Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Energy News Digest for January 8, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for January 8, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Arsenic Tests Show Puget Sound Geoduck Clams Safe to Eat - Officials hope for lifting of China’s import ban (Associated Press)

Arctic Air Eases Its Grip on Much of the U-S (Associated Press)

While the U-S is in Deep Freeze - ‘Highly Significant’ Heatwave Smashes Australian Records (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

January is Best Chance for Pacific Northwest Snow (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Selling Idaho Power Plant - Board votes to put the northern Idaho site on the market to reduce the amount of surplus electricity (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Eugene Water & Electric Board Selling Idaho Power Plant
  • Montana: Columbia Falls Aluminum Clean-Up Could Be Costly
  • Canadian Hydropower: Peace is Priceless, Site C Hearing Told
  • Cities Shutting Off Utilities When Unpaid Keeps Write-Offs Low
  • Power Lines Spark Small Fire after Semi Hits Tree in SE Portland
  • California: New Sonoma Utility Promises Cleaner, Cheaper Power
  • Colorado: Boulder Tells Xcel It Plans to Acquire Parts of Electric System
  • Co-ops Work through Cold Snap
  • Energy Prices Rise as U-S Temperatures Fall
  • Natural Gas Exports: Slow Walk or ‘Danger Zone’?
  • Three Major Energy Themes to Watch in 2014
  • Washington State Arsenic Tests Show Puget Sound Geoduck Clams Safe to Eat
  • Lower Columbia Commercial Fishing Policy to be Reviewed
  • Solar Rankings Released, Oregon Lands Outside the Top 12
  • Arizona: Salt River Project Now Importing Geothermal Power from Utah
  • Wind Energy Helps Ward Off Power Outages
  • Burned to Death by a Refrigerator
  • While the U-S is in Deep Freeze - ‘Highly Significant’ Heatwave Smashes Australian Records
  • Republican Legislators Call for Continuation of Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup
  • Court Battle Could Force New Jersey to Resume Carbon Trading
  • Cap-and-Trade Throws a Wrench into the Gears of Green Consumerism
  • Intel Greenery Gets Star Treatment on NYT Front Page
  • Testing of New Okanogan PUD High-Speed Network Causes Periodic Internet Outages
  • Ellensburg Pursues Its Fiber Project in Washington State
  • Seattle’s Fiber-Network Deal with Gigabit Squared is Dead
  • Washington State Senate: Another Change for Democrats as Shin Steps Down, Citing Health
  • Arctic Air Eases Its Grip on Much of the U-S
  • January is Best Chance for Pacific Northwest Snow
  • Mulally Staying at Ford, Not Leaving for Microsoft
  • Mason County’s Chambers of Commerce Hold Legislative Send Off
  • Jeffreys is Mason County Commission Chair
  • Seattle Apartment Explosion Caused by Hash Oil Process
  • Sheriff: Suspect Hiding in Retention Pond Foiled by Hypothermia

WORD OF THE DAY

Chiropody • \kuh-ROP-uh-dee \ • Noun – Podiatry
Origin of CHIROPODY: chir- + pod-; from its original concern with both hands & feet (From Merriam-Webster)

The podiatrist
One step ahead of the others
Fun chiropody

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Eugene Water & Electric Board Selling Idaho Power Plant - Board votes to put the northern Idaho site on the market to reduce the amount of surplus electricity (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Montana: Columbia Falls Aluminum Clean-Up Could Be Costly (Hungry Horse News, MT)

Canadian Hydropower: Peace is Priceless, Site C Hearing Told (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

Cities Shutting Off Utilities When Unpaid Keeps Write-Offs Low (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Power Lines Spark Small Fire after Semi Hits Tree in SE Portland (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

California: New Sonoma Utility Promises Cleaner, Cheaper Power (SF Chronicle, CA)

Colorado: Boulder Tells Xcel It Plans to Acquire Parts of Electric System (American Public Power Association)

Co-ops Work through Cold Snap (Electric Co-op Today)

Energy Prices Rise as U-S Temperatures Fall (Associated Press)

Natural Gas Exports: Slow Walk or ‘Danger Zone’? (Associated Press)

Three Major Energy Themes to Watch in 2014 (Forbes Magazine)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State Arsenic Tests Show Puget Sound Geoduck Clams Safe to Eat - Officials hope for lifting of China’s import ban (Associated Press)

Lower Columbia Commercial Fishing Policy to be Reviewed (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Rankings Released, Oregon Lands Outside the Top 12 (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Arizona: Salt River Project Now Importing Geothermal Power from Utah (American Public Power Association)

Wind Energy Helps Ward Off Power Outages (American Wind Energy Association – All while balancing an egg on a spoon!)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Burned to Death by a Refrigerator (Courthouse News Service)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

While the U-S is in Deep Freeze - ‘Highly Significant’ Heatwave Smashes Australian Records (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

Republican Legislators Call for Continuation of Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup (Washington State House Republicans, Olympia)

Court Battle Could Force New Jersey to Resume Carbon Trading (Grist Online)

Cap-and-Trade Throws a Wrench into the Gears of Green Consumerism (The Energy Collective)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Intel Greenery Gets Star Treatment on NYT Front Page (Sustainable Business Oregon)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Testing of New Okanogan PUD High-Speed Network Causes Periodic Internet Outages (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

Ellensburg Pursues Its Fiber Project in Washington State (Community Broadband Networks)

Seattle’s Fiber-Network Deal with Gigabit Squared is Dead (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Senate: Another Change for Democrats as Shin Steps Down, Citing Health (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Arctic Air Eases Its Grip on Much of the U-S (Associated Press)

January is Best Chance for Pacific Northwest Snow (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Mulally Staying at Ford, Not Leaving for Microsoft (Associated Press)

Mason County’s Chambers of Commerce Hold Legislative Send Off (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Jeffreys is Mason County Commission Chair (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Seattle Apartment Explosion Caused by Hash Oil Process (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Sheriff: Suspect Hiding in Retention Pond Foiled by Hypothermia (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Olympic Speed Skater’s Parents Couldn’t Afford to Go to Sochi, So the Internet Stepped In

Cheesy Shortage: Kraft Says Velveeta Running Low

Bigfoot Hunter Claims to Have Shot, Killed Hirsute Cryptid

Willie the Wheeled Wiener Dog Recovers from Spinal Injury

SONG OF THE DAY

Deep Purple – Hush

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.