Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Energy News Digest for July 29, 2014

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

New Bill Pushes for $50 Million to Restore Columbia River (Jefferson Public Radio, Ashland, OR)
http://ijpr.org/post/new-bill-pushes-50-million-restore-columbia-river

Draft Snake River Sockeye Recovery Plan Released for Comment; $101 Million over 25 Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Avista Thanks Customers for Patience during Worst Spokane-Area Outage since 1996 Ice Storm (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Washington State Governor Inslee to Lay Out Ideas for Cap-And-Trade, Carbon Tax (Crosscut Seattle)

Dry Weather, Warm Temps for the Next Week across Washington State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Avista Thanks Customers for Patience during Worst Spokane-Area Outage since 1996 Ice Storm
  • Squirrel Causes Transformer to Explode, Loss of TV in Grant County
  • Zapped Critters Cause 17% of Snohomish PUD Outages
  • Clallam Public Utility District to Take Bids on an Estimated $12.6 Million in Construction Projects
  • California: Emails Show Pacific Gas & Electric, Regulator Have ‘Illegal, Unethical Relationship,’ San Bruno Official Says
  • Southern Montana Electric Co-op Exits Bankruptcy
  • Legal Marathon Continues over Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Warrenton
  • Small Idaho Town Gets Smarter with Automation
  • West’s Largest Coal-Fired Plant on Track to Close
  • Taiwan’s Nuclear Power Plants Are Magnets for Protesters – And Snorkelers
  • Critical Grid Standards OK, but FERC Seeks More
  • Draft Snake River Sockeye Recovery Plan Released for Comment; $101 Million over 25 Years
  • Scientists Hoping to Restore Salmon in Ellensburg
  • Puget Sound Hatchery Plans Opened to Public Comment
  • Rocky Barker: Renewing Idaho’s Wild Salmon & Wild Rivers
  • Oregon Historical Photo: Salmon Wheel Boat on the Columbia River, 1883
  • New Bill Pushes for $50 Million to Restore Columbia River
  • British Columbia: Kettle River, Long Abused, Serves as a Warning Sign for B-C’S Water Supply
  • Editorial: B-C Premier Vows Sewage Treatment for Victoria — Someday
  • Solar Panel Prices Expected to Rise in the U-S Due to New Tariffs on Chinese Panels
  • How Clean Tech, After Notable Failures, Grew Up in Oregon
  • Massachusetts: Hydropower Plan Vital in Climate Change Fight, Officials Say
  • Your Giant American Refrigerator is Making You Fat & Poor
  • Washington State Governor Inslee to Lay Out Ideas for Cap-And-Trade, Carbon Tax
  • White House Report Presses Economic Case for Carbon Rule
  • Report: More Acidic Seawater Poses Risks in Alaska
  • Getting a Charge Out of Work: Oregon Employers to Provide Stations for Plug-In Vehicles
  • Frontier Has Fiber Plans for the Portland Suburbs
  • How Much Data Can One Smart Home Generate? About 1 GB a Week
  • Major League Baseball Latest Opposed to FCC’s ‘Fast Lane’ Proposal
  • Free Solar Marketing on Facebook Is Mostly Dead, Now What?
  • Your Facebook Page’s Organic Reach Is About to Plummet
  • Can Reddit Grow Up?
  • Inside the EPA climate rule hearings — FERC weighs in on EPA rules — U.S., EU to toughen Russian sanctions
  • State Senate Races: Republicans Dishing Dirt through Mail
  • Dry Weather, Warm Temps for the Next Week across Washington State
  • Why Gas Prices Remain Static despite U-S Oil Production Surge
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista Thanks Customers for Patience during Worst Spokane-Area Outage since 1996 Ice Storm (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Squirrel Causes Transformer to Explode, Loss of TV in Grant County (iFiber One, Ephrata, WA)

Zapped Critters Cause 17% of Snohomish PUD Outages (Everett Herald, WA)

