Wednesday, July 28, 2021

The Energy News Digest for July 28, 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

California’s Power Grid Operator Has Issued a Statewide Alert Urging Residents to Cut Back Electricity Use (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/california-power-usage-warning/index.html

Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam Removal (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/oregon-utility-commission-oks-klamath-dam-removal/article_fc4d620b-4e87-5efd-bcad-352699304b42.html

California Preps for Catastrophic Summer Salmon Slaughter (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-preps-for-catastrophic-summer-salmon-slaughter/

Oregon Governor Signs Ambitious Clean Energy Bill (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/27/oregon-governor-signs-ambitious-clean-energy-bill/

COVID Conundrum: As Delta Variant Surges, Masks Are Back (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/as-delta-variant-surges-masks-are-back-205621502.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California’s Power Grid Operator Has Issued a Statewide Alert Urging Residents to Cut Back Electricity Use

2.      Electricity Use Did Not Drop Last Time Californians Were Asked to Voluntarily Cut Back

3.      West Intertie Capacity Raised with Bootleg Fire Containment, Thermal Still Strong

4.      Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam Removal

5.      Rural Alaska Awaits Court Decision on Energy Subsidy With $1 Billion on the Line

6.      WA State: Redmond-Based Clean Energy Startup to Build Pioneering Fusion Energy Facility

7.      Alaska: New Electric Cable Installed Between Petersburg, Wrangell

8.      California: Dixie Fire Threatens Payments to Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Victim Fund

9.      WA State: Martin Selected to Replace Skolrood as Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner

10.   WA State: Clallam County PUD to Get $350k for Payment Assistance

11.   Unfortunately, I Care About Power Lines Now

12.   Newsletter: Texas Outages Made Transmission Upgrades Look Cheap

13.   Guest Essay: Who Comes Out Ahead on the Broadband Infrastructure Bill?

14.   Guest Essay: Treat Broadband as Infrastructure & We Have a Chance to Get It Right

15.   Can Retrofitting Dams for Hydro Provide a Green Energy Boost?

16.   Renewables Became the Second-Most Prevalent U.S. Electricity Source in 2020

17.   California: Bloom Energy Sues City of Santa Clara for the Second Time

18.   U.S. Studies Plan to Pay Fishing Industry for Offshore Wind Impacts

19.   A Different Kind of Solar Technology Is Poised to Go Big

20.   Less Than Half of Seattle Homes Have Air Conditioning. After a Deadly Heat Wave, ‘Everybody’ Wants It.

21.   Lower Valley Energy & Bonneville Power Administration Help Wyoming Laundry Facility Clean Up Their Act

22.   California Preps for Catastrophic Summer Salmon Slaughter

23.   Underwater Video Shows Heat-Stressed Salmon – It Could Have Been Worse

24.   Salmon Getting Through Fraser River Slide Zone as Officials Ponder Permanent Fix

25.   Canada: Commercial Salmon Fishers Left High & Dry Over Sudden DFO Closures

26.   WA State: Whatcom Council to Vote on Permanent Ban of New Fossil Fuel Industries at Cherry Point

27.   Western Drought Drives Water Levels at Great Salt Lake & Lake Powell to Historic Lows

28.   ‘Adapt or We’ll Break’: A Water Expert Lays Out the West’s Risky Future in the Megadrought Era

29.   Montana: Drought Conditions Mean Lower Water Levels at Hebgen Reservoir

30.   WA State: $70 Million in Chehalis Basin Funds on Hold as Strategy Board Unable to Reach Agreement

31.   Oregon Governor Signs Ambitious Clean Energy Bill

32.   ‘Nowhere Is Safe’: Heat Shatters Vision of Pacific Northwest as Climate Refuge

33.   White House Wants Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Bill - Sources

34.   FCC to Fix Rural Broadband Program That Gave Money to Connect Parking Lots to Internet

35.   WA State: Jefferson County PUD Seeks to Expand Internet – Agency Pursuing $12.4M in Funds

36.   ISPs Abuse FCC Covid Broadband Discount Program, Showing It’s a Band Aid on a Much Bigger Problem

37.   WA State: Icicle Broadcasting Has Sold Three of Its Local Radio Stations

38.   COVID Conundrum: As Delta Variant Surges, Masks Are Back

39.   Oregon Health Authority: All Oregonians Should Wear a Mask Indoors as Cases, Hospitalizations Rise

40.   WA State’s Governor Urges the Vaccinated to Wear Masks Indoors in Certain Counties, Won’t Impose New Mandates

41.   WA State Dismisses Wheat Growers Pleas, Then Declares Drought Emergency Too Late

WORD OF THE DAY

Euphonious \you-FONE-ee-us\ Adjective – Pleasing or agreeable to the ear

The soothing sound of water rushing over pebbles in the nearby small stream provided a euphonious backdrop for the loving couple’s noon-time picnic. Unfortunately for them, the stagnant, brackish pools below the rushing rapids provided a “mosquito hotel” which issued forth a constant stream of the voracious, blood-sucking insects, all focused on being the first to partake of the movable feast represented by the lounging couple.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California’s Power Grid Operator Has Issued a Statewide Alert Urging Residents to Cut Back Electricity Use (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/california-power-usage-warning/index.html

