Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The Energy News Digest for June 26, 2024

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors the Energy News Digest. 

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Items of Note from the Northwest Public Power Association

This Friday is the deadline for submitting NWPPA Excellence in Communications Award applications.

The Excellence in Communications Contest is an awards competition open to NWPPA utility and association members. Public power professionals are invited to submit the best content created by or on behalf of their utility or organization. All photo entries will automatically be entered into the People’s Choice Awards contest. Awards for both contests are presented each year at NWPPA’s Northwest Innovations in Communications Conference.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Chelan, Douglas, Grant County PUDs Sue Bonneville Power Administration & U.S. Army Corps Over Columbia River Treaty Delays, Overpayment (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory) - The lawsuit, filed June 17, wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act by unreasonably delaying action” on a petition from the Mid-Cs regarding the Columbia River Treaty, and that “the U.S. Entity has no authority to impose conditions on the Mid-Cs’ use of the Columbia River flow after Sept. 15.”

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/chelan-douglas-and-grant-county-puds-sue-bonneville-power-and-u-s-army-corps-over/article_e1adc608-3297-11ef-bf11-57dbca5da919.html

WA Ecology, Feds Host Meetings on Breaching Lower Snake River Dams (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_fc0d9670-3014-11ef-a04c-c777c41e883c.html

State Council Wrestles with WA Gov. Inslee’s Recommendations on Wind Farm Project (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_635764d4-327a-11ef-85e6-4709791bce7a.html

WA State: Initiative to Repeal Cap-And-Trade May Already Be Lowering Carbon Auction Prices (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c4596a64-3335-11ef-98b4-17aa10dee85d.html

WA Lands Commissioner Wary of Federal Plan to Kill Thousands of Owls (Washington Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/wa-lands-commissioner-wary-of-federal-plan-to-kill-thousands-of-owls/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.    Chelan, Douglas, Grant County PUDs Sue Bonneville Power Administration & U.S. Army Corps Over Columbia River Treaty Delays, Overpayment (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory) - The lawsuit, filed June 17, wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act by unreasonably delaying action” on a petition from the Mid-Cs regarding the Columbia River Treaty, and that “the U.S. Entity has no authority to impose conditions on the Mid-Cs’ use of the Columbia River flow after Sept. 15.”

2.    WA Ecology, Feds Host Meetings on Breaching Lower Snake River Dams

3.    Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) responds to President Biden’s 'Dam Breaching' Agenda

4.    Wildfire Threats Make Utility Companies Uninsurable in Northern California, Across West

5.    Hydropower Industry Seeks Navajo Support After Permits Rejected

6.    NV Energy Seeks to Prematurely Recover Costs of $4.2 Billion Greenlink Transmission Line

7.    Aging Coal Plants Are Increasingly Unreliable Due to Cycling Increases & Deferred Maintenance: NERC

8.    Big Tech Wants Nuclear Power but Doesn’t See Role as Investor

9.    State Council Wrestles with WA Gov. Inslee’s Recommendations on Wind Farm Project

10. Alaska: Angoon Celebrates Launch of Long-Awaited Hydroelectric Project

11. A Big Boost for a Climate Solution: Electricity Made from the Heat of the Earth

12. A Signature Biden Law Aimed to Boost Renewable Energy. It Also Helped a Solar Company Reap Billions

13. In Green Energy Boom, One Federal Agency Made the Yakama Nation an Offer They Had to Refuse

14. WA State: Snohomish County to Start ‘Kicking Gas’ in Push for All-Electric Homes

15. WA Lands Commissioner Wary of Federal Plan to Kill Thousands of Owls

16. Have You Ever Sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to a Fish? Dozens of People Did on Saturday

17. The U.S. Supreme Court Rejects a Settlement in a Water Dispute Between New Mexico & Texas

18. WA State: Ecology Releases Final Environmental Review of Proposal to Rebuild Eightmile Lake Dam

19. WA State: Initiative to Repeal Cap-And-Trade May Already Be Lowering Carbon Auction Prices

20. WA to Distribute $72 Million from Carbon Market Auctions for Community Energy Projects

21. Whistleblower Lawsuit Against WSDOT, Washington Governor's Office to Move Forward

22. How Seattle Public Library's Cyberattack Impacts Patrons, Students

23. Taking A Closer Look at Artificial Intelligence’s Supposed Energy Apocalypse

24. Volkswagen's $5 Billion Investment in Rivian Boosts Electric Vehicle Maker's Shares

25. The U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Biden Administration in a Social Media Dispute with Conservative States

