Friday, April 24, 2015

Energy News Digest for April 24, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 24, 2015

Small Craft Advisory for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Let’s Talk Incremental Hydro: McNary Dam Hits the Rewind “…The new stators contain about 35 percent more copper, which will lift the capacity of each generator to 100 megawatts from its historic 84.7 MW after turbine upgrades…” (Bonneville Power Administration)

Tacoma’s Rainier Connect Makes Bid for Click (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Comcast Abandons $45 Billion Time Warner Cable Merger (Reuters)

Pacific Northwest, New England: Energy Efficiency Progress – A Tale of Two Regions (The Energy Collective)

Oregon Pilots Contend Proposed Troutdale Energy Plant Poses Safety Risk (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Let’s Talk Incremental Hydro: McNary Dam Hits the Rewind
  • Oregon Pilots Contend Proposed Troutdale Energy Plant Poses Safety Risk
  • Bonneville Power Administration & EnerNOC Will Test Demand Response for Non-Wires & Peak Load Shaving
  • Editorial: Apple Draws On Wind Power Big Time, But Touts Hydro Project
  • Oregon: Steve Eldrige to Retire in 2016 as Umatilla Electric CEO
  • Oregon: No Plans to Search for New Columbia River PUD Manager Yet
  • Arbor Day - With Great Trees Come Great Responsibility
  • Smart Rates for Smart Utilities Will Require the Adoption of Unbundling
  • U-S Senate Bill Would Allow FERC to Overrule State Siting Decisions on Power Lines
  • Baker Signals Support for Expanded Natural Gas Pipeline in New England
  • New England Governors Change Course on Paying for Energy Projects
  • Greens Get Legal Fees in California Salmon Case
  • Editorial: California Can Keep Its Mitts Off the Columbia River
  • 11-Ton ‘Fatberg’ Breaks London Sewer
  • Umatilla Electric Cooperative Plans 1-Megawatt Solar Array
  • Price Check: Why SolarCity’s University Solar Projects Cost Oregon Taxpayers $12 Million
  • Groups Warns British Columbia Wind Farm Threatens Trout Spawning
  • There’s a Fight Brewing over Who Profits from Solar Power
  • Pacific Northwest, New England: Energy Efficiency Progress – A Tale of Two Regions
  • BC Hydro Won’t Meet Energy Conservation Targets
  • Small Cities Remain Fertile Ground for Efficiency Projects
  • Philips’ Insane 2-For-$5 LED Bulb Sale Just Went Live
  • Oregon Expects 2,000 Applicants for Recreational Marijuana Licenses
  • Legal Pot: Oregon Expects Far Less Tax Revenue than Colorado, Washington
  • Poll: Northwest Voters Have Few Regrets after Legalizing Marinuana
  • Bill Would Prevent Feds from Targeting Compliant Marijuana Companies
  • Can Stock Photos Depicting ‘Normal People’ Using Marijuana Break the Stereotypes?
  • A Challenge from Climate Change Regulations
  • Carbon Tax Could Replace Obama’s Climate Rules, Democrat Says
  • Why Energy Storage Is Suddenly Such a Big Deal
  • Energy Quote of the Day: Electric Vehicles as Grid Saviors
  • Finding Easier Ways to Charge Electric Vehicles
  • Seattle’s Mayor Postpones Fines for Food Scraps – The ‘Pizza Box Penalty’
  • Tacoma’s Rainier Connect Makes Bid for Click
  • Rainier Connect Makes Bid for City of Tacoma’s Click! Network
  • Cooler Heads Prevail At Second Click Town Hall Meeting
  • Comcast Abandons $45 Billion Time Warner Cable Merger
  • Once Comcast’s Deal Shifted to a Focus on Broadband, Its Ambitions Were Sunk
  • Facebook’s Focus on the Future of Communication Continues to Grow
  • As YouTube Marks Tenth Year, Facebook Emerges as Video Threat
  • Google’s ‘Mobilegeddon’ Shows Tech’s Focus on Forced Progress
  • Here’s a Fascinating Breakdown of Emoji Use by Country
  • Washington State Governor Calls Special Legislative Session with Budget, Transportation Work Undone
  • Washington Governor’s Office: Troy Kelley’s Pay Can Be Withheld
  • Tourism to Olympic National Park Creates over $365 Million in Economic Benefits
  • Three Earthquakes Rattle Northern Idaho
  • U-S Maps Pinpoint Earthquakes Linked to Quest for Oil & Gas
WORD OF THE DAY

Redoubt • \ri-ˈDOW-T\ • Noun - 1a: a small usually temporary enclosed defensive work b: a defended position: protective barrier 2: a secure retreat: stronghold

A snow fort, a blue woolen blanket draped over a folding card table, barriers made out of couch cushions. Seems like the redoubts we made as children were much more comforting and safe than the cubicle walls that now enclose our daily lives.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Let’s Talk Incremental Hydro: McNary Dam Hits the Rewind “…The new stators contain about 35 percent more copper, which will lift the capacity of each generator to 100 megawatts from its historic 84.7 MW after turbine upgrades…” (Bonneville Power Administration)

