Monday, August 1, 2022

The Energy News Digest for August 1, 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

Much Cooler in the Pacific Northwest This Week – A Few Sprinkles Possible (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/weather/forecast/PX25E7IDLRAHJEMIPT6KLXWNME/

‘Save the Life of the River’: U.S. House Passes Bills on Colorado River Drought, Wildfires (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/save-life-river-house-passes-180118100.html

‘The Clock Is Ticking’: Pacific Gas & Electric Exploring Possibility of Keeping Diablo Canyon Open to Boost Reliability (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pge-exploring-possibility-of-keeping-diablo-canyon-nuclear-open-poppe-ceo/628414/

Montana: Judge Upholds Decision Blocking Massive Solar Project in South Butte (Montana Standard, Butte, MT)

https://mtstandard.com/news/local/judge-upholds-decision-blocking-massive-solar-project-in-south-butte/article_8443092b-fb4f-536b-a196-f005a2abf8a8.html

Feds: $401 Million Will Add High-Speed Internet to Rural U.S. Places (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/technology-new-mexico-arizona-colorado-nevada-277c9df9be42ed564271d4619d85c522

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      ‘The Clock Is Ticking’: Pacific Gas & Electric Exploring Possibility of Keeping Diablo Canyon Open to Boost Reliability

2.      Video: Over Half U.S. at High Risk of Blackouts

3.      NRC Moves to Issue Final Design Certification for NuScale Nuclear Module

4.      Idaho: U.S. Selects Test Plant for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Fuel

5.      Oregon: Eugene Council Advances Plans for Electrification Ordinances

6.      Avista Annual Price Adjustment Filings in Idaho Would Reduce Gas & Electric Rates

7.      Salmon Could Make a Comeback If Lower Snake River Dams Are Breached, New Research Finds

8.      U.S. Rep Newhouse (WA) to Host Safety Forum, Rally for Dams

9.      Western Regional Transmission Organization Could Add Up to $79.2 Billion to Regional Economy, Report Finds

10.   Congresswoman Calls for Federal Probe into Florida Utility

11.   Electric Co-ops Applaud Inclusion of Co-op Priorities in Manchin, Schumer Energy Bill

12.   Utilities Join Navajo Nation to Bring Electricity to Thousands

13.   Too Often, When Electricity Demand Peaks, Wind Disappears

14.   Guest Essay: Gov. Brad Little (ID) Breaching Dams Is Not a Silver Bullet for Salmon Recovery

15.   Guest Essay: All Those Electric Vehicles Are Great, But Where Will the Electricity Come From?

16.   Commentary: Spirit of Collaboration Clears a Way Toward Salmon Recovery

17.   Montana: Judge Upholds Decision Blocking Massive Solar Project in South Butte

18.   The Energy Transition Runs Into a Ditch in Rural Ohio

19.   The Wicked Story of ‘Clean’ Wind Energy & Raptors

20.   Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Praises West’s Green Energy Potential in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday

21.   10 States That Produce the Most Renewable Energy

22.   Electric Heat Pumps Will Be the Cheapest Clean Option to Heat Most U.S. Homes by 2030: ACEEE

23.   Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Launch Fish Habitat Projects

24.   Yakama, Warm Springs Tribes Celebrate Lamprey Harvest

25.   Meet the Siblings Making Hydropower That Actually Protects Rivers & Fish

26.   Nez Perce Tribe Disputes Idaho Gold Mine Air Quality Permit

27.   ‘Save the Life of the River’: U.S. House Passes Bills on Colorado River Drought, Wildfires

28.   Climate Migration Growing, But Not Fully Recognized by World

29.   Feds: $401 Million Will Add High-Speed Internet to Rural U.S. Places

30.   Grant PUD Fiber Network Revenues Continue to Climb; Network Continues to Expand

31.   EPA Preps Cyber Rule for Water Sector

32.   A Handful of States Are Driving Nearly All U.S. Electric Car Adoption

33.   Electric Tourism Plugs In

34.   Facebook Ends Funding for U.S. News Partnerships Program

35.   Deep Pits on the Moon May Lead to Caves, NASA Says. Study Uncovers Startling Detail

36.   Much Cooler in the Pacific Northwest This Week – A Few Sprinkles Possible

37.   Seattle, Portland Set Heat Duration Records During Hot Snap

38.   Evacuations Ordered in Northern California After New Wildfire Breaks Out

39.   Europe: Wildfires Are Setting Off Hundreds of Unexploded Bombs on WWI Battlefields, Endangering Firefighters

40.   Unanswered Calls to USPS, Undelivered Mail & Ballots Concern WA Residents

WORD OF THE DAY

Replete • \rih-PLEET\ • adjective – 1: fully or abundantly provided or filled 2a: abundantly fed b fat, stout 3: complete

