Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Energy News Digest for September 7, 2016

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


August Was Warmer, Wetter Than Average (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Regulators OK Pacific Power Rate Hike (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

Cloud Computing Brings Big Centers, But Few Jobs to Small Towns (SF Chronicle)

Pole Attachment Reform Passes in Nashville to AT&T’s Dismay (Broadband Reports)

Washington State’s Carbon Tax Initiative Looks Like a Nail-Biter (Crosscut Seattle)

Struggles Continue for Belfair Sewer (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Washington State Regulators OK Pacific Power Rate Hike
  • Nine Mile Dam Upgrade Part of Avista’s Plan to Keep Generators Humming
  • Wahkiakum, Pacific PUD ‘Intertie’ Aims for Better Reliability
  • Oops! Seattle Utilities Try to Figure Out What Caused Flaw in New System
  • After Aliso Canyon Methane Leak, California Natural Gas Generation Down 20%
  • California Is Using More Renewables & Less Natural Gas in Its Summer Electricity Mix
  • Army Corps of Engineers: ‘Hard to Estimate’ How Much Oklahoma Dams Could Handle in Earthquake
  • Florida: Power Struggle? Scott, Tallahassee at Odds on Storm Recovery
  • Judge Grants Partial Stop on North Dakota Pipeline Work
  • Energy Bill Supporters: Don’t Expect a Deal Before Election
  • Feds Take Most Humpback Whales Off Endangered Species List
  • Struggles Continue for Belfair Sewer
  • Ninth Circuit Upholds Permit for Wood-Burning California Power Plant
  • Oregon State Spinout Lands $175,000 For Renewable Energy Tech
  • Elon Musk’s Solar Vision, Up for a Dicey Vote
  • Google to Oversee Team from Struggling Smart-Home Firm Nest
  • Oregon Agency Charged with Accrediting Pot Labs ‘On Verge of Collapse’
  • Alaska Pot Regulators Poised to Approve Retail Licenses
  • Washington State’s Carbon Tax Initiative Looks Like a Nail-Biter
  • Opinion: Famed Weatherman Wades into I-732 Debate on Race & Social Justice
  • Clallam County Commissioner Candidates Differ on Carbon Tax
  • U-S Companies Tout Climate Policies, Fund Climate Skeptics
  • California Utility Wants to Install Huge Number of Electric Car Chargers
  • Cloud Computing Brings Big Centers, But Few Jobs to Small Towns
  • Pole Attachment Reform Passes in Nashville to AT&T’s Dismay
  • SandyNet Increases Speeds, Keeps Low Prices
  • CenturyLink Broadband Availability Uneven, Rural Markets Suffering, Report Shows
  • Amazon Leaks iPhone 7 Product Page, Showing Off Bluetooth Headphones
  • Are You Really Reaching Co-op Members Online?
  • Bundy Wildlife Refuge Occupation: How The Trial Breaks the Legal Mold
  • ITT Closes Nationwide after Federal Government Stops New Funding
  • City of Shelton Hires Director of Financial Services
  • Mason County Releases Preliminary 2017 Budget
  • Federal Court Dismisses Klickitat County’s Case over Yakama Nation Reservation Boundary
  • Washington State Connection: Mystery of Flag in Iconic 9/11 Photo Solved
  • Gonzaga Reacts to Wave of Criticism over Hiring of Fired University of Missouri Professor Melissa Click
WORD OF THE DAY

Retrospective • \reh-truh-SPEK-tiv\ • adjective – 1a: contemplative of or relative to past events *b: being a generally comprehensive exhibition, compilation, or performance of the work of an artist over a span of years 2: affecting things past: retroactive

Dante was distraught. He had been thoroughly enjoying the retrospective exhibit at the local museum on the acting career of Don Knotts. That is, until he came across an enlargement of a negative review of the “Ghost & Mr. Chicken” from the New Yorker Magazine that was prominently placed near the “Andy Griffith” display. “It was like a beer belch in church,” he tearfully confessed to the local newspaper’s intern who had been sent to cover the premiere event.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State Regulators OK Pacific Power Rate Hike (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