Oregon Pilots Contend Proposed Troutdale Energy Plant Poses Safety Risk (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Bonneville Power Administration & EnerNOC Will Test Demand Response for Non-Wires & Peak Load Shaving (Bonneville Power Administration)

Editorial: Apple Draws On Wind Power Big Time, But Touts Hydro Project (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Oregon: Steve Eldrige to Retire in 2016 as Umatilla Electric CEO (Hermiston Herald, OR)

Oregon: No Plans to Search for New Columbia River PUD Manager Yet (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

Arbor Day - With Great Trees Come Great Responsibility (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Smart Rates for Smart Utilities Will Require the Adoption of Unbundling (Breaking Energy – “…Luke, I am your battery…”)

U-S Senate Bill Would Allow FERC to Overrule State Siting Decisions on Power Lines (Utility Dive)

Baker Signals Support for Expanded Natural Gas Pipeline in New England (Boston Globe, MA)

New England Governors Change Course on Paying for Energy Projects “…Investments in the billions of dollars are needed…to reduce electricity prices, which, outside of Hawaii, are the highest in the U-S…” (Hartford Courant, CT)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Greens Get Legal Fees in California Salmon Case (Courthouse News Service)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Editorial: California Can Keep Its Mitts Off the Columbia River “…CA: “Each day, the Columbia River dumps in the Pacific Ocean 90 billion gallons of fresh water…That is wasteful & sinful…” (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

11-Ton ‘Fatberg’ Breaks London Sewer (USA Today)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Umatilla Electric Cooperative Plans 1-Megawatt Solar Array (Eastern Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

Price Check: Why SolarCity’s University Solar Projects Cost Oregon Taxpayers $12 Million (Oregonian, Portland)

Groups Warns British Columbia Wind Farm Threatens Trout Spawning – “…could pollute waters (during construction) with acidic run-off & heavy metals…” (Globe & Mail, Canada)

There’s a Fight Brewing over Who Profits from Solar Power (Mother Jones)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Northwest, New England: Energy Efficiency Progress – A Tale of Two Regions (The Energy Collective)

BC Hydro Won’t Meet Energy Conservation Targets (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Small Cities Remain Fertile Ground for Efficiency Projects (Midwest Energy News)

Philips’ Insane 2-For-$5 LED Bulb Sale Just Went Live (Kinja Deals)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Oregon Expects 2,000 Applicants for Recreational Marijuana Licenses (Marijuana Business Daily)

Legal Pot: Oregon Expects Far Less Tax Revenue than Colorado, Washington (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Poll: Northwest Voters Have Few Regrets after Legalizing Marinuana (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Bill Would Prevent Feds from Targeting Compliant Marijuana Companies (Marijuana Business Daily)

Can Stock Photos Depicting ‘Normal People’ Using Marijuana Break the Stereotypes? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

A Challenge from Climate Change Regulations (NY Times)

Carbon Tax Could Replace Obama’s Climate Rules, Democrat Says (E&E Publishing)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Why Energy Storage Is Suddenly Such a Big Deal (American Public Power Association)

Energy Quote of the Day: Electric Vehicles as Grid Saviors (Breaking Energy)

Finding Easier Ways to Charge Electric Vehicles (NY Times)

Seattle’s Mayor Postpones Fines for Food Scraps – The ‘Pizza Box Penalty’ (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tacoma’s Rainier Connect Makes Bid for Click (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Rainier Connect Makes Bid for City of Tacoma’s Click! Network (South Sound Business Examiner)

Cooler Heads Prevail At Second Click Town Hall Meeting (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Comcast Abandons $45 Billion Time Warner Cable Merger (Reuters)

Once Comcast’s Deal Shifted to a Focus on Broadband, Its Ambitions Were Sunk (NY Times)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook’s Focus on the Future of Communication Continues to Grow (Washington Post)

As YouTube Marks Tenth Year, Facebook Emerges as Video Threat (Reuters)

Google’s ‘Mobilegeddon’ Shows Tech’s Focus on Forced Progress (Christian Science Monitor)

Here’s a Fascinating Breakdown of Emoji Use by Country (TIME Magazine)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Calls Special Legislative Session with Budget, Transportation Work Undone (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Washington Governor’s Office: Troy Kelley’s Pay Can Be Withheld (Northwest Public Radio)

GENERAL NEWS

Tourism to Olympic National Park Creates over $365 Million in Economic Benefits (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Three Earthquakes Rattle Northern Idaho (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

U-S Maps Pinpoint Earthquakes Linked to Quest for Oil & Gas (NY Times)

DIVERSIONS

Americans Are Forgetting How to Write Checks, Google Data Show

Have You Eaten Your Last Avocado?

Police Arrest Utah Man Who Lit Brush Fire ‘To Signal for Help’

Hubble Space Telescope Still Dazzles after 25 Years

SONG OF THE DAY

Stardust – Nat King Cole

Cannonball Adderley – Stardust

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.