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
Breaching Snake River Dams Could Drop
Reservoirs, Groundwater Levels by 100 Feet (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake,
WA)
Extended California Heat Wave Brings Extreme
Health, Fire Risk; Power Shutoffs Likely (Los Angeles Times, CA – Paywall
Advisory)
WA State: Whitman County Commissioners Won’t
Block 200 MW Wind Farm (Lewiston Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
To Save Spotted Owls, U.S. Officials Plan to
Kill Hundreds of Thousands of Another Owl Species (Associated Press)
Seattle-Area Electric Vehicle Drivers Left
Searching for Fast Chargers Due to ‘Epidemic’ of Cable Theft (Geekwire)
News
Highlights (See Stories Below)
1.
Extended California Heat Wave Brings Extreme
Health, Fire Risk; Power Shutoffs Likely
2.
How Fish-Safe Hydropower Technology Could Keep
More Renewables on the Grid
3.
How Has Energy Use Changed Throughout U.S.
History?
4.
WA State: Whitman County Commissioners Won’t
Block 200 MW Wind Farm
5.
One of the Country’s Largest Renewable Energy
Companies Is Expanding into Rural Oregon
6.
Company Looking to Build Solar Farm Near
Fairview, Montana
7.
Anchorage Residents Embracing Rooftop Solar Cite
Concerns About Natural Gas Shortfall
8.
In Michigan, Homeowners Associations Can’t Stop
Rooftop Solar Anymore
9.
U.S. Energy Dept. Names Block Grant Recipients
Developing Clean Energy Projects
10.
Clean Energy Group Releases Safety-Focused Model
Ordinance for Energy Storage Facilities
11.
To Save Spotted Owls, U.S. Officials Plan to
Kill Hundreds of Thousands of Another Owl Species
12.
PNW Orcas Won’t Get Separate Species Designation
13.
How Native Nations Forced Federal Investment in
Salmon Reintroduction
14.
Breaching Snake River Dams Could Drop
Reservoirs, Groundwater Levels by 100 Feet
15.
Water-Rich Gila River Tribe Near Phoenix Flexes
Its Political Muscles in a Drying West
16.
Oregon Democrats Join 40 Federal Lawmakers
Urging Rehearing on Landmark Youth Climate Case
17.
Google’s Emissions Climb Nearly 50% in Five
Years Due to Artificial Intelligence Energy Demand
18.
Seattle-Area Electric Vehicle Drivers Left
Searching for Fast Chargers Due to ‘Epidemic’ of Cable Theft
19.
Tesla Is Running Out of Excuses for a Prolonged
Sales Slump
20.
A Chinese Lunar Probe Returns to Earth with the
World’s First Samples from the Far Side of the Moon
21.
Initiative to Preserve Natural Gas Options Gains
Momentum with 400K Signatures
22.
WA Ballot Initiative Would Cut $848.6 Million of
Environmental Programs
23.
Washington Auditor Sees Biggest State Employee
Fraud Case in 15 Years
24.
Check This Oregon Weather Map to See Probability
of 110-Degree Temps in Your Area on Saturday
25.
Intense heat in the low 100s for this weekend
across most of Eastern Washington & Oregon
26.
Dangerous Heat Wave, Red-Flag Warnings Grip
California
27.
Heat Advisory Issued for Western WA Following
4th of July
28.
A Bridge Near a Minnesota Dam May Collapse.
Officials Say They Can Do Little to Stop It
29. Guest
Essay: Eliminating the Discord Over FERC Order 1920 — What’s the Role for
States?
Word of the Day – The Horrible Haiku Edition
Murmuration \murm-uh-RAY-shun\ Noun – 1: the act of murmuring: the utterance of low continuous sounds or complaining noises 2: A flock of starlings: usually flying in large formations.
An Aerial Busby Berkeley Show
Synchronized
in flight.
Murmuration
of starlings.
Tiny sky dancers.
Energy
& Utility Issues
1. Extended
California Heat Wave Brings Extreme Health, Fire Risk; Power Shutoffs Likely (Los
Angeles Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
2. How
Fish-Safe Hydropower Technology Could Keep More Renewables on the Grid (MIT
Technology Review)
https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/07/01/1094435/fish-safe-hydropower/
3. How
Has Energy Use Changed Throughout U.S. History? (U.S. Energy Information
Administration)
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=62444
Renewable
Energy & Self Storage
4. WA
State: Whitman County Commissioners Won’t Block 200 MW Wind Farm (Lewiston
Morning Tribune, ID – Paywall Advisory)
5. One
of the Country’s Largest Renewable Energy Companies Is Expanding into Rural Oregon
(KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
6. Company
Looking to Build Solar Farm Near Fairview, Montana (KFYR-TV, Bismarck, ND)
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2024/07/02/company-looking-build-solar-farm-near-fairview-montana/
7. Anchorage
Residents Embracing Rooftop Solar Cite Concerns About Natural Gas Shortfall (Alaska
Public Media)
8. In
Michigan, Homeowners Associations Can’t Stop Rooftop Solar Anymore (Canary
Media)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/michigan-homeowners-associations-law-rooftop-solar
