Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Energy News Digest for April 9, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 9, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

USA’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2014 – Includes White River in Washington State & Clearwater/Lochsa Rivers in Idaho (USA Today)

Equipment Rupture Caused Eastern Washington State Natural Gas Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Foundation Not a Contributing Factor in Wanapum Dam Fracture (Grant PUD, Ephrata, WA)

Gophers Found in Thurston & Pierce Counties to be Added to Endangered Species List (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

Passwords Vulnerable After Security Flaw Found (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Equipment Rupture Caused Eastern Washington State Natural Gas Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Foundation Not a Contributing Factor in Wanapum Dam Fracture (Grant PUD, Ephrata, WA)
  • Bonneville Power Administration Delays Public Records Releases Again - Keeping the lid on hiring scandal details (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Officials Say Jefferson County Public Utility District Has Corrected Deficiencies Cited in State Report (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • Clallam County Public Utility District Names Treasurer-Controller (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • Grays Harbor Transit Denies Bus Ads against Crude-By-Rail (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
  • Sultan Student’s Electrical Safety Artwork Sparks Snohomish PUD Award (Monroe Monitor, WA)
  • Texas: Electricity Phone Scam Has Businesses on the Alert (KVUE-TV, Austin, TX)
  • Gophers Found in Thurston & Pierce Counties to be Added to Endangered Species List (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)
  • U-S Congressman Hastings Issues Subpoena for Bladderpod Documents (Tri-City Herald, WA)
  • California Bill Ending SeaWorld Orca Shows Stalls (Associated Press)
  • USA’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2014 – Includes White River in Washington State & Clearwater/Lochsa Rivers in Idaho (USA Today)
  • The Thirsty West: Where’s the Snow? (Slate Magazine)
  • As SoloPower Systems Misses Latest Payment Deadline, State Not Ready to Foreclose (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Massachusetts: Canadian Hydropower Plan Is Raising Alarms - Some say it may stall wind & solar energy (Boston Globe, MA)
  • A Wind War for Oklahoma? (City Sentinel, Oklahoma City)
  • United Kingdom: Conservatives to Promise Ban on New Onshore Wind Farms (The Guardian, UK)
  • Wal-Mart Commits to Massive LED Lighting Rollout (Forbes Magazine)
  • Now Available in Everett, New Online Tool Analyzes Snohomish PUD Customer’s Power Usage (My Everett News, WA)
  • Researchers Say Arctic Sea Ice on the Decline (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Op/Ed: Global Warming Scare Tactics (NY Times)
  • Is Portland on the Verge of a Tiny House Explosion? (Sustainable Business Oregon)
  • Passwords Vulnerable After Security Flaw Found (Associated Press)
  • What Is This Scary Heartbleed Bug & Why Is Everyone Freaking Out About It? (Consumerist)
  • Comcast Argues Benefits of Time Warner Cable Deal (Associated Press)
  • Seeking an Edge with Regulators, Comcast Dangles the Idea of a Wi-Fi-First Mobile Network (GigaOM)
  • Comcast the Little Guy? There’s Competition Everywhere, The Company Argues (Washington Post)
  • Fiber Investments by Counties Pay for Themselves, Says Broadband Consultant (Broadband Breakfast)
  • Op/Ed: Broadband is Not a Government Obligation - Private enterprise can do it better, & rural Minnesota isn’t an access desert (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)
  • The Emerging Dark Side of Social Networks (Washington Post)
  • Smartphone Trial Judge Annoyed by Phones in Court (Associated Press)
  • Salmon Swallows Whale: Website Buys Anchorage Daily News, Alaska’s Largest Newspaper (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)
  • Tacoma City Council Votes to Change Pay Policy for City Employees (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • Scientists Raise Odds of El Niño This Year to at Least 70% (Mashable)
  • High Tech Animation Shows Oso Landslide as It Happened (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Dungeness Pot Grower First to be Licensed on North Olympic Peninsula (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • Mason County Commission Versus Sheriff’s Office (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
  • Tribal-State Compact Sets Rules for Proposed Cowlitz Casino (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
  • Washington State Wildfire Season Begins Next Week (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
  • Study: Two Washington State Cities on Opposite Ends of U-S Obesity Scale (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

WORD OF THE DAY

I guess if Garry Trudeau can do it, I can also - from 2008:

