Wednesday, January 5, 2022

The Energy News Digest for January 5, 2022

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 Drought: Power Plant at Oroville Dam Resumes Operation After Lake Levels Rise (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-drought-power-plant-at-oroville-dam-resumes-operation-after-lake-levels-rise/38668590

Pacific Gas & Electric Blamed for Massive Northern California Wildfire (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-california-california-department-of-forestry-and-fire-protection-ef391a73b5d411bc773eea1d2c661acd

More Water Cuts AZ, NV, CA Try to Keep Lake Mead Levels Up (KXNV-TV, Phoenix, AZ)

https://www.abc15.com/weather/impact-earth/more-water-cuts-az-nv-ca-try-to-keep-lake-mead-levels-up

2021 Ranks as Fifth Hottest Year, with More Data Coming Soon (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-04/2021-ranks-as-fifth-hottest-year-with-more-data-coming-soon

Off Washington State’s Coast, Crabbers Get Early Start to Season, Haul in Bounty of Dungeness Crab (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/off-washington-states-coast-crabbers-get-early-start-to-season-haul-in-bounty-of-dungeness-crab/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California Drought: Power Plant at Oroville Dam Resumes Operation After Lake Levels Rise

2.      Pacific Gas & Electric Blamed for Massive Northern California Wildfire

3.      California: Nevada County Considers Bringing in Truck Showers for Residents as Power Outage Continues

4.      Montana: Effort to Reverse New State Nuclear Power Bill Fails

5.      Idaho Power Cuts Coal by 2028 in Plan to State Regulators

6.      California: Court Advances South San Joaquin Irrigation District Bid to Replace Pacific Gas & Electric as Local Power Provider

7.      PNM Resources, Avangrid File Appeal with New Mexico Supreme Court on Merger Rejection

8.      WEST TRACKER: Winter Weather, Higher Demand, Gas Prices Drive Up Power Prices

9.      I-5 Street Lights Continuously Out, Oregon DOT Blames Vandals ‘Determined to Rip Off Taxpayers’

10.   Editorial: Too Few Have Internet Access; That’s Set to Change

11.   Guest Essay: Not So Fast on the Push for Electric Vehicles

12.   California: Virtual Meeting This Week on Proposed Morro Bay Offshore Wind Project

13.   As U.S. Moves Toward Solar Energy, This Roofing Company Hopes ‘Solar Shingles’ Will Get Homeowners to Buy In

14.   Midwest U.S. Farmers Are Split on Whether to Use Farmland for Big Solar Plans

15.   Why This Rebel Rural Community in North-East Spain Is Fighting Back Against Wind Farms

16.   Off Washington State’s Coast, Crabbers Get Early Start to Season, Haul in Bounty of Dungeness Crab

17.   Good Ocean Conditions Could Be Good News for Salmon, NOAA Says

18.   Fish Recovery Success: Chub No Longer Endangered

19.   Canada: ‘We’re Making Babies’: After Years in Decline, Okanagan Salmon Are Back

20.   Broken Sewer Line Spills Millions of Gallons of Waste into Streets of California City

21.   More Water Cuts AZ, NV, CA Try to Keep Lake Mead Levels Up

22.   California Adopts Drought Rules Outlawing Water Wasting, with Fines of Up to $500

23.   2021 Ranks as Fifth Hottest Year, with More Data Coming Soon

24.   Climate Change Could Lead to Blackouts, Higher Power Costs on West Coast

25.   AT&T, Verizon Delay Their 5G Rollout Plans Over Fears of Airline Interference

26.   Three Ways Remote Work Could Remake America

27.   Idaho: Hailey to Consider New Building Density, Electric-Vehicle Charging Requirements

28.   Did Washington Football Team’s New Name Leak? This Website May Offer Clues to 2022 Unveiling

29.   Decades Ago, Movies Imagined a Futuristic 2022

30.   Five Dead, Nearly 850,000 without Power as Fierce Storm Lashes South, Mid-Atlantic with Heavy Snow

31.   Alaska Windstorm Leaves Thousands Without Power amid Below Freezing Temperatures

32.   Mason County, WA Buried in Snow, Downed Power Lines

33.   Hood River, OR Residents Dig Out of Three Feet of Snow

34.   Another Chance of Snow Wednesday for Puget Sound Region

35.   Thursday Storm Likely Will Bring Spokane’s Largest Snow of the Winter So Far

36.   WA State House Returns to Mostly Remote Session Amid COVID Spike

WORD OF THE DAY - HEINOUSLY HORRIBLE HAIKU

Heinous \HAY-nuss\ Adjective – Hatefully or shockingly evil: abominable

Abominable

The synonym of heinous

Yeti’s alias

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California Drought: Power Plant at Oroville Dam Resumes Operation After Lake Levels Rise (KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-drought-power-plant-at-oroville-dam-resumes-operation-after-lake-levels-rise/38668590

