Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Energy News Digest for December 27, 2017

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Tribes, Environmental Groups Likely to Unite Behind Carbon Tax Initiative for 2018 (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Portland General Electric Rate Hike Shrinks Even Further (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Why Americans Are Using a Lot Less Water – The average American has cut daily use by 6 gallons (Christian Science Monitor)

Starfish Making West Coast Comeback after Syndrome Killed Millions (Courthouse News Service)

Traditional Lightbulbs Set to Vanish from California Store Shelves Starting Jan. 1 (Sacramento Bee, CA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Portland General Electric Rate Hike Shrinks Even Further
  • Idaho Power Scaling Back Plans at Shoshone Falls Facility
  • Snohomish PUD Approves Budget – No Planned Increase
  • Port Angeles Utility Increase Leaves Electricity Rates Unchanged in 2018
  • Eugene Water & Electric Board Water Rate Inching Down; Power Rate Holding Level
  • Editorial: A Welcome Step toward New Treaty on Columbia
  • New Nuclear Power Plant Gets Thumbs Up from Georgia Regulators
  • Utilities Closed Nearly 30 Coal Plants In 2017 Because of Economics. Here Are the Six Most Important
  • Could Rate Design Help California’s Struggle with Flat Demand?
  • Power Prices Go Negative in Germany, a Positive for Energy Users
  • In Pakistan, Questions Raised over GE’s Flagship Power Turbines
  • Starfish Making West Coast Comeback after Syndrome Killed Millions
  • Invasive ‘Devil Fish’ Make It to Washington State’s Lake Roosevelt
  • California Salmon Lose Way after Ride Downstream in Drought
  • Commercial Crab Fishing to Open Jan. 15 on the Washington Coast
  • Regulators Consider Reducing Pacific Halibut Quota Next Year
  • Salmon or Trout: What the Heck is a Steelhead, Anyway?
  • Trump Administration Eases Rule against Killing Migratory Birds
  • Why Americans Are Using a Lot Less Water – The average American has cut daily use by 6 gallons
  • Photos Show Renewable Energy Took a Beating in Puerto Rico
  • Three Offshore Wind Developers Submit Proposals for Massachusetts Target
  • Oregon: Council Told Ashland Solar Farm Project Not Feasible
  • Is Your Grid Communications Infrastructure Ready For Distributed Energy Resources?
  • California ISO Launches Renewable Energy Market Report
  • Traditional Lightbulbs Set to Vanish from California Store Shelves Starting Jan. 1
  • Walla Walla Recognized in Nationwide Competition for Reduction of Energy Use
  • Breaking Down the Regulatory Differences among West Coast Cannabis Markets
  • Tribes, Environmental Groups Likely to Unite Behind Carbon Tax Initiative for 2018
  • Tesla’s Enormous Battery in Australia Is Responding to Outages in Record Time
  • The Smart Home Is Officially Here, As Proven by Popular Holiday Gifts
  • Governors Inslee & Brown Announce Decision to Opt-In to FirstNet
  • Bitcoin Miners Placed on Notice by Chelan PUD
  • Bitcoin Goes on a Wild Ride: It May Only Get Crazier
  • More Apple iPhone Owners Sue over Software to Slow Older Phones
  • Wire the Wilderness? As Cell Service Expands, National Parks Become the Latest Digital Battlegrounds
  • Why ‘Secure’ Isn’t Secure Enough in the Utilities Sector
  • A Cute Toy Just Brought a Hacker into Your Home
  • Yes, More Facebook Friends Are Asking You for Money
  • Obama to Prince Harry: Leaders Must Use Care on Social Media
  • New Year Brings Higher Minimum Wage, & Paid Sick Leave for Washington Workers
  • Behind Seattle’s Government Spending Spree: A Deluge of Taxes, Six-Figure Pay & Officials Eager to Do More
  • Will This Mean Flu for You? Neighboring States Showing Widespread Outbreaks
  • Weather Service Predicts La Nina Conditions Will Persist Through the Winter; Colder, Wetter
  • Washington State Officials Were Planning to Euthanize Wildlife Rescue’s Eleven Fawns; Then Donate Them to Wolf Haven
  • Whale-Watching Week Begins at the Oregon Coast
  • Navigation Apps Are Turning Quiet Neighborhoods into Traffic Nightmares
  • Why People Really Want to Move to Idaho but Are Fleeing Its Neighbor, Wyoming
WORD OF THE DAY

Peripatetic • \pare-uh-pah-TET-tick\ adjective • - Of, relating to, or given to walking b: moving or traveling from place to place

The evening’s peripatetic presentation by the economics professor caused a rush on massage and chiropractic treatment the following morning. Seems his back and forth roaming on stage was more energetic than a Wimbledon tennis volley as the attendees tried in vain to crane their necks left and right to keep up with his pace.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Portland General Electric Rate Hike Shrinks Even Further (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Idaho Power Scaling Back Plans at Shoshone Falls Facility (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Approves Budget – No Planned Increase (Stanwood Camano News, WA)

