The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.
The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
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 Orders
State of Emergency to Avert Blackouts (Bloomberg News)
Heat Ri$es: How June’s
Heat Wave Has Affected Utility Bills for Inland Northwest Customers
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/aug/01/heat-ries-how-junes-heat-wave-has-affected-utility/
Bonneville Power
Administration, Northwest’s Biggest Clean-Power Supplier, to Cut Rates for
First Time in More Than a Decade (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
As the Heat Wave
Rolled in, Fishery Managers Scrambled to Save Salmon in the Columbia River
(Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/aug/01/fisheries-professionals-partners-work-together-to-/
Federal Infrastructure
Fight Finally Set: T’s Crossed, I’s Dotted (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/It-s-in-and-big-Senators-produce-1T-16356576.php
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. California
Orders State of Emergency to Avert Blackouts
2. Heat
Ri$es: How June’s Heat Wave Has Affected Utility Bills for Inland Northwest
Customers
3. Bonneville
Power Administration, Northwest’s Biggest Clean-Power Supplier, to Cut Rates
for First Time in More Than a Decade
4. Bonneville
Power Administration Drops Power Rates for First Time in Decades
5. Portland
General Electric Customers Twice Broke Electricity Usage Records During June
Heat Wave
6. Utah:
Police Warn Against Hammocking on Electricity Towers
7. Bonneville
Power Administration Issues Draft Decision to Join the Energy Imbalance Market
8. Energy
Northwest: New CEO Named to Lead the Pacific Northwest’s Only Nuclear Power
Reactor
9. Western
Area Power Administration Names New Rocky Mountain Regional Manager
10. Boise’s
IdaCorp, Parent of Idaho Power, Profits in Latest Quarter
11. Top
10 Utility Regulation Trends of 2021 — So Far
12. Guest
Essay: Breach the Lower Snake River Dams & We Will Lose Our Fish
13. While
Central Washington Is Known for Its Hops, Apples & Cherries, It Is Also
Becoming a Producer of Renewable Energy
14. California:
Heber Geothermal Project Moves Forward with Upgrades & Installations
15. The
Solar Industry Has a Supply Problem
16. ‘World’s
Most Powerful’ Tidal Turbine Starts Cranking Out Energy
17. Massive
Tesla Battery on Fire at Renewable Energy Plant in Australia
18. Dell
Pulls Energy-Hungry Gaming PCs in Six US States After Failing Efficiency Rules
– CA, CO, HI, OR, VT, WA
19. Is
5G a Waste of Electricity? Experts Say It’s Complicated
20. As
the Heat Wave Rolled in, Fishery Managers Scrambled to Save Salmon in the
Columbia River
21. As
Sockeye Runs Struggle Elsewhere in North America, a Record Run in Alaska’s
Bristol Bay
22. Washington’s
Orca Whale Pods Receive New Federal Habitat Protection
23. Orcas
Make Their Way to Salish Sea, But Sick Whale Lags Behind
24. Some
B.C. Restaurants Remove Wild Salmon from Menu in Response to Declining Stocks
25. Feds
Ask Judge to Dismiss Environmental Claims Over Tear Gas in Willamette River
26. WA
State: U.S. House Passes Funding for Duckabush Estuary Restoration – Includes
Mason PUD 1 Power Line Relocation
27. Oregon:
Homes Lose Water as Wells Run Dry in Drought-Ravaged Basin
28. The
Seas Are Rising. Could Oysters Help?
29. Lewis
County PUD Finalizes Plan for County-Wide, Publicly Owned Broadband ‘Backbone’
30. When
It Comes to Municipal Broadband, This Washington State Utility Was Way Ahead of
the Game
31. WA
State: Advice on Public Broadband from Anacortes
32. Nevada:
City Drops Broadband Grant Effort, County Will Try
33. Tribal
Wireless Boot Camp Builds Community for Broadband
34. Survey:
40.2% Of Consumers Will Consider Switching to Local Government Broadband When
It Becomes Available.
35. Data
Breaches Cost More Than $4 Million Per Incident, Power Industry at High Risk
36. Data
Center in Bend Oregon Valued at $15.7 Million Now for Sale
37. British
Columbia: More People Are Climbing Dangerous Hydro Dams & Towers in Search
of ‘Social Media Glory,’ Utility Says
38. Federal
Infrastructure Fight Finally Set: T’s Crossed, I’s Dotted
39. Greens
Blast ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card’ for Fed Hydro Giant Bonneville Power
Administration
40. U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers Unveils Draft Legislation to Strip Tech Companies of ‘Section 230’ Legal Protections
WORD OF THE DAY
Lexical \LEK-sih-kul\ Adjective - 1: of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction 2: of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography.
Sweat poured off the dumbstruck spelling bee contestant. He had aced every lexical challenge presented in the first five rounds. Not to mix metaphors, but his Achilles’ heel reared its ugly head when the judge asked him to spell the word “receive.” For some reason, the “I before E, except after C” rule had never nestled itself into his consciousness…it had always lurked in the darkness, just beyond the reach of his thoughts. Needless to say, he was bounced from the competition.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
1. California
Orders State of Emergency to Avert Blackouts (Bloomberg News)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/aug/01/heat-ries-how-junes-heat-wave-has-affected-utility/
4.
Bonneville Power Administration Drops Power
Rates for First Time in Decades (Bonneville Power Administration – News Release)
https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-drops-power-rates-for-first-time-in-decades.aspx
5.
Portland General Electric Customers Twice Broke
Electricity Usage Records During June Heat Wave (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
6.
Utah: Police Warn Against Hammocking on Electricity
Towers (KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/police-warn-against-hammocking-on-electricity-towers
7.
