Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Energy News Digest for November 25, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for November 25, 2014

Hydrologic Outlook - Heavy Rain in the Olympics This Week Could Cause Some Rivers to Flood (National Weather Service, Seattle)

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Wanapum Reservoir Raising Could Happen as Soon as This Weekend (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Adopts $63.7 Million 2015 Budget – Higher Wholesale Energy Prices Affect Local Rates (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Pacific Northwest Public Utilities, Bonneville Power Administration Top Five-Year Energy Savings Target (Bonneville Power Administration)

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Weighs Government Pollution of Klamath River Tributary (Courthouse News Service)

Heavy Precipitation, Flooding, & a Cascade Meltdown - Yes, a typical Thanksgiving in the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Wanapum Reservoir Raising Could Happen as Soon as This Weekend
  2. Mason PUD 3 Adopts $63.7 Million 2015 Budget – Higher Wholesale Energy Prices Affect Local Rates
  3. Nattering Nuclear Nabobs of Negativism - Why Do They Listen to Alvarez?
  4. Editorial: Avista Offer of Spokane Site a Big Break for Science Center
  5. Alaska: Gunshots Hit Golden Valley Electric Association’s Ester Dome Microwave Tower
  6. Pacific Gas & Electric Hit for $10.8 Million over Carmel Blast
  7. FERC Approves Fourth Settlement in 2011 Southwest Blackout Case
  8. FERC Approves Merger between Exelon & Pepco Holdings
  9. NERC Report Says Prolonged Cold Weather Events May Cause Increase in Generator Unavailability
  10. Once Nearly Extinct, Idaho Sockeye Regaining Fitness Advantage
  11. Record Number of Coho Salmon Returning to Cowlitz River
  12. Where Fish Go to Die
  13. Prison Inmates Enlisted to Restore Threatened Species
  14. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Weighs Government Pollution of Klamath River Tributary
  15. John Briscoe, a Water-Resource Expert Who Championed Dams, Dies at 66
  16. Montana: Electrical Co-Ops Want Affordable Renewable Energy
  17. Conservative Group Targets GOP Members in Ads against Wind Energy Credit
  18. Pacific Northwest Public Utilities, Bonneville Power Administration Top Five-Year Energy Savings Target
  19. The Connected Water Heater: The Next Energy Saver in the Home?
  20. Vermont Goes Energy Efficient for This Season’s Snowmaking
  21. Third Washington State City, Kennewick, Gets Court OK to Ban Marijuana Sales
  22. Clarkston Bans Marijuana Sales in City Limits
  23. Activists Make Push for Legalization of Marijuana in Idaho
  24. Americans Would Rather Adapt to Extreme Weather than Curb Climate Change
  25. Editorial: Net Neutrality is Essential
  26. Why Mark Cuban Opposes Net Neutrality: ‘I Want There to be Fast Lanes’
  27. Consumer Reports: How You Can Avoid Wi-Fi Dead Spots at Home
  28. Google Fiber Pricing Unveiled for Austin
  29. Twitter’s CFO Suffers a Social Media Faux Pas
  30. Crisis Communications: What Leaders Need to Know
  31. News Sites Top List of Slowest-Loading Web Pages
  32. Could You Do Your Job Without a Smartphone or a Tablet? Or the Web?
  33. EPA: Lawmakers Target Management Woes in Behind-The-Scenes Probes
  34. Heavy Precipitation, Flooding, & a Cascade Meltdown - Yes, a typical Thanksgiving in the Pacific Northwest
  35. East Coast Storm to Snarl Thanksgiving Plans on Year’s Busiest Travel Day
  36. North Cascades, Chinook, Cayuse Passes Closed
  37. Ferguson Fallout: Protesters Confront Police in Seattle, Force Brief Closure of I-5
WORD OF THE DAY

Pelagic • \puh-LAJ-jick\ • Adjective - Of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea: oceanic.

