Friday, January 17, 2014

Energy News Digest for January 17, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for January 17, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Oregon Panel Close To Fixing Renewable Energy Mandate to Avoid Ballot Fight (Oregonian, Portland)

Low Snowpack Prompts USDA to Issue Early Water Warning (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Tennessee Valley Authority Asks for Resignations, Retirements to Cut Expenses (Chattanooga Times-Free Press, TN)

Group: Protect Orcas in West Coast Waters (Associated Press)

Air Stagnation Advisory in Effect Until January 24 (National Weather Service, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Tennessee Valley Authority Asks for Resignations, Retirements to Cut Expenses
  • Canadian Hydro: Site C Hearings BC Hydro Proposes $20-Million Fund for Farmers
  • Douglas PUD Improves Security for Web Customers
  • Mason PUD 3 Commission Report for the January 14, 2014 Business Meeting
  • Energy Grid ‘Duck Chart’ Used to Wade into Timing Issues
  • How Smart Meters Are Helping Utilities with Voltage Management
  • Report: How Transmission Line Developers Can Ease Opposition
  • Group: Protect Orcas in West Coast Waters
  • Anglers Irked at Green/North Toutle Wild Steelhead Proposal
  • Low Snowpack Prompts USDA to Issue Early Water Warning
  • Oregon Panel Close To Fixing Renewable Energy Mandate to Avoid Ballot Fight
  • Washington State Bill Seeks Green Status for Spokane Waste-to-Energy Plant
  • Snohomish PUD Investing in Manure Power
  • Solar on a Grand Scale: Big Power Plants Coming Online in the West
  • European Union Renewable Energy Targets to Be Significantly Scaled Back
  • Dimmer Switch on Enforcement Unlikely to Darken Light Bulb Efficiency Standards
  • Washington State Governor Inslee Says GOP Senator ‘Fear Mongering’ on Carbon Fuel Standard
  • More Americans Don’t Believe Global Warming Is Happening: Survey
  • Portland Utility to Install Natural Gas Truck Filling Stations
  • Just Add Compost: How To Turn Your Grassland Ranch into a Carbon Sink
  • IBM to Spend $1.2 Billion to Expand Cloud Services
  • Crown Castle Scoops Up More Wireless Towers
  • Editorial: Make Broadband a Common Carrier
  • The State of Broadband
  • Apple to Pay $32.5 Million over Kids’ App Purchases
  • Air Stagnation Advisory in Effect Until January 24
  • New “Wild Olympics” Legislation Submitted
  • Underground, Bertha’s Still Stuck; Above Ground, Sniping Heats Up
  • What the Media Are Saying Ahead of Seahawks vs. 49ers
  • Remember When Seahawks Got An ‘F’ for Drafting Russell Wilson?

WORD OF THE DAY

Focus • \FOE-kuss\ • Noun - A subject that is being discussed or studied: the subject on which people’s attention is focused - A main purpose or interest - A point at which rays of light, heat, or sound meet or from which they move apart or appear to move apart; especially: the point at which an image is formed by a mirror, a lens, etc.

Plural foci also focuses

Focus or Foci
Multiple focuses, huh?
Oxymoron, yup.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Tennessee Valley Authority Asks for Resignations, Retirements to Cut Expenses (Chattanooga Times-Free Press, TN)

Canadian Hydro: Site C Hearings BC Hydro Proposes $20-Million Fund for Farmers (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Douglas PUD Improves Security for Web Customers (Wenatchee World, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Commission Report for the January 14, 2014 Business Meeting (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Energy Grid ‘Duck Chart’ Used to Wade into Timing Issues (SF Chronicle, CA)

How Smart Meters Are Helping Utilities with Voltage Management (The Energy Collective)

Co-ops Leveraging Technology (Electric Co-op Today)

Report: How Transmission Line Developers Can Ease Opposition (Midwest Energy News)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Group: Protect Orcas in West Coast Waters (Associated Press)

Anglers Irked at Green/North Toutle Wild Steelhead Proposal (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Low Snowpack Prompts USDA to Issue Early Water Warning (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Panel Close To Fixing Renewable Energy Mandate to Avoid Ballot Fight (Oregonian, Portland)

Washington State Bill Seeks Green Status for Spokane Waste-to-Energy Plant (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Snohomish PUD Investing in Manure Power (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Solar on a Grand Scale: Big Power Plants Coming Online in the West (Washington Post)

European Union Renewable Energy Targets to Be Significantly Scaled Back (The Irish Times, Dublin)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Dimmer Switch on Enforcement Unlikely to Darken Light Bulb Efficiency Standards (Consumerist)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Governor Inslee Says GOP Senator ‘Fear Mongering’ on Carbon Fuel Standard (Everett Herald, WA)

More Americans Don’t Believe Global Warming Is Happening: Survey (Weather Underground)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Portland Utility to Install Natural Gas Truck Filling Stations (Northwest Public Radio)

Just Add Compost: How To Turn Your Grassland Ranch into a Carbon Sink (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

IBM to Spend $1.2 Billion to Expand Cloud Services (Reuters)

Crown Castle Scoops Up More Wireless Towers (Houston Business Journal, TX)

Editorial: Make Broadband a Common Carrier (USA Today)

The State of Broadband (Information Week)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Apple to Pay $32.5 Million over Kids’ App Purchases (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Air Stagnation Advisory in Effect Until January 24 (National Weather Service, Seattle)

New “Wild Olympics” Legislation Submitted (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Underground, Bertha’s Still Stuck; Above Ground, Sniping Heats Up (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

What the Media Are Saying Ahead of Seahawks vs. 49ers (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Remember When Seahawks Got An ‘F’ for Drafting Russell Wilson? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Pope to Sell His Harley for Charity

Man Finds Lost Envelope Containing $40,000, Returns It to Owner

Elderly Colorblind Man Sees Color after Hitting Head

Russell Johnson, ‘Gilligan’ Professor, Dies on Bainbridge Island

SONG OF THE DAY

For the Pope:
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild

For the Professor:
Little Roger & The Goosebumps – Gilligan’s Island (Sung to Stairway to Heaven)

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.