Friday, January 3, 2014

Energy News Digest for January 3, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for January 3, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Heavy Snow, Dangerous Cold Bite Northeastern U-S (Reuters)

TransAlta’s Downsizing Pinches Lewis County Revenue (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Idaho Solar Developer Fights to Keep Project Alive (Associated Press)

Op/Ed: Don't Dilute Oregon's Renewable Power Standards (Oregonian, Portland)

Washington State Residents May See Battling Gun Initiatives Before Legislature (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • TransAlta’s Downsizing Pinches Lewis County Revenue
  • FERC Urged to Clarify Order on Cybersecurity Standards
  • San Francisco Botches Energy Co-Op Rollout
  • New England: Grid Operator Decides Brayton Point Plant Should Stay Open for Electricity Reliability
  • Yakima Basin Storage Alliance Funding $100K Water Study
  • Idaho Solar Developer Fights to Keep Project Alive
  • Op/Ed: Don't Dilute Oregon's Renewable Power Standards
  • 'Bird-Friendly' Turbines on Altamont Pass Sought by Researchers, Energy Companies
  • For The Birds (And the Bats): Eight Ways Wind Power Companies Are Trying to Prevent Deadly Collisions
  • ALEC’s Attack on Renewables Arrives in Colorado
  • Montana: NorthWestern Energy Seeking to Fund Conservation Projects
  • Bulbageddon Is Upon Us
  • Editorial: California Needs to Find Smart Way to Recycle Dim Bulbs
  • Buzzword Bingo - Can a Better Taxonomy Help Behavioral Energy Efficiency?
  • EPA Proposal Could Shift War on Renewable Fuels
  • Four Reasons Why Environmentalists Are Wrong About Energy
  • Is Industrial Hemp the Ultimate Energy Crop?
  • Yes, American Broadband Sucks: Here's the Real Reason Why
  • Commotion Comes Out of Beta, Vying to Create a Broadband Commons
  • Football Playoffs, Super Bowl XLVIII to Be Streamed Online for (Mostly) Free
  • Barbed Wire Fences Were an Early DIY Telephone Network
  • Privacy Experts Warn About Dangers of Image Theft via Online Photo Scraping
  • Tip: Burglars Use Social Media to Target Homes
  • Three Social Media Trends You Should Know About
  • Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
  • Washington State Residents May See Battling Gun Initiatives Before Legislature
  • Feisty Liberal Washington State Senator Adam Kline Won’t Seek Re-Election
  • Heavy Snow, Dangerous Cold Bite Northeastern U-S
  • Washington Ski Resorts Forced to Move Snow Around
  • U-S Plywood Industry's Plea for Help Rejected - Firms Complain of Chinese 'Dumping' on Domestic Market
  • New Mason County Economic Development Council Director Announced
  • First Baby at Mason General Hospital in 2014

WORD OF THE DAY

Taxonomy • \tack-SAWN-uh-mee\ • Noun - The process or system of describing the way in which different living things are related by putting them in groups.

Brad’s kitchen junk drawer was a perfect example of how to obsessively apply taxonomic principles never seen before, or since. Even his misshapen lint was organized by various methods: pocket lint and other variants; the apparent substance that made up the lint balls; even the color of the multitudinous materials that went into the lint was taken into account.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

TransAlta’s Downsizing Pinches Lewis County Revenue (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

FERC Urged to Clarify Order on Cybersecurity Standards (American Public Power Association)

San Francisco Botches Energy Co-Op Rollout (Public CEO)

New England: Grid Operator Decides Brayton Point Plant Should Stay Open for Electricity Reliability (Boston Business Journal, MA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Yakima Basin Storage Alliance Funding $100K Water Study (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Solar Developer Fights to Keep Project Alive (Associated Press)

Op/Ed: Don't Dilute Oregon's Renewable Power Standards (Oregonian, Portland)

'Bird-Friendly' Turbines on Altamont Pass Sought by Researchers, Energy Companies (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

For The Birds (And the Bats): Eight Ways Wind Power Companies Are Trying to Prevent Deadly Collisions (Grist Online)

ALEC’s Attack on Renewables Arrives in Colorado (Boulder Weekly, CO)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Montana: NorthWestern Energy Seeking to Fund Conservation Projects (KBZK-TV, Bozeman, MT)

Bulbageddon Is Upon Us - The new year is bringing new efficiency standards that will spell the end for the common incandescent light bulb (C/NET News)

Editorial: California Needs to Find Smart Way to Recycle Dim Bulbs (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Buzzword Bingo - Can a Better Taxonomy Help Behavioral Energy Efficiency? (The Energy Collective: Can energy efficiency programs be improved by better organization and focus?)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

EPA Proposal Could Shift War on Renewable Fuels (Politico)

Four Reasons Why Environmentalists Are Wrong About Energy (MarketWatch)

Is Industrial Hemp the Ultimate Energy Crop? (The Conversation)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Yes, American Broadband Sucks: Here's the Real Reason Why (Computerworld)

Commotion Comes Out of Beta, Vying to Create a Broadband Commons (GigaOM)

Football Playoffs, Super Bowl XLVIII to Be Streamed Online for (Mostly) Free (GigaOM)

Barbed Wire Fences Were an Early DIY Telephone Network (Gizmodo)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Privacy Experts Warn About Dangers of Image Theft via Online Photo Scraping (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Tip: Burglars Use Social Media to Target Homes (USA Today)

Three Social Media Trends You Should Know About (Mashable)

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds (Consumerist)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Residents May See Battling Gun Initiatives Before Legislature (Associated Press)

Feisty Liberal Washington State Senator Adam Kline Won’t Seek Re-Election (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy Snow, Dangerous Cold Bite Northeastern U-S (Reuters)

Washington Ski Resorts Forced to Move Snow Around (Associated Press)

U-S Plywood Industry's Plea for Help Rejected - Firms Complain of Chinese 'Dumping' on Domestic Market (USA Today)

New Mason County Economic Development Council Director Announced (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

First Baby at Mason General Hospital in 2014 (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

North Carolina Politician Writes Resignation Letter in Klingon

Pick the Winner: Doritos Super Bowl Ad Competition

Cricket Holy War on as Anglicans Accept Vatican Challenge

Obamas' Christmas Gift for Godmother Delivered to Wrong Family

SONG OF THE DAY

Hector Berlioz - Dies Irae

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.