Nine Mile Dam Upgrade Part of Avista’s Plan to Keep Generators Humming (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Wahkiakum, Pacific PUD ‘Intertie’ Aims for Better Reliability (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

Oops! Seattle Utilities Try to Figure Out What Caused Flaw in New System (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

After Aliso Canyon Methane Leak, California Natural Gas Generation Down 20% (Utility Dive)

California Is Using More Renewables & Less Natural Gas in Its Summer Electricity Mix (Energy Information Administration)

Army Corps of Engineers: ‘Hard to Estimate’ How Much Oklahoma Dams Could Handle in Earthquake (KTUL-TV, Tulsa, OK)

Florida: Power Struggle? Scott, Tallahassee at Odds on Storm Recovery (Associated Press)

Judge Grants Partial Stop on North Dakota Pipeline Work (Associated Press)

Energy Bill Supporters: Don’t Expect a Deal Before Election (Morning Consult)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds Take Most Humpback Whales Off Endangered Species List (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Struggles Continue for Belfair Sewer (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Ninth Circuit Upholds Permit for Wood-Burning California Power Plant (Reuters)

Oregon State Spinout Lands $175,000 For Renewable Energy Tech (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Elon Musk’s Solar Vision, Up for a Dicey Vote (NY Times)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Google to Oversee Team from Struggling Smart-Home Firm Nest (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Oregon Agency Charged with Accrediting Pot Labs ‘On Verge of Collapse’ (Oregonian, Portland)

Alaska Pot Regulators Poised to Approve Retail Licenses (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State’s Carbon Tax Initiative Looks Like a Nail-Biter (Crosscut Seattle)

Opinion: Famed Weatherman Wades into I-732 Debate on Race & Social Justice (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Clallam County Commissioner Candidates Differ on Carbon Tax (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

U-S Companies Tout Climate Policies, Fund Climate Skeptics (Reuters)

SCIENCE SWIMS IN A BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California Utility Wants to Install Huge Number of Electric Car Chargers – Wants rate payers to foot the $160 million bill (Scientific American)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Cloud Computing Brings Big Centers, But Few Jobs to Small Towns (SF Chronicle)

Pole Attachment Reform Passes in Nashville to AT&T’s Dismay (Broadband Reports)

SandyNet Increases Speeds, Keeps Low Prices (Municipal Networks)

CenturyLink Broadband Availability Uneven, Rural Markets Suffering, Report Shows (Fierce Telecom)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Amazon Leaks iPhone 7 Product Page, Showing Off Bluetooth Headphones (Mashable)

Are You Really Reaching Co-op Members Online? (Electric Co-op Today)

POLITICS & MANAGEMENT

Bundy Wildlife Refuge Occupation: How The Trial Breaks the Legal Mold (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

ITT Closes Nationwide after Federal Government Stops New Funding (Sacramento Bee, CA)

City of Shelton Hires Director of Financial Services (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Releases Preliminary 2017 Budget (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Federal Court Dismisses Klickitat County’s Case over Yakama Nation Reservation Boundary (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Washington State Connection: Mystery of Flag in Iconic 9/11 Photo Solved (USA Today)

Gonzaga Reacts to Wave of Criticism over Hiring of Fired University of Missouri Professor Melissa Click (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

SHOCKING NEWS – DIVERSIONS

USDA Admits Weight Loss Not Possible for People Who Don’t Like Salmon (The Onion. Note: from the ONION)

Pachyderm Pandemonium – Ohio Coroner Links Elephant Tranquilizer to Series of Overdose Deaths

“I’m a Shooting Star”: Asteroid Named after Freddie Mercury

Trump Supporter Shocks Political Sign Thieves

SONG OF THE DAY

Queen – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions

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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.