Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Energy News Digest for April 21, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 21, 2015

Small Craft Advisory for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Quadrennial Energy Review – Major Changes Needed for U-S Power Infrastructure, Says Obama Report (Washington Post)

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Shooting of Salmon-Munching Cormorants in Columbia River Estuary (Oregonian, Portland)

No U-S Protection for Sage Grouse Population (Associated Press)

Montague Wind Project: Iberdrola Seeks Oregon Wind Delay (Renews)

Better Be Mobile-Ready – Google Is About to Dramatically Change How Search Works on Your Phone (Washington Post)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Quadrennial Energy Review – Major Changes Needed for U-S Power Infrastructure, Says Obama Report
  • Quadrennial Energy Review – Obama Wants Billions to ‘Modernize’ Energy Infrastructure
  • Quadrennial Energy Review – Full Report
  • Wanapum Dam Repairs, Expenses $86.5 Million to Date
  • Apple Touts Deschutes Hydropower in New Green Energy Report
  • Obama Urged to Pick up Pace on Pacific Northwest River Treaty
  • Landowner Group in Court to Challenge Province's Approval of British Columbia’s Peace River Dam
  • California Energy Crisis: High Court Rules Energy Firms Must Face Price-Fixing Claims
  • Colorado: Boulder Asks Xcel to Power Its Transition to Municipalization
  • Congress Might Get Back Into the Energy Business
  • Lawsuit Filed to Stop Shooting of Salmon-Munching Cormorants in Columbia River Estuary
  • No U-S Protection for Sage Grouse Population
  • NOAA Proposes Take Most Humpbacks Whales Off Endangered List
  • California Court Rules Water Pricing Plan Violates Law
  • Smart Water Meters Gain Traction in Drought-Ridden California
  • Actor William Shatner Proposes Water Pipeline from Northwest to Save California
  • Montague Wind Project: Iberdrola Seeks Oregon Wind Delay
  • Solar Power Makes Electricity More Accessible on Navajo Reservation
  • A New Kind of Utility: Why SolarCity Wants to be 'More Than a Solar Company'
  • How Google's Nest Will Make Residential Solar 'Smarter'
  • It’s Not Magic – It’s Voltage Optimization
  • You Have No Reason Not to Upgrade to Philips' New $5 LED Light Bulb
  • Washington State Marijuana Prices Drop by More than Half Since Last Summer
  • Which Members of Congress Talk about Marijuana the Most? The Ones from Portland And Boulder, of Course
  • “Best on the Market” – Music Legend Willie Nelson to Roll Out Own Brand of Marijuana
  • Carly Fiorina’s Claim That California’s Drought is a ‘Man-Made’ Disaster
  • South Sound Schools, Agencies Pledge to Power Down for Earth Day
  • Administrators: Kent School District Becoming Model for Technology Use in Classroom
  • New Pacific Northwest National Lab Director Wants to Put Lab on the Map, Attract High Tech Industry
  • Why Comcast’s Merger with Time Warner Cable May Be in Deep Trouble
  • Better Be Mobile-Ready – Google Is About to Dramatically Change How Search Works on Your Phone
  • Google’s 'Mobilegeddon'
  • Twitter Expands Direct Messaging
  • The Ten Most Fascinating Digital Marketing Stats of the Week
  • Your Social Media Cheat Sheet for Perfectly Sized Images
  • Washington State Legislative Session Could Head into Overtime
  • The Green Sheet: Are We Headed for a Washington State Government Shutdown?
  • Thousands of Washington State Teachers Prepare for One-Day Strike
  • Suspect Sought in Shelton Burglaries
  • WSU Mason County Extension Welcomes New Director
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects Tulalip Tribe's Bid for Gaming Machines
  • Community College Catalog Mistake Costs Graphic Design Students
  • Kraft Changes Its Mac & Cheese Recipe. Why?
WORD OF THE DAY

Pabulum • \PAB-yuh-lum\ • Noun – 1: food; especially: a suspension or solution of nutrients in a state suitable for absorption 2: intellectual sustenance.

