Monday, July 15, 2024

The Energy News Digest for July 15, 2024

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Hotshots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Preliminary Agreement Reached for a Modernized Columbia River Treaty (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

https://www.nwpb.org/2024/07/12/preliminary-agreement-reached-for-a-modernized-columbia-river-treaty/

Canada: Agreement-in-Principle Reached to Modernize Columbia River Treaty (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/agreement-in-principle-reached-to-modernize-columbia-river-treaty/ar-BB1pPcrP

WA State: Seattle City Light Rates to Increase as Utility Struggles with Supply, Demand (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-light-rates-to-increase-as-utility-struggles-with-supply-demand/

Record Sockeye Salmon Run on Columbia River Is Now Threatened by Hot Water (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/record-sockeye-salmon-run-columbia-193309901.html

Idaho’s Lava Ridge Clean Energy Project Tanked in U.S. Congress (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/idaho-clean-energy-project-tanked-in-us-congress/article_21ce946a-3f13-11ef-853f-5f3c6cb53d05.html

News Highlights (See Stories Below)

1.      WA State: Seattle City Light Rates to Increase as Utility Struggles with Supply, Demand

2.      Oregonians Should Be Aware of Power Companies’ Potential Safety Measures

3.      California Power Grid Held Up Better Than Years Past Amid Heatwave

4.      Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Demands Answers as Customers Remain without Power After Hurricane Beryl

5.      To Meet Clean Energy Goals, The West Coast Will Need to Produce, Store & Share More Power

6.      Learn the Intertwined History of the Bonneville Power Administration & Direct Service Industries

7.      Oklo’s Nuclear Order Book Shows Potential of Small Reactors

8.      Artificial Intelligence’s Thirst for Electricity

9.      Preliminary Agreement Reached for a Modernized Columbia River Treaty

10.   Canada: Agreement-in-Principle Reached to Modernize Columbia River Treaty

11.   Canada: British Columbia to Regain Control of Columbia River in New Agreement

12.   Stakeholders Wait & See on Modernized Columbia River Treaty

13.   Statement from President Joe Biden on Reaching an Agreement in Principle on Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime

14.   Summary of the Agreement in Principle to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime

15.   Idaho’s Lava Ridge Clean Energy Project Tanked in U.S. Congress

16.   How the Nez Perce Are Using an Energy Transition to Save Salmon

17.   WA State: Ameresco Signs Battery Storage Contract with Snohomish County PUD

18.   Canada: Alberta Copper Thieves Target Wind Turbines Near Saskatchewan Border

19.   Don’t Blame Clean Energy for Rising Electric Bills

20.   Record Sockeye Salmon Run on Columbia River Is Now Threatened by Hot Water

21.   Army Corps Misses Key Deadline to Report to Congress on Ending Willamette Hydropower to Save Salmon

22.   Climate Change Increasingly Taking a Toll on Oregon Farmers, Ranchers

23.   CenturyLink Sued for Allegedly Breaking Internet ‘Price for Life’ Guarantee

24.   ‘Put on a Seatbelt’: Artificial Intelligence Is Accelerating System & Data Risks for Co-ops

25.   Electric Vehicles May Become Harder to Rent

26.   Saharan Dust Reaches Stunning Levels in Atlantic. Here’s What That Means for Hurricane Season

27.   As Alpine Glaciers Melt, The Corpses of Long-Lost Climbers Keep Popping Out of the Ice

28.   Large Wildfires Already Burning in Oregon as Heat Wave Increases Fire Danger

29.   Most of WA Remains in Drought Conditions

30.   Forest Fires, Power Demand, Melting Pavement: Sumer Heat Smothers Europe

31.   AT&T Says Criminals Stole Phone Records of ‘Nearly All’ Customers in New Data Breach

Word of the Day – Sand & Sandals Edition

Craven \KRAY-vun\ Adjective – Lacking the least bit of courage: contemptibly fainthearted

Flavius stood undefeated in the arena, his blood-stained sword glinting in the sharp, angled glow of the setting golden sun. No craven bone in his body had he…except for his uncharacteristic fear of chickens. Whether by suspicion or a childhood incident involving the family rooster, he would quake in fear at the mere mention of any poultry dish or the appearance of a feathered opponent.

