Wednesday, August 30, 2023

The Energy News Digest for August 30, 2023

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

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ITEM OF NOTE FROM THE NORTHWEST PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION

It’s not too late to register for the Northwest Innovations in Communications Conference, September 18-21 in Santa Rosa, California. Public power communications and energy services professionals throughout the greater Pacific Northwest will come together. We hope you’ll be among them.

HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

WA State: Natural Gas Bill Rates to Increase for Puget Sound Energy Customers – State Discourages Explanation on Bill (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3925516/gas-rate-increase-coming-for-puget-sound-customers/

Critical Fire Weather Arrives in Northern California’s Interior; PG&E Cuts Power to 8,400 Customers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/critical-fire-weather-in-arrives-northern-18338208.php

Oregon’s Coastal Tribes Join Opposition to Federal Offshore Wind Plans (The Maritime Executive)

https://maritime-executive.com/article/oregon-s-coastal-tribes-join-opposition-to-federal-offshore-wind-plans

Pink Salmon Are Having a Great 2023 Return in Puget Sound (KUOW News, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/pink-salmon-are-having-a-great-2023-return-in-puget-sound

America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/america-is-using-up-its-groundwater-like-theres-no-tomorrow/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.      WA State: Natural Gas Bill Rates to Increase for Puget Sound Energy Customers – State Discourages Explanation on Bill

2.      WA Attorney General Advised Utilities Commission to Conceal Carbon Tax Impact on Energy Rates

3.      Critical Fire Weather Arrives in Northern California’s Interior; PG&E Cuts Power to 8,400 Customers

4.      Hawaii Power Utility Takes Responsibility for First Fire on Maui, But Faults County Firefighters

5.      Electric Utilities Face Billions in Wildfire Liability with Aging Power Lines Risking Another Catastrophe

6.      Auditor Faults California Regulators for Failing to Utility Rate Hikes

7.      Washington Receives $23 Million from Feds to Strengthen Electrical Grid Against Disasters

8.      Family of South Carolina Teacher Killed by Falling Utility Pole Seeks Better Rural Infrastructure

9.      Bonneville Power Administration Forms Centralized Program to Mitigate Encroachments on Transmission Infrastructure

10.   Deputy Regional Director Michelle Williams Transitions to Senior Vice President for Western Area Power Administration

11.   Oregon’s Coastal Tribes Join Opposition to Federal Offshore Wind Plans

12.   WA State: Wild Horse Wind Facility Generates Clean Energy & Visitor Curiosity

13.   Alaska’s Largest Solar Farm to Go Online in Coming Days

14.   WA State: Lewis County PUD Has No Official Stance on Hydrogen Facility Proposal

15.   Washington Plant Will Convert Food Waste into Renewable Natural Gas

16.   Pink Salmon Are Having a Great 2023 Return in Puget Sound

17.   In the Storied Cowichan River, Fish Are Dying in Droves as Climate Change Scorches Canada

18.   Japanese Ministers Eat Fukushima Fish to Show It’s Safe After Nuclear Plant Wastewater Is Discharged

19.   America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow

20.   Native Nations on Front Lines of Climate Change Share Knowledge & Find Support at Intensive Camps

21.   Broadband Subsidy Program That Millions Use Will Expire Next Year If Congress Doesn’t Act

22.   Is it Time to X-out Twitter?

23.   Live Updates: Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida’s Big Bend; Flooding, Damage Widespread

24.   Oregon, Washington Faces Total of 17 ‘Large’ Wildfires Spanning 125,000 Acres

25.   Stop Flying Drones Near Wildfires. Firefighters Are Grounding Planes as Result

26.   Oregon, Washington Gas Prices Likely to Jump Still Higher Ahead of Holiday Weekend

WORD OF THE DAY

Eldritch \EL-dritch\ Adjective – Weird, eerie.

Hiding under the covers, lest the closet monster see any part of its body, the quaking child had second thoughts about reading “Tales from the Crypt” with a flashlight under the covers at bedtime. Every eldritch creak of the house, branch against the window, or drip of the bathroom faucet conjured images of a monster with slathering jaws waiting to pounce.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      WA State: Natural Gas Bill Rates to Increase for Puget Sound Energy Customers – State Discourages Explanation on Bill (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3925516/gas-rate-increase-coming-for-puget-sound-customers/

2.      WA Attorney General Advised Utilities Commission to Conceal Carbon Tax Impact on Energy Rates (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_75a017ca-4366-11ee-b44a-631e6df6de14.html

3.      Critical Fire Weather Arrives in Northern California’s Interior; PG&E Cuts Power to 8,400 Customers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/critical-fire-weather-in-arrives-northern-18338208.php

4.      Hawaii Power Utility Takes Responsibility for First Fire on Maui, But Faults County Firefighters (Associated Press)

https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/hawaii-power-utility-takes-responsibility-for-first-fire-on-maui-but-faults-county-firefighters-hawaiian-electric-company-lawsuit-honolulu

5.      Electric Utilities Face Billions in Wildfire Liability with Aging Power Lines Risking Another Catastrophe (CNBC News)

