Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Energy News Digest for February 24, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for February 24, 2015

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Oil Industry Not Buying Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s Cap & Trade Plan (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

The Sage Grouse Might Not Be Listed as an Endangered Species After All (Washington Post)

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency Awaiting Results after Emissions Tests on Nippon Biomass Boiler (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Alaska Becomes Third State with Legal Marijuana (Associated Press)

Solar Eclipse Threatens European Power Supplies (CNBC)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Solar Eclipse Threatens European Power Supplies
  2. Two Arrested After Trail of Clues Leads to Stolen Substation Wire
  3. Oregon: Hermiston City Council to Consider Power Rate Increase
  4. Pacific Gas & Electric – Secret "Self-Investigation" Finds Obstructions on 20% of Its Gas Pipelines
  5. All 77 of BPA’s Annual Reports Now Online
  6. Bill Gates and Other Business Leaders Urge U-S to Increase Energy Research
  7. Lobbyist Dubbed Dr Evil Behind Front Groups Attacking Obama Power Rules
  8. The Sage Grouse Might Not Be Listed as an Endangered Species After All
  9. Bonneville Power Administration Land Conservation Efforts Play Role in Oregon Chub’s Delisting
  10. How is Portland Doing on Air Pollution? It Depends Where You Look
  11. Water Thefts on the Rise in Drought-Stricken California
  12. Olympic Region Clean Air Agency Awaiting Results after Emissions Tests on Nippon Biomass Boiler
  13. Biomass Plants Gaining Steam – Do They Result in Less Carbon?
  14. On Burning Wood Pellets for Electricity – It's U-S Environmentalists Vs. European Generators
  15. Wind & Gas Hybrid Power – Wyoming's Idea of California Dreamin'
  16. How Renewables Are Changing the Way We Operate the Grid
  17. Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Systems
  18. Solar Energy’s New Best Friend Is … The Christian Coalition
  19. Microsoft Experiments with Taking Energy-Sucking Data Centers Off the Grid
  20. America's Energy Future Requires a Demand Response to Save Billions
  21. Alaska Becomes Third State with Legal Marijuana
  22. Oregon: Pot Growers Could Raise Electricity Rates in Ashland, Official Says
  23. Clallam County May Extend Temporary Marijuana Land-Use Controls
  24. Oil Industry Not Buying Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s Cap & Trade Plan
  25. What We Can Learn from British Columbia’s Carbon Tax
  26. Head of United Nations Climate Panel Steps Down amid Harassment Case
  27. Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher
  28. Oregon: Lakeview's $200M Biofuel Project Gets a Public Airing
  29. Comcast Revenue Rises as It Adds Video, Internet Customers
  30. These Two Charts from Comcast Show Why Net Neutrality is Vital
  31. FCC Chief Pressed to Release Net Neutrality Rules
  32. Inside Opower’s New Growth Strategy: The Utility Bill ‘Is the Biggest Missed Opportunity’
  33. Google Teams Up with Three Wireless Carriers to Combat Apple Pay
  34. What You Think about Millennials is Wrong
  35. Lady Gaga, Julie Andrews Notch Oscars' Top Social Media Moment
  36. Pasco Residents Worried about Diluting the Hispanic Vote
  37. U-S Representative Herrera Beutler Censure on Clark County GOP Agenda
  38. State of Oregon Investigating Governor’s Leaked Emails
  39. Did You See the Fireball over Idaho Last Night? Here Are Sightings from Across the West
  40. Craigslist Animal Cruelty – Judge Calls Olympia Case 'Truly Disturbing'
WORD OF THE DAY

Thrasonical • \thray-SAW-nuh-kull\ • Adjective – Of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of Thraso: bragging, boastful

Fat squirrel steals nuts
Loud thrasonical display
Leaves sad, angry birds

From Merriam-Webster: Thraso was a blustering old soldier in the comedy Eunuchus, a play written by the great Roman dramatist Terence more than 2,000 years ago. Terence is generally remembered for his realistic characterizations, and in Thraso he created a swaggerer whose vainglorious boastfulness was not soon to be forgotten. Thraso's reputation as a braggart lives on in thrasonical, a word that boasts a 450-year history as an English adjective.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Solar Eclipse Threatens European Power Supplies (CNBC)

