Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Energy News Digest for January 21, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for January 21, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

British Columbia: Hydro Chief Says More Talks Key to Finding Peace River Dam Solutions with First Nations (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Oregon Bank Is the First to Work with Colorado Marijuana Businesses (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Portland Now Generating Hydropower in Its Water Pipes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Defective Panels Threatening Profit at China Solar Farms (Bloomberg News)

Facebook Report Says It Adds More than $200 Billion to Global Economy (Reuters)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. British Columbia: Hydro Chief Says More Talks Key to Finding Peace River Dam Solutions with First Nations
  2. Energy’s Holy Grail? You Can Find It at Redmond’s Helion Energy
  3. Chelan PUD Pays Off another $9 Million in Debt
  4. Bonneville Power Administration Says Power Line Will Ease Burdens on Hydro
  5. Oregon: Coe Rebuffs Overtures to Rejoin Emerald People’s Utility District Board as Top Executive
  6. Legarsky Leaves Jefferson PUD Finance Position
  7. Nuclear Industry Losing Its Glow. Should Government Step In? “…If…nuclear industry’s operating capacity disappears…the U-S will become far more reliant on natural gas & it will go backward in its efforts to curb carbon emissions…”
  8. Kansas City Power & Light Will Stop Using Coal at Some of Its Generating Units
  9. Missouri: Utilities Boost Focus on Cybersecurity as FERC Adopts New Standards
  10. U-S Department of Energy Releases Voluntary Code of Conduct for Safeguarding Customer Data
  11. Electrifying the Bakken
  12. How Is the Fuel Mix for U-S Electricity Generation Changing?
  13. How to Get Young People to Work at Your Co-op
  14. Four Terms Every Utility Executive Must Know
  15. Mysterious Goo Blamed in San Francisco Bay Area Bird Deaths; Tests Eyed for Substance’s Source
  16. California: Los Angeles River Restoration May Have New Funding Source
  17. California: Century Later, the ‘Chinatown’ Water Feud Ebbs
  18. Portland Now Generating Hydropower in Its Water Pipes
  19. Defective Panels Threatening Profit at China Solar Farms
  20. Renewables Enjoy New Bipartisan Consensus, But Efficiency Standards Remain Under Attack
  21. How the Rise of a Mega Solar Panel Farm Shows Us the Future of Energy
  22. Largest-Ever Study Quantifies the Value of Rooftop Photovoltaics
  23. Breaking Wind: The Odd Culture of Wind Farm Protests
  24. Beaverton Energy Conservation Firm Sold to California Outfit
  25. Oregon Bank Is the First to Work with Colorado Marijuana Businesses
  26. Marijuana Taxes Could Help Pay for Mental Health Treatment in Washington If New Bill Is Passed
  27. Goldendale Residents Wonder, Does Pot Have a Place?
  28. King County Prosecutor Puts Medical Marijuana Businesses ‘On Notice’
  29. Unique Hurdles Facing Legal Pot in Live-And-Let-Live Alaska
  30. Nearly Half of Electric Car Tax Breaks Go to State’s Wealthiest Ten Percent
  31. Where the Electric Vehicle Boom is Happening & How Utilities Can Take Advantage
  32. What’s Behind President Obama’s Push for High-Speed Internet
  33. Who Exactly is a Broadband Common Carrier?
  34. Facebook Report Says It Adds More than $200 Billion to Global Economy
  35. Facebook Is Cracking Down on Hoaxes in Your News Feed
  36. President Obama’s State of the Union Goes Big on Social Media
  37. NBC to Stream Super Bowl to Convince People to Buy Cable
  38. Six Ways to Improve Your Twitter Marketing Results
  39. In State of the Union, President Obama Sets an Ambitious Agenda
  40. Peninsula Counties Hope for Timber Subsidy to Stave Off Impacts on Road DepartmentsVideo: ‘Ticket Bots’ Target of Proposed Washington State Law
  41. States with the Highest (And Lowest) Gas Taxes
  42. One Phone Making Thousands of 911 Calls to Kitsap Dispatchers
  43. Deflategate – NFL League Sources Say 11 of 12 Patriots Footballs Underinflated
WORD OF THE DAY

Bucolic • \byoo-CALL-ick\ • adjective – 1: of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen: pastoral 2a: relating to or typical of rural life b: idyllic.

