Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Energy News Digest for June 24, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for June 24, 2015

Hot Weather Forecast: Special Weather Statement

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Hot Weather Expected Friday into Next Week; Rising Fire Danger (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Groups Clash in Court over Columbia River Basin Salmon Plan (Associated Press)

Idaho Panel Begins Review of Avista Rate Hike Request (Coeur d’Alene Press, ID)

Mason PUD 3: Reduced Maintenance Costs Justify LED Conversion (Transmission & Distribution World)

Maps: The State of Broadband in the States (Washington Post)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Idaho Panel Begins Review of Avista Rate Hike Request
  • Grant PUD Begins Replacing Turbines, Generators at Priest Rapids Dam
  • Arkansas Power Grid Saboteur Gets 15 Years
  • Benton PUD Raises Residential Electric Costs $4.55 a Month
  • Some Cascade Natural Gas Customers to Get Refunds
  • Snohomish PUD Board Interviews Candidates for Top Job
  • McMaster to Retire from Top Cowlitz PUD Post
  • 36 Straight Years – Mason PUD 3 Passes another State Audit
  • Holly Dohrman New Power Manager at Franklin PUD
  • Mason PUD 1 Recognizes Service Milestones
  • APPA Survey Indicates Public Power Utilities Need to Do More in Area of Workforce Planning
  • Oil Company’s Communication Breakdown Led to 90-Minute Delay in Reporting of California Spill 
  • Groups Clash in Court over Columbia River Basin Salmon Plan
  • Shellfish Harvesting Closed in North Hood Canal Due to Marine Biotoxins
  • The Drought: How Much Water You’ll Have This Summer Depends on the Source – Ground or River
  • Lake Mead Sinks to Record Low, Risking Water Shortage
  • California: Under New Plan, Folsom Lake Could Be Dangerously Dry Within Months
  • Number of Puget Sound Energy Electric Customers with Solar Arrays Reaches 3,000
  • US Community Solar Market to Grow Fivefold in 2015, Top 500MW in 2020
  • GAO Report: Feds Losing Track of Renewable Energy Bonds
  • United Kingdom: Subsidy Cut to Onshore Wind Farms Sparks Row
  • Mason PUD 3: Reduced Maintenance Costs Justify LED Conversion
  • Millennials Want Tech Gadgets to Save Energy – Can They Afford Them?
  • Company is Transitioning to LEDs to Cut Costs, Improve Service
  • Study: Edibles Potency Claims in CA, WA Often Inaccurate
  • Colorado Town Pins Revitalization Hopes on Marijuana Industry
  • California Climate Plan Has Inland Condemning Coastal Elitism
  • How to Sell a Carbon Tax to Voters – Poll
  • This Fascinating Interactive Shows Each Country’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Maps: The State of Broadband in the States
  • Small Cells in Street Lights – A Bright Idea
  • Google to Open New Data Center in Alabama
  • In-Flight Wi-Fi Is About to Become a Thing People Actually Use
  • KONP to Get New FM Sister Station in Port Angeles
  • House Democrats May Now Support Worker Assistance Plan
  • Hot Weather Expected Friday into Next Week; Rising Fire Danger
  • Mason County Unemployment Up Slightly
  • Boeing Picks Muilenburg to Succeed CEO McNerney, Signals Stability
  • Aurora Borealis Lights Leap Up in North Olympic Peninsula Skies
  • Brazen Thieves Steal Bleachers from Little League Field
  • Inslee Asks Army Corps to Return ‘Kennewick Man’ to Tribes
  • ESPY Awards Nominate Seahawks for ‘Best Game’
WORD OF THE DAY

Hobnob • \HAHB-nahb\ • Verb - To associate familiarly

The raucous bar dropped into a stunned silence, in the distance a dog barked & the wind whistled through the open door, sweeping a pile of swirling fall leaves past the perfectly shod feet of the widget company’s CEO. What he intended as a pleasant night of hobnobbing with the “little people” began & ended with nervous glances, hushed whispers & muffled coughs.

