

29.   Oregon Utilities Face Big Challenges Meeting 100% Clean Electricity by 2040 Target (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2021/07/utilities-face-big-challenges-meeting-100-clean-electricity-by-2040-target.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

30.   California to Spend $6 Billion to Bridge the Digital Divide (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-to-spend-6-billion-to-bridge-the-digital-divide/

31.   WA State Awards $1.7 Million to Port of Whitman County for Pine City & Malden Broadband Project (KQQQ Radio, Pullman, WA)

https://pullmanradio.com/cerb-awards-1-7-million-to-port-for-pine-city-and-malden-broadband-project/

32.   WA State Legislature Expands Municipal Authority to Provide Broadband, but to What Extent? (Municipal Research & Service Center)

https://mrsc.org/Home/Stay-Informed/MRSC-Insight/July-2021/Laws-Expand-Muni-Authority-to-Provide-Broadband

33.   Sick of Traditional Internet Providers, Brooklyn Neighbors Are Setting Up Their Own Wi-Fi with NYC Mesh (BK Reader, New York, NY)

https://bkreader.com/2021/05/10/nyc-mesh-brooklyn-new-york-community-mutual-aid-pandemic/

34.   The Telecoms Industry Spends $320K a Day to Make Sure Your Broadband Sucks (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/the-telecoms-industry-spends-230k-a-day-to-make-sure-y-1847324005

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

35.   WA State: King County Named #1 County for Use of Public Technology (Washington State Wire)

https://washingtonstatewire.com/king-county-named-1-county-for-use-of-public-technology/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

36.   The Best Olympic Logos of All Time, According to Design Experts (Fast Company)

https://www.fastcompany.com/90656667/the-best-olympic-logos-of-all-time-according-to-design-experts

WILDFIRES AND THE WEST

37.   Massive Wildfires in U.S. West Bring Haze to East Coast (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/science-fires-environment-and-nature-wildfires-cebad62e9bf8d5ed295b60fb9b0961fb

38.   Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, State Leaders Outline Response to ‘Historic’ Start to Oregon Wildfire Season (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/2021/07/gov-kate-brown-state-leaders-outline-response-to-historic-start-to-oregon-wildfire-season.html

39.   Two Fast-Moving California Fires Are Creating Their Own Dangerous Weather Systems (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-20/tamarack-dixie-fires-northern-california-weather-systems

40.   State Of Emergency Declared in British Columbia Over Growing Wildfires (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/state-of-emergency-declared-in-british-columbia-over-growing-wildfires-1.24344395

41.   2021 Heat Wave Is Now the Deadliest Weather-Related Event in Washington State History (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/heat-wave-death-toll-in-washington-state-jumps-to-112-people

42.   Couple Charged in California Wildfire Sparked by Gender Reveal (Huffington Post)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gender-reveal-california-wildfire-charges_n_60f7b019e4b0ddf009797554

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

43.   U.S. Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Advances Energy Infrastructure Legislation as Congress Debates Broader Climate Action (JD Supra)

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/senate-energy-and-natural-resources-2850545/

44.   Ditto Outlines Opposition to Using Legislation to Encourage Public Facility Privatization (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/ditto-outlines-opposition-using-legislation-encourage-public-facility-privatization

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

An Archivist Sneezes on a Priceless Document. Then What?

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/07/archival-mishaps/619420/

This Model Train Layout May Be Bigger Than Your House

https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/this-model-train-layout-may-be-bigger-than-your-house/281-1d14cc88-77a1-41c6-9282-445522603a4a

Milwaukee Wins First NBA Title Since 1971

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/milwaukee-beat-phoenix-claim-nba-championship-2021-07-21/

Massive & Mysterious, A 100-Pound Fish Washed Ashore in Oregon – Scientists Hope to Learn Its Secrets

https://news.yahoo.com/massive-mysterious-100-pound-fish-024510073.html?soc_src=yahooapp

SONG OF THE DAY

Albert Hammond - I’m a Train

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxpmoyT_v5M