Wednesday, June 5, 2024

The Energy News Digest for June 5, 2024

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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

PacifiCorp Will Pay $178 Million to Oregon Wildfire Victims in Latest Multimillion-Dollar Settlement from 2020 Blazes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/03/pacificorp-will-pay-178-million-to-oregon-wildfire-victims-in-latest-multimillion-dollar-settlement-from-2020-blazes/

Fire-Related Power Outages Could Become More Frequent, Pacific Power Says (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/fire-related-power-outages-could-become-more-frequent-pacific-power-says/article_74a156a6-22a2-11ef-ae00-8b358b3eb755.html

Many Americans Are Still Shying Away from Electric Vehicles Despite Biden’s Push, an AP-NORC/EPIC Poll Finds (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/electric-vehicles-biden-charging-stations-poll-e0ba37aa081c0d3f1d824b07364d0bdb

California Budget Cuts Could Decimate Key Virtual Power Plant Programs (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/virtual-power-plants/california-budget-cuts-could-decimate-key-virtual-power-plant-programs

New Study Finds Earth Warming at Record Rate, But No Evidence of Climate Change Accelerating (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-accelerating-record-hot-deadly-434881547b4585a32fa906cf5495d3f0

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      PacifiCorp Will Pay $178 Million to Oregon Wildfire Victims in Latest Multimillion-Dollar Settlement from 2020 Blazes

2.      Fire-Related Power Outages Could Become More Frequent, Pacific Power Says

3.      WA State: Chelan PUD Expanding Fire Danger Power Shutoff Plan Countywide

4.      U.S. May Revive Some Shut Nuclear Plants to Help Meet Emissions Goal, Energy Chief Says

5.      As Nuclear Power Flails in the U.S., White House Bets Big on a Revival

6.      Light-Water Small Modular Reactors Here to Stay Despite Early Challenges: DOE Lab Nuclear Scientist

7.      Hot Summer May Bring 8% Rise in Utility Costs for Many People Across the U.S.

8.      Idaho Power Seeks More Land for E. Oregon Power Line

9.      California: How A New Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Modesto Will Help California Avoid Rolling Outages This Summer

10.   Northwest Natural Producing ‘Turquoise Hydrogen’ & Cutting Carbon Emissions in the Process

11.   California: The Question of Creating a Municipal Utility Within the City of San Diego Heads to City Council

12.   Senate Panel Advances FERC Nominees; Senate Confirms NRC Chair for Second Term

13.   California Budget Cuts Could Decimate Key Virtual Power Plant Programs

14.   New Map Shows Vast Potential for Geothermal Energy Beneath Entire U.S.

15.   News Release: National Renewable Energy Laboratory Names 2024 Executive Energy Leadership Program Participants

16.   Washington State Agency Awards Public Power Utilities Funds for Electrification

17.   Cliff Mass: El Nino Is to Blame for Lower Snowpack, Not Climate Change

18.   California Governor Welcomes Judicial Ruling in Sites Reservoir Project

19.   New Study Finds Earth Warming at Record Rate, But No Evidence of Climate Change Accelerating

20.   AT&T And Verizon Resume Normal Service After Thousands of Customers Reported Outage Around the U.S.

21.   Broadband Subsidies for Rural Americans Are Ending Putting Telehealth at Risk

22.   Many Americans Are Still Shying Away from Electric Vehicles Despite Biden’s Push, an AP-NORC/EPIC Poll Finds

23.   Boeing Hit with $72 Million Verdict in Electric Vehicle Aircraft Trade Secrets Case

24.   These Early Tesla Bulls Are Giving Up on the Stock

25.   Could Spraying Sea Salt into the Clouds Cool the Planet?

26.   Boeing Launches NASA Astronauts for the First Time After Years of Delays

27.   Coastal Erosion Threatens to Wash Away D-Day Beaches

28.   Editorial: Update Electrical Grid to Keep Up with Demand

29.   Guest Essay: A Bold Blueprint for Salmon Restoration Puts Idaho on the Right Course

30.   Public Power Underground - Apoorv Bhargava on the Grid

Word of the Day

Supererogation \soop-err-air-uh-GAY-shun\ Noun - The act of performing more than is required by duty, obligation, or need.

“Bartholomew, you have an exemplary talent. Your supererogation is an inspiration to all the other employees here,” barked the supervisor to his cowering minion. “Great,” thought Barty, “Now I need to buy a dictionary to see if that was a compliment.”

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      PacifiCorp Will Pay $178 Million to Oregon Wildfire Victims in Latest Multimillion-Dollar Settlement from 2020 Blazes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/06/03/pacificorp-will-pay-178-million-to-oregon-wildfire-victims-in-latest-multimillion-dollar-settlement-from-2020-blazes/

2.      Fire-Related Power Outages Could Become More Frequent, Pacific Power Says (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/fire-related-power-outages-could-become-more-frequent-pacific-power-says/article_74a156a6-22a2-11ef-ae00-8b358b3eb755.html

3.      WA State: Chelan PUD Expanding Fire Danger Power Shutoff Plan Countywide (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

https://kpq.com/emergency-power-shutoff-procedure/

4.      U.S. May Revive Some Shut Nuclear Plants to Help Meet Emissions Goal, Energy Chief Says (Reuters)

https://kfgo.com/2024/06/05/us-may-revive-some-shut-nuclear-plants-to-help-meet-emissions-goal-energy-chief-says/

5.      As Nuclear Power Flails in the U.S., White House Bets Big on a Revival (Washington Post, Via MSN News)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/as-nuclear-power-flails-in-the-us-white-house-bets-big-on-a-revival/ar-BB1nGzLk

