Friday, July 10, 2015

Energy News Digest for July 10, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for July 10, 2015 (40% Chance of Rain Monday)

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Northwest Fish Expenses Hit $782 Million (Electric Co-op Today)

Low River Flows Prompt Eugene Water & Electric Board Turbine Shutdown at Trail Bridge Dam (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

California Utilities Want Distributed Generation to Count towards Renewables Mandate (Utility Dive)

Haze from Canadian Wildfires Spreads over Washington, Other States (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Washington Legislature Set to Adjourn after Final Votes (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Low River Flows Prompt Eugene Water & Electric Board Turbine Shutdown at Trail Bridge Dam
  • Feds Approve Snohomish PUD’s Two Small Hydroelectricity Projects
  • Columbia River PUD Explores Rate Increases as Power Costs Spike
  • Idaho Falls Power Costs May Decrease
  • Man Gets 21 Days for Stealing Copper Wire from Grant PUD
  • Power Trade Rises between U-S & Canada, Boosting Reliability
  • United States – Canada Electricity Trade Increases
  • What About Nuclear Power Isn’t Good?
  • Seabrook Atomic Plant Helping to Keep the Lights on in Vermont
  • NRC Reopens Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant License Extension Case
  • Colorado: Boulder Asks State Regulators for Approval to Transfer Utility Assets to City
  • Louisiana: Allen Parish Man Electrocuted While Stealing Copper Wire
  • Smart Grid Backers: Energy Tests Show Promise, More Work Needed for Full U-S Rollout
  • Utilities Risk Losing Commercial Customers without New Approach
  • Pacific Northwest Fish Expenses Hit $782 Million
  • West Coast Drought Producing ‘Unprecedented’ Lethal Conditions for Salmon, Trout
  • As Willamette Project Dam Work Inches Along, Corps Works Out Deadline Extension
  • Clark County Waterways Restoration Projects in the Works
  • World’s Seabird Population Down 70 Per Cent, Say UBC Researchers
  • California Utilities Want Distributed Generation to Count towards Renewables Mandate
  • Colorado Power Cooperative Looks Again at Rates after Jump in Solar Customers
  • New Plan Will Fund Solar Energy for Low-Income Americans
  • Living Comfortably: A Consumer’s Guide to Home Energy Upgrades
  • Many People Have No Idea How to Use Their Thermostats — And It’s Costing Them
  • How Much Energy Does the Internet Use? And Other Science Explainers
  • New Pot Report Details Year 1 in Washington State
  • Black Market Weed is Legal Marijuana’s Biggest Road Block
  • The Oregonian’s Marijuana Seeds Have Sprouted – Watch Them Grow 24/7 via Live-Stream
  • Warming World Giving Bumblebees the Squeeze, Says Study
  • News Release: IDACORP Sustainability Report Goes “Above the Lines”
  • How Much Does Your State Care about the Environment?
  • ‘Cloud Tax’ Upsets Chicago Tech Community: ‘Life Just Got 9 Percent Harder’
  • The United States Wants to Push Back the Date It Gives Up Symbolic Control of the Internet
  • Moving from Frame Relay to Network Generation IP Requires Extensive Migration Plans for Utilities
  • How to Use Facebook’s New News Feed Controls
  • Digital Life: How to Sign Off on Work Email
  • Washington Legislature Set to Adjourn after Final Votes
  • Washington State Senators Take Votes to Wrap Up Longest Legislative Session
  • Troy Who? Auditor’s Office Keeps Going under Jan Jutte’s Steady Hand
  • Haze from Canadian Wildfires Spreads over Washington, Other States
  • Highway 3 Work in Belfair Begins This Week
  • Removing Trees Part of City of Shelton Sidewalk Repairs
  • Johns Prairie Road Closure Monday
  • Utility, Environmental Group Disagree on Risk Level for Tacoma Oil Train Terminals
  • Sawmills Struggle to Break Even with “Thinning” On Public Lands
WORD OF THE DAY

Garderobe • \GAR-drohb\ • Noun – 1: a wardrobe or its contents 2: a private room: bedroom 3: privy, toilet.

