Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The Energy News Digest for August 19, 2020


Thanks to the Northwest Public Power Association, The Energy News Digest is in your inbox. The news digest is issued weekly, on Mondays & Wednesdays.

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Comments or Questions? Contact the Energy News Digest editor.


LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Possible Paywall restrictions are noted in the media attribution. Now, go play.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

California Blackouts Are Public Utilities Commission’s Fault, Grid Operator Says (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Glen Canyon Dam Tapped for Emergency Water Releases to Meet California Power Demands (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

Renewable Energy Corporations Fight Endangered Species Status for Joshua Trees (Arizona Public Radio)

Climate Change: Dams Played Key Role in Limiting Sea Level Rise (British Broadcasting Corporation)

British Columbia: Fraser River’s Big Bar Landslide No Longer a Big Barrier for Returning Salmon (Vancouver Sun, BC)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        California Blackouts Are Public Utilities Commission’s Fault, Grid Operator Says
2.        Glen Canyon Dam Tapped for Emergency Water Releases to Meet California Power Demands
3.        Op/Ed: California Power Outages Underscore Challenge of Maintaining Reliability During Climate Change, The Energy Transition
4.        Op/Ed: California’s Faustian Bargain: You Get the Electricity You Pay For
5.        California: Redding Electric Utility Says Power Will Not Be Shutoff for Customers
6.        NV Energy Asks Customers to Conserve Power Due to High Temperatures
7.        Electricity Cooperative Serving Parts of Four Arizona Counties Asks Members to Conserve Energy
8.        Navajo Nation Approves CARES Act Funds for Water, Power & Broadband Projects
9.        Environmental Groups Sue Tennessee Valley Authority Over Long-Term Power Agreements
10.     Idaho: American Falls Dam Work on Track
11.     FBI Investigating Chainsaw Vandalism to Snohomish PUD Power Poles in Lynnwood
12.     Dozens of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants at Risk Due to Climate Change: Moody’s
13.     Renewable Energy Corporations Fight Endangered Species Status for Joshua Trees
14.     Puget Sound Energy Signs Power Purchase Agreement for Energy from 200 MW Oregon Wind Farm
15.     Salt River Project to Provide Expanded Customer Group with 100 MW of Solar Energy
16.     National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Launches Four New Rural Battery Storage Projects
17.     British Columbia: Fraser River’s Big Bar Landslide No Longer a Big Barrier for Returning Salmon
18.     British Columbia Indigenous Leaders Call for Emergency Closure of Fraser River Fishery, Saying Stocks Have Collapsed
19.     Arizona: Endangered Fish Headed for Santa Cruz River in Downtown Tucson
20.     Op-Ed: Warren Buffett Can Save the Klamath River Basin. Will He?
21.     Climate Change: Dams Played Key Role in Limiting Sea Level Rise
22.     From ‘Firenadoes’ to Record Heat, California Extreme Weather a Glimpse of Future
23.     WA State: Chelan PUD Says It’s Considering Acceleration of Fiber Buildout
24.     Electric Car Charging Stations Head to Love’s Travel Stops Across the U.S.
25.     Exclusive: GM Bets on Electric Cadillacs & Micro-Vans to Reverse China Slide
26.     Endangered Nevada Fish’s Newest Threat Is People Dumping Aquarium Pets into Waterways
27.     Postal Service Halts Some Changes Amid Outcry, Lawsuits
28.     Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, a Towering Figure in Washington State, Dies at 92
29.     President Trump Blames Democrats for Blackouts That Have Roiled California
30.     President Trump Puts Tennessee Valley Authority in Crosshairs over Foreign Labor, CEO Pay

WORD OF THE DAY

Echelon • \ESH-un-lawn\ • Noun - 1: a step-like arrangement 2a: one of a series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity b: the individuals at such a level

Nat was well known for his creative methods of avoiding tough decisions. His trademark line “that’s above my pay-grade, I’ll pass it to the upper echelons” had eventually been reduced to a well-worn piece of cardboard with the number “1” written in permanent marker. At the merest hint of impending responsibility it flipped up as if it were a hand fan in a blast furnace factory.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      California Blackouts Are Public Utilities Commission’s Fault, Grid Operator Says (Los Angeles Times, CA)