26. WA State: Everett Herald Journalists Stage One-Day Strike After Layoffs Announced

27. How Heat Pumps Can Turn Wasted Energy into Low-Carbon Whisky

28. At State Convention, Washington Democrats Narrowly Reject Proposal to Block Nuclear Power

29. What to Expect for Wildfire Season

30. Part of a Minnesota Home Has Plunged into the Blue Earth River as Deadly Midwest Flooding Threatens Nearby Rapidan Dam

31. Lots of Rumbling Under Mount St. Helens, But Scientists Say No Cause for Alarm

32. Guest Essay: Altering Use of Willamette River Basin Dams Would Save Money, Help Salmon

33. Podcast: Rich Glick on FERC Order 1920

34. Advertorial: Hydropower Is Ready to Step Up to the Plate Against Summer Heat

Word of the Day

Hippodrome \HIPP-uh-drome\ Noun - 1: an oval stadium for horse & chariot races in ancient Greece 2: an arena for equestrian performances.

“Harry the Horse” had grown tired of his waltz performance at the local circus. “I want to be the main act at the hippodrome, showcasing the cha-cha,” he neighed. The Hendersons simply laughed.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      Chelan, Douglas, Grant County PUDs Sue Bonneville Power Administration & U.S. Army Corps Over Columbia River Treaty Delays, Overpayment (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory) - The lawsuit, filed June 17, wants the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act by unreasonably delaying action” on a petition from the Mid-Cs regarding the Columbia River Treaty, and that “the U.S. Entity has no authority to impose conditions on the Mid-Cs’ use of the Columbia River flow after Sept. 15.”

https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/local/chelan-douglas-and-grant-county-puds-sue-bonneville-power-and-u-s-army-corps-over/article_e1adc608-3297-11ef-bf11-57dbca5da919.html

2.      WA Ecology, Feds Host Meetings on Breaching Lower Snake River Dams (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_fc0d9670-3014-11ef-a04c-c777c41e883c.html

3.      Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) responds to President Biden’s 'Dam Breaching' Agenda (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_2e883cc8-2e66-11ef-a8ca-7f396370fefc.html

4.      Wildfire Threats Make Utility Companies Uninsurable in Northern California, Across West (San Jose Mercury News, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/06/24/wildfire-threats-make-utilities-uninsurable-in-us-west/

5.      Hydropower Industry Seeks Navajo Support After Permits Rejected (Bloomberg News)

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/hydropower-industry-seeks-navajo-support-after-permits-rejected

6.      NV Energy Seeks to Prematurely Recover Costs of $4.2 Billion Greenlink Transmission Line (Nevada Current)

https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/06/20/nv-energy-seeks-to-prematurely-recover-costs-of-4-2-billion-transmission-line/

7.      Aging Coal Plants Are Increasingly Unreliable Due to Cycling Increases & Deferred Maintenance: NERC (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/coal-plant-forced-outages-rise-increasingly-unreliable-NERC/719488/

8.      Big Tech Wants Nuclear Power but Doesn’t See Role as Investor (Yahoo! News)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-tech-wants-nuclear-power-201653832.html

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

9.      State Council Wrestles with WA Gov. Inslee’s Recommendations on Wind Farm Project (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_635764d4-327a-11ef-85e6-4709791bce7a.html

10.   Alaska: Angoon Celebrates Launch of Long-Awaited Hydroelectric Project (KTOO Radio, Juneau, AK)

https://www.ktoo.org/2024/06/20/angoon-celebrates-launch-of-long-awaited-hydroelectric-project/

11.   A Big Boost for a Climate Solution: Electricity Made from the Heat of the Earth (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/geothermal-energy-heat-renewable-power-climate-fervo-343efd2a284d975b98219e66a6043291

12.   A Signature Biden Law Aimed to Boost Renewable Energy. It Also Helped a Solar Company Reap Billions (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/biden-solar-inflation-reduction-act-dca914675cd0855004214d82aab5b10c

13.   In Green Energy Boom, One Federal Agency Made the Yakama Nation an Offer They Had to Refuse (High Country News)

https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-7/how-federal-rules-and-a-lack-of-protection-for-sacred-indigenous-sites-left-the-yakama-nation-with-an-impossible-choice/

