Wednesday, November 3, 2021

The Energy News Digest for November 3, 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

Cascade Mountains Heading Toward a Future with Little to No Snowpack, New Analysis Suggests (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/03/snowpack-cascades-climate-change/

California: Pacific Gas & Electric Slapped with $125 Million Penalty for Sparking 2019 Kincade Fire (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/pge-slapped-with-125m-penalty-for-sparking-2019-kincade-fire/

‘Is This Really Green?’ The Fight Over Solar Farms in the Mojave Desert (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-11-03/the-mojave-desert-is-prime-real-estate-for-solar-power

Migrating Birds Skip Dry Klamath Refuges, Disrupting Annual Migration (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/02/migrating-birds-skip-dry-klamath-refuges-disrupting-annual-migration/

Oregon: The Dalles Sues to Keep Google’s Water Use a Secret (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2021/11/the-dalles-sues-to-keep-googles-water-use-a-secret.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California: Pacific Gas & Electric Slapped with $125 Million Penalty for Sparking 2019 Kincade Fire

2.      SoCal Edison Moving Customers to New ‘Time-of-Use’ Rate Plans That Will Charge More Between 4 – 9 PM

3.      WA State: Natural Gas Rates in Tri-Cities to Jump 18% as Cold Weather Hits

4.      Seattle City Light Restarts Turbines After Rockslides at Diablo Dam

5.      WA State: Vandalism Cuts Power to Thousands of Puyallup Area Residents Overnight Tuesday

6.      Tribes Protest N-Reactor Project on Hanford Site

7.      Tribal Groups: Arizona Corp Commission Giving Token Funding for Coal Plant Closure

8.      WA State Rep. Schoesler (R-Ritzville) Critical of Study Looking at Removal of Snake River Dams

9.      Idaho Power Sees Customer Gains as State Grows

10.   The Energy Authority, Pacific Northwest Public Power Utilities in Strategic Partnership

11.   Alaska: Study Sheds Light on Electrifying Cruise Ship Docks

12.   Maine Voters Reject Quebec Hydropower Transmission Line

13.   Jellyfish Invasion Causes Shutdown of UK Nuclear Power Plant

14.   Senate Committee Advances Willie Phillips as Decisive FERC Vote

15.   Analysis: In Washington State, The Tide Might Be Turning on Breaching Snake River Dams

16.   Editorial: Removing Snake River Dams Could Aid Fish, Economy

17.   Essay: Salmon Suction

18.   Guest Essay: Competition in Electricity Markets Lowers Bills — But Most States Don’t Allow That

19.   ‘Is This Really Green?’ The Fight Over Solar Farms in the Mojave Desert

20.   Utility’s Study Could ‘Determine Future of Solar in Idaho’

21.   Rural Alaska Coop Switches from Diesel Gensets to Solar Microgrid

22.   Norway in Legal Quandary After Wind Turbines Ruled a Threat to Reindeer Herder Rights

23.   California Proposes Demand Response, Other Measures to Shore Up Summer Grid Reliability

24.   Migrating Birds Skip Dry Klamath Refuges, Disrupting Annual Migration

25.   WA Fish Researchers Use Tiny Sensors & Other Tech to Save Salmon

26.   Baleen Whales Eat Far More Than Once Thought

27.   EPA Ability to Regulate Power Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Risk as Supreme Court Takes Case, Analysts Say

28.   California: Tiny Seedlings of Giant Sequoias Rise from Ashes of Wildfire at Sequoia Crest

29.   Oregon: The Dalles Sues to Keep Google’s Water Use a Secret

30.   California Farm Town Lurches from No Water to Polluted Water

31.   Cascade Mountains Heading Toward a Future with Little to No Snowpack, New Analysis Suggests

32.   Seattle Mayor Proposes New Climate Measures to Tackle Pollution from Traffic & Buildings

33.   Settlement Negotiations Fail Between Oregon Climate Activists & Government Attorneys

34.   Amazon Ready to Begin Building Its World-Encircling Network of Satellites

35.   Yahoo Pulls Out of China, Citing ‘Challenging’ Environment

36.   Facebook Is Shutting Down Its Face Recognition System

37.   Video: How the Power Grid Keeps America Moving

38.   Cynic Alert: BP Warns Of ‘Tight’ Gas Market Ahead as Profits Surge

39.   Is Winter Coming? Weekend Storms Could Bring Snow to Western Washington Passes

40.   A Very Stormy November Ahead

WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Noodge /nooj/ transitive verbm or noun – To pester or nag. One who pesters or nags.

