Monday, December 29, 2014

Energy News Digest for December 29, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for December 29, 2014

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Report: Washington State Carbon Emissions Dropped in 2011 (Associated Press)

EPA Wrestles with Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules (NY Times)

California: New Pacific Gas & Electric Emails Show More Unethical Dealings with California Regulators (Utility Dive)

Race to Build on the Columbia River Could Block Pacific Oil Route (NY Times)

Editorial: Even Boeing Says Hydropower is Renewable Energy (Tri-City Herald, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. California: New Pacific Gas & Electric Emails Show More Unethical Dealings with California Regulators
  2. EPA Wrestles with Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules
  3. UMass-Dartmouth Report Details Impact of Vermont Yankee Closing
  4. Video: Anonymous Donors Pay Tacoma Family’s Utility Bills
  5. Have Your Cake & Easement, Too
  6. Fish Recovery Plan Paying Off on Yakima River
  7. Kitsap County Proposal for Hood Canal Geoduck Farm Dropped
  8. Geoduck Clam Farming Opportunities Sowing Seeds for a British Columbia Turf War
  9. Race to Build on the Columbia River Could Block Pacific Oil Route
  10. Water Source for Almonds in California May Run Dry
  11. Editorial: Even Boeing Says Hydropower is Renewable Energy
  12. Utility CEOs to Congress: No New Tax Credits for Wind Energy
  13. Germans Balk at Plan for Wind Power Lines
  14. Editorial: No Steam behind Wind Energy Tax Credits
  15. New Mexico: State Solar Industry to Fight PNM’s Proposed Rooftop Fee
  16. Don’t Let the New Gadgets Santa Brought be a Drain on Your Electricity
  17. As the Marijuana Industry Looks to the Legislature, Job Prospects Continue to Expand
  18. Pair Charged in $20,000 Robbery of Snohomish County Medical Marijuana Grower
  19. Pot Pie, Redefined? Chefs Start to Experiment With Cannabis
  20. ‘Free’ Pot Offered by Vancouver Medical Marijuana Dispensary
  21. Report: Washington State Carbon Emissions Dropped in 2011
  22. California Fuel Prices Going Up As Its Greenhouse Gas Controls Hit Gasoline, Diesel Sales
  23. California Carbon Funds Are an Uncertain Benefit for High-Speed Rail
  24. Battle Ground Home Goes Super Green with Geothermal, Solar Energy
  25. Are Google & Gmail Really the Enemy of China?
  26. Xbox Live Goes Offline as Microsoft Gets Caught in the Middle of a Hacker Turf War
  27. Pinterest Cashes in on Success of Promoted Pins, Opening It to All Advertisers
  28. U-S Police Struggle to Uncover Threats on Social Media
  29. Facebook Apologizes for Pain Caused by ‘Year in Review’ Posts
  30. Consumerist End-Of-The-Week Flickr Finds
  31. Cantwell Says She’ll Play Defense as Ranking Democrat on U-S Senate Energy Panel
  32. Energy Policy Seen Ripe for Compromise in GOP Congress
  33. GOP Congress: Five Energy Priorities
  34. AirAsia QZ8501: Indonesia Plane ‘At Bottom of Sea’
  35. Oregon, Washington State Minimum Wage Set for Increase
  36. Lawsuit for Washington State Wildfire Claims Prepared
  37. New $48 Million Thurston County Jail Sits Empty
  38. Unpopular License Plate Law Dies, Drivers Not Entirely Pleased
  39. Seattle, Portland Could Set Records for Warmth in 2014
  40. Man Stabs Co-Worker at Christmas Party, Police Say
WORD OF THE DAY

Desultory • \DEH-sult-tore-ee\ • Adjective - 1: marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose 2: not connected with the main subject 3: disappointing in progress, performance, or quality.

