Friday, October 18, 2013

News Digest Extra – The Ron Wyden-Bonneville Power Administration Edition

Video: Sen. Ron Wyden on Bonneville Power Administration's Hiring Practices (Oregonian, Portland)

Wyden Warns Against Interference in Northwest Energy Decisions (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Hiring Issues and the Road Ahead (Public Power Council, Portland, OR)

OH, AND AN EXTRA TIDBIT:

Lunar Eclipse Visible Early Friday Evening

Energy News Digest for October 18, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for October 18, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Execs Offered New Jobs by U-S Energy Department (Oregonian, Portland)

Electrical Grid Is Called Vulnerable to Power Shutdown (NY Times)

Facebook Puts Seldom-Used Data in ‘Cold Storage’ - Housing It at Oregon Location Helps Cut Energy Costs (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

With Shutdown Over, Pacific Northwest Fisherman Hope to Get Back to Work in Alaska (Northwest Public Radio)

Supreme Court May Fidget with Carbon Formula But Not EPA’s Authority (Forbes Magazine)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration Execs Offered New Jobs by U-S Energy Department
  • Electrical Grid Is Called Vulnerable to Power Shutdown
  • Here’s Exactly How a Cyberattack Will Bring Down Your Utility
  • Canada Wants More from U-S Under Columbia Treaty
  • Richland Electricity Customers: No Electricity Rate Increase Expected for 2014
  • Modesto, Turlock Irrigation Districts’ Deadline Nears for Don Pedro Reservoir Documents
  • Coal Terminal Hearing Draws 900 - Tacoma Event the Last of Five on Proposed Longview Project
  • FERC Issues Order Approving As-Built Exhibits of Chelan County PUD’s Rock Island Project
  • FERC Order: Chehalis Power Generating proposed for supplying Reactive Power to the Bonneville Power Administration
  • Light Pollution Fight Advances One City & Park at a Time
  • East Africa: Ethiopian Dam Plans Spark Regional Tensions
  • With Shutdown Over, Pacific Northwest Fisherman Hope to Get Back to Work in Alaska
  • Skokomish River Sport Fishing Season Extended Through Mid-December
  • Video: California City Turns to Birds of Prey to Solve Problems
  • Some Portland Homeowners Unhappy When Their Water Bills Spike by $100
  • Dodgy Drinking Water in Richland Has People Smelling Mold
  • Arizona Utility Tries Storing Solar Energy for Use in the Dark
  • Clean Energy Conference in Pasco Showcases New Technology
  • City of Olympia Converts to LED Streetlights
  • Will Smart Meters Change Consumer Habits? Early Indicators Say Yes
  • Have a Safe & Spooktacular Halloween
  • Supreme Court May Fidget with Carbon Formula But Not EPA’s Authority
  • Environmental Protection Agency Sued to Deal with Ocean Acidification
  • Oceans in Trouble by Year 2100: ‘The Consequences Are Massive’
  • Man Seeks ‘Climate Change Asylum’ in New Zealand
  • Facebook Puts Seldom-Used Data in ‘Cold Storage’ - Housing It at Oregon Location Helps Cut Energy Costs
  • Wiring Theft Causes Phone Service Outage in Yakima County
  • City of Pasco’s Wireless Modems Monitor City Utilities & Save You Money
  • Putting Data Centers on Turbines to Save Billions of Dollars
  • Texas’ U-S Senator Ted Cruz Blocks Confirmation of Tom Wheeler, Nominee for FCC Chairman
  • Is Reposted Content the Secret to More Page Views?
  • Public Relations Society Names Portland’s Best
  • Sleeptexting Is the New Sleepwalking
  • Washington State High Court OKs Governor Secrecy, Calls It ‘Critical’ Privilege
  • Ex-Montana Governor Considering 2016 White House Bid
  • Former Speaker of the House Tom Foley Dead at 84
  • GMO Labeling: Washington’s Big-Money Battle Could Reverberate in Oregon, Elsewhere
  • Locals Count Their Losses as Washington State’s National Parks Reopen
  • Timber Companies Sue Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management over Logging Shutdown
  • Washington State Men Die in British Columbia Diving Accident
  • Pacific Northwest’s Cold, Clear Weather Leads to Air Pollution Concerns
  • Port Townsend to End “Offensive Name,” As NFL Keeps It Alive
  • Designed for Hunters, Check Station Draws Winthrop Deer

