Friday, April 29, 2016

Energy News Digest for April 29, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 29, 2016

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Clark Public Utilities Opposes Carbon Tax Plan – Initiative 732 wouldn’t reduce emissions, would cost utility & its customers millions, commissioner says (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

There Will Only Be One Carbon Tax on the Fall Ballot, But the Climate Schism Remains (Seattle Weekly)

Washington State, Tribes Again Call Off Talks on Puget Sound Salmon Fisheries (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Tacoma Utility Hunting for Old Pipes That Could Be Elevating Lead Levels in Water (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Army Corps Decides Kennewick Man Should Be Turned over to Tribes (Northwest Public Radio)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • British Columbia: BC Hydro Files Injunction against Protesters at Its Vancouver Office
  • Celilo Converter Station Upgrade Adds Muscle to West Coast Grid
  • Heyburn Electric Rates to Rise 10%
  • Anonymous Letter Criticizes Energy Northwest Investigation
  • California: Company Seeks to Store Nuclear Waste from Rancho Seco, Other Power Plants
  • Texas: Some Utility Watchers Underwhelmed with Austin Energy Finalists
  • Contractors Pay the Price for Violating Dig Law
  • Field Trip to Ross Complex Powers Up Learning
  • Cowlitz PUD to Host ‘Power Supply 101’ Workshop
  • Moody’s Assigns Aa1 to Bonneville Power Administration Bonds Issued through the Port of Morrow (OR); Outlook Stable
  • Cal Fire Blames Pacific Gas & Electric for Butte Fire, Will Seek $90 Million
  • Washington State, Tribes Again Call Off Talks on Puget Sound Salmon Fisheries
  • Drones over Puget Sound Orcas: Legal or Illegal?
  • Columbia Pikeminnow Reward Program Resumes Sunday
  • Corps Seeks Comment on Columbia River Habitat Restoration Proposal
  • Tacoma Utility Hunting for Old Pipes That Could Be Elevating Lead Levels in Water
  • Oregon: Activists Rally Against Nestle, Hand Out Free Water at Hood River
  • Benton PUD Debuts New Solar Project
  • Shared Solar Energy Projects – Including Mason PUD 3 – Let People Go Green in Groups
  • SolarWorld Hires 200 in Hillsboro, Plans to Grow Further in 2017
  • Solar Advocates, Lawmakers Drop Dueling Arizona Ballot Initiatives in Cease-Fire
  • Indulgences ‘R Us - Iowa Rural Co-Op Goes 100% ‘Carbon-Free’ with Renewable Credits
  • April Is All about Trees – Do Your Part & Plant One Native to Our Region
  • Coloradans Feel the Heat from Indoor Marijuana Growing
  • Clark Public Utilities Opposes Carbon Tax Plan
  • There Will Only Be One Carbon Tax on the Fall Ballot, But the Climate Schism Remains
  • Washington State Readies Revised Carbon Dioxide Market Plan, Mulls Limiting Use of External Credits
  • Op/Ed: Climate Change – Three Things the State’s New Clean Air Rule Must Include
  • Green Building Council Gives LEED Credentials to Contentious Wood Certification
  • Slovakian Architects’ Pod Makes Tiny Houses Seem Enormous
  • This Hillsboro Data Center Now Gets All Its Energy from Hydropower – Or Says it Does
  • We Watched a Team of Hackers ‘Fully Compromise’ a Power Company in Less Than 24 Hours
  • Ted Cruz Pushes Bill to Hinder Community Broadband
  • Facebook Revenue Smashes Expectations as Mobile Ad Sales Surge
  • Army Corps Decides Kennewick Man Should Be Turned over to Tribes
  • Bowling to Challenge Griffey for Washington State House
  • CEO Makes Fiery Emails about Muslims Part of the Workday
  • Sea Lion That Made Strange, 50-Mile Trek to Oakville, WA Ranch Found Dead
  • How Woody Guthrie Became Unlikely Spokesman for the Pacific Northwest
WORD OF THE DAY

Juxtapose ● \JUCK-stup-poze\ ● Verb - To place side by side (as to compare or contrast).

