Monday, May 1, 2023

The Energy News Digest for May 1, 2023

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

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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Four Substations & Knocking Out Power for 14,000 People on Christmas (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-man-pleads-guilty-to-vandalizing-4-substations/

FERC Staff Endorses Goldendale Hydro Storage Energy Project (Capital Press)

https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/water/ferc-staff-endorses-goldendale-energy-project/article_51e3670a-e5de-11ed-8b00-bf9399b2fd23.html

Hydropower Rep Hopes for 'Apolitical' Study on Snake River Dams (Capital Press)

https://www.capitalpress.com/state/washington/hydropower-rep-hopes-for-apolitical-study-on-snake-river-dams/article_eae65b46-e445-11ed-a6c9-6756d1cdeec0.html

Heat Pumps Are Having a Breakthrough. They Have One Issue: The Wrong Name. (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/04/27/heat-pump-name-air-conditioning/

Montana: Bill Banning Greenhouse Gas Analysis from Permitting Decisions Heads to Governor (Montana Free Press)

https://montanafreepress.org/2023/04/28/greenhouse-gas-bill-pases-legislature/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Four Substations & Knocking Out Power for 14,000 People on Christmas

2.      Hydropower Rep Hopes for 'Apolitical' Study on Snake River Dams

3.      After Ninth Circuit Tosses Berkeley Gas Ban for New Buildings – Climate-Focused Cities Examine Their Options

4.      California: SMUD Customers Have Seen 15% Electricity Rate Increase in Three Years. Here’s Why

5.      Oregon: Fee Passthrough – Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative Itemizes City Franchise Fee

6.      Arizona: Tucson to Study Creating City-Run Electric Utility; TEP Opposed

7.      New Nuclear Power Could Help U.S. Climate Fight but Faces Hurdles, Report Says

8.      Pending Senate Bill Would Require 30% Transfer Capacity Between Regions: Hickenlooper Aide

9.      FERC Staff Endorses Goldendale Hydro Storage Energy Project

10.   Massive Idaho Wind Farm Plan Generates 8,000 Comments

11.   Lawmakers Crack Down on Wind-Turbine Lights That Flash All Night

12.   Calif. Public Power Leaders Say New Rule Threatens Ability of Utilities to Respond to Emergencies

13.   WA State: Does Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant Fit into the City’s Climate Goals?

14.   Bill Extending Tax Break to Washington Business That Use Wood Waste for Energy Awaits Signature for Final Passage

15.   Heat Pumps Are Having a Breakthrough. They Have One Issue: The Wrong Name.

16.   Can Fish & Dams Coexist on the Skagit River? New Plan May Be First Step

17.   Bi-State Sage Grouse Considered for Threatened Status, Again

18.   How a Group of Herring Fishermen May Get the U.S. Supreme Court to Reel in Government Power

19.   Lake Powell Could Rise 50 to 90 Feet Over the Next Few Months

20.   Montana: Bill Banning Greenhouse Gas Analysis from Permitting Decisions Heads to Governor

21.   Portland to Ban Gas-Powered Delivery Vehicles from 16 Blocks Downtown

22.   Oregon Dreams of Semiconductor Factories, But Land & Tax Breaks Are Going to Data Centers Instead

23.   Digital News Sites Fight to Survive as Online Ad Dollars Dry Up

24.   WordPress Drops Twitter Social Sharing Due to API Price Hike

25.   WA Gov. Inslee Says He Won’t Be Running for Fourth Term

26.   WA Gov. Jay Inslee Will Not Seek a Fourth Term – Who Will Run?

27.   JPMorgan Wins Government Auction to Buy Seized First Republic Bank

28.   Apprenticeships Become Popular College Alternative as Tuition Costs Continue to Rise

29.   Marijuana Job Lands Oregon Secretary of State in Trouble

30.   Commentary: President Needs to Visit Dams Before Siding with Breaching Advocates

WORD OF THE DAY

Virescent \vuh-RESS-sunt\ Adjective - Beginning to be green: greenish.

The lesser-known brother of Theodore Geisel, Abner, was considered the more cerebral of the siblings. Whereas Ted waxed eloquently about “Green Eggs & Ham,” Abner’s treatise was titled “The Psychological Effects of Virescent Fried Chicken Embryos & Salt-Cured Pork Flesh on Anthropomorphic Creatures in Children’s Literature.” Understandably, Ted’s writings were better sellers in every way.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Vandalizing Four Substations & Knocking Out Power for 14,000 People on Christmas (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-man-pleads-guilty-to-vandalizing-4-substations/

2.      Hydropower Rep Hopes for 'Apolitical' Study on Snake River Dams (Capital Press)

https://www.capitalpress.com/state/washington/hydropower-rep-hopes-for-apolitical-study-on-snake-river-dams/article_eae65b46-e445-11ed-a6c9-6756d1cdeec0.html

3.      After Ninth Circuit Tosses Berkeley Gas Ban for New Buildings – Climate-Focused Cities Examine Their Options (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/berkeley-gas-ban-impacts-cities-building-electrification/648816/

4.      California: SMUD Customers Have Seen 15% Electricity Rate Increase in Three Years. Here’s Why (Sacramento Bee, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article274817401.html

5.      Oregon: Fee Passthrough – Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative Itemizes City Franchise Fee (Coos-Curry Pilot, OR)

https://www.currypilot.com/news_free/electricity-fee-utility-adds-fee/article_4e5e6424-e5c8-11ed-98e5-8716227f731c.html

6.      Arizona: Tucson to Study Creating City-Run Electric Utility; TEP Opposed (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ)

https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tucson-to-study-creating-city-run-electric-utility-tep-opposed/article_4bc11e0c-dfcc-11ed-b847-1f96797306ed.html

