Thursday, October 17, 2013

Energy News Digest for October 17, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for October 17, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

U-S Congress Ends Default Threat, Obama Signs Debt Bill (Reuters)

Report: 'The Big One' Could Kill 10,000 in Western Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Cable Theft: Phone Service Down in Gleed Area; 911 Also Affected (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

British Columbia, U-S Grapple over Columbia River Pact (The Canadian Press)

Oregon: Seneca Biomass Power Plant’s Air Proposal Criticized - The company’s effort to raise pollution limits at its wood-fired electric plant draws opponents to a hearing (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • British Columbia, U-S Grapple over Columbia River Pact
  • Regional Work Group Hopes to Reduce NW Utilities’ Earthquake Vulnerabilities
  • Superman, Martini Towers Boost High-Voltage Lines
  • Bonneville Power Administration Hiring Scandal: Live Chat Recap
  • Does Puget Sound Energy Need 20 More Years of Relying on Coal?
  • PenLight Celebrates National Cooperative Month
  • East Fork Lewis Recommended as Wild Steelhead Gene Bank
  • Longview Flushing Its Pipes to Clear Nasty Looking Water
  • Oregon: Seneca Biomass Power Plant’s Air Proposal Criticized
  • Ocean Energy Technologies Speeding Towards Commercialization
  • Is Burning Garbage Green? In Sweden, There’s Little Debate
  • Solar Means Business: Top 25 U-S Corporate Solar Energy Users
  • Cosumnes Oaks Students Use Energy-Efficient House As Learning Laboratory
  • Eight Tribes That Are Way Ahead of the Climate-Adaptation Curve
  • Cleantech Open Picks 2013 Winning Startups from the Pacific Northwest
  • Electric cars steal the attention at Seattle Auto Show
  • You Could Soon Be Able to Charge Your Electric Car Just By Parking It over a Manhole
  • Cable Theft: Phone Service Down in Gleed Area; 911 Also Affected
  • Verizon Sees Continued Wireless Growth Ahead
  • How the FCC Plans to Clear the Air for More Mobile Data
  • What Superstorm Sandy Taught Us about Protecting IT Infrastructure
  • Wisconsin Adds Sales Tax to Amazon.Com Shopping Cart
  • Can a City Get Punished for Standing up to Google Fiber?
  • Facebook Changes Age Rules, Lets Teens Post Publicly
  • How Green Energy Companies Can Use Social Media
  • Furor over Yahoo Mail Changes
  • U-S Congress Ends Default Threat, Obama Signs Debt Bill
  • How the Pacific Northwest Delegation Voted on Ending Shutdown
  • Shutdown Was 'Devastating' to Wood Industry
  • Report: 'The Big One' Could Kill 10,000 in Western Washington State
  • Panel OKs Rules for Washington State's Marijuana Industry
  • Body Found in Wooded Area in Lacey
  • Washington State, Oregon Pear Farmers May Lose Millions This Year
  • Port of Shelton Commissioners Continue Debate on Fairgrounds
  • Police Arrest Ground Handling Employee in Dry Ice Explosions at Los Angeles Airport

WORD OF THE DAY

Adjudicate • \uh-JOOD-dih-kayt\ • Verb - 1: to settle judicially 2: to act as judge

“Y’all have a misperception ‘bout mah role in this case,” drawled the grizzled District Court Judge to the legal minds ranged around his cluttered desk in this dusty office behind the crowded courtroom. A weak shaft of autumn sunlight caressed his seamed face, each wrinkle showing the 50-year toll of adjudicating drunk driving cases and small claims. “I don’t care IF your client was riding a mule down the center of Main Street. The fact that the critter was drunk means this is a drunk driving case.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

British Columbia, U-S Grapple over Columbia River Pact (The Canadian Press)

Regional Work Group Hopes to Reduce NW Utilities’ Earthquake Vulnerabilities (City of Seattle, WA)

Superman, Martini Towers Boost High-Voltage Lines (Bonneville Power Administration)

Bonneville Power Administration Hiring Scandal: Live Chat Recap (Oregonian, Portland)

Does Puget Sound Energy Need 20 More Years of Relying on Coal? The utility says it's a leader in clean energy, but some want it to kick the coal habit quickly (Crosscut Seattle)

PenLight Celebrates National Cooperative Month (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

East Fork Lewis recommended as wild steelhead gene bank (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Longview Flushing Its Pipes to Clear Nasty Looking Water (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon: Seneca Biomass Power Plant’s Air Proposal Criticized - The company’s effort to raise pollution limits at its wood-fired electric plant draws opponents to a hearing (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Ocean Energy Technologies Speeding Towards Commercialization (Renewable Energy World)

Is Burning Garbage Green? In Sweden, There’s Little Debate (Midwest Energy News)

Solar Means Business: Top 25 U-S Corporate Solar Energy Users (The Energy Collective)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Cosumnes Oaks Students Use Energy-Efficient House As Learning Laboratory (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Eight Tribes That Are Way Ahead of the Climate-Adaptation Curve (Indian Country Today)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Cleantech Open Picks 2013 Winning Startups from the Pacific Northwest (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Electric cars steal the attention at Seattle Auto Show (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

You Could Soon Be Able to Charge Your Electric Car Just By Parking It over a Manhole (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Cable Theft: Phone Service Down in Gleed Area; 911 Also Affected (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Verizon Sees Continued Wireless Growth Ahead (USA Today)

How the FCC Plans to Clear the Air for More Mobile Data (Washington Post)

What Superstorm Sandy Taught Us about Protecting IT Infrastructure (GigaOM)

Wisconsin Adds Sales Tax to Amazon.Com Shopping Cart (Reuters)

Can a City Get Punished for Standing up to Google Fiber? (Broadband Reports)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Facebook Changes Age Rules, Lets Teens Post Publicly (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

How Green Energy Companies Can Use Social Media (PR Newswire)

Furor over Yahoo Mail Changes (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S Congress Ends Default Threat, Obama Signs Debt Bill (Reuters)

How the Pacific Northwest Delegation Voted on Ending Shutdown (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Shutdown Was 'Devastating' to Wood Industry (Courthouse News Service)

GENERAL NEWS

Report: 'The Big One' Could Kill 10,000 in Western Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Panel OKs Rules for Washington State's Marijuana Industry (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

Body Found in Wooded Area in Lacey (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Washington State, Oregon Pear Farmers May Lose Millions This Year (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Port of Shelton Commissioners Continue Debate on Fairgrounds (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Police Arrest Ground Handling Employee in Dry Ice Explosions at Los Angeles Airport (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Stenographer Snaps, Rants on U-S House of Representatives’ Floor

Oberto Introduces New Jerky, Loses the ‘Oh Boy!’

Oreos Addictive? Rats Treat Oreos Like Cocaine, Study Suggests

Man Tries to Buy House, Finds Out He’s Dead & Married to a Woman He Never Met

SONG OF THE DAY

Eric Clapton, Albert Lee, & Chris Stainton – Cocaine

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.