Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Energy News Digest for December 1, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for December 1, 2015

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Power Seeking Rate Hike to Pay Off Coal Plants (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Internet Speed Too Slow in 1 of 10 Washington School Districts, Report Finds (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Bill Gates Lays Out Vision for Clean Energy at Paris Climate Conference (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Catch-And-Release Deaths Spark Early Closure of Salmon Fishing (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Snohomish County Appliance Recycler Leaves 154 without Jobs (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Pacific Power Seeking Rate Hike to Pay Off Coal Plants
  • Avista Crews Cleanup after Historic Spokane-Area Outage
  • Hydro Reforms in House Bill Are Compatible with Environmental Rules, APPA Says
  • The Bear Survived and Got Doughnuts
  • New Trouble for NextEra Merger as Regulators Slam Hawaiian Electric Power Supply Plan
  • Prepare Your Electric Co-op for Rate Hikes
  • Consumer Advocates Protest Indiana Utilities Pushing Fixed Charge Increases
  • Could an Attack Spell 'Lights Out' for the Power Grid?
  • Catch-And-Release Deaths Spark Early Closure of Salmon Fishing
  • Freshwater Salmon Have ‘Exceptional’ Rebound in British Columbia’s Okanagan Lakes
  • Cantwell Measure Allows More Irrigation in Return for Fish, Land Protections
  • All Those Toxic Chemicals in the Ocean? Birds Are Pooping Them Back on Shore
  • Bill Gates Lays Out Vision for Clean Energy at Paris Climate Conference
  • ‘Huge Response’ for Community Solar in Cowlitz County
  • Art of the Lease: The Silicon Valley Idea That's Driving Solar Use Worldwide
  • City of Las Vegas Strikes Deal for 100% Renewables as Casinos Look to Defect
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory Lays Off Ten Workers after Round of Buyouts
  • Research Discover How to Mimic Plants for Solar Production
  • EIA Now Provides Monthly State-Level Estimates of Small-Scale Solar PV Capacity & Generation
  • Snohomish County Appliance Recycler Leaves 154 without Jobs
  • Cowlitz PUD: These Energy Products Won't Save You Money
  • Cree Accuses California E-Retailer of Counterfeiting, Trademark Infringement
  • Top Carbon Culprits U-S, China, India Debate Nuances of Roles
  • British Columbia Climate Report Says Hike Carbon Tax, Extend Reduction Targets to 2050
  • Can Monsanto Lead Way to Carbon Neutral Farming?
  • Why Is these 15-Year-Old Suing Obama?
  • How This Michigan Family Lives Stylishly Off the Grid
  • Internet Speed Too Slow in 1 of 10 Washington School Districts, Report Finds
  • Northern British Columbia Town Deprived of Internet for at Least a Month
  • Why Are There So Many Data Centers in Iowa? – “Networks, land, power, and taxes.”
  • Christmas Lights Might Slow Down Your Wi-Fi
  • Advisory Council Condemns ‘Misguided’ KPLU Sale
  • Twitter Turns Pope Francis into a Rapper with #PopeBars
  • Indicted Washington State Auditor Seeks Return of Seized $908,000
  • White House Threatens to Veto House Energy Bill
  • Puerto Rico’s Financial Crisis Just Got More Serious
  • Including Wind Tax Breaks, Health Care “Cadillac Tax” – Congress closes in on deal to extend tax breaks
  • Principals Say Washington State Teacher Shortage Now a Crisis
  • Snow Is Coming to the Cascades, Weather Service Says
  • New Columbia/Snake River Barge Service Provides Much-Needed Relief for Oregon Exporters
  • City of Shelton to Fund Port-A-Potties in 2016
  • Photo: Raising the Washington State Capitol Christmas Tree
  • New Weather Model Predicts Vivid Sunsets Before They Happen
WORD OF THE DAY

Perennial • \puh-REN-ee-ul\ • Adjective – 1: present at all seasons of the year 2: continuing to live from year to year 3: recurring regularly: permanent

Monte whispered to his shriveling coneflowers, “I’ll see you in the spring!” “Not if we see you first,” croaked the eldest of the perennial flowers with its final breath of fall.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Pacific Power Seeking Rate Hike to Pay Off Coal Plants (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Avista Crews Cleanup after Historic Spokane-Area Outage (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)

