Thursday, July 18, 2013

Energy News Digest for July 18, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for July 18, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington’s Attorney General Will Address I-937 Conservation Requirements (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Montana Generator Failure Will Send Avista Shopping for Electricity (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

JP Morgan Reportedly Could Settle Manipulation Charges for $500 Million (Houston Business Journal, TX)

Eastern Oregon Wind Farm Proposals Spur Debate (Baker City Herald, OR)

Washington’s Jobless Rate Hovers at 6.8 Percent; Jobs Grow (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Montana Generator Failure Will Send Avista Shopping for Electricity
  • JP Morgan Reportedly Could Settle Manipulation Charges for $500 Million
  • Washington State May Get Share of Fines Levied over Energy Market Manipulation
  • Bonneville Power Administration Shakeup Involves Decker with Astoria Ties
  • Clark Public Utilities Receives JD Power Recognition for Electric Utilities Six Years in A Row
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District Ranks High in Satisfaction Survey
  • JD Power Reports: Price & Billing/Payment are Primary Drivers of Increased Overall Customer Satisfaction with Electric Residential Utilities
  • Criminals Cause Forced Grays Harbor PUD Power Outage near Quinault
  • Seattle Family Steaming After Former Tenant Leaves $1,900 Electric Bill
  • Bonneville Power Administration Plans Kennewick Meeting Wednesday on Tree Removal
  • California - Farmers Object to Pacific Gas & Electric Training Plan near Winters
  • Early Shutdown Seen for U-S Nuclear Reactors amid Lower Demand
  • Ding Ding - Market Signals! Electricity Prices Soar Past $200 per Megawatt-Hour as Heatwave Hits Eastern United States
  • North Carolina - Child Electrocuted in Lexington Swimming Pool; Power Line Had Fallen on Ground
  • Alaskan Fisheries Endangering Skeena Sockeye Salmon: Conservationists
  • Congressman Hastings, Interior Secretary Jewell Face Off at Committee Hearing
  • Portland Reservoir Urination Raises Few Health OR Scientific Concerns - But It Is Pee
  • Eastern Oregon Wind Farm Proposals Spur Debate
  • Wind Energy Company Files for Bankruptcy Following Fraud Allegations
  • Montana - $22 Million Boiler Up & Running
  • Arizona - Judge Rules Burning Trash Isn’t Renewable Energy
  • REC Proposes Separation of REC Silicon & REC Solar
  • Op/Ed - A New Paradigm for Our Modern Energy Economy
  • Washington’s Attorney General Will Address I-937 Conservation Requirements
  • Energy Trust of Oregon Started 2013 Making Steady Progress toward Energy Efficiency & Renewable Generation Targets
  • Corvallis & Albany Communities Recognize More Than a Decade of Energy Savings (
  • In the Energy Conservation Spotlight: Klamath Falls
  • Deal Has Ohio Prisons Reducing Power Usage in High Heat
  • Tesla Charging Station Opens Today in Centralia
  • Volvo’s Folding Solar Panels Are Basically the Coolest Thing Ever
  • Douglas PUD Drops Fiber Hook-Up Rate
  • Microsoft Has a Million Servers, But It Still Doesn’t Rule the Cloud
  • British Coroner Praised For Use of YouTube, Soundcloud in Cory Monteith Report
  • Google’s Latest Tool for Businesses: Business Photos
  • Social Media Tips for Small Businesses
  • Five Big Data Projects That Could Impact Your Life
  • Here’s a Twist: Tacoma Voters May Hike Tax on Utilities
  • Washington’s Jobless Rate Hovers at 6.8 Percent; Jobs Grow
  • South Puget Sound Community College’s Nursing Program Expected to Lose Accreditation
  • Car Watch: If You’re Driving Somewhere, The Government is Keeping Track
  • Cowlitz Tribe Continues Push for Casino near La Center
  • New Hemp Beer in Washington Reflects Growing Business Trend

WORD OF THE DAY

Addlepated • \AD-ul-pay-tud\ • Adjective - 1: being mixed up: confused 2: eccentric

Lawn chair – 1, Bartholomew – 0. “Who was the addlepated engineer that came up with this Rube Goldberg metal and plastic, spindly-legged, folding in on itself piece of junk,” the retired process engineer grumbled. His musings came rushing forth while he folded like the spicy filling of a small, home-made taco inside a portable hammock which had, without warning, decided it was time to become small again.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Montana Generator Failure Will Send Avista Shopping for Electricity (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

