Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Energy News Digest for March 18, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 18, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Grant PUD Nearly Finished with Repairs at Wanapum Dam (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)

Power Restored - Tahuya Emergency Outage – To Replace High Voltage Power Pole along SR 3 Sheared by Belfair Traffic Accident (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Oregon Biomass Electricity Plant Effort Seeks Energy Buyer (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Jefferson PUD Won’t Say No to Selling Electricity to Pot Growers (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Fish-Eating Birds Reluctant to Flee Columbia River Enclave (Electric Co-op Today)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Grant PUD Nearly Finished with Repairs at Wanapum Dam
  2. Power Restored - Tahuya Emergency Outage – To Replace High Voltage Power Pole along SR 3 Sheared by Belfair Traffic Accident
  3. Tacoma Council to Consider Rate Hikes for Water, Power Utility
  4. Bonneville Power Administration Pushes for Pacific Northwest Imbalance Market
  5. Environmental Groups Urge North Carolina Regulators to Reject Utility Smart Grid Plans
  6. Electric & Water Utilities Are Quickly Adapting New Telecom Networks
  7. Dan Poneman in the Spotlight: Ex-Energy Official’s $1.7 Million Gig Draws Fire
  8. Chernobyl: Containing the World’s Worst Nuclear Accident
  9. Fish-Eating Birds Reluctant to Flee Columbia River Enclave
  10. Coho Fry Lost after Equipment Fails at Kalama Falls Hatchery
  11. As Sections of Oregon Remain Bone Dry, Governor Declares Emergency
  12. As California Drought Enters 4th Year, Conservation Efforts & Worries Increase
  13. Oregon Biomass Electricity Plant Effort Seeks Energy Buyer
  14. Citizens Utility Board to Portland General Electric: Wisconsin Is Bad Model for Rooftop Solar Battle
  15. Greens Fight Giant Solar Farm in Southern California
  16. Target Planning to Install Solar Energy Systems on 180 U-S Buildings
  17. Outlook for Solar Gets a Bit Brighter
  18. Bribing Bloggers with Free Solar Panels Is Apparently a Thing Now
  19. Green Planet Door-to-Door Furnace Salesman Accused of Cheating Toronto Senior
  20. Jefferson PUD Won’t Say No to Selling Electricity to Pot Growers
  21. On Marijuana, Obama Is Content to Evolve Rather Than to Lead the Way
  22. Pacific Ocean May Become Warmer, Less Productive, NOAA Warns
  23. Tax Cuts for Google Fiber, Comcast & Data Centers Encounter Skeptics in Oregon House
  24. Montana Lawmakers Consider Bonds for Rural Broadband Expansion
  25. The Clouds Are Growing in Seattle: Amazon Acquires ‘Internet of Things’ Company
  26. Idaho Official Resigns after Failed Broadband Contract
  27. Electric Co-ops Win FCC Funds for High-Speed Internet
  28. Congress Scrutinizes FCC Following Release of New Internet Rules
  29. With the Death of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Faces One of Its Greatest Branding Challenges
  30. Facebook to Let Users Send Money to Friends via Messenger
  31. How to Craft Headlines That Draw People to Your Content
  32. Scott Walker Aide Fires Off Epic 40-Tweet Tweetstorm after Resigning Following Just One Day on the Job
  33. Bill Would Withhold Money from Washington State Districts That Don’t File Reports
  34. Video: Most Elected State Officials Get Record Training
  35. Zombie Lobby Descends on Washington State Capitol
  36. Congressman Aaron Schock’s Resignation: Did ‘Downton Abbey’ Tastes Do Him In?
  37. Mason County Man Claims He Accidentally Shot Wife While Cleaning Weapon
  38. Fatal Car Crash Tuesday into Hood Canal near Potlatch
  39. Premera Says Cyberattack Could Affect 11-Million People
  40. Quinault Tribe Settles Lawsuit with Three Districts, Including Mary M. Knight
  41. Machinists Defy Government Opposition, Move Closer to Unionizing Boeing’s South Carolina Plant
  42. Severe Solar Storm Bathes Northern Skies in Dazzling Green Auroras
WORD OF THE DAY

Tendentious • \ten-DEN-shus\ • adjective - Marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view: biased

