Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Energy News Digest for December 27, 2016

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS



HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Carrie Fisher, Star Wars actress, dies aged 60

Richland Nuclear Power Plant Reconnects to the Grid (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Portland General Electric Restarts Permitting for More Natural Gas (Portland Business Journal, OR)

License Issued for $1 Billion Montana Power Storage Project (Associated Press)

Can We Master the Pot Industry’s Energy Appetite? (GreenBiz)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Richland Nuclear Power Plant Reconnects to the Grid
  • Portland General Electric Restarts Permitting for More Natural Gas
  • License Issued for $1 Billion Montana Power Storage Project
  • Four U-S Governors, Including Washington & Oregon, Roll Up Sleeves to Tackle Grid Modernization
  • Hundreds of Puget Sound Energy Customers without Power in Thurston County
  • U-S Attorney’s office for Oregon collects $19M in cases, fines in 2016 – Includes Skamania PUD Line Mile Case
  • Cold Weather Impacts Electric Bills
  • Twelfth Consecutive Award - Mason PUD 3 Receives International Recognition for Its Financial Reporting
  • Electric Rate Increase in Ellensburg to Take Effect January 1
  • Columbia River PUD Looks to Annex Floating Homes as Appointment for Director Looms
  • Washington State’s White Pelicans, Long Listed as Endangered, Make a Comeback
  • Three Dams to Be Removed in American West to Restore Rivers
  • Irrigation: Low Energy Spray Demonstrations Planned in Washington State, Oregon
  • Alaskans’ Cost of Staying Warm: A Thick Coat of Dirty Air
  • Green Energy Can Increasingly Match – Or Beat – Fossil Fuel Prices, Report Says
  • California’s Renewable Energy Needs Could Boost Nevada
  • In Vermont, Solar, Batteries Key Energy Revolution
  • Dubai Plans Pumped Storage Hydro Facility Powered by Solar
  • When Will Our Electricity Come from the Sea?
  • Skating Rinks Struggle with High Energy Bills
  • Ten Things to Ask Before Going Green
  • Can We Master the Pot Industry’s Energy Appetite?
  • Op/Ed: To Slow Global Warming, We Need Nuclear Power
  • Video: The Spa That Runs on Human Waste
  • Canada Declares Internet a Necessity – Can It Deliver?
  • The Fix Was in to Expand Click, & That’s a Shame
  • Why the Computing Cloud Will Keep Growing & Growing
  • United Kingdom: The Farmer Who Built Her Own Broadband
  • Fake Tree Key to Makeover: Method Commonly Used to Disguise Cell Towers, Consultant Says
  • The Best Writing Advice of 2016
  • New Washington State Lands Commissioner: Address Climate Change, Rural Growth
  • Washington State Undertakes Pilot Study to Replace Gas Tax with a ‘Road User Charge’
  • Will State Ban Banners on Capitol Way Bridge in Olympia?
  • Midwest Winter Storm Weakens, But Thousands Still without Power
  • Cell Service at Mount Rainier: Do You Want to Hear Me Now?
  • Washington Ranks as Third Most Innovative State in U-S
  • Everyone Crashed Their New Holiday Drone
  • Carrie Fisher, Star Wars actress, dies aged 60
WORD OF THE DAY

Cognizance ● /KOG-nuh-zents/ ● Noun – 1: a distinguishing mark or emblem (as a heraldic bearing) 2: knowledge, awareness b: notice, acknowledgment 3: jurisdiction, responsibility

The Force is weakened
Sad cognizance, Leia’s loss
Farewell, sweet princess

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Richland Nuclear Power Plant Reconnects to the Grid (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Portland General Electric Restarts Permitting for More Natural Gas (Portland Business Journal, OR)

License Issued for $1 Billion Montana Power Storage Project (Associated Press)

Four U-S Governors, Including Washington & Oregon, Roll Up Sleeves to Tackle Grid Modernization (Utility Dive)

Hundreds of Puget Sound Energy Customers without Power in Thurston County (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

U-S Attorney’s office for Oregon collects $19M in cases, fines in 2016 – Includes Skamania PUD Line Mile Case (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Cold Weather Impacts Electric Bills (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Twelfth Consecutive Award - Mason PUD 3 Receives International Recognition for Its Financial Reporting (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Electric Rate Increase in Ellensburg to Take Effect January 1 (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

Columbia River PUD Looks to Annex Floating Homes as Appointment for Director Looms (Pamplin Group, Portland, OR)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State’s White Pelicans, Long Listed as Endangered, Make a Comeback (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Three Dams to Be Removed in American West to Restore Rivers (National Geographic Magazine)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Irrigation: Low Energy Spray Demonstrations Planned in Washington State, Oregon (Capital Press)

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

Alaskans’ Cost of Staying Warm: A Thick Coat of Dirty Air (NY Times)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Green Energy Can Increasingly Match – Or Beat – Fossil Fuel Prices, Report Says (Christian Science Monitor)

California’s Renewable Energy Needs Could Boost Nevada (Las Vegas Sun, NV)

In Vermont, Solar, Batteries Key Energy Revolution (Associated Press)

Dubai Plans Pumped Storage Hydro Facility Powered by Solar (Renewable Energy World)

When Will Our Electricity Come from the Sea? (British Broadcasting Corporation)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Skating Rinks Struggle with High Energy Bills (Associated Press)

​Ten Things to Ask Before Going Green (The Business Journals)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Can We Master the Pot Industry’s Energy Appetite? (GreenBiz)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Op/Ed: To Slow Global Warming, We Need Nuclear Power (NY Times)

SCIENCE SWIMS IN A BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Video: The Spa That Runs on Human Waste (British Broadcasting Corporation)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Canada Declares Internet a Necessity – Can It Deliver? (Christian Science Monitor)

The Fix Was in to Expand Click, & That’s a Shame (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Why the Computing Cloud Will Keep Growing & Growing (NY Times)

United Kingdom: The Farmer Who Built Her Own Broadband (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Fake Tree Key to Makeover: Method Commonly Used to Disguise Cell Towers, Consultant Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

MARKETING & MEDIA

The Best Writing Advice of 2016 (Atlantic Magazine)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

New Washington State Lands Commissioner: Address Climate Change, Rural Growth (Associated Press)

Washington State Undertakes Pilot Study to Replace Gas Tax with a ‘Road User Charge’ (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Will State Ban Banners on Capitol Way Bridge in Olympia? (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Midwest Winter Storm Weakens, But Thousands Still without Power (Associated Press)

Cell Service at Mount Rainier: Do You Want to Hear Me Now? (Associated Press)

Washington Ranks as Third Most Innovative State in U-S (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Everyone Crashed Their New Holiday Drone (Mashable)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Carrie Fisher, Star Wars actress, dies aged 60

John Williams Hasn’t Seen a Single Star Wars Movie

Eight Hidden Benefits to Your Costco Membership

Holy Wow, Oregon Looks Gorgeous from Up Above

SONG OF THE DAY

John Williams –Princess Leia’s Theme (Star Wars Soundtrack, BBC Proms)

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. There may be paywall barriers, unless you are willing to fork over some dough or if you have a clean browser history.