7.      New Nuclear Power Could Help U.S. Climate Fight but Faces Hurdles, Report Says (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-nuclear-power-could-help-us-climate-fight-faces-hurdles-report-2023-04-27/

8.      Pending Senate Bill Would Require 30% Transfer Capacity Between Regions: Hickenlooper Aide (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/senate-hickenlooper-bill-transfer-capacity-regions-wires-spp-miso/648886/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

9.      FERC Staff Endorses Goldendale Hydro Storage Energy Project (Capital Press)

https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/water/ferc-staff-endorses-goldendale-energy-project/article_51e3670a-e5de-11ed-8b00-bf9399b2fd23.html

10.   Massive Idaho Wind Farm Plan Generates 8,000 Comments (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

https://www.eastoregonian.com/news/northwest/massive-idaho-wind-farm-plan-generates-8-000-comments/article_4b97bcf1-5b04-5575-af75-bf1b2f02024f.html

11.   Lawmakers Crack Down on Wind-Turbine Lights That Flash All Night (Wall Street Journal)

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/05/01/lawmakers-crack-down-on-wind-turbine-lights-that-flash-all-night/

12.   Calif. Public Power Leaders Say New Rule Threatens Ability of Utilities to Respond to Emergencies (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/calif-public-power-leaders-say-new-rule-threatens-ability-utilities-respond-emergencies

13.   WA State: Does Spokane’s Waste-to-Energy Plant Fit into the City’s Climate Goals? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/apr/30/does-spokanes-waste-to-energy-plant-fit-into-the-c/

14.   Bill Extending Tax Break to Washington Business That Use Wood Waste for Energy Awaits Signature for Final Passage (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/may/01/bill-extending-tax-break-to-washington-business-th/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

15.   Heat Pumps Are Having a Breakthrough. They Have One Issue: The Wrong Name. (Washington Post, DC – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/04/27/heat-pump-name-air-conditioning/

FISH & WILDLIFE

16.   Can Fish & Dams Coexist on the Skagit River? New Plan May Be First Step (KUOW News, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/can-fish-and-dams-coexist-on-the-skagit-river-new-plan-may-be-first-step

17.   Bi-State Sage Grouse Considered for Threatened Status, Again (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/endangered-species-sage-grouse-88a904496d8ec4806fc0b54a8c89190b

18.   How a Group of Herring Fishermen May Get the U.S. Supreme Court to Reel in Government Power (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/01/supreme-court-herring-fishermen-chevron/11574448002/

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

19.   Lake Powell Could Rise 50 to 90 Feet Over the Next Few Months (KSL Radio, Salt Lake City, UT)

https://kslnewsradio.com/2002235/lake-powell-could-rise-50-to-90-feet-over-the-next-few-months/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

20.   Montana: Bill Banning Greenhouse Gas Analysis from Permitting Decisions Heads to Governor (Montana Free Press)

https://montanafreepress.org/2023/04/28/greenhouse-gas-bill-pases-legislature/

21.   Portland to Ban Gas-Powered Delivery Vehicles from 16 Blocks Downtown (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.koin.com/news/portland/portland-to-ban-gas-powered-delivery-vehicles-from-16-blocks-downtown/

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

22.   Oregon Dreams of Semiconductor Factories, But Land & Tax Breaks Are Going to Data Centers Instead (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2023/04/oregon-dreams-of-semiconductor-factories-but-land-and-tax-breaks-are-going-to-data-centers-instead.html

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

23.   Digital News Sites Fight to Survive as Online Ad Dollars Dry Up (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/01/1172996849/digital-news-sites-fight-to-survive-as-online-ad-dollars-dry-up

24.   WordPress Drops Twitter Social Sharing Due to API Price Hike (Mashable)

https://mashable.com/article/wordpress-drops-twitter-jetpack-social-sharing

MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE

25.   WA Gov. Inslee Says He Won’t Be Running for Fourth Term (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/gov-inslee-says-he-wont-be-running-fourth-term/6XAHB45U5FCPDBUZA37QEKD7YM/

26.   WA Gov. Jay Inslee Will Not Seek a Fourth Term – Who Will Run? (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article274922006.html

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

27.   JPMorgan Wins Government Auction to Buy Seized First Republic Bank (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/california-financial-regulator-takes-possession-first-republic-bank-2023-05-01/

28.   Apprenticeships Become Popular College Alternative as Tuition Costs Continue to Rise (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)

https://komonews.com/news/local/college-decision-day-apprenticeship-alternative-students-tuition-us-labor-department-money-deadline-washington-state-university-coug-husky-books-room-board-trade-school-enrollment-workforce-hands-fields-training-opportunity-employer-high-demand

29.   Marijuana Job Lands Oregon Secretary of State in Trouble (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/audit-marijuana-rich-oregon-prep-us-legalization-98948354

SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI

30.   Commentary: President Needs to Visit Dams Before Siding with Breaching Advocates (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

https://www.union-bulletin.com/opinion/opinion_columns/commentary-president-needs-to-visit-dams-before-siding-with-breaching-advocates/article_070c296a-e525-11ed-9e46-afdad714946d.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

A Student Ate an Art Installation Worth Over $100,000 Because He Was Hungry

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/05/01/student-eats-banana-art-installation-comedian/70170089007/

Missing Dog Found 6 Years Later, 470 Miles from Home

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/05/01/Wayne-County-Virginia-dog-Atlanta-Georgia/7911682953397/

Mother Duck Leads Ducklings on Parade Through Virginia School

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/04/27/ducklings-parade-through-Virginia-school/6331682624345/

Teen Saves the Day as School Bus Driver Faints

https://news.yahoo.com/us-teen-saves-day-school-185931976.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra – Breathless

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTSp-iDm58I

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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