Two Arrested After Trail of Clues Leads to Stolen Substation Wire (Everett Herald, WA)

Oregon: Hermiston City Council to Consider Power Rate Increase (East Oregonian, Pendleton)

Pacific Gas & Electric – Secret "Self-Investigation" Finds Obstructions on 20% of Its Gas Pipelines (Utility Dive)

All 77 of BPA’s Annual Reports Now Online (Bonneville Power Administration)

Bill Gates and Other Business Leaders Urge U-S to Increase Energy Research (NY Times)

Lobbyist Dubbed Dr Evil Behind Front Groups Attacking Obama Power Rules (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/23/lobbyist-dubbed-dr-evil-behind-front-groups-attacking-obama-power-rules

FISH & WILDLIFE

The Sage Grouse Might Not Be Listed as an Endangered Species After All (Washington Post)

Bonneville Power Administration Land Conservation Efforts Play Role in Oregon Chub’s Delisting (Bonneville Power Administration)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

How is Portland Doing on Air Pollution? It Depends Where You Look (Oregonian, Portland)

Water Thefts on the Rise in Drought-Stricken California (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency Awaiting Results after Emissions Tests on Nippon Biomass Boiler (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Biomass Plants Gaining Steam – Do They Result in Less Carbon? (Forbes Magazine)

On Burning Wood Pellets for Electricity – It's U-S Environmentalists Vs. European Generators (E&E Publishing)

Wind & Gas Hybrid Power – Wyoming's Idea of California Dreamin' (E&E Publishing)

How Renewables Are Changing the Way We Operate the Grid (Utility Dive)

Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Systems (Breaking Energy)

Solar Energy’s New Best Friend Is … The Christian Coalition (Washington Post)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Microsoft Experiments with Taking Energy-Sucking Data Centers Off the Grid (E&E Publishing)

America's Energy Future Requires a Demand Response to Save Billions (Forbes Magazine – Hey Ho – It’s Energy Northwest!)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Alaska Becomes Third State with Legal Marijuana (Associated Press)

Oregon: Pot Growers Could Raise Electricity Rates in Ashland, Official Says (Medford Mail Tribune, OR)

Clallam County May Extend Temporary Marijuana Land-Use Controls (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Oil Industry Not Buying Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s Cap & Trade Plan (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

What We Can Learn from British Columbia’s Carbon Tax (Grist Online)

Head of United Nations Climate Panel Steps Down amid Harassment Case (Associated Press)

Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon: Lakeview's $200M Biofuel Project Gets a Public Airing (Portland Business Journal, OR)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Comcast Revenue Rises as It Adds Video, Internet Customers (NY Times)

These Two Charts from Comcast Show Why Net Neutrality is Vital (Consumerist)

FCC Chief Pressed to Release Net Neutrality Rules (USA Today)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Inside Opower’s New Growth Strategy: The Utility Bill ‘Is the Biggest Missed Opportunity’ (Green Tech Media)

Google Teams Up with Three Wireless Carriers to Combat Apple Pay (Oregonian, Portland)

What You Think about Millennials is Wrong (Washington Post)

Lady Gaga, Julie Andrews Notch Oscars' Top Social Media Moment (Reuters)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Pasco Residents Worried about Diluting the Hispanic Vote (Tri-City Herald, WA)

U-S Representative Herrera Beutler Censure on Clark County GOP Agenda (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

State of Oregon Investigating Governor’s Leaked Emails (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

GENERAL NEWS

Did You See the Fireball over Idaho Last Night? Here Are Sightings from Across the West (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Craigslist Animal Cruelty – Judge Calls Olympia Case 'Truly Disturbing' (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Marshawn Lynch Wants to Trademark 'I'm Just Here So I Won't Get Fined'

Documentary or Narcissism? British Columbia Man Shoots Video Selfie While Rescuers Use Jaws Of Life to Cut Him from Crashed Car

Hibernating Pet Tarantulas Stolen from Crawlspace of House

Massachusetts Man Selling, Shipping Snow from His Yard

SONG OF THE DAY

James Newton Howard – Snow Falling on Cedars, End Title

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.