Thursday, March 21, 2013

Energy News Digest for March 21, 2013


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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for March 21, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Montana U-S Senator - Columbia Falls Aluminum: ‘Glencore Has Been Playing Us’ (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

Editorial - Increasing Hydropower: Cantwell Bill Would Allow Washington State to Increase Its Role in Renewable Energy (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

New Study Shows Increase in Stormy Weather in Western Washington (Northwest Public Radio)

Portlanders Pushing for New Water Public Utility District (KOIN TV, Portland, OR)

Chelan PUD’s Local Solar Guru Named ‘Science Champion’ (Wenatchee World, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Montana U-S Senator - Columbia Falls Aluminum: ‘Glencore Has Been Playing Us’
  • Editorial - Increasing Hydropower: Cantwell Bill Would Allow Washington State to Increase Its Role in Renewable Energy
  • Hastings, DeFazio to Co-Chair Northwest Energy Caucus
  • New Report Says U-S Mining, Energy Industries Face Workforce Shortage as Baby Boomers Retire
  • Increased Dependence on Natural Gas Exposes Holes in U-S Electrical Grid
  • Los Angeles Public Utility Says Will Be Free of Coal by 2025
  • House Lawmakers Urged to Consider Impacts of Changing the Tax Treatment of Municipal Bonds
  • House Agriculture Committee Reports Public Power Risk Management Act
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week
  • Body of Rat Is Linked to Blackout at Japanese Atomic Site
  • How Deadly Is Your Kilowatt? We Rank the Killer Energy Sources
  • Up & Away! Endangered Deer Get Ride Out of Threatened Refuge
  • Portlanders Pushing for New Water Public Utility District
  • U-S Supreme Court Justices Back Loggers in Water Runoff Case
  • Chelan PUD’s Local Solar Guru Named ‘Science Champion’
  • Analysis - Vestas Puts ‘For Sale’ Sign on Factories
  • Chinese Solar Panel Maker Suntech Declares Bankruptcy
  • California Eagle Death Prompts Wind Farm Investigation
  • Kansas - Effort to Push Back Renewable Energy Requirements Fails in House Committee
  • State of the Art - New Reasons to Change Light Bulbs
  • “Vampire Diaries” Star Highlights Cree’s LED Bulb
  • Energy-Efficiency Survey Results Encouraging Yet Disappointing
  • Federal Water Heater Standards Challenged
  • The Business of Smart Appliances
  • U-S Cap & Trade Growing; May Hit $2 Billion by 2020
  • Google Explains Why the Future of Energy is Green
  • AAA Launches Roadside Charging Service for Electric Vehicles in WA
  • Soccer as an Energy Source
  • Google’s Super-Fast Broadband Service is Growing, But Not Everyone is Happy
  • Doors Opening at FCC
  • Verizon Considers Only Paying Cable Providers for What You Watch
  • Companies Slow to Use Twitter, Facebook for Customer Service, Study Says
  • Twitter Turns Seven: Users Send Over 400 Million Tweets per Day
  • U-S House Passes Plan to Avert Federal Shutdown
  • U-S Senate Panel Approves Obama’s Choice for Interior Department
  • Washington State Budget Shortfall Expected to be $1.2 Billion
  • Special Weather Statement for Western Washington
  • New Study Shows Increase in Stormy Weather in Western Washington
  • City of Shelton Sewer Rates Forecast to Increase
  • Washington Economic Recovery Hits Milestone
  • Nippon Strikers Say They’ll Picket Around the Clock; Paper Mill Shut Down
  • Washington State Forests Generate $296 Million for Schools
  • Kitsap-Area Credit Unions Host Event on Surviving Sequestration
  • ‘Green’ Marijuana Jobs Coming to Raymond

WORD OF THE DAY

Plaudit • \PLAW-ditt\ • Noun - 1: an act or round of applause 2: enthusiastic approval — usually used in plural

Barney loved to see his wife embarrassed; not because he had a need to witness her discomfort, but because whenever she received unexpected plaudits for her amazing theatrical talents, she blushed the most amazing shade of pink.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Montana U-S Senator - Columbia Falls Aluminum: ‘Glencore Has Been Playing Us’ (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

