Wednesday, June 8, 2022

The Energy News Digest for June 8, 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

Massive Water, Wind & Solar Project in Idaho Advances (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-idaho-climate-environment-business-4bae5103ae6b143f3e159768bf432dc5

Feds Say U.S. Power Use to Rise in 2022 as Economy Keeps Growing (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-power-use-rise-2022-economy-keeps-growing-eia-2022-06-07/

WA State: Chelan County PUD, Microsoft to Sign Agreement for Malaga Electricity, Infrastructure (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/chelan-county-pud-microsoft-to-sign-agreement-for-malaga-electricity-infrastructure/article_8ce322a4-e6b2-11ec-a7ff-9f3101775e55.html

As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb’ (NY Times – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/climate/salt-lake-city-climate-disaster.html

There Are Too Many Pink Salmon in the Pacific (Popular Science)

https://www.popsci.com/environment/too-much-salmon/?amp

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Feds Say U.S. Power Use to Rise in 2022 as Economy Keeps Growing

2.      Arizona Regulators Again Reject Salt River Project’s Proposed 820-MW Gas Plant Expansion

3.      WA State: Chelan County PUD Approves Rate Transition Schedule for Crypto Miners

4.      Once The Tallest Dam in the World, Nevada’s Hoover Dam Was a True Feat of Engineering

5.      Guest Essay: After Tri-Cities Visit, Congressional Western Caucus Praises U.S. Rep. Newhouse’s (WA) Leadership

6.      Guest Essay: Dobken – Misinformation About Nuclear Doesn’t Serve the Public Interest

7.      Opinion: Don’t Be Blinded by the Promise of Solar Farms

8.      Massive Water, Wind & Solar Project in Idaho Advances

9.      Oregon Utility Builds Nation’s First Large-Scale Wind, Solar & Battery Facility

10.   Puget Sound Energy Has Spent Nearly $1 Million on Solar Projects in Western WA This Year. Here’s What One Looks Like

11.   Idaho: Lincoln County Commissioner Opposes Lava Ridge Wind Farm

12.   U.S. Solar Companies Weigh Challenge to Biden Pause on Tariffs

13.   Biden Order Will Boost Heat Pumps & Building Insulation

14.   There Are Too Many Pink Salmon in the Pacific

15.   Alaska: Amid Poor Chum Runs, Trident’s Wrangell Plant Will Stay Shuttered for a Third Year

16.   WA State: Habitat Restoration Underway Along Green River to Help Salmon, Orcas

17.   Snake River Stocked with Sturgeon by Idaho Fish & Game

18.   Bees Are ‘Fish’ Under California Endangered Species Act – State Court

19.   Oregonians Asked to Turn Off Lights as Millions of Migrating Birds Head North

20.   Orca Hunting Seals Off British Columbia Turns into a ‘Once in a Lifetime Event’ for Photographer

21.   As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb’

22.   Track Wildfires, Air Pollution & Drought Conditions Throughout Washington, Oregon & British Columbia

23.   Water Usage Increases in California as Drought Continues

24.   Climate Change Is Forcing Schools to Close Early for ‘Heat Days’

25.   DOE Aims to Decarbonize Heavy Industry with $8 Billion Hydrogen Hub Project

26.   Utilities, Broadband Providers Split on Pole Attachment Rate Policy

27.   WA State: Chelan County PUD, Microsoft to Sign Agreement for Malaga Electricity, Infrastructure

28.   Oregon: CEC Will Play a Key Role in the Development of Drone Technology to Prevent Wildfires

29.   DeLorean Shows Off Electric Car, Says It Will Arrive in 2024

30.   Meet the Group Lobbying Against Climate Regulations – Using Your Utility Bill

31.   A Lithium Rush Is on at California’s Salton Sea: Who Are the Players?

WORD OF THE DAY

Uvula \YOU-view-lah\ Noun – That little fleshy lobe that hangs down in the back of the mouth.

Gary Larson Cartoon: (Medical Test) “For extra credit, name that thing that hangs down in the back of the mouth”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Feds Say U.S. Power Use to Rise in 2022 as Economy Keeps Growing (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-power-use-rise-2022-economy-keeps-growing-eia-2022-06-07/

2.      Arizona Regulators Again Reject Salt River Project’s Proposed 820-MW Gas Plant Expansion (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/srp-reliability-arizona-acc-coolidge-power-plant/623871/

3.      WA State: Chelan County PUD Approves Rate Transition Schedule for Crypto Miners (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/business/chelan-county-pud-approves-rate-transition-schedule-for-crypto-miners/article_5ffbbd70-e5ed-11ec-948f-af61c585fe8a.html

4.      Once The Tallest Dam in the World, Nevada’s Hoover Dam Was a True Feat of Engineering (Only in Your State)

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nevada/historic-feat-of-engineering-nv/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

5.      Guest Essay: After Tri-Cities Visit, Congressional Western Caucus Praises U.S. Rep. Newhouse’s (WA) Leadership (Tri-City Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article262202322.html

6.      Guest Essay: Dobken – Misinformation About Nuclear Doesn’t Serve the Public Interest (The Voice of Orange County, Santa Ana, CA)

https://voiceofoc.org/2022/06/dobken-misinformation-about-nuclear-doesnt-serve-the-public-interest/

7.      Opinion: Don’t Be Blinded by the Promise of Solar Farms (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/opinion-dont-be-blinded-by-the-promise-of-solar-farms/article_58b50274-4503-5aaf-891d-09edab4909bf.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

8.      Massive Water, Wind & Solar Project in Idaho Advances (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-idaho-climate-environment-business-4bae5103ae6b143f3e159768bf432dc5