Hydro Reforms in House Bill Are Compatible with Environmental Rules, APPA Says (American Public Power Association)

The Bear Survived and Got Doughnuts (Electric Co-op Today – Editor’s Pick)

New Trouble for NextEra Merger as Regulators Slam Hawaiian Electric Power Supply Plan (Utility Dive)

Prepare Your Electric Co-op for Rate Hikes (Electric Co-op Today)

Consumer Advocates Protest Indiana Utilities Pushing Fixed Charge Increases (Utility Dive)

Could an Attack Spell 'Lights Out' for the Power Grid? (E&E Publishing)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Catch-And-Release Deaths Spark Early Closure of Salmon Fishing (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Freshwater Salmon Have ‘Exceptional’ Rebound in British Columbia’s Okanagan Lakes (Globe & Mail, Canada)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Cantwell Measure Allows More Irrigation in Return for Fish, Land Protections (Crosscut Seattle)

All Those Toxic Chemicals in the Ocean? Birds Are Pooping Them Back on Shore (Grist Online)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Bill Gates Lays Out Vision for Clean Energy at Paris Climate Conference (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

‘Huge Response’ for Community Solar in Cowlitz County (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

Art of the Lease: The Silicon Valley Idea That's Driving Solar Use Worldwide (Bloomberg News)

City of Las Vegas Strikes Deal for 100% Renewables as Casinos Look to Defect (Utility Dive)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Lays Off Ten Workers after Round of Buyouts (Denver Post, CO)

Research Discover How to Mimic Plants for Solar Production (Christian Science Monitor)

EIA Now Provides Monthly State-Level Estimates of Small-Scale Solar PV Capacity & Generation (U-S Energy Information Administration)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Snohomish County Appliance Recycler Leaves 154 without Jobs (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Cowlitz PUD: These Energy Products Won't Save You Money (Longview Daily News, WA)

Cree Accuses California E-Retailer of Counterfeiting, Trademark Infringement (Triangle Business Journal, NC)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Top Carbon Culprits U-S, China, India Debate Nuances of Roles (Associated Press)

British Columbia Climate Report Says Hike Carbon Tax, Extend Reduction Targets to 2050 (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Can Monsanto Lead Way to Carbon Neutral Farming? (Christian Science Monitor)

Why Is these 15-Year-Old Suing Obama? (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

How This Michigan Family Lives Stylishly Off the Grid (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Internet Speed Too Slow in 1 of 10 Washington School Districts, Report Finds (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Northern British Columbia Town Deprived of Internet for at Least a Month – The town's sole internet provider is shutting down (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Why Are There So Many Data Centers in Iowa? – “Networks, land, power, and taxes.” (The Atlantic)

Christmas Lights Might Slow Down Your Wi-Fi (Gizmodo)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Advisory Council Condemns ‘Misguided’ KPLU Sale – Calls out university for ‘misleading, flatly incorrect’ statements (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Twitter Turns Pope Francis into a Rapper with #PopeBars (British Broadcasting Corporation)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Indicted Washington State Auditor Seeks Return of Seized $908,000 (Associated Press)

White House Threatens to Veto House Energy Bill (Washington Examiner)

Puerto Rico’s Financial Crisis Just Got More Serious (Washington Post)

Including Wind Tax Breaks, Health Care “Cadillac Tax” – Congress closes in on deal to extend tax breaks (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Principals Say Washington State Teacher Shortage Now a Crisis (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

Snow Is Coming to the Cascades, Weather Service Says (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

New Columbia/Snake River Barge Service Provides Much-Needed Relief for Oregon Exporters (Portland Business Journal, OR)

City of Shelton to Fund Port-A-Potties in 2016 (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Photo: Raising the Washington State Capitol Christmas Tree (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

New Weather Model Predicts Vivid Sunsets Before They Happen (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Hollywood's 100 Favorite Films

What Do You Get the Person Who Has Everything? Nothing, Says Cards against Humanity

Parents Are Naming Their Babies after Instagram Filters

Christmas Signs Posted Anonymously Are Stirring Controversy

SONG OF THE DAY

Billy Preston - Nothing from nothing

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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 websites 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.