9. U.S.
Energy Dept. Names Block Grant Recipients Developing Clean Energy Projects (Daily
Energy Insider)
10. Clean
Energy Group Releases Safety-Focused Model Ordinance for Energy Storage
Facilities (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/acp-safety-model-ordinance-energy-storage-permit/720445/
Fish
& Wildlife
11. To
Save Spotted Owls, U.S. Officials Plan to Kill Hundreds of Thousands of Another
Owl Species (Associated Press)
12. PNW
Orcas Won’t Get Separate Species Designation (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
13. How
Native Nations Forced Federal Investment in Salmon Reintroduction (Indian
Country Today)
https://ictnews.org/news/how-native-nations-forced-federal-investment-in-salmon-reintroduction
Water,
Water, Anywhere?
14. Breaching
Snake River Dams Could Drop Reservoirs, Groundwater Levels by 100 Feet (Columbia
Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
15. Water-Rich
Gila River Tribe Near Phoenix Flexes Its Political Muscles in a Drying West (Associated
Press)
Climate
Change Sequestration Vault
16. Oregon
Democrats Join 40 Federal Lawmakers Urging Rehearing on Landmark Youth Climate
Case (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
The
Wizarding World of Technology & Cybersecurity
17. Google’s
Emissions Climb Nearly 50% in Five Years Due to Artificial Intelligence Energy
Demand (The Guardian, UK)
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/02/google-ai-emissions
I
Sing the Car Electric
18. Seattle-Area
Electric Vehicle Drivers Left Searching for Fast Chargers Due to ‘Epidemic’ of Cable
Theft (Geekwire)
19. Tesla
Is Running Out of Excuses for a Prolonged Sales Slump (Bloomberg, Via Yahoo!
News)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-running-excuses-prolonged-sales-205412409.html
Barrel
O’ Green Potpourri – Seething Stew of Science
20. A
Chinese Lunar Probe Returns to Earth with the World’s First Samples from the Far
Side of the Moon (Associated Press)
Management
& Governance
21. Initiative
to Preserve Natural Gas Options Gains Momentum with 400K Signatures (KOMO News,
Seattle, WA)
22. WA
Ballot Initiative Would Cut $848.6 Million of Environmental Programs (Crosscut
Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/politics/2024/07/wa-ballot-initiative-would-cut-8486m-environmental-programs
23. Washington
Auditor Sees Biggest State Employee Fraud Case in 15 Years (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle,
WA)
Other
Things to Know About Today
24. Check
This Oregon Weather Map to See Probability of 110-Degree Temps in Your Area on Saturday
(The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
25. Intense
heat in the low 100s for this weekend across most of Eastern Washington &
Oregon (KNDU/KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA)
26. Dangerous
Heat Wave, Red-Flag Warnings Grip California (Courthouse News Service)
https://www.courthousenews.com/dangerous-heat-wave-red-flag-warnings-grip-california/
27. Heat
Advisory Issued for Western WA Following 4th of July (KOMO News, Seattle, WA)
28. A
Bridge Near a Minnesota Dam May Collapse. Officials Say They Can Do Little to Stop
It (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-flooding-rapidan-dam-bridge-00d62d48c7da3e9adc6f03a1f6177e48
Soapbox
Serenade – Vox Populi
29. Guest
Essay: Eliminating the Discord Over FERC Order 1920 — What’s the Role for States?
(Utility Dive)
Alligators in the Sewer – Diversions
A Harmless Asteroid Will Whiz Past Earth on Saturday.
Here’s How to Spot It.
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/a-harmless-asteroid-will-whiz-past-earth-19545392.php
Researchers Make Breakthrough in Study of
Mysterious 2000-Year-Old Computer Found in Shipwreck
https://www.yahoo.com/news/researchers-breakthrough-study-worlds-oldest-171831481.html
Heart’s Ann Wilson Postpones Tour After
Announcing Cancer Diagnosis
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bc-ent-music-ann-wilson-cancer_n_66845da1e4b0e3bf97719a31
An Oregon Man Bugles His Way to Become the
World’s Elk Calling Champion
Song of the Day
Heart - Stairway to Heaven (Kennedy Center
Honors)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cZ_EFAmj08&list=RD2cZ_EFAmj08&start_radio=1
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.
