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NWPPA SEEKING
CHAMPION OF COMMUNICATIONS AWARD NOMINATIONS
NWPPA is seeking nominations for the
2023 Champion of Communications Award (formerly the Lacy Peoples Award), which
will be presented at the 2023 Northwest Innovations in Communications Conference in
Santa Rosa, California, Sept. 18-21. Please consider someone on your
staff or a colleague for this prestigious award. Nominations are due by Aug.
25 and can be submitted here.
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Electricity Rates in Texas Skyrocket Amid Statewide Heat
Wave (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ercot-prices-texas-heat-wave-electricity/
Climate Change Is Making PNW Hydropower Less Reliable
(Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
Ocean Heat Wave Comes to Pacific Northwest Shores – A Mass
of Warm Water Twice the Size of Alaska Quietly Arrives (KUOW News, Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/ocean-heat-wave-comes-to-pacific-northwest-shores
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (WA) – Many Factors at Play in Debate
Over Breaching Snake River Dams (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_8dbd3e78-3254-11ee-803a-bf63e0eaf395.html
Proposed Rule Change Could Supercharge Sales of Heat-Pump
Water Heaters (Canary Media)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1.
Electricity Rates in Texas Skyrocket Amid
Statewide Heat Wave
2.
Climate Change Is Making PNW Hydropower Less
Reliable
3.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (WA) – Many Factors at
Play in Debate Over Breaching Snake River Dams
4.
WA Legislature Studying Comprehensive Report on
Enloe Dam Removal
5.
Washington Farm Couple Loses Suit Against Pend
Oreille PUD
6.
Willamette Valley Winemakers Sue PacifiCorp Over
Damage from 2020 Wildfires
7.
Two Big Nuclear Regulatory Milestones for Idaho
NuScale SMR Project
8.
Avista & Climate Groups Reach Settlement
Over Proposed Rate Increases in Oregon
9.
Montana: Economist Warns State Must Boost Energy
Production
10.
Are You Ready for a Blackout? How Californians
Can Keep Their Lights On
11.
Bonneville Power Administration’s New Strategy
Charts Leadership Role in Era of Transformation
12.
Tech Companies Look to Set Example by Providing
Clean Energy to Idaho Power’s Grid
13.
As Feds Look to Cut Red Tape, More Local
Governments Are Curbing Wind & Solar
14.
Proposed Rule Change Could Supercharge Sales of
Heat-Pump Water Heaters
15.
Oregon Extends Crab Fishing Restrictions to
Protect Whales
16.
After Helping Prevent Extinctions for 50 Years,
The Endangered Species Act Itself May Be in Peril
17.
Newport’s Sea Lion Docks & Their Rowdy
Residents Are Back
18.
U.S. Utilities Oppose President Biden’s Efforts
to Make Gas Power Plants Cleaner
19.
British Columbia: Peace River Dam Builder Fined
$1 Million for Releasing Contaminated Wastewater into B.C. River
20.
WA State: Lacey Slashes Overdue Water Bill Total
by $1.7 Million as Stern Measures Push Residents to Pay Up
21.
Ocean Heat Wave Comes to Pacific Northwest
Shores – A Mass of Warm Water Twice the Size of Alaska Quietly Arrives
22.
High Prices Trigger Special Auction of
Washington Emission Allowances
23.
Utah: Battle for Bountiful Ends in Win for
Public Broadband Advocates
24.
Oregon: Beacon Broadband’s Local Fiber Internet
Extended
25.
Influencing Reading: The Numbers on Social
Media’s Effects on Books, Reading Tell Different Stories
26.
Trading Cards Give Young Members a Glimpse of
Co-op Career Possibilities
27.
NASA Reaches Voyager 2 with a Last-Ditch ‘Shout’
Across the Void
28.
Janitor in Cowlitz County Found Guilty of
Recording PUD Employees with GoPro
29.
Even Zoom Is Calling Employees Back to the
Office
30.
Record Glacial Flooding Damages Homes in Alaska
31.
Oregon Lifts Ban on Self-Serve Gas, Leaving New
Jersey as the Only State Prohibiting It
32.
People Are Losing More Money to Scammers Than
Ever Before. Here’s How to Keep Yourself Safe
33. Editorial: Yakima County’s Solar Farm Moratorium Creates Needless Drama
WORD OF THE DAY
Puckish \PUCK-ish\ Adjective – Impish, whimsical.
It was an ironic twist; the former hockey player had retired from the game to become a commentator for the Montreal Canadiens. It was there that he became well-known for his “puckish” sense of humor.
ENERGY &
UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Electricity Rates in Texas Skyrocket Amid
Statewide Heat Wave (CBS News)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ercot-prices-texas-heat-wave-electricity/
2.
Climate Change Is Making PNW Hydropower Less
Reliable (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)
3.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (WA) – Many Factors at Play
in Debate Over Breaching Snake River Dams (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_8dbd3e78-3254-11ee-803a-bf63e0eaf395.html
4.
