Monday, January 9, 2023

The Energy News Digest for January 9, 2023

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

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ITEMS OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION

Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know – January 25-26, Marriott Seattle Airport, SeaTac, WA

https://bit.ly/3IxrSsj

HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

California Braces for a ‘Parade of Cyclones’ as More Than 110,000 Customers Are without Power (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-faces-parade-cyclones-power-outages-rcna64836

Early Idaho Snowpack Figures Look Promising (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/dec/27/early-snowpack-figures-look-promising/

WA Clean Energy Project Clashes with Important Yakama Tribal Site (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/can-developers-bulldoze-sacred-yakama-site-for-clean-energy/

Study: Two-Thirds of Glaciers on Track to Disappear by 2100 (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/glaciers-two-thirds-to-disappear-by-2100-b5d622f140072f9b9848bf4c47047e49

Washington State Greenhouse Gas Emissions Highest Since 2007 in Latest Inventory (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/dec/28/washington-state-greenhouse-gas-emissions-highest-/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      California Braces for a ‘Parade of Cyclones’ as More Than 110,000 Customers Are without Power

2.      WA State: Suspects in Christmas Grid Attacks Planned Additional Crimes, Prosecutors Say

3.      Man, 34, Is Charged with Terrorism After He ‘Deliberately Destroyed Las Vegas Solar Energy Plant

4.      Southern California Gas Company Says ‘Shockingly High’ Gas Bill Headed Your Way

5.      Average Cost of Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas in 2022 Highest Since 2008

6.      Montana: Proposed Energy Bills Would Benefit Utilities, Tax Electric Vehicles

7.      Pacific NW ‘Hydrogen Hub’ Pitch to Federal Government Treated as Top Secret

8.      In Connecticut, Frustration Grows Over Lack of Access to Canadian Hydropower

9.      Shocking Electricity Prices Follow Deregulation

10.   Pumped Storage: The ‘Sleeping Giant of Energy Storage’ Is Waking Up

11.   News Release: NuScale Reaches Key Milestone in the Development of the Carbon Free Power Project

12.   Drone Inspections: Utilities Use Unmanned Aircraft to Find Problems

13.   President Biden Nominates Willie Phillips to Lead FERC

14.   Editorial: A Sobering Outlook on the Power Supply

15.   WA Clean Energy Project Clashes with Important Yakama Tribal Site

16.   WA State at Odds with Yakima County Commissioners on Solar Project Moratorium

17.   WA State: Horse Heaven Wind Farm Environmental Draft Released

18.   Lava Ridge Wind Power Proposal Concerns Ranchers, Farmers in South-Central Idaho

19.   Study Finds Wind Power Is Sitka’s ‘Strongest Resource’ for Future Energy Needs

20.   Wind Win: New Montana Power Plant ‘Blows Away’ Carbon

21.   DOE Proposes New Energy-Efficiency Standards for Distribution Transformers

22.   The Magic of Heat Pumps: Transforming Homes & Combating Climate Change

23.   Fish Advocates Want More Bonneville Power Administration Funds for Salmon

24.   Dungeness Crab Harvest Delayed Off WA, OR Coast

25.   SMUD, EPRI Launch Pollinator Project at Former Nuclear Power Site

26.   The Fate of America’s Largest Lithium Mine Is in a Federal Judge’s Hands

27.   Early Idaho Snowpack Figures Look Promising

28.   Great Salt Lake Will Disappear in Five Years without Massive ‘Emergency Rescue,’ Scientists Say

29.   Study: Two-Thirds of Glaciers on Track to Disappear by 2100

30.   Washington State Greenhouse Gas Emissions Highest Since 2007 in Latest Inventory

31.   Washington State Just Started Capping Carbon Emissions. Here’s How It Works.

32.   Geoengineering - This Firm Is Working to Control the Climate. Should the World Let It?

33.   New Tax Credits for Electric Vehicles Kicked in Last Week

34.   Here’s How Oregon Plans to Replace the Gas Tax as Cars Go Electric

35.   WA State: East Wenatchee Signs MOU with Douglas PUD for Electric Vehicle Pilot Program

36.   Seattle Schools Sue TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Over Students’ Mental Health

37.   Five Things to Know About Oregon’s 2023 Legislative Session

38.   Washington State Legislative Session Kicks Off Monday

39.   ‘The Worst of It Still in Front of Us’ as New Storms Set to Pound a Rain-Weary California

40.   President Biden Declares Emergency for California Due to Winter Storms

41.   A Monster Low Will Develop on Wednesday

WORD OF THE DAY – THE HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Serendipity • \sair-un-DIP-uh-tee\ • noun - The faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also: an instance of this.

