Friday, February 28, 2014

Energy News Digest for February 28, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for February 28, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Grant PUD Investigating Crack in Pillar at Wanapum Dam (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)

Port Angeles: Nippon Temporarily Shut Down Because of Biomass Fuel Problems at Power Plant (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Bully for Biomass: Washington State Supreme Court Rejects Greenhouse Gas Claims, Upholds Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact for Biomass Facility (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Bonneville Power Administration, Public Power Beat 2013 Conservation Targets (Bonneville Power Administration)

Washington State Supreme Court: People Have Right to Privacy in Texts (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Grant PUD Investigating Crack in Pillar at Wanapum Dam
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Wants to Lower Electricity Rates for California’s High-Use Customers & Raise Rates for Low-Use Customers
  • Cowlitz PUD/U-S Forest Service Officials to Celebrate Power Line Transfer
  • Utility CEO: Generators Will Soon Make Electric Grid an ‘Antiquated System’
  • News Release:  ComEd Seeks Faster Schedule to Deliver Smart Meters & Consumer Benefits to Customers
  • Oregon: Mt. Hood Snowpack Doubles in One Month
  • Skokomish River Information & Meeting Announced
  • Warnick, Manweller Secure Moses Lake Dam Funding in Washington State House Capital Budget Proposal
  • Port Angeles: Nippon Temporarily Shut Down Because of Biomass Fuel Problems at Power Plant
  • Bully for Biomass: Washington State Supreme Court Rejects Greenhouse Gas Claims, Upholds Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact for Biomass Facility
  • Energy Storage: California’s New Green Tech Battleground
  • Op/Ed: Wind Industry Study: Electricity Prices Skyrocketing in Largest Wind Power States
  • Bonneville Power Administration, Public Power Beat 2013 Conservation Targets
  • Opower Launches Platform Update Ahead of IPO
  • American Public Power Association Says the Use of Estimates of the Social Cost of Carbon Should Be Limited
  • America’s First Carbon-Trading Program Can Boast Some Impressive Numbers
  • Environmental Group Pushing Washington State Governor to Adopt Clean Fuels Standard
  • Is the Future of Clean Energy in the Janitor’s Closet?
  • CenturyLink Service Restored to North Mason Customers
  • New $18 Million King County Phone System Dropping Calls, Causing Other Problems
  • Push for Web Addresses in Era of Search, Apps
  • Washington State Supreme Court: People Have Right to Privacy in Texts
  • Amazon Mulls Streaming Music Service for Prime Subscribers
  • Tokyo Bitcoin Exchange Files for Bankruptcy, Significant Amount of Virtual Currency Missing
  • Using Skype to Build a Business
  • Woman Spends Harrowing 45 Minutes Locked Inside Department Store, Live-Tweets the Experience
  • Washington State Senate Passes Budget Proposal
  • Editorial: Proposed Washington State Law Overreacts to Signature Gatherers
  • Unauthorized Video of U-S Supreme Court Protest Posted Online
  • Special Weather Statement - Lowland Snow Possible in Western Washington this Weekend
  • Chance of Snow in the Weekend Forecast for Puget Sound Area
  • Kitsap Sheriff: No Foul Play in Women’s Death near Hood Canal Navy Base
  • Shelton Police Chief Announces Retirement
  • Marijuana Business Means Big Business in Washington State
  • What Part of the U-S Has Perfect Weather? Nowhere

WORD OF THE DAY

Semiotics • \sem-ee-AW-ticks\ • Noun - The study of signs & symbols & how they are used; a general philosophical theory of signs & symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed & natural languages & comprises syntactics, semantics, & pragmatics.

Calling professor Langdon.
The symbols on the alien restrooms on this spaceship have no resemblance to the male & female icons for washrooms on earth.
Can your vast knowledge of semiotics determine which is which?
No. Ask the Doctor.
Who?
Exactly

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Grant PUD Investigating Crack in Pillar at Wanapum Dam (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Wants to Lower Electricity Rates for California’s High-Use Customers & Raise Rates for Low-Use Customers (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Cowlitz PUD/U-S Forest Service Officials to Celebrate Power Line Transfer (Vancouver Business Journal, WA)

Utility CEO: Generators Will Soon Make Electric Grid an ‘Antiquated System’ (U-S News & World Report)

News Release:  ComEd Seeks Faster Schedule to Deliver Smart Meters & Consumer Benefits to Customers (Electric Energy Online)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon: Mt. Hood Snowpack Doubles in One Month (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Skokomish River Information & Meeting Announced (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Warnick, Manweller Secure Moses Lake Dam Funding in Washington State House Capital Budget Proposal (Washington State House Republicans)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Angeles: Nippon Temporarily Shut Down Because of Biomass Fuel Problems at Power Plant (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Bully for Biomass: Washington State Supreme Court Rejects Greenhouse Gas Claims, Upholds Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact for Biomass Facility (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Energy Storage: California’s New Green Tech Battleground (Forbes Magazine)

Op/Ed: Wind Industry Study: Electricity Prices Skyrocketing in Largest Wind Power States (Forbes Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bonneville Power Administration, Public Power Beat 2013 Conservation Targets (Bonneville Power Administration)

Opower Launches Platform Update Ahead of IPO (Washington Business Times, DC)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

American Public Power Association Says the Use of Estimates of the Social Cost of Carbon Should Be Limited (American Public Power Association)

America’s First Carbon-Trading Program Can Boast Some Impressive Numbers (Grist Online)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Environmental Group Pushing Washington State Governor to Adopt Clean Fuels Standard (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Is the Future of Clean Energy in the Janitor’s Closet? (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CenturyLink Service Restored to North Mason Customers (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

New $18 Million King County Phone System Dropping Calls, Causing Other Problems (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Push for Web Addresses in Era of Search, Apps (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Washington State Supreme Court: People Have Right to Privacy in Texts (Associated Press)

Amazon Mulls Streaming Music Service for Prime Subscribers (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Tokyo Bitcoin Exchange Files for Bankruptcy, Significant Amount of Virtual Currency Missing (Associated Press)

Using Skype to Build a Business (NY Times)

Woman Spends Harrowing 45 Minutes Locked Inside Department Store, Live-Tweets the Experience (Consumerist)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Senate Passes Budget Proposal (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Editorial: Proposed Washington State Law Overreacts to Signature Gatherers (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Unauthorized Video of U-S Supreme Court Protest Posted Online (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Special Weather Statement - Lowland Snow Possible in Western Washington this Weekend (National Weather Service, Seattle, WA)

Chance of Snow in the Weekend Forecast for Puget Sound Area (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Kitsap Sheriff: No Foul Play in Women’s Death near Hood Canal Navy Base (Associated Press)

Shelton Police Chief Announces Retirement (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Marijuana Business Means Big Business in Washington State (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

What Part of the U-S Has Perfect Weather? Nowhere (Northwest Cable News Network)

DIVERSIONS

Fecal Fest - Get Your Hands on the Most Desired Dung in Seattle

‘Citizen Kane’ Script Up for Sale at Sotheby’s

Local Company Creates Music Using Electric Spark

Gigabit IPA Revival? With Google Fiber on Tap, Hopworks Says the Beer Could Be, Too

SONG OF THE DAY

Bernard Herrmann - Citizen Kane Suite – Soundtrack

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.