Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 6, 2013


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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 5, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

REI Executive Sally Jewell Appointed Head of Federal Interior Department (Associated Press)

Chelan PUD Ends Year $78 Million in the Black (Wenatchee World, WA)

Washington State Governor - Inslee Team Downplays Earlier Bid to Lure Wind-Power Firm (Seattle Times, WA)

Report Highlights Groundwater Decline in Columbia (Associated Press)

Kennewick Gets Big Energy Conservation Rebate from Benton PUD (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • REI Executive Sally Jewell Appointed Head of Federal Interior Department
  • Chelan PUD Ends Year $78 Million in the Black
  • Study Slams Nuclear Waste Practices at Hanford
  • ABB Wins $260 Million Order to Upgrade Pacific Northwest U-S Power Station
  • North Carolina - Closing Crystal River Could Push Progress Energy to Build New Nuke
  • Keep the Lights On - At Super Bowl & As National Energy Policy
  • Three Lessons from the Blackout Bowl
  • Energy & Extreme Weather: Derechos & Hurricane Sandy
  • Doc Hastings Wants Salmon Assessment Stopped
  • Hazing Sea Lions with Fireworks
  • Ouster Sharpens Debate on the Sage Grouse
  • Albatross Stuns Experts by Giving Birth at 62
  • Report Highlights Groundwater Decline in Columbia
  • Washington State Governor - Inslee Team Downplays Earlier Bid to Lure Wind-Power Firm
  • Senior U-S Energy Official to Tour Huge Oregon Wind Farm
  • Maryland - Paper Mills Reap Millions from State Energy Law
  • Kennewick Gets Big Energy Conservation Rebate from Benton PUD
  • Chelan PUD to Offer Rebates on Low-Energy Appliances
  • Feds: Warming Means More Fires, Insects in Forests
  • EPA Posts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data for 2011 on Its Website
  • New U-S Postal Service Electric Fleet Touted as Clean-Air Boost
  • NRECA Seeks Rural Broadband Focus
  • Oh, the Irony: Coursera Suspends Online Course about How to Run an Online Course
  • Five Things to Know About ‘Free’ Public Wi-Fi
  • Ask an Expert: How to Get Viral Publicity
  • Family Leave Debate Continues in Olympia
  • The Three Plans to Stop the Sequester
  • Oregon, Washington Drivers Face Biggest Gas Price Jump in Two Years
  • Vehicle Fleeing Shooting Scene Strikes Puyallup School Bus
  • Crowd Packs Heat; Oak Harbor Backs Down
  • Postal Service to Cut Saturday Mail to Trim Costs
  • Washington Attorney General joins $5B lawsuit against Standard & Poor’s
  • Winter Weather Advisory - Olympic Mountains above 2,500 Feet
  • Skywarn Weather Spotters Help Protect Thurston & Grays Harbor County
  • WSDOT: Brazen Vandals Targeting Local Highways

WORD OF THE DAY

Factotum • \fack-TOE-tum\ • Noun - 1: a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities 2: a general servant

“You’re a veritable Swiss army knife, a factotum of the highest degree,” enthused the mustachioed, Brylcream scented supervisor to his new hire. “We hired you to deliver the mail, but you’ve been sneaking around to the empty cubicles during the day to complete unfinished projects left by employees out to lunch, or cleaning cluttered desks, even making new coffee to replace the bubbling dregs.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

REI Executive Sally Jewell Appointed Head of Federal Interior Department (Associated Press)

Chelan PUD Ends Year $78 Million in the Black (Wenatchee World, WA)

Study Slams Nuclear Waste Practices at Hanford (NY Times)

ABB Wins $260 Million Order to Upgrade Pacific Northwest U-S Power Station (NASDAQ)

North Carolina - Closing Crystal River Could Push Progress Energy to Build New Nuke (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

Keep the Lights On - At Super Bowl & As National Energy Policy (The Business Journals, Washington, DC Bureau)

Three Lessons from the Blackout Bowl (GigaOM)

Energy & Extreme Weather: Derechos & Hurricane Sandy (The Energy Collective)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Doc Hastings Wants Salmon Assessment Stopped (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

Hazing Sea Lions with Fireworks - Oregon wildlife officials hope that sea lions & fireworks don’t mix (Electric Co-op Today)

Ouster Sharpens Debate on the Sage Grouse (NY Times)

Albatross Stuns Experts by Giving Birth at 62 (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Report Highlights Groundwater Decline in Columbia (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State Governor - Inslee Team Downplays Earlier Bid to Lure Wind-Power Firm (Seattle Times, WA)

Senior U-S Energy Official to Tour Huge Oregon Wind Farm (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Maryland - Paper Mills Reap Millions from State Energy Law (Baltimore Sun, MD)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Kennewick Gets Big Energy Conservation Rebate from Benton PUD (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Chelan PUD to Offer Rebates on Low-Energy Appliances - Free refrigerator recycling, duct sealing also in the works (Wenatchee World, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Feds: Warming Means More Fires, Insects in Forests (Associated Press)

EPA Posts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data for 2011 on Its Website (American Public Power Association)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

New U-S Postal Service Electric Fleet Touted as Clean-Air Boost (Sacramento Bee, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

NRECA Seeks Rural Broadband Focus (Electric Co-op Today)

Oh, the Irony: Coursera Suspends Online Course about How to Run an Online Course (GigaOM)

Five Things to Know About ‘Free’ Public Wi-Fi (Washington Post)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Ask an Expert: How to Get Viral Publicity (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Family Leave Debate Continues in Olympia (Associated Press)

The Three Plans to Stop the Sequester (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Oregon, Washington Drivers Face Biggest Gas Price Jump in Two Years (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Vehicle Fleeing Shooting Scene Strikes Puyallup School Bus (Seattle Times, WA)

Crowd Packs Heat; Oak Harbor Backs Down (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Postal Service to Cut Saturday Mail to Trim Costs (Associated Press)

Washington Attorney General joins $5B lawsuit against Standard & Poor’s (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Winter Weather Advisory - Olympic Mountains above 2,500 Feet (National Weather Service, Seattle)

Skywarn Weather Spotters Help Protect Thurston & Grays Harbor County (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

WSDOT: Brazen Vandals Targeting Local Highways (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Skydiver Actually Went 843 Mph

City Workers Repaint Spot as Handicap Zone, Tow Car

Giant Cookie Stolen by Cookie Monster Impersonator Recovered in Germany

Survivalists Plan Giant Walled Fortress in Idaho

SONG OF THE DAY

Bob Dylan - All Along the Watchtower

Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower