Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Energy News Digest for July 22, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for July 22, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Regulators Look at Cost of Retiring Coal Plants (Associated Press)

Small Modular Nuclear Plants Moving Ahead, But Slowly (Utility Dive)

Benton PUD Solar Project Tour Planned Wednesday (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Clallam PUD Declares Emergency to Bring Upper Fairview Water Quickly (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

All-Cash Marijuana Businesses Push for Change in Banking Law (McClatchy Syndication)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Washington State Regulators Look at Cost of Retiring Coal Plants
  • Small Modular Nuclear Plants Moving Ahead, But Slowly
  • Pacific Power Warns Customers about New Scam
  • Scam Targets Cowlitz PUD Customers
  • Illinois Lineman Dies in Sinkhole Accident
  • Virginia Linemen Beat the Clock to Save Customer
  • Greens Urge U-S Supreme Court to Prevent Blackouts
  • For Top Utilities, Customer Satisfaction Hinges on Empowerment
  • 160,000-Plus Salmon Get New Waters to Hatch amid Oregon's Weather Fears
  • Steelhead Hatchery Impact Study Opens for Public Comment
  • Sammamish Residents Win Ruling to Block Subdivision near Salmon Bearing Stream
  • Group Demands Change in Deschutes River Dam Operations to Protect Frog
  • Clallam PUD Declares Emergency to Bring Upper Fairview Water Quickly
  • Port Townsend City Council Declares Drought Emergency
  • Port Angeles City Council Decides to Ask Voters If They Approve of Adding Fluoride to Drinking Water
  • British Columbia: Faulty Meter Missed Millions of Cubic Meters of Water Piped to North Vancouver
  • Benton PUD Solar Project Tour Planned Wednesday
  • Op/Ed: Why Utility Ownership of Rooftop Solar Should Be Explored
  • Study: Pepco Is the Country’s Worst Utility at Connecting Solar Power
  • California ISO Approves Rules to Let Aggregated Solar, Storage into Wholesale Market
  • Wind Industry Wins Key Victory in Senate
  • Iberdrola Teams with D.C. on Largest City Wind Power Purchase in U-S History
  • Why Is Hewlett Packard Harnessing Wind Power?
  • Denmark Blows Away Wind Energy Records, While Australia Says Turbines Are Too Ugly
  • Florida: Walmart Seeks to Opt Out of State Energy Conservation Costs
  • History of the Air Conditioner
  • All-Cash Marijuana Businesses Push for Change in Banking Law
  • Colorado TV Station Puts the Kibosh on First Recreational Marijuana Ad amid Legality Questions
  • Why Airlines Keep Pushing Biofuels: They Have No Choice
  • Meanwhile in the Future: We Have Changed the Climate with Wind Turbines
  • Idaho Sees More School Internet Savings
  • Spokane County’s Fast Approval of Broadband-Boosting Towers Draws Complaint
  • Some Landline Users Forced to Switch to Fiber
  • FCC Set to Approve AT&T-DirecTV Deal
  • Project Brings Broadband to Parts of Northern New Mexico
  • Op/Ed: The Internet Is a Necessity
  • How NASA Won the Internet
  • Thirteen Instagram Marketing Tips from the Experts
  • Google Maps Timeline Lets You Stalk Yourself
  • U-S Gets Revenge against Nigerian Internet Scammers
  • Belfair Shooting Update: Victim & Suspect Identified
  • Mason County Unemployment Drops Slightly in June
  • In Drier Washington State, Fire Chiefs Say Wildfires Could Scorch Any City
  • El Niño Intensifying, Could Rival Strongest in Recorded History
  • New NOAA Images Show El Niño & 'The Blob' in Stark Relief
WORD OF THE DAY

Octothorpe • \AHK-tuh-thorp\ • Noun – The symbol #.

