Monday, April 11, 2022

The Energy News Digest for April 11, 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

Snow Falls on Much of the Region, Creating School Closures & Delays, Traffic Accidents & Power Outages (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/11/snow-falls-on-much-of-the-region-creating-school-closures-and-delays-traffic-accidents-and-power-outages/

Idaho Power Faces $1 Million Fine After Reporting Violations (Associated Press)

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/04/idaho-power-faces-1-million-fine-after-reporting-violations/

Montana: Colstrip Operator Talen Energy Reportedly Preparing for Bankruptcy (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/colstrip-operator-talen-energy-reportedly-preparing-for-bankruptcy/article_38f4706e-50b4-5675-a173-b307d14e7114.html

California: Coastal Commission Votes to Move Forward with Humboldt Offshore Wind Exploration (North Coast Journal, Eureka, CA)

https://www.northcoastjournal.com/NewsBlog/archives/2022/04/07/coastal-commission-votes-to-move-forward-with-humboldt-offshore-wind-exploration

An Epic Forecast for Bristol Bay Salmon Has Industry Leaders Worried It Will Be Too Much to Handle (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2022/04/06/an-epic-forecast-for-bristol-bay-salmon-has-industry-leaders-worried-it-will-be-too-much-to-handle/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Idaho Power Faces $1 Million Fine After Reporting Violations

2.      Montana: Colstrip Operator Talen Energy Reportedly Preparing for Bankruptcy

3.      Arizona: A Power Plant’s Expansion Plan Galls Environmentalists — And Sows Dread in a Black Enclave Next Door

4.      Utah: Logan City Considers Outsourcing Coal to Meet Power Demands

5.      Portland General Electric Moves to Condemn Property at Willamette Falls, Intensifying Tribal Dispute

6.      WA State Funds Research on Enloe Dam Removal

7.      WA State: Chelan PUD Plans for Growth in Wenatchee, Chelan, Leavenworth

8.      Oregon: La Pine Man Delivering Concrete Blocks Electrocuted When Boom Hits Power Lines

9.      U.S. Residential Electricity Expenditures Increased by $5 Per Month in 2021

10.   These Charts Show Where Electricity Costs Are Rising the Most

11.   U.S. Nuclear Electricity Generation Continues to Decline as More Reactors Retire

12.   Here Is Joe Biden’s Plan to Build a 21st-Century Power Grid

13.   Power Restored to 1.3 Million in Puerto Rico Amid Blackout

14.   Ukraine Nuclear Power Operator Says All Russian Forces Have Left Chernobyl

15.   Bonneville Power Administration Launches New Customer Portal Website

16.   News Release: Tapping Hydropower’s Potential: New Hydropower Prize Challenges Innovators to Improve Grid Reliability & Resiliency

17.   Guest Essay: Three Key Initiatives in Oregon’s Fight Against Climate Change

18.   Editorial: Override Inslee’s Snub of Bipartisanship & Rural WA State

19.   Earmarks – A New Source of Broadband Funding?

20.   California: Coastal Commission Votes to Move Forward with Humboldt Offshore Wind Exploration

21.   Seattle Developer Pushes for WA’s First Floating Offshore Wind Farm Off Olympic Peninsula

22.   Special Report: U.S. Solar Expansion Stalled by Rural Land-Use Protests

23.   Alaska: Assembly Considers Tax Exemption for Power Producers

24.   ORPC Partnering with Matanuska-Susitna Borough to Trial RivGen® Power System in Upper Cook Inlet

25.   WA State: Here’s How Affordable Housing & Affordable Solar Power Are Coming Together in Olympia

26.   Report By NERC & WECC Says Reduction of Solar Resources Could Cause Reliability Risks

27.   WA State: Snohomish PUD to Install High-Tech New Power Meters in 2023

28.   California Injects $40 Million Into Heat Pump Water Heater Effort Amid Broader Push to Decarbonize Buildings

29.   How Much Can You Really Save on Electricity by Unplugging Appliances?

30.   An Epic Forecast for Bristol Bay Salmon Has Industry Leaders Worried It Will Be Too Much to Handle

31.   $3 Million Will Help Tribes Study Salmon Reintroduction in the Upper Columbia Basin

32.   Fearing a Threat to Shellfish Industry, Washington Legislature Provides Funds for Kelp, Eelgrass Protection

33.   Latest UN Climate Change Report Shines New Light on Well-Documented Urban Mitigation Strategies

34.   Video: Crypto Industry Helps Write & Pass Its Own Agenda in State Capitols

35.   Microsoft’s CEO Warns of the Impact of All Those Late-Night Emails

36.   Elon Musk Isn’t Joining Twitter’s Board of Directors After All

37.   Snow Falls on Much of the Region, Creating School Closures & Delays, Traffic Accidents & Power Outages

38.   Workers Are Suing Their Bosses to Get Their Work-From-Home Costs Reimbursed

39.   Oregon’s Senators, Jeff Merkley & Ron Wyden, Score Federal Funding for 149 Home-State Projects, More Than All But 1 Other Senator

WORD OF THE DAY

Spelunking \spuh-LUNK-king\ Noun – The hobby or practice of exploring caves.

