Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Energy News Digest for December 17, 2013

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for December 17, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

PUDs, Tribes Back Final Recommendation to Modernize Columbia River Treaty with Canada (Wenatchee World, WA)

Suspended Bonneville Power Administration Execs Refuse Reassignment, Report Says (Oregonian, Portland)

Salmon Outlook is a Christmas Present That Stocking Stuffers Can Match (Oregonian, Portland)

Dueling Reports Argue For, Against Richland Nuclear Plant (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

U-S Budget Deal Clears Crucial Vote in Senate (Reuters)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • PUDs, Tribes Back Final Recommendation to Modernize Columbia River Treaty with Canada
  • U-S Side Calls for Columbia River Treaty to be ‘Modernized’
  • Five Reasons the Columbia River Treaty Is a Big Deal
  • Dueling Reports Argue For, Against Richland Nuclear Plant
  • Op/Ed: Irresponsible Physicians Oppose Nuclear Energy
  • Environmentalists Split over Need for Nuclear Power
  • Suspended Bonneville Power Administration Execs Refuse Reassignment, Report Says
  • Grays Harbor PUD Adopts Rate Increase, Will Revisit Second Increase in July
  • Klamath Falls Considers Taking over Utility
  • Colorado: Boulder Votes to Break with Xcel & Start Its Own Power Utility
  • Op/Ed: What’s the Plan for Meeting Energy Needs?
  • Ninth Circuit Hears Challenge to Feds’ Albeni Falls Dam/Lake Pend Oreille Winter Operations
  • British Columbia’s Site C Dam Threatens Athabasca Delta, Alberta Says
  • U-S Forecasts Natural Gas Boom through 2040
  • Fitch: 2014 Public Power & Electric Coops Outlook Stable despite Potential Environmental Regulations
  • Despite Enron & California, Retail Electricity Reform Has Not Been Zapped
  • Energy Bills: Who Pays the Most In Europe?
  • Salmon Outlook is a Christmas Present That Stocking Stuffers Can Match
  • Editorial: Columbia River Plan Fails to Protect Salmon
  • Geoduck Testing Here Shows Less Toxin Than China Reported
  • Skagit PUD Plans New MV Water Tank
  • Editorial: More Storage May Be California’s Most Important Water Issue
  • Idle Port Angeles City Hydro Site Still Costs Taxpayers Money
  • Wisconsin Company Snatches Up, Reclaims Aging Hydroelectric Dams
  • Analysis: Clouds over Hawaii’s Rooftop Solar Growth Hint at U-S Battle
  • Scottish Power Becomes Third Firm to Scrap UK Offshore Wind Farm
  • Top Five Solar Infographics
  • Know Your LEDs: Light-Emitting Diode Bulbs Set to Go Mainstream in Households Globally
  • Op/Ed: Decarbonizing Our Future
  • Study: Climate Change Could Put Millions More at Risk of Water Scarcity
  • Government Fleets Soon To Include More Fully-Electric Cars
  • Department of Energy Blocking Users from Its Websites
  • U-S Budget Deal Clears Crucial Vote in Senate
  • Woman Struck & Killed Monday on Highway 101 near Shelton
  • Police Arrest 16 as Protesters Block Tar-Sands Megaload near John Day
  • Mason County’s Credit Rating Upgraded
  • Weather in the Northwest Is Not Getting Worse
  • Thrifty Thurston Visits Shelton’s Christmas Wonderland

WORD OF THE DAY

Carbuncle • \CAR-bunk-cull\ • Noun - A large painful swelling under the skin - A jewel (such as a garnet) that is cut into a rounded shape.

