Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Energy News Digest for February 7, 2017

Occasionally get out the feather duster to clear the cache & history of your internet browser. It will help when trying to access news sites that count your visits.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS



HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Oregon’s Sunny Employment News: Solar Jobs Surged in 2016 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Army Corps of Engineers Weighs Privatizing Oregon Hatcheries (Associated Press)

Grant PUD Sees Spike in Scam Phone Calls Targeting Utility Customers (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

Jefferson PUD: Website Hack Is ‘Digital Version of Graffiti’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Portland Finds Parasite in Drinking Water, Raising Possible Need for Treatment Plant (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Grant PUD Sees Spike in Scam Phone Calls Targeting Utility Customers
  • Chelan PUD Shows 20 Million Dollar End of Year Budget Savings
  • Avista’s Board Votes to Increase Quarterly Dividend on Shares of Common Stock
  • California: Bay Area Customers Cry Foul as Pacific Gas & Electric Enacts Double-Digit Rate Hikes
  • FERC & Oregon PUC Provide Key Guidance for Energy Storage Projects
  • Can Nuclear Power Rise From The Chaos In Washington, DC?
  • Back to the Future: Senators Want to Go Low-Tech to Improve Electrical Grid Security
  • This Drone Operator Is Helping Power Companies Mechanize Their Most Dangerous Jobs
  • Army Corps of Engineers Weighs Privatizing Oregon Hatcheries
  • Low Numbers Result in No Sport Smelt Dipping Season
  • Portland Finds Parasite in Drinking Water, Raising Possible Need for Treatment Plant
  • Oregon’s Sunny Employment News: Solar Jobs Surged in 2016
  • Solar Industry Clamors for Workers as Jobs Climb by 25 Percent
  • NRG’s Massive California Solar Plant Finally Making Enough Power
  • Utah House Committee Clears Bill to Phase Out Solar Tax Credit
  • Hawaii: Bill Would Boost Untapped Potential of Hydroelectricity on Oahu
  • Offshore Wind Moves into Energy’s Mainstream
  • Jefferson PUD: Website Hack Is ‘Digital Version of Graffiti’
  • Millions of Smart TVs Were Apparently Spying on Their Owners
  • YouTube Takes on Facebook Live with Mobile Live Streaming
  • Op/Ed: The Private Model Must Prevail When It Comes to Broadband
  • Broadband Boondoggles: A Map of Failed Taxpayer-Funded Networks
  • Twitter’s Going to Start Weeding out Abusive Tweets before You See Them
  • Five Ways to Improve Business’ Social Media Presence
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to Hear Arguments on President Trump’s Travel Ban
  • British Columbia Forestry Minister Prepares for ‘Challenging’ Softwood Lumber Negotiations
  • Lawmakers Consider Expanding Self-Serve Gas in Rural Oregon
WORD OF THE DAY

Brummagem • \BRUM-uh-jumm\ • Adjective - Not genuine: spurious; also: cheaply showy: tawdry

The rural town’s tinker had an eye for genuine articles…and could spot the various brummagem trinkets hawked at the community fair as “treasures from afar.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Grant PUD Sees Spike in Scam Phone Calls Targeting Utility Customers (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

Chelan PUD Shows 20 Million Dollar End of Year Budget Savings (North Central Washington Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

Avista’s Board Votes to Increase Quarterly Dividend on Shares of Common Stock (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

California: Bay Area Customers Cry Foul as Pacific Gas & Electric Enacts Double-Digit Rate Hikes (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)

FERC & Oregon PUC Provide Key Guidance for Energy Storage Projects (CH& Energy Blog)

Can Nuclear Power Rise From The Chaos In Washington, DC? (Forbes Magazine)

Back to the Future: Senators Want to Go Low-Tech to Improve Electrical Grid Security (Washington Examiner)

This Drone Operator Is Helping Power Companies Mechanize Their Most Dangerous Jobs (Washington Post)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Army Corps of Engineers Weighs Privatizing Oregon Hatcheries (Associated Press)

Low Numbers Result in No Sport Smelt Dipping Season (Longview Daily News, WA)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE (INCLUDING THE LIFE IN IT)

Portland Finds Parasite in Drinking Water, Raising Possible Need for Treatment Plant (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Oregon’s Sunny Employment News: Solar Jobs Surged in 2016 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Solar Industry Clamors for Workers as Jobs Climb by 25 Percent (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NRG’s Massive California Solar Plant Finally Making Enough Power (Bloomberg News)

Utah House Committee Clears Bill to Phase Out Solar Tax Credit (Utility Dive)

Hawaii: Bill Would Boost Untapped Potential of Hydroelectricity on Oahu (Pacific Business Journal, HI)

Offshore Wind Moves into Energy’s Mainstream (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Jefferson PUD: Website Hack Is ‘Digital Version of Graffiti’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Millions of Smart TVs Were Apparently Spying on Their Owners (Sacramento Bee, CA)

YouTube Takes on Facebook Live with Mobile Live Streaming (C/NET News)

Op/Ed: The Private Model Must Prevail When It Comes to Broadband (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Broadband Boondoggles: A Map of Failed Taxpayer-Funded Networks (Taxpayers Protection Alliance)

MARKETING & MEDIA

Twitter’s Going to Start Weeding out Abusive Tweets before You See Them (Washington Post)

Five Ways to Improve Business’ Social Media Presence (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to Hear Arguments on President Trump’s Travel Ban (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

British Columbia Forestry Minister Prepares for ‘Challenging’ Softwood Lumber Negotiations (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Lawmakers Consider Expanding Self-Serve Gas in Rural Oregon (Associated Press)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

There Are Over 200 Bodies on Mount Everest, And They’re Used as Landmarks

Merriam-Webster Adds New Words: Photobomb, Ghost & Microaggression

Hawaii’s Epic Lava ‘Fire Hose’ Has Returned with a Vengeance

Slow Food? Black Hole Taking Entire Decade to Devour Star

SONG OF THE DAY

Annie Lennox – Into the West

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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.