Monday, March 18, 2013

Energy News Digest for March 18, 2013


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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest word cloud for March 18, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Climate Factors into Columbia River Treaty Talks – U-S, Canada will decide whether to extend, change treaty (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wire Theft Forces B-C Hydro to Cut Power to Vancouver Island First Nation (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Big Smelt Run Has Stretch of Columbia River Alive with Animal Activity (Longview Daily News, WA)

Former Washington State Governor Booth Gardner Dies at Age 76 (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Olympic College among Recipients of $18 Million for Projects to Reduce Energy Costs (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Climate Factors into Columbia River Treaty Talks
  • Wire Theft Forces B-C Hydro to Cut Power to Vancouver Island First Nation
  • Bonneville Power Administration to Honor Late Lineman with Award for Courage
  • Mason County PUD No. 3 Connects Island Service Territory with Fiber Optic Network, Potential Broadband Service
  • Skookum Rotary’s March 16 Science Fair - PUD 3 Awards Students for Electricity-Related Projects
  • NorthWestern Energy Partners with 200 Helena Residents on Smart Grid Experiment
  • California - Sebastopol in Standoff over SmartMeters
  • New Book Reveals Drama behind Your Light Switch
  • Texas - Man Nearly Electrocuted Trying to Steal Utility Pole Copper
  • Is All the Talk About Cyberwarfare Just Hype?
  • The Smart Grid & “Cooperative Federalism”
  • Big Smelt Run Has Stretch of Columbia River Alive with Animal Activity
  • Judge to Rule on Stopping Salmon Release by Sandy Hatchery
  • Report Details Money, Jobs Generated by Commercial, Recreation Fishing - Washington Top Five for Jobs
  • Salmon in the Classroom Program Takes Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Students to the Columbia River Gorge
  • California - Drakes Bay Oyster Co. Attracts Support from Bay Area Restaurateurs, Republicans
  • Elwha River Gnaws Away at a Century of Sediment
  • Washington State - Makeover planned for Tucannon River
  • Exergy Cancels Idaho Women’s Professional Bike Race
  • Wind Generates More Than 10% of Electricity in Nine States
  • BrightSource Adds Spanish Partner in California Desert Energy Project
  • Colorado - Xcel Speeds Up Wind-Proposal Process
  • US Senators Urge Wind PTC Clarification, But is it Time to Look Beyond?
  • Can Better Solar Loans Slow the Surge of Third-Party Ownership?
  • Olympic College among Recipients of $18 Million for Projects to Reduce Energy Costs
  • EPA Recognizes Seattle-Tacoma Metro for Energy Star
  • Puget Sound Energy Offers Energy-Efficient Appliances to Its Customers
  • Olympia’s South Sound Ductless Creates Your Ideal Climate
  • Washington State Governor Inslee’s Passion for Climate Change is Unmistakable
  • Op/Ed - Nuke Power, Carbon Sequestration Can Solve Climate Challenge
  • Low Water Levels Bedevil Great Lakes Harbors
  • An Electric Vehicle Charger to Help Balance the Grid
  • How Much is Norway Paying to Promote Electric Cars?
  • San Jose Launches New Free Downtown Outdoor Wireless
  • California - Suddenlink Attacked Again by Vandals; Service Out for 10,000 in Fourth Vandalism This Week
  • Op/Ed - Rethinking Broadband: Wireless Opportunity
  • Social Media: A Growing Number of Court Cases
  • How Should I Handle a Negative Online Review?
  • Washington State Governor Eyes Tax ‘Loopholes’ for Elimination
  • Former Washington State Governor Booth Gardner Dies at Age 76
  • City of Shelton - Hearing on Bikini Baristas Monday Night
  • Hastings Revives Measure to Curb Cabin Fee Hikes
  • Illinois - Eight Chicago School Buses Stolen, Sold for Scrap
  • Do Indoor Workers Get Less UV, But Get More Melanomas? PolitiFact Oregon
  • Journalism Study Shows Impact of Cutbacks in News
  • Tiny Radio Stations to Give Voice to Communities

WORD OF THE DAY

Carminative • \kar-MIN-uh-tiv\ • Adjective - Expelling gas from the stomach or intestines so as to relieve flatulence or abdominal pain or distension.

