Friday, June 28, 2013

Energy News Digest for June 28, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for June 28, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Record-Breaking Heat Possible in Washington State (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Columbia River Treaty in the Works - Draft Plan Updates Priorities, Concerns (Associated Press)

Whistling Ridge Energy Project - Washington Supreme Court Hears Wind Farm Case (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Chinese Firm Is Charged in Theft of Wind Turbine Software (NY Times)

BC Hydro Fires Workers Accused of Helping Steal Power (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • BC Hydro Fires Workers Accused of Helping Steal Power
  • UPDATE – Mason County PUD 3: Electricity Restored at 12:05 PM to Downtown Shelton Customers
  • Regional Approach, Not ‘Top-Down’ Approach, Works Better for Power Marketing Administrations, Lawmakers & Witnesses Tell House Hearing
  • Idaho - Underground Power Line Could Cost $14.2 Million
  • Northern Wasco PUD Buys New Land Near Rodeo Grounds
  • Fitch Revises Outlook on Cowlitz PUD Bonds to Stable; Affirms Ratings
  • Mason County PUD 3 Selects Realtor
  • Obama Nominates Ron Binz to Head Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
  • California PUC Shuffles Its Staff amid Furor over Its Handling of Pacific Gas & Electric Punishment for San Bruno Explosion
  • Enron’s Money Trail: Skilling Assets Shift to Victims’ Fund
  • Nevada PUC Denies Valley Electric Move to Dismiss NV Energy Encroachment Complaint
  • Quarrels Continue Over Repository for Nuclear Waste
  • Will Minneapolis’ Next Mayor Seek a Municipal Energy Utility?
  • Return of the Kings
  • Sockeye Season to Open July 1 on Upper Columbia
  • Columbia River Treaty in the Works - Draft Plan Updates Priorities, Concerns
  • Whistling Ridge Energy Project - Washington Supreme Court Hears Wind Farm Case
  • Chinese Firm Is Charged in Theft of Wind Turbine Software
  • Whitworth University Tapping into Sun’s Power
  • Solar Project South of Silicon Valley Wins a Major Victory in Appeals Court
  • Seventh Circuit Ruling Supports Transmission of Renewable Energy and Questions State Renewable Portfolio Standards that Discriminate Against Out-of-State Renewables
  • Clean Energy Will Be World’s No. 2 Source of Power by 2016, IEA Says
  • Renewable Energy is Growing, But ...
  • LIFX Smart Bulb is Simple, Programmable, Color-Changeable, & Awesome
  • Energy Secretary Optimistic on Obama’s Plan to Reduce Emissions
  • Warming Climate May Help Pacific Northwest Winemakers
  • The U-S Needs a Federal-Aid Highway Act for Affordable Broadband – Now
  • FCC to Take Over National Broadband Map
  • Google Rather Quietly Funding More Wi-Fi Network Builds
  • Facebook’s Road to Clean Power Will Be a Long One
  • How Data Center Admins Can Add Computing Capacity While Maintaining Energy Efficiency
  • The Most Annoying Part of Facebook Newsfeed Ads? They Work
  • Texas & Turkey Show Why Twitter is Often the Only Media Outlet That Matters
  • To Draw in Younger Buyers, GE Turns to Postwar Designs
  • Rural Electric Cooperatives Honor Congressman Hastings
  • U-S Senate Finance Leaders’ “Blank Slate” Proposal for Tax Reform Would Eliminate Exclusion for Municipal Bond Interest
  • Record-Breaking Heat Possible in Washington State
  • Hot, Hot, Hot - Special Weather Statement Issued by NWS Seattle
  • Washington State Budget Deal Reached: $1 Billion More for K-12, No General Tax Hike
  • Elfendalh Pass Road to Close
  • Propane to Blame for Idaho House Explosion – Had Been Converting Appliances from Electric to Gas
  • Providence St. Peter Makes “Final Offer” to Union Employees
  • Man Accused of Stealing Four Miles of Light Rail Copper Faces Judge
  • Alleged Metal Theft Family Arrested in Oakville
  • Olympic National Park Turns 75
  • “B-C Bud” Judged at Vancouver’s Kush Cup

WORD OF THE DAY

Risorgimento • \ree-zore-jih-MENT-toe\ • Noun - 1: the 19th century movement for Italian political unity 2: a time of renewal or renaissance: revival

After a major setback at the hands of “Tiny Tim” (Herbert Khaury), the diminutive ukulele is experiencing a sort of “risorgimento” due to the likes of uke impresario Jake Shimabukuro.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

BC Hydro Fires Workers Accused of Helping Steal Power (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

UPDATE – Mason County PUD 3: Electricity Restored at 12:05 PM to Downtown Shelton Customers (Mason County PUD No. 3, Shelton, WA)

