Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Energy News Digest for January 7, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for January 7, 2015

Landslide Danger - Special Weather Statement

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station Sets New Production Record (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Carbon Free Electricity – Mason PUD 3, Public Power at the Top of the Heap (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Corps of Engineers to Begin Dredging Snake River Next Week (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

Massachusetts: Two Utilities Opt Out of Cape Wind - Future of Nantucket Sound turbine project in doubt as purchase contracts are terminated (Boston Globe, MA)

Chart of the Week: Breakdown of Energy Use at a Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Site (Marijuana Business Daily)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station Sets New Production Record
  2. Carbon Free Electricity – Mason PUD 3, Public Power at the Top of the Heap
  3. Eugene Water & Electric Board’s Third Leaburg Dam Gate Locked Open
  4. Washington State Tribe Wants Feds to Halt Coal Project
  5. APPA, LPPC Seek to Use BPA-PacifiCorp Dispute to Clarify the Record Regarding Open Access Requirements
  6. Editorial: A Promising Step toward Improving Power Grid
  7. Winter Weather Pushes PJM Prices to Nearly $300/Mwh
  8. Natural Gas Rises from Two-Year Low as Arctic Air Boosts Demand
  9. Honorable Is Sworn in as Commissioner at FERC
  10. Despite Potential Market Manipulation, FERC Declines to Reject Power Auction Results
  11. The Number of Advanced Meters in Operation Continues to Grow, FERC Staff Says in New Report 
  12. Oregon Court: State Failed to Protect Salmon in Clackamas River
  13. California: Fisher Species under Growing Threat from Illegal Pot Cultivation
  14. Corps of Engineers to Begin Dredging Snake River Next Week
  15. Massachusetts: Two Utilities Opt Out of Cape Wind
  16. First Wind & Idaho Power Company Sign Energy Sales Agreements
  17. Arizona’s Utility-Owned Solar Programs: The New Business Models Utilities Are Looking For?
  18. Editorial: I-937 Drives Us toward New Renewables
  19. U-S Tariffs on Chinese Solar Cells May Be Halved after Review
  20. Wind Turbine Collapses in Northern Ireland
  21. New Styles of Conventional Water Heater Provide Energy Savings with Minimal Cost
  22. Qualcomm Flicks Switch on Internet-Connected Light Bulbs
  23. Companies Showcase Hubs That Connect Appliances to Create Secure, Smart Homes
  24. Chart of the Week: Breakdown of Energy Use at a Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Site
  25. Two Major Proposals Surface in Washington State Legislature to Rein in Medical Marijuana Shops
  26. Seattle City Attorney Backs Home Grows, Marijuana Lounges & Medical Marijuana Clampdown
  27. Ten Key Data-Driven Trends from Colorado’s First Year of Recreational Marijuana Sales
  28. California Carbon Market Off to Strong Start in 2015
  29. California Governor Vows to Boost Renewable Energy, Cut Petroleum Use
  30. Will Drivers Keep Plugging in to Electric Cars as Gas Prices Fall?
  31. Toyota Is Giving Away Its Tech Secrets for Hydrogen-Powered Cars
  32. Company Looks to Add Fiber Optics in Puyallup
  33. Amazon Web Services Tops List of Most Reliable Public Clouds
  34. Verizon Reportedly Approaches AOL for Possible Takeover
  35. Former State Senator to Help Fix Idaho’s Broadband Troubles
  36. After Security Breach: Bitcoin Exchange Bitstamp Says to Resume Trading within 24 Hours
  37. U-S Forest Service Pulls the Plug on $10 Million Public Relations Campaign
  38. Facebook Copyright Status Is a Hoax & You’re Annoying Your Friends by Sharing It
  39. You’re Wrong About Voicemail
  40. Roughed-Up Boehner Wins New Term as Speaker; Washington State Gets New House Member
  41. Hastings’ Time in Congress has Ended, Looks Forward to Spending Time with Grandkids
  42. Video: Another Washington Bird Flock Falls Victim to Avian Flu
  43. Mason County’s Ridge MotorSports Applies for RV Park
  44. Lacey Ambulance Briefly Stolen, Crashed During Medical Call
  45. Randy Johnson Voted Into Hall of Fame, Edgar Martinez Falls Short Again
  46. Dad Sues Federal Way School District, Says Female Wrestlers Treated Unfairly
  47. UW Seismologists Prepare for Third Beast Quake at CenturyLink Field
WORD OF THE DAY

Hebetude • \HEB-buh-tood\ • Noun - Lethargy, dullness.

