Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Energy News Digest for August 16, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Billionaire Developer Martin Selig Racks Up $2 Million in Unpaid Seattle City Light Bills (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Hot Water Poses Ongoing Threat to Columbia River Salmon, Groups Say (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

July Was ‘Absolutely’ Earth’s Hottest Month Ever Recorded (Washington Post)

British Columbia: Dam Safety – BC Hydro Officials Worry about Risks of Earthquakes Triggered by Fracking (Globe & Mail, Canada)

How a Land Use Plan for the California Desert Turned Climate Change Allies into Foes (Washington Post)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Billionaire Developer Martin Selig Racks Up $2 Million in Unpaid Seattle City Light Bills
  • British Columbia: Dam Safety – BC Hydro Officials Worry about Risks of Earthquakes Triggered by Fracking
  • Tribal Company Gets Security Contract at Chief Joseph Dam
  • Report: Idaho’s Modular Nuclear Reactor Would Create, Sustain Jobs
  • Scammers Targeting Grays Harbor PUD Customers
  • Spokane City Council Drops Controversial Oil Train Measure from November Ballot
  • California: Pacific Gas & Electric San Bruno Case Penalty a ‘Slap on the Wrist,’ Critics Say
  • Members Reviving Atlanta Electric Co-op after CEO Takes Millions
  • Wisconsin Utility Accused of Manipulating Records to Recoup Coal Plant Costs
  • Utilities Fighting Lower Electric Bill Zombie Apocalypse
  • Epic Job: Meet a High-Voltage Line Inspector
  • Hot Water Poses Ongoing Threat to Columbia River Salmon, Groups Say
  • Deschutes Basin Sees Surprising Sockeye Returns
  • Op/Ed: Data Centers – Investors Call on Tech to be Smart about Water
  • How a Land Use Plan for the California Desert Turned Climate Change Allies into Foes
  • Montana Officials Mull Expanding Rooftop Solar Size Cap
  • British Columbia: Wind Farms on Hutterite Land Approved
  • Utilities Poised to Tap into Massive Solar Market through Community Solar
  • Oregon Energy Trust Tops 10,000 Energy Efficient Homes
  • White House Sets New Fuel-Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Trucks, Vans & Buses
  • Chai Energy - Los Angeles Startup Pays Users to Save Power
  • July Was ‘Absolutely’ Earth’s Hottest Month Ever Recorded
  • NASA: Natural Gas Industry the Source of Massive Methane ‘Hot Spot’
  • California Regulators Holding Cap-And-Trade Auction as Lawmakers Consider Next Steps on Climate Change
  • Editorial: Does I-732 Go Far Enough? Progressives Can’t Seem to Agree
  • How to Break Up With a Power Company
  • Female Scientists Formed at Mount St. Helens through GeoGirls Program
  • Scientists Just Say No to ‘Chemtrails’ Conspiracy Theory
  • Pole Dancing - Nashville Mayor Wants Google, Comcast, AT&T to Sit Down & Make Nice over Fiber Plans
  • Tennessee: Chattanooga’s Innovation District Beckons to Young Entrepreneurs
  • Ruralite Wins Top Award for Magazine Design
  • NBC’s Olympic Ratings Drop While Online Viewership Surges – ‘There Is a Cultural Shift’
  • Tribes Watch GOP Effort to Wrest Control of Federal Land
  • Belfair’s Theler Center Could Become Learning Hub
  • California Is in Flames Right Now, With Fires Fueled by Historic Drought
  • Thousands without Power in Louisiana
  • Idaho Rising
  • Olympics: Call It Desperate, Call It Bold, But Shaunae Miller’s Dive Was Legal
WORD OF THE DAY

Misanthrope – MISS-sun-thrope – Noun – A person who hates or distrusts humankind.

