Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Energy News Digest for March 19, 2013


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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for March 19, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Last Storm of Winter in Washington (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration: New High Wind, High Water Plan (Electric Co-op Today)

Portland General Electric to Start Building New Power Plant at Port Westward (Longview Daily News, WA)

Appeal Filed in Ninth Circuit on Lethal Sea Lion Removal in Lower Columbia; Briefing Schedule Set (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Tiny Mammal a Little Loser During Big Climate Shift - American Pika Totals Shrink (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration: New High Wind, High Water Plan
  • Portland General Electric to Start Building New Power Plant at Port Westward
  • Editorial – Clatskanie PUD: 70 Years of People Power
  • Alaska - Op/Ed: Rearden’s Wrong; Proposed Dam is For People, Not for Mines
  • D-C Circuit Rejects FERC Jurisdictional Claims over Natural Gas Commodity Market Manipulation
  • South Carolina - Coroner: Electrocuted Copper Thief Found Dangling from Transformer
  • Power Theft Plagues Electric Co-ops
  • Missouri Town Burned by Cost of Peabody Power
  • Britain’s Plans for New Nuclear Plant Approach a Decisive Point, Four Years Late
  • Blackout Halts Cooling System at Fukushima Plant
  • Appeal Filed in Ninth Circuit on Lethal Sea Lion Removal in Lower Columbia; Briefing Schedule Set
  • Sea Lions vs. Salmon: Annual Clash Resumes at Bonneville Dam
  • Helicopter to Drive Cathlamet Deer into Nets
  • Beavers Dam Fish Habitat, Block Salmon Route
  • Kelp Armageddon at the Mouth of the Elwha
  • Chelan County PUD Mulls Rate Increases for Water, Sewer Customers
  • Owner of Leaky Columbia River Barge Gets Prison
  • U-S Supreme Court Lets Limits on Pacific Northwest River Mining Stand
  • Unwanted Electronic Gear Rising in Toxic Piles
  • Final Component of Nippon Biomass Project OK’d
  • Puget Sound Energy Wind Farm’s Visitor Center Reopening April 1
  • Hydro Renaissance? Call It a Comeback
  • Updated Water Wheels Power India’s Rural Mountain Economy
  • Seattle’s New LED-Lit Streets: Blinded By the Lights
  • Home Improvement & Energy Efficiency Go Hand In Hand in Olympia
  • Editorial - Energy Efficiency Cheapest, Cleanest Power Available
  • Tiny Mammal a Little Loser During Big Climate Shift - American Pika Totals Shrink
  • Study: Climate Change to Worsen Hurricane Storm Surge
  • Major Changes for Greenhouse Gas Standards?
  • Cloud Seeding Drawing More Attention after Dry Winter
  • Tax Day 2013: Does Your Plugin Qualify for a Tax Credit?
  • Green Energy More Important for Climate than Keystone: White House
  • Rising Cost of Corn Ethanol Credits Alarms Hill
  • Grant County PUD Expands Fiber Optic Service in Moses Lake Area
  • West Virginia Cancels Broadband Summit over $126.3 Million Stimulus Funds Investigation
  • Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks
  • Shuttering of Google Reader Prompts Petitions, Outrage
  • The Washington Post to Charge Frequent Users of Its Web Site
  • Last Storm of Winter in Washington
  • Pink Slips Going Out at Hanford Nuclear Site
  • Death Sentence Upheld for Spokane Serial Killer
  • Washington State Taps Massachusetts Firm for Pot Consultant
  • Series of Explosions Highlights Dangers of Making Hash Oil
  • Birds Might Be Evolving to Dodge Vehicles

WORD OF THE DAY

Cajole • \kuh-JOLE\ • Verb - 1a: to persuade with flattery or gentle urging: coax b: to obtain from someone by gentle persuasion 2: to deceive with soothing words or false promises

Read on as the Maitre D cajoles Mr. Creosote to eat an after dinner mint… “It’s Wafer Thin!”