The local sports announcer was booster, perhaps too enthusiastic. The 3-13 team trotted onto its tattered home field for its last game of the year, another sacrifice to their league opponents (a la the “Washington Generals” of Globetrotters fame) and another expected, desultory performance. “They never gave up, no matter what the score,” pronounced the reporter. But quietly, his inner voice answered “of course not, the rules don’t let you do that until the time runs out at the end of the game.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

California: New Pacific Gas & Electric Emails Show More Unethical Dealings with California Regulators (Utility Dive)

EPA Wrestles with Role of Nuclear Plants in Carbon Emission Rules (NY Times)

UMass-Dartmouth Report Details Impact of Vermont Yankee Closing (VT Digger, Montpelier, VT)

Video: Anonymous Donors Pay Tacoma Family’s Utility Bills (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Have Your Cake & Easement, Too (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fish Recovery Plan Paying Off on Yakima River (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Kitsap County Proposal for Hood Canal Geoduck Farm Dropped (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Geoduck Clam Farming Opportunities Sowing Seeds for a British Columbia Turf War (Globe & Mail, Canada)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Race to Build on the Columbia River Could Block Pacific Oil Route (NY Times)

Water Source for Almonds in California May Run Dry (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Editorial: Even Boeing Says Hydropower is Renewable Energy (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Utility CEOs to Congress: No New Tax Credits for Wind Energy (Utility Dive)

Germans Balk at Plan for Wind Power Lines (NY Times)

Editorial: No Steam behind Wind Energy Tax Credits (Denver Post, CO)

New Mexico: State Solar Industry to Fight PNM’s Proposed Rooftop Fee (Albuquerque Business First, NM)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Don’t Let the New Gadgets Santa Brought be a Drain on Your Electricity (Consumerist)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

As the Marijuana Industry Looks to the Legislature, Job Prospects Continue to Expand (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

Pair Charged in $20,000 Robbery of Snohomish County Medical Marijuana Grower (Everett Herald, WA)

Pot Pie, Redefined? Chefs Start to Experiment With Cannabis (NY Times)

‘Free’ Pot Offered by Vancouver Medical Marijuana Dispensary (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Report: Washington State Carbon Emissions Dropped in 2011 (Associated Press)

California Fuel Prices Going Up As Its Greenhouse Gas Controls Hit Gasoline, Diesel Sales (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

California Carbon Funds Are an Uncertain Benefit for High-Speed Rail (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Battle Ground Home Goes Super Green with Geothermal, Solar Energy (Battle Ground Reflector, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Are Google & Gmail Really the Enemy of China? (Christian Science Monitor)

Xbox Live Goes Offline as Microsoft Gets Caught in the Middle of a Hacker Turf War (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Pinterest Cashes in on Success of Promoted Pins, Opening It to All Advertisers (Mashable)

U-S Police Struggle to Uncover Threats on Social Media (Reuters)

Facebook Apologizes for Pain Caused by ‘Year in Review’ Posts (TIME Magazine)

Consumerist End-Of-The-Week Flickr Finds (Consumerist)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Cantwell Says She’ll Play Defense as Ranking Democrat on U-S Senate Energy Panel (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Energy Policy Seen Ripe for Compromise in GOP Congress (Bloomberg News)

GOP Congress: Five Energy Priorities (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

AirAsia QZ8501: Indonesia Plane ‘At Bottom of Sea’ (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Oregon, Washington State Minimum Wage Set for Increase (Northwest Public Radio)

Lawsuit for Washington State Wildfire Claims Prepared (Associated Press)

New $48 Million Thurston County Jail Sits Empty (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Unpopular License Plate Law Dies, Drivers Not Entirely Pleased (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Seattle, Portland Could Set Records for Warmth in 2014 (Northwest Public Radio)

Man Stabs Co-Worker at Christmas Party, Police Say (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Who Don’t You Want to Live Next To? Survey Says ... Justin Bieber!

Sunnyside Battles Hitchcock-Style Crow Infestation

Camo Returns! The Cat Went Missing After It Was Accidentally Sold with a Mattress

Nevada Goats Help Eat, Recycle Christmas Trees

SONG OF THE DAY

Player - Baby Come Back

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.