Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Energy News Digest for December 18, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for December 18, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Editorial: Anti-Nuclear Group’s Case against Columbia Generating Station Unconvincing (Tri-City Herald, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Right-Size Reactors Breathing New Life into Nuclear Energy (Forbes Magazine)

Op/Ed: Oregon Renewable Standards Should Recognize Hydro (Oregonian, Portland)

Vision of Steelhead Dancing in Some Heads (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Climate Change: The Warmest November Worldwide Since 1880 (Christian Science Monitor)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Editorial: Anti-Nuclear Group’s Case against Columbia Generating Station Unconvincing
  • Right-Size Reactors Breathing New Life into Nuclear Energy
  • Low Cost of Clean Power
  • Final Recommendation for Columbia River Treaty is Improvement over Drafts, Public Power Council Says
  • New Cowlitz PUD Budget Passes on Unanimous Vote
  • Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Wind Project Revenue Bonds ‘A-’
  • Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Gott Named to Policy Makers Council
  • Barclays Moves to Block U-S from Collecting $488 Million Fines in Electricity Market Manipulation Case
  • Ohio’s Push toward Electricity Deregulation Applauded
  • U-S Department of Energy General Counsel Nomination Approved
  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Celebrate 1,000th Meeting
  • Vision of Steelhead Dancing in Some Heads
  • Steelhead Released to Spawn Second Time in Lower Snake River
  • Tagging Salmon Yields Interesting Results
  • Creating a Northwest Lamprey Hatchery
  • Senator Begich Wants Geoduck Import Ban Lifted
  • Op/Ed: Oregon Renewable Standards Should Recognize Hydro
  • A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy with Wildlife
  • Can the American Wind Energy Industry Survive without the Production Tax Credit?
  • Get Ready for a Massive Renewable Energy Boom
  • LED Holiday Lights Are Brighter, Safer, and Save Money Over Time!
  • Incandescent Vs. LED Christmas Lights Infographic
  • Loblaws Recalls Outdoor LED Christmas Lights Sold Across Canada
  • Climate Change: The Warmest November Worldwide Since 1880
  • Ex-Energy Chief Steven Chu Joins Carbon Capture Company
  • Your Wireless Router Could Be Murdering Your Houseplants
  • Pacific County Phone Service Repaired after Vader-Area Fiber Optic Line Break
  • The Future of Broadband Looks Very Much Like Cable TV - Here is Why
  • Telecommunications & Media Convergence: Selected Issues for Consideration
  • White House Taps Former Microsoft Exec to Fix Obamacare
  • Facebook Will Test ‘Autoplay’ Video Ads in Users’ News Feeds Thursday
  • Five Biggest Social Media Lessons of 2013
  • Utility-Backed Energy Conservation Push Seeks PR Power
  • Washington State Governor Inslee Proposes More Prison Beds, No Teacher Colas in Budget Update 
  • Wonkbook: Ryan-Murray Will Pass. So What’s In It?
  • Rules Change Expediting Confirmation Process for Several Interior, Energy Picks
  • Tumwater Teen Arrested After Reported School Threats
  • Memo: Boeing to Choose ‘Handful’ of Potential 777X Sites This Week
  • Washington State Courts Airbus amid Boeing Tension
  • Wet Snow Possible in Puget Sound Region Thursday Night
  • Piles of Stolen Mail Found in Bremerton Woods
  • Rand Study: Washington State Residents Consumed 175 Metric Tons of Pot in 2013
  • Delta: No Voice Calls on Our Planes

WORD OF THE DAY

Philosophical • \fill-uh-SOFF-ih-cull\ • Adjective - Having a calm attitude toward a difficult or unpleasant situation.

