Monday, November 20, 2017

Energy News Digest for November 20, 2017

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS



HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Dirty Deals: How Oregon Let Its Clean Energy Program Enrich Rule Breakers (Oregonian, Portland)

A Controversial Oregon Transmission Line Gets the Go-Ahead (Northwest Public Radio)

Study: Seal & Sea Lions’ Strong Revival Eats Into Salmon Harvest, Orca Recovery (Oregonian, Portland)

The Public Paid $14 Million for an Idaho Hatchery — All Its Fish Have Been Dying (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

Owners: Coal-Fired Montana Power Plant Losing Money, May Be Closed (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • A Controversial Oregon Transmission Line Gets the Go-Ahead
  • Owners: Coal-Fired Montana Power Plant Losing Money, May Be Closed
  • British Columbia Utilities Commission Admits Mistakes in Peace River Dam Report – Says Conclusions Still Valid
  • No Rate Hike from Northern Wasco PUD
  • On Hydro, British Columbia Premier John Horgan Borrows a Trick from the Liberal Repertoire
  • Editorial: Let’s Lead on Clean Energy
  • Puerto Rico Power Director Ricardo Ramos Resigns amid Whitefish Contract Scandal
  • Lawsuit Accuses Utilities of Jacking up Natural Gas Prices
  • Mississippi Utilities Seek Higher Rates as Gas Prices Rise
  • Does C-C-A Spell the End of the Regulated Electric Utility In California?
  • Meet Community Choice Aggregation, Public Power’s First Cousin
  • Link between Growth in Economic Activity & Electricity Use Is Changing Around the World
  • Study: Seal & Sea Lions’ Strong Revival Eats Into Salmon Harvest, Orca Recovery
  • The Public Paid $14 Million for an Idaho Hatchery — All Its Fish Have Been Dying
  • Northwest Power & Conservation Council Directs Cost Efficiency Savings to More Funds for Hatchery, Fish Diversion Improvements
  • Op/Ed: Lawsuits Meant to Help Fish Are Actually Hurting Them
  • Washington State Delays Dungeness Crab Season
  • Congress: Herrera Beutler Seeks Aid for Fishery Disasters
  • How a Few Small Investments Can Lower Your Water Bill
  • Dirty Deals: How Oregon Let Its Clean Energy Program Enrich Rule Breakers
  • Mason PUD 3 Lifts Moratorium on Solar Incentive Program
  • U-S House Cuts Wind Power Incentives, Putting Sector’s Fate in Senate Hands
  • Study Finds Carbon Emissions Increase When Land Is Converted Into Crops for Ethanol
  • Researcher Says ‘Radical Farming Ideas’ Could Trap More Carbon Dioxide in Soil
  • Idaho Businesses, Industry, Agencies, Other Groups Come Together at ‘Climate Summit’
  • Paid Vacation For Bad Weather? Businesses Consider Adding Policies to Grant ‘Climate Leave’
  • Washington State Has 10th Highest Rate of Cybercrime in U-S
  • What It’s Like to Go Inside a Data Center That Generates $4 Trillion in Business Every Day
  • Small Cells Hold Promise for Rural Broadband
  • Germany Bans Children’s Smart Watches with Listening App
  • Brands Have No Idea How to Deal with Being Caught in a Political Firestorm
  • Washington State Legislature Argues Most Records Exempt Under Law
  • Washington State Revenues up $319 Million
  • Is There Room for a Political Center in Washington State?
  • Early Pacific Northwest Snowpack Threatened by Temps ‘Zooming Up’
  • Oakland Bay: Don’t Be Shocked When This Body of Water Turns Red
  • Huge Waves Drench Cars on Ferry Headed to Anacortes
  • Mortified Mom of Teen Charged in Eagle Creek Fire Speaks: ‘This is a Trauma for Him’
  • Mass Killer, Cult Leader Charles Manson Dies at 83
WORD OF THE DAY

Svengali ● \sven-GAWL-lee\ ● Noun –A person who manipulates or exerts excessive control over another.