Clallam Public Utility District to Take Bids on an Estimated $12.6 Million in Construction Projects (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

California: Emails Show Pacific Gas & Electric, Regulator Have ‘Illegal, Unethical Relationship,’ San Bruno Official Says (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Southern Montana Electric Co-op Exits Bankruptcy (Electric Co-op Today)

Legal Marathon Continues over Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Project in Warrenton (Oregonian, Portland)

Small Idaho Town Gets Smarter with Automation (Bonneville Power Administration)

West’s Largest Coal-Fired Plant on Track to Close (Associated Press)

Taiwan’s Nuclear Power Plants Are Magnets for Protesters – And Snorkelers (Christian Science Monitor)

Critical Grid Standards OK, but FERC Seeks More (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Draft Snake River Sockeye Recovery Plan Released for Comment; $101 Million over 25 Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Scientists Hoping to Restore Salmon in Ellensburg (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Puget Sound Hatchery Plans Opened to Public Comment (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Rocky Barker: Renewing Idaho’s Wild Salmon & Wild Rivers (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Oregon Historical Photo: Salmon Wheel Boat on the Columbia River, 1883 “…This new technology was so efficient it eventually decimated the salmon population, contributing to the decline of native communities & culture…” (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

New Bill Pushes for $50 Million to Restore Columbia River (Jefferson Public Radio, Ashland, OR)
http://ijpr.org/post/new-bill-pushes-50-million-restore-columbia-river

British Columbia: Kettle River, Long Abused, Serves as a Warning Sign for B-C’S Water Supply (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Editorial: B-C Premier Vows Sewage Treatment for Victoria — Someday (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Panel Prices Expected to Rise in the U-S Due to New Tariffs on Chinese Panels (Renewable Energy World)

How Clean Tech, After Notable Failures, Grew Up in Oregon (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Massachusetts: Hydropower Plan Vital in Climate Change Fight, Officials Say “…would require utility companies in the state to sign long-term agreements to buy large amounts of hydroelectric power from Canada…” (Boston Globe, MA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Your Giant American Refrigerator is Making You Fat & Poor (Gawker Domesticity)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Governor Inslee to Lay Out Ideas for Cap-And-Trade, Carbon Tax (Crosscut Seattle)

White House Report Presses Economic Case for Carbon Rule (NY Times)

Report: More Acidic Seawater Poses Risks in Alaska (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Getting a Charge Out of Work: Oregon Employers to Provide Stations for Plug-In Vehicles (Sustainable Business Oregon)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Frontier Has Fiber Plans for the Portland Suburbs (Portland Business Journal, OR)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2014/07/frontier-has-fiber-plans-for-the-portland-suburbs.html

How Much Data Can One Smart Home Generate? About 1 GB a Week (GigaOM)

Major League Baseball Latest Opposed to FCC’s ‘Fast Lane’ Proposal (Broadband Reports)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Free Solar Marketing on Facebook Is Mostly Dead, Now What? (Renewable Energy World)

Your Facebook Page’s Organic Reach Is About to Plummet (Social Media Today)

Can Reddit Grow Up? (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Inside the EPA climate rule hearings — FERC weighs in on EPA rules — U.S., EU to toughen Russian sanctions — House takes up ESA bill (Politico)

State Senate Races: Republicans Dishing Dirt through Mail (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Dry Weather, Warm Temps for the Next Week across Washington State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Why Gas Prices Remain Static despite U-S Oil Production Surge (Christian Science Monitor)

DIVERSIONS

Study: Fist Bumps Are Less Germy Than Handshakes (But Are They “Terrorist” Fist Bumps?)

Clowns Help Fellow Clown Who Crashed Car into Pole (White greasepaint all over the highway!)

Wedding Reception Shut Down When Brawl Breaks Out

Elegant Louvre Garden in Paris Infested with Rats

SONG OF THE DAY

Camille - Le Festin(Ratatouille 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.