Thursday, October 30, 2014

Energy News Digest for October 30, 2014


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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

British Columbia Energy Projects Face New Legal Hurdles (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Weather: Below-Average Snowfall Expected across Inland Northwest (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

As Infrastructure Crumbles, Trillions of Gallons of Water Lost (National Public Radio)

Portland General Electric Status Report: Earnings Are Up, New Rates Are in the Offing & Three New Power Stations Are in the Pipeline (Portland Business Journal, OR)

California: Bay Area Solar Firms Take Dim View of Arizona Utility’s Move (SF Chronicle)


NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. British Columbia Energy Projects Face New Legal Hurdles
  2. Portland General Electric Status Report: Earnings Are Up, New Rates Are in the Offing & Three New Power Stations Are in the Pipeline
  3. Oregon: Springfield Utility Board Asks for Power, Water Rate Increases
  4. Op/Ed: Steve Wright - It’s Time to Plan Projects
  5. PacifiCorp Employee Claims Retaliation after Refusing to Meet with Boss’ Daughter, Who Sold Knives Door-to-Door
  6. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resumes Plant Licensing
  7. OSHA Final Rule on Derricks Delayed
  8. Eleven Utilities Are Winners in APPA Annual Report Contest
  9. Oregon: Rescue Nets Thousands of Deschutes River Fish
  10. Watchdog Group Finds Shrimp Mislabeled Nationwide, with Less Fraud in Portland
  11. As Infrastructure Crumbles, Trillions of Gallons of Water Lost
  12. California: Bay Area Solar Firms Take Dim View of Arizona Utility’s Move
  13. Researchers Turning Wood Waste into Energy, Agricultural Resource
  14. Montana: Bridger Bowl Receives Grant to Install Biomass Burner
  15. Canada: Report Says Wind Turbines Blowing Ontario Taxpayers’ Money
  16. Fukushima Sets Off Green Boom & Glut as Utilities Choke on Cost, Hope for Return of Nuclear
  17. This Diagram Will Help You Visualize How Opower’s Software Platform Operates
  18. Washington State Governor Inslee’s Consultant: Clean-Fuel Standard Might Raise Gas Prices Two Cents by 2020
  19. Fires & Floods: North Cascades Federal Lands Prepare for Climate Change
  20. Are Environmental Regulations Causing U-S Utility Bills to Surge?
  21. APPA Applauds Recognition by Broadband Agency of Safety Role Played by Electric Utilities
  22. Some Connecticut Residents Say Frontier/AT&T Switchover Left Them without Service
  23. Op/Ed: Who is Winning the Broadband Race?
  24. Seven Big Stats from Facebook’s Third Quarter Earnings Report - Ad Sales Continue to Drive Growth
  25. Lysol Buys Ad around Google Searches for ‘Ebola’ Exploiting Public Fear?
  26. Why Did Taco Bell Just Wipe Out Its Social Media Accounts? An Unorthodox Approach to Launching an App
  27. Senate Republicans Call for Formal Investigations into Mailers Targeting Sen. Sheldon
  28. Weather: Below-Average Snowfall Expected across Inland Northwest
  29. Transportation Officials Say 3,000 Rail Crossings in Washington Go Un-Inspected
  30. Oregon, Alaska Now Ground Zero in Legal Marijuana Fight
  31. Pot Legalization Measure Divides Marijuana Producers in Southwest Oregon
WORD OF THE DAY

Colloquial • \cull-LOW-kwee-ull\ • Adjective - 1: of or relating to conversation: conversational 2a: used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation; also: unacceptably informal b: using conversational style

Amber stumbled from her first meeting with her utility’s energy experts in a daze. Acronyms and specialized concepts rolled out the door behind her, somewhat like “Fibber McGee’s Closet.” The colloquial onset was dulled somewhat by a quick “break” at the nearby pub, where a pint of ale replaced her mental confusion with more of a physical one.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

British Columbia Energy Projects Face New Legal Hurdles (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Portland General Electric Status Report: Earnings Are Up, New Rates Are in the Offing & Three New Power Stations Are in the Pipeline (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Oregon: Springfield Utility Board Asks for Power, Water Rate Increases - Rising BPA costs & the loss of two big customers hurt the utility (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Clallam PUD to Conduct Customer Survey (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Op/Ed: Steve Wright - It’s Time to Plan Projects (Wenatchee World, WA)

PacifiCorp Employee Claims Retaliation after Refusing to Meet with Boss’ Daughter, Who Sold Knives Door-to-Door (Oregonian, Portland)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Resumes Plant Licensing (Utility Dive)

OSHA Final Rule on Derricks Delayed (Electric Co-op Today)

Eleven Utilities Are Winners in APPA Annual Report Contest (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon: Rescue Nets Thousands of Deschutes River Fish (Bend Bulletin, OR)

Watchdog Group Finds Shrimp Mislabeled Nationwide, with Less Fraud in Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

As Infrastructure Crumbles, Trillions of Gallons of Water Lost (National Public Radio)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California: Bay Area Solar Firms Take Dim View of Arizona Utility’s Move (SF Chronicle)

Researchers Turning Wood Waste into Energy, Agricultural Resource (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Montana: Bridger Bowl Receives Grant to Install Biomass Burner (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, MT)

Canada: Report Says Wind Turbines Blowing Ontario Taxpayers’ Money (Sun News, Canada)

Fukushima Sets Off Green Boom & Glut as Utilities Choke on Cost, Hope for Return of Nuclear (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

This Diagram Will Help You Visualize How Opower’s Software Platform Operates (The Energy Collective)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Governor Inslee’s Consultant: Clean-Fuel Standard Might Raise Gas Prices Two Cents by 2020 (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Fires & Floods: North Cascades Federal Lands Prepare for Climate Change (UW Today, Seattle, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Are Environmental Regulations Causing U-S Utility Bills to Surge? (Renewable Energy World)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

APPA Applauds Recognition by Broadband Agency of Safety Role Played by Electric Utilities (American Public Power Association)

Some Connecticut Residents Say Frontier/AT&T Switchover Left Them without Service (New Haven Register-Citizen, CT)

Op/Ed: Who is Winning the Broadband Race? (Detroit News, MI)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Seven Big Stats from Facebook’s Third Quarter Earnings Report - Ad Sales Continue to Drive Growth (AdWeek)

Lysol Buys Ad around Google Searches for ‘Ebola’ Exploiting Public Fear? (AdWeek)

Why Did Taco Bell Just Wipe Out Its Social Media Accounts? An Unorthodox Approach to Launching an App (AdWeek)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Senate Republicans Call for Formal Investigations into Mailers Targeting Sen. Sheldon (Washington State Wire, Olympia, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Weather: Below-Average Snowfall Expected across Inland Northwest (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Transportation Officials Say 3,000 Rail Crossings in Washington Go Un-Inspected (Northwest Public Radio)

Oregon, Alaska Now Ground Zero in Legal Marijuana Fight (Associated Press)

Pot Legalization Measure Divides Marijuana Producers in Southwest Oregon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

DIVERSIONS

Once & for All: Is It Duck Tape or Duct Tape?

Man’s Own Dog Helps Police Bust Him on Drug Charge

Man Who Vanished from Denver NFL Game Said He ‘Had His Fill of Football’

Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer. In October - All-Christmas Radio Is an Enduring, & Profitable, Tradition

SONG OF THE DAY

Genesis - Follow You Follow Me

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.