Editorial - Increasing Hydropower: Cantwell Bill Would Allow Washington State to Increase Its Role in Renewable Energy (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Hastings, DeFazio to Co-Chair Northwest Energy Caucus (U-S Representative Doc Hastings)

New Report Says U-S Mining, Energy Industries Face Workforce Shortage as Baby Boomers Retire (Associated Press)

Increased Dependence on Natural Gas Exposes Holes in U-S Electrical Grid (U-S News & World Report)

Los Angeles Public Utility Says Will Be Free of Coal by 2025 (Reuters)

House Lawmakers Urged to Consider Impacts of Changing the Tax Treatment of Municipal Bonds (American Public Power Association)

House Agriculture Committee Reports Public Power Risk Management Act (American Public Power Association)

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week (Associated Press)

Body of Rat Is Linked to Blackout at Japanese Atomic Site (NY Times)

How Deadly Is Your Kilowatt? We Rank the Killer Energy Sources (Forbes Magazine)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Up & Away! Endangered Deer Get Ride Out of Threatened Refuge (KATU TV, Portland, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Portlanders Pushing for New Water Public Utility District (KOIN TV, Portland, OR)

U-S Supreme Court Justices Back Loggers in Water Runoff Case (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Chelan PUD’s Local Solar Guru Named ‘Science Champion’ (Wenatchee World, WA)

Analysis - Vestas Puts ‘For Sale’ Sign on Factories (Wind Power Monthly)

Chinese Solar Panel Maker Suntech Declares Bankruptcy (USA Today)

California Eagle Death Prompts Wind Farm Investigation (Energy AOL)

Kansas - Effort to Push Back Renewable Energy Requirements Fails in House Committee (Wichita Eagle, KS)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

State of the Art - New Reasons to Change Light Bulbs (NY Times)

“Vampire Diaries” Star Highlights Cree’s LED Bulb (Triangle Business Journal, NC)

Energy-Efficiency Survey Results Encouraging Yet Disappointing (Fierce Energy)

Federal Water Heater Standards Challenged (Electric Co-op Today)

The Business of Smart Appliances (Oven Info.com)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Cap & Trade Growing; May Hit $2 Billion by 2020 (The Energy Collective)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Google Explains Why the Future of Energy is Green (Forbes Magazine)

AAA Launches Roadside Charging Service for Electric Vehicles in WA (KING TV, Seattle, WA)

Soccer as an Energy Source (TIME Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google’s Super-Fast Broadband Service is Growing, But Not Everyone is Happy (Motherboard)

Doors Opening at FCC (Washington Post)

Verizon Considers Only Paying Cable Providers for What You Watch (Mashable)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Companies Slow to Use Twitter, Facebook for Customer Service, Study Says (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Twitter Turns Seven: Users Send Over 400 Million Tweets per Day (Washington Post)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S House Passes Plan to Avert Federal Shutdown (NY Times)

U-S Senate Panel Approves Obama’s Choice for Interior Department (NY Times)

Washington State Budget Shortfall Expected to be $1.2 Billion (Everett Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Special Weather Statement for Western Washington (National Weather Service, Seattle, WA)

New Study Shows Increase in Stormy Weather in Western Washington (Northwest Public Radio)

City of Shelton Sewer Rates Forecast to Increase (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington Economic Recovery Hits Milestone (Northwest Public Radio)

Nippon Strikers Say They’ll Picket Around the Clock; Paper Mill Shut Down (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Washington State Forests Generate $296 Million for Schools (Associated Press)

Kitsap-Area Credit Unions Host Event on Surviving Sequestration (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

‘Green’ Marijuana Jobs Coming to Raymond - Port of Willapa leases building to state’s first legal marijuana farm (Coast River Business Journal, Astoria, OR)

DIVERSIONS

School Asks Teens to Lay Off the Axe Body Spray After Student Suffers Severe Allergic Reaction

Cops: Mom Tells Girl, 7, To Shoot Store Workers with Pepper Spray

Hermiston School District Cuts ‘Zombie Survival Skills’ Class

Tacoma Woman Allegedly Trashes Friend’s House to the Tune of $30,000

SONG OF THE DAY

The Zombies - Time of the Season

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.