Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Energy News Digest for October 29, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for October 29, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Attackers in Mexico Blow Up Nine Electrical Substations (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Bonneville Power Deal ‘Is Lawful,’ Court Rules (Courthouse News Service)

Western U-S States, British Columbia Sign Climate Change Pact (Bloomberg News)

More Proof That without Competition U-S Broadband Costs More & Delivers Less (GigaOM)

U-S Utilities Say Columbia River Treaty Payments to Canada Are Excessive (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Attackers in Mexico Blow Up Nine Electrical Substations
  • Bonneville Power Deal ‘Is Lawful,’ Court Rules
  • Editorial: DOE Should Tread Lightly - Scrutiny of Bonneville Power Administration justified, but no excuse for more intrusive federal oversight
  • U-S Utilities Say Columbia River Treaty Payments to Canada Are Excessive
  • Heavy Winds Topple Trees, Cut Power to Thousands in Flathead
  • Downed Power Poles in Seattle Trap People in Construction Equipment
  • Electrical Problem Forces Kennewick Mobile Home Park to Close
  • Montana: A Buyer for Gibson Dam Power Has Proven to be Elusive
  • Oregon: Expect an Increase in Your Natural Gas Bill
  • Transmission Line Removal Means New Line of Thinking
  • Polls Show Energy Doesn’t Spark Americans’ Interest
  • Severe Storms Cut Power to Thousands of Homes in France & the U.K.
  • Berlin’s Electric Rates Become Highest in Europe: $.40 kWh
  • Tennessee Valley Authority Ramps Wind Power, But Environmentalist Call for More Efficiency
  • Sunny Climate for Solar Income Up North
  • U-S Solar Surge: Flipping Switches on a Hoover Dam of Utility-scale Concentrated Solar Power
  • How Global Warming Could Boost Green Energy in an Unexpected Way
  • Can LED Bulbs Make Nuclear Plants Obsolete?
  • Montana’s First Car Shredder Real Energy Hog
  • 1931 Refrigerators Win “Focus on Energy’s” Oldest Fridge Contest
  • Western U-S States, British Columbia Sign Climate Change Pact
  • West Coast States & British Columbia to Link Climate Policies
  • Another Model S Fire, Tesla Stock Tumbles
  • How Electric Vehicles Could Drive Changes in Power Grid Management
  • More Proof That without Competition U-S Broadband Costs More & Delivers Less
  • Local Utilities & Google May Be America’s Only Hope for Cheap Broadband
  • Broadband Awareness: The Dalles Economic District Wins Innovation Award
  • FCC Seeks Better Phone Service for Rural America
  • Is Google Floating Mystery Barges Around The World?
  • Steve Wozniak’s Home ‘Can’t Get Broadband,’ Sounds Off on iPad Air
  • Identity Thieves Troll Facebook for Information
  • Editorial: Media Consolidation Decimates KOMO 4
  • White House Grants Extension on Health Law Sign-Up
  • NSA Official: ‘We’re Really Screwed Now’
  • Cheating Scandal at State Police Academy Triggers Investigation
  • Drills Tuesday on Hood Canal Will Cause Bridge Closures
  • Another Budget Crisis: Shelton
  • Studded Tires Legal in Washington State & Oregon on Friday
  • Puget Sound Area Veterinarians Reporting Fall Flea Explosion
  • Fall Colors Have Been Especially Good This Year

WORD OF THE DAY

Irrepressible • \ihr-uh-PRESS-uh-bull\ • Adjective - Impossible to hold back, stop, or control: very lively and cheerful

Irrepressible: see dog chasing ball. Over and over. See owner getting tired. Over and over.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Attackers in Mexico Blow Up Nine Electrical Substations (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Bonneville Power Deal ‘Is Lawful,’ Court Rules (Courthouse News Service)

Editorial: DOE Should Tread Lightly - Scrutiny of Bonneville Power Administration justified, but no excuse for more intrusive federal oversight (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

U-S Utilities Say Columbia River Treaty Payments to Canada Are Excessive (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Heavy Winds Topple Trees, Cut Power to Thousands in Flathead (The Missoulian, MT)

Downed Power Poles in Seattle Trap People in Construction Equipment (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Electrical Problem Forces Kennewick Mobile Home Park to Close (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Montana: A Buyer for Gibson Dam Power Has Proven to be Elusive (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Oregon: Expect an Increase in Your Natural Gas Bill (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Transmission Line Removal Means New Line of Thinking (Bonneville Power Administration)

Polls Show Energy Doesn’t Spark Americans’ Interest (Politico)

Severe Storms Cut Power to Thousands of Homes in France & the U.K. (U-S World & News Report)

Berlin’s Electric Rates Become Highest in Europe: $.40 kWh (Forbes Magazine)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Tennessee Valley Authority Ramps Wind Power, But Environmentalist Call for More Efficiency (Chattanooga Times Free Oress, TN)

Sunny Climate for Solar Income Up North (Renewable Energy World)

U-S Solar Surge: Flipping Switches on a Hoover Dam of Utility-scale Concentrated Solar Power (Renewable Energy World)

How Global Warming Could Boost Green Energy in an Unexpected Way (Christian Science Monitor)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Can LED Bulbs Make Nuclear Plants Obsolete? (Forbes Magazine)

Montana’s First Car Shredder Real Energy Hog (Billings Gazette MT)

1931 Refrigerators Win “Focus on Energy’s” Oldest Fridge Contest (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Western U-S States, British Columbia Sign Climate Change Pact (Bloomberg News)

West Coast States & British Columbia to Link Climate Policies (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Another Model S Fire, Tesla Stock Tumbles (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

How Electric Vehicles Could Drive Changes in Power Grid Management (Forbes Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

More Proof That without Competition U-S Broadband Costs More & Delivers Less (GigaOM)

Local Utilities & Google May Be America’s Only Hope for Cheap Broadband (Quartz)

Broadband Awareness: The Dalles Economic District Wins Innovation Award (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

FCC Seeks Better Phone Service for Rural America (NY Times)

Is Google Floating Mystery Barges Around The World? (Christian Science Monitor)

Steve Wozniak’s Home ‘Can’t Get Broadband,’ Sounds Off on iPad Air (Saratoga Patch, CA)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Identity Thieves Troll Facebook for Information (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Editorial: Media Consolidation Decimates KOMO 4 (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

White House Grants Extension on Health Law Sign-Up (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

NSA Official: ‘We’re Really Screwed Now’ (Yahoo! News)

GENERAL NEWS

Cheating Scandal at State Police Academy Triggers Investigation (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Drills Tuesday on Hood Canal Will Cause Bridge Closures (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Another Budget Crisis: Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Studded Tires Legal in Washington State & Oregon on Friday (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

Puget Sound Area Veterinarians Reporting Fall Flea Explosion (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Fall Colors Have Been Especially Good This Year (National Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS: ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER

Biologist: Halloween Masks Full of Scary Germs

Cleaners Find Load of Gold Bars in Airplane Toilet worth $1.8 Million

Postal Worker Pleads Guilty To Stealing $450,000 worth of Mailed Jewelry

Want to Be a Tree After You Die? How About a Diamond?

SONG OF THE DAY

Joan Baez - Diamonds & Rust

Judas Priest - Diamonds & Rust

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.