Monday, March 30, 2015

Energy News Digest for March 30, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 30, 2015

Small Craft Advisory for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

Will This Summer Be Warmer Than Normal? – I believe the probability of a warm summer in the Pacific Northwest is quite high (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Probe of Back-Channel Dealing Continues at California Public Utilities Commission (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Governor's Signature Could Trigger Data Center Boom in Rural Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

Washington State Attorney General Tells High Court: Nebraska, Oklahoma Shouldn’t Pick on Colorado Pot Law (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Seattle Mayor Bans City Funding for Indiana Travel (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Editorial: Thumbs Up To Benton PUD’s Community Solar Project (Tri-City Herald, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Probe of Back-Channel Dealing Continues at California Public Utilities Commission
  2. Nation’s Biggest Nuclear Firm Makes a Play for Green Energy Money
  3. Op/Ed: A Transition from Coal to Clean Energy
  4. Clallam PUD Meeting Schedule, Budget Expectations in Building New Headquarters in Carlsborg
  5. Transactive Energy: Enabling a More Intelligent, Interactive Grid
  6. Op/Ed: Power Grid Is Protected – Your Say
  7. How APS, APPA, And NRECA Would Design a 'Blank' Electricity Market
  8. Audubon Announces Intent to Sue Corps over Plan to Cull Cormorants from Columbia River Estuary
  9. Salmon BiOp Case: Feds File Cross-Motion Following Challengers’ Request for Summary Judgment
  10. Judge Rules McKenzie River Salmon Hatchery Releases Sufficient to Protect Wild Fish
  11. Drought, Early Spring Warmth Force Oregon Agriculture to Prepare for Tough Year – Or Years
  12. Difficult Choices – Meager Snowpack Complicates Oregon’s Water Balancing Act
  13. Sultan River Basin: Snow Depth Measured at Zero, But Rainfall Makes Up for It
  14. Historically Small Sierra Snowpack, Seen Up Close, another Bad Sign in California Drought
  15. Editorial: Thumbs Up To Benton PUD’s Community Solar Project
  16. California's Shift toward Renewables Makes Energy Harder to Manage
  17. Why Going “Off the Grid” May Not Actually be Such a Good Idea
  18. Making Solar Work for You
  19. New Jersey: Wind Power or Hot Air? Foes Question Christie’s Shift on Clean Energy
  20. Report: Half of All Pacific Northwest Hospitals Cut Energy Consumption
  21. Water Heater Bill Clears U-S Senate, on to House
  22. An Energy App Startup's Unusual Bid to Make Money from California's Wholesale Electricity Market
  23. Washington State Attorney General Tells High Court: Nebraska, Oklahoma Shouldn’t Pick on Colorado Pot Law
  24. Moses Lake Zoning Proposal for Marijuana Production & Processing Fails
  25. Washington State Marijuana Grower Suggests New Businesses Start Small
  26. Portland Workshop Set to Guide Would-Be Pot-Preneurs
  27. After Legalization, Marijuana Events Fighting for a Foothold in Portland
  28. What It’s Like to Be Allergic to Wi-Fi
  29. Governor's Signature Could Trigger Data Center Boom in Rural Oregon
  30. Goldendale Lawmaker Seeks Permanent Tax Exemption for Internet Access
  31. New Home, No Broadband? Prepare to Negotiate
  32. Apple TV 'Skinny' Package Likely to Accelerate Cord Cutting
  33. The Campaign to Make National Parks Relevant to Millennials
  34. Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Trout Derby Hooks Anglers of All Sizes
  35. Are You a Millennial Boss? Here's How to Work With Boomers and Xers
  36. Seattle Mayor Bans City Funding for Indiana Travel
  37. In Delaying Vote on Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, GOP Is in a Quandary
  38. Port Angeles Man Sentenced for Collecting Dead Grandmother's Benefits
  39. State Takes Step toward Fining CenturyLink for 911 Outage
  40. Steep Costs of Inmate Phone Calls Are Under Scrutiny
  41. Germanwings Co-Pilot Had Been Treated for ‘Suicidal Tendencies,’ Authorities Say
WORD OF THE DAY


Panjandrum • \pan-JANN-drum\ • Noun - A powerful personage or pretentious official.

