Wednesday, January 18, 2023

The Energy News Digest for January 18, 2023

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

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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Substation Attacks May Lead to New Energy Security Rules in 2023, Experts Say (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/substation-attacks-may-lead-to-new-energy-security-rules-in-2023-experts-s/640138/

NorthWestern Energy to Acquire Avista’s Stake in Colstrip Plant by 2026 (NBC Montana)

https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/northwestern-energy-to-acquire-avistas-stake-in-colstrip-plant-by-2026

Spokane Pushes WA Legislature to Exempt Its Trash Incinerator from Cap-And-Trade Program (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/17/spokane-pushes-legislature-to-exempt-its-trash-inc/

Sea Lions, Seals Might Be Hampering WA Salmon Recovery. What Can Be Done? (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/sea-lions-seals-might-be-hampering-wa-salmon-recovery-what-can-be-done/

Copper Thieves Have New Target: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/copper-thieves-have-new-target-electric-vehicle-charging-stations/635DX4LIGVASVOLWBKKAJBUUAY/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Substation Attacks May Lead to New Energy Security Rules in 2023, Experts Say

2.      U.S. Power Grid Was Physically Attacked 107 Times in the First Eight Months of 2022

3.      NorthWestern Energy to Acquire Avista’s Stake in Colstrip Plant by 2026

4.      EIA Forecasts Lower Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas Prices in 2023 & 2024

5.      Why Water-Cooled Small Modular Reactors Will Win the New Nuclear Competition

6.      New Navajo Nation President Sworn In, Promises to Deliver Utilities Across Reservation

7.      How Dark Money Groups Led Ohio to Redefine Gas as ‘Green Energy’

8.      National Hydropower Map

9.      Four Things to Know About the Gas Stove Frenzy

10.   Amid Scrutiny, Portland General Electric Overhauls Flagship Wind Farm to Address Safety & Reliability Problems

11.   Community Members Speak Out on Yakima County Solar Proposals

12.   Eastern WA Lawmaker Proposes Law to Limit ‘Eyesore’ of Blinking Red Wind Turbine Lights

13.   Northern California Power Agency Signs Geothermal Power Agreements

14.   U.S. Commercial Buildings Consumed More Fuel for Space Heating Than Anything Else in 2018

15.   Sea Lions, Seals Might Be Hampering WA Salmon Recovery. What Can Be Done?

16.   Rally In Olympia Calls for Legislative Action to Make Lower Snake River Dam Breaching a Possibility

17.   Eating One Wild Fish Same as Month of Drinking Tainted Water: Study

18.   All The Rain & Snow in California May Result in a Big Year for Hydro — And That’s Good News for the Grid

19.   As a Central Oregon County Struggles with Extreme Drought Conditions, Officials Declare an Emergency

20.   Tracking WA 2022-23 Snowpack Through Maps & Charts

21.   Employee Profile: Meet Maler Annamalai, Coordinator of the Columbia River’s International Flow

22.   Spokane Pushes WA Legislature to Exempt Its Trash Incinerator from Cap-And-Trade Program

23.   Washington State to Rely on Outside Help to Comply with Green-Energy Law

24.   Moving Species Emerges as Last Resort as Climate Warms

25.   WA State: Lewis County PUD Announces Grant for Rural Broadband in Boistfort Valley

26.   WA State: Okanogan PUD Pursues Broadband Extension Grant

27.   Microsoft Laying Off 10,000 Workers — About 5% of All Staff

28.   Cryptocurrency Turmoil Affects Crypto Miners

29.   Copper Thieves Have New Target: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

30.   Electric Vehicle Sales Soar in Oregon; State Officials Expect Big Numbers in 2023

31.   Wyoming State Lawmakers Say They Got What They Wanted with Proposal to Ban Electric Vehicles

32.   Twitter’s For You Tabbed Interface Starts Rolling Out on Desktop Web Browsers

33.   Move Over Ben Franklin: Laser Lightning Rod Electrifies Scientists

34.   Anti-Environmental, Social & Governance Drive in U.S. Could Have Cost Taxpayers Up to $708 Million – Study

35.   California Sees Extensive Storm Damage as Weather Calms

36.   Bird Flu Sends Egg Prices Soaring as Western Washington Shoppers Feel the Strain

WORD CELEBRATION OF THE DAY – THE HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Happy National Thesaurus Day


