The Energy News Digest is sponsored by the Northwest Public Power Association.
The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.
Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.
HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S
TOP FIVE STORIES
Two Men Plead Guilty to Vandalizing Power Substations in
Washington State on Christmas Day (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/09/07/tacoma-substation-attack/
Extremists Keep Trying to Trigger Mass Blackouts — And
That’s Not Even the Scariest Part (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/08/power-grid-attacks-00114563
WA’s Third Quarterly Carbon Auction Brings in More Than $541
Million (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_92b02840-4d12-11ee-8baa-07b6cce710e5.html
World’s Largest Dam Removal Project Begins on Klamath River
with Many Questions Left (Redding Record Searchlight, CA)
The U.S. Marks 22 Years Since 9/11 with Tributes &
Tears, from Ground Zero to Alaska (Associated Press)
https://news.yahoo.com/united-states-marks-22-years-040427265.html
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See
Stories Below)
1.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Vandalizing Power
Substations in Washington State on Christmas Day
2.
Extremists Keep Trying to Trigger Mass Blackouts
— And That’s Not Even the Scariest Part
3.
World’s Largest Dam Removal Project Begins on
Klamath River with Many Questions Left
4.
Why & How Should We Modernize U.S.
Hydropower Facilities?
5.
Demand for Electricity in Oregon Predicted to
Rise
6.
WA State: Chelan County PUD Staff Recommends
Opting Out of Federal Ratemaking, Electric Vehicle Program Standards
7.
Alaska: Consensus Among Region’s Utilities –
Imports of Liquefied Natural Gas Will Be Needed to Offset Shortfalls
8.
Puget Sound Energy Launches Targeted
Electrification Pilot Among 10,000 Natural Gas Customers
9.
Nevada: Power Pole Plant Fire in Silver Springs
10.
Avista Corp. Names New President & Announces
Senior Leadership Changes
11.
Hydropower Project in Pasco Gets Federal Funding
12.
Could Irrigation Canals Generate Clean
Electricity? Eastern WA Chosen for $1.6 Million Test
13.
Public Comment Open for Potential Offshore Wind
Farming Along Oregon Coast
14.
Montana: Northern Cheyenne Plan Utility-Scale
Energy Project on Reservation
15.
Why Native American Tribes Struggle to Tap
Billions in Clean Energy Incentives
16.
U.S. Solar Installations Expected to Jump 52% to
Nearly 32 GW in 2023: SEIA
17.
Smart Plugs Recalled Over Shock Risk
18.
Oxford Study Proves Heat Pumps Triumph Over
Fossil Fuels in the Cold
19.
Coho Salmon Fishing Season on Columbia River
Should be a Good One
20.
More Wild Atlantic Salmon Found in U.S. Rivers
Than Any Time in the Past Decade, Officials Say
21.
Tennis Ball Wasteland? Game Grapples with a
Fuzzy Yellow Recycling Problem
22.
The Great Salt Lake Is Shrinking Rapidly, And
Utah Has Failed to Stop It, a Lawsuit Contends
23.
‘Without Water, We Have Nothing’: Native,
Indigenous Communities Return to North Portland for Water Ceremony
24.
WA’s Third Quarterly Carbon Auction Brings in
More Than $541 Million
25.
Washington State to Hold Second Emergency Carbon
Auction on Nov. 8
26.
Microsoft Funding New Approach for Carbon
Removal
27.
Video: Is the Cost of Installing Rural Broadband
Worth It?
28.
Microsoft Is Using a Hell of a Lot of Water to
Flood the World with Artificial Intelligence
29.
Electric Cars Have a Road Trip Problem, Even for
the Secretary of Energy
30.
Exclusive: ChatGPT Traffic Slips Again for Third
Month in a Row
31.
Amazon to Require Some Authors to Disclose the
Use of Artificial Intelligence Material
32.
Finally There Are Five: Gomez Confirmed as FCC
Commissioner
33.