9.      Oregon Utility Builds Nation’s First Large-Scale Wind, Solar & Battery Facility (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/06/07/oregon-portland-general-electric-builds-nations-first-large-scale-wind-solar-battery-facility/

10.   Puget Sound Energy Has Spent Nearly $1 Million on Solar Projects in Western WA This Year. Here’s What One Looks Like (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Puget Sound Energy has spent nearly $1M on solar projects in Western WA this year. Here’s what one looks like | The Seattle Times

11.   Idaho: Lincoln County Commissioner Opposes Lava Ridge Wind Farm (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

https://magicvalley.com/news/local/lincoln-countys-hubert-opposes-lava-ridge/article_ac14b28c-e5d6-11ec-a86a-e3f2859ac4d0.html

12.   U.S. Solar Companies Weigh Challenge to Biden Pause on Tariffs (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-biden-politics-asia-southeast-cdee3afba8c4e7dd037785deae8cafbf

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

13.   Biden Order Will Boost Heat Pumps & Building Insulation (Scientific American)

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/biden-order-will-boost-heat-pumps-and-building-insulation/

FISH & WILDLIFE

14.   There Are Too Many Pink Salmon in the Pacific (Popular Science)

https://www.popsci.com/environment/too-much-salmon/?amp

15.   Alaska: Amid Poor Chum Runs, Trident’s Wrangell Plant Will Stay Shuttered for a Third Year (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)

https://www.ktoo.org/2022/06/07/trident-wrangell-plant-closed-third-year/

16.   WA State: Habitat Restoration Underway Along Green River to Help Salmon, Orcas (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/habitat-restoration-underway-along-green-river-help-salmon-orcas/36MEPJNKLRAYBOT2Q4JFYECGEU/

17.   Snake River Stocked with Sturgeon by Idaho Fish & Game (KTVB-TV, Boise, ID)

https://www.ktvb.com/article/life/animals/snake-river-stocked-with-sturgeon-idaho-fish-game/277-10788a7d-a565-4e4f-a30a-fd727c725275

18.   Bees Are ‘Fish’ Under California Endangered Species Act – State Court (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/bees-are-fish-under-calif-endangered-species-act-state-court-2022-06-01/

19.   Oregonians Asked to Turn Off Lights as Millions of Migrating Birds Head North (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/06/02/oregonians-asked-to-turn-off-lights-as-millions-of-birds-migrate-north/

20.   Orca Hunting Seals Off British Columbia Turns into a ‘Once in a Lifetime Event’ for Photographer (The Abbotsford News, BC)

https://www.abbynews.com/trending-now/orca-hunting-seals-off-b-c-turns-into-a-once-in-a-lifetime-event-for-photographer/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

21.   As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb’ (NY Times – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/07/climate/salt-lake-city-climate-disaster.html

22.   Track Wildfires, Air Pollution & Drought Conditions Throughout Washington, Oregon & British Columbia (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/track-wildfires-air-pollution-and-drought-conditions-throughout-washington-oregon-and-british-columbia/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

23.   Water Usage Increases in California as Drought Continues (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/water-usage-increases-in-california-as-drought-continues/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

24.   Climate Change Is Forcing Schools to Close Early for ‘Heat Days’ (Washington Post – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/06/04/school-heat-days-climate-change/

25.   DOE Aims to Decarbonize Heavy Industry with $8 Billion Hydrogen Hub Project (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-decarbonize-heavy-industry-hydrogen-hub/625001/

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

26.   Utilities, Broadband Providers Split on Pole Attachment Rate Policy (Broadband Breakfast)

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2022/06/utilities-broadband-providers-split-on-pole-attachment-rate-policy/

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

27.   WA State: Chelan County PUD, Microsoft to Sign Agreement for Malaga Electricity, Infrastructure (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/chelan-county-pud-microsoft-to-sign-agreement-for-malaga-electricity-infrastructure/article_8ce322a4-e6b2-11ec-a7ff-9f3101775e55.html

28.   Oregon: CEC Will Play a Key Role in the Development of Drone Technology to Prevent Wildfires (Central Electric Cooperative, Redmond, OR)

https://www.cec.coop/cec-will-play-a-key-role-in-the-development-of-drone-technology-to-prevent-wildfires/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

29.   DeLorean Shows Off Electric Car, Says It Will Arrive in 2024 (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-31/delorean-alpha5-electric-car-photos-details-launch-date#xj4y7vzkg

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

30.   Meet the Group Lobbying Against Climate Regulations – Using Your Utility Bill (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/regulation/utility-lobbying-ferc-rule-change-edison-electric-institute/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

31.   A Lithium Rush Is on at California’s Salton Sea: Who Are the Players? (NASDAQ)

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/a-lithium-rush-is-on-at-californias-salton-sea%3A-who-are-the-players

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

1 in 3,000: Las Vegas Animal Shelter Takes in ‘Super Rare’ Male Calico Kitten

https://komonews.com/news/offbeat/1-in-3000-las-vegas-animal-shelter-non-profit-takes-in-super-rare-male-calico-kitten-animal-foundation-adoptions-comet-the-cat-unicorn-one-of-a-kind-baby-veterinary-medicine

Monkeys in Sleeves & Other Delightful Idioms

https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/In-a-Word/2022/0606/Monkeys-in-sleeves-and-other-delightful-idioms

Jim Seals of ‘70s Soft Rock Duo Seals & Crofts Dead at 80

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jim-seals-dead-dies-seals-crofts_n_629fa1d7e4b0b1100a69c45f

A Marble Slab in Storage Turned Out to Be an Ancient Greek Yearbook

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/06/1103372606/ancient-greece-yearbook-discovered

SONG OF THE DAY

Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze

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