Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Energy News Digest for March 2, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 2, 2016

Flood Warning for Mason County

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Two Large Outages in One Day Affect Mason PUD 3 Customers (Mason POUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Puget Sound Energy’s Proposed Higher-Voltage Power Poles Spark Debate over Safety & Need on Eastside (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Cowlitz PUD Commission Votes to Oppose Carbon Initiative (Longview Daily News, WA)

Puget Sound Coho Return Forecasts 'Critical' in Most Areas (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Registration Opens March First for Mason PUD 1’s Community Solar (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Two Large Outages in One Day Affect Mason PUD 3 Customers
  • Winds Knock Out Power to 10,000 Cowlitz PUD Customers
  • High Winds Down Trees, Cut Power in Clark County
  • 75,000 Customers Lose Power in Western Washington Storm
  • Puget Sound Energy’s Proposed Higher-Voltage Power Poles Spark Debate over Safety & Need on Eastside
  • Oregon Lawmakers Advance Measure to Phase Out Coal from Power Supply
  • Snohomish County PUD Weighing Billing Alternatives
  • BC Hydro Granted Injunction against Peace River Dam Protesters
  • Alcoa Hiring Temporary Employees for Ferndale Smelter Work
  • Op/Ed: Whatcom View: China’s Manipulations of Aluminum Prices Costing U-S Jobs
  • California: Pacific Gas & Electric Could Face Fines of Up to $652 Million in Gas Records Probe
  • U-S Supreme Court Skeptical Maryland State Subsidies Didn't Overstep FERC Jurisdiction
  • Report Says Cheap Natural Gas Leads to More Petrochemical Plants & Pollution
  • Puget Sound Coho Return Forecasts 'Critical' in Most Areas
  • Washington State Correcting Fish-Passage Barriers
  • Drone Captures Large Alaska Salmon Homecoming
  • Oregon DEQ Chief Leaving Amid Air Quality Controversy
  • How Does Portland's Air Quality Compare to Other Cities?
  • Clark County to Cowlitz Tribe: Halt Work Tied to Casino Wastewater System
  • Registration Opens March First for Mason PUD 1’s Community Solar
  • The U-S Relied More on Electricity from Renewable Sources in 1950 than Today
  • British Columbia Energy Minister Says Clean Power Projects Aren’t the Priority
  • Bill Gates: It Is Surprisingly Hard to Store Energy
  • Warren Buffett Discusses NV Energy, Solar Rates, & Elon Musk
  • 'Only a Matter of Time' – U-S Offshore Wind Struggles to Get Off the Ground
  • Little-Noticed, Rules for Home Appliances Dwarf Clean Power Plan
  • Op/Ed: Avista Conservation Energy Report Card Spurs New Goal
  • Bill That Aims to Bring Smaller Medical Marijuana Producers into Recreational Market Passes Oregon Senate
  • Cowlitz PUD Commission Votes to Oppose Carbon Initiative
  • Op/Ed: Costs Killing Animal Waste Power
  • Bitcoin Miners Have Discovered Washington
  • Google Fiber's Long Portland Courtship Frustrates Customers, But Maybe Not Google
  • Idaho’s High Court Says Contract for Broadband in Schools is Void
  • Judge Says U-S Can’t Make Apple Give iPhone Data
  • Pine Tree Sprouts Overnight in Pasco
  • Five Things to Do During Your First Week as a Social Media Manager
  • After a Decade Of Silence, Did Justice Clarence Thomas Find His Voice?
  • Belfair Murder-Suicide: Four Were Slain ‘Execution-Style’ in Chicken Coop
  • Man Who Killed Four in Mason County Had Long Criminal History
  • Shelton Gas Line Work Begins, Delays First Street Traffic
  • Belfair Highway Work Raises Questions
  • City of Shelton Takes First Step to Reduce Building Fees
  • Department of Ecology Employee Accused of Stealing from Celebration Fund
WORD OF THE DAY

Enfant Terrible • \on-fahnt tuh-REEB-luh\ • Noun - 1a: a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment b: a person known for shocking remarks or outrageous behavior 2: a usually young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde

At 88, Barney was the youngest member of the “Shady Lanes Retirement Home.” Even at the time of life when it becomes OK to blithely blurt out what you really feel about something, He was considered the facility’s “Enfant Terrible” for his truly outrageous, yet painfully accurate, observations of life in the elder care wing.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Two Large Outages in One Day Affect Mason PUD 3 Customers (Mason POUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Winds Knock Out Power to 10,000 Cowlitz PUD Customers (Longview Daily News, WA)

High Winds Down Trees, Cut Power in Clark County – Electricity restored to most of the 1,900 customers affected (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

75,000 Customers Lose Power in Western Washington Storm (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Puget Sound Energy’s Proposed Higher-Voltage Power Poles Spark Debate over Safety & Need on Eastside (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Oregon Lawmakers Advance Measure to Phase Out Coal from Power Supply (Northwest Public Radio)

Snohomish County PUD Weighing Billing Alternatives (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

BC Hydro Granted Injunction against Peace River Dam Protesters (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Alcoa Hiring Temporary Employees for Ferndale Smelter Work (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Op/Ed: Whatcom View: China’s Manipulations of Aluminum Prices Costing U-S Jobs (Bellingham Herald, WA)

California: Pacific Gas & Electric Could Face Fines of Up to $652 Million in Gas Records Probe (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

U-S Supreme Court Skeptical Maryland State Subsidies Didn't Overstep FERC Jurisdiction (Utility Dive)

Report Says Cheap Natural Gas Leads to More Petrochemical Plants & Pollution (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Puget Sound Coho Return Forecasts 'Critical' in Most Areas (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Washington State Correcting Fish-Passage Barriers – For WSDOT, upgrading culverts regular part of road improvement (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Drone Captures Large Alaska Salmon Homecoming (The Weather Channel)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon DEQ Chief Leaving Amid Air Quality Controversy (Portland Business Journal, OR)

How Does Portland's Air Quality Compare to Other Cities? (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Clark County to Cowlitz Tribe: Halt Work Tied to Casino Wastewater System (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Registration Opens March First for Mason PUD 1’s Community Solar (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

The U-S Relied More on Electricity from Renewable Sources in 1950 than Today (Quartz)

British Columbia Energy Minister Says Clean Power Projects Aren’t the Priority (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Bill Gates: It Is Surprisingly Hard to Store Energy (LinkedIn Pulse)

Warren Buffett Discusses NV Energy, Solar Rates, & Elon Musk (Las Vegas Sun, NV)

'Only a Matter of Time' – U-S Offshore Wind Struggles to Get Off the Ground (Utility Dive)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Little-Noticed, Rules for Home Appliances Dwarf Clean Power Plan (U-S News & World Report)

Op/Ed: Avista Conservation Energy Report Card Spurs New Goal (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Bill That Aims to Bring Smaller Medical Marijuana Producers into Recreational Market Passes Oregon Senate (Oregonian, Portland)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Cowlitz PUD Commission Votes to Oppose Carbon Initiative (Longview Daily News, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Op/Ed: Costs Killing Animal Waste Power (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Bitcoin Miners Have Discovered Washington – Drawn by cheap hydropower, cyber entrepreneurs are encountering concerns about their appetite for electricity (Crosscut Seattle)

Google Fiber's Long Portland Courtship Frustrates Customers, But Maybe Not Google (Oregonian, Portland)

Idaho’s High Court Says Contract for Broadband in Schools is Void (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Judge Says U-S Can’t Make Apple Give iPhone Data (Associated Press)

Pine Tree Sprouts Overnight in Pasco (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Five Things to Do During Your First Week as a Social Media Manager (Hootsuite)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

After a Decade Of Silence, Did Justice Clarence Thomas Find His Voice? (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

Belfair Murder-Suicide: Four Were Slain ‘Execution-Style’ in Chicken Coop (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Man Who Killed Four in Mason County Had Long Criminal History (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Shelton Gas Line Work Begins, Delays First Street Traffic (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Belfair Highway Work Raises Questions (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

City of Shelton Takes First Step to Reduce Building Fees (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Department of Ecology Employee Accused of Stealing from Celebration Fund (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

George Kennedy, Oscar Winner for 'Cool Hand Luke,' Dies at 91

High School Basketball Team Blows State Title Game after Premature Celebration

Celebrate National Pig Day with These Snorting, Cavorting Swine

Greenland Games Forced To Bring In Snow as Temperatures Rise

SONG OF THE DAY

Lalo Schifrin – Cool Hand Luke, Main Title

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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.