2.      Glen Canyon Dam Tapped for Emergency Water Releases to Meet California Power Demands (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

3.      Op/Ed: California Power Outages Underscore Challenge of Maintaining Reliability During Climate Change, The Energy Transition (Utility Dive)

4.      Op/Ed: California’s Faustian Bargain: You Get the Electricity You Pay For (Forbes Magazine)

5.      California: Redding Electric Utility Says Power Will Not Be Shutoff for Customers (KNVN-TV, Chico, CA)

6.      NV Energy Asks Customers to Conserve Power Due to High Temperatures (KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV)

7.      Electricity Cooperative Serving Parts of Four Arizona Counties Asks Members to Conserve Energy (KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ)

8.      Navajo Nation Approves CARES Act Funds for Water, Power & Broadband Projects (Arizona Public Radio)

9.      Environmental Groups Sue Tennessee Valley Authority Over Long-Term Power Agreements (Associated Press)

10.   Idaho: American Falls Dam Work on Track (Capital Press)

11.   FBI Investigating Chainsaw Vandalism to Snohomish PUD Power Poles in Lynnwood (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

12.   Dozens of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants at Risk Due to Climate Change: Moody’s (S&P Global)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

13.   Renewable Energy Corporations Fight Endangered Species Status for Joshua Trees (Arizona Public Radio)

14.   Puget Sound Energy Signs Power Purchase Agreement for Energy from 200 MW Oregon Wind Farm (Environmental Leader)

15.   Salt River Project to Provide Expanded Customer Group with 100 MW of Solar Energy (American Public Power Association)

16.   National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Launches Four New Rural Battery Storage Projects (Daily Energy Insider)

FISH & WILDLIFE

17.   British Columbia: Fraser River’s Big Bar Landslide No Longer a Big Barrier for Returning Salmon (Vancouver Sun, BC)

18.   British Columbia Indigenous Leaders Call for Emergency Closure of Fraser River Fishery, Saying Stocks Have Collapsed (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

19.   Arizona: Endangered Fish Headed for Santa Cruz River in Downtown Tucson (Arizona Republic, Tucson, AZ)

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

20.   Op-Ed: Warren Buffett Can Save the Klamath River Basin. Will He? (Los Angeles Times, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

21.   Climate Change: Dams Played Key Role in Limiting Sea Level Rise (British Broadcasting Corporation)

22.   From ‘Firenadoes’ to Record Heat, California Extreme Weather a Glimpse of Future (Yahoo News)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

23.   WA State: Chelan PUD Says It’s Considering Acceleration of Fiber Buildout (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

24.   Electric Car Charging Stations Head to Love’s Travel Stops Across the U.S. (C|Net News)

25.   Exclusive: GM Bets on Electric Cadillacs & Micro-Vans to Reverse China Slide (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

26.   Endangered Nevada Fish’s Newest Threat Is People Dumping Aquarium Pets into Waterways (Carson City News, NV)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

27.   Postal Service Halts Some Changes Amid Outcry, Lawsuits (Associated Press)

28.   Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, a Towering Figure in Washington State, Dies at 92 (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

29.   President Trump Blames Democrats for Blackouts That Have Roiled California (Bloomberg News)

30.   President Trump Puts Tennessee Valley Authority in Crosshairs over Foreign Labor, CEO Pay (Associated Press)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Coin Shortage Hits Retailers, Laundromats, Tooth Fairy

Calgary Brewery Hopes to Overcome ‘Yuck Factor’ with Beer Made with Wastewater

Matriarch of Northwest Apple Industry Passes Away at Age 194. Not a Misprint.

Factory Malfunction Causes Chocolate Rain in Switzerland

SONG OF THE DAY

Prince – Purple Rain

Monday, August 17, 2020

The Energy News Digest for August 17, 2020


Thanks to the Northwest Public Power Association, The Energy News Digest is in your inbox. The news digest is issued weekly, on Mondays & Wednesdays.