Regional Approach, Not ‘Top-Down’ Approach, Works Better for Power Marketing Administrations, Lawmakers & Witnesses Tell House Hearing (American Public Power Association)

Idaho - Underground Power Line Could Cost $14.2 Million: Ketchum leaders question Idaho Power Co. plan (Mountain Express & Guide, Sun Valley, ID)

Northern Wasco PUD Buys New Land Near Rodeo Grounds (Dalles Chronicle, OR)

Fitch Revises Outlook on Cowlitz PUD Bonds to Stable; Affirms Ratings (Fort Mill Times, SC)

Mason County PUD 3 Selects Realtor (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

Obama Nominates Ron Binz to Head Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Washington Post)

California PUC Shuffles Its Staff amid Furor over Its Handling of Pacific Gas & Electric Punishment for San Bruno Explosion (Oakland Tribune, CA)

Enron’s Money Trail: Skilling Assets Shift to Victims’ Fund (Houston Business Journal, TX)

Nevada PUC Denies Valley Electric Move to Dismiss NV Energy Encroachment Complaint (SNL Financial)

Quarrels Continue Over Repository for Nuclear Waste (NY Times)

Will Minneapolis’ Next Mayor Seek a Municipal Energy Utility? (Midwest Energy News)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Return of the Kings (Wenatchee World, WA)

Sockeye Season to Open July 1 on Upper Columbia (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Columbia River Treaty in the Works - Draft Plan Updates Priorities, Concerns (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Whistling Ridge Energy Project - Washington Supreme Court Hears Wind Farm Case (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Chinese Firm Is Charged in Theft of Wind Turbine Software (NY Times)

Whitworth University Tapping into Sun’s Power (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Solar Project South of Silicon Valley Wins a Major Victory in Appeals Court (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Seventh Circuit Ruling Supports Transmission of Renewable Energy and Questions State Renewable Portfolio Standards that Discriminate Against Out-of-State Renewables (Perkins Coie)

Clean Energy Will Be World’s No. 2 Source of Power by 2016, IEA Says (Christian Science Monitor)

Renewable Energy is Growing, But ... (Christian Science Monitor)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LIFX Smart Bulb is Simple, Programmable, Color-Changeable, & Awesome (Reviewed.Com)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Energy Secretary Optimistic on Obama’s Plan to Reduce Emissions (NY Times)

Warming Climate May Help Pacific Northwest Winemakers (KGW TV, Portland, OR)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The U-S Needs a Federal-Aid Highway Act for Affordable Broadband - Now (Forbes Magazine)

FCC to Take Over National Broadband Map (Broadcasting & Cable)

Google Rather Quietly Funding More Wi-Fi Network Builds (Broadband Reports)

Facebook’s Road to Clean Power Will Be a Long One (GigaOM)

How Data Center Admins Can Add Computing Capacity While Maintaining Energy Efficiency (GigaOM)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

The Most Annoying Part of Facebook Newsfeed Ads? They Work (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Texas & Turkey Show Why Twitter is Often the Only Media Outlet That Matters (Gigaom)

To Draw in Younger Buyers, GE Turns to Postwar Designs (Refrigerator Info)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Rural Electric Cooperatives Honor Congressman Hastings (Electric Co-op Today)

U-S Senate Finance Leaders’ “Blank Slate” Proposal for Tax Reform Would Eliminate Exclusion for Municipal Bond Interest (American Public Power Association)

GENERAL NEWS

Record-Breaking Heat Possible in Washington State (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Hot, Hot, Hot - Special Weather Statement Issued by NWS Seattle

Washington State Budget Deal Reached: $1 Billion More for K-12, No General Tax Hike (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Elfendalh Pass Road to Close (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Propane to Blame for Idaho House Explosion – Had Been Converting Appliances from Electric to Gas (Associated Press)

Providence St. Peter Makes “Final Offer” to Union Employees (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Man Accused of Stealing Four Miles of Light Rail Copper Faces Judge (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Alleged Metal Theft Family Arrested in Oakville (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Olympic National Park Turns 75 (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

“B-C Bud” Judged at Vancouver’s Kush Cup - Medical marijuana festival at the PNE until Sunday (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

DIVERSIONS

Family Wallops Beer-Toting Intruder Found Using Basement as a Toilet

City Claims 80-Year-Old Couple Used 440,000 Gallons of Water in a Month

Bible Signed by Einstein Sells for $68,500 in NYC

Real Estate Agents Used Dead Animals to Sabotage Sale of Neighbor’s House, Police Say

SONG OF THE DAY

Jackson Browne - Rock Me on the Water

Kathy Mattea - Rock Me on the Water

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.