Monday, July 15, 2013

Energy News Digest for July 15, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for July 15, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pipe Shock Knocks Boardman Electric Plant Offline (Associated Press)

WECC Split - Bekkedahl Selected to Help Shape New Regional Reliability Organization (Bonneville Power Administration)

Feds: Dam Fixes Helping Salmon (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Considering New Technology to Store Extra Power (Everett Herald, WA)

Energy Efficiency: Light Bulb Wars Roar Back Into U-S House of Representatives (The Energy Collective)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Pipe Shock Knocks Boardman Electric Plant Offline
  • WECC Split - Bekkedahl Selected to Help Shape New Regional Reliability Organization
  • Snohomish PUD Considering New Technology to Store Extra Power
  • Community Energy Storage: Almost, But Not Quite There
  • Are Smart Meters The Smart Thing? Eugene Water & Electric Board customers worry about the health & financial costs
  • With FERC Approval of Plans, California ISO Issues Revised Proposal for Energy Imbalance Market
  • Greenpeace Activists Break into French Nuclear Plant
  • Illinois - Police Say Electrocution Victim Was Stealing Copper from Wires
  • Feds: Dam Fixes Helping Salmon
  • Briefing Ends on Sea Lion Removal; Humane Society Says NOAA Essentially ‘Re-Issued Same Decision’
  • Grant County PUD Plays Key Part in Lake Cle Elum Sockeye Release
  • Lamprey: Bringing Back an Ancient Species
  • Op/Ed - Columbia River Salmon Futures Lie in Large Part with Anglers, Who Need to Help Make It Work
  • Portland Wild Salmon: America’s Best Regional Food?
  • Sea Lion Makes Self at Home in the Dalles Marina
  • Maine - Breaching of Historic Veazie Dam to Improve Fish Runs in Penobscot
  • Extension of Washington State Sales Tax Exemption Helps Local Solar Projects
  • Thurston County Neighborhoods Want More Sun
  • Tennessee Valley Authority’s Solar Balance Limits Have Riled Some Providers
  • Utilities’ Fight Against Solar Might Have Been Lost Before It Started
  • Energy Efficiency: Light Bulb Wars Roar Back Into U-S House of Representatives
  • Ohio - Energy Industry Puts Target on Green Standards
  • The Watchdog: Smart Thermostat Contract’s Huge Termination Fee Shocks Electric Customer
  • How Utilities Can Make Any Customer Care About Efficiency
  • U-S Court Says Biofuel Producers Must Face Carbon Emissions Rules
  • Op/Ed – U-S Can’t Afford to Cede Green Energy Industry to Its Competitors
  • No More Excuses, Sprint. It’s Time to Build the Mother of All Networks
  • Why National Broadband Plans Work
  • U-S Rural Telcos Under Attack...Again
  • Woman Escapes Tumwater Hostage Situation
  • Living in the 80s – Temperatures, That Is
  • Heat Wave Causes Fish Die-Off in John Day River
  • Afternoon Jolt (Literally): Seattle Tunnel Construction Hits Utilities
  • Wild Olympics Still a Heated Topic
  • Two Beekeepers Strive to Breed a Stronger Queen Honeybee to Survive Portland Winters
  • Legal Pot Prompts a Question: What About Hash?

WORD OF THE DAY

Thwart • \THWORT\ • Verb - 1a: to run counter to so as to effectively oppose or baffle b: to oppose successfully: defeat the hopes or aspirations of 2: to pass through or across

Sweltering heat; yuck!
Thwarted by tall, frosty one
Hammock is my home

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Pipe Shock Knocks Boardman Electric Plant Offline (Associated Press)

WECC Split - Bekkedahl Selected to Help Shape New Regional Reliability Organization (Bonneville Power Administration)

Snohomish PUD Considering New Technology to Store Extra Power (Everett Herald, WA)

Community Energy Storage: Almost, But Not Quite There (The Energy Collective)

Are Smart Meters The Smart Thing? Eugene Water & Electric Board customers worry about the health & financial costs (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

With FERC Approval of Plans, California ISO Issues Revised Proposal for Energy Imbalance Market (American Public Power Association)

Greenpeace Activists Break into French Nuclear Plant (Reuters)

Illinois - Police Say Electrocution Victim Was Stealing Copper from Wires (Chicago Tribune, IL)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds: Dam Fixes Helping Salmon (Associated Press)

Briefing Ends on Sea Lion Removal; Humane Society Says NOAA Essentially ‘Re-Issued Same Decision’ (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Grant County PUD Plays Key Part in Lake Cle Elum Sockeye Release (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Lamprey: Bringing Back an Ancient Species (Seattle Times, WA)

Op/Ed - Columbia River Salmon Futures Lie in Large Part with Anglers, Who Need to Help Make It Work (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Portland Wild Salmon: America’s Best Regional Food? (USA Today)

Sea Lion Makes Self at Home in the Dalles Marina (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Maine - Breaching of Historic Veazie Dam to Improve Fish Runs in Penobscot (Lewiston Sun Journal, Maine)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Extension of Washington State Sales Tax Exemption Helps Local Solar Projects (Edmonds Beacon, WA)
http://edmondsbeacon.villagesoup.com/p/extension-of-sales-tax-exemption-helps-local-solar-projects/1030045

Thurston County Neighborhoods Want More Sun (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)
http://www.thurstontalk.com/2013/07/12/thurston-county-neighborhoods-want-more-sun/

Tennessee Valley Authority’s Solar Balance Limits Have Riled Some Providers (Memphis Daily News, TN)

Utilities’ Fight Against Solar Might Have Been Lost Before It Started (Clean Energy Authority)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency: Light Bulb Wars Roar Back Into U-S House of Representatives (The Energy Collective)

Ohio - Energy Industry Puts Target on Green Standards: Energy industry fighting efficiency mandates, others try to maintain (The News Messenger, Fremont, OH)

The Watchdog: Smart Thermostat Contract’s Huge Termination Fee Shocks Electric Customer (Dallas Morning News, TX)

How Utilities Can Make Any Customer Care About Efficiency (GreenBiz)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

U-S Court Says Biofuel Producers Must Face Carbon Emissions Rules (Reuters)

Op/Ed – U-S Can’t Afford to Cede Green Energy Industry to Its Competitors (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

No More Excuses, Sprint. It’s Time to Build the Mother of All Networks (GigaOM)

Why National Broadband Plans Work (CNN Money)

U-S Rural Telcos Under Attack...Again (Light Reading)

GENERAL NEWS

Woman Escapes Tumwater Hostage Situation (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Living in the 80s – Temperatures, That Is (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Heat Wave Causes Fish Die-Off in John Day River (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Afternoon Jolt (Literally): Seattle Tunnel Construction Hits Utilities (PubliCola)

Wild Olympics Still a Heated Topic (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Two Beekeepers Strive to Breed a Stronger Queen Honeybee to Survive Portland Winters (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Legal Pot Prompts a Question: What About Hash? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Rejected Kitten Has Been Adopted By a Bulldog

Couple & Newborn Survive Lightning Strike

Florida Restaurant Owner Fires Employees by Text Message

Five-Figure Ohio Water Bills Blamed on New Software

SONG OF THE DAY

Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around

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.