Friday, January 29, 2016

Energy News Digest for January 29, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for January 29, 2016

Flood Warning for the Skokomish River

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Northwest Nuclear Plant Faces Inquiry over Performance, Management (Oregonian, Portland)

California Votes to Retain System That Pays Solar Users Retail Rate for Excess Power (NY Times)

Popularity of Clark Public Utilities’ Solar Program Could Reduce Subsidies (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Portland General Electric: Coal-Killing Legislation Would Save Up to $360M over Ballot Measure (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Avista Addresses Customer Bill Concerns (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Pacific Northwest Nuclear Plant Faces Inquiry over Performance, Management
  • Avista Addresses Customer Bill Concerns
  • Why Has My PUD Bill Doubled This Month? – Powerful Advice: Energy Insights from PUD 3
  • Clallam County Public Utility District Gets Clean Washington State Audit
  • Clatskanie-Area Oil Terminal Shuts Down; 28 Laid Off
  • Judge Revives Lawsuit over Michigan Power Line Death
  • Texas: Lawsuit Says Power Cutoff Was Fatal to Man on Oxygen
  • Puerto Rico Utility, Creditors Renew Debt Restructuring Agreement, Extend Deadline
  • Grant PUD Works to Improve Steelhead Runs
  • Hundreds Attend Salmon Conference in Wenatchee
  • Canadian Seal Cull Not Yet Warranted Despite Large Salmon Diet Say Researchers
  • Washington State Department of Ecology Proposes $1.6 Million to Skagit PUD
  • Washington State Water Activists Fight Manure Discharge Legislation
  • Popularity of Clark Public Utilities’ Solar Program Could Reduce Subsidies
  • Wind Energy Loses Some of Its Breezy Allure
  • Portland General Electric, Pacific Power on Why Renewables Require New Gas Infrastructure
  • California Votes to Retain System That Pays Solar Users Retail Rate for Excess Power
  • Desperate California Utilities Win Effort to Squeeze Money Out of Solar Customers
  • Gigantic Wind Turbine with 650 Foot Blades Will Channel the Power of Hurricanes
  • Puget Sound Energy Launches Opower’s Bill Advisor
  • Portland General Electric: Coal-Killing Legislation Would Save Up to $360M over Ballot Measure
  • Could wind, solar slash carbon emissions affordably?
  • Mushroom Burial Suit Turns Dead Bodies into Clean Compost
  • Big Clouds: Microsoft, Amazon Tap into Largest-Ever Market Opportunity
  • FCC Signs Off on 2016 Broadband Progress Report
  • In Latest Shakeup, Yahoo Quits Mexico, Argentina
  • Facebook Now Offers Live Video for iPhone Users
  • Alaska Airlines Apologizes after “Meet Our Eskimo” Branding Effort Offends
  • Why Twitter’s Best Days May Be Behind It
  • Here Are nine Intriguing Digital Marketing Stats from the Past Week
  • Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
  • Flood Warnings on Several Rivers; Heavy Mountain Snow Coming
  • Washington State Governor Requests Federal Disaster Assistance Following December Storm
  • Clallam Bay Corrections Center Still on Lockdown; Beaten Officer’s Condition Improving
  • Oregon Standoff Day 28: What You Need to Know Friday
  • 500 Employees to Be Laid Off as Bremerton Call Center Closes
  • Monster Sinkhole Swallows (Portion Of) Highway 101 in Oregon
  • Monstrous Gas Cloud Is Careening Toward the Milky Way: When Will It Hit?
WORD OF THE DAY

Compunction • \kum-PUNK-shun\ • Noun - 1a: anxiety arising from awareness of guilt b: distress of mind over an anticipated action or result 2: a twinge of misgiving: scruple

The dense, dusky silence of the early morning office environment provided the perfect cover for Bosworth’s nefarious activity. Stealing into the break room, the jittery janitor drained the newly made pot of coffee of each caffeinated drop, the carafe making only the slightest tinkling sound as he sat it back on the burner. Did he have any guilt, compunction, hesitation? No, for the voices in his head told him it was OK.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Pacific Northwest Nuclear Plant Faces Inquiry over Performance, Management (Oregonian, Portland)

Avista Addresses Customer Bill Concerns (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Why Has My PUD Bill Doubled This Month? – Powerful Advice: Energy Insights from PUD 3 (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Clallam County Public Utility District Gets Clean Washington State Audit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Clatskanie-Area Oil Terminal Shuts Down; 28 Laid Off (Longview Daily News, WA)

Judge Revives Lawsuit over Michigan Power Line Death (Courthouse News Service)

Texas: Lawsuit Says Power Cutoff Was Fatal to Man on Oxygen (Houston Chronicle, TX)

Puerto Rico Utility, Creditors Renew Debt Restructuring Agreement, Extend Deadline (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Grant PUD Works to Improve Steelhead Runs (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Hundreds Attend Salmon Conference in Wenatchee (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Canadian Seal Cull Not Yet Warranted Despite Large Salmon Diet Say Researchers (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Department of Ecology Proposes $1.6 Million to Skagit PUD (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)

Washington State Water Activists Fight Manure Discharge Legislation (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Popularity of Clark Public Utilities’ Solar Program Could Reduce Subsidies (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wind Energy Loses Some of Its Breezy Allure – Experts say solar power may be ready to emerge (Spokane Journal of Business, WA)

Portland General Electric, Pacific Power on Why Renewables Require New Gas Infrastructure (Portland Business Journal, OR)

California Votes to Retain System That Pays Solar Users Retail Rate for Excess Power (NY Times)

Desperate California Utilities Win Effort to Squeeze Money Out of Solar Customers (Gizmodo)

Gigantic Wind Turbine with 650 Foot Blades Will Channel the Power of Hurricanes (Gizmodo)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Puget Sound Energy Launches Opower’s Bill Advisor (Transmission & Distribution World)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Portland General Electric: Coal-Killing Legislation Would Save Up to $360M over Ballot Measure (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Could wind, solar slash carbon emissions affordably? (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Mushroom Burial Suit Turns Dead Bodies into Clean Compost (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Big Clouds: Microsoft, Amazon Tap into Largest-Ever Market Opportunity (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

FCC Signs Off on 2016 Broadband Progress Report (The Hill, Washington, DC)

In Latest Shakeup, Yahoo Quits Mexico, Argentina (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Facebook Now Offers Live Video for iPhone Users (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Alaska Airlines Apologizes after “Meet Our Eskimo” Branding Effort Offends (Consumerist)

Why Twitter’s Best Days May Be Behind It (Washington Post)

Here Are nine Intriguing Digital Marketing Stats from the Past Week (AdWeek)

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds (Consumerist)

GENERAL NEWS

Flood Warnings on Several Rivers; Heavy Mountain Snow Coming (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Washington State Governor Requests Federal Disaster Assistance Following December Storm (Office of Governor Jay Inslee, Olympia, WA)

Clallam Bay Corrections Center Still on Lockdown; Beaten Officer’s Condition Improving (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Oregon Standoff Day 28: What You Need to Know Friday (Oregonian, Portland)

500 Employees to Be Laid Off as Bremerton Call Center Closes (Associated Press)

Monster Sinkhole Swallows (Portion Of) Highway 101 in Oregon (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Monstrous Gas Cloud Is Careening Toward the Milky Way: When Will It Hit? (Christian Science Monitor)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

20-Year-Old Woman Insists She’s a Cat Trapped in a Human’s Body

But how’s the Turf Holding Up? – Super Bowl 50: Broncos Logo Painted in Both End Zones at Levi’s Stadium

Unlikely Goat & Tiger Friendship Tragically Ends In Fight

Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner Dies at age 74

SONG OF THE DAY

Jefferson Starship – Miracles

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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.