“Too many hashtags,” groused the company’s social media guru. “This fascination with the octothorpe will ruin us all.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State Regulators Look at Cost of Retiring Coal Plants (Associated Press)

Small Modular Nuclear Plants Moving Ahead, But Slowly (Utility Dive)

Pacific Power Warns Customers about New Scam (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)

Scam Targets Cowlitz PUD Customers (Longview Daily News, WA)

Illinois Lineman Dies in Sinkhole Accident (Electric Co-op Today)

Virginia Linemen Beat the Clock to Save Customer (Electric Co-op Today)

Greens Urge U-S Supreme Court to Prevent Blackouts (Washington Examiner)

For Top Utilities, Customer Satisfaction Hinges on Empowerment – The new J.D. Power customer survey shows not enough to provide reliable, affordable power anymore (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

160,000-Plus Salmon Get New Waters to Hatch amid Oregon's Weather Fears (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Steelhead Hatchery Impact Study Opens for Public Comment (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Sammamish Residents Win Ruling to Block Subdivision near Salmon Bearing Stream (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Group Demands Change in Deschutes River Dam Operations to Protect Frog (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clallam PUD Declares Emergency to Bring Upper Fairview Water Quickly (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Port Townsend City Council Declares Drought Emergency – Encourages Voluntary Reduction in Water Use (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Port Angeles City Council Decides to Ask Voters If They Approve of Adding Fluoride to Drinking Water – Question will appear on Nov. 3 ballot (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

British Columbia: Faulty Meter Missed Millions of Cubic Meters of Water Piped to North Vancouver (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Faulty+meter+missed+millions+cubic+metres+water+piped+North/11232158/story.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Benton PUD Solar Project Tour Planned Wednesday (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Op/Ed: Why Utility Ownership of Rooftop Solar Should Be Explored (Utility Dive)

Study: Pepco Is the Country’s Worst Utility at Connecting Solar Power (Washington Post)

California ISO Approves Rules to Let Aggregated Solar, Storage into Wholesale Market (American Public Power Association)

Wind Industry Wins Key Victory in Senate (Washington Examiner)

Iberdrola Teams with D.C. on Largest City Wind Power Purchase in U-S History (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Why Is Hewlett Packard Harnessing Wind Power? (Christian Science Monitor)

Denmark Blows Away Wind Energy Records, While Australia Says Turbines Are Too Ugly (Takepart)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Florida: Walmart Seeks to Opt Out of State Energy Conservation Costs (Tampa Bay Times, FL)

History of the Air Conditioner (Breaking Energy)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

All-Cash Marijuana Businesses Push for Change in Banking Law (McClatchy Syndication)

Colorado TV Station Puts the Kibosh on First Recreational Marijuana Ad amid Legality Questions (Consumerist)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Why Airlines Keep Pushing Biofuels: They Have No Choice (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Meanwhile in the Future: We Have Changed the Climate with Wind Turbines (Gizmodo)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Idaho Sees More School Internet Savings (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Spokane County’s Fast Approval of Broadband-Boosting Towers Draws Complaint (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Some Landline Users Forced to Switch to Fiber (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

FCC Set to Approve AT&T-DirecTV Deal (USA Today)

Project Brings Broadband to Parts of Northern New Mexico (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Op/Ed: The Internet Is a Necessity (Slate)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

How NASA Won the Internet (Gizmodo)

Thirteen Instagram Marketing Tips from the Experts (Social Media Examiner)

Google Maps Timeline Lets You Stalk Yourself (Gizmodo)

U-S Gets Revenge against Nigerian Internet Scammers (Washington Examiner)

GENERAL NEWS

Belfair Shooting Update: Victim & Suspect Identified (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Unemployment Drops Slightly in June (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

In Drier Washington State, Fire Chiefs Say Wildfires Could Scorch Any City (Northwest Public Radio)

El Niño Intensifying, Could Rival Strongest in Recorded History (Washington Post)

New NOAA Images Show El Niño & 'The Blob' in Stark Relief (Oregonian, Portland)

DIVERSIONS

Explore the Pacific Northwest: 17 Waterfalls You May Not Know

Photo of Dogs Hugging Saves Them from Euthanasia

Everyone Likes Free Office Food Because We’re All Basically Cave People

Stroke of Luck: Man Who Survived Lightning Strike Wins Lottery

SONG OF THE DAY

Leo Sayer – Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)

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.