2.      Electricity Use Did Not Drop Last Time Californians Were Asked to Voluntarily Cut Back (Newsweek)

https://www.newsweek.com/electricity-use-did-not-drop-last-time-californians-were-asked-voluntarily-cut-back-1613111

3.      West Intertie Capacity Raised with Bootleg Fire Containment, Thermal Still Strong (S&P Global)

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/072621-west-intertie-capacity-raised-with-bootleg-fire-containment-thermal-still-strong

4.      Oregon Utility Commission OKs Klamath Dam Removal (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/oregon-utility-commission-oks-klamath-dam-removal/article_fc4d620b-4e87-5efd-bcad-352699304b42.html

5.      Rural Alaska Awaits Court Decision on Energy Subsidy With $1 Billion on the Line (Alaska Public Media)

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/07/27/rural-alaska-awaits-court-decision-on-energy-subsidy-with-1b-on-the-line/

6.      WA State: Redmond-Based Clean Energy Startup to Build Pioneering Fusion Energy Facility (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/redmond-based-clean-energy-startup-to-build-pioneering-fusion-energy-facility/

7.      Alaska: New Electric Cable Installed Between Petersburg, Wrangell (KFSK Radio, Petersburg, AK)

https://www.kfsk.org/2021/07/27/new-electric-cable-installed-between-petersburg-wrangell/

8.      California: Dixie Fire Threatens Payments to Pacific Gas & Electric Wildfire Victim Fund (KXTV-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/dixie-fire-threatens-payments-to-pge-wildfire-victim-fund/103-dabe3694-62e9-4647-8739-2040f2a4de49

9.      WA State: Martin Selected to Replace Skolrood as Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

https://www.kxro.com/martin-selected-to-replace-skolrood-as-pud-commissioner/

10.   WA State: Clallam County PUD to Get $350k for Payment Assistance (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2021/07/27/clallam-county-pud-to-get-350k-for-payment-assistance/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

11.   Unfortunately, I Care About Power Lines Now (Atlantic Magazine)

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/america-is-bad-at-building-power-lines-lets-fix-that-transmission-climate/619591/

12.   Newsletter: Texas Outages Made Transmission Upgrades Look Cheap (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/newsletter-make-grid-expansion-a-disaster-resilience-play/

13.   Guest Essay: Who Comes Out Ahead on the Broadband Infrastructure Bill? (The Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/07/28/who-comes-out-ahead-on-the-broadband-infrastructure-bill/

14.   Guest Essay: Treat Broadband as Infrastructure & We Have a Chance to Get It Right (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/564936-treat-broadband-as-infrastructure-and-we-have-a-chance-to-get-it-right?rl=1

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15.   Can Retrofitting Dams for Hydro Provide a Green Energy Boost? (Yale Environment 360)

https://e360.yale.edu/features/can-retrofitting-dams-for-hydro-provide-a-green-energy-boost

16.   Renewables Became the Second-Most Prevalent U.S. Electricity Source in 2020 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48896

17.   California: Bloom Energy Sues City of Santa Clara for the Second Time (Cupertino Today, CA)

https://cupertinotoday.com/2021/07/26/bloom-energy-sues-city-of-santa-clara-for-the-second-time/

18.   U.S. Studies Plan to Pay Fishing Industry for Offshore Wind Impacts (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/exclusive-us-studies-plan-pay-fishing-industry-offshore-wind-impacts-2021-07-28/

19.   A Different Kind of Solar Technology Is Poised to Go Big (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/energy/cadmium-telluride-technology-first-solar/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

20.   Less Than Half of Seattle Homes Have Air Conditioning. After a Deadly Heat Wave, ‘Everybody’ Wants It. (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/us/seattle-air-conditioning.html

21.   Lower Valley Energy & Bonneville Power Administration Help Wyoming Laundry Facility Clean Up Their Act (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Lower-Valley-Energy-and-BPA-help-Wyoming-laundry-facility-clean-up-their-act.aspx

FISH & WILDLIFE

22.   California Preps for Catastrophic Summer Salmon Slaughter (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-preps-for-catastrophic-summer-salmon-slaughter/

