Wednesday, October 5, 2022

The Energy News Digest for October 5, 2022

The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association. 

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Links in The Energy News Digest lead to current stories. I try to choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, although individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regular clearing of your browser’s history and cookie files may help in accessing some paywall sites.

Please note that media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.

HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Utility Prices Expected to Rise Across Much of Western Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/money/utility-rate-hikes-western-washington/281-098309f6-b70d-4de1-8a3c-eb1f94c42d8e

Pacific Gas & Electric Customers to Receive California Climate Credit on Their Energy Bills (KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA)

https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/pg-e-customers-to-receive-california-climate-credit-on-their-energy-bills

Why Thousands of City Street Lights Are Turning Purple (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/purple-street-lights-vancouver-1.6604599

British Columbia Drought Leads to Thousands of Dead Salmon (Globe & Mail, Canada)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-drought-leads-to-thousands-of-dead-salmon/

The American Electric Vehicle Boom Is About to Begin. Does the US Have the Power to Charge It? (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/03/electric-vehicles-charging-stations-us

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Utility Prices Expected to Rise Across Much of Western Washington State

2.      Pacific Gas & Electric Customers to Receive California Climate Credit on Their Energy Bills

3.      Pacific Northwest Lawmakers Unhappy with Administration’s Support of Snake River Dam Removal

4.      In the Face of Drought, Hydropower Still Delivers Electricity

5.      Salt River Project Scolds Board Members after Letter Opposing Gas Plant Expansion

6.      California: Stockton Chooses Alternative to Pacific Gas & Electric as New City Power Distributor

7.      Bonneville Power Administration Reinforces Financial Strength Through U.S. Treasury Payment

8.      Floridians Endure Slow Wait for Power Knocked Out by Ian

9.      President Biden Signs Spending Bill that Includes $1 Billion in LIHEAP Funding

10.   Video: Inside Olympia -- Bill Edmonds, NW Power & Conservation Council

11.   Nuclear Share in Global Energy Generation Falls to Lowest in Four Decades-Report

12.   Is Nuclear Energy Poised for an Environmental, Social & Governance-Fueled Comeback?

13.   National Co-op Month: How USDA Rural Development Supports Cooperatives

14.   Guest Essay: Make Salmon Restoration a Policy & Budget Priority

15.   Wyoming Sees Big Increase in Wind-Power Generating Capacity

16.   WA State: Environmental Statement Issued on Yakima County Solar Projects

17.   Construction Starts on Oregon State Agrivoltaics Farm That Will Merge Agriculture & Solar Energy

18.   Should Dams Be Used as Giant Batteries?

19.   U.K. Company Denies Cutting Canadian Forests to Fuel ‘Sustainable’ Power Plant

20.   Why Thousands of City Street Lights Are Turning Purple

21.   97% of Smart Meters Fail to Provide Promised Customer Benefits. Can $3 Billion in New Funding Change That?

22.   British Columbia Drought Leads to Thousands of Dead Salmon

23.   Native Salmon Population on the Rise in Sandy River Basin

24.   The Last of the Salish Sea Reefnetters Don’t Want to Be the Last

25.   A Tiny Fish That Once Caused an Epic Conservation Fight Is No Longer Under Threat

26.   In Alaska’s Fat Bear Week, There’s No Party Like a Salmon Party

27.   Improved Air Quality on the Way to Western Washington State

28.   What Happens If Lake Powell Runs Out of Water?

29.   Meet the California Farmers Awash in Colorado River Water, Even in a Drought

30.   California Wells Run Dry as Drought Depletes Groundwater

31.   U.S. Supreme Court takes on Clean Water Act in Idaho Couple’s Case

32.   Snow Loss Is Fueling the West’s Megadrought

33.   Two Groups Want to Put Focus on Carbon Credits from Urban Forests

34.   American Utilities Aren’t Living Up to Their Climate Pledges, New Report Finds

35.   Bitcoin Could Rival Beef or Crude Oil in Environmental Impact

36.   The American Electric Vehicle Boom Is About to Begin. Does the US Have the Power to Charge It?

37.   Electric Vehicles Add to Electricity Demand, But Not as Much as You Might Think

38.   Political Spam Is Out of Control. Now Gmail Is About to Make It Worse.

39.   The Onion & the U.S. Supreme Court. Not a Parody

40.   Elon Musk Tells Twitter He Wants to Go Ahead with Original Deal

41.   WA State: RiverFest 2022 to Teach About & Celebrate Hydro System Benefits

WORD OF THE DAY

Postlude \POST-lood\ Noun – *1: a closing piece of music; especially an organ voluntary at the end of a church service 2: a closing phase