Maitre D: And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin mint.
Mr Creosote: No.
Maitre D: Oh sir! It’s only a tiny little thin one.
Mr Creosote: No. **** off - I’m full...
Maitre D: Oh sir... it’s only wafer thin.
Mr Creosote: Look - I couldn’t eat another thing. I’m absolutely stuffed. Bugger off.
Maitre D: Oh sir, just... just one...
Mr Creosote: Oh all right. Just one.
Maitre D: Just the one, sir... voila... bon appetit...
(As the Maitre D’ takes cover, Mr. Creosote swallows the mint, expands & then blows up dramatically.)
Maitre D: Thank you, sir, & now the check.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration: New High Wind, High Water Plan (Electric Co-op Today)

Portland General Electric to Start Building New Power Plant at Port Westward (Longview Daily News, WA)

Editorial – Clatskanie PUD: 70 Years of People Power (The Clatskanie Chief, OR)

Alaska - Op/Ed: Rearden’s Wrong; Proposed Dam is For People, Not for Mines (Alaska Dispatch)

D-C Circuit Rejects FERC Jurisdictional Claims over Natural Gas Commodity Market Manipulation (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

South Carolina - Coroner: Electrocuted Copper Thief Found Dangling from Transformer (WIST-TV, Columbia, SC)

Power Theft Plagues Electric Co-ops (Electric Co-op Today)

Missouri Town Burned by Cost of Peabody Power (Associated Press)

Britain’s Plans for New Nuclear Plant Approach a Decisive Point, Four Years Late (NY Times)

Blackout Halts Cooling System at Fukushima Plant (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Appeal Filed in Ninth Circuit on Lethal Sea Lion Removal in Lower Columbia; Briefing Schedule Set (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Sea Lions vs. Salmon: Annual Clash Resumes at Bonneville Dam (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Helicopter to Drive Cathlamet Deer into Nets (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Beavers Dam Fish Habitat, Block Salmon Route (Wenatchee World, WA)

Kelp Armageddon at the Mouth of the Elwha (Seattle Times, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Chelan County PUD Mulls Rate Increases for Water, Sewer Customers (Wenatchee World, WA)

Owner of Leaky Columbia River Barge Gets Prison (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

U-S Supreme Court Lets Limits on Pacific Northwest River Mining Stand (Northwest Public Radio)

Unwanted Electronic Gear Rising in Toxic Piles (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Final Component of Nippon Biomass Project OK’d (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Puget Sound Energy Wind Farm’s Visitor Center Reopening April 1 (RenewablesBiz)

Hydro Renaissance? Call It a Comeback (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)

Updated Water Wheels Power India’s Rural Mountain Economy (Christian Science Monitor)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle’s New LED-Lit Streets: Blinded By the Lights (Grist Online)

Home Improvement & Energy Efficiency Go Hand In Hand in Olympia (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

Editorial - Energy Efficiency Cheapest, Cleanest Power Available (The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Tiny Mammal a Little Loser During Big Climate Shift - American Pika Totals Shrink (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Study: Climate Change to Worsen Hurricane Storm Surge (USA Today)

Major Changes for Greenhouse Gas Standards? (Politico)

Cloud Seeding Drawing More Attention after Dry Winter (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tax Day 2013: Does Your Plugin Qualify for a Tax Credit? (Christian Science Monitor)

Green Energy More Important for Climate than Keystone: White House (Reuters)

Rising Cost of Corn Ethanol Credits Alarms Hill (Politico)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Grant County PUD Expands Fiber Optic Service in Moses Lake Area (iFiber One, Ephrata, WA)

West Virginia Cancels Broadband Summit over $126.3 Million Stimulus Funds Investigation (Fierce Telecom)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks (NY Times)

Shuttering of Google Reader Prompts Petitions, Outrage (Christian Science Monitor)

The Washington Post to Charge Frequent Users of Its Web Site (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Last Storm of Winter in Washington (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Pink Slips Going Out at Hanford Nuclear Site (Associated Press)

Death Sentence Upheld for Spokane Serial Killer (Courthouse News Service)

Washington State Taps Massachusetts Firm for Pot Consultant Contract (Associated Press)

Series of Explosions Highlights Dangers of Making Hash Oil (Associated Press)

Birds Might Be Evolving to Dodge Vehicles - Fewer cliff swallows are being killed by moving vehicles (USA Today)

DIVERSIONS

Twinkies Sale Approved by Judge - May Be Back on Shelves by Summer

Lululemon Recalls Yoga Pants For Being Too Revealing

Minor-League Ballpark Offering Bacon-Shell Taco

‘Luke’s Change’ Argues Death Star’s Downfall Was an Inside Job

SONG OF THE DAY

Leonard Cohen - Bird on a Wire

Fairport Convention - Bird on a Wire

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.