Docile laying hen
Juxtaposed with the peacock
Domestic delight

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

British Columbia: BC Hydro Files Injunction against Protesters at Its Vancouver Office (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Celilo Converter Station Upgrade Adds Muscle to West Coast Grid (Bonneville Power Administration)

Heyburn Electric Rates to Rise 10% (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

Anonymous Letter Criticizes Energy Northwest Investigation (Northwest Public Radio)

California: Company Seeks to Store Nuclear Waste from Rancho Seco, Other Power Plants (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Texas: Some Utility Watchers Underwhelmed with Austin Energy Finalists (Austin American Statesman, TX – Includes a Washington State Connection)

Contractors Pay the Price for Violating Dig Law (Washington State Utilities & Transportation Commission)

Field Trip to Ross Complex Powers Up Learning – BPA uses Take Your Child to Work Day to share electrical lessons (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Cowlitz PUD to Host ‘Power Supply 101’ Workshop (Longview Daily News, WA)

Moody’s Assigns Aa1 to Bonneville Power Administration Bonds Issued through the Port of Morrow (OR); Outlook Stable (Moody’s Investor Service)

Cal Fire Blames Pacific Gas & Electric for Butte Fire, Will Seek $90 Million – Poor tree maintenance, power line caused 2015 wildfire (Sacramento Bee, CA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State, Tribes Again Call Off Talks on Puget Sound Salmon Fisheries (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Drones over Puget Sound Orcas: Legal or Illegal? (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Columbia Pikeminnow Reward Program Resumes Sunday (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Corps Seeks Comment on Columbia River Habitat Restoration Proposal (St Helens Chronicle, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Tacoma Utility Hunting for Old Pipes That Could Be Elevating Lead Levels in Water (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Oregon: Activists Rally Against Nestle, Hand Out Free Water at Hood River (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Benton PUD Debuts New Solar Project (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Shared Solar Energy Projects – Including Mason PUD 3 – Let People Go Green in Groups (Voice of American)

SolarWorld Hires 200 in Hillsboro, Plans to Grow Further in 2017 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Solar Advocates, Lawmakers Drop Dueling Arizona Ballot Initiatives in Cease-Fire (Utility Dive)

Indulgences ‘R Us - Iowa Rural Co-Op Goes 100% ‘Carbon-Free’ with Renewable Credits (Midwest Energy News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

April Is All about Trees – Do Your Part & Plant One Native to Our Region (Everett Herald, WA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Coloradans Feel the Heat from Indoor Marijuana Growing (E&E News)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Clark Public Utilities Opposes Carbon Tax Plan – Initiative 732 wouldn’t reduce emissions, would cost utility & its customers millions, commissioner says (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

There Will Only Be One Carbon Tax on the Fall Ballot, But the Climate Schism Remains (Seattle Weekly)

Washington State Readies Revised Carbon Dioxide Market Plan, Mulls Limiting Use of External Credits (Carbon Pulse)

Op/Ed: Climate Change – Three Things the State’s New Clean Air Rule Must Include (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

SCIENCE SWIMS IN A BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Building Council Gives LEED Credentials to Contentious Wood Certification (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Slovakian Architects’ Pod Makes Tiny Houses Seem Enormous (Washington Post)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

This Hillsboro Data Center Now Gets All Its Energy from Hydropower – Or Says it Does (Portland Business Journal, OR)

We Watched a Team of Hackers ‘Fully Compromise’ a Power Company in Less Than 24 Hours (Tech Insider)

Ted Cruz Pushes Bill to Hinder Community Broadband (Broadband Reports)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Facebook Revenue Smashes Expectations as Mobile Ad Sales Surge (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Army Corps Decides Kennewick Man Should Be Turned over to Tribes (Northwest Public Radio)

Bowling to Challenge Griffey for Washington State House (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

CEO Makes Fiery Emails about Muslims Part of the Workday (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Sea Lion That Made Strange, 50-Mile Trek to Oakville, WA Ranch Found Dead (Associated Press)

How Woody Guthrie Became Unlikely Spokesman for the Pacific Northwest (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Man Threatens to Sue Restaurant for Running Out of Soup

K-Tel Founder, Who Transformed the Sales Pitch, Dies at 87

Construction Workers in Spain Unearth 1,300 Pound Trove of Ancient Roman Coins

Full Scale Replica of Noah’s Ark May Float into Seattle

SONG OF THE DAY

Oliver! – Food, Glorious Food

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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.