Friday, September 27, 2013

Energy News Digest for September 27, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for September 27, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FOUR STORIES

Stormy Weekend to Bring a Lot of Rain to the Mountains (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Puget Sound Energy to Pay $275,000 Fine for North Seattle Home Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Why Is Solar Power Booming in Snohomish County? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Google Says Data Center Expansion in the Dalles Will Cost $600 Million (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Puget Sound Energy to Pay $275,000 Fine for North Seattle Home Explosion
  • Ex-Seattle Utilities Employee Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Theft
  • Idaho: Rupert Electric Rates to Increase by Four Percent
  • B-C Hydro Executive Takes Home $1 Million Pay Packet Again
  • Northern Wasco PUD Offers New Billing Option, Adds Weatherization Cap
  • Coal Makes Comeback in U-S Power Generation
  • National Grid Settles with Northeast U-S Workers Who Waited Months for Pay after Superstorm
  • Work Under Way to Squirrel-Proof Tampa Electric Company Lines
  • Dolphins, Whales Likely to Get Added Protections under Court Ruling
  • Wild Salmon: Are Their Best Days All Behind Them?
  • Wild Washington King Salmon Gets Waxed by Costco Frozen, Farm Raised in Blind Taste Test
  • Contra Costa County: PG&E Continues Work to Protect Endangered Butterfly near Antioch Dunes
  • Why Is Solar Power Booming in Snohomish County?
  • California: As More Go Solar, Grid Users Forced to Pay Up
  • Cost of Solar Set to Plummet with New 44.7% Efficiency Record
  • Vestas Receives Largest Order in Three Years
  • California: Eagle Conservation Effort at Solano Wind Energy Project Is First of Its Kind
  • Space Heaters: Wallet Saver or Eater?
  • U-S Is Making a Dent in Its Climate Change Goals
  • Global Warming ‘Extremely Likely’ to be Man-Made, U-N Panel Says
  • Google Says Data Center Expansion in the Dalles Will Cost $600 Million
  • Intel Needs Partner for Its TV Initiative, Sources Say
  • Nearly 78 Percent of American Homes Have Broadband & Nine Percent Cord Cutters
  • Seattle Is a Hub of Big Data & Cloud Innovation, Say TechNW Panelists
  • Bill Gates Admits ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ Was a ‘Mistake’
  • New Look, Better Search for BPA’s Transmission Website
  • Stormy Weekend to Bring a Lot of Rain to the Mountains
  • Special Weather Statement Issued for Weekend Rain, Possibly Blustery Conditions
  • Green Diamond Opens Lands, Starts Rewards Program
  • Timber Payments for Oregon Counties Clears Last Congressional Hurdle
  • Grocery Workers Authorize Strike - If It Comes to That

WORD OF THE DAY

Hoary • \HORE-ee\ • Adjective – 1: showing characteristics of age, especially having gray or white hair 2: ancient.

Brad’s male-pattern-blindness irritated his charming wife to no end. He would stand before the humming refrigerator, tendrils of cold, misty air wafting around his cranium, as he looked for things as simple as a bottle of catsup, or a jar of pickles. What disturbed his wife (her name was Trudy) the most was his overlooking of boxes of hoary leftovers from “Outback”, “Olive Garden” and other restaurants whose rumination added a pungent odor to the kitchen with each foray into the fridge.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Puget Sound Energy to Pay $275,000 Fine for North Seattle Home Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Ex-Seattle Utilities Employee Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Theft (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Idaho: Rupert Electric Rates to Increase by Four Percent (Weekly News Journal, Burley, ID)

B-C Hydro Executive Takes Home $1 Million Pay Packet Again (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Northern Wasco PUD Offers New Billing Option, Adds Weatherization Cap (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

Coal Makes Comeback in U-S Power Generation - Higher natural gas prices cause utilities to burn more polluting coal (Scientific American – Couldn’t resist a little jab, could you?)

National Grid Settles with Northeast U-S Workers Who Waited Months for Pay after Superstorm (Associated Press)

Work Under Way to Squirrel-Proof Tampa Electric Company Lines (Tampa Tribune, FL)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Dolphins, Whales Likely to Get Added Protections under Court Ruling (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Wild Salmon: Are Their Best Days All Behind Them? (Crosscut Seattle)

Wild Washington King Salmon Gets Waxed by Costco Frozen, Farm Raised in Blind Taste Test (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Contra Costa County: PG&E Continues Work to Protect Endangered Butterfly near Antioch Dunes (Pacific Gas & Electric)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Why Is Solar Power Booming in Snohomish County? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

California: As More Go Solar, Grid Users Forced to Pay Up (SF Chronicle, CA)

Cost of Solar Set to Plummet with New 44.7% Efficiency Record (The Energy Collective)

Vestas Receives Largest Order in Three Years (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

California: Eagle Conservation Effort at Solano Wind Energy Project Is First of Its Kind (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Space Heaters: Wallet Saver or Eater? (Northern Michigan Review, Petoskey, MI)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Is Making a Dent in Its Climate Change Goals (USA Today)

Global Warming ‘Extremely Likely’ to be Man-Made, U-N Panel Says (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Says Data Center Expansion in the Dalles Will Cost $600 Million (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Intel Needs Partner for Its TV Initiative, Sources Say (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Nearly 78 Percent of American Homes Have Broadband & Nine Percent Cord Cutters (GigaOM)

Seattle Is a Hub of Big Data & Cloud Innovation, Say TechNW Panelists (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Bill Gates Admits ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ Was a ‘Mistake’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

New Look, Better Search for BPA’s Transmission Website (Bonneville Power Administration)

GENERAL NEWS

Stormy Weekend to Bring a Lot of Rain to the Mountains (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Special Weather Statement Issued for Weekend Rain, Possibly Blustery Conditions (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Green Diamond Opens Lands, Starts Rewards Program (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Timber Payments for Oregon Counties Clears Last Congressional Hurdle (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Grocery Workers Authorize Strike - If It Comes to That (Everett Herald, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Our Universe Might Just Be Fourth-Dimensional Black Hole Vomit

TomTato Combines Two Plants in One

Pilots Fall Asleep on Long-Haul Flight to UK

China Puffer Fish Tower Prompts a Huff about State Spending

SONG OF THE DAY

Bing Crosby - Swinging on a Star

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.