Friday, November 14, 2014

Energy News Digest for November 14, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for November 14, 2014

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Northwest Apples, Hay & Potatoes Caught Up in Port Slowdown (Northwest Public Radio)

Energy Northwest’s Richland Nuclear Power Plant Sets Record for Operating Days (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Thurston County Judge Rules in REC Silicon’s Favor over Grant County Tax Assessment (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Oregon: Rogue Valley Residents Question University Biomass Proposal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Oregon Helps Defend Obama Administration’s Carbon Limits on Power Plants (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Energy Northwest’s Richland Nuclear Power Plant Sets Record for Operating Days
  2. Northwest Power Pool Initiative Launches Solicitation Seeking Market Operator for Potential Energy Imbalance Market
  3. FERC significantly expands Southwest Power Pool
  4. Mason PUD 3 Commission Report: Rate Hearing, Budget Hearing & Special Business Meeting
  5. Cold Weather Lingering, But Puget Sound Energy Restores Power to Most Customers
  6. Montana: Substance That Gives Natural Gas Its Smell Spills
  7. Gunfire Sticks Pennsylvania Co-op with $250,000 Repair Bill
  8. “Plug In” Electrical Safety This Holiday Season
  9. Turkey’s Biggest Hydropower Dam Project Victim of Faltering Peace Talks
  10. Feds to Protect Puget Sound Habitat for Rockfish
  11. Op/Ed: Buckley Dam - Stop Killing the Salmon
  12. Video: Recent Coyote Sightings Prompt Warnings on Social Media
  13. Cold Weather Cracks Spokane Water Mains
  14. Drought Is Taking California Back to the Wild, Wild West
  15. Thurston County Judge Rules in REC Silicon’s Favor over Grant County Tax Assessment
  16. Oregon: Rogue Valley Residents Question University Biomass Proposal
  17. Should American Wood Fuel European Power?
  18. Romance May Have Derailed Science in California Energy Development
  19. Europe’s Offshore Wind Industry Races to Cut Costs as Subsidies Drop
  20. Colorful Energy Conservation Efforts Appeal to Human Behavior
  21. What Is a Smart Home? Most People Don’t Know
  22. Pacific Gas & Electric: By Recycling Old Refrigerators & Buying Energy Efficient Ones, Customers Can Save Money, Energy
  23. Op/Ed: Saving Energy Means Increased Resources for Students
  24. Oregon Helps Defend Obama Administration’s Carbon Limits on Power Plants
  25. Study Finds as World Warms, U-S Gets More Lightning
  26. Obama to Pledge $3 Billion for International “Green” Fund
  27. FCC’s Rural Broadband Experimental Efforts Get 181 Applicants
  28. Idaho School Broadband Legal Bill Nears $1 Million
  29. Obama & Scalia, United on Broadband as a Utility
  30. Verizon’s Shammo: We Could Do 1 Gig Today, But the Demand Isn’t There
  31. Google Signs 60-Year, $1 Billion Lease with NASA
  32. Google’s Ad Server Suffers Global Failure, Causing Millions of Ads to Disappear from Web
  33. Auto-Replied Racial Slur Ruins Patriots Twitter Celebration
  34. Nest Isn’t Just Smart & Sleek, But Funny Too, in First TV Ads
  35. Republican Dan Griffey of Allyn Claims Victory over Rep. Kathy Haigh in the 35th District
  36. Northwest Apples, Hay & Potatoes Caught Up in Port Slowdown
  37. Tiny Amounts of Fukushima Radiation Found in California
  38. Gov’t Tells U-S Drivers to Get Used to “Cheap” Gas
  39. Central Washington State Pot Grower to Auction Off 500-Pound Crop
  40. Marijuana-Friendly States Team Up on Capitol Hill
  41. Editorial: Why You’ll Soon See Marijuana Ads in the Daily News
  42. Comet-Lander Begins Drilling but Battery is Running Low
WORD OF THE DAY

Threnody • \THREN-uh-dee\ • noun - A song of lamentation for the dead: elegy.