Four-Legged Barbecue Pests

Nature’s perfect noodge

Lurks under picnic table

Begging, chubby dog

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California: Pacific Gas & Electric Slapped with $125 Million Penalty for Sparking 2019 Kincade Fire (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/pge-slapped-with-125m-penalty-for-sparking-2019-kincade-fire/

2.      SoCal Edison Moving Customers to New ‘Time-of-Use’ Rate Plans That Will Charge More Between 4 – 9 PM (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/socal-edison-moving-customers-to-new-time-of-use-rate-plans-that-will-charge-more-between-4-9-p-m/

3.      WA State: Natural Gas Rates in Tri-Cities to Jump 18% as Cold Weather Hits (MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/natural-gas-rates-in-tri-cities-to-jump-18-as-cold-weather-hits/ar-AAQfHhR

4.      Seattle City Light Restarts Turbines After Rockslides at Diablo Dam (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-city-light-restarts-turbines-after-rockslides-at-diablo-dam/281-0a778c9b-0eb8-493f-b240-689456aba65f

5.      WA State: Vandalism Cuts Power to Thousands of Puyallup Area Residents Overnight Tuesday (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/puyallup-power-outage-outage-vandalism/281-f882a545-d016-4dba-9282-acae692aec17

6.      Tribes Protest N-Reactor Project on Hanford Site (Public News Service)

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-10-28/native-american/tribes-protest-n-reactor-project-on-hanford-site/a76265-1

7.      Tribal Groups: Arizona Corp Commission Giving Token Funding for Coal Plant Closure (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/business-arizona-87e0693c5df48296689caa986efcc6fb

WA State Rep. Schoesler (R-Ritzville) Critical of Study Looking at Removal of Snake River Dams (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)

8.      https://www.pnwag.net/2021/11/01/schoesler-critical-of-study-looking-at-removal-of-snake-river-dams/

9.      Idaho Power Sees Customer Gains as State Grows (KIVI-TV, Boise, ID)

https://www.kivitv.com/news/idaho-power-sees-customer-gains-as-state-grows

10.   The Energy Authority, Pacific Northwest Public Power Utilities in Strategic Partnership (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/energy-authority-northwest-public-power-utilities-strategic-partnership

11.   Alaska: Study Sheds Light on Electrifying Cruise Ship Docks (Juneau Empire, AK)

https://www.juneauempire.com/news/study-sheds-light-of-electrifying-cruise-ship-docks/

12.   Maine Voters Reject Quebec Hydropower Transmission Line (Yahoo News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/maine-voters-reject-quebec-hydropower-112512509.html

13.   Jellyfish Invasion Causes Shutdown of UK Nuclear Power Plant (The Weather Network)

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/jellyfish-invasion-causes-shutdown-of-uk-nuclear-power-plant

14.   Senate Committee Advances Willie Phillips as Decisive FERC Vote (Bloomberg News)

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/senate-committee-advances-willie-phillips-as-decisive-ferc-vote

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

15.   Analysis: In Washington State, The Tide Might Be Turning on Breaching Snake River Dams (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/analysis-washington-state-tide-might-110000860.html

16.   Editorial: Removing Snake River Dams Could Aid Fish, Economy (Everett Herald – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-removing-snake-river-dams-could-aid-fish-economy/

17.   Essay: Salmon Suction (Ag Info Network)

https://www.aginfo.net/report/51200/Sportsman-s-Spotlight/Salmon-Suction

18.   Guest Essay: Competition in Electricity Markets Lowers Bills — But Most States Don’t Allow That (Market Watch)

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/to-lower-energy-bills-more-states-must-allow-competition-in-electricity-markets-11635789548

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

19.   ‘Is This Really Green?’ The Fight Over Solar Farms in the Mojave Desert (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-11-03/the-mojave-desert-is-prime-real-estate-for-solar-power

20.   Utility’s Study Could ‘Determine Future of Solar in Idaho’ (Public News Service)

https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-11-01/energy-policy/utilitys-study-could-determine-future-of-solar-in-id/a76320-1

21.   Rural Alaska Coop Switches from Diesel Gensets to Solar Microgrid (Transmission & Distribution World)

https://www.tdworld.com/distributed-energy-resources/article/21179786/rural-alaska-coop-switches-from-diesel-gensets-to-solar-microgrid

