Thursday, April 16, 2015

Energy News Digest for April 16, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 16, 2015

Northwest Snow Gods Are Kind & Cruel (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Snow Pack Six Percent of Normal in Olympic Mountains (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Bellevue Neighbors Vow to Fight New Puget Sound Energy Power Line (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

City Of Ellensburg May Offer Ratepayers Solar Energy Option through Community Project (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

Idaho: Building a Better Steelhead on the South Fork of the Clearwater (Idaho Statesman)

How to Offer Great Customer Service with Social Media (Social Media Examiner)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Bellevue Neighbors Vow to Fight New Puget Sound Energy Power Line
  2. Grant PUD Commissioners Approve Crescent Bar Memorandum
  3. Mason PUD 3 Commission Report – April 14, 2015 Business Meeting
  4. Hey Look! There’s Elliot Mainzer: Electric Power Research Institute Names New Board Members
  5. U-S Senator: Regulators’ ‘Heads Should Roll’ over Diablo Nuclear Plant
  6. Energy Adviser: Idea Fair to Focus on Storm Safety
  7. Tennessee Valley Authority Sued over Tennessee Coal Ash Ponds
  8. Virginia Town Should Not Sell Municipal Utility, Advisory Group Says
  9. Wisconsin: Lawmakers Vote to End Funding for Citizens’ Utility Board
  10. Mekong River Dams: Harnessing the Mekong or Killing It?
  11. Idaho: Building a Better Steelhead on the South Fork of the Clearwater
  12. Orcas Frolic, Hunt for Seals Off the Oregon Coast
  13. Gray Whale Travels 13,987 Miles, Breaking World Record
  14. Plight of Glacier National Park Stonefly Imperiled by Climate Change Draws Lawsuit
  15. Snow Pack Six Percent of Normal in Olympic Mountains
  16. Multnomah County Has Fourth Highest Diesel Pollution in U-S
  17. Video: Hood Canal Kelp Studied for Future of Ocean Life
  18. City Of Ellensburg May Offer Ratepayers Solar Energy Option through Community Project
  19. How The Public Views America’s Energy Revolution
  20. California: Desert Hot Springs – Wind Turbine Spinning Out of Control, Roads Closed
  21. Indiana: Groups Sue House GOP over Solar Bill Secrecy
  22. Can Other Cities Match Georgetown’s Low-Cost Switch to 100 Percent Wind & Sun?
  23. Governor Inslee Praises Washington State’s Medical Marijuana Regulation Measure
  24. Ruling by Federal Judge in California on Pot Classification Disappoints Legalization Advocates
  25. Rapid Warming Period May Be Underway as Earth Sets another Record
  26. Obama Administration’s Climate Change Plan Faces High-Profile Legal Test at Appeals Court
  27. Three Things to Know about CarbonWA’s Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax
  28. Infographics: Green Habits of Pacific Northwest Homeowners, How We Stack up to Neighbors & Generational Differences
  29. Portland Airport Hires 40 Goats & One Llama To Do Some Landscaping Work
  30. Apple Expands Environmental Projects to Include Solar Power in China, Sustainable Timber in U-S
  31. Chevrolet Discounts Spark EV: ‘Cheaper Than Phone Bill’
  32. Phone Company Refuses to Stop Denouncing ALEC’s Telecom Policy
  33. Panasonic Eyes Doubling of Airline Wi-Fi Installation to Meet Demand
  34. How to Offer Great Customer Service with Social Media
  35. Carlsberg Makes Londoners Happy With a Billboard That Gives Out Free Beer
  36. A Hidden Treasure Trove of Dead .Gov Websites
  37. Why States Are Getting Worse at Predicting Tax Revenue
  38. Here’s Which States Are Most Innovative in America
  39. Possibility for Keeping Shelton High School Pool
  40. Washington Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.9 Percent
  41. New Washington Ferry System Fails on First Day of High-Volume Summer Reservations
  42. U-S Homebuilder Confidence, Outlook Surge in April on Expectations of Robust Sales This Spring
  43. City of Lacey Annual STEM Fair & Electric Car Rally May 2
  44. Seattle CEO Sets $70,000 Minimum Wage as U-S ‘Pay Gap’ Widens
  45. Anti-Vax Mom Changes Her Tune as All Seven of Her Children Come Down with Whooping Cough 
  46. Oregon Couple Awarded More Than $200,000 in Dog-Barking Case
WORD OF THE DAY

Stentorian • \stent-TORE-ee-un\ • Adjective – Extremely loud.

