Friday, July 12, 2013

Energy News Digest for July 12, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for July 12, 2012

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Portland General Electric & PacifiCorp Rates Set to Increase in January under Proposed Settlement (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Oregon – Baker County Wind Farm Opponents Gather (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Wind-farm-opponents-gather

Wind Power Does Not Strongly Affect Greater Prairie Chickens, Seven-Year Study Finds (Eureka Alert)

In Obama Climate Plan, States Seek Flexibility (USA Today)

Steep Drop in Coastal Fish Found in California Power Plant Records (Los Angeles Times, CA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Portland General Electric & PacifiCorp Rates Set to Increase in January under Proposed Settlement
  • Lower Columbia River Hydropower Output Down Sharply in June
  • U-S House Passes Gosar Amendment to Protect Power Marketing Administrations from Chu Memo’s Directives
  • NorthWestern Energy Signs New Power Contracts
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Dynamic Pricing Pilot Yielding Early Successes
  • British Columbia Backs Down on Wireless Smart Meters
  • New Light Show at Coulee Dam Delayed a Year
  • Power Outage near Hermiston Caused by Snake
  • Bonneville Power Administration Library: A Collection Worth Millions
  • Emissions a Concern after California Nuclear Plant Shutdown
  • Demonizing Existing Nuclear Energy Tech is a Poor Communications Tool
  • Managing Outrage: A Primer
  • Living Smart: Home Generators
  • United Kingdom - Thieves Expose Power Plant Visitors to Electrocution Risk after Stealing Copper from Betteshanger
  • Power Outage? Blame a Poor Squirrel
  • Steep Drop in Coastal Fish Found in California Power Plant Records
  • Port Angeles Officials React to Loss at Lower Elwha Klallam Fish Hatchery
  • Three Cowlitz County Creeks to Turn Red for Salmon
  • Land Trust Acquires Columbia River Island
  • Cantwell, Herrera Beutler Introduce Bill to Help Local Fishermen
  • Oregon – Baker County Wind Farm Opponents Gather
  • Wind Power Does Not Strongly Affect Greater Prairie Chickens, Seven-Year Study Finds
  • Solyndra Founder Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges, Sources Say
  • Walgreens Taking on Big Boxes for Solar Energy Leadership
  • Effort to Create New State Called ‘North Colorado’ Grows
  • Why Storm Winds Turned Wind Turbine into a Fireball
  • Vermont - Tensions Rise as Credits for Solar Cut into Utility Budgets; VEC Is the Third Utility to Hit Four Percent Cap
  • Tiny Modems & Routers Can Be Big Energy Hogs
  • In Obama Climate Plan, States Seek Flexibility
  • Google Faces Environmentalists’ Ire over Inhofe Fundraiser
  • Can Climate Bonds Advance Renewable Energy Finance?
  • UN Recognition for Hydro in Brazil, Wind in Uruguay
  • Verizon’s Test of Landline-Less Service Leaves Some Customers out in Cold
  • Critics: Comcast’s $10 Broadband is a Shallow PR Ploy - When Government Acts as a Comcast Advertising Vessel
  • Revealed: How Microsoft Handed the NSA Access to Encrypted Messages
  • AltaVista is Dead. Here’s Why It’s So Hard to Compete with Google.
  • New Smokey Bear Gives Hugs, Not Just Warnings
  • Eleven Words We Learned on the Wienermobile
  • Standard & Poor’s Raises ‘Puffery’ Defense in Federal Investor-Fraud Case
  • 19-Year Corruption Sentence for Ex-Manager with Army Corps of Engineers
  • No Sign Automatic Equipment Failed in San Francisco Airplane Crash: NTSB
  • Copper Wire Thefts from Streetlights Reported in Lacey
  • Longtime Washington State Lawmaker Duane Berentson Dies

WORD OF THE DAY

Vouchsafe • \vowtch-SAYF\ • Verb - 1a: to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner b: to give by way of reply 2: to grant as a privilege or special favor

After dragging his blanket through the mud, grass & gravel, Linus vouchsafed the little blue “binkie” a respite by running it through the gentle wash cycle; topping of its soapy journey with a light tumble in the dryer with the most expensive & fragrant “dryer sheets.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Portland General Electric & PacifiCorp Rates Set to Increase in January under Proposed Settlement (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Lower Columbia River Hydropower Output Down Sharply in June (SNL Financial)