The U.S. Marks 22 Years Since 9/11 with Tributes
& Tears, from Ground Zero to Alaska
34.
WA State: Law Firm Investigating Gray Fire as
Residents Realize Total Reimbursement Unlikely – Electric Utilities Eyed
35.
Major El Nino Developing – The Upcoming Winter
May Be an Interesting One for the West Coast
36.
Guest Essay: We Need Some Transparency in
Columbia River System Lawsuit
37.
Editorial: Invest in Internet Infrastructure
Expansion
WORD OF THE DAY
Orotund /ORE-uh-tund/ Adjective – Describes
something—usually a voice—marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound.
It can also be used disapprovingly to mean “pompous” or “bombastic.”
The orotund tones of Walter Winchell’s voice boomed out at
6:45 each night, “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the
ships at sea ... let’s go to press!”
ENERGY &
UTILITY ISSUES
1.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Vandalizing Power
Substations in Washington State on Christmas Day (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/09/07/tacoma-substation-attack/
2.
Extremists Keep Trying to Trigger Mass Blackouts
— And That’s Not Even the Scariest Part (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/08/power-grid-attacks-00114563
3.
World’s Largest Dam Removal Project Begins on Klamath
River with Many Questions Left (Redding Record Searchlight, CA)
4.
Why & How Should We Modernize U.S.
Hydropower Facilities? (U.S. Dept of Energy)
https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/why-and-how-should-we-modernize-us-hydropower-facilities
5.
Demand for Electricity in Oregon Predicted to Rise
(KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR)
6.
WA State: Chelan County PUD Staff Recommends
Opting Out of Federal Ratemaking, Electric Vehicle Program Standards (Wenatchee
World, WA – Paywall Advisory)
7.
Alaska: Consensus Among Region’s Utilities – Imports
of Liquefied Natural Gas Will Be Needed to Offset Shortfalls (Anchorage Press, AK)
8.
Puget Sound Energy Launches Targeted
Electrification Pilot Among 10,000 Natural Gas Customers (Daily Energy Insider)
9.
Nevada: Power Pole Plant Fire in Silver Springs
(KOLO-TV, Reno, NV)
https://www.kolotv.com/2023/09/10/power-pole-plant-fire-silver-springs/
10.
Avista Corp. Names New President & Announces
Senior Leadership Changes (Avista News Release)
RENEWABLE ENERGY
& SELF STORAGE
11.
Hydropower Project in Pasco Gets Federal Funding
(KNDO/KNDU-TV, Yakima/Tri-Cities, WA)
12.
Could Irrigation Canals Generate Clean
Electricity? Eastern WA Chosen for $1.6 Million Test (Olympian, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article278998334.html
13.
Public Comment Open for Potential Offshore Wind
Farming Along Oregon Coast (KOBI-TV, Medford, OR)
14.
Montana: Northern Cheyenne Plan Utility-Scale
Energy Project on Reservation (Montana Standard)
15.
Why Native American Tribes Struggle to Tap
Billions in Clean Energy Incentives (Reuters)
16.
U.S. Solar Installations Expected to Jump 52% to
Nearly 32 GW in 2023: SEIA (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/solar-rebound-installations-seia-record-year/693027/
CONSERVATION
& EFFICIENCY
17.
Smart Plugs Recalled Over Shock Risk (KSAZ-TV,
Phoenix, AZ)
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/smart-plug-emporia-recall-shock-hazard
18.
Oxford Study Proves Heat Pumps Triumph Over
Fossil Fuels in the Cold (National Observer, Canada)
FISH &
WILDLIFE
19.
Coho Salmon Fishing Season on Columbia River Should
be a Good One (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
20.
More Wild Atlantic Salmon Found in U.S. Rivers
Than Any Time in the Past Decade, Officials Say (Associated Press)
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
21.
Tennis Ball Wasteland? Game Grapples with a Fuzzy
Yellow Recycling Problem (Associated Press)
WATER, WATER,
ANYWHERE?
22.
