Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Energy News Digest for June 2, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for June 2, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

What Drought? Meteorologist Cliff Mass vs. Nearly Everyone (Crosscut Seattle)

Comcast Internet Outage Hits West Coast (USA Today)

Avista Proposes Idaho Rate Hikes (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Energy Northwest Pays Record State Tax Amount (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Feds to Release Bull Trout Recovery Plan for Five States (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Avista Proposes Idaho Rate Hikes
  • Energy Northwest Pays Record State Tax Amount
  • Richland’s Areva Makes Nuclear Fuel
  • Steilacoom: Replacement of Damaged Substation Equipment Requires Town-Wide Outage
  • Northwestern Energy Predicts Lower July Electricity Costs
  • John Hairston Rounds Out Bonneville Power’s Executive Office
  • Cantwell Face-Off: After Senate Showdown, Buffett’s Berkshire Pushes PURPA Reform in House
  • Op/Ed: Pumped Storage – Reusing Water Can Help Farmers & Fish
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Rival Accuses of RICO Corruption
  • FERC Metes Out More Than $29 Million in Penalties for Fraudulent Trades in PJM
  • Copper Thefts from the Rails Rise with Price of the Metal
  • Texas: Man Electrocuted While Attempting to Steal Copper from Old ASARCO Site
  • Massachusetts: Wet Is Wonderful, But Can Hydropower Replace Natural Gas to Meet Energy Needs?
  • Feds to Release Bull Trout Recovery Plan for Five States
  • Greens Win One for Salmon & Owls in Northern California
  • What Drought? Meteorologist Cliff Mass vs. Nearly Everyone
  • Drought Is Bearing Fruit for Washington State Wineries
  • Oregon: Paisley Geothermal Plant Still Not Operable
  • Editorial: Few Ratepayers Win in Avista’s Solar Lottery
  • Feds Fast-Track Approval for Three Nevada Solar Power Farms
  • Colorado’s Biggest Rural Power Cooperative Wades into Solar Fight
  • A Look at Wind & Solar Energy, Part 1: How Far We’ve Come
  • A Look at Wind & Solar, Part 2: Is There An Upper Limit To Variable Renewables?
  • How Europe’s Climate Policies Led to More U-S Trees Being Cut Down
  • Op/Ed: Snohomish PUD’s Streetlights Show Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Op/Ed: Clean Energy Fund Succeeds with University Collaboration
  • Data Furnaces Provide Internet & Warm Heat, If You Live in the Netherlands
  • Benton County Commissioners to Hold Public Meeting Tuesday about Potential Pot Farm
  • Hitting the Green? Retail Pot Stores Looking to Cash in During U-S Open
  • Eight Maps That Reveal Americans’ Incoherent Opinions on Climate Change
  • Apple’s Siri Has New Role in New ‘Smart’ Home Systems
  • Experimental Households in Seattle Have Their Tech Charged by Wi-Fi
  • Widespread Comcast Outage Reported in Puget Sound Region
  • Comcast Internet Outage Hits West Coast
  • Facebook Targeted by ‘Real Name’ Policy Protest
  • The Internet Pushes Individual Media Use to More Than Eight Hours a Day
  • Washington State House Democrats Offer $38.4 Billion Budget Plan
  • Signature Gatherers Getting Aggressive, Stores Say
  • No Tsunamis after Five Earthquakes Off Oregon Coast
  • Federal Agency Bans Fireworks on BLM Land in Washington State, Oregon
  • Washington State Tries to Deal with Overflowing Prisons
  • Washington State Patrol Pursuit Ends in Highway 106 Crash
  • Seattle’s Shell Shenanigans: Alaska Senator Has Message for Washington State
  • Money Showdown: Clallam Treasurer Issues Second Objection over Grants to City, Port of Port Angeles
  • New Glines Canyon Spillway Overlook Opens in Elwha Valley
WORD OF THE DAY

Hypocorism • \high-POCK-kuh-rizz-zum\ • Noun – 1: a pet name 2: the use of pet names

George Bush is well known for his tendency for hypocorism when dealing with friends and foes alike. Much to the displeasure (I would assume) of his close friend and confidant, Karl Rove. (You’re gonna have to look this one up on your own…)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista Proposes Idaho Rate Hikes (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Energy Northwest Pays Record State Tax Amount (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Richland’s Areva Makes Nuclear Fuel (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Steilacoom: Replacement of Damaged Substation Equipment Requires Town-Wide Outage (The Suburban Times, Steilacoom, WA)

Northwestern Energy Predicts Lower July Electricity Costs (Associated Press)

John Hairston Rounds Out Bonneville Power’s Executive Office (Bonneville Power Administration)

Cantwell Face-Off: After Senate Showdown, Buffett’s Berkshire Pushes PURPA Reform in House (Utility Dive)

Op/Ed: Pumped Storage – Reusing Water Can Help Farmers & Fish (Renton Reporter, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Rival Accuses of RICO Corruption (Courthouse News Service)

FERC Metes Out More Than $29 Million in Penalties for Fraudulent Trades in PJM (American Public Power Association)

Copper Thefts from the Rails Rise with Price of the Metal (Associated Press)

Texas: Man Electrocuted While Attempting to Steal Copper from Old ASARCO Site (KVIA-TV, El Paso, TX)

Massachusetts: Wet Is Wonderful, But Can Hydropower Replace Natural Gas to Meet Energy Needs? (WBGH-TV, Boston, MA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds to Release Bull Trout Recovery Plan for Five States (Associated Press)

Greens Win One for Salmon & Owls in Northern California (Courthouse News Service)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

What Drought? Meteorologist Cliff Mass vs. Nearly Everyone (Crosscut Seattle)

Drought Is Bearing Fruit for Washington State Wineries (NY Times)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Oregon: Paisley Geothermal Plant Still Not Operable (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

Editorial: Few Ratepayers Win in Avista’s Solar Lottery (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Feds Fast-Track Approval for Three Nevada Solar Power Farms (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Colorado’s Biggest Rural Power Cooperative Wades into Solar Fight (Denver Business Journal, CO)

A Look at Wind & Solar Energy, Part 1: How Far We’ve Come (The Energy Collective)

A Look at Wind & Solar, Part 2: Is There An Upper Limit To Variable Renewables? (The Energy Collective)

How Europe’s Climate Policies Led to More U-S Trees Being Cut Down (Washington Post)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Op/Ed: Snohomish PUD’s Streetlights Show Cost-Benefit Analysis (Everett Herald, WA)

Op/Ed: Clean Energy Fund Succeeds with University Collaboration (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

Data Furnaces Provide Internet & Warm Heat, If You Live in the Netherlands (Mashable)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Benton County Commissioners to Hold Public Meeting Tuesday about Potential Pot Farm (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

Hitting the Green? Retail Pot Stores Looking to Cash in During U-S Open (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Eight Maps That Reveal Americans’ Incoherent Opinions on Climate Change (Vox)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Apple’s Siri Has New Role in New ‘Smart’ Home Systems (Associated Press)

Experimental Households in Seattle Have Their Tech Charged by Wi-Fi (Gizmodo)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Widespread Comcast Outage Reported in Puget Sound Region (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Comcast Internet Outage Hits West Coast (USA Today)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Targeted by ‘Real Name’ Policy Protest (USA Today)

The Internet Pushes Individual Media Use to More Than Eight Hours a Day (AdWeek: “Consuming Media,” Really?)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State House Democrats Offer $38.4 Billion Budget Plan (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Signature Gatherers Getting Aggressive, Stores Say (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA – just ask how much your signature is worth to them.)

GENERAL NEWS

No Tsunamis after Five Earthquakes Off Oregon Coast (Oregonian, Portland)

Federal Agency Bans Fireworks on BLM Land in Washington State, Oregon (Associated Press)

Washington State Tries to Deal with Overflowing Prisons (Associated Press)

Washington State Patrol Pursuit Ends in Highway 106 Crash (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Seattle’s Shell Shenanigans: Alaska Senator Has Message for Washington State (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Money Showdown: Clallam Treasurer Issues Second Objection over Grants to City, Port of Port Angeles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

New Glines Canyon Spillway Overlook Opens in Elwha Valley (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Paris Officials Begin Removing Love Locks from Iconic Bridges

New Mexico Couple Gets Back Wedding Rings Lost Since 1960s

Fossils of Previously Unknown Beaver, Related to Modern Species, Found in Oregon

Novice German Driver Unscathed after Crash with British Tank

SONG OF THE DAY

Love Unlimited Orchestra – Love’s Theme

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.