Yankees, Lakers, Cowboys – the big sports media seem to have a tendentious fascination with the foibles and successes of each of these franchises. Franchises which funnel tons o’ bucks into the gaping maw of the marketing machine and its beneficiaries.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Grant PUD Nearly Finished with Repairs at Wanapum Dam (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)

Power Restored - Tahuya Emergency Outage – To Replace High Voltage Power Pole along SR 3 Sheared by Belfair Traffic Accident (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Tacoma Council to Consider Rate Hikes for Water, Power Utility (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Bonneville Power Administration Pushes for Pacific Northwest Imbalance Market (Argus Media)

Environmental Groups Urge North Carolina Regulators to Reject Utility Smart Grid Plans (Utility Dive)

Electric & Water Utilities Are Quickly Adapting New Telecom Networks (Breaking Energy)

Dan Poneman in the Spotlight: Ex-Energy Official’s $1.7 Million Gig Draws Fire (Politico)

Chernobyl: Containing the World’s Worst Nuclear Accident (British Broadcasting Corporation)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fish-Eating Birds Reluctant to Flee Columbia River Enclave (Electric Co-op Today)

Coho Fry Lost after Equipment Fails at Kalama Falls Hatchery (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

As Sections of Oregon Remain Bone Dry, Governor Declares Emergency (Portland Business Journal, OR)

As California Drought Enters 4th Year, Conservation Efforts & Worries Increase (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Biomass Electricity Plant Effort Seeks Energy Buyer (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Citizens Utility Board to Portland General Electric: Wisconsin Is Bad Model for Rooftop Solar Battle (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Greens Fight Giant Solar Farm in Southern California (Courthouse News Service)

Target Planning to Install Solar Energy Systems on 180 U-S Buildings (Bloomberg News)

Outlook for Solar Gets a Bit Brighter (NY Times)

Bribing Bloggers with Free Solar Panels Is Apparently a Thing Now (Grist Online)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Green Planet Door-to-Door Furnace Salesman Accused of Cheating Toronto Senior (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Jefferson PUD Won’t Say No to Selling Electricity to Pot Growers (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

On Marijuana, Obama Is Content to Evolve Rather Than to Lead the Way (Washington Post)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Pacific Ocean May Become Warmer, Less Productive, NOAA Warns (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tax Cuts for Google Fiber, Comcast & Data Centers Encounter Skeptics in Oregon House (Oregonian, Portland)

Montana Lawmakers Consider Bonds for Rural Broadband Expansion (Capital Press)

The Clouds Are Growing in Seattle: Amazon Acquires ‘Internet of Things’ Company (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Idaho Official Resigns after Failed Broadband Contract (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Electric Co-ops Win FCC Funds for High-Speed Internet (Electric Co-op Today)

Congress Scrutinizes FCC Following Release of New Internet Rules (NY Times)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

With the Death of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Faces One of Its Greatest Branding Challenges (AdWeek)

Facebook to Let Users Send Money to Friends via Messenger (Associated Press)

How to Craft Headlines That Draw People to Your Content (Social media Examiner)

Scott Walker Aide Fires Off Epic 40-Tweet Tweetstorm after Resigning Following Just One Day on the Job (Yahoo! News)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Bill Would Withhold Money from Washington State Districts That Don’t File Reports (Everett Herald, WA)

Video: Most Elected State Officials Get Record Training (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Zombie Lobby Descends on Washington State Capitol (Associated Press)

Congressman Aaron Schock’s Resignation: Did ‘Downton Abbey’ Tastes Do Him In? (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Man Claims He Accidentally Shot Wife While Cleaning Weapon (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Fatal Car Crash Tuesday into Hood Canal near Potlatch (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Premera Says Cyberattack Could Affect 11-Million People (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Quinault Tribe Settles Lawsuit with Three Districts, Including Mary M. Knight (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Machinists Defy Government Opposition, Move Closer to Unionizing Boeing’s South Carolina Plant (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Severe Solar Storm Bathes Northern Skies in Dazzling Green Auroras (Washington Post)

DIVERSIONS

This is Why You Don’t Road Rage on Two Wheels

Bud Light Deletes Tweet Suggesting You Randomly Pinch People for St. Patrick’s Day

Why Old Paper Turns Yellow

Seven Ways That People Died Trying to Become Immortal

SONG OF THE DAY

The Pretenders – Forever Young

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.