Thursday, April 21, 2016

Energy News Digest for April 21, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 21, 2016

El Nino Declining, Cool Sister May Take Its Place (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

The Senate Just Passed – Overwhelmingly – An Actually Bipartisan Energy Bill (Washington Post)

Arizona Utility Executive Calls for More Transparency in Rate-Setting “…require power marketing administrations to include costs associated with fish & wildlife conservation regulations on monthly electric bills to wholesale consumers…” (Arizona Public Broadcasting)

Chinook Salmon, Flounder Added to Overfishing List (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Expecting Normal Water Year Operations (Bonneville Power Administration)

San Francisco Now Requires Solar Panels on New Buildings (San Francisco Business Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • The Senate Just Passed – Overwhelmingly – An Actually Bipartisan Energy Bill
  • House, Senate Look to Reconcile Energy Bills, Schedule Permitting
  • Editorial: An Energy Bill in Need of Fixes
  • Arizona Utility Executive Calls for More Transparency in Rate-Setting “…require power marketing administrations to include costs associated with fish & wildlife conservation regulations on monthly electric bills to wholesale consumers…”
  • Three Questions with the Columbia Riverkeeper’s Brett Vandenheuvel as He Takes an LNG Victory Lap
  • Chelan PUD: Applications Solicited for Hydropower STEM Camp
  • Clatskanie PUD’s Marcum & Welter receive 2016 Safety Heroism Award
  • Benton PUD’s Steve Frost receives 2016 Career Commitment to Safety Award
  • Indiana Supreme Court Rules to Keep Lawmaker-Utility Emails Private
  • Chinook Salmon, Flounder Added to Overfishing List
  • State of Oregon: Limit Bass Consumption Due to Mercury Levels
  • California: Invasive Wild Pigs Nearly Wiped Out in San Diego County
  • Bonneville Power Administration Expecting Normal Water Year Operations
  • U-S Senate OKs $92 Million for Yakima Basin; Measure Goes to House
  • Skagit PUD Opens Water Filling Stations
  • San Francisco Now Requires Solar Panels on New Buildings
  • SolarCity Ends Support for Political Group Investigating Arizona Regulators
  • Wind Generation Growth Slowed In 2015 as Wind Speeds Declined in Key Regions
  • Solar Panels Don’t Last Forever & Degradation Varies Wildly, Study Says
  • Turning Ocean Waves into Electricity
  • Should Iowa’s Small Utilities Be Pushed Harder on Efficiency?
  • How Energy Efficiency Could Become the New ‘Bridge Fuel’ to Cut Carbon
  • Savings Project: How to Seal Air Leaks with Caulk
  • Chelan County Faces Lawsuit from Pot Farmers
  • Oregon Has Collected $6.84 Million in Recreational Pot Taxes since January
  • Everything You Need to Know about Pot’s Environmental Impact
  • High Times Magazine Is Using Big Data to Rebrand Marijuana
  • Study: Warming Giving Us Type of Weather We Prefer, For Now
  • Washington Is Number 2 – Oregon: Yeah, We’re Green, Just Not the ‘Greenest’ State
  • Got EVs? Why Utilities Should Promote Electric Vehicles to Consumers
  • A Sunspot the Size of 5 Earths Unleashed a Spectacular Solar Flare This Week
  • Scientists Made LEDs 60 Percent Brighter by Copying Firefly Lanterns
  • Google Fiber Adds Portland to Its ‘Digital Inclusion Fellowship’ Program
  • States Move toward Making Endangered Land Lines Extinct
  • Yahoo’s Deterioration Accelerates Ahead of a Possible Sale
  • Comcast Will Let You Replace Your Cable Box with an App
  • United Kingdom’s Daily Mail Says it May Partner to Bid for Yahoo
  • Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley’s Case Goes To Jury
  • Will a Tax on Olympia’s Richest Households Hold Up in Court?
  • Effort to Change Shelton City Commission to Council Form
  • Port of Shelton’s Interim Director Gets Raise – Search for New Director Begins
  • Washington State Remains at Risk of Record-Breaking Wildfire Destruction Thanks to Funding Problems
  • Intel to Lay Off 12,000 People Worldwide
  • New Centralia College President
  • Harriet Tubman Ousts Andrew Jackson in Change for a $20
WORD OF THE DAY

Fictioneer • \fik-shuh-NEER\ • noun: One who writes fiction especially in quantity & without high standards

Alejandro bristled at having his astounding output florid romance novels branding him as “a fictioneer.” “I prefer to be called a common hack,” he sniffed. “At least that provides some level of respect for my craft”.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