“Now, quack like a duck,” the sideshow hypnotist barked at his dazed subject. His Svengali-like powers pulled a weak clucking that belied the full-throated quacking of the early show. Seeing as the real duck was on a smoke break, the chicken understudy was just not up to the task.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

A Controversial Oregon Transmission Line Gets the Go-Ahead (Northwest Public Radio)

Owners: Coal-Fired Montana Power Plant Losing Money, May Be Closed (Associated Press)

British Columbia Utilities Commission Admits Mistakes in Peace River Dam Report – Says Conclusions Still Valid (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

No Rate Hike from Northern Wasco PUD (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

On Hydro, British Columbia Premier John Horgan Borrows a Trick from the Liberal Repertoire (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Editorial: Let’s Lead on Clean Energy (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Um, we do…)

Puerto Rico Power Director Ricardo Ramos Resigns amid Whitefish Contract Scandal (Utility Dive)

Lawsuit Accuses Utilities of Jacking up Natural Gas Prices (Associated Press)

Mississippi Utilities Seek Higher Rates as Gas Prices Rise (Utility Dive)

Does C-C-A Spell the End of the Regulated Electric Utility In California? (Utility Dive)

Meet Community Choice Aggregation, Public Power’s First Cousin (American Public Power Association)

Link between Growth in Economic Activity & Electricity Use Is Changing Around the World (U-S Energy Information Administration)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Study: Seal & Sea Lions’ Strong Revival Eats Into Salmon Harvest, Orca Recovery (Oregonian, Portland)

The Public Paid $14 Million for an Idaho Hatchery — All Its Fish Have Been Dying (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

Northwest Power & Conservation Council Directs Cost Efficiency Savings to More Funds for Hatchery, Fish Diversion Improvements (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Op/Ed: Lawsuits Meant to Help Fish Are Actually Hurting Them (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

Washington State Delays Dungeness Crab Season (Associated Press)

Congress: Herrera Beutler Seeks Aid for Fishery Disasters (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

How a Few Small Investments Can Lower Your Water Bill (USA Today)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Dirty Deals: How Oregon Let Its Clean Energy Program Enrich Rule Breakers (Oregonian, Portland)

Mason PUD 3 Lifts Moratorium on Solar Incentive Program (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

U-S House Cuts Wind Power Incentives, Putting Sector’s Fate in Senate Hands (Utility Dive)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study Finds Carbon Emissions Increase When Land Is Converted Into Crops for Ethanol (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Researcher Says ‘Radical Farming Ideas’ Could Trap More Carbon Dioxide in Soil (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Idaho Businesses, Industry, Agencies, Other Groups Come Together at ‘Climate Summit’ (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Paid Vacation For Bad Weather? Businesses Consider Adding Policies to Grant ‘Climate Leave’ (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Has 10th Highest Rate of Cybercrime in U-S (Washington State Wire, Olympia, WA)
https://washingtonstatewire.com/washington-10th-highest-rate-cybercrime-us/

What It’s Like to Go Inside a Data Center That Generates $4 Trillion in Business Every Day (AdWeek)

Small Cells Hold Promise for Rural Broadband (Rome News-Tribune, GA – That is, if they are connected to fiber, have power, are on a pole, & are spaced every 500 to 1,500 feet)

Germany Bans Children’s Smart Watches with Listening App (Associated Press)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Brands Have No Idea How to Deal with Being Caught in a Political Firestorm (Mashable)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Washington State Legislature Argues Most Records Exempt Under Law (Associated Press)

Washington State Revenues up $319 Million (Associated Press)

Is There Room for a Political Center in Washington State? Ex-Officials – A Democrat & a Republican – Start New Group to Find Out (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Early Pacific Northwest Snowpack Threatened by Temps ‘Zooming Up’ (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Oakland Bay: Don’t Be Shocked When This Body of Water Turns Red (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Huge Waves Drench Cars on Ferry Headed to Anacortes (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

Mortified Mom of Teen Charged in Eagle Creek Fire Speaks: ‘This is a Trauma for Him’ (Oregonian, Portland)

Mass Killer, Cult Leader Charles Manson Dies at 83 (Reuters)

A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY – DIVERSIONS

Lawsuit: Couple Detained After Hibiscus Mistaken For Pot

Investigators: D.B. Cooper Letter Confirms Suspect, FBI Cover-Up

A Time Capsule, Long Forgotten at the Space Needle, Is Found

Longtime Country Singer, Songwriter Mel Tillis Dies

SONG OF THE DAY

Mel Tillis – Good Woman Blues

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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.