Wednesday, November 15, 2023

The Energy News Digest for November 15, 2023

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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION

Power Supply Conference – December 5, 2023, in Portland, OR

Conference Overview: The NWPPA Power Supply Conference provides the expertise and insight to inform power supply decisions.

Who Should Attend: Power supply professionals; policymakers; general managers and CEOs; and finance, rate, and risk department managers.

HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Electricity Use Booms in Texas, A Harbinger for the Country – Includes PNUCC Forecasts (Microsoft Network News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/electricity-use-booms-in-texas-a-harbinger-for-the-country/ar-AA1jPSvF

U.S. Renewable, Grid Battery Projects Battle Transformer Shortage (U.S. News & World Report)

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-11-15/u-s-renewable-grid-battery-projects-battle-transformer-shortage

Wind and Solar Curtailments Are Rising in California Because of Congestion: EIA (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/wind-and-solar-curtailments-are-rising-california-because-congestion-eia

Federal Judge Upholds Washington’s Controversial Carbon-Pricing Law - Dismisses Lawsuit (Things That Matter)

https://original.newsbreak.com/@things-that-matter-1693150/3230977560168-federal-judge-upholds-washington-s-controversial-carbon-pricing-law-dismisses-lawsuit

U.S. House Votes to Prevent a Government Shutdown as GOP Speaker Johnson Relies on Democrats for Help (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-house-republican-speaker-johnson-9cb26b703804a9e82e776e44caedcaa2

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Electricity Use Booms in Texas, A Harbinger for the Country – Includes PNUCC Forecasts

2.      U.S. Renewable, Grid Battery Projects Battle Transformer Shortage

3.      California Facing Electrical Transformer Troubles as New Homes Continue to Be Built

4.      Native American Tribes Fight U.S. Over a Proposed $10 Billion Renewable Energy Transmission Line

5.      Avista Restores Service to 26,000 People Affected by Largest Natural Gas Outage in Its History

6.      More Than 50,000 Pierce County Residents Lose Power

7.      Sixty-Six Public U.S. Power Utilities Earn Smart Energy Provider Designation

8.      Smart Energy Provider Program Designees

9.      Alaska Receives More Than $200 Million for Railbelt Energy Project, Including Cook Inlet Undersea Cable

10.   Wind and Solar Curtailments Are Rising in California Because of Congestion: EIA

11.   $10 Billion Renewable Energy Project Paused Over Concerns for Native American Historic Sites

12.   WA State: Seattle Expected to See Increased Water Revenue Despite Call for Less Water Use

13.   Federal Judge Upholds Washington’s Controversial Carbon-Pricing Law - Dismisses Lawsuit

14.   Gov. Inslee Appointees Oppose Merging Washington’s Carbon Market with California, Québec

15.   Where Are Carbon Tax Dollars Going? WA Touts New Forest Preserve as Gas Prices Remain High for Drivers

16.   Worsening Warming Is Hurting People in All Regions, U.S. Climate Assessment Shows

17.   More Than 100 Cities Have Banned Gas Leaf Blowers. Will Portland Be Next?

18.   Electric Vehicle Sales Are Rising. So Why Are Automakers Nervous?

19.   Horsefeathers! Scrabble’s New Tournament Word List Adds Words That Lexicographers Say Aren’t Actually Words at All

20.   U.S. House Votes to Prevent a Government Shutdown as GOP Speaker Johnson Relies on Democrats for Help

21.   A Compendium of 2023 Utilities Legislation

22.   WA State: Holly Dohrman, Franklin PUD Assistant General Manager Dies

WORD of the DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Rambunctious \ram-BUNK-shuss\ Adjective - Uncontrolled in a way that is playful or full of energy.

     Fall winds, swirling gusts

     Rambunctious leaves playing tag

     Float softly to rest

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Electricity Use Booms in Texas, A Harbinger for the Country – Includes PNUCC Forecasts (Microsoft Network News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/electricity-use-booms-in-texas-a-harbinger-for-the-country/ar-AA1jPSvF

2.      U.S. Renewable, Grid Battery Projects Battle Transformer Shortage (U.S. News & World Report)

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-11-15/u-s-renewable-grid-battery-projects-battle-transformer-shortage

3.      California Facing Electrical Transformer Troubles as New Homes Continue to Be Built (KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA)

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/california-facing-eletrical-transformer-troubles-as-new-homes-continue-to-be-built/

4.      Native American Tribes Fight U.S. Over a Proposed $10 Billion Renewable Energy Transmission Line (Associated Press)

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/11/13/native-american-tribes-fight-us-over-proposed-10-billion-renewable-energy-transmission-line/

