Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 20, 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

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

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 20, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

California Wins $1.6 Billion Ruling on 2000-2001 Energy Crisis – Bonneville Power Administration Named in Case (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Inslee to Environmental Activists: State Will Trigger ‘International Revolution’ on Energy Policy (Seattle Times, WA)

U-S Senator Ron Wyden: Hanford Will be Priority for Next Energy Secretary (Northwest Public Radio)

Yahoo! Powering Down Wenatchee Plant, Sending Work to Its Quincy Site (Wenatchee World, WA)

WSDOT Head Hammond Resigns, Inslee Appoints Replacement - Sustainable communities & transportation advisor to Oregon’s Governor to step in (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • California Wins $1.6 Billion Ruling on 2000-2001 Energy Crisis – Bonneville Power Administration Named in Case
  • Enron-Era Ruling Signals $1.6 Billion California Refunds – Bonneville Power Administration listed as one of the Respondents
  • Meanwhile, California Probe Recommended Into Oversight of Trillions of Dollars in Utility Ratepayer Money
  • U-S Senator Ron Wyden: Hanford Will be Priority for Next Energy Secretary
  • Portland General Electric PGE Asks Oregon Regulators to Review Customer Prices
  • Grant County PUD Continues Program to Explain Rate Increases
  • Grays Harbor PUD Announce Management Restructuring
  • Telephone Scam Hits Franklin County PUD
  • California - Flooded Rice Field is Tested as Salmon Nursery in Yolo Bypass
  • West Coast Fisheries Showing Recovery Signs
  • Inslee to Environmental Activists: State Will Trigger ‘International Revolution’ on Energy Policy
  • Editorial - Washington State Environmental Coalition Pushing an Ambitious Agenda
  • Montana U-S Senator’s Bill Pushes for More Geothermal Exploration
  • Green Energy Standards Hitting Blockades - Kansas is Now Resistant
  • Could Wind Power Cool New England’s Price Fever?
  • Home Energy Use in the U-S – Infographic
  • Is a Smart Home in Your Future?
  • Yahoo! Powering Down Wenatchee Plant, Sending Work to Its Quincy Site
  • Utah - Bill Would Halt Further Bonding for UTOPIA Broadband Operations
  • Intel TV Service Already Being Tested by Hundreds of Users
  • Idaho Panel Says Tax Shouldn’t Apply to Cloud Services
  • Massive Cyberattacks from China? Report Claims to Expose Secret ‘Unit 61398’
  • Apple Suffers Largest Hacking Attack in Its History
  • Those $2 per Month Adapters Comcast Says You Need? You Might Not Need Them
  • Report Fingers Boston, Providence DJ as Burger King & Jeep’s Twitter Nemesis
  • Twitter Now Reducing Some Tweets to 117 Characters
  • Most Web Pages Can be Connected in 19 Clicks, Study Says
  • Yahoo Takes Cue from Facebook in Website Revamp
  • WSDOT Head Hammond Resigns, Inslee Appoints Replacement - Sustainable communities & transportation advisor to Oregon’s Governor to step in
  • As Budget Cuts Loom, Congressman Hears Shipyard Workers’ Concerns
  • Roach Supports Washington State Bill That Would Require State Workers to Tell Truth
  • U-S Senate - Schweitzer vs. Baucus? Montana Ex-Governor Posts Poll
  • Shelton Couple Injured in Chehalis Crash
  • Mason County Places Belfair Bypass on Six-Year Transportation Plan
  • Leaking Nuclear Sludge Could Threaten Columbia River
  • Special Weather Statement for Mason County
  • Japan Probe Finds Miswiring (sic) of Boeing 787 Battery
  • Report: Hand Sanitizer, Static Electricity May Have Caught Girl on Fire
  • New Year Remarkably Dry - So Far

WORD OF THE DAY

Trousseau • \TRUE-soe\ • Noun - The personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and household linens and wares

Martha was ecstatic with joy as she rifled through the contents of her ornately carved wedding chest. Dainty garments, beautifully embroidered bed linens, perfumes and fragrant ointments were among the treasures. Inexplicable to her was the one present: a small, sturdy chest which had the family crest hammered heavily into its surface. “Kinda looks like a haggis stitching kit,” she pondered. “But where would I get all the tasty ingredients for such a dish here in downtown Los Angeles?”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

