Wednesday, June 12, 2024

The Energy News Digest for June 12, 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.

Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Idaho: Bureau of Land Management Shrinks Proposed Size of Controversial Lava Ridge Wind Farm (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/government/2024-06-11/blm-shrinks-proposed-size-of-controversial-lava-ridge-wind-farm

In Wyoming, Bill Gates Moves Ahead with Nuclear Project Aimed at Revolutionizing Power Generation (Associated Press)

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/wyoming-bill-gates-moves-ahead-183058312.html

Summer Wildfire Risk Has Puget Sound Energy Planning for Potential Power Shutoffs (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2024/06/11/puget-sound-energy-power-shutoff-plan-for-wildfire-risk-in-kitsap/74019541007/

Montana Regulators Challenge Sweeping FERC Transmission Rule (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/montana-regulators-challenge-sweeping-ferc-transmission-rule/

With 100M Birds Dead, Poultry Industry Could Serve as Example as Dairy Farmers Confront Bird Flu (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-chickens-turkeys-cows-cattle-492fd92ae68d11d9defc15bc260e9301

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      In Wyoming, Bill Gates Moves Ahead with Nuclear Project Aimed at Revolutionizing Power Generation

2.      Summer Wildfire Risk Has Puget Sound Energy Planning for Potential Power Shutoffs

3.      Montana Regulators Challenge Sweeping FERC Transmission Rule

4.      Federal Grant to Help People in Northeastern Washington Get Hooked Up to the Power Grid

5.      Rural Electric Co-Op Says New Mexico Supreme Court Ruling on Rate Setting Sets ‘Dangerous’ Precedent

6.      California: City Council Rejects Power San Diego Proposal

7.      Which States Had the Most & Longest Summer Blackouts?

8.      Nuclear Innovation Alliance Offers Road Map to Catalyze Advanced Nuclear Development

9.      Idaho: Bureau of Land Management Shrinks Proposed Size of Controversial Lava Ridge Wind Farm

10.   As Solar Power Surges in U.S., Wind Struggles

11.   Wind Farms, Key to Clean-Energy Efforts, Threaten Birds & Bats: Developers Urged to Plan for Wildlife

12.   WA State: Rural Residents Ask About Tax Rates, Land Use as State Studies Renewable Energy Projects

13.   Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity: ‘A Glimpse of What Could Happen to Other Grids in the Future’

14.   WA Governor Jay Inslee Responds to New Climate Change Report

15.   Charter Looking to Surrender More Than 1,400 Additional Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Locations

16.   Alaska Broadband Company MTA Says FTTH Costs $9,000 per Passing

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

18.   Co-ops Discuss Risks and Opportunities of Demand Surge from Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers

19.   Study Results Raise Concerns About Electric Vehicle Dangers

20.   Thefts Of Charging Cables Pose Yet Another Obstacle to Appeal of Electric Vehicles

21.   Individuals, Utilities Win National Public Power Awards at APPA National Conference

22.   With 100M Birds Dead, Poultry Industry Could Serve as Example as Dairy Farmers Confront Bird Flu

23.   ‘The Difference Between Alarming & Catastrophic’: Cascadia Megafault Has One Especially Deadly Section, New Map Reveals

24.   Designs Unveiled for New I-5 Bridge Between Washington, Oregon

25.   FERC In Focus: Has the Agency Been ‘Captured’ by the Sectors It Regulates?

Word of the Day

Lacuna \luck-KOON-nuh\ Noun - 1: a blank space or a missing part: gap; also: deficiency, inadequacy 2: a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure.

Despite his inflated self-opinion (and an amazing ability to churn out turgid prose at the drop of a hat) Deandre was a terrible novelist. His mystery novels had so many holes in their convoluted plots that his editors took to calling the tenth-anniversary compilation of his sixteen novels as the “Lacuna Diaries.”

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      In Wyoming, Bill Gates Moves Ahead with Nuclear Project Aimed at Revolutionizing Power Generation (Associated Press)

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/wyoming-bill-gates-moves-ahead-183058312.html

2.      Summer Wildfire Risk Has Puget Sound Energy Planning for Potential Power Shutoffs (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2024/06/11/puget-sound-energy-power-shutoff-plan-for-wildfire-risk-in-kitsap/74019541007/

3.      Montana Regulators Challenge Sweeping FERC Transmission Rule (E&E News)

https://www.eenews.net/articles/montana-regulators-challenge-sweeping-ferc-transmission-rule/

4.      Federal Grant to Help People in Northeastern Washington Get Hooked Up to the Power Grid (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/environment-and-planning/2024-06-11/federal-grant-to-help-people-in-northeastern-washington-get-hooked-up-to-the-power-grid

5.      Rural Electric Co-Op Says New Mexico Supreme Court Ruling on Rate Setting Sets ‘Dangerous’ Precedent (KUNM Broadcasting, Albuquerque, NM)

https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2024-06-11/rural-electric-co-op-says-nm-supreme-court-ruling-sets-dangerous-precedent

6.      California: City Council Rejects Power San Diego Proposal (KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA)

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/city-council-rejects-power-san-diego-proposal/

7.      Which States Had the Most & Longest Summer Blackouts? (FOX Weather)

https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/states-most-longest-blackouts-summer-2023

8.      Nuclear Innovation Alliance Offers Road Map to Catalyze Advanced Nuclear Development (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nia-report-advanced-nuclear-smr-vogtle/718368/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

9.      Idaho: Bureau of Land Management Shrinks Proposed Size of Controversial Lava Ridge Wind Farm (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/government/2024-06-11/blm-shrinks-proposed-size-of-controversial-lava-ridge-wind-farm

10.   As Solar Power Surges in U.S., Wind Struggles (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HI)

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2024/06/05/breaking-news/as-solar-power-surges-in-u-s-wind-struggles/

11.   Wind Farms, Key to Clean-Energy Efforts, Threaten Birds & Bats: Developers Urged to Plan for Wildlife (Phys.org)

https://phys.org/news/2024-06-farms-key-energy-efforts-threaten.html

12.   WA State: Rural Residents Ask About Tax Rates, Land Use as State Studies Renewable Energy Projects (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

https://www.knkx.org/environment/2024-06-10/rural-residents-ask-about-tax-rates-land-use-as-state-studies-renewable-energy-projects

13.   Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity: ‘A Glimpse of What Could Happen to Other Grids in the Future’ (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/giant-batteries-transforming-way-us-083000941.html

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

14.   WA Governor Jay Inslee Responds to New Climate Change Report (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/governor-jay-inslee-responds-to-new-climate-change-report/article_4d23d812-2782-11ef-9a37-cbcaeef8ba59.html

London Calling –Telecommunications

15.   Charter Looking to Surrender More Than 1,400 Additional Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Locations (Broadband Breakfast)

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/charter-looking-to-surrender-more-than-1-400-additional-rdof-locations/

16.   Alaska Broadband Company MTA Says FTTH Costs $9,000 per Passing (Fierce Networks)

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/alaska-broadband-company-mta-says-ftth-costs-9000-passing

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

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

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2024/06/amazon-scraps-plan-to-use-fuel-cells-powered-by-natural-gas-to-run-oregon-data-centers.html

18.   Co-ops Discuss Risks and Opportunities of Demand Surge from Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.electric.coop/co-ops-discuss-risks-opportunities-of-demand-surge-from-ai-data-centers

I Sing the Car Electric

19.   Study Results Raise Concerns About Electric Vehicle Dangers (NBC Montana)

https://www.nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/study-results-raise-concerns-about-electric-vehicle-dangers-pedestrian-incidents-gas-hybrid-diesel-powered

20.   Thefts Of Charging Cables Pose Yet Another Obstacle to Appeal of Electric Vehicles (Associated Press)

https://www.centraloregondaily.com/thefts-of-charging-cables-pose-yet-another-obstacle-to-appeal-of-electric-vehicles/article_2725b883-10b4-51db-8a50-5f1f45081ce3.html

Management & Governance

21.   Individuals, Utilities Win National Public Power Awards at APPA National Conference (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/individuals-utilities-win-national-public-power-awards-appa-national-conference

Other Things to Know About Today

22.   With 100M Birds Dead, Poultry Industry Could Serve as Example as Dairy Farmers Confront Bird Flu (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-chickens-turkeys-cows-cattle-492fd92ae68d11d9defc15bc260e9301

23.   ‘The Difference Between Alarming & Catastrophic’: Cascadia Megafault Has One Especially Deadly Section, New Map Reveals (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/difference-between-alarming-catastrophic-cascadia-180001239.html

24.   Designs Unveiled for New I-5 Bridge Between Washington, Oregon (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3962269/designs-unveiled-for-new-i-5-bridge-between-washington-oregon/#//

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

25.   FERC In Focus: Has the Agency Been ‘Captured’ by the Sectors It Regulates? (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-in-focus-regulatory-capture-christie/718503/

Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions

Martha’s Vineyard Is About to Run Out of Pot. That’s Led to a Lawsuit & a Scramble by Regulators

https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-pot-marthas-vineyard-island-time-f59e9907f9d523c7eb60bd6c109cd12c

Dog Raises Alarm After Owner Crashes Car into Ravine

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-11/dog-raises-alarm-after-owner-crashes-into-ravine/103963038

Jerry West, A 3-Time Hall of Fame Selection & the NBA Logo, Dies at 86

https://mynorthwest.com/3962406/jerry-west-3-time-hall-of-fame-selection-nba-logo-dies-86/

Giant Venomous Flying Spiders with 4-Inch Legs Heading to New York Area as They Spread Across East Coast, Experts Say

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joro-spiders-new-york-giant-venomous-spiders-spread-east-coast/

Song of the Day

Nando Carneiro – The Kiss of the Spider Woman Theme (Movie Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqNYdY9sp1U

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.