2.      Pacific Gas & Electric Blamed for Massive Northern California Wildfire (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-and-nature-california-california-department-of-forestry-and-fire-protection-ef391a73b5d411bc773eea1d2c661acd

3.      California: Nevada County Considers Bringing in Truck Showers for Residents as Power Outage Continues (KMAX-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2022/01/05/power-outage-portable-showers-foothills/

4.      Montana: Effort to Reverse New State Nuclear Power Bill Fails (Helena Independent-Record, MT)

https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/effort-to-reverse-new-state-nuclear-power-bill-fails/article_55a37aaa-1f75-5c7f-8a1f-9f6cc505282c.html

5.      Idaho Power Cuts Coal by 2028 in Plan to State Regulators (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-business-idaho-utilities-3c46e97474785fba1e91bd7f6ef4d869

6.      California: Court Advances South San Joaquin Irrigation District Bid to Replace Pacific Gas & Electric as Local Power Provider (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/court-advances-south-san-joaquin-irrigation-district-bid-replace-pge-local-power-provider

7.      PNM Resources, Avangrid File Appeal with New Mexico Supreme Court on Merger Rejection (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/33328-pnm-resources-avangrid-file-appeal-with-new-mexico-supreme-court-on-merger-rejection/?amp

8.      WEST TRACKER: Winter Weather, Higher Demand, Gas Prices Drive Up Power Prices (S&P Global)

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/010422-west-tracker-winter-weather-higher-demand-gas-prices-drive-up-power-prices

9.      I-5 Street Lights Continuously Out, Oregon DOT Blames Vandals ‘Determined to Rip Off Taxpayers’ (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

https://katu.com/news/following-the-money/street-lights-on-i-5-continuously-out-odot-blames-vandals

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

10.   Editorial: Too Few Have Internet Access; That’s Set to Change (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-too-few-have-internet-access-thats-set-to-change/

11.   Guest Essay: Not So Fast on the Push for Electric Vehicles (The Battleground Reflector, WA)

https://www.thereflector.com/stories/don-brunell-commentary-not-so-fast-on-the-push-for-electric-vehicles,281737

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

12.   California: Virtual Meeting This Week on Proposed Morro Bay Offshore Wind Project (KBSY-TV, San Luis Obispo, CA)

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/virtual-meeting-this-week-on-proposed-morro-bay-offshore-wind-project

13.   As U.S. Moves Toward Solar Energy, This Roofing Company Hopes ‘Solar Shingles’ Will Get Homeowners to Buy In (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/01/03/solar-energy-roof-shingles-climate/

14.   Midwest U.S. Farmers Are Split on Whether to Use Farmland for Big Solar Plans (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/29/1068895517/midwest-farmers-are-split-on-whether-to-use-farmland-for-big-solar-plans

15.   Why This Rebel Rural Community in North-East Spain Is Fighting Back Against Wind Farms (Euronews)

https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/12/30/why-rebel-rural-community-north-east-spain-fighting-against-wind-farms

FISH & WILDLIFE

16.   Off Washington State’s Coast, Crabbers Get Early Start to Season, Haul in Bounty of Dungeness Crab (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/off-washington-states-coast-crabbers-get-early-start-to-season-haul-in-bounty-of-dungeness-crab/

17.   Good Ocean Conditions Could Be Good News for Salmon, NOAA Says (Northwest News Network)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/2022-01-04/good-ocean-conditions-could-be-good-news-for-salmon-noaa-says

18.   Fish Recovery Success: Chub No Longer Endangered (Western Area Power Administration – News Release)

https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2021/Pages/recovery-success-chub-no-longer-endangered.aspx

19.   Canada: ‘We’re Making Babies’: After Years in Decline, Okanagan Salmon Are Back (National Observer, Canada)

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/01/04/latest-news/years-decline-okanagan-salmon-back