California Wins $1.6 Billion Ruling on 2000-2001 Energy Crisis – Bonneville Power Administration Named in Case (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Enron-Era Ruling Signals $1.6 Billion California Refunds – Bonneville Power Administration listed as one of the Respondents (Bloomberg News)

Meanwhile, California Probe Recommended Into Oversight of Trillions of Dollars in Utility Ratepayer Money (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

U-S Senator Ron Wyden: Hanford Will be Priority for Next Energy Secretary (Northwest Public Radio)

Portland General Electric PGE Asks Oregon Regulators to Review Customer Prices (Electric Energy Online)

Grant County PUD Continues Program to Explain Rate Increases (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Announce Management Restructuring (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Telephone Scam Hits Franklin County PUD (Franklin County PUD)

FISH & WILDLIFE

California - Flooded Rice Field is Tested as Salmon Nursery in Yolo Bypass (Sacramento Bee, CA)

West Coast Fisheries Showing Recovery Signs (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Inslee to Environmental Activists: State Will Trigger ‘International Revolution’ on Energy Policy (Seattle Times, WA)

Editorial - Washington State Environmental Coalition Pushing an Ambitious Agenda “…they are paying close attention, for example, to more than 18 bills attempting to relax the requirements of Initiative 937…” (Olympian, WA)

Montana U-S Senator’s Bill Pushes for More Geothermal Exploration (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Green Energy Standards Hitting Blockades - Kansas is Now Resistant (EnergyBiz)

Could Wind Power Cool New England’s Price Fever? (NY Times)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Home Energy Use in the U-S – Infographic (The Energy Collective)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Is a Smart Home in Your Future? (Tri-City Herald, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Yahoo! Powering Down Wenatchee Plant, Sending Work to Its Quincy Site (Wenatchee World, WA)

Utah - Bill Would Halt Further Bonding for UTOPIA Broadband Operations (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

Intel TV Service Already Being Tested by Hundreds of Users (GigaOM)

Idaho Panel Says Tax Shouldn’t Apply to Cloud Services (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Massive Cyberattacks from China? Report Claims to Expose Secret ‘Unit 61398’ (Christian Science Monitor)

Apple Suffers Largest Hacking Attack in Its History (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Those $2 per Month Adapters Comcast Says You Need? You Might Not Need Them (Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journal, MN)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Report Fingers Boston, Providence DJ as Burger King & Jeep’s Twitter Nemesis (Boston Business Journal, MA)

Twitter Now Reducing Some Tweets to 117 Characters (Mashable)

Most Web Pages Can be Connected in 19 Clicks, Study Says (Washington Post)

Yahoo Takes Cue from Facebook in Website Revamp (Reuters)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

WSDOT Head Hammond Resigns, Inslee Appoints Replacement - Sustainable communities & transportation advisor to Oregon’s Governor to step in (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

As Budget Cuts Loom, Congressman Hears Shipyard Workers’ Concerns (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Roach Supports Washington State Bill That Would Require State Workers to Tell Truth (Associated Press)

U-S Senate - Schweitzer vs. Baucus? Montana Ex-Governor Posts Poll (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Couple Injured in Chehalis Crash (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Places Belfair Bypass on Six-Year Transportation Plan (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Leaking Nuclear Sludge Could Threaten Columbia River (Bloomberg News)

Special Weather Statement for Mason County (National Weather Service)

Japan Probe Finds Miswiring (sic) of Boeing 787 Battery (Associated Press)

Report: Hand Sanitizer, Static Electricity May Have Caught Girl on Fire (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

New Year Remarkably Dry - So Far (Longview Daily News, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Picasso’s Masterpieces Made With ... House Paint

Cheating Woman Admits Pocket-Dial Led to Lovers’ Fight

Police Informed a Mother about Her Son’s Death over Facebook

Maker’s Mark: Haha, Just Kidding - We Won’t Water Down Bourbon

SONG OF THE DAY

Norah Jones - 10 Painter Song