Monday, December 8, 2014

Energy News Digest for December 8, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for December 8, 2014

Flood Watch Issued for Mason County (National Weather Service, Seattle)

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Power Savings of Smart Meters Prove Slow to Materialize (NY Times)

Rate Hikes Loom for Northwest Utilities (Electric Co-op Today)

Pot Grows Prompt New Power Questions (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Activists, Inslee Want Eight Times More Wind Power in Washington State by 2030 (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Cap & Trade Could Be the Answer to State Budget Crises “…cutting emissions in one state will have no perceptible effect on…climate change. So, for policy options within your own state, it’s about the money…”  (The Conversation)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Power Savings of Smart Meters Prove Slow to Materialize
  2. Rate Hikes Loom for Northwest Utilities
  3. Clallam Public Utility District Sets Public Meetings This Week on Proposed Rate Increases
  4. Cowlitz PUD Commissioners to Discuss 2015 Budget
  5. Portland General Electric Rate Increase Trimmed to One Percent
  6. Bonneville Power Administration: Richard Shaheen Named Senior VP of Transmission
  7. California: Cause of Big Sur Wildfire Traced to Power Line
  8. Oregon: Man Trapped in Car by Power Lines
  9. British Columbia: BC Hydro Offers to Buy Eleven Homes Downstream of Jordan River Dam
  10. APPA & Others Want D-C Circuit to Overturn FERC Order in Case on Municipal Preference in Hydro Licensing
  11. Why a Florida Utility Suddenly Wants to Serve Hawaii
  12. Smart Meters & Smart Grids: Spearheading the Energy Revolution
  13. South Puget Sound Salmon Projects Funded
  14. Op/Ed: License Plates - The Benefits of Environmental Spending Must Be Measured
  15. Activists, Inslee Want Eight Times More Wind Power in Washington State by 2030
  16. Pacific Northwest Wind takes a Week-Long Vacation
  17. Fitch Rates Energy Northwest’s $34.8 Million Wind Project Bonds as ‘A-’
  18. Pot Grows Prompt New Power Questions
  19. Cap & Trade Could Be the Answer to State Budget Crises
  20. Should FERC Have a Role in the EPA’s Clean Power Plan?
  21. Why Elon Musk’s Batteries Scare the Hell Out of the Electric Company
  22. Google Fiber: The Digital Divide Won’t Be Crossed Digitally
  23. Google Fiber: Nine Things to Expect if it Comes to Portland
  24. Google Fiber: Why Kansas City?
  25. 2015 New Year’s Resolution: Remove Public Broadband Handcuffs
  26. Report: Live TV Viewing Continues Decline, Net Use Rises
  27. NRECA Seeks Exception on FCC Robocall Rules
  28. New Media, Old Politics: 22 People Had to Approve Romney’s Tweets
  29. Heavy Rain Expected; Flooding Possible; Windy
  30. Shelton Woman Struck by Hit & Run Driver While Pumping Gas
  31. What Will Insurance Cover for Damage Caused by Downed Trees?
WORD OF THE DAY

Bouleversement • \bool-vares-suh-MONG\ • Noun - 1: reversal 2: a violent disturbance: disorder

A hush fell over the green cathedral “Forest of the Seven Hemlocks,” birds, insects, even the large denizens stilled their voices in anticipation of the impending bouleversement to be visited upon the earth. A sickly yellow light feebly filtered into the glens and copses that would soon be pummeled by rain, lightning and other weather curses. The crushing weight of the silence was almost as heavy as the anticipation that preceded the storm.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Power Savings of Smart Meters Prove Slow to Materialize (NY Times)

Rate Hikes Loom for Northwest Utilities (Electric Co-op Today)

Clallam Public Utility District Sets Public Meetings This Week on Proposed Rate Increases (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Cowlitz PUD Commissioners to Discuss 2015 Budget (Longview Daily News, WA)

Portland General Electric Rate Increase Trimmed to One Percent (Oregonian, Portland)

Bonneville Power Administration: Richard Shaheen Named Senior VP of Transmission (Bonneville Power Administration)

California: Cause of Big Sur Wildfire Traced to Power Line (SF Chronicle)

Oregon: Man Trapped in Car by Power Lines (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

British Columbia: BC Hydro Offers to Buy Eleven Homes Downstream of Jordan River Dam (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

APPA & Others Want D-C Circuit to Overturn FERC Order in Case on Municipal Preference in Hydro Licensing (American Public Power Association)

Why a Florida Utility Suddenly Wants to Serve Hawaii (Christian Science Monitor)

Smart Meters & Smart Grids: Spearheading the Energy Revolution (The Guardian, UK)

FISH & WILDLIFE

South Puget Sound Salmon Projects Funded (South Sound Business Examiner)

Op/Ed: License Plates - The Benefits of Environmental Spending Must Be Measured (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Activists, Inslee Want Eight Times More Wind Power in Washington State by 2030 (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Pacific Northwest Wind takes a Week-Long Vacation (The Energy Collective)

Fitch Rates Energy Northwest’s $34.8 Million Wind Project Bonds as ‘A-’ (Yahoo! Finance)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Pot Grows Prompt New Power Questions (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Cap & Trade Could Be the Answer to State Budget Crises “…cutting emissions in one state will have no perceptible effect on…climate change. So, for policy options within your own state, it’s about the money…”  (The Conversation)

Should FERC Have a Role in the EPA’s Clean Power Plan? (Utility Dive)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Why Elon Musk’s Batteries Scare the Hell Out of the Electric Company (Bloomberg News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Fiber: The Digital Divide Won’t Be Crossed Digitally (Oregonian, Portland)

Google Fiber: Nine Things to Expect if it Comes to Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

Google Fiber: Why Kansas City? (Oregonian, Portland)

2015 New Year’s Resolution: Remove Public Broadband Handcuffs (GigaOM)

Report: Live TV Viewing Continues Decline, Net Use Rises (USA Today)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

NRECA Seeks Exception on FCC Robocall Rules (Electric Co-op Today)

New Media, Old Politics: 22 People Had to Approve Romney’s Tweets (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy Rain Expected; Flooding Possible; Windy (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Shelton Woman Struck by Hit & Run Driver While Pumping Gas (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

What Will Insurance Cover for Damage Caused by Downed Trees? (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

DIVERSIONS

Record-Setting Cat with Two Faces Dies at 15

Man ‘Eaten Alive’ by Anaconda & survives? Maybe the Discovery Channel Was Exaggerating Just a Bit

‘God, I Was Nervous’: Scientists Open Egyptian Mummy Coffin for First Time

Baby Weighing Nearly 14 Pounds Born in Colorado “…first request was for steak & potatoes, no skimping on the sour cream & bacon bits…”

SONG OF THE DAY

Temptations - Smiling Faces Sometimes

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.