I love the philosophical attitude of the guy in this story:

There once was a man with the carnival whose job it was to clean up smelly bucketloads of prolific elephant dung. A passerby, who one day saw him hip-deep in the excrement, asked, “My good man, how can you put up with such demeaning conditions? Haven’t you ever thought about another line of work?” To which the carnival worker replied, “What, and give up show business?”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Editorial: Anti-Nuclear Group’s Case against Columbia Generating Station Unconvincing (Tri-City Herald, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Right-Size Reactors Breathing New Life into Nuclear Energy (Forbes Magazine)

Low Cost of Clean Power (Energy Northwest)

Final Recommendation for Columbia River Treaty is Improvement over Drafts, Public Power Council Says (American Public Power Association)

New Cowlitz PUD Budget Passes on Unanimous Vote (Longview Daily News, WA)

Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Wind Project Revenue Bonds ‘A-’ (Reuters)

Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Gott Named to Policy Makers Council (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Barclays Moves to Block U-S from Collecting $488 Million Fines in Electricity Market Manipulation Case (The Telegraph, UK)

Ohio’s Push toward Electricity Deregulation Applauded (Columbus Dispatch, OH)

U-S Department of Energy General Counsel Nomination Approved (Associated Press)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Celebrate 1,000th Meeting (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Vision of Steelhead Dancing in Some Heads (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Steelhead Released to Spawn Second Time in Lower Snake River (Bonneville Power Administration)

Tagging Salmon Yields Interesting Results (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)

Creating a Northwest Lamprey Hatchery (Northwest Public Radio)

Senator Begich Wants Geoduck Import Ban Lifted (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Op/Ed: Oregon Renewable Standards Should Recognize Hydro (Oregonian, Portland)

A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy with Wildlife (NY Times)

Can the American Wind Energy Industry Survive without the Production Tax Credit? (The Energy Collective)

Get Ready for a Massive Renewable Energy Boom (The Week)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LED Holiday Lights Are Brighter, Safer, and Save Money Over Time! (The Energy Collective)

Incandescent Vs. LED Christmas Lights Infographic (Daily Infographic)

Loblaws Recalls Outdoor LED Christmas Lights Sold Across Canada (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change: The Warmest November Worldwide Since 1880 (Christian Science Monitor)

Ex-Energy Chief Steven Chu Joins Carbon Capture Company (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Your Wireless Router Could Be Murdering Your Houseplants (Mashable)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pacific County Phone Service Repaired after Vader-Area Fiber Optic Line Break (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

The Future of Broadband Looks Very Much Like Cable TV - Here is Why (GigaOM)

Telecommunications & Media Convergence: Selected Issues for Consideration (Congressional Research Service)

White House Taps Former Microsoft Exec to Fix Obamacare (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Will Test ‘Autoplay’ Video Ads in Users’ News Feeds Thursday (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Five Biggest Social Media Lessons of 2013 (Mashable)

Utility-Backed Energy Conservation Push Seeks PR Power (O’Dwyer’s)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Inslee Proposes More Prison Beds, No Teacher Colas in Budget Update (Northwest Public Radio)

Wonkbook: Ryan-Murray Will Pass. So What’s In It? (Washington Post)

Rules Change Expediting Confirmation Process for Several Interior, Energy Picks (E&E News)

GENERAL NEWS

Tumwater Teen Arrested After Reported School Threats (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Memo: Boeing to Choose ‘Handful’ of Potential 777X Sites This Week (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Washington State Courts Airbus amid Boeing Tension (Associated Press)

Wet Snow Possible in Puget Sound Region Thursday Night (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Piles of Stolen Mail Found in Bremerton Woods (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Rand Study: Washington State Residents Consumed 175 Metric Tons of Pot in 2013 (Associated Press)

Delta: No Voice Calls on Our Planes (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Wearing Russell Wilson Jersey Gets Travelers to Front of Line

Idaho IHOP Waitress Gets $500 Tip on $46 Tab

Got a Light? Olympic Torch Relay Seems Cursed to the Ends of the Earth

U-S Senate: Al Franken Hosts Secret Santa, Marco Rubio Gets Coal

SONG OF THE DAY

The Rolling Stones - Waiting on a Friend

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.