Albert had been waiting for his traditional birthday feast for weeks: haggis and Yorkshire pudding, replete with treacle tarts and lard sandwiches. Unfortunately for him, in an effort to reign in his weight, his entire family had decided to make his birthday dinner a culinary intervention. The menu included watercress salad, cucumber sandwiches, and celery soup.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      ‘The Clock Is Ticking’: Pacific Gas & Electric Exploring Possibility of Keeping Diablo Canyon Open to Boost Reliability (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pge-exploring-possibility-of-keeping-diablo-canyon-nuclear-open-poppe-ceo/628414/

2.      Video: Over Half U.S. at High Risk of Blackouts (Fox News)

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6310005647112#sp=show-clips

3.      NRC Moves to Issue Final Design Certification for NuScale Nuclear Module (Power Magazine)

https://www.powermag.com/nrc-moves-to-issue-final-design-certification-for-nuscale-nuclear-module/

4.      Idaho: U.S. Selects Test Plant for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Fuel (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-selects-test-plant-advanced-nuclear-reactor-fuel-2022-07-27/

5.      Oregon: Eugene Council Advances Plans for Electrification Ordinances (Eugene Register-Guard, OR – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/07/31/eugene-city-council-electrification-ordinances-climate-change-decarbonize/65385040007/

6.      Avista Annual Price Adjustment Filings in Idaho Would Reduce Gas & Electric Rates (The Daily Fly)

https://dailyfly.com/avista-annual-price-adjustment-filings-in-idaho-would-reduce-gas-and-electric-rates/

7.      Salmon Could Make a Comeback If Lower Snake River Dams Are Breached, New Research Finds (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/tech/science/environment/snake-river-dams-breaching-salmon-recovery/283-d11c65b8-6b67-4736-a719-d7458a1c0d90

8.      U.S. Rep Newhouse (WA) to Host Safety Forum, Rally for Dams (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima & Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/elections/newhouse-to-host-safety-forum-rally-for-dams/article_1fe1694e-119c-11ed-ad26-17d80e3e8d59.html

9.      Western Regional Transmission Organization Could Add Up to $79.2 Billion to Regional Economy, Report Finds (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/western-rto-could-add-up-to-792-billion-to-regional-economy-report-finds/628172/

10.   Congresswoman Calls for Federal Probe into Florida Utility (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-florida-merrick-garland-kathy-castor-72e8a78e205a3646e6bf51d903336f1b

11.   Electric Co-ops Applaud Inclusion of Co-op Priorities in Manchin, Schumer Energy Bill (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.electric.coop/electric-co-ops-applaud-inclusion-of-co-op-priorities-in-manchin-schumer-energy-bill

12.   Utilities Join Navajo Nation to Bring Electricity to Thousands (Albuquerque Journal, NM)

https://www.abqjournal.com/2520500/power-of-partnership.html

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

13.   Too Often, When Electricity Demand Peaks, Wind Disappears (Washington Policy Center)

https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/too-often-when-electricity-demand-peaks-wind-disappears

14.   Guest Essay: Gov. Brad Little (ID) Breaching Dams Is Not a Silver Bullet for Salmon Recovery (Idaho Mountain Express, Ketchum, ID)

https://www.mtexpress.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/breeching-dams-is-not-a-silver-bullet-for-salmon-recovery/article_7abcd2b4-06d8-11ed-bb09-a729e8235acb.html

15.   Guest Essay: All Those Electric Vehicles Are Great, But Where Will the Electricity Come From? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/aug/01/all-those-evs-are-great-where-will-electricity-com/

16.   Commentary: Spirit of Collaboration Clears a Way Toward Salmon Recovery (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/spirit-of-collaboration-clears-a-way-toward-salmon-recovery/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

17.   Montana: Judge Upholds Decision Blocking Massive Solar Project in South Butte (Montana Standard, Butte, MT)

https://mtstandard.com/news/local/judge-upholds-decision-blocking-massive-solar-project-in-south-butte/article_8443092b-fb4f-536b-a196-f005a2abf8a8.html

18.   The Energy Transition Runs Into a Ditch in Rural Ohio (Inside Climate News)

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29072022/williamsport-ohio-solar/

