Monday, February 9, 2015

Energy News Digest for February 9, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for February 9, 2015

Special Weather Statement for Landslide Danger

Flood Warning for Skokomish River in Mason County

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Six Claim Racial Bias in Suit with Utilities in Seattle Public Utilities Bill-Fixing Scandal (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Amazon Plans Up to Eleven More Oregon Data Centers If Tax Situation Addressed (Oregonian, Portland)

Idaho Regulators Shorten Renewable Power Contracts (Utility Dive)

2014 Snake River Fall Chinook Redd Estimate Highest Total since Surveys Began in 1988 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Disaster on the Slopes: Record-Low Snow Year Continues (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Six Claim Racial Bias in Suit with Utilities in Seattle Public Utilities Bill-Fixing Scandal
  2. Mason PUD 3 Working to Restore Electricity to Belfair Elementary School
  3. Editorial: Enloe Project Making Strange Bedfellows
  4. Is Your Electric Co-op Prepared to Handle a Crisis?
  5. Bonneville Power Administration Regional Science Bowl – Pacific Northwest High School Students Give Their Brains a Serious Workout
  6. Western Area Power Administration Budget Request Holds Steady for Fourth Year in a Row
  7. Warning System for Solar Storms Is Kept on Earth for Now
  8. 2014 Snake River Fall Chinook Redd Estimate Highest Total since Surveys Began in 1988
  9. British Columbia: Quesnel Dragon Lake Trout Endangered by Koi Infestation
  10. Upgrades at Oregon’s Foster Dam Fish Passage Facility Aimed at ESA-Listed Salmonids
  11. Nile River May Be Running Out of Fish
  12. Disaster on the Slopes: Record-Low Snow Year Continues
  13. Could a Pineapple Express Save California from Drought?
  14. The Dam Truth: How the U-S Army Corps of Engineers Manages Heavy Rain Storms
  15. House Legislation Would Block Implementation of Waters of the U-S Rule
  16. Idaho Regulators Shorten Renewable Power Contracts
  17. Rocky Barker: Idaho Solar Dispute Shouldn’t Be Like Wind War
  18. Intellectual Property Battles Roil the Wind Power Industry
  19. The Hottest New Thing in Energy This Year? Wind Power
  20. California: Interior Secretary Will Dedicate Large Solar Plant
  21. Public Service Co. of New Mexico Plans 40,000-Panel Solar Farm near Santa Fe
  22. Voters Favor Renewable Focus
  23. Energy Smart Industrial: Five Years of Enormous Savings
  24. Snohomish PUD Sees Energy Use Rise & Fall with the Super Bowl
  25. Jefferson County Commissioners to Look Again at Marijuana Businesses Moratorium at Monday Meeting
  26. Oregon Cities Pushing for Power to Tax, Ban Cannabis Sales
  27. District of Columbia Sees Loophole in Congress’s Move to Halt Marijuana Law
  28. Power Theft Suspect: Nearly 800 Marijuana Plants Found in Grow Operation Next to Day Care
  29. Washington State’s Marijuana Law Hurts Idaho Police Recruitment
  30. Report Says Emotions, Not Science, Rule U-S Climate Change Debate
  31. Inslee a Student of California’s Carbon-Cap Lessons
  32. University Of Hawaii Researchers Say Climate Change is Affecting Major Big Island Storms
  33. Amazon Plans Up to Eleven More Oregon Data Centers If Tax Situation Addressed
  34. FCC & Net Neutrality: What You Really Need to Know
  35. Your Old Landline Could Get an Early Retirement
  36. Virtual Private Networks Dissolve National Boundaries Online, for Work & Movie-Watching
  37. Washington State Government Asked to Provide Nearly Every Email Ever Sent
  38. Technicalities: Oregon Governor Kitzhaber Recall Efforts Could Prove Futile, For Now
  39. Business Owners Voice Frustration over Temporary Port Shutdown
  40. Mud, Not Flood, Now Primary Worry along Duckabush River
  41. Is Winter Over?
  42. Mystery of the ‘Milky Rain’ in Eastern Washington Solved?
  43. Trade Stories: Building Boats at the Taylor Shellfish Fabrication Shop with Brian Omdahl
  44. Post Season Mason County High School Basketball
WORD OF THE DAY

Weltschmerz • \VELT-shmertz\ • Noun - 1: mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state 2: a mood of sentimental sadness