JP Morgan Reportedly Could Settle Manipulation Charges for $500 Million (Houston Business Journal, TX)

Washington State May Get Share of Fines Levied over Energy Market Manipulation (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Bonneville Power Administration Shakeup Involves Decker with Astoria Ties (Daily Astorian, OR)

Clark Public Utilities Receives JD Power Recognition for Electric Utilities Six Years in A Row - Customer-owned Utility Ranked Highest in Class for Customer Satisfaction (Clark Public Utilities, Vancouver, WA)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Ranks High in Satisfaction Survey (Sacramento Bee, CA)

JD Power Reports: Price & Billing/Payment are Primary Drivers of Increased Overall Customer Satisfaction with Electric Residential Utilities - Improved Communications during Long Outages Increases Satisfaction (Electric Energy Online)

Criminals Cause Forced Grays Harbor PUD Power Outage near Quinault (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Seattle Family Steaming After Former Tenant Leaves $1,900 Electric Bill (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Plans Kennewick Meeting Wednesday on Tree Removal (Tri-City Herald, WA)

California - Farmers Object to Pacific Gas & Electric Training Plan near Winters (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Early Shutdown Seen for U-S Nuclear Reactors amid Lower Demand (Bloomberg News)

Ding Ding - Market Signals! Electricity Prices Soar Past $200 per Megawatt-Hour as Heatwave Hits Eastern United States (The Energy Collective)

North Carolina - Child Electrocuted in Lexington Swimming Pool; Power Line Had Fallen on Ground (Greensboro News-Record, NC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Alaskan Fisheries Endangering Skeena Sockeye Salmon: Conservationists (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Congressman Hastings, Interior Secretary Jewell Face Off at Committee Hearing (Northwest Public Radio)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Portland Reservoir Urination Raises Few Health OR Scientific Concerns - But It Is Pee (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Eastern Oregon Wind Farm Proposals Spur Debate (Baker City Herald, OR)

Wind Energy Company Files for Bankruptcy Following Fraud Allegations (Small Business Newswire)

Montana - $22 Million Boiler Up & Running (Hungry Horse News, MT)

Arizona - Judge Rules Burning Trash Isn’t Renewable Energy (Associated Press)

REC Proposes Separation of REC Silicon & REC Solar (Reuters)

Op/Ed - A New Paradigm for Our Modern Energy Economy (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, MT)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Washington’s Attorney General Will Address I-937 Conservation Requirements (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Energy Trust of Oregon Started 2013 Making Steady Progress toward Energy Efficiency & Renewable Generation Targets (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Corvallis & Albany Communities Recognize More Than a Decade of Energy Savings (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

In the Energy Conservation Spotlight: Klamath Falls (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Deal Has Ohio Prisons Reducing Power Usage in High Heat - Inmates get water, ice; state got $1.3 million the past three years (Columbus Dispatch, OH)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tesla Charging Station Opens Today in Centralia (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Volvo’s Folding Solar Panels Are Basically the Coolest Thing Ever (Jalopnik)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Douglas PUD Drops Fiber Hook-Up Rate (Wenatchee World, WA)

Microsoft Has a Million Servers, But It Still Doesn’t Rule the Cloud (GigaOM)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

British Coroner Praised For Use of YouTube, Soundcloud in Cory Monteith Report (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Google’s Latest Tool for Businesses: Business Photos (Orlando Business Journal, FL)

Social Media Tips for Small Businesses (Associated Press)

Five Big Data Projects That Could Impact Your Life (Mashable)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Here’s a Twist: Tacoma Voters May Hike Tax on Utilities (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington’s Jobless Rate Hovers at 6.8 Percent; Jobs Grow (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

South Puget Sound Community College’s Nursing Program Expected to Lose Accreditation (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Car Watch: If You’re Driving Somewhere, The Government is Keeping Track (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Cowlitz Tribe Continues Push for Casino near La Center (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

New Hemp Beer in Washington Reflects Growing Business Trend (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Fort Worth Mistakenly Demolished David Underwood’s Home, So How Is He This Upbeat?

$92 Quadrillion: PayPal Accidentally Makes Man A Quadrillionaire

Tarheel or Palmetto State? Nike Forced to Pull T-Shirt Due to Error - Do You See It?

Gold on Earth Formed in Collision of Exotic Stars

Just Because: Dedicated Disneyland Employee Owns Her Role as the Park’s Evil Queen

SONG OF THE DAY

Paloma Faith - You Never Give Me Your Money

The Beatles - You Never Give Me Your Money

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.