Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Energy News Digest for February 16, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for February 16, 2016

Flood Watch for Mason County

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Conservation Can Likely Meet Power Needs of Pacific Northwest States (Associated Press)

Controversial Energy Bill Gains Traction in Oregon – The bill would eliminate the use of coal power in Oregon by 2030 (Associated Press)

Comcast Service Restored for Most after Monday’s Nationwide Outage (Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon’s U-S Senators: Portland's Toxic Air is a 'Public Health Emergency' (Oregonian, Portland)

U-S Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dead at 79 (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Conservation Can Likely Meet Power Needs of Pacific Northwest States
  • Controversial Energy Bill Gains Traction in Oregon
  • Washington State Senate Passes TransAlta Sales Tax Break Bill
  • Cross-Border Coalition Urges Collaboration in Modernizing U-S/Canada Columbia River Treaty
  • Avista Wants to Install 265 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Eastern Washington
  • Ruralite Wins Haggard Award
  • Puerto Rico Approves Bill to Restructure Power Company
  • How a Supreme Court Decision Affects Your Electricity Bill
  • How Utility Executives See the Future of the Electricity Business
  • Belfair's Salmon Center Spawns Dreams
  • Colville Tribes’ Risky Bid: Bring Back Pronghorn Antelope; BPA Money Helps
  • Elwha: Roaring Back to Life
  • Oregon’s U-S Senators: Portland's Toxic Air is a 'Public Health Emergency'
  • Oregon: Salem Solar Plant to Lay Off 50
  • Coalition Forms to Promote Community Solar Power
  • Canadian Wind Energy Association Pulls Out Of British Columbia
  • Op/Ed: Answer Not Entirely Blowin’ in the Wind
  • Including Washington State – 17 Governors Announce Clean Energy, Transportation Agreement
  • LEDs Clobber CFLs; Turn Indoor Farming into New Growth Market
  • Using Electricity Wisely in an All-Electric Future
  • Life in the Cloud: Energy Reality Bites Millennials
  • Environmentalists Target Georgia Bill That Makes Energy Consumption a ‘Trade Secret’
  • Out-of-State Pot Investors May Be Coming to Oregon
  • Editorial: California – Awash in Cash, State’s Marijuana Businesses Can’t Take It to the Bank
  • Green Bonds Grow in California
  • Poo Power: Fueling Schools & Teaching Students a Lesson
  • Comcast Service Restored for Most after Monday’s Nationwide Outage
  • As Facebook & Apple Expand, Prineville Makes Room for Mysterious New Data Center
  • Gearing Up for the Cloud, AT&T Tells Its Workers: Adapt, or Else
  • Google Says it Will Not Participate in 2016 U-S Airwaves Auction
  • 1930s Electricity Co-Ops Take Internet Initiative
  • Google Shutting Down Picasa Photo Service
  • No One Knows How to Use Twitter’s New Timeline
  • The Perfect Email – Make your messages short & sweet—but not too short or too sweet
  • How to Write Emails If You Want People to Actually Respond
  • U-S Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dead at 79
  • Local Reaction to U-S Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's Death
  • How the Politics of the Next U-S Supreme Court Nomination Will Play Out
  • A Crowded Race for Washington State Lieutenant Governor
  • Brady Olson, Lacey Teacher Who Tackled Shooter, Cancels Campaign for Statehouse
  • Morning in “the Americas” – Vancouver, B-C Featured in Marco Rubio Campaign Ad
  • Three to Run for Mason County Commissioner, District One
  • El Niño Just Made That Mysterious Warm Blob in the Ocean Disappear
  • Cowlitz Tribe Celebrates Homecoming, Casino
  • Feb 21-27 is Engineer’s Week – When Was the Last Time You Thanked an Engineer?
  • Girls Basketball – Mary M. Knight Heading to District Championship Feb 20
  • Taylor Swift Tops Grammys with Historic, Feminist Album of the Year Win
WORD OF THE DAY

Immutable • \ih-MYOO-tuh-bul\ • Adjective – Not capable of or susceptible to change.

