Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Energy News Digest for May 6, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for May 6, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Climate Change Study Finds U-S is Already Widely Affected (NY Times)

Threat of Oregon Wildfires Increases as Drought Expands in West (Oregonian, Portland)

British Columbia Dams: Political Leader Opposed To Site C Dam; Wants Third-Party View (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Port Angeles’ Nippon Biomass Plant Remains Down Due to Cracks in Boiler Unit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Fuel Cell Firm ClearEdge Power Seeks Bankruptcy Protection, Three Years after Top Oregon VC Deal (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • British Columbia Dams: Political Leader Opposed To Site C Dam; Wants Third-Party View (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
  • U-S Senate Takes up Energy Efficiency Bill amid Keystone Squabble (Associated Press)
  • Bellingham Studies New Approaches for Waterfront Utilities (Bellingham Herald, WA)
  • Malloy wants spot on Chelan PUD board (Insurance NewsNet)
  • Colorado: Drake Power Plant Badly Damaged by Fire, Offline Indefinitely (KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO)
  • Seeking Consensus on the Internalized Costs of Nuclear (The Energy Collective)
  • Energy Future’s Revamp May Put New Oncor Owners under Microscope (Reuters)
  • Billy Frank Jr.: Appreciating a Pacific Northwest Civil Rights Legend (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
  • Dying Starfish Found in Yaquina Bay, First Major Oregon Discovery of Wasting Disease (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Richland Girl Develops Fish-Tagging Game (Tri-City Herald, WA)
  • Bees Continue to Swarm into Backyards (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)
  • Drought-Stricken Texas Town Turns to Toilets for Water (National Public Radio)\
  • Editorial: In California Drought, Fortunes Are Made (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • Port Angeles’ Nippon Biomass Plant Remains Down Due to Cracks in Boiler Unit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • Fuel Cell Firm ClearEdge Power Seeks Bankruptcy Protection, Three Years after Top Oregon VC Deal (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Solar Power Breakthrough Hints at Cheaper Panels for More Roofs (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Renewable-Energy Surge Slow to Wean China Off Coal (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • Pacific Northwest Efficiency Exchange Conference Highlights Energy Efficiency Innovations & Trends (PR Newswire)
  • How Personalizing Energy Data Could Help Utilities Stay In Business (Forbes Magazine)
  • LED Lights Make Your Whites a Little Less Bright (Reviewed.Com)
  • Climate Change Study Finds U-S is Already Widely Affected (NY Times)
  • Puget Sound Feeling Impact of Climate Change (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Obama Tries Weather Outreach on Climate (Politico)
  • You Little Scamp: KINGT-TV’s Jeff Renner Invited to ‘Weather at the White House’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Meet the Washington State Governor’s new Climate Change Attack Plan (Crosscut Seattle)
  • Five Out-There Energy Projects that Are Moving Closer To Reality (GigaOM)
  • FCC Changes to E-Rate Program Could Leave Struggling School Districts without Websites (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)
  • GETS Network: AT&T’s New Fiber Could Stymie U-S Disaster Response Communications (Gizmodo)
  • Balky Wi-Fi Above the Clouds (NY Times)
  • Backlash after Seattle Department of Transportation Posts ‘Scumbag Hat’ Tweet (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
  • PayPal Exec Blasts Employees in Twitter Tirade (USA Today)
  • A Company Guide to Damage Control after a Social Media Blowup (Washington Post)
  • Police Use Pinterest to Get Victims’ Stolen Stuff Back to Them (Consumerist)
  • Grassroots, with Social Media, Key for Co-ops (Electric Co-op Today)
  • U-S Supreme Court Says Prayer before Town Council Meeting is OK (Associated Press)
  • 35th District Representative Drew MacEwen Announces Re-Election Bid (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)
  • A Road to Somewhere: Tiny Alaska Fishing Village at Center of Political Fight over Road (Reuters)
  • Threat of Oregon Wildfires Increases as Drought Expands in West (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Powerful Winds near Snohomish Not a Tornado (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
  • Washington State Pot Lottery Rankings Out, But Future Murky for Many (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
  • Hash Oil Explosions Rise with Legalized Marijuana (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Whistle-Blower Warns of Dangerous Highway Guardrails in Washington State (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Cowlitz Push for Tribal-State Compact - Tribe would be able to lease some or all of nearly 1,000 slot machines (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
  • Oregon Governor Performs CPR, Helps Save Woman’s Life (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
WORD OF THE DAY

Conquistador • \kon-KEEST-tuh-dore\ • Noun - One that conquers; specifically:  a leader in the Spanish conquest of America & especially of Mexico & Peru in the 16th century.