5.      Avista Restores Service to 26,000 People Affected by Largest Natural Gas Outage in Its History (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/avista-restores-service-to-26-000-people-affected-by-largest-natural-gas-outage-in-its/article_9f583508-8285-11ee-b739-33f4b5bdf737.html

6.      More Than 50,000 Pierce County Residents Lose Power (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3939419/more-than-50000-pierce-county-residents-lose-power/

7.      Sixty-Six Public U.S. Power Utilities Earn Smart Energy Provider Designation (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/publication/sixty-six-public-power-utilities-earn-smart-energy-provider-designation

8.      Smart Energy Provider Program Designees (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/smart-energy-provider/designees

9.      Alaska Receives More Than $200 Million for Railbelt Energy Project, Including Cook Inlet Undersea Cable (KDLL Radio, Kenai, AK)

https://www.kdll.org/local-news/2023-11-14/alaska-receives-more-than-200-million-for-railbelt-energy-project-including-cook-inlet-undersea-cable

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

10.   Wind and Solar Curtailments Are Rising in California Because of Congestion: EIA (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/wind-and-solar-curtailments-are-rising-california-because-congestion-eia

11.   $10 Billion Renewable Energy Project Paused Over Concerns for Native American Historic Sites (PBS News Hour)

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/10-billion-renewable-energy-project-paused-over-concerns-for-native-american-historic-sites

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

12.   WA State: Seattle Expected to See Increased Water Revenue Despite Call for Less Water Use (The Centger Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_62244d04-8346-11ee-954d-fbb84229dfb5.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

13.   Federal Judge Upholds Washington’s Controversial Carbon-Pricing Law - Dismisses Lawsuit (Things That Matter)

https://original.newsbreak.com/@things-that-matter-1693150/3230977560168-federal-judge-upholds-washington-s-controversial-carbon-pricing-law-dismisses-lawsuit

14.   Gov. Inslee Appointees Oppose Merging Washington’s Carbon Market with California, Québec (The Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2023/11/13/inslee-appointees-oppose-merging-washingtons-carbon-market-with-california-quebec/

15.   Where Are Carbon Tax Dollars Going? WA Touts New Forest Preserve as Gas Prices Remain High for Drivers (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/a-look-inside-washingtons-first-forest-managed-exclusively-for-carbon-sequestration

16.   Worsening Warming Is Hurting People in All Regions, U.S. Climate Assessment Shows (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-future-warming-disasters-america-a419265bb733adcb7c62b4111028aa0c

17.   More Than 100 Cities Have Banned Gas Leaf Blowers. Will Portland Be Next? (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2023/11/more-than-100-cities-have-banned-gas-leaf-blowers-will-portland-be-next.html

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

18.   Electric Vehicle Sales Are Rising. So Why Are Automakers Nervous? (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ev-sales-rising-why-automakers-nervous/699453/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

19.   Horsefeathers! Scrabble’s New Tournament Word List Adds Words That Lexicographers Say Aren’t Actually Words At All (Slate Magazine)

https://slate.com/culture/2023/11/scrabble-word-list-controversy-slurs-mistakes.html

MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE

20.   U.S. House Votes to Prevent a Government Shutdown as GOP Speaker Johnson Relies on Democrats for Help (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-house-republican-speaker-johnson-9cb26b703804a9e82e776e44caedcaa2

21.   A Compendium of 2023 Utilities Legislation (Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington

https://mrsc.org/stay-informed/mrsc-insight/november-2023/2023-utilities-legislation

22.   WA State: Holly Dohrman, Franklin PUD Assistant General Manager Dies (Tri-Cities Business News, WA)

https://www.tricitiesbusinessnews.com/2023/11/franklin-pud-assistant-gm/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Oregon Duck Mascot Hilariously Shrinks During USC Game

https://saturdayoutwest.com/oregon-ducks/oregon-duck-mascot-hilariously-shrinks-during-usc-game/

Rare ‘Inverted Jenny’ U.S. Postal Stamp Sells for Record-Breaking $2 Million at Auction

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/rare-inverted-jenny-postal-stamp-sells-record-2-million-auction-1234686411/

Dogs Don Kimonos, Receive Blessings in Place of Children in Aging Japan

https://www.reuters.com/world/japan/dogs-don-kimonos-receive-blessings-place-children-aging-japan-2023-11-14/

So THAT’s Why We Yawn When Someone Else Does

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/so-this-is-the-reason-why-we-yawn_uk_65549428e4b0998d699e1d05

SONG OF THE DAY

Roy Orbison – In Dreams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjrmmTxvC4A

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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