“Ah, to live in the world of the 1500’s, when things were simpler…and you knew where you stood,” sighed the grizzled English lord to his bootblack. His state of weltschmerz was only slightly tempered by the historic realities of disease, dirt, body odor, and rampant halitosis.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Six Claim Racial Bias in Suit with Utilities in Seattle Public Utilities Bill-Fixing Scandal (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Mason PUD 3 Working to Restore Electricity to Belfair Elementary School (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Editorial: Enloe Project Making Strange Bedfellows (Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, Oroville, WA)

Is Your Electric Co-op Prepared to Handle a Crisis? (Electric Co-op Today)

Bonneville Power Administration Regional Science Bowl – Pacific Northwest High School Students Give Their Brains a Serious Workout (Oregonian, Portland)

Western Area Power Administration Budget Request Holds Steady for Fourth Year in a Row (American Public Power Association)

Warning System for Solar Storms Is Kept on Earth for Now (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

2014 Snake River Fall Chinook Redd Estimate Highest Total since Surveys Began in 1988 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

British Columbia: Quesnel Dragon Lake Trout Endangered by Koi Infestation (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Upgrades at Oregon’s Foster Dam Fish Passage Facility Aimed at ESA-Listed Salmonids (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Nile River May Be Running Out of Fish (USA Today)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Disaster on the Slopes: Record-Low Snow Year Continues (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Could a Pineapple Express Save California from Drought? (Christian Science Monitor)

The Dam Truth: How the U-S Army Corps of Engineers Manages Heavy Rain Storms (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

House Legislation Would Block Implementation of Waters of the U-S Rule (American Public Power Association)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Regulators Shorten Renewable Power Contracts (Utility Dive)

Rocky Barker: Idaho Solar Dispute Shouldn’t Be Like Wind War (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Intellectual Property Battles Roil the Wind Power Industry (Renewable Energy World)

The Hottest New Thing in Energy This Year? Wind Power (Wired Magazine)

California: Interior Secretary Will Dedicate Large Solar Plant (KESQ-TV, Palm Springs, CA)

Public Service Co. of New Mexico Plans 40,000-Panel Solar Farm near Santa Fe (Albuquerque Business First, NM)

Voters Favor Renewable Focus (Morning Consult)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Smart Industrial: Five Years of Enormous Savings (Bonneville Power Administration)

Snohomish PUD Sees Energy Use Rise & Fall with the Super Bowl (Everett Herald, WA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Jefferson County Commissioners to Look Again at Marijuana Businesses Moratorium at Monday Meeting (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Oregon Cities Pushing for Power to Tax, Ban Cannabis Sales (Marijuana Business Daily)

District of Columbia Sees Loophole in Congress’s Move to Halt Marijuana Law (NY Times)

Power Theft Suspect: Nearly 800 Marijuana Plants Found in Grow Operation Next to Day Care (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Washington State’s Marijuana Law Hurts Idaho Police Recruitment (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Report Says Emotions, Not Science, Rule U-S Climate Change Debate (Reuters)

Inslee a Student of California’s Carbon-Cap Lessons (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

University Of Hawaii Researchers Say Climate Change is Affecting Major Big Island Storms (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Amazon Plans Up to Eleven More Oregon Data Centers If Tax Situation Addressed (Oregonian, Portland)

FCC & Net Neutrality: What You Really Need to Know (CNET News)

Your Old Landline Could Get an Early Retirement (Washington Post)

Virtual Private Networks Dissolve National Boundaries Online, for Work & Movie-Watching (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Government Asked to Provide Nearly Every Email Ever Sent (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Technicalities: Oregon Governor Kitzhaber Recall Efforts Could Prove Futile, For Now (Northwest Public Radio)

GENERAL NEWS

Business Owners Voice Frustration over Temporary Port Shutdown (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Mud, Not Flood, Now Primary Worry along Duckabush River (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Is Winter Over? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

Mystery of the ‘Milky Rain’ in Eastern Washington Solved? (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Trade Stories: Building Boats at the Taylor Shellfish Fabrication Shop with Brian Omdahl (Filson Life)

Post Season Mason County High School Basketball (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Internet Trolls Weigh In – Should Vermont Have an Official Latin Motto?

Forgotten Copy of Magna Carta Found in Scrapbook

Seattle Police Bike Made Famous by Seahawks’ Bennett Auctioned Off

Grower Uses Classical Music to Enhance Marijuana Potency

SONG OF THE DAY

Walter Murphy – A Fifth of Beethoven

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.