Avoid tortured prose

Thesaurus eats arcane words

And biffs out jewels

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Substation Attacks May Lead to New Energy Security Rules in 2023, Experts Say (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/substation-attacks-may-lead-to-new-energy-security-rules-in-2023-experts-s/640138/

2.      U.S. Power Grid Was Physically Attacked 107 Times in the First Eight Months of 2022 (The Daily Mail, UK)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11624317/US-power-grid-physically-attacked-107-times-eight-months-2022.html

3.      NorthWestern Energy to Acquire Avista’s Stake in Colstrip Plant by 2026 (NBC Montana)

https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/northwestern-energy-to-acquire-avistas-stake-in-colstrip-plant-by-2026

4.      EIA Forecasts Lower Wholesale U.S. Natural Gas Prices in 2023 & 2024 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55219

5.      Why Water-Cooled Small Modular Reactors Will Win the New Nuclear Competition (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2023/01/13/why-water-cooled-smrs-will-win-the-new-nuclear-competition/

6.      New Navajo Nation President Sworn In, Promises to Deliver Utilities Across Reservation (Associated Press)

https://idahonews.com/news/nation-world/new-navajo-nation-president-sworn-in-promises-to-deliver-utilities-across-reservation-water-electricity-broadband-internet-richelle-montoya-generations-native-language-window-rock-fort-defiance-sovereignty-greed-new-mexico-utah-arizona

7.      How Dark Money Groups Led Ohio to Redefine Gas as ‘Green Energy’ (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/01/17/ohio-natural-gas-green-energy/

8.      National Hydropower Map (National Hydropower Association)

https://www.hydro.org/map/

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

9.      Four Things to Know About the Gas Stove Frenzy (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/14/gas-stove-firestorm-00077760

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

10.   Amid Scrutiny, Portland General Electric Overhauls Flagship Wind Farm to Address Safety & Reliability Problems (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/01/portland-general-electric-pledges-major-investments-at-flagship-oregon-wind-farm-to-improve-reliability-and-safety.html

11.   Community Members Speak Out on Yakima County Solar Proposals (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/community-members-speak-out-on-yakima-county-solar-proposals/article_226bab84-92ac-11ed-a1a2-8710d671ecc1.html

12.   Eastern WA Lawmaker Proposes Law to Limit ‘Eyesore’ of Blinking Red Wind Turbine Lights (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/eastern-wa-lawmaker-proposes-law-to-limit-eyesore-of-blinking-red-wind-turbine-lights/article_67f66eec-968e-11ed-a18b-2f2b74f5ca08.html

13.   Northern California Power Agency Signs Geothermal Power Agreements (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/northern-california-power-agency-signs-geothermal-power-agreements

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   U.S. Commercial Buildings Consumed More Fuel for Space Heating Than Anything Else in 2018 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55199

FISH & WILDLIFE

15.   Sea Lions, Seals Might Be Hampering WA Salmon Recovery. What Can Be Done? (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/sea-lions-seals-might-be-hampering-wa-salmon-recovery-what-can-be-done/

16.   Rally In Olympia Calls for Legislative Action to Make Lower Snake River Dam Breaching a Possibility (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/13/rally-in-olympia-calls-for-legislative-action-to-m/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

17.   Eating One Wild Fish Same as Month of Drinking Tainted Water: Study (Yahoo! News)

https://news.yahoo.com/eating-one-wild-fish-same-050328070.html

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

18.   All The Rain & Snow in California May Result in a Big Year for Hydro — And That’s Good News for the Grid (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2023-01-17/all-the-rain-and-snow-in-california-may-result-in-a-big-year-for-hydro-and-thats-good-news-for-the-grid

19.   As a Central Oregon County Struggles with Extreme Drought Conditions, Officials Declare an Emergency (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/01/14/central-oregon-crook-county-extreme-drought-emergency/

20.   Tracking WA 2022-23 Snowpack Through Maps & Charts (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/tracking-wa-2022-23-snowpack-through-maps-and-charts/

