Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Energy News Digest for November 19, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for November 19, 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

Washington State Climate Task Force Leaves It to Gov. Inslee to Decide: Cap-and-Trade or Carbon Tax? (Washington State Wire, Olympia, WA)

PPL Montana Completes $890 Million Sale of Hydroelectric Facilities to NorthWestern Energy (Digital Journal)

Idaho Power: Ready to Become a Green Giant? (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Should U-S Government Kill Thousands of Birds to Save Salmon? (National Geographic)

Pot Is a Growing Business on the Harbor (Montesano Vidette, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. PPL Montana Completes $890 Million Sale of Hydroelectric Facilities to NorthWestern Energy
  2. NorthWestern Purchase of Montana Dams Complete
  3. Wanapum Reservoir to Start Filling Again
  4. Op/Ed: You Might Be Surprised by Puget Sound Energy’s Coal Power Supply
  5. Mason PUD 3’s 10th Consecutive Financial Reporting Recognition
  6. Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Fails U-S Senate by One Vote
  7. Keystone XL Pipeline: Northwest Senators Vote Along Party Lines
  8. Electric Reliability Council of Texas Voices Reliability Concerns Related to EPA Plan to Curb Emissions from Existing Power Plants
  9. DHS: Hackers Targeted the Grid 79 Times This Year
  10. Tennessee Valley Authority Income Up, Portfolio Changing
  11. Puerto Rico’s Electric Utility Owed $1.75 Billion
  12. Jim Jura Sighting - BNSF’s Rose to Chair Clean Coal Coalition
  13. Should U-S Government Kill Thousands of Birds to Save Salmon?
  14. Video: Not Quite Fish in a Barrel, But Close - 340,000 Fish Planted
  15. City of Wenatchee & Chelan PUD Agree to End Dispute over Water Tax
  16. San Diego Advances Plan to Recycle Wastewater
  17. Idaho Power: Ready to Become a Green Giant?
  18. Community Notebook: Palo Alto Tests New Smart Solar Street Lights
  19. Oklahoma: Opponents Vow to Fight Planned Osage County Wind Farm
  20. How the Most Efficient States Convince Utilities to Conserve Energy
  21. Washington State Climate Task Force Leaves It to Gov. Inslee to Decide: Cap-and-Trade or Carbon Tax?
  22. Washington State Task Force Considers Carbon Pricing Options
  23. A Carbon Tax Could Bolster Green Energy
  24. British Columbia: How to Communicate a Good Idea - Carbon Pricing
  25. Berkeley, San Francisco Consider Plans to Put Climate-Change Warning Labels on Gas Pumps
  26. Pot Is a Growing Business on the Harbor
  27. Oregon: Local Officials to Take Pot Sales Tax Fight to Legislature in 2015
  28. West Richland Bans Recreational Marijuana Businesses
  29. Oregon & Washington State Differences in Recreational Marijuana
  30. Bob Marley Family Launches “First World Cannabis Brand”
  31. California Likely to Allow Utilities to Own EV Charging Stations
  32. John Hodgman: ‘The Government Should Be Laying Down Broadband Like Eisenhower Laid Down Interstates’
  33. Seattle City Council Wants to Fund Internet in Homeless Camps
  34. Port of Shelton Employees Pull Man from Oakland Bay
  35. Belfair’s Theler Center Will Become a Shelter for Cold Weather Refuge
  36. Port Slowdown: Christmas Tree Farmers’ Work May Go to Mulch
  37. Sale in Sight for Former Olympia Brewery Property
  38. WSDOT: Thief Stole $7,000 Cameras Used to Track Elk
  39. Map of Record-Breaking Cold Blanket Covering the U-S
WORD OF THE DAY
 
Gestalt • \guh-STALT\ • Noun - A structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts (think of the statement that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts).

A football team is a perfect example of gestalt; a quarterback, lineman, or running back alone cannot win a game. But as a unit, their varied talents enable the individual talents to overcome defenders and score.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

PPL Montana Completes $890 Million Sale of Hydroelectric Facilities to NorthWestern Energy (Digital Journal)

NorthWestern Purchase of Montana Dams Complete (Associated Press)

Wanapum Reservoir to Start Filling Again (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Op/Ed: You Might Be Surprised by Puget Sound Energy’s Coal Power Supply (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Mason PUD 3’s 10th Consecutive Financial Reporting Recognition (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Fails U-S Senate by One Vote (Associated Press)

Keystone XL Pipeline: Northwest Senators Vote Along Party Lines (Northwest Public Radio)

Electric Reliability Council of Texas Voices Reliability Concerns Related to EPA Plan to Curb Emissions from Existing Power Plants (American Public Power Association)

DHS: Hackers Targeted the Grid 79 Times This Year (Utility Dive)

Tennessee Valley Authority Income Up, Portfolio Changing (Electric Co-op Today)

Puerto Rico’s Electric Utility Owed $1.75 Billion (Utility Dive)

Jim Jura Sighting - BNSF’s Rose to Chair Clean Coal Coalition (Progressive Railroading)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Should U-S Government Kill Thousands of Birds to Save Salmon? (National Geographic)

Video: Not Quite Fish in a Barrel, But Close - 340,000 Fish Planted (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

City of Wenatchee & Chelan PUD Agree to End Dispute over Water Tax (Wenatchee World, WA)

San Diego Advances Plan to Recycle Wastewater (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Power: Ready to Become a Green Giant? (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Community Notebook: Palo Alto Tests New Smart Solar Street Lights (Palo Alto Online, CA)

Oklahoma: Opponents Vow to Fight Planned Osage County Wind Farm (Tulsa World, OK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

How the Most Efficient States Convince Utilities to Conserve Energy (Utility Dive)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Climate Task Force Leaves It to Gov. Inslee to Decide: Cap-and-Trade or Carbon Tax? (Washington State Wire, Olympia, WA)

Washington State Task Force Considers Carbon Pricing Options (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

A Carbon Tax Could Bolster Green Energy (NY Times)

British Columbia: How to Communicate a Good Idea - Carbon Pricing (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Berkeley, San Francisco Consider Plans to Put Climate-Change Warning Labels on Gas Pumps (Associated Press)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Pot Is a Growing Business on the Harbor (Montesano Vidette, WA)

Oregon: Local Officials to Take Pot Sales Tax Fight to Legislature in 2015 (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

West Richland Bans Recreational Marijuana Businesses (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Oregon & Washington State Differences in Recreational Marijuana (KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

Bob Marley Family Launches “First World Cannabis Brand” (British Broadcasting Corporation)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California Likely to Allow Utilities to Own EV Charging Stations (Utility Dive)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

John Hodgman: ‘The Government Should Be Laying Down Broadband Like Eisenhower Laid Down Interstates’ (Washington Post)

Seattle City Council Wants to Fund Internet in Homeless Camps (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

GENERAL NEWS

Port of Shelton Employees Pull Man from Oakland Bay (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Belfair’s Theler Center Will Become a Shelter for Cold Weather Refuge (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Port Slowdown: Christmas Tree Farmers’ Work May Go to Mulch (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Sale in Sight for Former Olympia Brewery Property (Associated Press)

WSDOT: Thief Stole $7,000 Cameras Used to Track Elk (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Map of Record-Breaking Cold Blanket Covering the U-S (Gizmodo)

DIVERSIONS

British Columbia Birds Getting Boozed Up from Frost-Fermented Berries

World Toilet Day: A Little Potty Humor

Behold the Internet’s Favorite Bathroom

British Hotel Fines Customers £100 for Bad Review on TripAdvisor

SONG OF THE DAY

Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry

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.