Monday, May 9, 2022

The Energy News Digest for May 9, 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 Prepares for Energy Shortfalls in Hot, Dry Summer (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-utilities-california-public-commission-27f0c5cfa34a09719faad47c5d30141c

White House Announces a Program to Make High-Speed Internet Cheaper for Millions of Americans (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/biden-cheap-internet-acp

Amazon Seeks Tax Breaks for 5 New Data Centers, Worth $12 Billion, in Remote Oregon County (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2022/05/amazon-seeks-tax-breaks-for-5-new-data-centers-worth-12-billion-in-remote-oregon-county.html

Fishermen, Trawlers, & Biologists Speak Out on Wind Farm Development on Oregon Coast (KPIC-TV, Roseburg, OR)

https://kpic.com/news/local/fisherman-trawlers-biologists-speak-out-on-wind-farm-development-on-oregon-coast

Big Factory for Electric Car Battery Materials Coming to Moses Lake, Washington (Northwest News Network)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/economy-business-finance-and-labor/2022-05-03/big-factory-for-electric-car-battery-materials-coming-to-moses-lake-washington

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California Prepares for Energy Shortfalls in Hot, Dry Summer

2.      California: Gov. Newsom Open to Extending Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant’s Life – Analysts Differ on Feasibility & Need

3.      Arizona Nuclear Plant Seeking Alternative Source of Water

4.      Pacific Power Proposes 25 Percent Rate Increase in Northern California

5.      On Natural Gas Impacts – U.S. Utility Bills Could Jump 40% on Energy Rally, Barclays Says

6.      WA State: Chelan County PUD Commissioners Delay Decision on Crypto Rate

7.      Giving Old Dams New Life Could Spark an Energy Boom

8.      WA State: Research on Potential Removal of Enloe Dam Ramping Up

9.      Petition to Remove Lower Snake River Dams Gets 1,000 Signatures

10.   News Release: Alaska – AEA, Railbelt Utilities Pursue Kenai Peninsula’s Largest Hydropower Project in 30 Years

11.   Pacific NW Electric Utility 101: Electricity Generation & Consumption

12.   Columbia River ‘At Tipping Point’ Warns Longtime Conservation Leader

13.   Can FERC Convince Utilities to Build Modern Transmission Systems?

14.   The Internet Saved Us in the Pandemic; Let’s Make It a Human Right

15.   Fishermen, Trawlers, & Biologists Speak Out on Wind Farm Development on Oregon Coast

16.   Investigation Into Solar Tariffs Could Threaten U.S. 2035 Clean Energy Goal, Says DOE’s Granholm

17.   Utilities Push Back Against Growth of Rooftop Solar Panels

18.   Standing on the Continental Divide, Where Wind Energy Could Reshape the West

19.   Heat Pumps Do Work in the Cold — Americans Just Don’t Know It Yet

20.   DOE Updates Water Heater Rule for First Time in Two Decades

21.   PCEF Awards Another $6.3 Million to Install Cooling Units in the Homes of Vulnerable Portlanders

22.   Energy Trust, Oregon Agencies Offer New Support & Savings for Wildfire Victims

23.   Indigenous Carvers’ Totem Pole to Journey Across Pacific Northwest to Bolster Dam-Removal Movement

24.   To Refine Water Forecasts, Western Cities Map Snow by Plane

25.   WA State: Largest Irrigation Project in the Yakima River Basin to Receive $3.74 Million in Funding

26.   White House Announces a Program to Make High-Speed Internet Cheaper for Millions of Americans

27.   Telecom Groups End Fight Against California Net Neutrality

28.   Frontier Lied About Internet Speeds & “Ripped Off Customers,” FTC Says

29.   American Association of Public Broadband Formed to Promote Municipal Networks

30.   Amazon Seeks Tax Breaks for 5 New Data Centers, Worth $12 Billion, in Remote Oregon County

31.   Big Factory for Electric Car Battery Materials Coming to Moses Lake, Washington

32.   New York Times Apologizes After Wordle of the Day Is ‘Fetus’

33.   More Than 2,200 Dams in the U.S. Are in Poor Condition, Posing Danger to Communities

34.   More Human Remains Found in Lake Mead amid Historic Low Water Levels

35.   The Coldest April in the Satellite Record over the Pacific Northwest

WORD OF THE DAY

Hubris /HYOO-briss/ Noun – Exaggerated pride or self-confidence

“Don’t get too excited,” chirped Euripides to his overproud assistant. “Just because your poetry is being quoted in the Athenian marketplace today, doesn’t mean you won’t be cursed around town tomorrow.”