Abernathy wore his hatred on his sleeve. As the small town’s reviled misanthrope, he was wont to say “I’m an equal opportunity hater. I even hate myself.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Billionaire Developer Martin Selig Racks Up $2 Million in Unpaid Seattle City Light Bills (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

British Columbia: Dam Safety – BC Hydro Officials Worry about Risks of Earthquakes Triggered by Fracking (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Tribal Company Gets Security Contract at Chief Joseph Dam (Wenatchee World, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Report: Idaho’s Modular Nuclear Reactor Would Create, Sustain Jobs (Associated Press)

Scammers Targeting Grays Harbor PUD Customers (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Spokane City Council Drops Controversial Oil Train Measure from November Ballot (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

California: Pacific Gas & Electric San Bruno Case Penalty a ‘Slap on the Wrist,’ Critics Say (Utility Dive)

Members Reviving Atlanta Electric Co-op after CEO Takes Millions (Renewable Energy World)

Wisconsin Utility Accused of Manipulating Records to Recoup Coal Plant Costs (Midwest Energy News)

Utilities Fighting Lower Electric Bill Zombie Apocalypse (Triple Pundit)

Epic Job: Meet a High-Voltage Line Inspector (Gear Junkie)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Hot Water Poses Ongoing Threat to Columbia River Salmon, Groups Say (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Deschutes Basin Sees Surprising Sockeye Returns (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Op/Ed: Data Centers – Investors Call on Tech to be Smart about Water (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

How a Land Use Plan for the California Desert Turned Climate Change Allies into Foes (Washington Post)

Montana Officials Mull Expanding Rooftop Solar Size Cap (Utility Dive)

British Columbia: Wind Farms on Hutterite Land Approved (Dawson Creek Mirror, BC)

Utilities Poised to Tap into Massive Solar Market through Community Solar (American Public Power Association)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon Energy Trust Tops 10,000 Energy Efficient Homes (Portland Business Journal, OR)

White House Sets New Fuel-Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Trucks, Vans & Buses (Washington Post)

Chai Energy - Los Angeles Startup Pays Users to Save Power (L.A. Biz, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

July Was ‘Absolutely’ Earth’s Hottest Month Ever Recorded (Washington Post)

NASA: Natural Gas Industry the Source of Massive Methane ‘Hot Spot’ (USA Today)

California Regulators Holding Cap-And-Trade Auction as Lawmakers Consider Next Steps on Climate Change (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Editorial: Does I-732 Go Far Enough? Progressives Can’t Seem to Agree (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

SCIENCE SWIMS IN A BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

How to Break Up With a Power Company (The Atlantic Magazine)

Female Scientists Formed at Mount St. Helens through GeoGirls Program (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

Scientists Just Say No to ‘Chemtrails’ Conspiracy Theory (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pole Dancing - Nashville Mayor Wants Google, Comcast, AT&T to Sit Down & Make Nice over Fiber Plans (Consumerist)

Tennessee: Chattanooga’s Innovation District Beckons to Young Entrepreneurs (NY Times)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Ruralite Wins Top Award for Magazine Design (Ruralite Magazine)

NBC’s Olympic Ratings Drop While Online Viewership Surges – ‘There Is a Cultural Shift’ (Hartford Courant, CT)

POLITICS & MANAGEMENT

Tribes Watch GOP Effort to Wrest Control of Federal Land (USA Today)

GENERAL NEWS

Belfair’s Theler Center Could Become Learning Hub (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

California Is in Flames Right Now, With Fires Fueled by Historic Drought (Washington Post)

Thousands without Power in Louisiana – But the good news is that the water is receding faster than anticipated (Emergency Management)

Idaho Rising (The Atlantic Magazine)

Olympics: Call It Desperate, Call It Bold, But Shaunae Miller’s Dive Was Legal (Christian Science Monitor)

THE CLAW, THE CLAW – DIVERSIONS

Going to Butt-Dial 911? Don’t Discuss Doing Illegal Stuff

How Rare Are Bright Blue Lobsters?

Flight Attendant Adopts Stray Dog Who Wouldn’t Stop Waiting for Her at Argentina Hotel

These Abandoned Olympic Venues Will Haunt Your Dreams

SONG OF THE DAY

The B-52’s – Rock Lobster

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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.