The beautiful wedding service was only slightly marred by the insertion of the inappropriate postlude, “the Piňa Colada Song.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Utility Prices Expected to Rise Across Much of Western Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/money/utility-rate-hikes-western-washington/281-098309f6-b70d-4de1-8a3c-eb1f94c42d8e

2.      Pacific Gas & Electric Customers to Receive California Climate Credit on Their Energy Bills (KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA)

https://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/pg-e-customers-to-receive-california-climate-credit-on-their-energy-bills

3.      Pacific Northwest Lawmakers Unhappy with Administration’s Support of Snake River Dam Removal (Pacific NW Ag Network)

https://pnwag.net/nw-lawmakers-unhappy-with-administrations-support-of-snake-river-dam-removal/

4.      In the Face of Drought, Hydropower Still Delivers Electricity (Pacific Northwest National Library)

https://www.pnnl.gov/news-media/face-drought-hydropower-still-delivers-electricity

5.      Salt River Project Scolds Board Members after Letter Opposing Gas Plant Expansion (KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ)

https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/srp-scolds-board-members-after-letter-opposing-gas-plant-expansion

6.      California: Stockton Chooses Alternative to Pacific Gas & Electric as New City Power Distributor (KXJZ Radio, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2022/10/04/stockton-chooses-alternative-to-pge-as-new-city-power-distributor/

7.      Bonneville Power Administration Reinforces Financial Strength Through U.S. Treasury Payment (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/2022/20221004-bpa-reinforces-financial-strength-through-us-treasury-payment

8.      Floridians Endure Slow Wait for Power Knocked Out by Ian (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-floods-florida-north-carolina-storms-5c4bcc1b7c681e916723426a705d10e6

9.      President Biden Signs Spending Bill that Includes $1 Billion in LIHEAP Funding (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/president-biden-signs-spending-bill-includes-1-billion-liheap-funding

10.   Video: Inside Olympia -- Bill Edmonds, NW Power & Conservation Council (TV Washington)

https://tvw.org/video/inside-olympia-bill-edmonds-nw-power-and-conservation-council-2022091227/?eventID=2022091227

11.   Nuclear Share in Global Energy Generation Falls to Lowest in Four Decades-Report (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nuclear-share-energy-generation-falls-lowest-four-decades-report-2022-10-05/

12.   Is Nuclear Energy Poised for an Environmental, Social & Governance-Fueled Comeback? (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/is-nuclear-energy-poised-for-an-esg-fueled-comeback/

13.   National Co-op Month: How USDA Rural Development Supports Cooperatives (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2022/10/04/national-co-op-month-how-usda-rural-development-supports-cooperatives

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

14.   Guest Essay: Make Salmon Restoration a Policy & Budget Priority (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/make-salmon-restoration-a-policy-and-budget-priority/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15.   Wyoming Sees Big Increase in Wind-Power Generating Capacity (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wyoming/articles/2022-10-01/wyoming-sees-big-increase-in-wind-power-generating-capacity

16.   WA State: Environmental Statement Issued on Yakima County Solar Projects (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/environmental-statement-issued-on-yakima-county-solar-projects/article_19a850be-433e-11ed-8add-73e3e5782276.html

17.   Construction Starts on Oregon State Agrivoltaics Farm That Will Merge Agriculture & Solar Energy (Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR)

https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/construction-starts-oregon-state-agrivoltaics-farm-will-merge-agriculture-and-solar-energy

18.   Should Dams Be Used as Giant Batteries? (Columbian Insight)

https://columbiainsight.org/should-dams-be-used-as-giant-batteries/

19.   U.K. Company Denies Cutting Canadian Forests to Fuel ‘Sustainable’ Power Plant (CTV News, Canada)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/climate-and-environment/u-k-company-denies-cutting-canadian-forests-to-fuel-sustainable-power-plant-1.6096259

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

20.   Why Thousands of City Street Lights Are Turning Purple (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/purple-street-lights-vancouver-1.6604599

21.   97% of Smart Meters Fail to Provide Promised Customer Benefits. Can $3 Billion in New Funding Change That? (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/97-of-smart-meters-fail-to-provide-promised-customer-benefits-can-3b-in/632662/

