Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Energy News Digest for April 15, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 15, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Northwest Snow-Pack Gains Back 2% from Weekend Storm (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Idaho Legislature Opposes Snake Dam Removal (Idaho Mountain Express, Ketchum)

Idaho to Join Handful of States That Charge Electric Car Owners Extra (Northwest Public Radio)

Editorial: Even Kitzhaber Official Knew Carbon Tax Would Cut Emissions Little (Oregonian, Portland)

Public Power Council Applauds Congressional Call for Columbia River Treaty Negotiations (Public Power Council, Portland, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Public Power Council Applauds Congressional Call for Columbia River Treaty Negotiations
  • PacifiCorp Explores Joining California Energy Grid Group
  • Snohomish PUD Taps Anne Spangler, General Counsel, To Be Interim Manager
  • Update: Power Restored in Spokane Valley
  • Klamath Falls Power Outage Linked to Animal Interference at Substation
  • California Judge Won’t Take San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant Case
  • Michigan Hearing Pits Utilities against Consumer Advocates in Deregulation Battle
  • That Canadian Energy - Can Imported Hydropower Be Used for Meeting EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules?
  • Idaho Legislature Opposes Snake Dam Removal
  • Pacific Northwest Snow-Pack Gains Back 2% from Weekend Storm
  • Here’s Why It Will Be a Bad Year for the Pacific Northwest – Or Maybe Not
  • Exclusive: Warm Winter Temperatures Slammed California Wind Farms
  • Solar Oregon: 10x More Energy in Ten Years
  • The Utah Solar Boomlet: PURPA Lives!
  • Texas: Senate Votes to End Renewable Energy Programs
  • Op/Ed: What’s the True Cost of Wind Power?
  • Why Thousands of Snohomish County Streetlights Are Being Switched to LED
  • Bellingham Plans to Convert Streetlights to LEDs This Year – Will Use $4 Million Low-Interest Loan
  • Energy Efficiency: The ‘First Fuel’ & a Source of Energy in its Own Right
  • Mossyrock Man Honored by Bonneville Power Administration
  • Say Goodbye to Medical Marijuana as You Know It in Washington
  • With Legalization Possible, Pot Growers Become Lobbyists
  • ‘Uber for Marijuana:’ Snoop Dogg’s Newest Business Investment
  • Editorial: Even Kitzhaber Official Knew Carbon Tax Would Cut Emissions Little
  • The Cost of Carbon: Economists Urge Salem to Make Polluters Pay
  • Meet the Portland Carbon Fund, the City’s Bold New Carbon Tax
  • Broadcast Meteorologists Increasingly Convinced Manmade Climate Change is Happening
  • Idaho to Join Handful of States That Charge Electric Car Owners Extra
  • European Union Hits Google with Antitrust Charges
  • U-S In-Flight Internet Could Be Hacked, Watchdog Warns
  • Twitter for the Masses
  • Ikea Brightens Up Little Corners of the World in These Fun Print Ads
  • Clinton Wins High Marks for Social-Media Launch
  • The Best Uses of the Hillary Clinton ‘Hillvetica’ Font
  • Semi Truck Crashes on Highway 101 near Potlatch
  • Warning of Early Fire Season in Pacific Northwest Sparks Concern
  • It’s Tax Day. You Haven’t Filed. Should You Freak Out?
  • Finish Your Taxes? Celebrate with These Freebies
  • Former NFL Star Aaron Hernandez Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder
  • Cosmopolis Man Tazed after He Chops down Neighbor’s Tree, Refuses Interview
  • University of Oregon Names New President
WORD OF THE DAY

CorvĂ©e • \KOR-vay\ • Noun – 1: unpaid labor (as toward constructing roads) due from a feudal vassal to his lord 2: labor exacted in lieu of taxes by public authorities especially for highway construction or repair.