23.   Underwater Video Shows Heat-Stressed Salmon – It Could Have Been Worse (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/28/heat-stress-salmon/

24.   Salmon Getting Through Fraser River Slide Zone as Officials Ponder Permanent Fix (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

https://www.timescolonist.com/salmon-getting-through-fraser-river-slide-zone-as-officials-ponder-permanent-fix-1.24346757

25.   Canada: Commercial Salmon Fishers Left High & Dry Over Sudden DFO Closures (Saanich News, BC)

https://www.saanichnews.com/news/commercial-salmon-fishers-left-high-and-dry-over-sudden-dfo-closures/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

26.   WA State: Whatcom Council to Vote on Permanent Ban of New Fossil Fuel Industries at Cherry Point (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/post/whatcom-council-vote-permanent-ban-new-fossil-fuel-industries-cherry-point

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

27.   Western Drought Drives Water Levels at Great Salt Lake & Lake Powell to Historic Lows (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/07/27/great-salt-lake-lake-powell-historic-low-water-levels/

28.   ‘Adapt or We’ll Break’: A Water Expert Lays Out the West’s Risky Future in the Megadrought Era (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/adapt-or-we-ll-break-a-water-expert-lays-out-the-wes-1847376800

29.   Montana: Drought Conditions Mean Lower Water Levels at Hebgen Reservoir (KXLF-TV, Butte, MT)

https://www.kxlf.com/news/local-news/drought-conditions-mean-lower-water-levels-at-hebgen-reservoir

30.   WA State: $70 Million in Chehalis Basin Funds on Hold as Strategy Board Unable to Reach Agreement (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article253038213.html?

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

31.   Oregon Governor Signs Ambitious Clean Energy Bill (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/07/27/oregon-governor-signs-ambitious-clean-energy-bill/

32.   ‘Nowhere Is Safe’: Heat Shatters Vision of Pacific Northwest as Climate Refuge (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/21/pacific-northwest-heatwave-dome-climate-change

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

33.   White House Wants Broadband Funding in Infrastructure Bill - Sources (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill-may-extend-broadband-payment-help-enacted-2021-07-27/

34.   FCC to Fix Rural Broadband Program That Gave Money to Connect Parking Lots to Internet (The Daily Dot)

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/fcc-rural-broadband-program-parking-lots-internet/

35.   WA State: Jefferson County PUD Seeks to Expand Internet – Agency Pursuing $12.4M in Funds (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/jefferson-county-pud-seeks-to-expand-internet/

36.   ISPs Abuse FCC Covid Broadband Discount Program, Showing It’s a Band Aid on a Much Bigger Problem (TechDirt)

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210720/09290247206/isps-abuse-fcc-covid-broadband-discount-program-showing-band-aid-much-bigger-problem.shtml

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

37.   WA State: Icicle Broadcasting Has Sold Three of Its Local Radio Stations (North Central Washington Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

https://www.ncwlife.com/icicle-broadcasting-has-sold-three-of-its-local-radio-stations/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

38.   COVID Conundrum: As Delta Variant Surges, Masks Are Back (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/as-delta-variant-surges-masks-are-back-205621502.html

39.   Oregon Health Authority: All Oregonians Should Wear a Mask Indoors as Cases, Hospitalizations Rise (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-health-authority-recommends-masks-indoors/283-66d9894a-adcf-4bad-a20d-ae0123c56a14

40.   WA State’s Governor Urges the Vaccinated to Wear Masks Indoors in Certain Counties, Won’t Impose New Mandates (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washingtons-governor-urges-the-vaccinated-to-wear-masks-indoors-in-certain-counties-wont-impose-new-mandates/

41.   WA State Dismisses Wheat Growers Pleas, Then Declares Drought Emergency Too Late (Tri-City Herald, WA)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article253035658.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Vigilant Driver Helps Rescue Kitten Found Dangling Off Hood Canal Bridge

https://mynorthwest.com/3057343/driver-rescues-kitten-dangling-hood-canal-bridge/

Man on Scooter Steals Millions from Upmarket Paris Jeweler

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57995190

Oprah Winfrey Sells Her 43-Acre Waterfront Estate on Orcas Island for $14 Million

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/oprah-winfrey-sells-43-acre-waterfront-estate-orcas-island

The Pied Piper Was Real: 130 Children Disappeared and Never Came Back – It Took Over 700 Years to Figure Out What Happened To Them

https://historyofyesterday.com/the-pied-piper-was-real-130-children-disappeared-and-never-came-back-542085ffb34

SONG OF THE DAY

Joni Mitchell – Help Me

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