The Senate Just Passed – Overwhelmingly – An Actually Bipartisan Energy Bill (Washington Post)

House, Senate Look to Reconcile Energy Bills, Schedule Permitting (Morning Consult)

Editorial: An Energy Bill in Need of Fixes (NY Times)

Arizona Utility Executive Calls for More Transparency in Rate-Setting “…require power marketing administrations to include costs associated with fish & wildlife conservation regulations on monthly electric bills to wholesale consumers…” (Arizona Public Broadcasting)

Three Questions with the Columbia Riverkeeper’s Brett Vandenheuvel as He Takes an LNG Victory Lap (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Chelan PUD: Applications Solicited for Hydropower STEM Camp (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Clatskanie PUD’s Marcum & Welter receive 2016 Safety Heroism Award (Northwest Public Power Association)

Benton PUD’s Steve Frost receives 2016 Career Commitment to Safety Award (Northwest Public Power Association)

Indiana Supreme Court Rules to Keep Lawmaker-Utility Emails Private (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Chinook Salmon, Flounder Added to Overfishing List (Associated Press)

State of Oregon: Limit Bass Consumption Due to Mercury Levels (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

California: Invasive Wild Pigs Nearly Wiped Out in San Diego County (Los Angeles Times, CA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Bonneville Power Administration Expecting Normal Water Year Operations (Bonneville Power Administration)

U-S Senate OKs $92 Million for Yakima Basin; Measure Goes to House (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Skagit PUD Opens Water Filling Stations (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

San Francisco Now Requires Solar Panels on New Buildings (San Francisco Business Times)

SolarCity Ends Support for Political Group Investigating Arizona Regulators (Utility Dive)

Wind Generation Growth Slowed In 2015 as Wind Speeds Declined in Key Regions (U-S Energy Information Administration)

Solar Panels Don’t Last Forever & Degradation Varies Wildly, Study Says (Computerworld)

Turning Ocean Waves into Electricity (Cable News Network)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Should Iowa’s Small Utilities Be Pushed Harder on Efficiency? (Midwest Energy News)

How Energy Efficiency Could Become the New ‘Bridge Fuel’ to Cut Carbon (Utility Dive)

Savings Project: How to Seal Air Leaks with Caulk (Breaking Energy)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Chelan County Faces Lawsuit from Pot Farmers (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Oregon Has Collected $6.84 Million in Recreational Pot Taxes since January (Oregonian, Portland)

Everything You Need to Know about Pot’s Environmental Impact (Grist Online)

High Times Magazine Is Using Big Data to Rebrand Marijuana (AdWeek)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study: Warming Giving Us Type of Weather We Prefer, For Now (Associated Press)

SCIENCE SWIMS IN A BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington Is Number 2 – Oregon: Yeah, We’re Green, Just Not the ‘Greenest’ State (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

Got EVs? Why Utilities Should Promote Electric Vehicles to Consumers (Utility Dive)

A Sunspot the Size of 5 Earths Unleashed a Spectacular Solar Flare This Week (Mashable)

Scientists Made LEDs 60 Percent Brighter by Copying Firefly Lanterns (Gizmodo)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Fiber Adds Portland to Its ‘Digital Inclusion Fellowship’ Program (Oregonian, Portland)

States Move toward Making Endangered Land Lines Extinct (Associated Press)

Yahoo’s Deterioration Accelerates Ahead of a Possible Sale (Associated Press)

Comcast Will Let You Replace Your Cable Box with an App (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

MARKETING & MEDIA

United Kingdom’s Daily Mail Says it May Partner to Bid for Yahoo (Reuters)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley’s Case Goes To Jury (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Will a Tax on Olympia’s Richest Households Hold Up in Court? (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Effort to Change Shelton City Commission to Council Form (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Port of Shelton’s Interim Director Gets Raise – Search for New Director Begins (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington State Remains at Risk of Record-Breaking Wildfire Destruction Thanks to Funding Problems (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Intel to Lay Off 12,000 People Worldwide (Associated Press)

New Centralia College President (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Harriet Tubman Ousts Andrew Jackson in Change for a $20 (NY Times)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Here’s the Real Reason We Associate 420 with Weed

French Baker Fires His Savior Instead of Giving Him His Business

Words That Were Invented Because We Actually Just Got Them Wrong

Legendary Pop Singer Prince Dead at 57

SONG OF THE DAY

Prince’s 40 Biggest Billboard Hits

Prince – Purple Rain (Live at 2007 Super Bowl)

Prince – When Doves Cry

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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.

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