19.   The Wicked Story of ‘Clean’ Wind Energy & Raptors (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/7/28/23282337/the-wicked-story-of-clean-wind-energy-and-raptors-birds-prey-bald-eagle-golden-turbines-farms

20.   Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Praises West’s Green Energy Potential in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jul/28/us-transportation-secretary-pete-buttigieg-praises/

21.   10 States That Produce the Most Renewable Energy (U.S. News & World Report)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/these-states-use-the-most-renewable-energy

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

22.   Electric Heat Pumps Will Be the Cheapest Clean Option to Heat Most U.S. Homes by 2030: ACEEE (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-heat-pumps-will-be-the-cheapest-clean-option-to-heat-most-us-homes/628245/

FISH & WILDLIFE

23.   Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Launch Fish Habitat Projects (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

https://methowvalleynews.com/2022/07/27/yakama-nation-confederated-tribes-launch-fish-habitat-projects/

24.   Yakama, Warm Springs Tribes Celebrate Lamprey Harvest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/08/01/yakama-warm-springs-tribes-celebrate-lamprey-harvest-willamette-oregon/

25.   Meet the Siblings Making Hydropower That Actually Protects Rivers & Fish (TIME Magazine)

https://time.com/6192153/natel-energy-green-hydropower/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

26.   Nez Perce Tribe Disputes Idaho Gold Mine Air Quality Permit (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/health-travel-idaho-air-quality-clean-act-94890a56c763b13a1f06d66774d2591c

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

27.   ‘Save the Life of the River’: U.S. House Passes Bills on Colorado River Drought, Wildfires (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/save-life-river-house-passes-180118100.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

28.   Climate Migration Growing, But Not Fully Recognized by World (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-droughts-immigration-united-nations-natural-disasters-175988903af187bf08fa89f8f13ac8e2

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

29.   Feds: $401 Million Will Add High-Speed Internet to Rural U.S. Places (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/technology-new-mexico-arizona-colorado-nevada-277c9df9be42ed564271d4619d85c522

30.   Grant PUD Fiber Network Revenues Continue to Climb; Network Continues to Expand (The Star of the Grand Coulee, WA)

https://www.grandcoulee.com/story/2022/07/27/community/fiber-network-revenues-continue-to-climb-network-continues-to-expand/15605.html

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

31.   EPA Preps Cyber Rule for Water Sector (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/epa-preps-cyber-rule-for-water-sector/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

32.   A Handful of States Are Driving Nearly All U.S. Electric Car Adoption (Axios)

https://www.axios.com/2022/08/01/states-ev-electric-cars

33.   Electric Tourism Plugs In (Columbian Insight)

https://columbiainsight.org/electric-tourism-plugs-in/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

34.   Facebook Ends Funding for U.S. News Partnerships Program (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Facebook-ends-funding-for-US-news-partnerships-17335852.php

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

35.   Deep Pits on the Moon May Lead to Caves, NASA Says. Study Uncovers Startling Detail (Miami Herald, FL)

https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article263918481.html

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

36.   Much Cooler in the Pacific Northwest This Week – A Few Sprinkles Possible (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/weather/forecast/PX25E7IDLRAHJEMIPT6KLXWNME/

37.   Seattle, Portland Set Heat Duration Records During Hot Snap (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/seattle-portland-set-heat-duration-225752993.html

38.   Evacuations Ordered in Northern California After New Wildfire Breaks Out (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/evacuations-ordered-northern-california-wildfire-201520899.html

39.   Europe: Wildfires Are Setting Off Hundreds of Unexploded Bombs on WWI Battlefields, Endangering Firefighters (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/wildfires-setting-off-hundreds-unexploded-121905894.html

40.   Unanswered Calls to USPS, Undelivered Mail & Ballots Concern WA Residents (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article263945456.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ Has Died at 89

https://apnews.com/article/nichelle-nichols-obit-79e23f4dfbc08afb02380ce442fc3302?

Celtics Great Bill Russell, 11-Time NBA Champion, Dead at 88

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/nba-great-bill-russell-dead-88-2022-07-31/                       

Liberty Lake Nurse Swims the Length of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Under 17 Hours

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jul/29/liberty-lake-nurse-swims-the-length-of-lake-coeur-/

Disco Dance with 598 Participants Breaks World Record in England

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/08/01/Guinness-World-Records-largest-disco-dance/9391659374589/

SONG OF THE DAY

Star Trek Mega Suite: 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Music of Star Trek

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