6.      Light-Water Small Modular Reactors Here to Stay Despite Early Challenges: DOE Lab Nuclear Scientist (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/light-water-smrs-advanced-nuclear-idaho-inl-nuscale-okla/717795/

7.      Hot Summer May Bring 8% Rise in Utility Costs for Many People Across the U.S. (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/03/utility-bills-ac-summer-heat

8.      Idaho Power Seeks More Land for E. Oregon Power Line (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/livestock/electric-utility-seeks-more-land-for-e-oregon-power-line/article_72121feb-bd2f-560c-89f6-78486eb0cba6.html

9.      California: How A New Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Modesto Will Help California Avoid Rolling Outages This Summer (Modesto Bee, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.modbee.com/news/local/article288975590.html

10.   Northwest Natural Producing ‘Turquoise Hydrogen’ & Cutting Carbon Emissions in the Process (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/good-energy/turquoise-hydrogen-cutting-carbon-emissions-northwest-natural-modern-hydrogen/283-bd096de2-0454-4f4c-8f5a-b83e6144b20d

11.   California: The Question of Creating a Municipal Utility Within the City of San Diego Heads to City Council (San Diego Union0Tribune, CA)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2024-06-04/the-question-of-creating-a-municipal-utility-within-the-city-limits-of-san-diego-heading-to-city-council

12.   Senate Panel Advances FERC Nominees; Senate Confirms NRC Chair for Second Term (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/senate-manchin-ferc-nominees-nrc-hanson-nietc/718040/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

13.   California Budget Cuts Could Decimate Key Virtual Power Plant Programs (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/virtual-power-plants/california-budget-cuts-could-decimate-key-virtual-power-plant-programs

14.   New Map Shows Vast Potential for Geothermal Energy Beneath Entire U.S. (The Hill, Washington, DC)

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4703057-geothermal-energy-potential-beneath-western-eastern-us-map/

15.   News Release: National Renewable Energy Laboratory Names 2024 Executive Energy Leadership Program Participants (NREL)

https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2024/nrel-names-2024-executive-energy-leadership-program-participants.html

Conservation & Efficiency

16.   Washington State Agency Awards Public Power Utilities Funds for Electrification (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/washington-state-agency-awards-public-power-utilities-funds-electrification

Water, Water, Anywhere?

17.   Cliff Mass: El Nino Is to Blame for Lower Snowpack, Not Climate Change (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

https://mynorthwest.com/3961708/cliff-mass-el-nino-blame-lower-snowpack-not-climate-change/

18.   California Governor Welcomes Judicial Ruling in Sites Reservoir Project (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/california-governor-welcomes-judicial-ruling-in-sites-reservoir-project/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

19.   New Study Finds Earth Warming at Record Rate, But No Evidence of Climate Change Accelerating (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-accelerating-record-hot-deadly-434881547b4585a32fa906cf5495d3f0

London Calling –Telecommunications

20.   AT&T And Verizon Resume Normal Service After Thousands of Customers Reported Outage Around the U.S. (The Daily Mail, UK)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13494825/AT-T-outage-impacting-911-calls.html

21.   Broadband Subsidies for Rural Americans Are Ending Putting Telehealth at Risk (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/03/nx-s1-4978902/affordable-connectivity-program-broadband-rural-telehealth

I Sing the Car Electric

22.   Many Americans Are Still Shying Away from Electric Vehicles Despite Biden’s Push, an AP-NORC/EPIC Poll Finds (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/electric-vehicles-biden-charging-stations-poll-e0ba37aa081c0d3f1d824b07364d0bdb

23.   Boeing Hit with $72 Million Verdict in Electric Vehicle Aircraft Trade Secrets Case (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/boeing-hit-with-72-mln-verdict-ev-aircraft-trade-secrets-case-2024-05-31/

24.   These Early Tesla Bulls Are Giving Up on the Stock (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/these-early-tesla-bulls-are-giving-up-stock-2024-06-04/

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

25.   Could Spraying Sea Salt into the Clouds Cool the Planet? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/jun/04/could-spraying-sea-salt-into-the-clouds-cool-the-p/

Other Things to Know About Today

26.   Boeing Launches NASA Astronauts for the First Time After Years of Delays (Associated Press)

https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/boeing-tries-again-to-launch-nasa-astronauts-for-19496237.php

27.   Coastal Erosion Threatens to Wash Away D-Day Beaches (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/normandy-dday-beaches-erosion-1.7223192

Soapbox Serenade – Vox Populi

28.   Editorial: Update Electrical Grid to Keep Up with Demand (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jun/04/in-our-view-update-electrical-grid-to-keep-up-with-demand/

29.   Guest Essay: A Bold Blueprint for Salmon Restoration Puts Idaho on the Right Course (Idaho Capital Sun)

https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/06/04/a-bold-blueprint-for-salmon-restoration-puts-idaho-on-the-right-course/

30.   Public Power Underground - Apoorv Bhargava on the Grid (Public Power Underground Podcast)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QtIh4848A0

Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions

Rare Fossil of Adolescent Tyrannosaurus - ‘Teen Rex’- Found by U.S. Kids

https://www.reuters.com/science/rare-fossil-adolescent-tyrannosaurus-teen-rex-found-by-us-kids-2024-06-04/

Dr Pepper Is Now as Popular as Pepsi. It’s Still Shrouded in Mystery.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/06/04/dr-pepper-questions-pepsi-mystery/

World’s Largest Coprolite Collection Becomes Arizona ‘Poozeum’

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/06/03/Guinness-World-Records-Poozeum/9251717436674/

Rare Boba Fett Action Figure Sells for Record-Breaking $525,000

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/06/04/Heritage-Auctions-Boba-Fett/8141717517923/

Song of the Day

John Williams – Jurassic Park Overture (Movie Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T66GtGmB-Gk

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.