The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for December 18, 2013

Editorial: Anti-Nuclear Group’s Case against Columbia Generating Station Unconvincing
Right-Size Reactors Breathing New Life into Nuclear Energy
Low Cost of Clean Power
Final Recommendation for Columbia River Treaty is Improvement over Drafts, Public Power Council Says
New Cowlitz PUD Budget Passes on Unanimous Vote
Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Wind Project Revenue Bonds ‘A-’
Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Gott Named to Policy Makers Council
Barclays Moves to Block U-S from Collecting $488 Million Fines in Electricity Market Manipulation Case
Ohio’s Push toward Electricity Deregulation Applauded
U-S Department of Energy General Counsel Nomination Approved
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Celebrate 1,000th Meeting
Vision of Steelhead Dancing in Some Heads
Steelhead Released to Spawn Second Time in Lower Snake River
Tagging Salmon Yields Interesting Results
Creating a Northwest Lamprey Hatchery
Senator Begich Wants Geoduck Import Ban Lifted
Op/Ed: Oregon Renewable Standards Should Recognize Hydro
A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy with Wildlife
Can the American Wind Energy Industry Survive without the Production Tax Credit?
Get Ready for a Massive Renewable Energy Boom
LED Holiday Lights Are Brighter, Safer, and Save Money Over Time!
Incandescent Vs. LED Christmas Lights Infographic
Loblaws Recalls Outdoor LED Christmas Lights Sold Across Canada
Climate Change: The Warmest November Worldwide Since 1880
Ex-Energy Chief Steven Chu Joins Carbon Capture Company
Your Wireless Router Could Be Murdering Your Houseplants
Pacific County Phone Service Repaired after Vader-Area Fiber Optic Line Break
The Future of Broadband Looks Very Much Like Cable TV - Here is Why
Telecommunications & Media Convergence: Selected Issues for Consideration
White House Taps Former Microsoft Exec to Fix Obamacare
Facebook Will Test ‘Autoplay’ Video Ads in Users’ News Feeds Thursday
Five Biggest Social Media Lessons of 2013
Utility-Backed Energy Conservation Push Seeks PR Power
Washington State Governor Inslee Proposes More Prison Beds, No Teacher Colas in Budget Update
Wonkbook: Ryan-Murray Will Pass. So What’s In It?
Rules Change Expediting Confirmation Process for Several Interior, Energy Picks
Tumwater Teen Arrested After Reported School Threats
Memo: Boeing to Choose ‘Handful’ of Potential 777X Sites This Week
Washington State Courts Airbus amid Boeing Tension
Wet Snow Possible in Puget Sound Region Thursday Night
Piles of Stolen Mail Found in Bremerton Woods
Rand Study: Washington State Residents Consumed 175 Metric Tons of Pot in 2013
Delta: No Voice Calls on Our Planes

WORD OF THE DAY

Philosophical • \fill-uh-SOFF-ih-cull\ • Adjective - Having a calm attitude toward a difficult or unpleasant situation.

I love the philosophical attitude of the guy in this story:

There once was a man with the carnival whose job it was to clean up smelly bucketloads of prolific elephant dung. A passerby, who one day saw him hip-deep in the excrement, asked, “My good man, how can you put up with such demeaning conditions? Haven’t you ever thought about another line of work?” To which the carnival worker replied, “What, and give up show business?”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Editorial: Anti-Nuclear Group’s Case against Columbia Generating Station Unconvincing (Tri-City Herald, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/12/18/2735809/our-voice-anti-nuclear-groups.html

Right-Size Reactors Breathing New Life into Nuclear Energy (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2013/12/17/right-size-reactors-breathing-new-life-into-nuclear-energy/

Low Cost of Clean Power (Energy Northwest)

http://www.energy-northwest.com/ourenergyprojects/Columbia/Pages/Regional-Value.aspx

Final Recommendation for Columbia River Treaty is Improvement over Drafts, Public Power Council Says (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=246471&issueID=27171

New Cowlitz PUD Budget Passes on Unanimous Vote (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/new-cowlitz-pud-budget-passes-on-unanimous-vote/article_e98e4cf6-67b1-11e3-a18f-001a4bcf887a.html

Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Wind Project Revenue Bonds ‘A-’ (Reuters)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/12/18/fitch-rates-energy-northwest-was-wind-pr-idINFit67993020131218

Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Gott Named to Policy Makers Council (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/11797

Barclays Moves to Block U-S from Collecting $488 Million Fines in Electricity Market Manipulation Case (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10521926/Barclays-moves-to-block-US-from-collecting-488m-fines-in-electricity-market-manipulation-case.html

Ohio’s Push toward Electricity Deregulation Applauded (Columbus Dispatch, OH)

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/12/12/ohios-push-toward-deregulation-applauded.html

U-S Department of Energy General Counsel Nomination Approved (Associated Press)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/12/17/2954029/doe-general-counsel-nomination.html

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Celebrate 1,000th Meeting (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

http://www.ferc.gov/media/news-releases/2013/2013-4/12-18-13.asp#.UrHSpxCmamQ

FISH & WILDLIFE

Vision of Steelhead Dancing in Some Heads (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/12/13/3372750/vision-of-steelhead-dancing-in.html

Steelhead Released to Spawn Second Time in Lower Snake River (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Steelhead-released-to-spawn-second-time-in-lower-Snake-River.aspx

Tagging Salmon Yields Interesting Results (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)

http://union-bulletin.com/news/2013/dec/17/tagging-salmon-yields-interesting-results/?