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

20.   Broken Sewer Line Spills Millions of Gallons of Waste into Streets of California City (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/03/broken-sewer-line-spills-waste-into-california-city

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

21.   More Water Cuts AZ, NV, CA Try to Keep Lake Mead Levels Up (KXNV-TV, Phoenix, AZ)

https://www.abc15.com/weather/impact-earth/more-water-cuts-az-nv-ca-try-to-keep-lake-mead-levels-up

22.   California Adopts Drought Rules Outlawing Water Wasting, with Fines of Up to $500 (Los Angeles Times, CA)

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2022-01-04/california-adopts-drought-rules-outlawing-water-wasting

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

23.   2021 Ranks as Fifth Hottest Year, with More Data Coming Soon (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-04/2021-ranks-as-fifth-hottest-year-with-more-data-coming-soon

24.   Climate Change Could Lead to Blackouts, Higher Power Costs on West Coast (NC State News, Raleigh, NC)

https://news.ncsu.edu/2022/01/climate-change-could-lead-to-blackouts-higher-power-costs-on-west-coast/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

25.   AT&T, Verizon Delay Their 5G Rollout Plans Over Fears of Airline Interference (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/at-t-verizon-delay-their-5g-rollout-plans-over-fears-o-1848300464

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

26.   Three Ways Remote Work Could Remake America (Vox)

https://www.vox.com/22839563/remote-work-climate-change-house-prices-cities

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

27.   Idaho: Hailey to Consider New Building Density, Electric-Vehicle Charging Requirements (Idaho Mountain Express, Ketchum. ID)

https://www.mtexpress.com/news/hailey/hailey-p-z-to-consider-new-building-density-electric-vehicle-charging-requirements/article_442ec284-6cb4-11ec-b306-0b4d18c0cf08.html

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

28.   Did Washington Football Team’s New Name Leak? This Website May Offer Clues to 2022 Unveiling (CBS Sports)

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/did-washington-football-teams-new-name-leak-this-website-may-offer-clues-to-2022-unveiling/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

29.   Decades Ago, Movies Imagined a Futuristic 2022 (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/04/1070110448/2022-movies-past-future-soylent-green

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

30.   Five Dead, Nearly 850,000 without Power as Fierce Storm Lashes South, Mid-Atlantic with Heavy Snow (USA Today – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/5-dead-nearly-850k-without-power-as-fierce-storm-lashes-south-mid-atlantic-with-heavy-snow/ar-AASnVfF

31.   Alaska Windstorm Leaves Thousands Without Power amid Below Freezing Temperatures (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/US/alaska-windstorm-leaves-thousands-power-amid-freezing-temperatures/story?id=82070965

32.   Mason County, WA Buried in Snow, Downed Power Lines (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3299745/mason-county-snow-downed-power-lines/

33.   Hood River, OR Residents Dig Out of Three Feet of Snow (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/hood-river-residents-dig-out-three-feet-snow/283-3238bd94-15e7-4d5a-816f-4dfe348d58c9

34.   Another Chance of Snow Wednesday for Puget Sound Region (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3301258/early-january-rain-snow-weather-puget-sound/

35.   Thursday Storm Likely Will Bring Spokane’s Largest Snow of the Winter So Far (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/04/thursday-storm-likely-will-bring-spokanes-largest-/

36.   WA State House Returns to Mostly Remote Session Amid COVID Spike (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-washington-82e41736ba9363d557b7cc60dec385fd

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

How Hobbies Infiltrated American Life

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2022/01/history-hobbies-america-productivity-leisure/621150/?utm_source=feed

California Woman Marries the Color Pink in Las Vegas Wedding

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/01/california-woman-to-marry-the-color-pink-in-las-vegas-wedding/

One of the Creators of Google Glass Is Experimenting with a Smart Retainer for Texting with Your Tongue

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/richardnieva/google-glass-creator-is-experimenting-with-a-smart-retainer

Newborn California Twins Have Different Birthdays -- And Different Birth Years

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/01/04/twins-born-different-years/2441641295696/

SONG OF THE DAY

New Main Street Singers, The Folksmen, and Mitch & Mickey – Mighty Wind is Blowin’ (A Mighty Wind Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVh0Iq_85aw