Wednesday, April 26, 2023

The Energy News Digest for April 26, 2023

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

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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

‘It Was Preventable’: Landmark Case on Liability for 2020 Oregon Wildfires Begins with Opening Arguments (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/pacific-power-2020-wildfire-trial-opening-arguments/283-a352aaad-b0f3-46dd-9689-b524084c4fe4

A Look at How Washingtons 2023 Snowpack Data Could Impact Local Farmers in the Summer (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/top_video/a-look-at-how-washingtons-2023-snowpack-data-could-impact-local-farmers-in-the-summer/video_d6c1ec1e-e334-11ed-abec-835d7e7f19c0.html

Switching to Wind & Solar Energy Will Require a Lot of Land (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/24/switching-wind-solar-energy-will-require-lot-land/

WA State: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to Fish for Salmon on Elwha River a Decade After Dams Fell (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/tribe-to-fish-for-salmon-on-elwha-river-a-decade-after-dams-fell/

The Chevy Bolt, GM’s Popular Electric Vehicle, Is on Its Way Out (National Public Radio)

https://fm.kuac.org/npr-news/2023-04-26/the-chevy-bolt-gms-popular-electric-vehicle-is-on-its-way-out

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      ‘It Was Preventable’: Landmark Case on Liability for 2020 Oregon Wildfires Begins with Opening Arguments

2.      Montana: Policy Analyst Concerned About Future Colstrip Costs to NorthWestern Customers

3.      An Oregon City Banned Natural Gas. The Gas Company Fought Back

4.      Debate Over Snake River Dams – Key to Wheat Exports & Clean Power, Battle Over Snake River Dams, Salmon, & Environmental Justice

5.      Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Avista Crew with Shotgun

6.      Less Natural Gas Was Withdrawn from Storage This Winter Than in the Last Seven

7.      Retiring Coal-Fired Power Plants Need a Replacement. These Western States May Have the Answer

8.      Groups Voice Opposition to Proposed Pole Attachments Legislation

9.      Switching to Wind & Solar Energy Will Require a Lot of Land

10.   WA State: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to Fish for Salmon on Elwha River a Decade After Dams Fell

11.   Can the United Nations Help Save Pacific Salmon?

12.   A Look at How Washingtons 2023 Snowpack Data Could Impact Local Farmers in the Summer

13.   Huge Rocky Mountain Snowfall Provides Drought Relief but Causes Flood Worries

14.   Panel: Climate Change, Not Wind Prep, Is Threat to Whales

15.   Cable TV ‘Cord-Cutters’ Became the Majority in 2022

16.   WA State: Okanogan County Broadband Action Team Works to Expand Better & Faster County Access

17.   How Broadband-Powered Remote Work Is Good for the Environment

18.   WA State: Douglas County PUD Agrees to More Power for East Wenatchee Data Center

19.   A New Front in the Water Wars: Your Internet Use

20.   The Chevy Bolt, GM’s Popular Electric Vehicle, Is on Its Way Out

21.   U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide If Government Officials Can Block Social Media Critics

22.   Podcast: How to Build More Hydropower – Adding Terawatts of Hydropower Capacity Doesn’t Have to Increase Ecosystem Impacts

23.   Dumb State Laws Blocking Community Broadband Could Mar Historic Subsidy Efforts 

WORD OF THE DAY

Bohemian \bo-HEE-mee-un\ Noun - 1a: a native or inhabitant of Bohemia b: the group of Czech dialects used in Bohemia 2a: vagabond, wanderer; especially gypsy b: a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others.

Barnabas thought he was living life to the Bohemian fullest: rooming with four guys; drinking Jägermeister each night with wild abandon; blogging incoherently about anything and everything that popped into his febrile mind; rolling out of bed, bleary-eyed the following morning to raise the dough for rent and the rare Pork Top Ramen. His distraught mother put it more succinctly: “My son? He’s living like a bum.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      ‘It Was Preventable’: Landmark Case on Liability for 2020 Oregon Wildfires Begins with Opening Arguments (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/pacific-power-2020-wildfire-trial-opening-arguments/283-a352aaad-b0f3-46dd-9689-b524084c4fe4

2.      Montana: Policy Analyst Concerned About Future Colstrip Costs to NorthWestern Customers (The Daily Montanan)

https://dailymontanan.com/2023/04/21/policy-analyst-concerned-about-future-colstrip-costs-to-northwestern-customers/

3.      An Oregon City Banned Natural Gas. The Gas Company Fought Back (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-25/oregon-s-first-natural-gas-ban-ignites-industry-counterattack