22.   Norway in Legal Quandary After Wind Turbines Ruled a Threat to Reindeer Herder Rights (Yahoo News)

https://news.yahoo.com/norway-legal-quandary-wind-turbines-145719341.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

23.   California Proposes Demand Response, Other Measures to Shore Up Summer Grid Reliability (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-grid-reliability-2022-2023-summer/609261/

FISH & WILDLIFE

24.   Migrating Birds Skip Dry Klamath Refuges, Disrupting Annual Migration (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/02/migrating-birds-skip-dry-klamath-refuges-disrupting-annual-migration/

25.   WA Fish Researchers Use Tiny Sensors & Other Tech to Save Salmon (Crosscut Seattle, WA)

https://crosscut.com/environment/2021/10/wa-fish-researchers-use-tiny-sensors-and-other-tech-save-salmon

26.   Baleen Whales Eat Far More Than Once Thought (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/baleen-whales-eat-far-more-than-once-thought/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

27.   EPA Ability to Regulate Power Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions at Risk as Supreme Court Takes Case, Analysts Say (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/epa-power-ghg-emissions-climate-supreme-court/609303/

28.   California: Tiny Seedlings of Giant Sequoias Rise from Ashes of Wildfire at Sequoia Crest (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://ktla.com/news/california/tiny-seedlings-of-giant-sequoias-rise-from-ashes-of-wildfire-at-sequoia-crest/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

29.   Oregon: The Dalles Sues to Keep Google’s Water Use a Secret (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2021/11/the-dalles-sues-to-keep-googles-water-use-a-secret.html

30.   California Farm Town Lurches from No Water to Polluted Water (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-farm-town-lurches-no-water-polluted-water-2021-11-02/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

31.   Cascade Mountains Heading Toward a Future with Little to No Snowpack, New Analysis Suggests (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/03/snowpack-cascades-climate-change/

32.   Seattle Mayor Proposes New Climate Measures to Tackle Pollution from Traffic & Buildings (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/seattle-mayor-jenny-durkan-announces-new-climate-policies-at-cop26-in-scotland

33.   Settlement Negotiations Fail Between Oregon Climate Activists & Government Attorneys (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/02/settlement-negotiations-fail-between-oregon-climate-activists-and-government-attorneys/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

34.   Amazon Ready to Begin Building Its World-Encircling Network of Satellites (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://kuow.org/stories/amazon-ready-to-begin-building-its-world-encircling-network-of-satellites

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

35.   Yahoo Pulls Out of China, Citing ‘Challenging’ Environment (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/11/02/yahoo-pulls-out-of-china-citing-challenging-environment/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

36.   Facebook Is Shutting Down Its Face Recognition System (Engadget)

https://www.engadget.com/facebook-shuts-down-face-recognition-171737198.html?.tsrc=1013

37.   Video: How the Power Grid Keeps America Moving (U.S. Department of Energy)

https://www.energy.gov/oe/articles/how-power-grid-keeps-america-moving

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

38.   Cynic Alert: BP Warns Of ‘Tight’ Gas Market Ahead as Profits Surge (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-europe-health-earnings-55c3b883969eab88af04053b1e4b81e5

39.   Is Winter Coming? Weekend Storms Could Bring Snow to Western Washington Passes (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/is-winter-coming-weekend-storms-could-bring-snow-to-western-washington-passes/281-9ae7943f-7594-4561-aaca-0e77567a1157

40.   A Very Stormy November Ahead (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-very-stormy-november-ahead.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

15 Kids Get Adopted While Wearing Halloween Costumes in Adorable Courthouse Ceremony

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/15-kids-adopted-while-wearing-162622928.html?.tsrc=1013

Ancient Comet May Have Turned Chilean Desert into Glass

https://gizmodo.com/ancient-comet-may-have-turned-chilean-desert-into-glass-1847991000

Rare (and Smelly) Corpse Flower Blooms in San Diego for First Time in Years

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/11/02/corpse-flower-San-Diego/8331635875226/

Overdue Book Returned to British Library after 50 Years

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/11/02/Cambridge-University-Trinity-Hall-Jerwood-Library-overdue-book-50-years/3301635878051/

SONG OF THE DAY

Blondie - Heart of Glass (Disco Version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNeCMEESdn0