Monday, December 21, 2015

Winter Solstice: Five Things to Know (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Power Grid Is Vulnerable to Foreign Hacks – Investigation finds a dozen incidents over the past decade (Associated Press)

Comply with the Clean Power Plan? No Problem for the Pacific Northwest (E&E Publishing)

Klamath Basin Water Accords Crumble as Congress Fails to Act (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Homes with Broadband Internet Hit Plateau (USA Today)

Energy News Digest for December 21, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for December 21, 2015

Coastal Flood Advisory

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Winter Solstice: Five Things to Know (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Power Grid Is Vulnerable to Foreign Hacks – Investigation finds a dozen incidents over the past decade (Associated Press)

Comply with the Clean Power Plan? No Problem for the Pacific Northwest (E&E Publishing)

Klamath Basin Water Accords Crumble as Congress Fails to Act (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Homes with Broadband Internet Hit Plateau (USA Today)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Power Grid Is Vulnerable to Foreign Hacks
  • Clark Public Utilities Vigilant, Has Detected No Cyberattack Yet – BPA says it too takes threats seriously
  • Answering Avista Bill Spike Questions
  • Hungry Horse Dam Looking To Modernize Its 1950s-Era Power Plant
  • NW Natural Chief Executive to Step Down Next Year
  • Key Wins for Electric Co-ops in $1.1 Trillion Federal Spending Bill
  • Scotus Case: Finding Bidders for Giant Power Plants
  • Puerto Rico’s Utility Reaches Tentative Agreement to Restructure $8.2 Billion Debt
  • Proper Storage Will Save Your Refrigerated Food
  • Environmental Group Sues Feds Over Oregon Spotted Frog
  • Tentative Agreement Reached in Dispute over Endangered Yellowstone Fish
  • Klamath Basin Water Accords Crumble as Congress Fails to Act
  • California Wants to Store Water for Farmers, but Struggles over How to Do It
  • Your Rooftop Solar Panels Might Actually Help Balance the Power Grid
  • Community Solar Brings Renewable Energy ‘To the Masses’
  • EWEB: Grant-Funded Storage, Microgrid Project to Test Resiliency in Public Power City in Oregon
  • Wind Power Spreads through Turbines for Lease
  • California Marijuana Leaders Increasingly Uniting Behind One Legalization Measure
  • The Top Ten Oregon Marijuana Licensing Myths
  • Comply with the Clean Power Plan? No Problem for the Pacific Northwest
  • Op/Ed: Wind & Renewables Are Key to Reducing Carbon Emissions
  • Op/Ed: America’s Family Forests – Our Climate Change Solution
  • A Small New England College Goes 100 Percent Solar
  • Homes with Broadband Internet Hit Plateau
  • High-Speed Internet Is a Luxury
  • Mobile Browsing Will Trump Desktop by the End of 2016, Report Says
  • Program Helps Small-Business Owners Make Money Off Wi-Fi
  • Nearly a Billion PCs Run This Notoriously Insecure Software – Now Oracle Has to Clean It Up
  • EPA ‘Won’t Back Down’ from Criticisms over Social Media Posts
  • The NFL Plans to Stream All Thursday Night Games Next Season
  • You Should Watch the Way You Punctuate Your Text Messages — Period
  • Everett Herald Online: The Din of Online Comments to Fall Silent
  • Winter Solstice: Five Things to Know
  • Snow Dumping in the Cascades as More Winter Weather Creeps In
  • One Person Dead Friday after Two-Car Crash along SR 106
  • U-S 12 over White Pass to Reopen Tuesday Evening
  • Funding Approved for Naval Base Kitsap Projects
  • Seattle Times Plans Six Percent Newsroom Budget Cut
  • Seahawks Clinch Playoff Berth with 30-13 Win over Browns
WORD OF THE DAY

Invidious ● \in-VID-ee-us\ ● Adjective – 1: tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy 2a: unpleasant, objectionable, or obnoxious b: of a kind to cause harm or resentment.