It’s a garderobe built for “The King” enthused the overbearing, red-faced realtor to his prospective client. The seams on the salesman’s suit strained as he made expansive gestures with a chubby arm at the bathroom’s color television, bulging magazine rack, and upholstered privy seat. “But when you said ‘The King’ I thought you meant Elvis, not Don King,” the buyer muttered in a soft, guttural sigh.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Low River Flows Prompt Eugene Water & Electric Board Turbine Shutdown at Trail Bridge Dam (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Feds Approve Snohomish PUD’s Two Small Hydroelectricity Projects (Everett Herald, WA)

Columbia River PUD Explores Rate Increases as Power Costs Spike (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/scs/83-news/265752-139260-pud-explores-rate-increases-as-power-costs-spike
http://www.addison-eagle.com/news/2015/jul/10/seabrook-atomic-plant-helping-keep-lights-vermont/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-chicago-cloud-tax-tech-reaction-bsi-20150702-story.html



Idaho Falls Power Costs May Decrease (Local News 8, Idaho Falls, ID)

Man Gets 21 Days for Stealing Copper Wire from Grant PUD (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Power Trade Rises between U-S & Canada, Boosting Reliability (Utility Dive)

United States – Canada Electricity Trade Increases (U-S Energy Information Administration)

What About Nuclear Power Isn’t Good? (Forbes Magazine)

Seabrook Atomic Plant Helping to Keep the Lights on in Vermont (Addison Eagle, VT)

NRC Reopens Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant License Extension Case (Utility Dive)

Colorado: Boulder Asks State Regulators for Approval to Transfer Utility Assets to City (American Public Power Association)

Louisiana: Allen Parish Man Electrocuted While Stealing Copper Wire (KATC-TV, Lafayette LA)

Smart Grid Backers: Energy Tests Show Promise, More Work Needed for Full U-S Rollout (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Utilities Risk Losing Commercial Customers without New Approach (The Energy Collective)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Northwest Fish Expenses Hit $782 Million (Electric Co-op Today)

West Coast Drought Producing ‘Unprecedented’ Lethal Conditions for Salmon, Trout (KCBS-TV, San Francisco, CA)

As Willamette Project Dam Work Inches Along, Corps Works Out Deadline Extension (Oregonian, Portland)

Clark County Waterways Restoration Projects in the Works (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

World’s Seabird Population Down 70 Per Cent, Say UBC Researchers (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

California Utilities Want Distributed Generation to Count towards Renewables Mandate (Utility Dive)

Colorado Power Cooperative Looks Again at Rates after Jump in Solar Customers (Denver Business Journal, CO)

New Plan Will Fund Solar Energy for Low-Income Americans (CNBC)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Living Comfortably: A Consumer’s Guide to Home Energy Upgrades (Breaking Energy)

Many People Have No Idea How to Use Their Thermostats — And It’s Costing Them (Washington Post)

How Much Energy Does the Internet Use? And Other Science Explainers (Gizmodo)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

New Pot Report Details Year 1 in Washington State (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Black Market Weed is Legal Marijuana’s Biggest Road Block (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

The Oregonian’s Marijuana Seeds Have Sprouted – Watch Them Grow 24/7 via Live-Stream (Oregonian, Portland)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Warming World Giving Bumblebees the Squeeze, Says Study (The Weather Network)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

News Release: IDACORP Sustainability Report Goes “Above the Lines” (Electric Energy Online)

How Much Does Your State Care about the Environment? (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

‘Cloud Tax’ Upsets Chicago Tech Community: ‘Life Just Got 9 Percent Harder’ (Chicago Tribune, IL)

The United States Wants to Push Back the Date It Gives Up Symbolic Control of the Internet (Washington Post)

Moving from Frame Relay to Network Generation IP Requires Extensive Migration Plans for Utilities (Breaking Energy)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

How to Use Facebook’s New News Feed Controls (Washington Post)

Digital Life: How to Sign Off on Work Email (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Legislature Set to Adjourn after Final Votes (Associated Press)

Washington State Senators Take Votes to Wrap Up Longest Legislative Session (Crosscut Seattle)

Troy Who? Auditor’s Office Keeps Going under Jan Jutte’s Steady Hand (Everett Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Haze from Canadian Wildfires Spreads over Washington, Other States (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Highway 3 Work in Belfair Begins This Week (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Removing Trees Part of City of Shelton Sidewalk Repairs (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Johns Prairie Road Closure Monday (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Utility, Environmental Group Disagree on Risk Level for Tacoma Oil Train Terminals (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Sawmills Struggle to Break Even with “Thinning” On Public Lands (Northwest Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Star Omar Sharif Dies at 83

Lost Dog Walks 35 Miles in 9 Days to Make Its Way Home

Six of Top 10 U-S Cities for Coffee Drinkers Are in Washington State

Musician Collapses Wearing All His Clothes to Beat Budget Airline Fees

SONG OF THE DAY

Maurice Jarre – Lawrence of Arabia, Soundtrack Suite

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.