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary - “Hob” & “nob” first came together in print in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, when Sir Toby Belch warned Viola (who was disguised as a man) that Sir Andrew wanted to duel. “Hob, nob is his word,” said Sir Toby, using “hob nob” to mean something like “hit or miss.” Sir Toby’s term is probably an alteration of “habnab,” a phrase that meant “to have or not have, however it may turn out.” After Shakespeare’s day, “hob” & “nob” became established in the phrases “to drink hob or nob” & “to drink hobnob,” which were used to mean “to drink alternately to each other.” Since “drinking hobnob” was generally done among friends, “hobnob” came to refer to congenial social interaction.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Idaho Panel Begins Review of Avista Rate Hike Request (Coeur d’Alene Press, ID)

Grant PUD Begins Replacing Turbines, Generators at Priest Rapids Dam (Ifiberone News, Ephrata, WA)

Arkansas Power Grid Saboteur Gets 15 Years (Electric Co-op Today)

Benton PUD Raises Residential Electric Costs $4.55 a Month (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Some Cascade Natural Gas Customers to Get Refunds (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Board Interviews Candidates for Top Job (Everett Herald, WA)

McMaster to Retire from Top Cowlitz PUD Post (Longview Daily News, WA)

36 Straight Years – Mason PUD 3 Passes another State Audit (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Holly Dohrman New Power Manager at Franklin PUD (Franklin PUD, Pasco, WA)

Mason PUD 1 Recognizes Service Milestones (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

APPA Survey Indicates Public Power Utilities Need to Do More in Area of Workforce Planning (American Public Power Association)

Oil Company’s Communication Breakdown Led to 90-Minute Delay in Reporting of California Spill (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Groups Clash in Court over Columbia River Basin Salmon Plan (Associated Press)

Shellfish Harvesting Closed in North Hood Canal Due to Marine Biotoxins (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

The Drought: How Much Water You’ll Have This Summer Depends on the Source: Ground or River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Lake Mead Sinks to Record Low, Risking Water Shortage (USA Today)

California: Under New Plan, Folsom Lake Could Be Dangerously Dry Within Months (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Number of Puget Sound Energy Electric Customers with Solar Arrays Reaches 3,000 (Kirkland Reporter, WA)

US Community Solar Market to Grow Fivefold in 2015, Top 500MW in 2020 (Green Tech Media)
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/us-community-solar-market-to-grow-fivefold-in-2015-top-500-mw-in-2020

GAO Report: Feds Losing Track of Renewable Energy Bonds (The Hill, Washington, DC)

United Kingdom: Subsidy Cut to Onshore Wind Farms Sparks Row (The Argus, UK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Mason PUD 3: Reduced Maintenance Costs Justify LED Conversion (Transmission & Distribution World)

Millennials Want Tech Gadgets to Save Energy – Can They Afford Them? (Washington Post)

Company is Transitioning to LEDs to Cut Costs, Improve Service (Utility Products)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Study: Edibles Potency Claims in CA, WA Often Inaccurate (Marijuana Business Daily)

Colorado Town Pins Revitalization Hopes on Marijuana Industry (Marijuana Business Daily)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Climate Plan Has Inland Condemning Coastal Elitism (Bloomberg News)

How to Sell a Carbon Tax to Voters – Poll (Morning Consult)

This Fascinating Interactive Shows Each Country’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Maps: The State of Broadband in the States (Washington Post)

Small Cells in Street Lights – A Bright Idea (RCR Wireless News)

Google to Open New Data Center in Alabama (NY Times)

In-Flight Wi-Fi Is About to Become a Thing People Actually Use (Washington Post)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

KONP to Get New FM Sister Station in Port Angeles (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

House Democrats May Now Support Worker Assistance Plan (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Hot Weather Expected Friday into Next Week; Rising Fire Danger (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Unemployment Up Slightly (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Boeing Picks Muilenburg to Succeed CEO McNerney, Signals Stability (Reuters)

Aurora Borealis Lights Leap Up in North Olympic Peninsula Skies (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Brazen Thieves Steal Bleachers from Little League Field (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Inslee Asks Army Corps to Return ‘Kennewick Man’ to Tribes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

ESPY Awards Nominate Seahawks for ‘Best Game’ (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Finder of Camera Holding Wedding Pics Searches for Owner

Washington State School District Looking to Get Rid of Pesky Beaver

Massachusetts Newlyweds Win $15 Million in Lottery

Syracuse Ironman Event Hands Out Medals Featuring Wrong City

SONG OF THE DAY

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition

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.