“Beware of hubris,” he warned. “Those whom the gods would destroy they first raise up.”

(That’s not the exact quote, but it is in the same vein: “Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad.”)

Or “Pride goeth before a fall...”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California Prepares for Energy Shortfalls in Hot, Dry Summer (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-environment-utilities-california-public-commission-27f0c5cfa34a09719faad47c5d30141c

2.      California: Gov. Newsom Open to Extending Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant’s Life – Analysts Differ on Feasibility & Need (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/analysts-differ-on-feasibility-need-to-extend-diablo-canyon-california-nuclear-plant/623214/

3.      Arizona Nuclear Plant Seeking Alternative Source of Water (Santa Fe New Mexican, NM)

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/arizona-nuclear-plant-seeking-alternative-source-of-water/article_bc79c84f-a351-5015-ba5c-d2edf879dfac.html

4.      Pacific Power Proposes 25 Percent Rate Increase in Northern California (Jefferson Public Radio, Ashland, OR)

https://www.ijpr.org/economy-and-finance/2022-05-06/pacific-power-proposes-25-percent-rate-increase-in-northern-california

5.      On Natural Gas Impacts – U.S. Utility Bills Could Jump 40% on Energy Rally, Barclays Says (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-04/u-s-utility-bills-could-jump-40-on-energy-rally-barclays-says

6.      WA State: Chelan County PUD Commissioners Delay Decision on Crypto Rate (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/business/chelan-county-pud-commissioners-delay-decision-on-crypto-rate/article_78eaa21c-cb1a-11ec-98a0-7fb24b53712f.html

7.      Giving Old Dams New Life Could Spark an Energy Boom (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/05/06/dams-nonpowered-hydropower-energy/

8.      WA State: Research on Potential Removal of Enloe Dam Ramping Up (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

https://methowvalleynews.com/2022/05/04/research-on-potential-removal-of-enloe-dam-ramping-up/

9.      Petition to Remove Lower Snake River Dams Gets 1,000 Signatures (Longview Daily News, WA)

https://tdn.com/news/local/petition-to-remove-lower-snake-river-dams-gets-1-000-signatures/article_e032251a-cd60-11ec-bf3c-ab936ee6ea6b.html

10.   News Release: Alaska – AEA, Railbelt Utilities Pursue Kenai Peninsula’s Largest Hydropower Project in 30 Years (Gov. Mike Dunleavy, AK)

https://gov.alaska.gov/newsroom/2022/05/04/aea-railbelt-utilities-pursue-kenai-peninsulas-largest-hydropower-project-in-30-years/

11.   Pacific NW Electric Utility 101: Electricity Generation & Consumption (Northwest Energy Coalition)

https://nwenergy.org/featured/nw-electric-utility-101-electricity-generation-and-consumption/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

12.   Columbia River ‘At Tipping Point’ Warns Longtime Conservation Leader (Columbian Insight)

https://columbiainsight.org/columbia-river-at-tipping-point-warns-longtime-conservation-leader/

13.   Can FERC Convince Utilities to Build Modern Transmission Systems? (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/can-ferc-convince-utilities-to-build-modern-transmission-systems/623122/

14.   The Internet Saved Us in the Pandemic; Let’s Make It a Human Right (Light Reading)

https://www.lightreading.com/asia/the-internet-saved-us-in-pandemic-lets-make-it-human-right/d/d-id/777319?