Like potentates of old, the city council ordered its members to wear an official uniform: powdered wig, “Elizabethan Collar” (no, not the pet-type collar), and black, silk robes. The group of pretentious panjandrums would then hold court on weighty topics: such as animal control ordinances, official holiday pronouncements, and the designation of mead as the official city beverage. Bartholomew’s sartorial secret was safe. That is until the day he suffered a seizure during the debate over the official city tree. It was found by the attending emergency medical technicians that the emperor truly wore no clothes (other than his uniform.)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Probe of Back-Channel Dealing Continues at California Public Utilities Commission (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Nation’s Biggest Nuclear Firm Makes a Play for Green Energy Money “…looking for policy support that every other technology receives…that produces zero-carbon electricity with the exception of nuclear…” (Associated Press)

Op/Ed: A Transition from Coal to Clean Energy (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Clallam PUD Meeting Schedule, Budget Expectations in Building New Headquarters in Carlsborg (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Transactive Energy: Enabling a More Intelligent, Interactive Grid (Bonneville Power Administration)

Op/Ed: Power Grid Is Protected – Your Say (USA Today)

How APS, APPA, And NRECA Would Design a 'Blank' Electricity Market – SEPA asks stakeholders to design the "51st State." Here are the utility proposals (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Audubon Announces Intent to Sue Corps over Plan to Cull Cormorants from Columbia River Estuary (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Salmon BiOp Case: Feds File Cross-Motion Following Challengers’ Request for Summary Judgment (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Judge Rules McKenzie River Salmon Hatchery Releases Sufficient to Protect Wild Fish (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Drought, Early Spring Warmth Force Oregon Agriculture to Prepare for Tough Year – Or Years (Oregonian, Portland)

Difficult Choices – Meager Snowpack Complicates Oregon’s Water Balancing Act (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Sultan River Basin: Snow Depth Measured at Zero, But Rainfall Makes Up for It (Everett Herald, WA)

Historically Small Sierra Snowpack, Seen Up Close, another Bad Sign in California Drought (Fresno Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Editorial: Thumbs Up To Benton PUD’s Community Solar Project (Tri-City Herald, WA)

California's Shift toward Renewables Makes Energy Harder to Manage (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Why Going “Off the Grid” May Not Actually be Such a Good Idea (Washington Post)

Making Solar Work for You (American Public Power Association)

New Jersey: Wind Power or Hot Air? Foes Question Christie’s Shift on Clean Energy (Washington Post)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Report: Half of All Pacific Northwest Hospitals Cut Energy Consumption (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Water Heater Bill Clears U-S Senate, on to House (Electric Co-op Today)

An Energy App Startup's Unusual Bid to Make Money from California's Wholesale Electricity Market (Forbes Magazine)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Washington State Attorney General Tells High Court: Nebraska, Oklahoma Shouldn’t Pick on Colorado Pot Law (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Moses Lake Zoning Proposal for Marijuana Production & Processing Fails (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Washington State Marijuana Grower Suggests New Businesses Start Small (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Portland Workshop Set to Guide Would-Be Pot-Preneurs (Portland Business Journal, OR)

After Legalization, Marijuana Events Fighting for a Foothold in Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

What It’s Like to Be Allergic to Wi-Fi (New York Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Governor's Signature Could Trigger Data Center Boom in Rural Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

Goldendale Lawmaker Seeks Permanent Tax Exemption for Internet Access (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

New Home, No Broadband? Prepare to Negotiate (USA Today)

Apple TV 'Skinny' Package Likely to Accelerate Cord Cutting (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

The Campaign to Make National Parks Relevant to Millennials (Mashable)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Trout Derby Hooks Anglers of All Sizes (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Are You a Millennial Boss? Here's How to Work With Boomers and Xers (AdWeek)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Seattle Mayor Bans City Funding for Indiana Travel (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

In Delaying Vote on Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, GOP Is in a Quandary (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Port Angeles Man Sentenced for Collecting Dead Grandmother's Benefits (Associated Press)

State Takes Step toward Fining CenturyLink for 911 Outage (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Steep Costs of Inmate Phone Calls Are Under Scrutiny (NY Times)

Germanwings Co-Pilot Had Been Treated for ‘Suicidal Tendencies,’ Authorities Say (NY Times)

DIVERSIONS

'God She's Beautiful': College Basketball Star Left Red-Faced as He Forgets Microphone is Still Running & Remarks on Pretty Reporter

3D Printing with Cheese is Here ... And it Stinks

Oregon Home Demolished after Diesel Mistakenly Dumped into Its Basement

Trevor Noah Set to Replace Jon Stewart on 'Daily Show'

SONG OF THE DAY

Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser

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.