Pelagic journey
Noah on the open sea
Seasick beasts; oh my!

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Wanapum Reservoir Raising Could Happen as Soon as This Weekend (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Adopts $63.7 Million 2015 Budget – Higher Wholesale Energy Prices Affect Local Rates (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Nattering Nuclear Nabobs of Negativism - Why Do They Listen to Alvarez? (Northwest Clean Energy)

Editorial: Avista Offer of Spokane Site a Big Break for Science Center (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Alaska: Gunshots Hit Golden Valley Electric Association’s Ester Dome Microwave Tower (Anchorage News Miner, AK)

Pacific Gas & Electric Hit for $10.8 Million over Carmel Blast (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

FERC Approves Fourth Settlement in 2011 Southwest Blackout Case (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

FERC Approves Merger between Exelon & Pepco Holdings (American Public Power Association)

NERC Report Says Prolonged Cold Weather Events May Cause Increase in Generator Unavailability (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Once Nearly Extinct, Idaho Sockeye Regaining Fitness Advantage (Bonneville Power Administration)

Record Number of Coho Salmon Returning to Cowlitz River (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Where Fish Go to Die - Native American tribes do important work during salmon spawning season (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Prison Inmates Enlisted to Restore Threatened Species (Northwest Public Radio)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Weighs Government Pollution of Klamath River Tributary (Courthouse News Service)

John Briscoe, a Water-Resource Expert Who Championed Dams, Dies at 66 (Washington Post)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Montana: Electrical Co-Ops Want Affordable Renewable Energy (Hungry Horse News, Columbia Falls, MT)

Conservative Group Targets GOP Members in Ads against Wind Energy Credit (The Hill, Washington, DC)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Northwest Public Utilities, Bonneville Power Administration Top Five-Year Energy Savings Target (Bonneville Power Administration)

The Connected Water Heater: The Next Energy Saver in the Home? (GigaOM)

Vermont Goes Energy Efficient for This Season’s Snowmaking (Mashable)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Third Washington State City, Kennewick, Gets Court OK to Ban Marijuana Sales (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Clarkston Bans Marijuana Sales in City Limits (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Activists Make Push for Legalization of Marijuana in Idaho (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Americans Would Rather Adapt to Extreme Weather than Curb Climate Change (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Editorial: Net Neutrality is Essential (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Why Mark Cuban Opposes Net Neutrality: ‘I Want There to be Fast Lanes’ (Washington Post)

Consumer Reports: How You Can Avoid Wi-Fi Dead Spots at Home (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Google Fiber Pricing Unveiled for Austin (Broadband Reports)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter’s CFO Suffers a Social Media Faux Pas (NY Times)

Crisis Communications: What Leaders Need to Know (Forbes Magazine)

News Sites Top List of Slowest-Loading Web Pages - Ads may not appear before users move on (AdWeek)

Could You Do Your Job Without a Smartphone or a Tablet? Or the Web? (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

EPA: Lawmakers Target Management Woes in Behind-The-Scenes Probes (EE News)

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy Precipitation, Flooding, & a Cascade Meltdown - Yes, a typical Thanksgiving in the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

East Coast Storm to Snarl Thanksgiving Plans on Year’s Busiest Travel Day (Mashable)

North Cascades, Chinook, Cayuse Passes Closed (Associated Press)

Ferguson Fallout: Protesters Confront Police in Seattle, Force Brief Closure of I-5 (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

There’s a Mysterious Field of Electrical Energy Outside Google’s Office in London

Tourist Fined $25,000 For Carving Initial on Rome’s Coliseum

‘Casablanca’ Piano Sells for $3.4 Million - Wizard of Oz Lion Costume Sells for $3 Million

In Seattle, Tofu Turkeys Get Thanksgiving Pardons

SONG OF THE DAY

Bert Lahr - If I Were King of the Forest (Wizard of Oz)

Diana Krall - As Times Goes By

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.