Serendipity

Dorito with extra “cheese”

A tasty tidbit

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California Braces for a ‘Parade of Cyclones’ as More Than 110,000 Customers Are without Power (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-faces-parade-cyclones-power-outages-rcna64836

2.      WA State: Suspects in Christmas Grid Attacks Planned Additional Crimes, Prosecutors Say (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/suspects-in-christmas-grid-attacks-planned-additional-crimes-prosecutors-say

3.      Man, 34, Is Charged with Terrorism After He ‘Deliberately Destroyed Las Vegas Solar Energy Plant (The Daily Mail, UK)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11608443/Man-34-charged-terrorism-deliberately-destroyed-solar-energy-plant.html

4.      Southern California Gas Company Says ‘Shockingly High’ Gas Bill Headed Your Way (KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

https://ktla.com/news/california/shockingly-high-gas-bill-headed-your-way-socalgas/

5.      Average Cost of Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas in 2022 Highest Since 2008 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55119

6.      Montana: Proposed Energy Bills Would Benefit Utilities, Tax Electric Vehicles (Montana Standard, Butte, MT)

https://mtstandard.com/news/proposed-energy-bills-would-benefit-utilities-tax-electric-vehicles/article_2b57bd01-2533-557b-841a-3b588deb76be.html

7.      Pacific NW ‘Hydrogen Hub’ Pitch to Federal Government Treated as Top Secret (Northwest News Network)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/energy/2022-12-22/pacific-nw-hydrogen-hub-pitch-to-federal-government-treated-as-top-secret

8.      In Connecticut, Frustration Grows Over Lack of Access to Canadian Hydropower (Energy News Network)

https://energynews.us/2023/01/06/in-connecticut-frustration-grows-over-lack-of-access-to-canadian-hydropower/

9.      Shocking Electricity Prices Follow Deregulation (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Business/story?id=3465534&page=1

10.   Pumped Storage: The ‘Sleeping Giant of Energy Storage’ Is Waking Up (Forbes Magazine)

https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2022/12/29/the-sleeping-giant-of-energy-storage-is-waking-up/amp/

11.   News Release: NuScale Reaches Key Milestone in the Development of the Carbon Free Power Project (Businesswire)

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230109005322/en/NuScale-Reaches-Key-Milestone-in-the-Development-of-the-Carbon-Free-Power-Project

12.   Drone Inspections: Utilities Use Unmanned Aircraft to Find Problems (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA)

https://www.ajc.com/news/business/drone-inspections-utilities-use-unmanned-aircraft-to-find-problems/ZFBCEAY32NCLNBOAYERS4V2MPA/

13.   President Biden Nominates Willie Phillips to Lead FERC (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/38098-biden-nominates-willie-phillips-to-lead-ferc/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

14.   Editorial: A Sobering Outlook on the Power Supply (Capital Press)

https://www.capitalpress.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-a-sobering-outlook-on-the-power-supply/article_1e08fcf4-888e-11ed-883b-c3569e323821.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15.   WA Clean Energy Project Clashes with Important Yakama Tribal Site (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/can-developers-bulldoze-sacred-yakama-site-for-clean-energy/

16.   WA State at Odds with Yakima County Commissioners on Solar Project Moratorium (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/efsec-at-odds-with-yakima-county-commissioners-on-solar-project-moratorium/article_32c57e0c-8d42-11ed-b828-8ff3ffbc0acd.html

17.   WA State: Horse Heaven Wind Farm Environmental Draft Released (KONA Radio, Tri-Cities, WA)

https://610kona.com/horse-heaven-wind-farm-envronmental-draft-released/

18.   Lava Ridge Wind Power Proposal Concerns Ranchers, Farmers in South-Central Idaho (Capital Press)

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/01/06/lava-ridge-wind-power-proposal-concerns-ranchers-farmers-in-south-central-idaho/

19.   Study Finds Wind Power Is Sitka’s ‘Strongest Resource’ for Future Energy Needs (Alaska Public Media)

https://alaskapublic.org/2023/01/03/study-finds-wind-power-is-sitkas-strongest-resource-for-future-energy-needs/

20.   Wind Win: New Montana Power Plant ‘Blows Away’ Carbon (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20230105-windwin-new-montana-power-plant-blows-away-carbon

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

21.   DOE Proposes New Energy-Efficiency Standards for Distribution Transformers (Daily Energy Insider)

https://dailyenergyinsider.com/news/38041-doe-proposes-new-energy-efficiency-standards-for-distribution-transformers/