U-S House Passes Gosar Amendment to Protect Power Marketing Administrations from Chu Memo’s Directives (American Public Power Association)

NorthWestern Energy Signs New Power Contracts (Associated Press)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Dynamic Pricing Pilot Yielding Early Successes (Electric Energy Online)

British Columbia Backs Down on Wireless Smart Meters - Customers will be able to pay extra for meters without wireless technology (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

New Light Show at Coulee Dam Delayed a Year (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Power Outage near Hermiston Caused by Snake (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Library: A Collection Worth Millions (Bonneville Power Administration)

Emissions a Concern after California Nuclear Plant Shutdown (Associated Press)

Demonizing Existing Nuclear Energy Tech is a Poor Communications Tool (The Energy Collective)

Managing Outrage: A Primer (Peter M. Sandman)

Living Smart: Home Generators (Sacramento Bee, CA)

United Kingdom - Thieves Expose Power Plant Visitors to Electrocution Risk after Stealing Copper from Betteshanger (Kent Online, UK)
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/east_kent_mercury/news/Cable-thieves-expose-power-station-3131/

Power Outage? Blame a Poor Squirrel (Hickory Record, NC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Steep Drop in Coastal Fish Found in California Power Plant Records (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Port Angeles Officials React to Loss at Lower Elwha Klallam Fish Hatchery (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Three Cowlitz County Creeks to Turn Red for Salmon (Access Washington, Olympia, WA)

Land Trust Acquires Columbia River Island (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Cantwell, Herrera Beutler Introduce Bill to Help Local Fishermen (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon – Baker County Wind Farm Opponents Gather (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Wind-farm-opponents-gather

Wind Power Does Not Strongly Affect Greater Prairie Chickens, Seven-Year Study Finds (Eureka Alert)

Solyndra Founder Unlikely to Face Criminal Charges, Sources Say (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Walgreens Taking on Big Boxes for Solar Energy Leadership (Midwest Energy News)

Effort to Create New State Called ‘North Colorado’ Grows (KCNC-TV, Denver, CO)

Why Storm Winds Turned Wind Turbine into a Fireball (New Scientist)

Vermont - Tensions Rise as Credits for Solar Cut into Utility Budgets; VEC Is the Third Utility to Hit Four Percent Cap (VT Digger, Vermont)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Tiny Modems & Routers Can Be Big Energy Hogs (Live Science)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

In Obama Climate Plan, States Seek Flexibility (USA Today)

Google Faces Environmentalists’ Ire over Inhofe Fundraiser (Washington Post)

Can Climate Bonds Advance Renewable Energy Finance? (Renewable Energy World)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

UN Recognition for Hydro in Brazil, Wind in Uruguay (Renewable Energy World)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Verizon’s Test of Landline-Less Service Leaves Some Customers out in Cold (Consumerist)

Critics: Comcast’s $10 Broadband is a Shallow PR Ploy - When Government Acts as a Comcast Advertising Vessel (Broadband Reports)

Revealed: How Microsoft Handed the NSA Access to Encrypted Messages (The Guardian, UK)

AltaVista is Dead. Here’s Why It’s So Hard to Compete with Google. (Washington Post)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

New Smokey Bear Gives Hugs, Not Just Warnings (NY Times)

Eleven Words We Learned on the Wienermobile (Mashable)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Standard & Poor’s Raises ‘Puffery’ Defense in Federal Investor-Fraud Case (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

19-Year Corruption Sentence for Ex-Manager with Army Corps of Engineers (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

No Sign Automatic Equipment Failed in San Francisco Airplane Crash: NTSB (Reuters)

Copper Wire Thefts from Streetlights Reported in Lacey (Olympian, WA)

Longtime Washington State Lawmaker Duane Berentson Dies (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Embarrassed by Your Bald Baby? Now You Can Get Her a Wig.

One Small Step for Man: Lawmakers Want a National Park on the Moon

‘Whoa! I’ve Been Hit by Lightning,’ Says British Columbia Man

Free Slurpee Day Gets Sloppy

SONG OF THE DAY

Jose Feliciano - Dance With Me (Instrumental)

Orleans - Dance With Me

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.