Thursday, November 5, 2015

Energy News Digest for November 5, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for November 5, 2015

Snow in Our Future (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Energizes a New 500-Kilovolt Line in Southeastern Washington (Bonneville Power Administration)

Washington State Joins Legal Fight to Defend Obama Climate Plan (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Chinese Company May Get Behind Klickitat County PUD Reservoir System (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Shelton: New Marijuana Business Gets Majority Support from City Commissioners (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Arizona: Regulators Defend Calling Trash Burning ‘Renewable Energy’ (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration Energizes a New 500-Kilovolt Line in Southeastern Washington
  • Chinese Company May Get Behind Klickitat County PUD Reservoir System
  • Avista reports third quarter earnings of $12.7 million
  • Eugene Water & Electric Board Backs Off Proposed $10 Fee Increase
  • Vancouver Man Electrocuted in Kalama
  • Fitch Rates Cowlitz PUD’s Bonds ‘A’
  • Hawaii PUC Allows Public Utility Alternatives to be Considered in Nextera Merger Case
  • Outdoors: Chum Running Along Hood Canal
  • British Columbia’s Iconic Adams River Salmon Run off to a ‘Grim’ Start
  • Group Sues to Stop Commercial Salmon Farms in Puget Sound
  • Wild Salmon Fraud a Widespread Problem, Says New Report
  • Editorial: Don’t Saddle Portland Utility Customers with Bill For Decorative Fountains
  • Arizona: Regulators Defend Calling Trash Burning ‘Renewable Energy’
  • Biomass Blues: Oregon Mill Closure Could Have Serious Impacts across the Region
  • If a Solar Plant Uses Natural Gas, Is It Still Green?
  • Iowa Utility Reports ‘Strong Response’ to Community Solar Project
  • Imagine Signing Up for a Community Solar Garden through an App
  • Report: Wind Subsidies Transfer Wealth from Taxpayers to Companies
  • Wastewater Utilities Holding Back from Further Embracing Energy Efficiency
  • Infographic: Apartments Waste 33% of the Energy They Use
  • Shelton: New Marijuana Business Gets Majority Support from City Commissioners
  • Legal Pot Grows in Washington State & Oregon Raise Concerns about Electricity Use
  • LED Technology Courts Pot Growers
  • Washington State Joins Legal Fight to Defend Obama Climate Plan
  • How the Legal Battle over Demand Response Could Hinder California’s Climate Goals
  • Bill Gates Says Our Energy System Is Broken & He’s Giving $2 Billion to Fix It
  • City Of Portland Considers Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Ban
  • How Walmart Became a Green Energy Giant with Other People’s Money
  • Do Trees Really Help Clean the Air in Our Cities?
  • Why the Russian Threat to Undersea Cables Is Overblown
  • Facebook Now Averages Eight Billion Daily Video Views
  • Facebook Set to Steal More TV Ad Dollars as Video Views Soar
  • Washington State Gas Tax to Increase despite Voters’ Thumbs Down
  • Federal Highway Bill Passes House, but Funding Shortfall Remains
  • Business Anything But Usual These Days at Yakima City Hall
  • Pacific Northwest’s 2015 Weather Likely to be Repeated, Climate Scientists Say
  • Inslee Asks FEMA to Expand Individual Disaster Aid to Include Wildfire Victims
  • Trial Postponed for Brothers Shot by Olympia Officer
  • Boeing to Pay $57 Million to Settle Suit over Retirement Plan
  • Washington State’s Nuclear Waste Manager Will Retire
  • Shelton Sports Post Season Schedule
WORD OF THE DAY

Eternize • \it-TER-nyze\ • Verb - 1a: to make eternal b: to prolong indefinitely 2: immortalize

“I’m not sure this will eternize you,” stuttered the plastic extrusion engineer to the towering, imposing customer with the oversized thumb. “But if you want immortality by embedding your ashes into tiddlywinks disks when you die, that’s up to you. I just think it’s kinda creepy…that’s all”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Energizes a New 500-Kilovolt Line in Southeastern Washington (Bonneville Power Administration)

Chinese Company May Get Behind Klickitat County PUD Reservoir System (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Avista reports third quarter earnings of $12.7 million (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Backs Off Proposed $10 Fee Increase (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Vancouver Man Electrocuted in Kalama (Longview Daily News, WA)

Fitch Rates Cowlitz PUD’s Bonds ‘A’ (BusinessWire)

Hawaii PUC Allows Public Utility Alternatives to be Considered in Nextera Merger Case (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Outdoors: Chum Running Along Hood Canal (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

British Columbia’s Iconic Adams River Salmon Run off to a ‘Grim’ Start (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Group Sues to Stop Commercial Salmon Farms in Puget Sound (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Wild Salmon Fraud a Widespread Problem, Says New Report (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Editorial: Don’t Saddle Portland Utility Customers with Bill For Decorative Fountains (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Arizona: Regulators Defend Calling Trash Burning ‘Renewable Energy’ (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson)

Biomass Blues: Oregon Mill Closure Could Have Serious Impacts across the Region (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

If a Solar Plant Uses Natural Gas, Is It Still Green? (Gizmodo)

Iowa Utility Reports ‘Strong Response’ to Community Solar Project (American Public Power Association)

Imagine Signing Up for a Community Solar Garden through an App (American Public Power Association)

Report: Wind Subsidies Transfer Wealth from Taxpayers to Companies (Washington Examiner)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Wastewater Utilities Holding Back from Further Embracing Energy Efficiency (Breaking Energy – Can you find the safety violations in this photo?)

Infographic: Apartments Waste 33% of the Energy They Use (The Energy Collective)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Shelton: New Marijuana Business Gets Majority Support from City Commissioners (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Legal Pot Grows in Washington State & Oregon Raise Concerns about Electricity Use (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

LED Technology Courts Pot Growers (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Joins Legal Fight to Defend Obama Climate Plan (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

How the Legal Battle over Demand Response Could Hinder California’s Climate Goals (Utility Dive)

Bill Gates Says Our Energy System Is Broken & He’s Giving $2 Billion to Fix It (Gizmodo)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

City Of Portland Considers Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Ban (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

How Walmart Became a Green Energy Giant with Other People’s Money (Forbes Magazine)

Do Trees Really Help Clean the Air in Our Cities? (Gizmodo)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Why the Russian Threat to Undersea Cables Is Overblown (Christian Science Monitor)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Now Averages Eight Billion Daily Video Views (USA Today)

Facebook Set to Steal More TV Ad Dollars as Video Views Soar (Reuters)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Gas Tax to Increase despite Voters’ Thumbs Down (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Federal Highway Bill Passes House, but Funding Shortfall Remains (NY Times)

Business Anything But Usual These Days at Yakima City Hall (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Pacific Northwest’s 2015 Weather Likely to be Repeated, Climate Scientists Say (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Inslee Asks FEMA to Expand Individual Disaster Aid to Include Wildfire Victims (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Trial Postponed for Brothers Shot by Olympia Officer (Associated Press)

Boeing to Pay $57 Million to Settle Suit over Retirement Plan (NY Times)

Washington State’s Nuclear Waste Manager Will Retire (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Shelton Sports Post Season Schedule (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Goat Farts Blamed for Emergency Plane Landing

New Bride Jilted on Her Wedding Day Treats Guests to a McDonald’s Feast

Hipster Barbie’s Maker Reveals Herself, Calls It Quits

Hayden Man Vows to Fight Lawsuit Threatened over His Planned Christmas Display

SONG OF THE DAY

Steve Miller Band – Threshold/Jet Airliner

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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.