Energy & Utility Issues

1.      WA State: Seattle City Light Rates to Increase as Utility Struggles with Supply, Demand (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-light-rates-to-increase-as-utility-struggles-with-supply-demand/

2.      Oregonians Should Be Aware of Power Companies’ Potential Safety Measures (KLCC-Radio, Eugene, OR)

https://www.klcc.org/disasters-accidents/2024-07-15/oregonians-should-be-aware-of-power-companies-potential-safety-measures

3.      California Power Grid Held Up Better Than Years Past Amid Heatwave (KNTV San Jose, CA)

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/california-power-grid-held-up-better-than-years-past-amid-heatwave/3591381/

4.      Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Demands Answers as Customers Remain without Power After Hurricane Beryl (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-beryl-texas-power-outages-5f4a6c563430fb49c975640c37e11872

5.      To Meet Clean Energy Goals, The West Coast Will Need to Produce, Store & Share More Power (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/oregon-california-clean-energy-power-electricity-transmission/283-9d5125f6-d550-41cf-aa82-83712247be68

6.      Learn the Intertwined History of the Bonneville Power Administration & Direct Service Industries (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/about/newsroom/news-articles/20240709-learn-the-intertwined-history-of-bpa-and-direct-service-industries

7.      Oklo’s Nuclear Order Book Shows Potential of Small Reactors (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oklos-nuclear-order-book-shows-potential-small-reactors-2024-07-10/

8.      Artificial Intelligence’s Thirst for Electricity (National Public Radio)

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/10/nx-s1-5028558/artificial-intelligences-thirst-for-electricity

The Dotted Line – Columbia River Treaty News

9.      Preliminary Agreement Reached for a Modernized Columbia River Treaty (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

https://www.nwpb.org/2024/07/12/preliminary-agreement-reached-for-a-modernized-columbia-river-treaty/

10.   Canada: Agreement-in-Principle Reached to Modernize Columbia River Treaty (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/agreement-in-principle-reached-to-modernize-columbia-river-treaty/ar-BB1pPcrP

11.   Canada: British Columbia to Regain Control of Columbia River in New Agreement (The Globe & Mail, Canada)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-british-columbia-to-regain-control-of-columbia-river-in-new-agreement/

12.   Stakeholders Wait & See on Modernized Columbia River Treaty (Capital Press – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.capitalpress.com/ag_sectors/water/stakeholders-wait-and-see-on-modernized-columbia-river-treaty/article_31cf5d2e-3fd9-11ef-8906-13dad6297ac4.html

13.   Statement from President Joe Biden on Reaching an Agreement in Principle on Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime (The White House)

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/07/11/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-reaching-an-agreement-in-principle-on-modernization-of-the-columbia-river-treaty-regime/

14.   Summary of the Agreement in Principle to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime (U.S. Department of State)

https://www.state.gov/summary-of-the-agreement-in-principle-to-modernize-the-columbia-river-treaty-regime/

Renewable Energy & Self Storage

15.   Idaho’s Lava Ridge Clean Energy Project Tanked in U.S. Congress (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

https://www.khq.com/news/idaho-clean-energy-project-tanked-in-us-congress/article_21ce946a-3f13-11ef-853f-5f3c6cb53d05.html

16.   How the Nez Perce Are Using an Energy Transition to Save Salmon (High Country News)

https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-7/how-the-nez-perce-are-using-an-energy-transition-to-save-salmon/

17.   WA State: Ameresco Signs Battery Storage Contract with Snohomish County PUD (American Public Power Association)

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/ameresco-signs-battery-storage-contract-with-snohomish-county-pud