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/28/wildfire-risk-electric-utilities-face-billions-in-liability-with-aging-lines.html

6.      Auditor Faults California Regulators for Failing to Utility Rate Hikes (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/auditor-faults-california-regulators-for-failing-to-monitor-utility-rate-hikes/

7.      Washington Receives $23 Million from Feds to Strengthen Electrical Grid Against Disasters (Washington State Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/electrical-grid-against-disasters/

8.      Family of South Carolina Teacher Killed by Falling Utility Pole Seeks Better Rural Infrastructure (Associated Press)

https://ktar.com/story/5533650/family-of-south-carolina-teacher-killed-by-falling-utility-pole-seeks-better-rural-infrastructure/

9.      Bonneville Power Administration Forms Centralized Program to Mitigate Encroachments on Transmission Infrastructure (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20230818-bpa-forms-centralized-program-to-mitigate-encroachments-on-transmission

10.   Deputy Regional Director Michelle Williams Transitions to Senior Vice President for Western Area Power Administration (Western Area Power Administration)

https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsReleases/2023/Documents/New-Sierra-Nevada-regional-manager.pdf

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

11.   Oregon’s Coastal Tribes Join Opposition to Federal Offshore Wind Plans (The Maritime Executive)

https://maritime-executive.com/article/oregon-s-coastal-tribes-join-opposition-to-federal-offshore-wind-plans

12.   WA State: Wild Horse Wind Facility Generates Clean Energy & Visitor Curiosity (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/evening/wild-horse-wind-facility-generates-clean-energy-and-visitor-curiosity/281-428072153

13.   Alaska’s Largest Solar Farm to Go Online in Coming Days (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/08/30/alaskas-largest-solar-farm-go-online-coming-days/

14.   WA State: Lewis County PUD Has No Official Stance on Hydrogen Facility Proposal (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-pud-has-no-official-stance-on-hydrogen-facility-proposal,324423

15.   Washington Plant Will Convert Food Waste into Renewable Natural Gas (Capital Press)

https://www.capitalpress.com/state/washington/washington-plant-will-convert-food-waste-into-renewable-natural-gas/article_631ff674-46a4-11ee-8e01-8b5e236ddc91.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

16.   Pink Salmon Are Having a Great 2023 Return in Puget Sound (KUOW News, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/pink-salmon-are-having-a-great-2023-return-in-puget-sound

17.   In the Storied Cowichan River, Fish Are Dying in Droves as Climate Change Scorches Canada (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/in-a-storied-river-fish-are-dying-in-droves-as-climate-change-scorches-canada/

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE

18.   Japanese Ministers Eat Fukushima Fish to Show It’s Safe After Nuclear Plant Wastewater Is Discharged (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/japan-fukushima-nuclear-wastewater-fish-fcb7498f38676192cce7e404277fc976

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

19.   America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/america-is-using-up-its-groundwater-like-theres-no-tomorrow/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

20.   Native Nations on Front Lines of Climate Change Share Knowledge & Find Support at Intensive Camps (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/tribal-climate-camp-30ebca225c27ed807c1e2e670b24eb8e

LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS

21.   Broadband Subsidy Program That Millions Use Will Expire Next Year If Congress Doesn’t Act (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/broadband-federal-subsidy-internet-access-congress-biden-f196179935b45632d45169698fd31672

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

22.   Is it Time to X-out Twitter? (Pioneer Utility Resources)

https://www.pioneerutilityresources.com/xouttwitter/

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY

23.   Live Updates: Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida’s Big Bend; Flooding, Damage Widespread (The Weather Channel)

https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/2023-08-30-hurricane-idalia-live-updates-blog-florida-landfall

24.   Oregon, Washington Faces Total of 17 ‘Large’ Wildfires Spanning 125,000 Acres (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.koin.com/news/wildfires/oregon-washington-faces-total-of-17-large-wildfires-spanning-125000-acres/

25.   Stop Flying Drones Near Wildfires. Firefighters Are Grounding Planes as Result (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/wildfires-continue-to-burn-across-washington-state-so-stop-with-the-drones

26.   Oregon, Washington Gas Prices Likely to Jump Still Higher Ahead of Holiday Weekend (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/29/oregon-washington-gas-prices-labor-day-weekend/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Early Apple Computer That Helped Launch $3T Company Sells at Auction For $223,000

https://apnews.com/article/vintage-apple-computer-auction-jobs-wozniak-9d55e4570e10605a529e9eab4da926c2

Super Blue Moon: Rare Spectacle Set to Light Up Skies

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66657541

Hundreds of Goats Escape in California Neighborhood

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/08/30/Corte-Madera-goats-escape/3141693407769/

Giant Inflatable Ducks Make a Mysterious Return to Maine Harbor

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/08/29/Belfast-Harbor-Maine-giant-rubber-ducks/1101693326844/

SONG OF THE DAY

Apollo 100 – Ode to Joy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ekQ1RTmzBc

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in The Energy News Digest are for current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.

I try to choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription. Individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regular clearing of your browser’s history and cookie files may help access some paywall sites.