4.      Debate Over Snake River Dams – Key to Wheat Exports & Clean Power, Battle Over Snake River Dams, Salmon, & Environmental Justice (Progressive Farmer)

https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/business-inputs/article/2023/04/24/key-wheat-exports-clean-power-battle

5.      Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Avista Crew with Shotgun (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/apr/25/men-arrested-after-allegedly-threatening-avista-cr/

6.      Less Natural Gas Was Withdrawn from Storage This Winter Than in the Last Seven (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=56280

7.      Retiring Coal-Fired Power Plants Need a Replacement. These Western States May Have the Answer (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/4/25/23688248/nuclear-power-replacing-coal-utah-wyoming-terrapower-electrical-grid

8.      Groups Voice Opposition to Proposed Pole Attachments Legislation (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/groups-voice-opposition-proposed-pole-attachments-legislation

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

9.      Switching to Wind & Solar Energy Will Require a Lot of Land (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/24/switching-wind-solar-energy-will-require-lot-land/

FISH & WILDLIFE

10.   WA State: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to Fish for Salmon on Elwha River a Decade After Dams Fell (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/tribe-to-fish-for-salmon-on-elwha-river-a-decade-after-dams-fell/

11.   Can the United Nations Help Save Pacific Salmon? (Crosscut Seattle)

https://crosscut.com/environment/2023/04/can-united-nations-help-save-pacific-salmon

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

12.   A Look at How Washingtons 2023 Snowpack Data Could Impact Local Farmers in the Summer (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/top_video/a-look-at-how-washingtons-2023-snowpack-data-could-impact-local-farmers-in-the-summer/video_d6c1ec1e-e334-11ed-abec-835d7e7f19c0.html

13.   Huge Rocky Mountain Snowfall Provides Drought Relief but Causes Flood Worries (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/25/1171800338/huge-rocky-mountain-snowfall-provides-drought-relief-but-causes-flood-worries

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

14.   Panel: Climate Change, Not Wind Prep, Is Threat to Whales (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/ocean-offshore-wind-fossil-fuel-dead-whales-633d21db47b211b027daa7d713b1a479

LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS

15.   Cable TV ‘Cord-Cutters’ Became the Majority in 2022 (Sacramento Bee, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article274727981.html

16.   WA State: Okanogan County Broadband Action Team Works to Expand Better & Faster County Access (Quad City Herald, Brewster, WA)

https://www.qcherald.com/news/broadband-action-team-works-expand-better-and-faster-county-access

17.   How Broadband-Powered Remote Work Is Good for the Environment (NCTA)

https://www.ncta.com/whats-new/how-broadband-powered-remote-work-is-good-for-the-environment

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

18.   WA State: Douglas County PUD Agrees to More Power for East Wenatchee Data Center (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/douglas-county-pud-agrees-to-more-power-for-east-wenatchee-data-center/article_f224b762-e2c5-11ed-822d-a33e11eb7cf8.html

19.   A New Front in the Water Wars: Your Internet Use (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/04/25/data-centers-drought-water-use/

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

20.   The Chevy Bolt, GM’s Popular Electric Vehicle, Is on Its Way Out (National Public Radio)

https://fm.kuac.org/npr-news/2023-04-26/the-chevy-bolt-gms-popular-electric-vehicle-is-on-its-way-out

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

21.   U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide If Government Officials Can Block Social Media Critics (engadget)

https://www.engadget.com/supreme-court-will-decide-if-government-officials-can-block-social-media-critics-155717504.html

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

22.   Podcast: How to Build More Hydropower – Adding Terawatts of Hydropower Capacity Doesn’t Have to Increase Ecosystem Impacts (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/podcasts/catalyst-with-shayle-kann/how-to-build-more-hydropower

23.   Dumb State Laws Blocking Community Broadband Could Mar Historic Subsidy Efforts (TechDirt)

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/04/24/dumb-state-laws-blocking-community-broadband-could-mar-historic-subsidy-efforts/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Harry Belafonte: Singer & Civil Rights Activist Dies Aged 96

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65390525

California Is Covered in Flowers – California Is Experiencing a ‘Superbloom’ After a Super-Wet Winter

https://gizmodo.com/california-superbloom-flowers-photos-1850374072

Colorado Rescue Discovers Rare Male Calico ‘Unicorn’ Kitten

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/04/25/unicorn-cat-male-calico-kitten/3811682452027/

Lost Dog Reunited with Idaho Owner After Two Years

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/04/26/lost-dog-found-two-years-Idaho-pug-Sven/9421682524904/

SONG OF THE DAY

Harry Belafonte – Jamaica Farewell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aajSxr8nghE

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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