Stentorian voice
Echoes from the bathroom stall
Sigh, toilet cell call

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bellevue Neighbors Vow to Fight New Puget Sound Energy Power Line (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Grant PUD Commissioners Approve Crescent Bar Memorandum (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Commission Report – April 14, 2015 Business Meeting (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Hey Look! There’s Elliot Mainzer: Electric Power Research Institute Names New Board Members (EIN News)

U-S Senator: Regulators’ ‘Heads Should Roll’ over Diablo Nuclear Plant (SF Chronicle, CA)

Energy Adviser: Idea Fair to Focus on Storm Safety (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Tennessee Valley Authority Sued over Tennessee Coal Ash Ponds (Courthouse News Service)

Virginia Town Should Not Sell Municipal Utility, Advisory Group Says (Utility Dive)

Wisconsin: Lawmakers Vote to End Funding for Citizens’ Utility Board (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)

Mekong River Dams: Harnessing the Mekong or Killing It? (National Geographic Magazine)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho: Building a Better Steelhead on the South Fork of the Clearwater (Idaho Statesman)

Orcas Frolic, Hunt for Seals Off the Oregon Coast (Oregonian, Portland)

Gray Whale Travels 13,987 Miles, Breaking World Record (USA Today)

Plight of Glacier National Park Stonefly Imperiled by Climate Change Draws Lawsuit (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Snow Pack Six Percent of Normal in Olympic Mountains (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Multnomah County Has Fourth Highest Diesel Pollution in U-S (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Video: Hood Canal Kelp Studied for Future of Ocean Life (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

City Of Ellensburg May Offer Ratepayers Solar Energy Option through Community Project (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

How The Public Views America’s Energy Revolution – Two new polls show that support for renewables is on the rise across demographic divides (Utility Dive)

California: Desert Hot Springs – Wind Turbine Spinning Out of Control, Roads Closed (Riverside Press Enterprise, Ca)

Indiana: Groups Sue House GOP over Solar Bill Secrecy (Indianapolis Star, IN)

Can Other Cities Match Georgetown’s Low-Cost Switch to 100 Percent Wind & Sun? (Renewable Energy World)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Governor Inslee Praises Washington State’s Medical Marijuana Regulation Measure (Northwest Public Radio)

Ruling by Federal Judge in California on Pot Classification Disappoints Legalization Advocates (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Rapid Warming Period May Be Underway as Earth Sets another Record (Mashable)

Obama Administration’s Climate Change Plan Faces High-Profile Legal Test at Appeals Court (Associated Press)

Three Things to Know about CarbonWA’s Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax (Sightline Daily)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Infographics: Green Habits of Pacific Northwest Homeowners, How We Stack up to Neighbors & Generational Differences (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Portland Airport Hires 40 Goats & One Llama To Do Some Landscaping Work (Consumerist)

Apple Expands Environmental Projects to Include Solar Power in China, Sustainable Timber in U-S (Associated Press)

Chevrolet Discounts Spark EV: ‘Cheaper Than Phone Bill’ (USA Today – Not mine…)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Phone Company Refuses to Stop Denouncing ALEC’s Telecom Policy (National Journal)

Panasonic Eyes Doubling of Airline Wi-Fi Installation to Meet Demand (Reuters)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

How to Offer Great Customer Service with Social Media (Social Media Examiner)

Carlsberg Makes Londoners Happy With a Billboard That Gives Out Free Beer (AdWeek)

A Hidden Treasure Trove of Dead .Gov Websites (Gizmodo)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Why States Are Getting Worse at Predicting Tax Revenue (Washington Post)

Here’s Which States Are Most Innovative in America (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Possibility for Keeping Shelton High School Pool (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington Unemployment Rate Drops to 5.9 Percent (Associated Press)

New Washington Ferry System Fails on First Day of High-Volume Summer Reservations (Associated Press)

U-S Homebuilder Confidence, Outlook Surge in April on Expectations of Robust Sales This Spring (Associated Press)

City of Lacey Annual STEM Fair & Electric Car Rally May 2 (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Seattle CEO Sets $70,000 Minimum Wage as U-S ‘Pay Gap’ Widens (Christian Science Monitor)

Anti-Vax Mom Changes Her Tune as All Seven of Her Children Come Down with Whooping Cough (Washington Post)

Oregon Couple Awarded More Than $200,000 in Dog-Barking Case (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

DIVERSIONS

Polish Nurse Cat May Be the Cutest Medical Practitioner in History

Cats Chat with Us through Meows, Blinks & Roving Whiskers

Giant Realistic Cat Head is the Stuff of Nightmeows

Man Ruptures Tendon after Weeks of ‘Candy Crush’

SONG OF THE DAY

Al Stewart - Year of the Cat

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.