The invisible hand swung back and paused at the apex if its backswing. The immutable force of the market place had been battling a slow start in its contest against the dialectic of Marxist theology. Suddenly the hand moved forward and flung the 16-pound ball down the alley…picking up the 7-10 spare. “YOU WIN!” Exclaimed the Keynesian scorekeeper. “Yeah, but in the long run you’ll all be dead,” chortled the ghost of Thomas Malthus.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Conservation Can Likely Meet Power Needs of Pacific Northwest States (Associated Press)

Controversial Energy Bill Gains Traction in Oregon – The bill would eliminate the use of coal power in Oregon by 2030 (Associated Press)

Washington State Senate Passes TransAlta Sales Tax Break Bill (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Cross-Border Coalition Urges Collaboration in Modernizing U-S/Canada Columbia River Treaty (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Avista Wants to Install 265 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Eastern Washington (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Ruralite Wins Haggard Award (Electric Co-op Today)

Puerto Rico Approves Bill to Restructure Power Company (Associated Press)

How a Supreme Court Decision Affects Your Electricity Bill (Scientific American)

How Utility Executives See the Future of the Electricity Business (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Belfair's Salmon Center Spawns Dreams (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Colville Tribes’ Risky Bid: Bring Back Pronghorn Antelope; BPA Money Helps (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Elwha: Roaring Back to Life (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon’s U-S Senators: Portland's Toxic Air is a 'Public Health Emergency' (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Oregon: Salem Solar Plant to Lay Off 50 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Coalition Forms to Promote Community Solar Power (American Public Power Association)

Canadian Wind Energy Association Pulls Out Of British Columbia (National Wind Watch)

Op/Ed: Answer Not Entirely Blowin’ in the Wind (Vancouver Columbian, WA – and another quarter for Bobby Zimmerman)

Including Washington State – 17 Governors Announce Clean Energy, Transportation Agreement (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LEDs Clobber CFLs; Turn Indoor Farming into New Growth Market (The Energy Collective)

Using Electricity Wisely in an All-Electric Future (Electric Co-op Today)

Life in the Cloud: Energy Reality Bites Millennials (Boston Herald, MA)

Environmentalists Target Georgia Bill That Makes Energy Consumption a ‘Trade Secret’ (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Out-of-State Pot Investors May Be Coming to Oregon – Another pot bill would remove state criminal liability for banks that do business (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

Editorial: California – Awash in Cash, State’s Marijuana Businesses Can’t Take It to the Bank (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Bonds Grow in California (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Poo Power: Fueling Schools & Teaching Students a Lesson (The Guardian, UK)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Comcast Service Restored for Most after Monday’s Nationwide Outage (Oregonian, Portland)

As Facebook & Apple Expand, Prineville Makes Room for Mysterious New Data Center (Oregonian, Portland)

Gearing Up for the Cloud, AT&T Tells Its Workers: Adapt, or Else (NY Times)

Google Says it Will Not Participate in 2016 U-S Airwaves Auction (Reuters)

1930s Electricity Co-Ops Take Internet Initiative (Associated Press)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Google Shutting Down Picasa Photo Service (Consumerist)

No One Knows How to Use Twitter’s New Timeline (Washington Post)

The Perfect Email – Make your messages short & sweet—but not too short or too sweet (The Atlantic Magazine)

How to Write Emails If You Want People to Actually Respond (Washington Post)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dead at 79 (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Local Reaction to U-S Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's Death (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

How the Politics of the Next U-S Supreme Court Nomination Will Play Out (SCOTUS Blog)

A Crowded Race for Washington State Lieutenant Governor (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Brady Olson, Lacey Teacher Who Tackled Shooter, Cancels Campaign for Statehouse (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

Morning in “the Americas” – Vancouver, B-C Featured in Marco Rubio Campaign Ad (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

GENERAL NEWS

Three to Run for Mason County Commissioner, District One (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

El Niño Just Made That Mysterious Warm Blob in the Ocean Disappear (Gizmodo)

Cowlitz Tribe Celebrates Homecoming, Casino (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

​Feb 21-27 is Engineer’s Week – When Was the Last Time You Thanked an Engineer? (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)

Girls Basketball – Mary M. Knight Heading to District Championship Feb 20 (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Taylor Swift Tops Grammys with Historic, Feminist Album of the Year Win (Oregonian, Portland)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Long Lunch: Spanish Civil Servant Skips Work for Years without Anyone Noticing

Ohio Woman Assaults Husband with Mini Baseball Bat Because He Didn’t Buy Her a Valentine’s Day Gift

Invasive Species BBQ

Woman Falls 60 Feet in Department Store, Lands on Display Bed

SONGS OF THE DAY

10CC – Dreadlock Holiday

Madonna – Holiday

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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.