Dragons’ high keening
Threnody for the gone between
Tears shed, thread falls, fly

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Energy Northwest’s Richland Nuclear Power Plant Sets Record for Operating Days (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Northwest Power Pool Initiative Launches Solicitation Seeking Market Operator for Potential Energy Imbalance Market (American Public Power Association)

FERC significantly expands Southwest Power Pool (Utility Dive)

Mason PUD 3 Commission Report: Rate Hearing, Budget Hearing & Special Business Meeting (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Cold Weather Lingering, But Puget Sound Energy Restores Power to Most Customers (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Montana: Substance That Gives Natural Gas Its Smell Spills (Associated Press)

Gunfire Sticks Pennsylvania Co-op with $250,000 Repair Bill (Electric Co-op Today)

“Plug In” Electrical Safety This Holiday Season (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Turkey’s Biggest Hydropower Dam Project Victim of Faltering Peace Talks (Renewable Energy World)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds to Protect Puget Sound Habitat for Rockfish (Associated Press)

Op/Ed: Buckley Dam - Stop Killing the Salmon (Crosscut Seattle)

Video: Recent Coyote Sightings Prompt Warnings on Social Media (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Cold Weather Cracks Spokane Water Mains (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Drought Is Taking California Back to the Wild, Wild West (National Journal)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Thurston County Judge Rules in REC Silicon’s Favor over Grant County Tax Assessment (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Oregon: Rogue Valley Residents Question University Biomass Proposal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Should American Wood Fuel European Power? (Scientific American)

Romance May Have Derailed Science in California Energy Development (KCET Broadcasting, Burbank, CA)

Europe’s Offshore Wind Industry Races to Cut Costs as Subsidies Drop (Reuters)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Colorful Energy Conservation Efforts Appeal to Human Behavior (Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, PA)

What Is a Smart Home? Most People Don’t Know (The Energy Collective)

Pacific Gas & Electric: By Recycling Old Refrigerators & Buying Energy Efficient Ones, Customers Can Save Money, Energy (PG&E Currents)

Op/Ed: Saving Energy Means Increased Resources for Students (San Bernardino County Sun, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Oregon Helps Defend Obama Administration’s Carbon Limits on Power Plants (Oregonian, Portland)

Study Finds as World Warms, U-S Gets More Lightning (Associated Press)

Obama to Pledge $3 Billion for International “Green” Fund (Reuters)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC’s Rural Broadband Experimental Efforts Get 181 Applicants (eWeek)

Idaho School Broadband Legal Bill Nears $1 Million (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Obama & Scalia, United on Broadband as a Utility (NY Times)

Verizon’s Shammo: We Could Do 1 Gig Today, But the Demand Isn’t There (Fierce Telecom)

Google Signs 60-Year, $1 Billion Lease with NASA (Associated Press)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Google’s Ad Server Suffers Global Failure, Causing Millions of Ads to Disappear from Web (GigaOM)

Auto-Replied Racial Slur Ruins Patriots Twitter Celebration (Associated Press)

Nest Isn’t Just Smart & Sleek, But Funny Too, in First TV Ads (AdWeek)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Republican Dan Griffey of Allyn Claims Victory over Rep. Kathy Haigh in the 35th District (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Northwest Apples, Hay & Potatoes Caught Up in Port Slowdown (Northwest Public Radio)

Tiny Amounts of Fukushima Radiation Found in California (USA Today)

Gov’t Tells U-S Drivers to Get Used to “Cheap” Gas (Associated Press)

Central Washington State Pot Grower to Auction Off 500-Pound Crop (Associated Press)

Marijuana-Friendly States Team Up on Capitol Hill (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

Editorial: Why You’ll Soon See Marijuana Ads in the Daily News (Longview Daily News, WA)

Comet-Lander Begins Drilling but Battery is Running Low (Mashable)

DIVERSIONS

Please Sir, May I Have Some More? Ex-Wife of U-S Oil Baron to Appeal $1 Billion Divorce Award

Humility Check - Five-Year-Old Passes Microsoft Exam

Rodent Selfie Puts Manning Park on the Map

Army Vet Has Government Letter Declaring Him Dead

SONG OF THE DAY

Paul McCartney - Live & Let Die

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.