Monday, July 21, 2014

Energy News Digest for July 21, 2014

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Restoring Power in Okanogan County Could Take Weeks (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)

Conservationists Threaten to Sue over Unused Elwha River Hatchery Weir (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Whirlpool Wants Congress to Ban Class-Action Suits Tied to Energy Star Program (NY Times)

LED Technology to Brighten British Columbia Streets - New program will allow municipalities to buy LED streetlights in bulk (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

House Spending Bills Come Up Short; FERC Commissioners Finally Confirmed (The Energy Collective)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Restoring Power in Okanogan County Could Take Weeks
  • Wildfires: Contact Okanogan PUD before Connecting Generators
  • Cowlitz PUD Will Meet Tuesday to Discuss Rate Hike
  • Body Found After 5 Years of Auto-Paid Bills Finally Identified as Homeowner
  • Conservationists Threaten to Sue over Unused Elwha River Hatchery Weir
  • Wild Fish Conservancy Files Intent-To-Sue Notice Challenging Operations at Leavenworth Hatchery
  • Bag Limits Go Up Again as Sockeye Boom Continues to Set Daily Dam Passage Records
  • Cushman Fisheries Program
  • Once Nearly Gone, Lake Pend Oreille Kokanee Have Rebounded In a Big Way
  • Without Government Aid, Uneven Path for Renewables
  • High Costs Keep Renewable Energy at Bay in West Virginia
  • Op/Ed: Are Governments Overreaching When It Comes to Green Energy?
  • Whirlpool Wants Congress to Ban Class-Action Suits Tied to Energy Star Program
  • LED Technology to Brighten British Columbia Streets
  • Sacramento-Area HVAC Firms Say Finding a Good Technician Getting Tougher
  • Plug Power Will Hold Annual Shareholder Meeting This Week
  • Net Neutrality Was Just the Start. Can the FCC Keep States from Banning Public Internet?
  • Editorial: A Net Neutrality Meltdown in the Federal Communications Commission
  • House Spending Bills Come Up Short; FERC Commissioners Finally Confirmed
  • Republican Vic Atiyeh, Who Guided Oregon through Economic Upheaval, Dies at 91
  • Weird Endorsements Have Message for Voters: Make Up Your Own Minds!!
  • One Person Confirmed Dead as Okanogan Wildfires Continue to Grow
  • Pacific Northwest Wildfires: More Than 940,000 Acres Burn in Oregon & Washington
  • Fires Join to Become Largest in State History
  • Incredible Drone Video of Wildfire Destruction
  • 18-Year-Old Sequim Man Drowns in Lake Cushman
  • Public Hearing to Gather Public Comment on Mason County Marijuana Moratorium
  • Jury Tells Thurston County to Pay $12 Million over Halt to Maytown Gravel Mining
  • Oil-By-Rail Fight in Washington Threatens California Gasoline Prices
  • National Parks Boost Neighboring Communities in Idaho, Other Western States, Study Finds
WORD OF THE DAY

Splenetic • \splih-NET-ik\ • Adjective - Marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite

Gertrude was at a loss to explain Alfred’s splenetic response to her lovely poem about a lonely dung beetle.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Restoring Power in Okanogan County Could Take Weeks (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)

Wildfires: Contact Okanogan PUD before Connecting Generators (Omak Chronicle, WA)

Cowlitz PUD Will Meet Tuesday to Discuss Rate Hike (Longview Daily News, WA)

Body Found After 5 Years of Auto-Paid Bills Finally Identified as Homeowner (Consumerist)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Conservationists Threaten to Sue over Unused Elwha River Hatchery Weir (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Wild Fish Conservancy Files Intent-To-Sue Notice Challenging Operations at Leavenworth Hatchery (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Bag Limits Go Up Again as Sockeye Boom Continues to Set Daily Dam Passage Records (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Cushman Fisheries Program (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Once Nearly Gone, Lake Pend Oreille Kokanee Have Rebounded In A Big Way--Over One Million Fish (News Bonners Ferry, ID)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Without Government Aid, Uneven Path for Renewables (Electric Co-op Today)

High Costs Keep Renewable Energy at Bay in West Virginia (The State Journal, Charleston, WV)

Op/Ed: Are Governments Overreaching When It Comes to Green Energy? (Forbes Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Whirlpool Wants Congress to Ban Class-Action Suits Tied to Energy Star Program (NY Times)

LED Technology to Brighten British Columbia Streets - New program will allow municipalities to buy LED streetlights in bulk (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Sacramento-Area HVAC Firms Say Finding a Good Technician Getting Tougher (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Plug Power Will Hold Annual Shareholder Meeting This Week (Albany Business Review, NY)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Net Neutrality Was Just the Start. Can the FCC Keep States from Banning Public Internet? (Washington Post)

Editorial: A Net Neutrality Meltdown in the Federal Communications Commission (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

House Spending Bills Come Up Short; FERC Commissioners Finally Confirmed (The Energy Collective)

Republican Vic Atiyeh, Who Guided Oregon through Economic Upheaval, Dies at 91 (Oregonian, Portland)

Weird Endorsements Have Message for Voters: Make Up Your Own Minds!! (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

GENERAL NEWS

One Person Confirmed Dead as Okanogan Wildfires Continue to Grow (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Pacific Northwest Wildfires: More Than 940,000 Acres Burn in Oregon & Washington (Oregonian, Portland)

Fires Join to Become Largest in State History (Omak Chronicle, WA)

Incredible Drone Video of Wildfire Destruction (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

18-Year-Old Sequim Man Drowns in Lake Cushman (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Public Hearing to Gather Public Comment on Mason County Marijuana Moratorium (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Jury Tells Thurston County to Pay $12 Million over Halt to Maytown Gravel Mining (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Oil-By-Rail Fight in Washington Threatens California Gasoline Prices (Reuters)

National Parks Boost Neighboring Communities in Idaho, Other Western States, Study Finds (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Legos Washing Up on English Beaches

James Garner, Star of 'Maverick' & 'The Rockford Files,’ Dies at 86

Chicago Cubs Sue Fake Team Mascots Accused of Hustling Fans

Rare Photos Reveal Fascinating Views of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

SONG OF THE DAY

Mike Post - The Rockford Files Theme

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.