Brandi’s invidious rejection of all green vegetables was a repulsion that extended beyond the normal version of the healthy comestibles. Even the sport varieties of vegetables were repellent to her. Purple cabbage; no thank you. White asparagus; yuck. Even the smallest touch of green to her food ticked the gag reflex. The horrific “green mint ice cream” incident was a topic that was verboten at even the most casual of family gatherings.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Power Grid Is Vulnerable to Foreign Hacks – Investigation finds a dozen incidents over the past decade (Associated Press)

Clark Public Utilities Vigilant, Has Detected No Cyberattack Yet – BPA says it too takes threats seriously (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Answering Avista Bill Spike Questions (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Hungry Horse Dam Looking To Modernize Its 1950s-Era Power Plant (Billings Gazette, MT)

NW Natural Chief Executive to Step Down Next Year (Oregonian, Portland)

Key Wins for Electric Co-ops in $1.1 Trillion Federal Spending Bill (Electric Co-op Today)

Scotus Case: Finding Bidders for Giant Power Plants (National Conference of State Legislatures)

Puerto Rico’s Utility Reaches Tentative Agreement to Restructure $8.2 Billion Debt (Utility Dive)

Proper Storage Will Save Your Refrigerated Food (Fairbanks News Miner, AK)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Environmental Group Sues Feds Over Oregon Spotted Frog (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Tentative Agreement Reached in Dispute over Endangered Yellowstone Fish (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Klamath Basin Water Accords Crumble as Congress Fails to Act (Sacramento Bee, CA)

California Wants to Store Water for Farmers, but Struggles over How to Do It (NY Times)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Your Rooftop Solar Panels Might Actually Help Balance the Power Grid (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Community Solar Brings Renewable Energy ‘To the Masses’ (Huffington Post)

EWEB: Grant-Funded Storage, Microgrid Project to Test Resiliency in Public Power City in Oregon (American Public Power Association)

Wind Power Spreads through Turbines for Lease (NY Times)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

California Marijuana Leaders Increasingly Uniting Behind One Legalization Measure (Marijuana Business Daily)

The Top Ten Oregon Marijuana Licensing Myths (Canna Law Blog)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Comply with the Clean Power Plan? No Problem for the Pacific Northwest (E&E Publishing)

Op/Ed: Wind & Renewables Are Key to Reducing Carbon Emissions (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Op/Ed: America’s Family Forests – Our Climate Change Solution (Huffington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

A Small New England College Goes 100 Percent Solar (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Homes with Broadband Internet Hit Plateau (USA Today)

High-Speed Internet Is a Luxury – As broadband adoption stalls out, smartphone-only Internet users increasingly believe they’re at a disadvantage (The Atlantic Magazine)

Mobile Browsing Will Trump Desktop by the End of 2016, Report Says (Washington Post)

Program Helps Small-Business Owners Make Money Off Wi-Fi (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Nearly a Billion PCs Run This Notoriously Insecure Software – Now Oracle Has to Clean It Up (Washington Post)

MARKETING & MEDIA

EPA ‘Won’t Back Down’ from Criticisms over Social Media Posts (Washington Examiner)

The NFL Plans to Stream All Thursday Night Games Next Season (Broadband Reports)

You Should Watch the Way You Punctuate Your Text Messages — Period (National Public Radio)

Everett Herald Online: The Din of Online Comments to Fall Silent (Everett Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Winter Solstice: Five Things to Know (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Snow Dumping in the Cascades as More Winter Weather Creeps In (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

One Person Dead Friday after Two-Car Crash along SR 106 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

U-S 12 over White Pass to Reopen Tuesday Evening (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Funding Approved for Naval Base Kitsap Projects (Associated Press)

Seattle Times Plans Six Percent Newsroom Budget Cut (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Seahawks Clinch Playoff Berth with 30-13 Win over Browns (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

DIVERSIONS

A Peanut’s Christmas: Deleted Bible Passage Recited by Adults during School’s Play (And They Were Sore Afraid…)

Theft of Horse Hair Angers, Puzzles Owner

JJ Abrams Followed Portlander’s Four Star Wars Rules

Miss Universe Crowns Wrong Beauty Queen in Live TV Gaffe

SONG OF THE DAY

America - A Horse with No Name

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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.