Bonneville Power Administration Issues Draft
Decision to Join the Energy Imbalance Market (Bonneville Power Administration –
News Release)
https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-issues-draft-decision-to-join-the-EIM.aspx
8.
Energy Northwest: New CEO Named to Lead the Pacific
Northwest’s Only Nuclear Power Reactor (Tri-City Herald, WA)
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article253112863.html
9.
Western Area Power Administration Names New
Rocky Mountain Regional Manager (Western Area Power Administration – News Release)
10.
Boise’s IdaCorp, Parent of Idaho Power, Profits in
Latest Quarter (Associated Press)
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article253112018.html
11.
Top 10 Utility Regulation Trends of 2021 — So
Far (Canary Media0
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/top-10-utility-regulation-trends-of-2021-so-far/
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
12.
Guest Essay: Breach the Lower Snake River Dams &
We Will Lose Our Fish (Lewiston Tribune, ID)
RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
13.
While Central Washington Is Known for Its Hops,
Apples & Cherries, It Is Also Becoming a Producer of Renewable Energy (Yakima
Herald-Republic, WA)
14.
California: Heber Geothermal Project Moves
Forward with Upgrades & Installations (The Desert Review, Brawley, CA)
15.
The Solar Industry Has a Supply Problem (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar-industry-has-supply-problem/
16.
‘World’s Most Powerful’ Tidal Turbine Starts
Cranking Out Energy (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/worlds-most-powerful-tidal-turbine-starts-cranking-out-1847388722
17.
Massive Tesla Battery on Fire at Renewable
Energy Plant in Australia (C|Net News)
https://www.cnet.com/news/tesla-battery-fire-renewable-energy-plant-australia/
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
18.
Dell Pulls Energy-Hungry Gaming PCs in Six US States
After Failing Efficiency Rules – CA, CO, HI, OR, VT, WA (The Guardian, UK)
19.
Is 5G a Waste of Electricity? Experts Say It’s
Complicated (CGTN)
FISH & WILDLIFE
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/aug/01/fisheries-professionals-partners-work-together-to-/
21.
As Sockeye Runs Struggle Elsewhere in North
America, a Record Run in Alaska’s Bristol Bay (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
22.
Washington’s Orca Whale Pods Receive New Federal
Habitat Protection (Associated Press)
23.
Orcas Make Their Way to Salish Sea, But Sick
Whale Lags Behind (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)
https://www.knkx.org/post/orcas-make-their-way-salish-sea-sick-whale-lags-behind
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
25.
Feds Ask Judge to Dismiss Environmental Claims
Over Tear Gas in Willamette River (Courthouse News Service)
26.
WA State: U.S. House Passes Funding for
Duckabush Estuary Restoration – Includes Mason PUD 1 Power Line Relocation (Mason
Web TV, Shelton, WA)
https://masonwebtv.com/archives/44977
WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?
27.
Oregon: Homes Lose Water as Wells Run Dry in Drought-Ravaged
Basin (Associated Press)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
28.
The Seas Are Rising. Could Oysters Help? (New
Yorker Magazine)
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/09/the-seas-are-rising-could-oysters-protect-us
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
29.
Lewis County PUD Finalizes Plan for County-Wide,
Publicly Owned Broadband ‘Backbone’ (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
31.
WA State: Advice on Public Broadband from Anacortes
(Washington State Wire, Olympia, WA)
32.
Nevada: City Drops Broadband Grant Effort,
County Will Try (Elko Daily Free Press, NV)
33.
Tribal Wireless Boot Camp Builds Community for
Broadband (StateScoop)
https://statescoop.com/tribal-wireless-boot-camp-builds-community-for-broadband/
34.
Survey: 40.2% Of Consumers Will Consider
Switching to Local Government Broadband When It Becomes Available. (Texas News
Today)
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY
35.
Data Breaches Cost More Than $4 Million Per
Incident, Power Industry at High Risk (Power Magazine)
36.
Data Center in Bend Oregon Valued at $15.7
Million Now for Sale (Digital Journal)
https://www.getnews.info/1150066/data-center-in-bend-oregon-valued-at-157-million-now-for-sale.html
PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
37.
British Columbia: More People Are Climbing
Dangerous Hydro Dams & Towers in Search of ‘Social Media Glory,’ Utility
Says (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-hydro-selfies-1.6122935
GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
38. Federal
Infrastructure Fight Finally Set: T’s Crossed, I’s Dotted (Associated Press)
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/It-s-in-and-big-Senators-produce-1T-16356576.php
39.
Greens Blast ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card’ for Fed
Hydro Giant Bonneville Power Administration (E&E News)
https://www.eenews.net/articles/greens-blast-get-out-of-jail-free-card-for-fed-hydro-giant/
40.
U.S. Rep. McMorris Rodgers Unveils Draft
Legislation to Strip Tech Companies of ‘Section 230’ Legal Protections (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jul/28/mcmorris-rodgers-unveils-draft-legislation-to-stri/
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
A Killer Whale Stranded
on Rocks in Alaska Was Saved After a Group of People Spotted It & Kept It
Wet Until the Tide Rose
https://www.insider.com/stranded-killer-whale-saved-group-kept-wet-until-tide-rose-2021-7
A British BMX Racer
Who Won Gold Had to Crowdfund Her Olympic Bid Because the UK Cut Her Funding to
Support Male Competitors
https://www.insider.com/team-gb-bmx-beth-shriever-crowdfunded-own-olympic-bid-2021-7
The Internet’s
Favorite Prank Just Reached an Epic Milestone
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rickroll-1-billion_n_61038046e4b0f9b5a231f7e1
William H. Macy Thinks
Ukuleles Can Save The World
https://www.sfgate.com/shopping/article/William-H-Macy-ukulele-save-the-world-16336040.php
SONG OF THE DAY
Rick Astley – Never Gonna
Give You Up
