Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Energy News Digest for April 9, 2013


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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 9, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

First Chinook Cross Lower Granite Dam (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

California - State’s Wind Turbines Blow Past Power-Production Records (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

Colorado - Bill Increasing Renewable Standard for Rural Co-Ops Passes Committee (Denver Post, CO)

Community Anchor Institutions in Rural Washington Connected by NoaNet (Community Broadband Networks)

Grays Harbor PUD Closer to Announcing New General Manager (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Grays Harbor PUD Closer to Announcing New General Manager
  • Editorial - Approve Refunds for California Electricity Ratepayers
  • Change in Tax-Exempt Status of Municipal Bonds Would Increase Price of Electricity
  • FERC Approves Vegetation Management Rules to Improve Electric Reliability
  • American Electric Power Officials: Copper Thefts in Ohio Valley at All-Time High
  • Is Wall Street Wrong About Con Edison? Probably
  • Pepco CEO Joseph Rigby Made Nearly $11.5 Million Last Year
  • First Chinook Cross Lower Granite Dam
  • Birds to Be Hazed to Protect Oregon Coast Salmon
  • Washington State Facing $1.9 Billion Bill for New Culverts
  • West Coast Fisheries to See Ecosystem Approach
  • Concern about Pollution Drives Fight over Eating Fish
  • Op/Ed - For Healthy Salmon, Protect Forage Fish
  • City of Lacey vs. The Nation: Pledge to Save Water & You Could Win a Toyota Prius!
  • California Coast - Slaking a Region’s Thirst While Cleaning Its Beaches
  • California - State’s Wind Turbines Blow Past Power-Production Records
  • Colorado - Bill Increasing Renewable Standard for Rural Co-Ops Passes Committee
  • Colorado - Xcel Energy Says Boulder Overstepping City Limits on New Utility
  • With Help from Nature, a California Town Aims to Be a Solar Capital
  • Will the Fracking Revolution Buoy Renewables?
  • Oregon - Ashland Council Adopts Conservation, Business Goals
  • Cleveland Public Power to Test LED Street Lights for Two Years
  • Climate Change Will Threaten Wine Production, Study Shows
  • Fasten Seatbelts, Air Passengers: Climate Change Ahead
  • James Hansen Says Natural Gas is Worse than Nuclear
  • Op/Ed - How U-S Energy Policy Fails to Address Climate Change
  • Fatbergs: Burning Fat & Oil to Generate London Power
  • Top Wacky Wind Turbines: Photos
  • Community Anchor Institutions in Rural Washington Connected by NoaNet
  • Montana PSC Seeks Info on Broadband Internet
  • As Austin Readies for Google Fiber, Here’s Why You Need a Gig: Even If You Don’t Think You Do
  • The Downsides of a Gig: What Other Towns Have Learned After Getting a Gig
  • A Quick Look at Google Fiber Pricing Versus the Incumbents
  • Oregon’s ‘Social Media Bill’ One Step Closer to Becoming Law
  • Pay Walls Could Be Print’s Salvation Online
  • Should Your Small Business Hire a Social-Media Expert?
  • Washington State Senate Majority Spends Same Timber Revenues Twice
  • Alaska GOP Drama Results in Chairwoman’s Ouster
  • North Mason School Officials Present Case for $49 Million Bond
  • Billionaire Kings Investor Pulls Out Days Before NBA Ruling on Sale of Sacramento Team
  • Port Angeles Stack Toppled! Chimney That Refused to Fall with Explosives Finally ‘Cut’ Down
  • Sidewalks to Nowhere - City of Shelton Commission Meeting
  • Study: Seattle’s Gender Pay Gap Worst in the U-S

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Grays Harbor PUD Closer to Announcing New General Manager (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Editorial - Approve Refunds for California Electricity Ratepayers (Riverside Press-Enterprise, CA)

Change in Tax-Exempt Status of Municipal Bonds Would Increase Price of Electricity, APPA & Others Tell Ways & Means (American Public Power Association)

FERC Approves Vegetation Management Rules to Improve Electric Reliability (Transmission & Distribution World)