WORD OF THE DAY

Doozy • \DOO-zee\ • Noun - An extraordinary one of its kind

Word Origin from Merriam Webster - While it’s often maintained that the word “doozy” derives from the “Duesenberg” in the name of the famed Duesenberg Motor Company, this is impossible on chronological grounds. “Doozy” was first recorded (in the form “dozy”) in eastern Ohio in 1916, four years before the Duesenberg Motor Company began to manufacture passenger cars; the related adjective “doozy,” meaning “stylish” or “splendid,” is attested considerably earlier, in 1903. So where did “doozy” come from? Etymologists believe that it’s an altered form of the word “daisy,” which was used especially in the late 1800s as a slang term for someone or something considered the best.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Execs Offered New Jobs by U-S Energy Department (Oregonian, Portland)

Electrical Grid Is Called Vulnerable to Power Shutdown (NY Times)

Here’s Exactly How a Cyberattack Will Bring Down Your Utility (Smart Grid News)

Canada Wants More from U-S Under Columbia Treaty (Associated Press)

Richland Electricity Customers: No Electricity Rate Increase Expected for 2014 (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

Modesto, Turlock Irrigation Districts’ Deadline Nears for Don Pedro Reservoir Documents (Modesto Bee, CA)

Coal Terminal Hearing Draws 900 - Tacoma Event the Last of Five on Proposed Longview Project (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

FERC Issues Order Approving As-Built Exhibits of Chelan County PUD’s Rock Island Project (TMC Net)

FERC Order: Chehalis Power Generating proposed for supplying Reactive Power to the Bonneville Power Administration (PDF File - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

Light Pollution Fight Advances One City & Park at a Time (Northwest Public Radio)

East Africa: Ethiopian Dam Plans Spark Regional Tensions (All Africa)

FISH & WILDLIFE

With Shutdown Over, Pacific Northwest Fisherman Hope to Get Back to Work in Alaska (Northwest Public Radio)

Skokomish River Sport Fishing Season Extended Through Mid-December (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Video: California City Turns to Birds of Prey to Solve Problems (USA Today)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Some Portland Homeowners Unhappy When Their Water Bills Spike by $100 (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

Dodgy Drinking Water in Richland Has People Smelling Mold (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Arizona Utility Tries Storing Solar Energy for Use in the Dark (NY Times)

Clean Energy Conference in Pasco Showcases New Technology (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

City of Olympia Converts to LED Streetlights (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Will Smart Meters Change Consumer Habits? Early Indicators Say Yes (The Energy Collective)

Have a Safe & Spooktacular Halloween (Yahoo! Finance)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Supreme Court May Fidget with Carbon Formula But Not EPA’s Authority (Forbes Magazine)

Environmental Protection Agency Sued to Deal with Ocean Acidification (Northwest Public Radio)

Oceans in Trouble by Year 2100: ‘The Consequences Are Massive’ (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Man Seeks ‘Climate Change Asylum’ in New Zealand (ABC News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Facebook Puts Seldom-Used Data in ‘Cold Storage’ - Housing It at Oregon Location Helps Cut Energy Costs (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wiring Theft Causes Phone Service Outage in Yakima County (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

City of Pasco’s Wireless Modems Monitor City Utilities & Save You Money (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

Putting Data Centers on Turbines to Save Billions of Dollars (GigaOM)

Texas’ U-S Senator Ted Cruz Blocks Confirmation of Tom Wheeler, Nominee for FCC Chairman (Washington Post)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Is Reposted Content the Secret to More Page Views? (Mashable)

Public Relations Society Names Portland’s Best (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Sleeptexting Is the New Sleepwalking (The Atlantic)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State High Court OKs Governor Secrecy, Calls It ‘Critical’ Privilege (Associated Press)

Ex-Montana Governor Considering 2016 White House Bid (USA Today)

Former Speaker of the House Tom Foley Dead at 84 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

GMO Labeling: Washington’s Big-Money Battle Could Reverberate in Oregon, Elsewhere (Oregonian, Portland)

GENERAL NEWS

Locals Count Their Losses as Washington State’s National Parks Reopen (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Timber Companies Sue Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management over Logging Shutdown (Associated Press)

Washington State Men Die in British Columbia Diving Accident (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Pacific Northwest’s Cold, Clear Weather Leads to Air Pollution Concerns (Mason Web-TV,k Shelton, WA)

Port Townsend to End “Offensive Name,” As NFL Keeps It Alive (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Designed for Hunters, Check Station Draws Winthrop Deer (Wenatchee World, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Duct Tape Wallet Girl (from Shelton, WA) Still Has One Question for Russell Wilson

Seattle Accents: Unsexy & Unremarkable?

Vatican Hopes New Air Conditioning Will Prevent ‘Painful’ Limit to Sistine Chapel Visitors

Whoops, Looks Like the Yeti May Just Be a Hybrid Polar Bear

SONG OF THE DAY

Billie Holiday - Autumn in New York

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.