See Procul Harem, Conquistador:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fpa0XaIbXY

Or, Maynard Ferguson (not the same tune): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYX4TVktOjk

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

British Columbia Dams: Political Leader Opposed To Site C Dam; Wants Third-Party View (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

U-S Senate Takes up Energy Efficiency Bill amid Keystone Squabble (Associated Press)

Bellingham Studies New Approaches for Waterfront Utilities (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Malloy wants spot on Chelan PUD board (Insurance NewsNet)

Colorado: Drake Power Plant Badly Damaged by Fire, Offline Indefinitely (KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO)

Seeking Consensus on the Internalized Costs of Nuclear (The Energy Collective)

Energy Future’s Revamp May Put New Oncor Owners under Microscope (Reuters)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Billy Frank Jr.: Appreciating a Pacific Northwest Civil Rights Legend (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Dying Starfish Found in Yaquina Bay, First Major Oregon Discovery of Wasting Disease (Oregonian, Portland)

Richland Girl Develops Fish-Tagging Game (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Bees Continue to Swarm into Backyards (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Drought-Stricken Texas Town Turns to Toilets for Water (National Public Radio)\

Editorial: In California Drought, Fortunes Are Made (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Angeles’ Nippon Biomass Plant Remains Down Due to Cracks in Boiler Unit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Fuel Cell Firm ClearEdge Power Seeks Bankruptcy Protection, Three Years after Top Oregon VC Deal (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar Power Breakthrough Hints at Cheaper Panels for More Roofs (Christian Science Monitor)

Renewable-Energy Surge Slow to Wean China Off Coal (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Northwest Efficiency Exchange Conference Highlights Energy Efficiency Innovations & Trends (PR Newswire)

How Personalizing Energy Data Could Help Utilities Stay In Business (Forbes Magazine)

LED Lights Make Your Whites a Little Less Bright (Reviewed.Com)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change Study Finds U-S is Already Widely Affected (NY Times)

Puget Sound Feeling Impact of Climate Change (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Obama Tries Weather Outreach on Climate (Politico)

You Little Scamp: KINGT-TV’s Jeff Renner Invited to ‘Weather at the White House’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Meet the Washington State Governor’s new Climate Change Attack Plan (Crosscut Seattle)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Five Out-There Energy Projects that Are Moving Closer To Reality (GigaOM)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Changes to E-Rate Program Could Leave Struggling School Districts without Websites (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)

GETS Network: AT&T’s New Fiber Could Stymie U-S Disaster Response Communications (Gizmodo)

Balky Wi-Fi Above the Clouds (NY Times)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Backlash after Seattle Department of Transportation Posts ‘Scumbag Hat’ Tweet (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

PayPal Exec Blasts Employees in Twitter Tirade (USA Today)

A Company Guide to Damage Control after a Social Media Blowup (Washington Post)

Police Use Pinterest to Get Victims’ Stolen Stuff Back to Them (Consumerist)

Grassroots, with Social Media, Key for Co-ops (Electric Co-op Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S Supreme Court Says Prayer before Town Council Meeting is OK (Associated Press)

35th District Representative Drew MacEwen Announces Re-Election Bid (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

A Road to Somewhere: Tiny Alaska Fishing Village at Center of Political Fight over Road (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Threat of Oregon Wildfires Increases as Drought Expands in West (Oregonian, Portland)

Powerful Winds near Snohomish Not a Tornado (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Washington State Pot Lottery Rankings Out, But Future Murky for Many (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Hash Oil Explosions Rise with Legalized Marijuana (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Whistle-Blower Warns of Dangerous Highway Guardrails in Washington State (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Cowlitz Push for Tribal-State Compact - Tribe would be able to lease some or all of nearly 1,000 slot machines (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Oregon Governor Performs CPR, Helps Save Woman’s Life (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

DIVERSIONS

Utah Denies Petition to Honor Turkeys with Roadside Memorial

Treasure Found on ‘U-S Ship of Gold’

Russell Wilson Gets His Praying, Bowling On With Justin Bieber

Family Who Lost Dog during Sandy Finds It at Pound

SONG OF THE DAY

Neil Young - Heart of Gold

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.