American Electric Power Officials: Copper Thefts in Ohio Valley at All-Time High (WTOV-TV, Steubenville, OH)

Is Wall Street Wrong About Con Edison? Probably - Investigators concluded that the utility had suffered a loss of more than $225 million as the result of accounting improprieties (Forbes Magazine)

Pepco CEO Joseph Rigby Made Nearly $11.5 Million Last Year (Washington Business Journal, D-C)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/morning_call/2013/04/pepco-ceo-made-more-than-11m-last-year.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

First Chinook Cross Lower Granite Dam (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Birds to Be Hazed to Protect Oregon Coast Salmon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Washington State Facing $1.9 Billion Bill for New Culverts (Everett Herald, WA)

West Coast Fisheries to See Ecosystem Approach (Associated Press)

Concern about Pollution Drives Fight over Eating Fish (Everett Herald, WA)

Op/Ed - For Healthy Salmon, Protect Forage Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

City of Lacey vs. The Nation: Pledge to Save Water & You Could Win a Toyota Prius! (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

California Coast - Slaking a Region’s Thirst While Cleaning Its Beaches (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California - State’s Wind Turbines Blow Past Power-Production Records (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

Colorado - Bill Increasing Renewable Standard for Rural Co-Ops Passes Committee (Denver Post, CO)

Colorado - Xcel Energy Says Boulder Overstepping City Limits on New Utility (Denver Business Journal, CO)

With Help from Nature, a California Town Aims to Be a Solar Capital (NY Times)

Will the Fracking Revolution Buoy Renewables? (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon - Ashland Council Adopts Conservation, Business Goals (Ashland Daily Tidings, OR)

Cleveland Public Power to Test LED Street Lights for Two Years (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change Will Threaten Wine Production, Study Shows - Global warming will make it difficult to raise grapes in traditional wine country, but will shift production to other regions (The Guardian, UK)

Fasten Seatbelts, Air Passengers: Climate Change Ahead. (Christian Science Monitor)

James Hansen Says Natural Gas is Worse than Nuclear (Grist Online)

Op/Ed - How U-S Energy Policy Fails to Address Climate Change (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Fatbergs: Burning Fat & Oil to Generate London Power (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Top Wacky Wind Turbines: Photos (Discovery News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Community Anchor Institutions in Rural Washington Connected by NoaNet (Community Broadband Networks)

Montana PSC Seeks Info on Broadband Internet Availability (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

As Austin Readies for Google Fiber, Here’s Why You Need a Gig: Even If You Don’t Think You Do (GigaOM)

The Downsides of a Gig: What Other Towns Have Learned After Getting a Gig (GigaOM)

A Quick Look at Google Fiber Pricing Versus the Incumbents (GigaOM)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Oregon’s ‘Social Media Bill’ One Step Closer to Becoming Law (Associated Press)

Pay Walls Could Be Print’s Salvation Online - Small, local newspapers have become the petri dish of online subscriptions (U-S News & World Report)

Should Your Small Business Hire a Social-Media Expert? (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Senate Majority Spends Same Timber Revenues Twice (Everett Herald, WA)

Alaska GOP Drama Results in Chairwoman’s Ouster (Alaska Dispatch)

GENERAL NEWS

North Mason School Officials Present Case for $49 Million Bond (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Billionaire Kings Investor Pulls Out Days Before NBA Ruling on Sale of Sacramento Team (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Port Angeles Stack Toppled! Chimney That Refused to Fall with Explosives Finally ‘Cut’ Down (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Sidewalks to Nowhere - City of Shelton Commission Meeting (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Study: Seattle’s Gender Pay Gap Worst in the U-S (Seattle Times, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Man Gets Shock of His Life - Buys Two Toy Poodles for $150 Only to be Told By A Vet That They Are Actually Giant Rodents Pumped Up With Steroids to Look Like Dogs

Annette Funicello, Mouseketeer & Film Star, Dies at Age 70

#nowthatchersdead: Fans Think Cher Died after Thatcher Hashtag Trends

Longview Woman Arrested After Drug Text Mistake

SONG OF THE DAY

Billy Joel - When You Wish Upon a Star

Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) - When You Wish Upon a Star

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.