“To each his own meat and drink,” slurred Andy to his Cheetos-dusted friend. The two had intended to break into the “Abernathy Rare Book Store” to pilfer its shelves of rare leather bound tomes of immortal pabulum. Unfortunately, their tunnel took a wrong turn and emerged into “Timmy’s Comix Cabinet.” Equally rare, but less weighty than the books next door, the added bonus to the colorful, plastic swathed, pulpy graphic novels, was a fully stocked refrigerator with Mountain Dew, and an open shipping crate of salty, fluorescent colored snacks.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Quadrennial Energy Review – Major Changes Needed for U-S Power Infrastructure, Says Obama Report (Washington Post)

Quadrennial Energy Review – Obama Wants Billions to ‘Modernize’ Energy Infrastructure (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Quadrennial Energy Review – Full Report (U-S Department of Energy)

Wanapum Dam Repairs, Expenses $86.5 Million to Date (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Apple Touts Deschutes Hydropower in New Green Energy Report (Oregonian, Portland)

Obama Urged to Pick up Pace on Pacific Northwest River Treaty (Electric Co-op Today)

Landowner Group in Court to Challenge Province's Approval of British Columbia’s Peace River Dam (Vancouver Sun, BC)

California Energy Crisis: High Court Rules Energy Firms Must Face Price-Fixing Claims (Associated Press)

Colorado: Boulder Asks Xcel to Power Its Transition to Municipalization (Utility Dive)

Congress Might Get Back Into the Energy Business (National Journal)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Shooting of Salmon-Munching Cormorants in Columbia River Estuary (Oregonian, Portland)

No U-S Protection for Sage Grouse Population (Associated Press)

NOAA Proposes Take Most Humpbacks Whales Off Endangered List (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

California Court Rules Water Pricing Plan Violates Law (NY Times)

Smart Water Meters Gain Traction in Drought-Ridden California (The Energy Collective)

Actor William Shatner Proposes Water Pipeline from Northwest to Save California (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Montague Wind Project: Iberdrola Seeks Oregon Wind Delay (Renews)

Solar Power Makes Electricity More Accessible on Navajo Reservation (Boise State Public Radio, ID)
http://boisestatepublicradio.org/post/solar-power-makes-electricity-more-accessible-navajo-reservation

A New Kind of Utility: Why SolarCity Wants to be 'More Than a Solar Company' (Utility Dive)

How Google's Nest Will Make Residential Solar 'Smarter' (Forbes Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

It’s Not Magic – It’s Voltage Optimization (Breaking Energy)

You Have No Reason Not to Upgrade to Philips' New $5 LED Light Bulb (Gizmodo)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Washington State Marijuana Prices Drop by More than Half Since Last Summer (Associated Press)

Which Members of Congress Talk about Marijuana the Most? The Ones from Portland And Boulder, of Course (Washington Post)

“Best on the Market” – Music Legend Willie Nelson to Roll Out Own Brand of Marijuana (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carly Fiorina’s Claim That California’s Drought is a ‘Man-Made’ Disaster (Washington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

South Sound Schools, Agencies Pledge to Power Down for Earth Day (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Administrators: Kent School District Becoming Model for Technology Use in Classroom (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

New Pacific Northwest National Lab Director Wants to Put Lab on the Map, Attract High Tech Industry (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Why Comcast’s Merger with Time Warner Cable May Be in Deep Trouble (Washington Post)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Better Be Mobile-Ready – Google Is About to Dramatically Change How Search Works on Your Phone (Washington Post)

Google’s 'Mobilegeddon' (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Twitter Expands Direct Messaging (NY Times)

The Ten Most Fascinating Digital Marketing Stats of the Week (AdWeek)

Your Social Media Cheat Sheet for Perfectly Sized Images (Mashable)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Legislative Session Could Head into Overtime – Funding schools, balancing budget among big tasks that remain (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

The Green Sheet: Are We Headed for a Washington State Government Shutdown? (Washington State Wire, Olympia)

GENERAL NEWS

Thousands of Washington State Teachers Prepare for One-Day Strike (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Suspect Sought in Shelton Burglaries (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

WSU Mason County Extension Welcomes New Director (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects Tulalip Tribe's Bid for Gaming Machines (Courthouse News Service)

Community College Catalog Mistake Costs Graphic Design Students (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)

Kraft Changes Its Mac & Cheese Recipe. Why? (Christian Science Monitor)

DIVERSIONS

Doggie Doo Shows Dog Has Expensive Taste – Alaska woman reunited with wedding ring after volunteers spot it in dog doo at ball field

You Can Now Hunt for the Loch Ness Monster on Google Maps

Start Wars Creator George Lucas Replies to Boy’s Note, Worried over Jedi Marriage Rules

UW-Madison Chemistry Ph.D. Student Illustrates Her Thesis in a Comic Book

SONG OF THE DAY

Robert Palmer - Bad Case of Loving You

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.