Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Energy News Digest for November 4, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Mason County Weather Forecast for November 4, 2014

Flood Warning Continues for the Skokomish River near Potlatch Affecting Mason County

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Energy Northwest Defends Water Permit for Its Richland Nuclear Plant (Oregonian, Portland)

Bonneville Power Administration Challenges PacifiCorp Plans for Allocation of Network Transmission Rights (American Public Power Association)

Wanapum Dam Repair Crews to Labor on through Winter (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Telecommuters Facing Gridlock with Latest Comcast Modem (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

Vote Today (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Energy Northwest Defends Water Permit for Its Richland Nuclear Plant
  2. Environmentalists Need to Decide if Science Matters or Not
  3. Bonneville Power Administration Challenges PacifiCorp Plans for Allocation of Network Transmission Rights
  4. Wanapum Dam Repair Crews to Labor on through Winter
  5. Editorial: Enjoying Conservation & Low-Cost Power
  6. News Release: California ISO, PacifiCorp Launch First Western Energy Market
  7. Iowa: Battle Brewing over Prepaid Electric Meters
  8. Op/Ed: Boulder, CO - Municipalization Is Our Best Step into the Future
  9. It’s Official: Steelhead Coming to the Boise River on Thursday
  10. Kennewick Finishes Zintel Canyon Dam Repairs
  11. ‘Soil Burritos’ Hold Together Northwest River Banks More Like Nature Does
  12. Scary Maps Show How Bad California’s Water Shortage Is
  13. California: Wind Project’s Demise Gets Energetic Response in High Desert
  14. Your Building Has Secrets to Tell. Are You Listening?
  15. Nest Just Made Your Thermostat Smarter with a New Algorithm
  16. Make Your Dumb Home Smart on a Budget
  17. U-S Department of Energy Expands Efficiency Push to ‘Fast-Charging’ Power Cords
  18. Is the EPA Considering Easing Back on Carbon Cuts?
  19. Telecommuters Facing Gridlock with Latest Comcast Modem
  20. Comcast Doubling Internet Speeds in Puget Sound Region, Spokane
  21. Google Fiber Enables the Fastest Starbucks in the West
  22. Brazil Begins Laying Its Own Internet Cables to Avoid U-S Surveillance
  23. The Internet Archive, Trying to Encompass All Creation
  24. Etsy CEO: Congress Still Doesn’t Get the Internet
  25. Does Mobile Marketing Actually Work in the Real World?
  26. U-S Map Shows the Best-Selling NFL Jersey among Women in Each State
  27. That Time Bill Clinton Photobombed a Sad Little Kid
  28. Republicans Expect Congressional Gains, But Many Races Close on Election Day
  29. Vote Today
  30. Fire Trucks Recalled Nationally after Wheel Falls Off Portland Ladder Truck
  31. Spurned Marijuana Store Sues Bellevue
  32. Marijuana Profits Up in Smoke under IRS Rules
  33. Brittany Maynard Galvanizes National Right-To-Die Efforts
  34. Prosecutors: Squatters Tried to ‘Homestead’ in Foreclosed King County Homes
  35. ‘Movember’: Mustaches for Men’s Health!
WORD OF THE DAY

Archipelago • \ark-uh-PELL-uh-goe\ • Noun - 1: an expanse of water with many scattered islands 2: a group of islands 3: something resembling an archipelago; especially: a group or scattering of similar things

Emerald blue water, whitewashed houses tumbling down rocky slopes to the waters’ edge, island time could truly be summed up by a summer in the Aegean archipelago of Greece; far from the madding crowds of Athens.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Energy Northwest Defends Water Permit for Its Richland Nuclear Plant (Oregonian, Portland)

Environmentalists Need to Decide if Science Matters or Not (Northwest Clean Energy)

Bonneville Power Administration Challenges PacifiCorp Plans for Allocation of Network Transmission Rights (American Public Power Association)

Wanapum Dam Repair Crews to Labor on through Winter (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Editorial: Enjoying Conservation & Low-Cost Power (Olympian - Paywall Advisory – Implies Thurston County, a PSE-served area, gets preference power & pays a share of fish & wildlife costs in Columbia River Basin)

News Release: California ISO, PacifiCorp Launch First Western Energy Market (BusinessWire)

Iowa: Battle Brewing over Prepaid Electric Meters (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA)

Op/Ed: Boulder, CO - Municipalization Is Our Best Step into the Future (The Daily Camera, Boulder, CO)

FISH & WILDLIFE

It’s Official: Steelhead Coming to the Boise River on Thursday (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kennewick Finishes Zintel Canyon Dam Repairs (Tri-City Herald, WA)

‘Soil Burritos’ Hold Together Northwest River Banks More Like Nature Does (Northwest Public Radio)

Scary Maps Show How Bad California’s Water Shortage Is (Grist Online)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California: Wind Project’s Demise Gets Energetic Response in High Desert (Victorville Daily Press, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Your Building Has Secrets to Tell. Are You Listening? (Fortune Magazine)

Nest Just Made Your Thermostat Smarter with a New Algorithm (Gizmodo)

Make Your Dumb Home Smart on a Budget (USA Today)

U-S Department of Energy Expands Efficiency Push to ‘Fast-Charging’ Power Cords (The Hill, Washington DC)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Is the EPA Considering Easing Back on Carbon Cuts? (Utility Dive)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telecommuters Facing Gridlock with Latest Comcast Modem (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

Comcast Doubling Internet Speeds in Puget Sound Region, Spokane (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Google Fiber Enables the Fastest Starbucks in the West (Oregonian, Portland)

Brazil Begins Laying Its Own Internet Cables to Avoid U-S Surveillance (Washington Post)

The Internet Archive, Trying to Encompass All Creation (NY Times)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Etsy CEO: Congress Still Doesn’t Get the Internet (Washington Post)

Does Mobile Marketing Actually Work in the Real World? (AdWeek)

U-S Map Shows the Best-Selling NFL Jersey among Women in Each State (AdWeek)

That Time Bill Clinton Photobombed a Sad Little Kid (Washington Post)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Republicans Expect Congressional Gains, But Many Races Close on Election Day (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Vote Today (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Fire Trucks Recalled Nationally after Wheel Falls Off Portland Ladder Truck (Oregonian, Portland)

Spurned Marijuana Store Sues Bellevue (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Marijuana Profits Up in Smoke under IRS Rules (USA Today)

Brittany Maynard Galvanizes National Right-To-Die Efforts (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Prosecutors: Squatters Tried to ‘Homestead’ in Foreclosed King County Homes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

‘Movember’: Mustaches for Men’s Health! (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Tom Magliozzi, Popular Co-Host of NPR’s ‘Car Talk,’ Dies at 77

Show off Driver Tries Impressing Bystanders by Revving Lamborghini’s Engine, Catches Car on Fire Instead

NY Troopers Arrest Man for Trying to Eat DWI Test

Ruminant Revolt - Spanish Shepherds Guide 2,000 Sheep across Madrid

SONG OF THE DAY

Ol’ ‘55 – Eagles

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.