The News Digest on Facebook and Twitter will bring you breaking news throughout the week.

Comments or Questions? Contact the Energy News Digest editor.


LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. Possible Paywall restrictions are noted in the media attribution. Now, go play.

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Governor Newsom Wants Probe of California Blackouts, as Grid Officials Suspend Volatile Power Trading (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Hundreds of Sea Lions Could Be Killed on Columbia River in Effort to Save Endangered Fish (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

U.S. West Faces Reckoning Over Water But Avoids Cuts for Now (Associated Press)

States With the Biggest Household Carbon Footprints (Conway Daily Sun, NH)

Ninth Circuit Upholds FCC’s Small Cell Deployment Order Designed to Promote 5G (Broadband Breakfast)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)

1.        Governor Newsom Wants Probe of California Blackouts, as Grid Officials Suspend Volatile Power Trading
2.        U.S. West Power Prices at Record High as California Prepares for More Outages
3.        Western Area Power Administration Hydropower Supports California During Energy Emergency
4.        Rolling Blackouts in California Have Power Experts Stumped
5.        UAMPS Responds to Concerns Over Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Project
6.        Pandemic Electric Bills Are Searing Hot, as Families Stay Home
7.        British Columbia’s Peace River Dam Has Become a Cash Bonfire. Hard Decisions Are Ahead
8.        Bonneville Power Administration Takes Additional Precautions to Protect Workforce
9.        WA State: Grand Coulee Dam Power Plant to Be Renamed After Ephrata Men
10.     Editorial: Breaching Snake Dams Still Not a Good Option
11.     Editorial: A Cyber-Risk We’re Not Prepared For: What if the Power Grid Collapsed & America Went Dark?
12.     Analysis: States' Renewable Mandates Continue to Grow; Nine Set 100% Clean Energy Goals
13.     Solar Panels Are Starting to Die. What Will We Do with the Megatons of Toxic Trash?
14.     U.S. Air Conditioning Use Could Surge Nearly 60 Percent by 2050
15.     HVAC Companies See High Interest in Air Filters, UV Lights in War on COVID-19
16.     Hundreds of Sea Lions Could Be Killed on Columbia River in Effort to Save Endangered Fish
17.     With Record-Low Salmon Returning This Year to Fraser River, British Columbia Fishers Face Tough Times
18.     Sacramento Municipal Utility District Stocking El Dorado County Reservoirs with Thousands of Trout
19.     U.S. West Faces Reckoning Over Water But Avoids Cuts for Now
20.     California: Hoopa Valley Tribe Files Lawsuit to Block Contract with Central Valley Agribusiness
21.     States with the Biggest Household Carbon Footprints
22.     Why ‘Carbon Offsets’ Don’t Do All That They Promise
23.     Propelling the Transition: Green Hydrogen Could Be the Final Piece in a Zero-Emissions Future
24.     Rural Families without Internet Face Tough Choice on School
25.     WA State Broadband Office Wants Your Help Mapping Statewide Internet Access
26.     Wyoming to Use Federal CARES Act Funding to Expand Broadband Infrastructure
27.     How to Use Google Meet, The Simpler Alternative to Zoom
28.     Rare ‘Fire Tornadoes’ Caused By Massive Wildfire in Northern California
29.     Death Valley Hits 130 Degrees, Thought to Be Highest Temperature on Earth in Over a Century
30.     Ninth Circuit Upholds FCC’s Small Cell Deployment Order Designed to Promote 5G
31.     Mail-In Voting Rules in 46 States May Leave Some Ballots Uncounted, USPS
32.     White House Withdraws Nomination of William Pendley to Head the Bureau of Land Management

WORD OF THE DAY

Indubitable • \in-DOO-buh-tuh-bull\ • Adjective - Too evident to be doubted: unquestionable

“The sun will rise, the sun will set…that is an indubitable fact,” intoned the professor as he held sway over his 8 AM philosophy class. “As is the fact that that using the Socratic Method this early in the morning with teen-agers is a total waste,” he murmured to himself.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      Governor Newsom Wants Probe of California Blackouts, as Grid Officials Suspend Volatile Power Trading (Sacramento Bee, CA)