Conservation & Efficiency

14.   WA State: Snohomish County to Start ‘Kicking Gas’ in Push for All-Electric Homes (Everett Herald, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/snohomish-county-to-start-kicking-gas-in-push-for-all-electric-homes/

Fish & Wildlife

15.   WA Lands Commissioner Wary of Federal Plan to Kill Thousands of Owls (Washington Standard)

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/wa-lands-commissioner-wary-of-federal-plan-to-kill-thousands-of-owls/

16.   Have You Ever Sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to a Fish? Dozens of People Did On Saturday (Here Is Oregon)

https://www.hereisoregon.com/events/2024/06/have-you-ever-sung-happy-birthday-to-a-fish-dozens-of-people-did-on-saturday.html

Water, Water, Anywhere?

17.   The U.S. Supreme Court Rejects a Settlement in a Water Dispute Between New Mexico & Texas (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/texas-new-mexico-colorado-rio-grande-a624e0bf8f9d0340166e0811c74efcbb

18.   WA State: Ecology Releases Final Environmental Review of Proposal to Rebuild Eightmile Lake Dam (WA Dept. Of Ecology)

https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/june-21-eightmile-lake-dam-feis

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

19.   WA State: Initiative to Repeal Cap-And-Trade May Already Be Lowering Carbon Auction Prices (The Center Square)

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_c4596a64-3335-11ef-98b4-17aa10dee85d.html

20.   WA to Distribute $72 Million from Carbon Market Auctions for Community Energy Projects (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-lab/wa-to-distribute-72-million-from-carbon-market-auctions-for-community-energy-projects/

21.   Whistleblower Lawsuit Against WSDOT, Washington Governor's Office to Move Forward (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/state-politics/governor-office-wsdot-lose-bid-to-have-whistleblower-case-tossed-out/281-2e763a64-9fe7-4fb5-90b1-306257314b6a

Beam Me Up, Scotty - The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

22.   How Seattle Public Library's Cyberattack Impacts Patrons, Students (Crosscut Seattle)

https://crosscut.com/news/2024/06/how-seattle-public-librarys-cyberattack-impacts-patrons-students

23.   Taking A Closer Look at Artificial Intelligence’s Supposed Energy Apocalypse (Ars Technica)

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/06/is-generative-ai-really-going-to-wreak-havoc-on-the-power-grid/

I Sing the Car Electric

24.   Volkswagen's $5 Billion Investment in Rivian Boosts Electric Vehicle Maker's Shares (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-invest-up-5-billion-rivian-part-tech-joint-venture-2024-06-25/

Public Relations, Marketing & Media

25.   The U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Biden Administration in a Social Media Dispute with Conservative States (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-rules-biden-administration-140359363.html

26.   WA State: Everett Herald Journalists Stage One-Day Strike After Layoffs Announced (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/everett/everett-herald-journalists-protest-layoffs/281-7880a4bd-ed86-4526-ac2b-36c7d93e5e6f

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

27.   How Heat Pumps Can Turn Wasted Energy into Low-Carbon Whisky (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-industry/how-heat-pumps-can-turn-wasted-energy-into-low-carbon-whisky

Management & Governance

28.   At State Convention, Washington Democrats Narrowly Reject Proposal to Block Nuclear Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/25/at-state-convention-washington-democrats-narrowly-/

Other Things to Know About Today

29.   What to Expect for Wildfire Season (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/what-expect-wildfire-season/DIFAKECZ5NALTNI5AC4MSUNMCM/

30.   Part of a Minnesota Home Has Plunged into the Blue Earth River as Deadly Midwest Flooding Threatens Nearby Rapidan Dam (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/part-minnesota-home-plunged-blue-154859241.html

31.   Lots of Rumbling Under Mount St. Helens, But Scientists Say No Cause for Alarm (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

https://www.kuow.org/stories/lots-of-rumbling-under-mount-st-helens-but-scientists-say-no-cause-for-alarm

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

32.   Guest Essay: Altering Use of Willamette River Basin Dams Would Save Money, Help Salmon (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/06/25/altering-use-of-willamette-river-basin-dams-would-save-money-help-salmon/

33.   Podcast: Rich Glick on FERC Order 1920 (Public Power Underground)

https://publicpowerunderground.substack.com/p/rich-glick-on-ferc-order-1920

34.   Advertorial: Hydropower Is Ready to Step Up to the Plate Against Summer Heat (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/07/hydropower-is-ready-to-step-up-to-the-plate-agains/

Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions

Super Fluffy 8-Year-Old Pekingese ‘Wild Thang’ Wins 2024 World's Ugliest Dog Contest

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/22/nx-s1-5016281/wild-thang-pekingese-winner-2024-world-ugliest-dog-contest

Not Just a Book: What Is a Gutenberg Bible? Why Is It Relevant 500 Years After Its Printing?

https://apnews.com/article/gutenberg-bibles-morgan-library-scripture-2ff65c3cdbeda696c861fef5db8b18ee

Abe Lincoln Wax Sculpture Melts in Brutal DC Heat

https://www.yahoo.com/news/abe-lincoln-wax-replica-melts-144552806.html

Idaho’s David Rush Is Closing in on the Guinness World Records Throne

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/06/21/David-Rush-Guinness-World-Records-road-to-181-interview/8751718893537/

Song of the Day

The Beatles – Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

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

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.

Although I choose stories that are accessible without paying a subscription, individual experiences may vary. Media attribution includes information about possible paywall restrictions. Regularly clearing your browser’s history and cookie files may help you access some paywall sites.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Energy News Digest for June 19, 2024

The Northwest Public Power Association sponsors the Energy News Digest. 

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring breaking news throughout the week.

Subscribe to The Energy News Digest.

Items of Note from the Northwest Public Power Association

Only 10 days remain to enter the Excellence in Communications Awards contest! Submit your entries at www.nwppa.org/awards-nominations by 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, June 28.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

U.S. Acknowledges Pacific Northwest Dams Have Devastated the Region’s Native Tribes (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/columbia-snake-river-dams-tribes-58f5c6737df3c3e141cbc8e1cd4926ca

Shasta Tribe Will Reclaim Land Long Buried by a Reservoir on the Klamath River (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2024/06/18/california-gov-newsom-returns-land-to-shasta-tribe-as-river-returns/74110190007/

Electricity Shutoffs for Non-Payment Soar as Utility Costs Increase in Oregon (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kptv.com/2024/06/17/electricity-shutoffs-non-payment-soar-utility-costs-increase-oregon/

Electric Vehicles Emerge as Flash Point in 2024 Election (Washington Post, Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/electric-vehicles-emerge-as-flashpoint-in-2024-election/ar-BB1onjnQ

U.S. Heat Wave Sets Records in Central, Northeast States (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-heat-wave-sets-records-central-northeast-states-2024-06-18/

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.    U.S. Acknowledges Pacific Northwest Dams Have Devastated the Region’s Native Tribes

2.    Nik Blosser Will Lead Biden’s Columbia River Task Force

3.    News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Report Highlighting Historic & Ongoing Negative Impacts of Federal Columbia River Dams on Tribal Communities

4.    News Release: Statement from Northwest RiverPartners on Establishment of Columbia River Task Force, Report from Interior Department

5.    Shasta Tribe Will Reclaim Land Long Buried by a Reservoir on the Klamath River

6.    Electricity Shutoffs for Non-Payment Soar as Utility Costs Increase in Oregon

7.    Concerns Raised About Chelan PUD Power Shut-Off Plan

8.    Pacific Power Explains De-Energization Plans

9.    Idaho Power Files Two More Condemnation Suits for Boardman to Hemingway Transmission

10. Grant County Resident Under Investigation for Pirating Power from Grant PUD

11. Green-Certified Revenue Bonds Support Clean Energy Infrastructure, Lower Interest Costs

12. Day in the Life of Power System Dispatchers

13. Montana: Local Renewable Energy Source at Flathead County Landfill Continues to Expand

14. WA State: Orcas Power & Light Asks for Support for Local Renewable Energy Projects

15. Farmers Who Graze Sheep Under Solar Panels Say It Improves Productivity. So Why Don’t We Do It More?

16. Converting Cow Manure to Fuel Is Growing Climate Solution, But Critics Say Communities Put at Risk

17. ‘Floatovoltaic’ Solar Panels on Lakes Could Unlock Lots of Clean Energy

18. An Eastern WA Salmon Fishing Tradition Is Being Stopped. State Says It Got Too Popular

19. Research Finds Log Booms Harmful to British Columbia Salmon & Fish Habitats

20. WA Gov. Inslee Announces Grants from Climate Commitment Act Funding, Pushes to Preserve It

21. American Indian & Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas Have Among Lowest Rates of High-Speed Internet Access