One of the more extreme carminative treatments involves relieving pasture bloat suffered by cattle. A good, sharp bloat needle inserted in the side of the cow into the rumen is not the most pleasant treatment…even worse of you have to use a knife. Oh, and don’t forget to stand back.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Climate Factors into Columbia River Treaty Talks – U-S, Canada will decide whether to extend, change treaty (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wire Theft Forces B-C Hydro to Cut Power to Vancouver Island First Nation (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Bonneville Power Administration to Honor Late Lineman with Award for Courage (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Mason County PUD No. 3 Connects Island Service Territory with Fiber Optic Network, Potential Broadband Service (American Public Power Association)

Skookum Rotary’s March 16 Science Fair - PUD 3 Awards Students for Electricity-Related Projects (Mason County PUD No. 3)

NorthWestern Energy Partners with 200 Helena Residents on Smart Grid Experiment (Helena Independent-Record, MT)

California - Sebastopol in Standoff over SmartMeters (SF Chronicle, CA – Ha! Check out the picture of the meters….)

New Book Reveals Drama behind Your Light Switch (Bonneville Power Administration)

Texas - Man Nearly Electrocuted Trying to Steal Utility Pole Copper (KTVT-TV, Fort Worth, TX)

Is All the Talk About Cyberwarfare Just Hype? (National Public Radio)

The Smart Grid & “Cooperative Federalism”: The Path Forward for Technological Innovation in the Electric Utility Industry? (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Big Smelt Run Has Stretch of Columbia River Alive with Animal Activity (Longview Daily News, WA)

Judge to Rule on Stopping Salmon Release by Sandy Hatchery (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Report Details Money, Jobs Generated by Commercial, Recreation Fishing - Washington Top Five for Jobs (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Salmon in the Classroom Program Takes Boise-Eliot/Humboldt Students to the Columbia River Gorge (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

California - Drakes Bay Oyster Co. Attracts Support from Bay Area Restaurateurs, Republicans (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Elwha River Gnaws Away at a Century of Sediment - There’s more sediment & more wood than expected coming out of the Elwha River as the Elwha dams are taken down (Seattle Times, WA)

Washington State - Makeover planned for Tucannon River (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Exergy Cancels Idaho Women’s Professional Bike Race (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Wind Generates More Than 10% of Electricity in Nine States (Energy Solutions)

BrightSource Adds Spanish Partner in California Desert Energy Project (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Colorado - Xcel Speeds Up Wind-Proposal Process (Denver Post, CO)

US Senators Urge Wind PTC Clarification, But is it Time to Look Beyond? (Renewable Energy World)

Can Better Solar Loans Slow the Surge of Third-Party Ownership? A company with a new solar loan model wants to compete with third-party ownership (Green Tech Media)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Olympic College among Recipients of $18 Million for Projects to Reduce Energy Costs (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

EPA Recognizes Seattle-Tacoma Metro for Energy Star (South Sound Business Examiner)

Puget Sound Energy Offers Energy-Efficient Appliances to Its Customers (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Olympia’s South Sound Ductless Creates Your Ideal Climate (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Governor Inslee’s Passion for Climate Change is Unmistakable (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Op/Ed - Nuke Power, Carbon Sequestration Can Solve Climate Challenge (Billings Gazette, MT)

Low Water Levels Bedevil Great Lakes Harbors (USA Today)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

An Electric Vehicle Charger to Help Balance the Grid (Northwest Public Radio)

How Much is Norway Paying to Promote Electric Cars? (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

San Jose Launches New Free Downtown Outdoor Wireless (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

California - Suddenlink Attacked Again by Vandals; Service Out for 10,000 in Fourth Vandalism This Week (Eureka Times-Standard, CA)

Op/Ed - Rethinking Broadband: Wireless Opportunity (Huffington Post)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media: A Growing Number of Court Cases (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

How Should I Handle a Negative Online Review? (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Eyes Tax ‘Loopholes’ for Elimination (Northwest Public Radio)

GENERAL NEWS

Former Washington State Governor Booth Gardner Dies at Age 76 (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

City of Shelton - Hearing on Bikini Baristas Monday Night (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Hastings Revives Measure to Curb Cabin Fee Hikes (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Illinois - Eight Chicago School Buses Stolen, Sold for Scrap (Associated Press)

Do Indoor Workers Get Less UV, But Get More Melanomas? PolitiFact Oregon (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Journalism Study Shows Impact of Cutbacks in News (Associated Press)

Tiny Radio Stations to Give Voice to Communities (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Community Rallies, Buys Thousands of Cookies from Tricked Girl Scouts

NCAA’s March Madness to Cost $134 Million in Lost Productivity

United Airlines Mistakenly Sends Phoenix-Bound Dog from Newark to Ireland

Swarming Cockroaches Turn Bus to New York into Roach-Mobile

SONG OF THE DAY

OK, so everyone (especially if you’ve been to even a few weddings) knows Pachelbel’s “Canon in D.” What about some of his other music?

Bach Guitar Duo - Pachelbel: Chaconne in F Minor

And now, Pachelbel’s greatest hit:

Pachelbel - Canon in D

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.