Imbroglio • \im-BROLE-yo\ • noun – 1: a confused mass 2a: an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) b: an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c: a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation: embroilment d: scandal

Like some unholy game of Twister, the rugby players piled themselves on the loose ball, readying themselves for the inevitable scrum. That is, until the 400 pound fullback flung himself into the imbroglio, causing the entire pile to sink at least six inches into the muddy, bloody field below.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Equipment Rupture Caused Eastern Washington State Natural Gas Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Foundation Not a Contributing Factor in Wanapum Dam Fracture (Grant PUD, Ephrata, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Delays Public Records Releases Again - Keeping the lid on hiring scandal details (Oregonian, Portland)

Officials Say Jefferson County Public Utility District Has Corrected Deficiencies Cited in State Report (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Clallam County Public Utility District Names Treasurer-Controller (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Grays Harbor Transit Denies Bus Ads against Crude-By-Rail (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Sultan Student’s Electrical Safety Artwork Sparks Snohomish PUD Award (Monroe Monitor, WA)

Texas: Electricity Phone Scam Has Businesses on the Alert (KVUE-TV, Austin, TX)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Gophers Found in Thurston & Pierce Counties to be Added to Endangered Species List (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

U-S Congressman Hastings Issues Subpoena for Bladderpod Documents (Tri-City Herald, WA)

California Bill Ending SeaWorld Orca Shows Stalls (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

USA’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2014 – Includes White River in Washington State & Clearwater/Lochsa Rivers in Idaho (USA Today)

The Thirsty West: Where’s the Snow? (Slate Magazine)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

As SoloPower Systems Misses Latest Payment Deadline, State Not Ready to Foreclose (Oregonian, Portland)

Massachusetts: Canadian Hydropower Plan Is Raising Alarms - Some say it may stall wind & solar energy (Boston Globe, MA)

A Wind War for Oklahoma? (City Sentinel, Oklahoma City)

United Kingdom: Conservatives to Promise Ban on New Onshore Wind Farms (The Guardian, UK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Wal-Mart Commits to Massive LED Lighting Rollout (Forbes Magazine)

Now Available in Everett, New Online Tool Analyzes Snohomish PUD Customer’s Power Usage (My Everett News, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Researchers Say Arctic Sea Ice on the Decline (Christian Science Monitor)

Op/Ed: Global Warming Scare Tactics (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Is Portland on the Verge of a Tiny House Explosion? (Sustainable Business Oregon)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Passwords Vulnerable After Security Flaw Found (Associated Press)

What Is This Scary Heartbleed Bug & Why Is Everyone Freaking Out About It? (Consumerist)

Comcast Argues Benefits of Time Warner Cable Deal (Associated Press)

Seeking an Edge with Regulators, Comcast Dangles the Idea of a Wi-Fi-First Mobile Network (GigaOM)

Comcast the Little Guy? There’s Competition Everywhere, The Company Argues (Washington Post)

Fiber Investments by Counties Pay for Themselves, Says Broadband Consultant (Broadband Breakfast)

Op/Ed: Broadband is Not a Government Obligation - Private enterprise can do it better, & rural Minnesota isn’t an access desert (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

The Emerging Dark Side of Social Networks (Washington Post)

Smartphone Trial Judge Annoyed by Phones in Court (Associated Press)

Salmon Swallows Whale: Website Buys Anchorage Daily News, Alaska’s Largest Newspaper (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Tacoma City Council Votes to Change Pay Policy for City Employees (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Scientists Raise Odds of El Niño This Year to at Least 70% (Mashable)

High Tech Animation Shows Oso Landslide as It Happened (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Dungeness Pot Grower First to be Licensed on North Olympic Peninsula (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Mason County Commission Versus Sheriff’s Office (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Tribal-State Compact Sets Rules for Proposed Cowlitz Casino (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Washington State Wildfire Season Begins Next Week (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Study: Two Washington State Cities on Opposite Ends of U-S Obesity Scale (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

DIVERSIONS

Wearing Socks with Sandals Suddenly in Vogue among Wealthy Elite

Dog-Poop Sting Coming to Portland Playgrounds

Missing Painting Sold in Hong Kong for $3.7 Million May Have Gone Out with the Trash

What if: Hydroelectricity from your Faucet

SONG OF THE DAY

Moody Blues - Ride My See Saw

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.