22. Wireless Industry Renews Effort to Access Light Poles

23. Amazon Scraps Plan to Use Fuel Cells, Powered by Natural Gas, to Run Oregon Data Centers

24. Bacon Ice Cream & Nugget Overload Sees Misfiring McDonald’s Artificial Intelligence Withdrawn

25. Electric Vehicles Emerge as Flash Point in 2024 Election

26. ‘Catastrophic Failure’ of E-Bike Battery Pack Caused Coeur d’Alene Police Building Fire

27. Pair of Merging Quasars Reveals Secrets of the Universe’s Earliest Days

28. U.S. Senate Poised to Send Bill Boosting Nuclear Power to President Biden

29. U.S. Heat Wave Sets Records in Central, Northeast States

30. It’s Summer Solstice Time. What Does That Mean?

31. The Beginner’s Guide to Celebrating Juneteenth

Word of the Day – The Horrible Haiku Edition

Pizzicato • \pitts-sih-KAW-toe\ • Noun - A note or passage played by plucking strings.

(To be read in a soft, nasally, pretentious manner…)

The dancing mice in the orchestral score of “Three Blind Mice” will be represented by the sharp, pizzicato passages.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      U.S. Acknowledges Pacific Northwest Dams Have Devastated the Region’s Native Tribes (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/columbia-snake-river-dams-tribes-58f5c6737df3c3e141cbc8e1cd4926ca

2.      Nik Blosser Will Lead Biden’s Columbia River Task Force (Willamette Week, Portland, OR)

https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2024/06/18/nik-blosser-will-lead-bidens-columbia-river-task-force/

3.      News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Report Highlighting Historic & Ongoing Negative Impacts of Federal Columbia River Dams on Tribal Communities (U.S. Department of the Interior)

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-releases-report-highlighting-historic-and-ongoing

4.      News Release: Statement from Northwest RiverPartners on Establishment of Columbia River Task Force, Report from Interior Department (NW RiverPartners)

https://nwriverpartners.org/press-releases/statement-from-northwest-riverpartners-on-establishment-of-columbia-river-task-force-report-from-interior-department/

5.      Shasta Tribe Will Reclaim Land Long Buried by a Reservoir on the Klamath River (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2024/06/18/california-gov-newsom-returns-land-to-shasta-tribe-as-river-returns/74110190007/

6.      Electricity Shutoffs for Non-Payment Soar as Utility Costs Increase in Oregon (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kptv.com/2024/06/17/electricity-shutoffs-non-payment-soar-utility-costs-increase-oregon/

7.      Concerns Raised About Chelan PUD Power Shut-Off Plan (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/chelan-pud-power-shutoff-concerns/

8.      Pacific Power Explains De-Energization Plans (KNDU/KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA)

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/pacific-power-explains-de-energization-plans/article_b271c710-2df9-11ef-896b-5b80d906ee64.html

9.      Idaho Power Files Two More Condemnation Suits for Boardman to Hemingway Transmission (Baker City Herald, OR)

https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/idaho-power-files-2-more-condemnation-suits-for-b2h/article_2d5323de-2e45-11ef-8364-bb27c36b2dac.html

10.   Grant County Resident Under Investigation for Pirating Power from Grant PUD (Source One News, Ephrata, WA)

https://www.yoursourceone.com/columbia_basin/grant-county-resident-under-investigation-for-pirating-power-from-grant-pud/article_226ccc94-2dce-11ef-a44e-d39a5a56241d.html

11.   Green-Certified Revenue Bonds Support Clean Energy Infrastructure, Lower Interest Costs (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20240617-green-certified-revenue-bonds-support-clean-energy-infrastructure-lower

12.   Day in the Life of Power System Dispatchers (Western Area Power Administration)

https://www.wapa.gov/day-in-the-life-of-power-system-dispatchers/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

13.   Montana: Local Renewable Energy Source at Flathead County Landfill Continues to Expand (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

https://www.kpax.com/news/local-news/flathead-county/local-renewable-energy-source-at-flathead-county-landfill-continues-to-expand

14.   WA State: Orcas Power & Light Asks for Support for Local Renewable Energy Projects (San Juan Islander, Friday Harbor, WA)

https://sanjuanislander.com/news-articles/utilities/opalco/37720/opalco-asks-for-support-for-local-renewable-energy-projects