18.   Canada: Alberta Copper Thieves Target Wind Turbines Near Saskatchewan Border (CTV News, Canada)

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-copper-thieves-target-wind-turbines-near-saskatchewan-border-1.6962459

19.   Don’t Blame Clean Energy for Rising Electric Bills (Canary Media)

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/dont-blame-clean-energy-for-rising-electric-bills

Fish & Wildlife

20.   Record Sockeye Salmon Run on Columbia River Is Now Threatened by Hot Water (Tri-City Herald, WA – Via Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/record-sockeye-salmon-run-columbia-193309901.html

21.   Army Corps Misses Key Deadline to Report to Congress on Ending Willamette Hydropower to Save Salmon (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/07/12/army-corps-misses-key-deadline-to-report-to-congress-on-ending-willamette-hydropower-to-save-salmon/

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

22.   Climate Change Increasingly Taking a Toll on Oregon Farmers, Ranchers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/07/11/climate-change-mental-health-impact-oregon-farmers-ranchers/

London Calling –Telecommunications

23.   CenturyLink Sued for Allegedly Breaking Internet ‘Price for Life’ Guarantee (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2024/07/centurylink-sued-for-allegedly-breaking-internet-price-for-life-guarantee.html

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

24.   ‘Put on a Seatbelt’: Artificial Intelligence Is Accelerating System & Data Risks for Co-ops (National Electric Cooperative Association)

https://www.cooperative.com/news/Pages/AI-Is-Accelerating-System-and-Data-Risks-for-Co-ops.aspx

I Sing the Car Electric

25.   Electric Vehicles May Become Harder to Rent (DNYUZ)

https://dnyuz.com/2024/07/14/electric-vehicles-may-become-harder-to-rent/

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science

26.   Saharan Dust Reaches Stunning Levels in Atlantic. Here’s What That Means for Hurricane Season (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/saharan-dust-reaches-stunning-levels-223449333.html

27.   As Alpine Glaciers Melt, The Corpses of Long-Lost Climbers Keep Popping Out of the Ice (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-07-12/as-high-alpine-glaciers-melt-the-corpses-of-long-lost-climbers-are-popping-out-of-the-ice

Other Things to Know About Today

28.   Large Wildfires Already Burning in Oregon as Heat Wave Increases Fire Danger (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/07/15/heat-wave-wildfire-climate-change-oregon-pacific-northwest-summer-larch-creek-lone-rock-cow-valley/

29.   Most of WA Remains in Drought Conditions (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2024/jul/15/most-of-wa-remains-in-drought-conditions/

30.   Forest Fires, Power Demand, Melting Pavement: Sumer Heat Smothers Europe (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2024/0711/central-southern-Europe-extreme-heat

31.   AT&T Says Criminals Stole Phone Records of ‘Nearly All’ Customers in New Data Breach (Yahoo! News)

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/t-says-criminals-stole-phone-102759370.html

Whales in the Water – Diversions

‘Absolutely Incredible’: Man Rowing Solo Across Atlantic Is Surrounded by Whales

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/11/nx-s1-5036545/whales-rower-atlantic-tom-waddington

Scientists Have Confirmed a Cave on the Moon That Could Be Used to Shelter Future Explorers

https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/scientists-have-confirmed-a-cave-on-the-moon-that-19574708.php

These Picassos Prompted a Gender War at an Australian Gallery. Now the Curator Says She Painted Them

https://apnews.com/article/picasso-fake-paintings-australia-mona-women-museum-00d19620eae921d4716730a8e601520e

This Nearly 10-foot Gatsby Sub Is Made by a South African Restaurant with a Taste for the Supersized

https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-giant-sandwich-supersize-record-dbaafe80b49f0076faedeaef7d910dac

Song of the Day

Paul McCartney & Wings – Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPyMVB-OYUM

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.