Port Angeles Utility Increase Leaves Electricity Rates Unchanged in 2018 (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Water Rate Inching Down; Power Rate Holding Level (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Editorial: A Welcome Step toward New Treaty on Columbia (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

New Nuclear Power Plant Gets Thumbs Up from Georgia Regulators (Washington Examiner)

Utilities Closed Nearly 30 Coal Plants In 2017 Because of Economics. Here Are the Six Most Important (The Energy Collective)

Could Rate Design Help California’s Struggle with Flat Demand? (Utility Dive)

Power Prices Go Negative in Germany, a Positive for Energy Users (NY Times)

In Pakistan, Questions Raised over GE’s Flagship Power Turbines (Reuters)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Starfish Making West Coast Comeback after Syndrome Killed Millions (Courthouse News Service)

Invasive ‘Devil Fish’ Make It to Washington State’s Lake Roosevelt (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

California Salmon Lose Way after Ride Downstream in Drought (Courthouse News Service)

Commercial Crab Fishing to Open Jan. 15 on the Washington Coast (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Regulators Consider Reducing Pacific Halibut Quota Next Year (Associated Press)

Salmon or Trout: What the Heck is a Steelhead, Anyway? (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Trump Administration Eases Rule against Killing Migratory Birds (Washington Post)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Why Americans Are Using a Lot Less Water – The average American has cut daily use by 6 gallons (Christian Science Monitor)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Photos Show Renewable Energy Took a Beating in Puerto Rico (Washington Examiner)

Three Offshore Wind Developers Submit Proposals for Massachusetts Target (Utility Dive)

Oregon: Council Told Ashland Solar Farm Project Not Feasible (Ashland Daily Tidings, OR)
http://www.dailytidings.com/news/20171222/council-told-solar-farm-project-not-feasible

Is Your Grid Communications Infrastructure Ready For Distributed Energy Resources? (Utility Dive)

California ISO Launches Renewable Energy Market Report (Windpower Engineering & Development)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Traditional Lightbulbs Set to Vanish from California Store Shelves Starting Jan. 1 (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Walla Walla Recognized in Nationwide Competition for Reduction of Energy Use (KNDO/KNDU,-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Breaking Down the Regulatory Differences among West Coast Cannabis Markets (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Tribes, Environmental Groups Likely to Unite Behind Carbon Tax Initiative for 2018 (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

Tesla’s Enormous Battery in Australia Is Responding to Outages in Record Time (Los Angeles Times, CA)

The Smart Home Is Officially Here, As Proven by Popular Holiday Gifts (Mashable)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Governors Inslee & Brown Announce Decision to Opt-In to FirstNet (Governor Jay Inslee, Olympia, WA)

Bitcoin Miners Placed on Notice by Chelan PUD (NCW Life Channel, East Wenatchee, WA)

Bitcoin Goes on a Wild Ride: It May Only Get Crazier (SF Chronicle)

More Apple iPhone Owners Sue over Software to Slow Older Phones (USA Today)

Wire the Wilderness? As Cell Service Expands, National Parks Become the Latest Digital Battlegrounds (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Why ‘Secure’ Isn’t Secure Enough in the Utilities Sector (Utility Dive)

A Cute Toy Just Brought a Hacker into Your Home (NY Times)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Yes, More Facebook Friends Are Asking You for Money (NY Times)

Obama to Prince Harry: Leaders Must Use Care on Social Media (Associated Press)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

New Year Brings Higher Minimum Wage, & Paid Sick Leave for Washington Workers (Washington State Department of Labor & Industries)

Behind Seattle’s Government Spending Spree: A Deluge of Taxes, Six-Figure Pay & Officials Eager to Do More (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Will This Mean Flu for You? Neighboring States Showing Widespread Outbreaks (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Weather Service Predicts La Nina Conditions Will Persist Through the Winter; Colder, Wetter (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Washington State Officials Were Planning to Euthanize Wildlife Rescue’s Eleven Fawns; Then Donate Them to Wolf Haven (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Whale-Watching Week Begins at the Oregon Coast (Associated Press)

Navigation Apps Are Turning Quiet Neighborhoods into Traffic Nightmares (NY Times)

Why People Really Want to Move to Idaho but Are Fleeing Its Neighbor, Wyoming (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Lifelong Best Friends Discover They’re Actually Brothers

Woman Stunned to Find Electric Bill Listed as $284 Billion

Cat Missing Ten Years Found Burned but Alive after Wine Country Fires

The Conspiracy Theorists Who Think the Earth is Hollow: Full of Superior ‘Alien’ Humans, Vikings & Nazis

SONG OF THE DAY

Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms

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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.