Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Energy News Digest for March 4, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 4, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Top U-S Senate Republican Tells States: Ignore EPA Carbon Rules (Associated Press)

SolarCity sues Salt River Project over Increased Charges for Solar Customers (Utility Dive)

British Columbia: Peace River Dam Unions Won’t Be Blocked by BC Hydro, Says Christy Clark - Union has accused Crown corporation of trying to bar unions from organizing at project worksites (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Yakima River Oil Spill Threatens Wildlife; Cleanup Could Take Weeks (Associated Press)

Shelton Operations Remain Simpson (South Sound Business Examiner)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. British Columbia: Peace River Dam Unions Won’t Be Blocked by BC Hydro, Says Christy Clark
  2. California: Emails Reveal CPUC’s Florio Had Questionable Relations with SoCal Edison Officials
  3. Power Failure Darkens Wide Swath around Walla Walla Monday Night
  4. Montana: Glencore Permanently Closes Columbia Falls Aluminum Site
  5. Pass or Prune? Council Judges R&D Projects at Technology Innovation Summit
  6. Kentucky: Couple Build Their Own Power Line
  7. Hundreds of Dead Fish Wash Ashore in N Portland
  8. Yakima River Oil Spill Threatens Wildlife; Cleanup Could Take Weeks
  9. Snowpack in Washington State & North Cascades Well Below Normal
  10. California’s Terrifying Climate Forecast: It Could Face Droughts Nearly Every Year
  11. SolarCity sues Salt River Project over Increased Charges for Solar
  12. Five Things You Need to Know about the Hype & Reality of Oregon’s Largest Solar Project
  13. New Reports Show How Hot North Carolina’s Solar-Power Industry Has Gotten
  14. Japan’s Growth in Solar Power Falters as Utilities Balk
  15. America is Getting Its First Offshore Wind Farm
  16. Energy Storage Paves Way for Electricity Independence
  17. Washington State Pot Growers Convicted on One Fed Count, Acquitted on Others
  18. Connell Bans Production, Processing & Sales of Marijuana
  19. Columbia County Readies for Pot Hearing
  20. Washington State Senate Passes Marijuana Research Bill
  21. Editorial: Washington State Should Partner with Tribes on Legalized Marijuana
  22. Top U-S Senate Republican Tells States: Ignore EPA Carbon Rules
  23. Portland’s Next Climate Plan Puts Equity Front & Center
  24. EPA’s Woodstove Whisperer
  25. Nepal Official Says Human Waste on Everest a Major Problem
  26. U-S Supreme Court Allows Challenge to Colorado Internet Tax Law
  27. Growth of Google Fiber’s Business Service in Kansas City, Provo, Bodes Well for Nashville
  28. FCC Head Defends ‘Net Neutrality’ Decision amid Criticism from Industry, Politicians
  29. Why Comcast, AT&T & Other Internet Providers Might Not Sue the FCC after All
  30. Hey, State Reps: Every Tech Company in Washington State Wants You to Pass This Bill
  31. Editorial: Idaho Broadband Mess Yields Old Lesson – Local Is Best
  32. In Ongoing War with Islamic State, Twitter Suspends 2,000 Accounts
  33. Smithsonian Museums Ban Use of Selfie Sticks, Still Encourage Selfies
  34. Vince Vaughn & Co-stars Pose for Idiotic Stock Photos You Can Have for Free
  35. ACLU Seeks $2.8 Million in Legal Costs from Yakima in Ethnic Representation Voting Rights Case
  36. There Are Good Reasons Not to Save Every E-Mail Sent by Public Officials. The Reasons to Do So Are Better Still
  37. Washington State Suffers Most Regressive Tax System in U-S
  38. Audit: Improvement Needed for Mason County
  39. Adele Ferguson Dies: Longtime Kitsap Sun Reporter, Pioneer of Journalism
  40. Shelton Operations Remain Simpson
  41. Shelton’s Bikini Barista Trumps Car License Fee
  42. Daylight Saving Time Arriving
  43. Daylight Saving Time: Five Quick Facts
  44. Belfair Bypass in Senate Transportation Package
  45. Nearly One in Three 911 Calls Are Accidental
WORD OF THE DAY

Brickbat • \BRICK-bat\ • noun – 1: a fragment of a hard material (as a brick); especially: one used as a missile 2: an uncomplimentary remark

Angus’ first experience as a standup comic was not a good one. Hoping to be the new “Carrot Top” apparently was not a good choice, as brickbats (both material and verbal) were flung at him during the performance. “Why would anyone want to emulate ‘Carrot Top’?” reported the local paper’s entertainment critic the next morning. “An unfortunate career move…”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