FISH & WILDLIFE

22.   British Columbia Drought Leads to Thousands of Dead Salmon (Globe & Mail, Canada)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-drought-leads-to-thousands-of-dead-salmon/

23.   Native Salmon Population on the Rise in Sandy River Basin (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/good-energy/freshwater-trust-sandy-river-basin/283-9c617247-f58f-40b3-b0c8-0a26bada052d

24.   The Last of the Salish Sea Reefnetters Don’t Want to Be the Last (Northwest News Network)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/food-agriculture-and-animals/2022-10-03/the-last-of-the-salish-sea-reefnetters-dont-want-to-be-the-last

25.   A Tiny Fish That Once Caused an Epic Conservation Fight Is No Longer Under Threat (KOSU Radio, Stillwater, OK)

https://www.kosu.org/energy-environment/2022-10-04/a-tiny-fish-that-once-caused-an-epic-conservation-fight-is-no-longer-under-threat

26.   In Alaska’s Fat Bear Week, There’s No Party Like a Salmon Party (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/04/fat-bear-week-2022/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

27.   Improved Air Quality on the Way to Western Washington State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3659198/when-will-the-smoke-end-improved-air-quality-on-the-way-to-western-washington/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

28.   What Happens If Lake Powell Runs Out of Water? (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/happens-lake-powell-runs-water-100000151.html

29.   Meet the California Farmers Awash in Colorado River Water, Even in a Drought (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126240060/meet-the-california-farmers-awash-in-colorado-river-water-even-in-a-drought

30.   California Wells Run Dry as Drought Depletes Groundwater (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-climate-and-environment-e49c8c5c34ead7ef7f83b770082f20bc

31.   U.S. Supreme Court takes on Clean Water Act in Idaho Couple’s Case (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/u-s-supreme-court-takes-on-clean-water-act-in-idaho-couples-case/

32.   Snow Loss Is Fueling the West’s Megadrought (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/drought/snow-loss-is-fueling-the-wests-megadrought/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

33.   Two Groups Want to Put Focus on Carbon Credits from Urban Forests (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126806846/two-groups-want-to-put-focus-on-carbon-credits-from-urban-forests

34.   American Utilities Aren’t Living Up to Their Climate Pledges, New Report Finds (The Verge)

https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/4/23386978/us-utilities-climate-change-pledges-greenwashing-report

35.   Bitcoin Could Rival Beef or Crude Oil in Environmental Impact (Smithsonian Magazine)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bitcoin-could-rival-beef-or-crude-oil-in-environmental-impact-180980877/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

36.   The American Electric Vehicle Boom Is About to Begin. Does the US Have the Power to Charge It? (The Guardian, UK)

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/03/electric-vehicles-charging-stations-us

37.   Electric Vehicles Add to Electricity Demand, But Not as Much as You Might Think (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-04/electric-cars-add-to-electricity-demand-but-not-as-much-as-you-might-think

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

38.   Political Spam Is Out of Control. Now Gmail Is About to Make It Worse. (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/05/stop-political-spam-gmail/

39.   The Onion & the U.S. Supreme Court. Not a Parody (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/the-onion-supreme-court-parody-72a286d21f2d484326b13a5b18884f93

40.   Elon Musk Tells Twitter He Wants to Go Ahead with Original Deal (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-tells-twitter-he-wants-to-go-ahead-with-original-deal-report-says-162328496.html

41.   WA State: RiverFest 2022 to Teach About & Celebrate Hydro System Benefits (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/riverfest-2022-to-teach-about-and-celebrate-hydro-system-benefits/article_9ef4cc0a-443f-11ed-ad85-87810e6f3549.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

To Tackle a Kimchi Crisis, South Korea Banks on Massive Cabbage Warehouses

https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/tackle-kimchi-crisis-south-korea-banks-massive-cabbage-warehouses-2022-09-30/

Gold Coins Hidden in Seventh Century Found in Wall

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63122180

Palestinian Farmer Unearths Byzantine-Era Mosaic While Planting Olive Trees

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/Palestinian-farmer-unearths-colorful-byzantine-mosaic-in-gaza-180980806/

California Cat Missing for Nearly a Decade, Found 1,000 Miles Away in North Idaho

https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/pets-and-animals/california-cat-missing-for-a-decade-found-in-north-idaho/293-ed3d7878-4a4d-4b2a-9f44-839f68fd0621

SONG OF THE DAY

Queen - Under Pressure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I