21.   Employee Profile: Meet Maler Annamalai, Coordinator of the Columbia River’s International Flow (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20230106-employee-profile-meet-maler-annamalai-coordinator-of-the-columbia-rivers

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

22.   Spokane Pushes WA Legislature to Exempt Its Trash Incinerator from Cap-And-Trade Program (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/17/spokane-pushes-legislature-to-exempt-its-trash-inc/

23.   Washington State to Rely on Outside Help to Comply with Green-Energy Law (Big Country News, Clarkston, WA)

https://www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com/local/washington-state-to-rely-on-outside-help-to-comply-with-green-energy-law/article_c4f65686-36b0-5a65-8a20-891d1c4a57a6.html

24.   Moving Species Emerges as Last Resort as Climate Warms (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/science-environmental-conservation-guam-climate-and-environment-lizards-1b4e2790b0f341bebd73fa431c1eefaa

LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS

25.   WA State: Lewis County PUD Announces Grant for Rural Broadband in Boistfort Valley (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-pud-announces-grant-for-rural-broadband-in-boistfort-valley,307178

26.   WA State: Okanogan PUD Pursues Broadband Extension Grant (Quad City Herald, Brewster, WA)

https://www.qcherald.com/public-utility-dist/okanogan-pud-pursues-broadband-extension-grant

BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY

27.   Microsoft Laying Off 10,000 Workers — About 5% of All Staff (Associated Press)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/microsoft-layoffs-1.6717745?cmp=rss

28.   Cryptocurrency Turmoil Affects Crypto Miners (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/18/1149747266/cryptocurrency-turmoil-affects-crypto-miners

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

29.   Copper Thieves Have New Target: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/copper-thieves-have-new-target-electric-vehicle-charging-stations/635DX4LIGVASVOLWBKKAJBUUAY/

30.   Electric Vehicle Sales Soar in Oregon; State Officials Expect Big Numbers in 2023 (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/01/16/oregon-electric-vehicle-sales-soar-officials-expect-big-numbers-in-2023/

31.   Wyoming State Lawmakers Say They Got What They Wanted with Proposal to Ban Electric Vehicles (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3816093-wyoming-lawmakers-say-they-got-what-they-wanted-with-proposal-to-ban-evs/

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

32.   Twitter’s For You Tabbed Interface Starts Rolling Out on Desktop Web Browsers (Engadget)

https://www.engadget.com/twitters-for-you-timeline-starts-rolling-out-on-desktop-web-browsers-203558483.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

33.   Move Over Ben Franklin: Laser Lightning Rod Electrifies Scientists (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/move-over-ben-franklin-laser-lightning-rod-electrifies-scientists-2023-01-16/

GOVERNMENT & GOVERNANCE

34.   Anti-Environmental, Social & Governance Drive in U.S. Could Have Cost Taxpayers Up to $708 Million – Study (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/anti-esg-drive-us-could-have-cost-taxpayers-up-708-mln-study-2023-01-12/

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

35.   California Sees Extensive Storm Damage as Weather Calms (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/biden-weather-us-news-california-climate-and-environment-b3769eb9a0643a6c2c291c4c9fd777b5

36.   Bird Flu Sends Egg Prices Soaring as Western Washington Shoppers Feel the Strain (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3780224/bird-flu-sends-egg-prices-soaring-as-western-washington-shoppers-feel-the-strain/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Rags to Riches: Restored Pompeii House Offers Hints to Its Past

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2023/0113/Rags-to-riches-Restored-Pompeii-house-offers-hints-to-its-past

Van Gogh Painting with Mysterious Past Is Immune from Seizure, Detroit Institute of Arts Claims

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/16/van-gogh-painting-with-mysterious-past-is-immune-f/

Army of Pest-Munching Ducks Keep South African Vineyard Blooming

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/army-pest-munching-ducks-keep-south-african-vineyard-blooming-2023-01-16/

Australian Woman Breaks Archery World Record Using Her Feet

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/01/17/australia-Guinness-World-Records-farthest-arrow-shot-feet-Shannen-Jones-Australia/6121673976469/

SONG OF THE DAY

ABC – Poison Arrow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C2BG-phC0A

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.