Creating a Northwest Lamprey Hatchery (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/creating-northwest-lamprey-hatchery

Senator Begich Wants Geoduck Import Ban Lifted (Associated Press)

http://www.adn.com/2013/12/18/3236142/begich-wants-geoduck-import-ban.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Op/Ed: Oregon Renewable Standards Should Recognize Hydro (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/12/oregon_renewable_standards_sho.html

A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy with Wildlife (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/science/earth/a-struggle-to-balance-wind-energy-with-wildlife.html?adxnnl=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1387386067-jXAX+0SaDZxkcrThnti5rw

Can the American Wind Energy Industry Survive without the Production Tax Credit? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/jessejenkins/319086/can-american-wind-energy-industry-survive-without-ptc

Get Ready for a Massive Renewable Energy Boom (The Week)

http://theweek.com/article/index/254215/get-ready-for-a-massive-renewable-energy-boom

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LED Holiday Lights Are Brighter, Safer, and Save Money Over Time! (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/ecskris/315406/led-holiday-lights-are-brighter-safer-and-save-money-over-time

Incandescent Vs. LED Christmas Lights Infographic (Daily Infographic)

http://dailyinfographic.com/incandescent-vs-led-christmas-lights

Loblaws Recalls Outdoor LED Christmas Lights Sold Across Canada (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/loblaws-recalls-outdoor-led-christmas-lights-sold-across-canada-1.2465294?cmp=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change: The Warmest November Worldwide Since 1880 (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/r14/Environment/Latest-News-Wires/2013/1218/Climate-change-The-warmest-November-worldwide-since-1880

Ex-Energy Chief Steven Chu Joins Carbon Capture Company (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_24744302?source=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Your Wireless Router Could Be Murdering Your Houseplants (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/12/17/wireless-router-houseplants/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pacific County Phone Service Repaired after Vader-Area Fiber Optic Line Break (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kxro.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/pacific-county-phone-service-repaired/

The Future of Broadband Looks Very Much Like Cable TV - Here is Why (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2013/12/17/the-future-of-broadband-looks-very-much-like-cable-tv-here-is-why/

Telecommunications & Media Convergence: Selected Issues for Consideration (Congressional Research Service)

https://opencrs.com/document/R43178/

White House Taps Former Microsoft Exec to Fix Obamacare (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022479417_delbeneobamacarexml.html?syndication=rss

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Will Test ‘Autoplay’ Video Ads in Users’ News Feeds Thursday (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/dec/18/facebook-will-test-autoplay-video-ads-in-users-new/

Five Biggest Social Media Lessons of 2013 (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/12/18/social-media-lessons/

Utility-Backed Energy Conservation Push Seeks PR Power (O’Dwyer’s)

http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/1601/2013-12-17/utility-backed-energy-conservation-push-seeks-pr-power.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Inslee Proposes More Prison Beds, No Teacher Colas in Budget Update (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/inslee-proposes-more-prison-beds-no-teacher-colas-budget-update

Wonkbook: Ryan-Murray Will Pass. So What’s In It? (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/12/18/wonkbook-ryan-murray-will-pass-so-whats-in-it/?wprss=rss_business

Rules Change Expediting Confirmation Process for Several Interior, Energy Picks (E&E News)

http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059991881

GENERAL NEWS

Tumwater Teen Arrested After Reported School Threats (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Tumwater-teen-arrested-after-reported-school-threats-236328241.html

Memo: Boeing to Choose ‘Handful’ of Potential 777X Sites This Week (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2013/12/17/memo-boeing-to-choose-handful-of-potential-777x-sites-this-week/#axzz2nqOI2jon

Washington State Courts Airbus amid Boeing Tension (Associated Press)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Washington-state-courts-Airbus-amid-Boeing-tension-236238881.html

Wet Snow Possible in Puget Sound Region Thursday Night (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Wet-snow-possible-in-Puget-Sound-Thursday-night--236260861.html

Piles of Stolen Mail Found in Bremerton Woods (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Piles-of-stolen-mail-found-in-Bremerton-woods-236249771.html

Rand Study: Washington State Residents Consumed 175 Metric Tons of Pot in 2013 (Associated Press)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Rand-study--WA-residents-consumed-175-metric-tons-of-pot-in-2013-236384941.html

Delta: No Voice Calls on Our Planes (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_24748139?source=rss

DIVERSIONS

Wearing Russell Wilson Jersey Gets Travelers to Front of Line

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=2416924

Idaho IHOP Waitress Gets $500 Tip on $46 Tab

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Idaho-IHOP-waitress-gets-500-tip-on-46-tab-236248071.html

Got a Light? Olympic Torch Relay Seems Cursed to the Ends of the Earth

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/sports/olympics/got-a-light-olympic-torch-relay-seems-cursed-to-the-ends-of-the-earth.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

U-S Senate: Al Franken Hosts Secret Santa, Marco Rubio Gets Coal

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2013/12/17/al-franken-hosts-secret-santa-marco-rubio-gets-coal

SONG OF THE DAY

The Rolling Stones - Waiting on a Friend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6zB-9Y6iBU

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.

The Energy News Digest

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Energy News Digest for December 18, 2013

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