Friday, August 2, 2013

Energy News Digest for August 2, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for August 2, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

U-S House Committee Grills Energy, Bonneville Officials Over Allegations of Retaliation, Improper Hiring (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Columbia RiverKeeper Suit Alleges Dam-Based Pollution (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Sediment behind Dams Creates Greenhouse Gas ‘Hot Spots,’ Study Finds (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Avista Requests Rate Hikes in Idaho (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Hydropower Dam Project Proposed in Central Oregon (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • U-S House Committee Grills Energy, Bonneville Officials Over Allegations of Retaliation, Improper Hiring
  • Department of Energy Administrator Tells Congress He Did Not Muzzle BPA Whistleblowers
  • Bonneville Power Administration Leader Says Poor Performance, Not Retaliation, Led to Personnel Actions against Employees
  • Congress Tells Bonneville Power Administration, Department Of Energy to Compensate Victims of Hiring Discrimination
  • Bonneville Power Administration Made a Mistake in Its Hiring Practices but Did Not Intend to Discriminate, Decker Tells House Panel
  • Department of Energy’s Bonneville Power Administration: Discriminating against Veterans & Retaliating against Whistleblowers
  • Avista Requests Rate Hikes in Idaho
  • Idaho Power’s Parent Company Reports $45 Million Net Income for Quarter
  • Pollution Board: Okanogan PUD Must Consider Visual Impact of Flows at Enloe Dam
  • Janney Pondering Offer to Stay at Chelan PUD
  • Moody’s Assigns Aa3 to Grant PUD’s Revenue Bonds; Outlook Stable
  • Mason PUD 3 Harstine Island Tree Trimming to Begin August 5
  • Washington State Officials Set Two-Year Study for Washington Coal Trains
  • Conservatives ID Next Confirmation Fight: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
  • Florida Nuclear Power Project Is Dropped
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • Wisconsin - We Energies Loses Its Top User
  • New Tools for Keeping the Lights On
  • Columbia RiverKeeper Suit Alleges Dam-Based Pollution
  • Fall Chinook Season Opens on Lower Columbia
  • A Swimming Scene
  • Witnesses & Members Agree on the Need for Transparency in Data Used for Endangered Species Decisions – Washington State Man Testifies
  • Pot Farm Pollution: Too Dangerous to Deal With?
  • Hydropower Dam Project Proposed in Central Oregon
  • U-S Geothermal Completes New Eastern Oregon Energy Plant
  • Wildfire Reaches Wind Farm Near Ellensburg
  • States Argue for Cutting Off Solar Subsidies
  • Los Angeles Completes World’s Largest LED Street Light Retrofit
  • Belkin Gadget Will Reveal How Much Energy Your Devices Use
  • Sediment behind Dams Creates Greenhouse Gas ‘Hot Spots,’ Study Finds
  • Editorial: A Car, Lighter by Two Dams
  • Will Anything Come of Idaho High Schools’ Wi-Fi Flap?
  • CenturyLink Reaches Deal with Union
  • Cord Cutters Alert: 5 Percent of Broadband Users Watch All Their TV Online
  • Google Fiber, Net Neutrality & the Regulatory Challenges in the Age of Gigabit Broadband
  • Firefighters Getting Upper Hand on Huge Wildfire; Cost Hits $3.5 Million
  • Air Quality in Rogue Valley Now ‘Hazardous’
  • Southern Oregon Wildfires Ignite Scam: False Evacuation Alerts
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: Thurston County Can’t Tax Great Wolf Lodge
  • Group Files Suit to Stop Tacoma’s Utility Tax Proposition
  • Bellevue Developer Convicted in ‘Massive’ Tax Evasion Scheme
  • Pretrial Issues Are Focus Today at Port Angeles Bulldozer-Rampage Hearing
  • Tribal Canoes Land - Paddle to Quinault 2013

WORD OF THE DAY

Footle • \FOO-tul\ • Verb - 1: To talk or act foolishly 2: to waste time: trifle, fool

“MISTER Peebles, stop your footling around,” bellowed the master sergeant to the fresh-faced recruit. For some reason the combination of Peebles and Footle made the observing General laugh…thinking what a wonderful name that would be for a pub in his West Virginia home town.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