British Columbia: Peace River Dam Unions Won’t Be Blocked by BC Hydro, Says Christy Clark - Union has accused Crown corporation of trying to bar unions from organizing at project worksites (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

California: Emails Reveal CPUC’s Florio Had Questionable Relations with SoCal Edison Officials (Utility Dive)

Power Failure Darkens Wide Swath around Walla Walla Monday Night (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)

Montana: Glencore Permanently Closes Columbia Falls Aluminum Site (Hungry Horse News, MT)

Pass or Prune? Council Judges R&D Projects at Technology Innovation Summit (Bonneville Power Administration)

Kentucky: Couple Build Their Own Power Line (Bowling Green Daily News, KY)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Hundreds of Dead Fish Wash Ashore in N Portland (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Yakima River Oil Spill Threatens Wildlife; Cleanup Could Take Weeks (Associated Press)

Snowpack in Washington State & North Cascades Well Below Normal (Bellingham Herald, WA)

California’s Terrifying Climate Forecast: It Could Face Droughts Nearly Every Year (Washington Post)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

SolarCity sues Salt River Project over Increased Charges for Solar Customers (Utility Dive)

Five Things You Need to Know about the Hype & Reality of Oregon’s Largest Solar Project (Oregonian, Portland)

New Reports Show How Hot North Carolina’s Solar-Power Industry Has Gotten (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

Japan’s Growth in Solar Power Falters as Utilities Balk (NY Times)

America is Getting Its First Offshore Wind Farm (Gizmodo)

Energy Storage Paves Way for Electricity Independence (British Broadcasting Corporation)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Washington State Pot Growers Convicted on One Fed Count, Acquitted on Others (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Connell Bans Production, Processing & Sales of Marijuana (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

Columbia County Readies for Pot Hearing (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

Washington State Senate Passes Marijuana Research Bill (Longview Daily News, WA)

Editorial: Washington State Should Partner with Tribes on Legalized Marijuana (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Top U-S Senate Republican Tells States: Ignore EPA Carbon Rules (Associated Press)

Portland’s Next Climate Plan Puts Equity Front & Center (Portland Business Journal, OR)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

EPA’s Woodstove Whisperer (National Journal)

Nepal Official Says Human Waste on Everest a Major Problem (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

U-S Supreme Court Allows Challenge to Colorado Internet Tax Law (Associated Press)

Growth of Google Fiber’s Business Service in Kansas City, Provo, Bodes Well for Nashville (Nashville Business Journal, TN)
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2015/03/growth-of-google-fibers-business-service-in-kansas.html

FCC Head Defends ‘Net Neutrality’ Decision amid Criticism from Industry, Politicians (Associated Press)

Why Comcast, AT&T & Other Internet Providers Might Not Sue the FCC after All (Washington Post)

Hey, State Reps: Every Tech Company in Washington State Wants You to Pass This Bill (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Editorial: Idaho Broadband Mess Yields Old Lesson – Local Is Best (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

In Ongoing War with Islamic State, Twitter Suspends 2,000 Accounts (Christian Science Monitor)

Smithsonian Museums Ban Use of Selfie Sticks, Still Encourage Selfies (Consumerist)

Vince Vaughn & Co-stars Pose for Idiotic Stock Photos You Can Have for Free (AdWeek)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

ACLU Seeks $2.8 Million in Legal Costs from Yakima in Ethnic Representation Voting Rights Case (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

There Are Good Reasons Not to Save Every E-Mail Sent by Public Officials. The Reasons to Do So Are Better Still (Washington Post)

Washington State Suffers Most Regressive Tax System in U-S (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Audit: Improvement Needed for Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Adele Ferguson Dies: Longtime Kitsap Sun Reporter, Pioneer of Journalism (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Operations Remain Simpson (South Sound Business Examiner)

Shelton’s Bikini Barista Trumps Car License Fee (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Daylight Saving Time Arriving (National Weather Service, Seattle)

Daylight Saving Time: Five Quick Facts (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Belfair Bypass in Senate Transportation Package (Mason Web Tv, Shelton, Wa)

Nearly One in Three 911 Calls Are Accidental (Northwest Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS

What’s the Best Bookstore in the Country?

Paul Allen Announces Japan’s WW2 ‘Musashi Battleship Wreck Found’

500 Snakes Surprise Construction Workers in Canada

Burial Pods Could Turn Cemeteries into Forests

SONG OF THE DAY

Blue Oyster Cult – Don't Fear the Reaper

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.