2.      U.S. West Power Prices at Record High as California Prepares for More Outages (Reuters)

3.      Western Area Power Administration Hydropower Supports California During Energy Emergency (Western Area Power Administration)

4.      Rolling Blackouts in California Have Power Experts Stumped (NY Times)

5.      UAMPS Responds to Concerns Over Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Project (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

6.      Pandemic Electric Bills Are Searing Hot, as Families Stay Home (Utah Public Radio)

7.      British Columbia’s Peace River Dam Has Become a Cash Bonfire. Hard Decisions Are Ahead (Globe & Mail, Canada)

8.      Bonneville Power Administration Takes Additional Precautions to Protect Workforce (Bonneville Power Administration)

9.      WA State: Grand Coulee Dam Power Plant to Be Renamed After Ephrata Men (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

10.   Editorial: Breaching Snake Dams Still Not a Good Option (LaGrande Observer, OR)

11.   Editorial: A Cyber-Risk We’re Not Prepared For: What if the Power Grid Collapsed & America Went Dark? (Washington, Post)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

12.   Analysis: States' Renewable Mandates Continue to Grow; Nine Set 100% Clean Energy Goals (S&P Global – Platts)

13.   Solar Panels Are Starting to Die. What Will We Do with the Megatons of Toxic Trash? (Grist Online)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

14.   U.S. Air Conditioning Use Could Surge Nearly 60 Percent by 2050 (Gizmodo)

15.   HVAC Companies See High Interest in Air Filters, UV Lights in War on COVID-19 (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

16.   Hundreds of Sea Lions Could Be Killed on Columbia River in Effort to Save Endangered Fish (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

17.   With Record-Low Salmon Returning This Year to Fraser River, British Columbia Fishers Face Tough Times (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

18.   Sacramento Municipal Utility District Stocking El Dorado County Reservoirs with Thousands of Trout (Sacramento Municipal Utility District, CA)

WATER, WATER, ANYWHERE?

19.   U.S. West Faces Reckoning Over Water But Avoids Cuts for Now (Associated Press)

20.   California: Hoopa Valley Tribe Files Lawsuit to Block Contract with Central Valley Agribusiness (North Coast Journal, Eureka, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

21.   States with the Biggest Household Carbon Footprints (Conway Daily Sun, NH)

22.   Why ‘Carbon Offsets’ Don’t Do All That They Promise (Washington, Post)

23.   Propelling the Transition: Green Hydrogen Could Be the Final Piece in a Zero-Emissions Future (Utility Dive)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

24.   Rural Families without Internet Face Tough Choice on School (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

25.   WA State Broadband Office Wants Your Help Mapping Statewide Internet Access (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

26.   Wyoming to Use Federal CARES Act Funding to Expand Broadband Infrastructure (KULR-TV, Billings, MT)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

27.   How to Use Google Meet, The Simpler Alternative to Zoom (Fast Company)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

28.   Rare ‘Fire Tornadoes’ Caused By Massive Wildfire in Northern California (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

29.   Death Valley Hits 130 Degrees, Thought to Be Highest Temperature on Earth in Over a Century (Yahoo News)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

30.   Ninth Circuit Upholds FCC’s Small Cell Deployment Order Designed to Promote 5G (Broadband Breakfast)

31.   Mail-In Voting Rules in 46 States May Leave Some Ballots Uncounted, USPS Warns (ABC News)

32.   White House Withdraws Nomination of William Pendley to Head the Bureau of Land Management (Washington, Post)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Clowns Suffer, Adapt in Peru Due to the Pandemic

One-Armed Golfer Sinks Hole-In-One

Pepperoni Is the Latest Coronavirus Shortage. Will the Scarcity Affect Your Pizza Habit?

Elon Musk Says Goat-Mimicking Horn Sounds Are 'Definitely Coming' to Tesla Fleet

SONG OF THE DAY

Dean Martin - That's Amore