WA Legislature Studying Comprehensive Report on Enloe
Dam Removal (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)
5.
Washington Farm Couple Loses Suit Against Pend
Oreille PUD (Capital Press)
6.
Willamette Valley Winemakers Sue PacifiCorp Over
Damage from 2020 Wildfires (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)
7.
Two Big Nuclear Regulatory Milestones for Idaho
NuScale SMR Project (Power Magazine)
https://www.powermag.com/two-big-nuclear-regulatory-milestones-for-idaho-nuscale-smr-project/
8.
Avista & Climate Groups Reach Settlement
Over Proposed Rate Increases in Oregon (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)
9.
Montana: Economist Warns State Must Boost Energy
Production (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)
https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2023/aug/04/economist-montana-could-become-electricity-importe/
10.
Are You Ready for a Blackout? How Californians Can
Keep Their Lights On (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
11.
Bonneville Power Administration’s New Strategy
Charts Leadership Role in Era of Transformation (Bonneville Power
Administration)
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
12.
Tech Companies Look to Set Example by Providing
Clean Energy to Idaho Power’s Grid (Idaho Capital Sun)
13.
As Feds Look to Cut Red Tape, More Local
Governments Are Curbing Wind & Solar (Huffington Post)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/renewable-zoning-rules_n_64cd5516e4b0334ad2758895
CONSERVATION
& EFFICIENCY
14.
Proposed Rule Change Could Supercharge Sales of
Heat-Pump Water Heaters (Canary Media)
FISH &
WILDLIFE
15.
Oregon Extends Crab Fishing Restrictions to
Protect Whales (Associated Press)
16.
After Helping Prevent Extinctions for 50 Years,
The Endangered Species Act Itself May Be in Peril (Associated Press)
17.
Newport’s Sea Lion Docks & Their Rowdy
Residents Are Back (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
18.
U.S. Utilities Oppose President Biden’s Efforts to
Make Gas Power Plants Cleaner (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/07/us-utilities-gas-power-plants-lobbying-eei-epa
19.
British Columbia: Peace River Dam Builder Fined
$1 Million for Releasing Contaminated Wastewater into B.C. River (CTV News,
Canada)
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
20.
WA State: Lacey Slashes Overdue Water Bill Total
by $1.7 Million as Stern Measures Push Residents to Pay Up (Olympian, WA –
Paywall Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article277982293.html
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
21.
Ocean Heat Wave Comes to Pacific Northwest Shores
– A Mass of Warm Water Twice the Size of Alaska Quietly Arrives (KUOW News,
Seattle, WA)
https://www.kuow.org/stories/ocean-heat-wave-comes-to-pacific-northwest-shores
22.
High Prices Trigger Special Auction of Washington
Emission Allowances (Washington State Standard)
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
23.
Utah: Battle for Bountiful Ends in Win for Public
Broadband Advocates (Light Reading)
24.
Oregon: Beacon Broadband’s Local Fiber Internet
Extended (Curry Coastal Pilot, Brookings, OR)
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3103918842045-communications-local-fiber-internet-extended
PUBLIC RELATIONS,
MARKETING & MEDIA
25.
Influencing Reading: The Numbers on Social Media’s
Effects on Books, Reading Tell Different Stories (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA
– Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/aug/07/influencing-reading-the-numbers-on-social-medias-e/
26.
Trading Cards Give Young Members a Glimpse of
Co-op Career Possibilities (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
BARREL O’ GREEN
POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
27.
NASA Reaches Voyager 2 with a Last-Ditch ‘Shout’
Across the Void (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/aug/04/nasa-reaches-voyager-2-with-a-last-ditch-shout-acr/
MANAGEMENT &
GOVERNANCE
28.
Janitor in Cowlitz County Found Guilty of Recording
PUD Employees with GoPro (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
29.
Even Zoom Is Calling Employees Back to the
Office (TIME Magazine)
https://time.com/6302301/zoom-back-to-the-office/
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
30.
Record Glacial Flooding Damages Homes in Alaska (The
Hill, Washington, DC)
31.
Oregon Lifts Ban on Self-Serve Gas, Leaving New
Jersey as the Only State Prohibiting It (NBC News)
32.
People Are Losing More Money to Scammers Than
Ever Before. Here’s How to Keep Yourself Safe (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
SOAPBOX SERENADE – VOX POPULI
33.
Editorial: Yakima County’s Solar Farm Moratorium
Creates Needless Drama (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
They Went on a Road Trip for Their First Date. Now This
Couple Are Driving Around the World Together
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/went-road-trip-first-date-105007629.html
Sweden Ends U.S. Women’s’ World Cup Reign in Shootout
60 Years After Hitchock’s ‘The Birds,’ Fans Flock to Filming
Locations
The Loch Ness Center in Scotland Plans a New Search for Its
Elusive Monster
SONG OF THE DAY
Electric Light Orchestra – All Over the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XtK5dCFqyE
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