15.   Farmers Who Graze Sheep Under Solar Panels Say It Improves Productivity. So Why Don’t We Do It More? (Grist Online)

https://grist.org/energy/farmers-who-graze-sheep-under-solar-panels-say-it-improves-productivity-so-why-dont-we-do-it-more/

16.   Converting Cow Manure to Fuel Is Growing Climate Solution, But Critics Say Communities Put at Risk (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/dairies-digesters-methane-c4c39b3519fce4219d76d17332e4aa8a

17.   ‘Floatovoltaic’ Solar Panels on Lakes Could Unlock Lots of Clean Energy (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/floatovoltaic-solar-panels-on-lakes-could-unlock-lots-of-clean-energy

Fish & Wildlife

18.   An Eastern WA Salmon Fishing Tradition Is Being Stopped. State Says It Got Too Popular (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/eastern-wa-salmon-fishing-tradition-184720226.html

19.   Research Finds Log Booms Harmful to British Columbia Salmon & Fish Habitats (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/log-booms-bc-salmon-habitat-1.7236837

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

20.   WA Gov. Inslee Announces Grants from Climate Commitment Act Funding, Pushes to Preserve It (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/gov-inslee-announces-grants-from-climate-commitment-act-funding/281-fdbf419b-6179-419e-a6b8-cc59a18f5ffb

London Calling –Telecommunications

21.   American Indian & Alaska Natives in Tribal Areas Have Among Lowest Rates of High-Speed Internet Access (U.S. Census)

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/06/broadband-access-tribal-areas.html

22.   Wireless Industry Renews Effort to Access Light Poles (Broadband Breakfast)

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/wireless-industry-renews-effort-to-access-light-polls/

Beam Me Up, Scotty - The Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity

23.   Amazon Scraps Plan to Use Fuel Cells, Powered by Natural Gas, to Run Oregon Data Centers (The Oregonian, Portland, OR Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amazon-scraps-plan-to-use-fuel-cells-powered-by-natural-gas-to-run-oregon-data-centers/ar-BB1nYc4R

24.   Bacon Ice Cream & Nugget Overload Sees Misfiring McDonald’s Artificial Intelligence Withdrawn (British Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c722gne7qngo

I Sing the Car Electric

25.   Electric Vehicles Emerge as Flash Point in 2024 Election (Washington Post, Via MSN)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/electric-vehicles-emerge-as-flashpoint-in-2024-election/ar-BB1onjnQ

26.   ‘Catastrophic Failure’ of E-Bike Battery Pack Caused Coeur d’Alene Police Building Fire (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/18/catastrophic-failure-of-e-bike-battery-pack-caused/

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

27.   Pair of Merging Quasars Reveals Secrets of the Universe’s Earliest Days (Gizmodo)

https://gizmodo.com/first-known-merging-pair-quasars-cosmic-dawn-1851541061

Management & Governance

28.   U.S. Senate Poised to Send Bill Boosting Nuclear Power to President Biden (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4726452-senate-nuclear-power-energy-bill/

Other Things to Know About Today

29.   U.S. Heat Wave Sets Records in Central, Northeast States (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-heat-wave-sets-records-central-northeast-states-2024-06-18/

30.   It’s Summer Solstice Time. What Does That Mean? (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/news/articles/2024-06-19/its-summer-solstice-time-what-does-that-mean

31.   The Beginner’s Guide to Celebrating Juneteenth (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/what-is-juneteenth-celebration-ideas-federal-holiday-2f7116be4418065cd954b6dbf98c62b8

Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions

Poisoned Trees Gave a Wealthy Couple in Maine a Killer Ocean View. Residents Wonder, at What Cost?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/poisoned-trees-gave-wealthy-couple-043241687.html

Mystery Monolith Appears in Nevada Desert

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cekk7gm97j4o

Tributes Paid to ‘True Giant’ of Baseball, Willie Mays

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp99w0wme02o

Vermont Lawmaker Apologizes for Repeatedly Pouring Water in Her Colleague’s Bag

https://apnews.com/article/water-bag-vermont-legislature-legislator-morrissey-carroll-2f7a9676e2dca2bc286a8ce2f825c39a

Song of the Day

Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2595abcvh2M

Links & Paywall Advisory

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