A soft, warm breeze rustled the tall grass enveloping Barney as he lay in the pasture watching the clouds lazily roll by, framed by a deep azure sky. “This day couldn’t be better,” he mused, enjoying his bucolic escape with a deep, spiritual contentment.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

British Columbia: Hydro Chief Says More Talks Key to Finding Peace River Dam Solutions with First Nations (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Energy’s Holy Grail? You Can Find It at Redmond’s Helion Energy (Crosscut Seattle)

Chelan PUD Pays Off another $9 Million in Debt (Wenatchee World, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Says Power Line Will Ease Burdens on Hydro (Electric Light & Power)

Oregon: Coe Rebuffs Overtures to Rejoin Emerald People’s Utility District Board as Top Executive (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Legarsky Leaves Jefferson PUD Finance Position (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Nuclear Industry Losing Its Glow. Should Government Step In? “…If…nuclear industry’s operating capacity disappears…the U-S will become far more reliant on natural gas & it will go backward in its efforts to curb carbon emissions…” (Christian Science Monitor)

Kansas City Power & Light Will Stop Using Coal at Some of Its Generating Units (Kansas City Star, MO)

Missouri: Utilities Boost Focus on Cybersecurity as FERC Adopts New Standards (Utility Dive)

U-S Department of Energy Releases Voluntary Code of Conduct for Safeguarding Customer Data (American Public Power Association)

Electrifying the Bakken (The Bakken Magazine, Grand Forks, ND)

How Is the Fuel Mix for U-S Electricity Generation Changing? (U-S Energy Information Administration)

How to Get Young People to Work at Your Co-op (Electric Co-op Today)

Four Terms Every Utility Executive Must Know (The Energy Collective)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Mysterious Goo Blamed in San Francisco Bay Area Bird Deaths; Tests Eyed for Substance’s Source (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

California: Los Angeles River Restoration May Have New Funding Source (Associated Press)

California: Century Later, the ‘Chinatown’ Water Feud Ebbs (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Portland Now Generating Hydropower in Its Water Pipes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Defective Panels Threatening Profit at China Solar Farms (Bloomberg News)

Renewables Enjoy New Bipartisan Consensus, But Efficiency Standards Remain Under Attack (Utility Dive)

How the Rise of a Mega Solar Panel Farm Shows Us the Future of Energy (GigaOM)

Largest-Ever Study Quantifies the Value of Rooftop Photovoltaics (Phys.Org)

Breaking Wind: The Odd Culture of Wind Farm Protests (RenewablesBiz)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Beaverton Energy Conservation Firm Sold to California Outfit (Portland Business Journal, OR)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Oregon Bank Is the First to Work with Colorado Marijuana Businesses (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Marijuana Taxes Could Help Pay for Mental Health Treatment in Washington If New Bill Is Passed (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Goldendale Residents Wonder, Does Pot Have a Place? (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

King County Prosecutor Puts Medical Marijuana Businesses ‘On Notice’ (Northwest Public Radio)

Unique Hurdles Facing Legal Pot in Live-And-Let-Live Alaska (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Nearly Half of Electric Car Tax Breaks Go to State’s Wealthiest Ten Percent (Washington Policy Center)

Where the Electric Vehicle Boom is Happening & How Utilities Can Take Advantage (Utility Dive)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

What’s Behind President Obama’s Push for High-Speed Internet (Christian Science Monitor)

Who Exactly is a Broadband Common Carrier? (The Hill, Washington, DC)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Report Says It Adds More than $200 Billion to Global Economy (Reuters)

Facebook Is Cracking Down on Hoaxes in Your News Feed (Mashable)

President Obama’s State of the Union Goes Big on Social Media (USA Today)

NBC to Stream Super Bowl to Convince People to Buy Cable (Consumerist)

Six Ways to Improve Your Twitter Marketing Results (Social Media Examiner)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

In State of the Union, President Obama Sets an Ambitious Agenda (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Peninsula Counties Hope for Timber Subsidy to Stave Off Impacts on Road Departments (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Video: ‘Ticket Bots’ Target of Proposed Washington State Law (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

States with the Highest (And Lowest) Gas Taxes (USA Today)

One Phone Making Thousands of 911 Calls to Kitsap Dispatchers (Associated Press)

Deflategate – NFL League Sources Say 11 of 12 Patriots Footballs Under Inflated (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

DIVERSIONS

The Mystery of the 132-Year-Old Winchester Rifle Found Propped against a National Park Tree

Ohio Firing Ends in Glittery Vandalism Charges - Boss’s Office Covered in Glitter, Silly String, Police Say

This is Just Sad – This App Builds You a Fake Girlfriend or Boyfriend, Voicemails & All

New Marijuana Strain Named after Seahawks Running Back Marshawn Lynch

SONG OF THE DAY

Atlanta Rhythm Section – Imaginary Lover

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.