Howdy folks! Let’s go spelunking in Cave Junction Oregon!

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Idaho Power Faces $1 Million Fine After Reporting Violations (Associated Press)

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/04/idaho-power-faces-1-million-fine-after-reporting-violations/

2.      Montana: Colstrip Operator Talen Energy Reportedly Preparing for Bankruptcy (Billings Gazette, MT)

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/colstrip-operator-talen-energy-reportedly-preparing-for-bankruptcy/article_38f4706e-50b4-5675-a173-b307d14e7114.html

3.      Arizona: A Power Plant’s Expansion Plan Galls Environmentalists — And Sows Dread in a Black Enclave Next Door (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/arizona-power-plant-expansion-rcna23520

4.      Utah: Logan City Considers Outsourcing Coal to Meet Power Demands (Utah Public Radio)

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2022-04-08/logan-city-considers-outsourcing-coal-to-meet-power-demands

5.      Portland General Electric Moves to Condemn Property at Willamette Falls, Intensifying Tribal Dispute (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/08/portland-general-electric-moves-to-condemn-property-at-willamette-falls-intensifying-tribal-dispute/

6.      WA State Funds Research on Enloe Dam Removal (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

https://methowvalleynews.com/2022/04/06/state-funds-research-on-enloe-dam-removal/

7.      WA State: Chelan PUD Plans for Growth in Wenatchee, Chelan, Leavenworth (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/business/chelan-county-pud-plans-for-growth-in-wenatchee-chelan-leavenworth/article_92558eda-b53d-11ec-b184-fffebc4f2af5.html

8.      Oregon: La Pine Man Delivering Concrete Blocks Electrocuted When Boom Hits Power Lines (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

https://ktvz.com/news/accidents-crashes/2022/04/08/la-pine-man-electrocuted-while-delivering-concrete-blocks/

9.      U.S. Residential Electricity Expenditures Increased by $5 Per Month in 2021 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51958

10.   These Charts Show Where Electricity Costs Are Rising the Most (NASDAQ)

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/these-charts-show-where-electricity-costs-are-rising-the-most

11.   U.S. Nuclear Electricity Generation Continues to Decline as More Reactors Retire (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51978

12.   Here Is Joe Biden’s Plan to Build a 21st-Century Power Grid (Energy Monitor)

https://www.energymonitor.ai/tech/networks-grids/here-is-joe-bidens-plan-to-build-a-21st-century-power-grid

13.   Power Restored to 1.3 Million in Puerto Rico Amid Blackout (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/international/3263251-power-restored-to-1-3m-in-puerto-rico-amid-blackout/

14.   Ukraine Nuclear Power Operator Says All Russian Forces Have Left Chernobyl (Radio Free Europe)

https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-russian-forces-leave/31780044.html

15.   Bonneville Power Administration Launches New Customer Portal Website (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20220410-bpa-launches-new-customer-website

16.   News Release: Tapping Hydropower’s Potential: New Hydropower Prize Challenges Innovators to Improve Grid Reliability & Resiliency (National Renewable Energy Lab)

https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2022/hydropower-operations-optimization-prize.html

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

17.   Guest Essay: Three Key Initiatives in Oregon’s Fight Against Climate Change (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2022/04/opinion-three-key-initiatives-in-oregons-fight-against-climate-change.html

18.   Editorial: Override Inslee’s Snub of Bipartisanship & Rural WA State (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/override-inslees-snub-of-bipartisanship-and-rural-wa/

19.   Earmarks – A New Source of Broadband Funding? (Pots & Pans)

https://potsandpansbyccg.com/2022/04/07/earmarks-a-new-source-of-broadband-funding/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

20.   California: Coastal Commission Votes to Move Forward with Humboldt Offshore Wind Exploration (North Coast Journal, Eureka, CA)

https://www.northcoastjournal.com/NewsBlog/archives/2022/04/07/coastal-commission-votes-to-move-forward-with-humboldt-offshore-wind-exploration

