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.”
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)
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.”
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)
6.
NV Energy Seeks to Prematurely Recover Costs of $4.2
Billion Greenlink Transmission Line (Nevada Current)
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)
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)
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)
16.
Have You Ever Sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to a Fish? Dozens
of People Did On Saturday (Here Is Oregon)
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)
21.
Whistleblower Lawsuit Against WSDOT, Washington
Governor's Office to Move Forward (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
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)
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)
Barrel O’ Green
Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
27.
How Heat Pumps Can Turn Wasted Energy into
Low-Carbon Whisky (Canary Media)
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)
Soapbox Serenade – Vox
Populi
32.
Guest Essay: Altering Use of Willamette River
Basin Dams Would Save Money, Help Salmon (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
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
Not Just a Book: What
Is a Gutenberg Bible? Why Is It Relevant 500 Years After Its Printing?
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
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.