22.   The Magic of Heat Pumps: Transforming Homes & Combating Climate Change (CleanTechnica)

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/01/07/the-magic-of-heat-pumps-transforming-homes-combating-climate-change/

FISH & WILDLIFE

23.   Fish Advocates Want More Bonneville Power Administration Funds for Salmon (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)

https://lmtribune.com/northwest/fish-advocates-want-more-funds-for-salmon/article_a7ca08ec-7ee8-50e0-b79f-949deec16096.html

24.   Dungeness Crab Harvest Delayed Off WA, OR Coast (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/dungeness-crab-harvest-delayed-off-wa-or-coast/

25.   SMUD, EPRI Launch Pollinator Project at Former Nuclear Power Site (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/smud-epri-launch-pollinator-project-former-nuclear-power-site

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

26.   The Fate of America’s Largest Lithium Mine Is in a Federal Judge’s Hands (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/06/1147452848/the-fate-of-americas-largest-lithium-mine-is-in-a-federal-judges-hands

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

27.   Early Idaho Snowpack Figures Look Promising (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/dec/27/early-snowpack-figures-look-promising/

28.   Great Salt Lake Will Disappear in Five Years without Massive ‘Emergency Rescue,’ Scientists Say (Cable News Network)

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/06/us/great-salt-lake-disappearing-drought-climate/index.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

29.   Study: Two-Thirds of Glaciers on Track to Disappear by 2100 (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/glaciers-two-thirds-to-disappear-by-2100-b5d622f140072f9b9848bf4c47047e49

30.   Washington State Greenhouse Gas Emissions Highest Since 2007 in Latest Inventory (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/dec/28/washington-state-greenhouse-gas-emissions-highest-/

31.   Washington State Just Started Capping Carbon Emissions. Here’s How It Works. (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/economics/washington-state-cap-and-invest-california-lessonsit-works/

32.   Geoengineering - This Firm Is Working to Control the Climate. Should the World Let It? (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/09/make-sunsets-solar-geoengineering-climate/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

33.   New Tax Credits for Electric Vehicles Kicked in Last Week (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/09/1147787264/new-tax-credits-for-electric-vehicles-kicked-in-last-week

34.   Here’s How Oregon Plans to Replace the Gas Tax as Cars Go Electric (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/odot-gas-tax-electric-vehicle-pay-per-mile/283-fad1a341-0550-4c70-aa93-bfe5ead3f4c4

35.   WA State: East Wenatchee Signs MOU with Douglas PUD for Electric Vehicle Pilot Program (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/east-wenatchee-signs-mou-with-douglas-pud-for-electric-vehicle-pilot-program/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

36.   Seattle Schools Sue TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Over Students’ Mental Health (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/youtube-facebook-instagram-tiktok-seattle-schools-sue-1849964843

GOVERNMENT & GOVERNANCE

37.   Five Things to Know About Oregon’s 2023 Legislative Session (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/oregon-2023-legislative-session/283-09ef3f19-0872-439c-a5fe-0e48c444de17

38.   Washington State Legislative Session Kicks Off Monday (KPQ-Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/washington-state-legislative-session-kicks-off-monday/

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

39.   ‘The Worst of It Still in Front of Us’ as New Storms Set to Pound a Rain-Weary California (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-08/300-000-lose-power-sacramento-area-storm-winds

40.   President Biden Declares Emergency for California Due to Winter Storms (Reuters)

https://news.yahoo.com/biden-declares-emergency-california-due-120925765.html

41.   A Monster Low Will Develop on Wednesday (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-monster-low-will-develop-on-wednesday.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Florida Sheriff: Burglars Call 911 to Get Help Moving Stuff

https://apnews.com/article/oddities-crime-burglary-theft-florida-598b375ed200fc7f6ee3257f02c4a3eb

Man Buys $15 Router at Thrift Store & Is Stunned to Find It Has the Previous Owner’s Bank Account, Tax Information, & Credit Card Numbers

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11580467/Man-buys-router-thrift-store-finds-previous-owners-bank-account-credit-card-numbers.html

February: Scientists Say Comet Will Soon Be Seen across Washington Skies (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3771109/scientists-comet-will-soon-be-seen-across-washington-skies/

Indian Men Visit All Seven Continents in Under Four Days to Break World Record

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/01/09/india-Guinness-World-Records-fastest-time-visit-all-continents/6041673290022/

SONG OF THE DAY

Rose Royce – Wishing on a Star

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyWfFRa4M1Y

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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.