Offshore Wind Farm Off Olympic Peninsula (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/envirooff-olympic-peninsula/

 nment/seattle-developer-pushes-for-was-first-floating-offshore-wind-farm-

22.   Special Report: U.S. Solar Expansion Stalled by Rural Land-Use Protests (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-solar-expansion-stalled-by-rural-land-use-protests-2022-04-07/

23.   Alaska: Assembly Considers Tax Exemption for Power Producers (KDLL Radio, Kenai, AK)

https://www.kdll.org/local-news/2022-04-08/assembly-floats-tax-exemption-for-power-producers

24.   ORPC Partnering with Matanuska-Susitna Borough to Trial RivGen® Power System in Upper Cook Inlet (Ocean Renewable Power Company)

https://www.orpc.co/media/news/orpc-partnering-with-matanuska-susitna-borough-to-trial-rivgen-power-system-in-upper-cook-inlet

25.   WA State: Here’s How Affordable Housing & Affordable Solar Power Are Coming Together in Olympia (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article260150895.html

26.   Report By NERC & WECC Says Reduction of Solar Resources Could Cause Reliability Risks (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/34552-report-by-nerc-and-wecc-says-reduction-of-solar-resources-could-cause-reliability-risks/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

27.   WA State: Snohomish PUD to Install High-Tech New Power Meters in 2023 (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/life/snohomish-pud-to-install-high-tech-new-power-meters-in-2023/

28.   California Injects $40 Million Into Heat Pump Water Heater Effort Amid Broader Push to Decarbonize Buildings (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-injects-40m-into-heat-pump-water-heater-effort-amid-broader-pus/621869/

29.   How Much Can You Really Save on Electricity by Unplugging Appliances? (C|Net)

https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/how-much-can-you-really-save-on-electricity-by-unplugging-appliances/

FISH & WILDLIFE

30.   An Epic Forecast for Bristol Bay Salmon Has Industry Leaders Worried It Will Be Too Much to Handle (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2022/04/06/an-epic-forecast-for-bristol-bay-salmon-has-industry-leaders-worried-it-will-be-too-much-to-handle/

31.   $3 Million Will Help Tribes Study Salmon Reintroduction in the Upper Columbia Basin (Northwest News Network)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/2022-04-08/3-million-will-help-tribes-study-salmon-reintroduction-in-the-upper-columbia-basin

32.   Fearing a Threat to Shellfish Industry, Washington Legislature Provides Funds for Kelp, Eelgrass Protection (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/apr/11/fearing-a-threat-to-shellfish-industry-washington-/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

33.   Latest UN Climate Change Report Shines New Light on Well-Documented Urban Mitigation Strategies (Utility Dive)

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/ipcc-climate-mitigation-report-cities-transport-buildings/621543/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

34.   Video: Crypto Industry Helps Write & Pass Its Own Agenda in State Capitols (YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo-k-3P4Tlc

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

35.   Microsoft’s CEO Warns of the Impact of All Those Late-Night Emails (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-07/microsoft-ceo-warns-of-the-impact-of-all-those-late-night-emails

36.   Elon Musk Isn’t Joining Twitter’s Board of Directors After All (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-board-directors-join

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

37.   Snow Falls on Much of the Region, Creating School Closures & Delays, Traffic Accidents & Power Outages (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/11/snow-falls-on-much-of-the-region-creating-school-closures-and-delays-traffic-accidents-and-power-outages/

38.   Workers Are Suing Their Bosses to Get Their Work-From-Home Costs Reimbursed (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-04-07/covid-work-from-home-lawsuits-pandemic-business-expenses-litigation

39.   Oregon’s Senators, Jeff Merkley & Ron Wyden, Score Federal Funding for 149 Home-State Projects, More Than All But 1 Other Senator (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/04/oregons-senators-jeff-merkley-and-ron-wyden-score-federal-funding-for-149-home-state-projects-more-than-all-but-1-other-senator.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Comic Helvetic, an Unholy Combo of Comic Sans & Helvetica

https://kottke.org/22/04/comic-helvetic-comic-sans-and-helvetica

Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride Is Back This Summer

https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2022/04/portlands-world-naked-bike-ride-is-back-this-summer.html

Grays Harbor Designated as a ‘Sasquatch Protection & Refuge Area’

https://www.kxro.com/grays-harbor-designated-as-a-sasquatch-protection-and-refuge-area/

National Pet Day Started in 2006 to Celebrate Animals, Encourage Adoption

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/04/11/National-Pet-Day-started-2006/3851649692750/

SONG OF THE DAY

Cat Stevens – Wild World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBA1jocMvnc