“Cut it out…cut it out!” squealed Barnabas to his fellow gem miner. Little did Barney realize that the painful boil that had broken out in his elbow was about to turn out to be the find of the century, a carbuncle of enormous proportions that would make him rich beyond his wildest dreams…and a carbuncle that would go down in medical history. “I guess that tumble I took last year at the Crystal Gardens in Montana turned out to be a good thing after all,” he gasped after the makeshift surgery to remove the garnet from his arm.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT - COLUMBIA RIVER TREATY

PUDs, Tribes Back Final Recommendation to Modernize Columbia River Treaty with Canada (Wenatchee World, WA)

U-S Side Calls for Columbia River Treaty to be ‘Modernized’ (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

Five Reasons the Columbia River Treaty Is a Big Deal (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Dueling Reports Argue For, Against Richland Nuclear Plant (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Op/Ed: Irresponsible Physicians Oppose Nuclear Energy (Forbes Magazine)

Environmentalists Split over Need for Nuclear Power (National Public Radio)

Suspended Bonneville Power Administration Execs Refuse Reassignment, Report Says (Oregonian, Portland)

Grays Harbor PUD Adopts Rate Increase, Will Revisit Second Increase in July (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Klamath Falls Considers Taking over Utility (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Colorado: Boulder Votes to Break with Xcel & Start Its Own Power Utility (Yes Magazine)

Op/Ed: What’s the Plan for Meeting Energy Needs? (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

Ninth Circuit Hears Challenge to Feds’ Albeni Falls Dam/Lake Pend Oreille Winter Operations (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

British Columbia’s Site C Dam Threatens Athabasca Delta, Alberta Says (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

U-S Forecasts Natural Gas Boom through 2040 (USA Today)

Fitch: 2014 Public Power & Electric Coops Outlook Stable despite Potential Environmental Regulations (BusinessWire)

Despite Enron & California, Retail Electricity Reform Has Not Been Zapped (Forbes Magazine)

Energy Bills: Who Pays the Most In Europe? (British Broadcasting Corporation)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Outlook is a Christmas Present That Stocking Stuffers Can Match (Oregonian, Portland)

Editorial: Columbia River Plan Fails to Protect Salmon (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Geoduck Testing Here Shows Less Toxin Than China Reported (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Skagit PUD Plans New MV Water Tank (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)

Editorial: More Storage May Be California’s Most Important Water Issue (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idle Port Angeles City Hydro Site Still Costs Taxpayers Money (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Wisconsin Company Snatches Up, Reclaims Aging Hydroelectric Dams (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)
http://www.jsonline.com/business/wisconsin-company-snatches-up-reclaims-aging-hydroelectric-dams-b99160605z1-235951831.html

Analysis: Clouds over Hawaii’s Rooftop Solar Growth Hint at U-S Battle (Reuters)

Scottish Power Becomes Third Firm to Scrap UK Offshore Wind Farm (Reuters)

Top Five Solar Infographics (The Energy Collective)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Know Your LEDs: Light-Emitting Diode Bulbs Set to Go Mainstream in Households Globally (The Energy Collective, Shelton, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Op/Ed: Decarbonizing Our Future (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Study: Climate Change Could Put Millions More at Risk of Water Scarcity (U-S News & World Report)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Government Fleets Soon To Include More Fully-Electric Cars (Northwest Public Radio)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Department of Energy Blocking Users from Its Websites (Washington Business Journal, DC)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S Budget Deal Clears Crucial Vote in Senate (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Woman Struck & Killed Monday on Highway 101 near Shelton (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Police Arrest 16 as Protesters Block Tar-Sands Megaload near John Day (Oregonian, Portland)

Mason County’s Credit Rating Upgraded (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Weather in the Northwest Is Not Getting Worse (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Thrifty Thurston Visits Shelton’s Christmas Wonderland (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Linda Ronstadt, Nirvana Will Be Inducted Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Next Year

Android Tablet Delivered by UPS Left, ‘In Black Trash Can’

Thief’s Plan to Hide Necklaces by Swallowing Them Goes about As Well As Expected

Egypt Apologies for Constitution Banner Blunder - Misspelt the word “Egyptians” and carried images of foreigners instead of locals

SONG OF THE DAY

The Man Who Sold the World – Nirvana

Linda Ronstadt - Love Has No Pride

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.