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15.   Fishermen, Trawlers, & Biologists Speak Out on Wind Farm Development on Oregon Coast (KPIC-TV, Roseburg, OR)

https://kpic.com/news/local/fisherman-trawlers-biologists-speak-out-on-wind-farm-development-on-oregon-coast

16.   Investigation Into Solar Tariffs Could Threaten U.S. 2035 Clean Energy Goal, Says DOE’s Granholm (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/investigation-into-solar-tariffs-could-threaten-us-2035-clean-energy-goal/623282/

17.   Utilities Push Back Against Growth of Rooftop Solar Panels (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rooftop-solar-panels-utilities-rcna26726

18.   Standing on the Continental Divide, Where Wind Energy Could Reshape the West (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-05-05/boiling-point-road-trip-continental-divide-phil-anschutz-boiling-point

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

19.   Heat Pumps Do Work in the Cold — Americans Just Don’t Know It Yet (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/housing/heat-pumps-do-work-in-the-cold-americans-just-dont-know-it-yet/

20.   DOE Updates Water Heater Rule for First Time in Two Decades (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-updates-water-heater-rule-for-first-time-in-two-decades/

21.   PCEF Awards Another $6.3 Million to Install Cooling Units in the Homes of Vulnerable Portlanders (Willamette Week)

https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2022/05/04/pcef-awards-another-63-million-to-install-cooling-units-in-the-homes-of-vulnerable-portlanders/?utm_medium=email

22.   Energy Trust, Oregon Agencies Offer New Support & Savings for Wildfire Victims (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

https://ktvz.com/community/community-billboard/2022/05/05/energy-trust-oregon-agencies-offer-new-support-and-savings-for-wildfire-victims/

FISH & WILDLIFE

23.   Indigenous Carvers’ Totem Pole to Journey Across Pacific Northwest to Bolster Dam-Removal Movement (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/indigenous-carvers-totem-pole-to-journey-across-pacific-northwest-to-bolster-dam-removal-movement/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

24.   To Refine Water Forecasts, Western Cities Map Snow by Plane (Associated Press)

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/western-cities-map-snow-air-refine-water-forecasting-84495291

25.   WA State: Largest Irrigation Project in the Yakima River Basin to Receive $3.74 Million in Funding (Tacoma News Tribune, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article261145667.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

26.   White House Announces a Program to Make High-Speed Internet Cheaper for Millions of Americans (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/biden-cheap-internet-acp

27.   Telecom Groups End Fight Against California Net Neutrality (Associated Press)

https://ktvl.com/newsletter-daily/telecom-groups-end-fight-against-california-net-neutrality

28.   Frontier Lied About Internet Speeds & “Ripped Off Customers,” FTC Says (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/05/frontier-lied-about-internet-speeds-and-ripped-off-customers-ftc-says/

29.   American Association of Public Broadband Formed to Promote Municipal Networks (Telecompetitor)

https://www.telecompetitor.com/american-association-of-public-broadband-formed-to-promote-municipal-networks/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

30.   Amazon Seeks Tax Breaks for 5 New Data Centers, Worth $12 Billion, in Remote Oregon County (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2022/05/amazon-seeks-tax-breaks-for-5-new-data-centers-worth-12-billion-in-remote-oregon-county.html

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

31.   Big Factory for Electric Car Battery Materials Coming to Moses Lake, Washington (Northwest News Network)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/economy-business-finance-and-labor/2022-05-03/big-factory-for-electric-car-battery-materials-coming-to-moses-lake-washington

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

32.   New York Times Apologizes After Wordle of the Day Is ‘Fetus’ (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/new-york-times-apologizes-after-wordle-of-the-day-is-fe-1848898991

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

33.   More Than 2,200 Dams in the U.S. Are in Poor Condition, Posing Danger to Communities (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/05/1096940224/dams-poor-condition-hazardous-dangerous-infrastructure

34.   More Human Remains Found in Lake Mead amid Historic Low Water Levels (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/08/lake-mead-human-remains-discovery-drought/9698550002/

35.   The Coldest April in the Satellite Record over the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-coldest-april-in-satellite-record.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Meet the Savannah Bananas, TikTok’s Favorite Baseball Team

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/08/us/savannah-bananas-baseball-tiktok-cec/index.html

Mickey Gilley, Who Helped Inspire ‘Urban Cowboy,’ Dies at 86

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mickey-gilley-death_n_6277fd2fe4b009a811c4f3c0

Vermont Bacon Producer Provokes National Chuckle for Packaging Humor Teasing Teachers

https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/vermont/2018/08/16/vt-bacon-goes-national-packaging-humor-jab-education-system/1006477002/

Idaho Man Walks with Running Chainsaw on His Chin for World Record

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/05/09/Guinness-World-Records-David-Rush-chainsaw-walk/4291652112870/

SONG OF THE DAY

Mickey Gilley - Stand by Me

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