Friday, July 31, 2015

Energy News Digest for July 31, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for July 31, 2015

Red Flag Warning for Olympic and Cascade Mountains

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Boeing Chairman Threatens to Move Operations Overseas over Political Flap (Oregonian, Portland)

Warm Water 'Blob' Invades Puget Sound (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Franklin PUD Plans New Solar Carport (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Idaho Falls Power Pays Off Bonds, Gets Ready for Rate Reduction & ‘Bond Fire’ (American Public Power Association)

Northwest Senators Push to Open Banking to Cannabis Businesses (Northwest Public Radio)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Idaho Falls Power Pays Off Bonds, Gets Ready for Rate Reduction & ‘Bond Fire’
  • New Bonneville Power Administration Rates Could Impact Mason PUD 1 Rates This Winter
  • Vegas-Area Coal Plant Owners to Pay $4.3 Million to Settle Lawsuit
  • Electricity from Natural Gas Surpasses Coal for First Time, But Just for One Month
  • U-S Senate Panel Advances Broad Energy Bill
  • Salmon Habitat Protected In E. Idaho Bonneville Power Administration Conservation Easement
  • Fraser River Sockeye Return Still Lagging Behind Preseason Forecast
  • Op/Ed: Sockeye Death Toll a Predictable Disaster
  • Warm Water 'Blob' Invades Puget Sound
  • Alcoa Fined over Columbia River Discharge
  • Effluent Levels in Spokane River Higher Due to Drought
  • Epic Drought Reveals Lake Mead's Hidden Historic Sites
  • Franklin PUD Plans New Solar Carport
  • Hydropower: The Renewable Energy Source That’s About to Boom Again
  • Need a Weatherman – Though Wind Generation Is Growing Fast, Much Remains Wrong with the Industry
  • Feds to Vacate Energy Efficiency Rule for Commercial Walk-In Coolers & Freezers, Industry Group Says
  • Customers Want to Control Energy Use as They Use iPads
  • Northwest Senators Push to Open Banking to Cannabis Businesses
  • Pot-Centric Colorado Credit Union Sues Federal Reserve Bank for Denying Account
  • Editorial: California – Growing Pot Outdoors Is Indeed a Waste of Water
  • California: $2.2 Million Approved for 12 Bay Area Hydrogen Refueling Stations
  • This Idea by the FCC is Terrifying Apple, Amazon & Microsoft
  • Facebook to Test 747-Sized Drones That Will Beam Broadband to the Entire World
  • Cable Companies Refuse to Reveal How Much They Make Off of Set-Top Boxes
  • Broadband for Baltimore
  • Google Fights Effort to Apply ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Ruling Worldwide
  • Tough Week for Social Media Stocks – No One is Spared
  • Boeing Chairman Threatens to Move Operations Overseas over Political Flap
  • Judge Hits Greenpeace with $2,500 per Hour Fine for Blocking Portland Exit of Shell Icebreaker
  • Man Reported Missing In Puget Sound Found Alive, Well
  • Counties Finding Texts to 911 Mostly Bogus, Misdials
  • Russell Wilson, Seahawks Reach Contract Extension
  • As Americans Figure Out the Roundabout, It Spreads Across the U-S
WORD OF THE DAY

Unfettered • \un-FETT-terd\ • Adjective – Free, unrestrained

Unfettered ferret
Swirls and dances for his treats
Count fingers, post treat

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Idaho Falls Power Pays Off Bonds, Gets Ready for Rate Reduction & ‘Bond Fire’ (American Public Power Association)

New Bonneville Power Administration Rates Could Impact Mason PUD 1 Rates This Winter (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

Vegas-Area Coal Plant Owners to Pay $4.3 Million to Settle Lawsuit (ABC News)

Electricity from Natural Gas Surpasses Coal for First Time, But Just for One Month (U-S Energy Information Administration)

U-S Senate Panel Advances Broad Energy Bill (Washington Examiner)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Habitat Protected In E. Idaho Bonneville Power Administration Conservation Easement (Associated Press)

Fraser River Sockeye Return Still Lagging Behind Preseason Forecast (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Op/Ed: Sockeye Death Toll a Predictable Disaster (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Warm Water 'Blob' Invades Puget Sound (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Alcoa Fined over Columbia River Discharge (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Effluent Levels in Spokane River Higher Due to Drought (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Epic Drought Reveals Lake Mead's Hidden Historic Sites (CBS News)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Franklin PUD Plans New Solar Carport (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Hydropower: The Renewable Energy Source That’s About to Boom Again (TIME Magazine)

Need a Weatherman – Though Wind Generation Is Growing Fast, Much Remains Wrong with the Industry (The Economist)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Feds to Vacate Energy Efficiency Rule for Commercial Walk-In Coolers & Freezers, Industry Group Says (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Customers Want to Control Energy Use as They Use iPads (American Public Power Association)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Northwest Senators Push to Open Banking to Cannabis Businesses (Northwest Public Radio)

Pot-Centric Colorado Credit Union Sues Federal Reserve Bank for Denying Account (Consumerist)

Editorial: California – Growing Pot Outdoors Is Indeed a Waste of Water (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California: $2.2 Million Approved for 12 Bay Area Hydrogen Refueling Stations (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

This Idea by the FCC is Terrifying Apple, Amazon & Microsoft (Washington Post)

Facebook to Test 747-Sized Drones That Will Beam Broadband to the Entire World (The Independent, UK)

Cable Companies Refuse to Reveal How Much They Make Off of Set-Top Boxes (Consumerist)

Broadband for Baltimore (Baltimore Sun, MD)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Google Fights Effort to Apply ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Ruling Worldwide (NY Times)

Tough Week for Social Media Stocks – No One is Spared (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Boeing Chairman Threatens to Move Operations Overseas over Political Flap (Oregonian, Portland)

Judge Hits Greenpeace with $2,500 per Hour Fine for Blocking Portland Exit of Shell Icebreaker (Northwest Public Radio)

Man Reported Missing In Puget Sound Found Alive, Well (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Counties Finding Texts to 911 Mostly Bogus, Misdials (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Russell Wilson, Seahawks Reach Contract Extension (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

As Americans Figure Out the Roundabout, It Spreads Across the U-S (NY Times)

DIVERSIONS

90 Percent of Beer in the U-S is Made by These 11 Companies: Bottoms Up

Blue Moon Celebrates 20th Birthday on Actual Blue Moon

Why Buffalo's Dirty Snow Pile Still Hasn't Melted Yet

Washington State Man Arrested after Bizarre Standoff Involving Banjo

SONG OF THE DAY

This…Is…Awesome!!!

Earl Scruggs & Steve Martin – Foggy Mountain Breakdown

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.