A CHILD’S TREASURY OF HEARINGS - BPA’S DAY AT CONGRESS

U-S House Committee Grills Energy, Bonneville Officials Over Allegations of Retaliation, Improper Hiring (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Department of Energy Administrator Tells Congress He Did Not Muzzle BPA Whistleblowers (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Bonneville Power Administration Leader Says Poor Performance, Not Retaliation, Led to Personnel Actions against Employees (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Congress Tells Bonneville Power Administration, Department Of Energy to Compensate Victims of Hiring Discrimination (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Bonneville Power Administration Made a Mistake in Its Hiring Practices but Did Not Intend to Discriminate, Decker Tells House Panel (American Public Power Association)

Department of Energy’s Bonneville Power Administration: Discriminating against Veterans & Retaliating against Whistleblowers (U-S House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista Requests Rate Hikes in Idaho (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Idaho Power’s Parent Company Reports $45 Million Net Income for Quarter (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Pollution Board: Okanogan PUD Must Consider Visual Impact of Flows at Enloe Dam (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

Janney Pondering Offer to Stay at Chelan PUD (Wenatchee World, WA)

Moody’s Assigns Aa3 to Grant PUD’s Revenue Bonds; Outlook Stable (Moody’s Investor Service)

Mason PUD 3 Harstine Island Tree Trimming to Begin August 5 (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Washington State Officials Set Two-Year Study for Washington Coal Trains (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Conservatives ID Next Confirmation Fight: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Politico)

Florida Nuclear Power Project Is Dropped (NY Times)

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

Wisconsin - We Energies Loses Its Top User (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)

New Tools for Keeping the Lights On (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia RiverKeeper Suit Alleges Dam-Based Pollution (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Fall Chinook Season Opens on Lower Columbia (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

A Swimming Scene (Wenatchee World, WA)

Witnesses & Members Agree on the Need for Transparency in Data Used for Endangered Species Decisions – Washington State Man Testifies (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

Pot Farm Pollution: Too Dangerous to Deal With? (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Hydropower Dam Project Proposed in Central Oregon (Associated Press)

U-S Geothermal Completes New Eastern Oregon Energy Plant (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Wildfire Reaches Wind Farm Near Ellensburg (Tri-City Herald, WA)

States Argue for Cutting Off Solar Subsidies (Fox News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Los Angeles Completes World’s Largest LED Street Light Retrofit (Forbes Magazine)

Belkin Gadget Will Reveal How Much Energy Your Devices Use (MIT Technology Review)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Sediment behind Dams Creates Greenhouse Gas ‘Hot Spots,’ Study Finds (Los Angeles Times, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Editorial: A Car, Lighter by Two Dams (Wenatchee World, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Will Anything Come of Idaho High Schools’ Wi-Fi Flap? (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

CenturyLink Reaches Deal with Union (Associated Press)

Cord Cutters Alert: 5 Percent of Broadband Users Watch All Their TV Online (GigaOM)

Google Fiber, Net Neutrality & the Regulatory Challenges in the Age of Gigabit Broadband (GigaOM)

GENERAL NEWS

Firefighters Getting Upper Hand on Huge Wildfire; Cost Hits $3.5 Million (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Air Quality in Rogue Valley Now ‘Hazardous’ (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Southern Oregon Wildfires Ignite Scam: False Evacuation Alerts (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: Thurston County Can’t Tax Great Wolf Lodge (Olympian, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Group Files Suit to Stop Tacoma’s Utility Tax Proposition (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Bellevue Developer Convicted in ‘Massive’ Tax Evasion Scheme (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Pretrial Issues Are Focus Today at Port Angeles Bulldozer-Rampage Hearing (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Tribal Canoes Land - Paddle to Quinault 2013 (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

DIVERSIONS

New Drone Airplane Program Sets Out to Find Bigfoot

UK Lawmakers Told Not To Rub Statues’ Toes

Clients Drop $180 for Bird Poop Facials at NYC Spa

Nevada Brewpub Shames Patron Online for Unpaid Tab

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beatles - I’ve Just Seen a Face

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.