“You may, of course, avoid any costs we may charge for digging a trench for your underground service by your corvee,” sniffed the imperious gas company executive. “What? You mean I can get service installed cheaper if I dig my own ditch,” responded the exasperated customer. “Isn’t that what I just said,” responded the executive, peering down at his new victim customer over his half-moon pince nez glasses.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Public Power Council Applauds Congressional Call for Columbia River Treaty Negotiations (Public Power Council, Portland, OR)

PacifiCorp Explores Joining California Energy Grid Group (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Snohomish PUD Taps Anne Spangler, General Counsel, To Be Interim Manager (Herald Business Journal, Everett, WA)

Update: Power Restored in Spokane Valley (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Klamath Falls Power Outage Linked to Animal Interference at Substation (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

California Judge Won’t Take San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant Case (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

Michigan Hearing Pits Utilities against Consumer Advocates in Deregulation Battle (Utility Dive)

That Canadian Energy - Can Imported Hydropower Be Used for Meeting EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules? (Politico Morning Energy)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Legislature Opposes Snake Dam Removal (Idaho Mountain Express, Ketchum)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Pacific Northwest Snow-Pack Gains Back 2% from Weekend Storm (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Here’s Why It Will Be a Bad Year for the Pacific Northwest – Or Maybe Not (Northwest Public Radio)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Exclusive: Warm Winter Temperatures Slammed California Wind Farms (Reuters)

Solar Oregon: 10x More Energy in Ten Years (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

The Utah Solar Boomlet: PURPA Lives! (Breaking Energy)

Texas: Senate Votes to End Renewable Energy Programs (Texas Tribune)

Op/Ed: What’s the True Cost of Wind Power? (Newsweek)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Why Thousands of Snohomish County Streetlights Are Being Switched to LED (Everett Herald, WA)

Bellingham Plans to Convert Streetlights to LEDs This Year – Will Use $4 Million Low-Interest Loan (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Energy Efficiency: The ‘First Fuel’ & a Source of Energy in its Own Right (The Energy Collective)

Mossyrock Man Honored by Bonneville Power Administration (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Say Goodbye to Medical Marijuana as You Know It in Washington (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

With Legalization Possible, Pot Growers Become Lobbyists (Associated Press)

‘Uber for Marijuana:’ Snoop Dogg’s Newest Business Investment (Christian Science Monitor)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Editorial: Even Kitzhaber Official Knew Carbon Tax Would Cut Emissions Little (Oregonian, Portland)

The Cost of Carbon: Economists Urge Salem to Make Polluters Pay (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Meet the Portland Carbon Fund, the City’s Bold New Carbon Tax (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Broadcast Meteorologists Increasingly Convinced Manmade Climate Change is Happening (Washington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Idaho to Join Handful of States That Charge Electric Car Owners Extra (Northwest Public Radio)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

European Union Hits Google with Antitrust Charges (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

U-S In-Flight Internet Could Be Hacked, Watchdog Warns (British Broadcasting Corporation)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter for the Masses - For non-tweeters, the social network can feel clubby & confusing. Can its new home page change that? (Slate Magazine)

Ikea Brightens Up Little Corners of the World in These Fun Print Ads (AdWeek)

Clinton Wins High Marks for Social-Media Launch (Reuters)

The Best Uses of the Hillary Clinton ‘Hillvetica’ Font (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Semi Truck Crashes on Highway 101 near Potlatch (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Warning of Early Fire Season in Pacific Northwest Sparks Concern (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

It’s Tax Day. You Haven’t Filed. Should You Freak Out? (Washington Post)

Finish Your Taxes? Celebrate with These Freebies (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Former NFL Star Aaron Hernandez Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Cosmopolis Man Tazed after He Chops down Neighbor’s Tree, Refuses Interview (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

University of Oregon Names New President – The new president will be the university’s fifth leader in six years (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

DIVERSIONS

The Myth & Magic of WD-40, the Cold War Lube That Changed America

The Apollo 13 Astronauts Have Been Immortalized in Lego

Maryland Detains ‘Free-Range’ Kids: How Walk to Playground Became So Fraught

Soulful Singer Percy Sledge Dies

SONGS OF THE DAY

Percy Sledge – Warm & Tender Love

Percy Sledge – A Whiter Shade of Pale

Percy Sledge – When a Man Loves a Woman

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.