The Great Salt Lake Is Shrinking Rapidly, And Utah
Has Failed to Stop It, a Lawsuit Contends (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/06/utah-great-salt-lake-lawsuit-shrink-00114397
23.
‘Without Water, We Have Nothing’: Native, Indigenous
Communities Return to North Portland for Water Ceremony (The Oregonian, Portland,
OR)
CLIMATE CHANGE
SEQUESTRATION VAULT
24.
WA’s Third Quarterly Carbon Auction Brings in
More Than $541 Million (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_92b02840-4d12-11ee-8baa-07b6cce710e5.html
25.
Washington State to Hold Second Emergency Carbon
Auction on Nov. 8 (The Center Square)
https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_a9dbb2a2-4dce-11ee-bafd-0fa7bdb1d273.html
26.
Microsoft Funding New Approach for Carbon
Removal (The Hill, Washington, DC)
https://thehill.com/business/4193168-microsoft-funding-new-approach-for-carbon-removal/
LONDON CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
27.
Video: Is the Cost of Installing Rural Broadband
Worth It? (Wall Street Journal)
BEAM ME UP,
SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
28.
Microsoft Is Using a Hell of a Lot of Water to
Flood the World with Artificial Intelligence (Gizmodo)
https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-water-usage-ai-iowa-data-center-1850826419
I SING THE CAR
ELECTRIC
29.
Electric Cars Have a Road Trip Problem, Even for
the Secretary of Energy (National Public Radio)
PUBLIC RELATIONS,
MARKETING & MEDIA
30.
Exclusive: ChatGPT Traffic Slips Again for Third
Month in a Row (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/technology/chatgpt-traffic-slips-again-third-month-row-2023-09-07/
31.
Amazon to Require Some Authors to Disclose the Use
of Artificial Intelligence Material (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
https://mynorthwest.com/3929119/amazon-require-authors-disclose-use-ai/
MANAGEMENT &
GOVERNANCE
32.
Finally There Are Five: Gomez Confirmed as FCC
Commissioner (Telecompetitor)
https://www.telecompetitor.com/finally-there-are-five-gomez-confirmed-as-fcc-commissioner/
OTHER THINGS TO
KNOW ABOUT TODAY
33.
The U.S. Marks 22 Years Since 9/11 with Tributes
& Tears, from Ground Zero to Alaska (Associated Press)
https://news.yahoo.com/united-states-marks-22-years-040427265.html
34.
WA State: Law Firm Investigating Gray Fire as
Residents Realize Total Reimbursement Unlikely – Electric Utilities Eyed (Spokesman-Review,
Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/sep/08/law-firm-investigating-gray-fire-as-residents-real/
35.
Major El Nino Developing – The Upcoming Winter
May Be an Interesting One for the West Coast (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2023/09/major-el-nino-developing.html
SOAPBOX SERENADE
– VOX POPULI
36.
Guest Essay: We Need Some Transparency in
Columbia River System Lawsuit (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
37.
Editorial: Invest in Internet Infrastructure
Expansion (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/sep/07/in-our-view-invest-in-internet-infrastructure-expansion/
ALLIGATORS IN THE
SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Comet Nishimura Will Pass Earth for First Time in Over 400
Years: How to Find & Watch It
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/comet-nishimura-pass-earth-first-232135529.html
A Norwegian Man Needed a Hobby. His New Metal Detector Found
a Showy 1,500-Year-Old Gold Necklace
https://apnews.com/article/norway-archaeological-find-gold-21128442b7638f3e1203c2728d494ec7
Dad Gets 667 Tattoos of Daughter’s Name, Reclaims World
Record
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/11/Guinness-World-Records-Lucy-tattoos/3681694454606/
Long-Lost X-Wing Model from ‘Star Wars’ 1977 Up for Auction
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/09/11/Heritage-Auctions-Star-Wars-X-wing-long-lost/8531694450713/
SONG OF THE DAY
Hello Leitmotif: John Williams – Scherzo for X-Wings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJzuanMUuS4
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.