Another example sentence today? Meh, I’ll blame its lameness on a little bit of hebetude today.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station Sets New Production Record (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Carbon Free Electricity – Mason PUD 3, Public Power at the Top of the Heap (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board’s Third Leaburg Dam Gate Locked Open (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Washington State Tribe Wants Feds to Halt Coal Project (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

APPA, LPPC Seek to Use BPA-PacifiCorp Dispute to Clarify the Record Regarding Open Access Requirements (American Public Power Association)

Editorial: A Promising Step toward Improving Power Grid (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Winter Weather Pushes PJM Prices to Nearly $300/Mwh (Utility Dive)

Natural Gas Rises from Two-Year Low as Arctic Air Boosts Demand (Bloomberg News)

Honorable Is Sworn in as Commissioner at FERC (American Public Power Association)

Despite Potential Market Manipulation, FERC Declines to Reject Power Auction Results (Breaking Energy)

The Number of Advanced Meters in Operation Continues to Grow, FERC Staff Says in New Report (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Court: State Failed to Protect Salmon in Clackamas River (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

California: Fisher Species under Growing Threat from Illegal Pot Cultivation (Sacramento Bee, CA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Corps of Engineers to Begin Dredging Snake River Next Week (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Massachusetts: Two Utilities Opt Out of Cape Wind - Future of Nantucket Sound turbine project in doubt as purchase contracts are terminated (Boston Globe, MA)

First Wind & Idaho Power Company Sign Energy Sales Agreements (AZO CleanTech)

Arizona’s Utility-Owned Solar Programs: The New Business Models Utilities Are Looking For? (Utility Dive)

Editorial: I-937 Drives Us toward New Renewables (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

U-S Tariffs on Chinese Solar Cells May Be Halved after Review (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Wind Turbine Collapses in Northern Ireland (The Telegraph, UK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

New Styles of Conventional Water Heater Provide Energy Savings with Minimal Cost (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Qualcomm Flicks Switch on Internet-Connected Light Bulbs (Reuters)

Companies Showcase Hubs That Connect Appliances to Create Secure, Smart Homes (Consumerist)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Chart of the Week: Breakdown of Energy Use at a Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Site (Marijuana Business Daily)

Two Major Proposals Surface in Washington State Legislature to Rein in Medical Marijuana Shops (Associated Press)

Seattle City Attorney Backs Home Grows, Marijuana Lounges & Medical Marijuana Clampdown (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Ten Key Data-Driven Trends from Colorado’s First Year of Recreational Marijuana Sales (Marijuana Business Daily)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Carbon Market Off to Strong Start in 2015 (Reuters)

California Governor Vows to Boost Renewable Energy, Cut Petroleum Use (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Will Drivers Keep Plugging in to Electric Cars as Gas Prices Fall? (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Toyota Is Giving Away Its Tech Secrets for Hydrogen-Powered Cars (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Company Looks to Add Fiber Optics in Puyallup (South Sound Business Examiner)

Amazon Web Services Tops List of Most Reliable Public Clouds (GigaOM)

Verizon Reportedly Approaches AOL for Possible Takeover (SF Chronicle)

Former State Senator to Help Fix Idaho’s Broadband Troubles (Associated Press)

After Security Breach: Bitcoin Exchange Bitstamp Says to Resume Trading within 24 Hours (Reuters)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

U-S Forest Service Pulls the Plug on $10 Million Public Relations Campaign (Associated Press)

Facebook Copyright Status Is a Hoax & You’re Annoying Your Friends by Sharing It (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

You’re Wrong About Voicemail (Gizmodo)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Roughed-Up Boehner Wins New Term as Speaker; Washington State Gets New House Member (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Hastings’ Time in Congress has Ended, Looks Forward to Spending Time with Grandkids (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Video: Another Washington Bird Flock Falls Victim to Avian Flu (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Mason County’s Ridge MotorSports Applies for RV Park (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Lacey Ambulance Briefly Stolen, Crashed During Medical Call (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Randy Johnson Voted Into Hall of Fame, Edgar Martinez Falls Short Again (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Dad Sues Federal Way School District, Says Female Wrestlers Treated Unfairly (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

UW Seismologists Prepare for Third Beast Quake at CenturyLink Field (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

A $16,000 Mistake: StubHub Takes Back Championship-Game Tickets from Oregon Fan

Here’s How Much Percy Harvin Gets Paid if Seahawks Win the Super Bowl

Man Pays Big Money for Surgery on His Constipated Goldfish

15 Things the Hollywood Sign Has Said Besides “Hollywood”

SONG OF THE DAY

The Kinks Celluloid Heroes (Hollywood Boulevard)

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.