Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Energy News Digest for December 6, 2017

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Coal Phase-Out - Puget Sound Energy to Raise Some Power Rates, Lower Others under Agreement (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Washington State Governor, Inslee Opposes House Bill on Snake River Dams & Salmon (Associated Press)

Irrigators Run Ads in Washington DC News Publications Urging President Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries to Convene God Squad to Protect Columbia-Snake River System (Cision PR Newswire)

Broadband Expansion on Hold, Jefferson PUD Pursues Options (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Group Ends Quest Seeking Personhood for Colorado River (Courthouse News Service)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Coal Phase-Out - Puget Sound Energy to Raise Some Power Rates, Lower Others under Agreement
  • Puget Sound Energy Rate Agreement Outlines Coal Plant Costs
  • The Obscure Federal Agency That Soon Could Raise Your Electric Bill: Five Questions Answered on FERC
  • Moody’s: Low Interest Rates, Fuel Costs, Will Support Competitive Public Power Rates in 2018
  • Nearly Half of All U-S Electricity Customers Have Smart (sic) Meters
  • Hoover Dam Is as Inspiring as it Is Educational
  • Grist for the Rumor Mill: Where’s the New FERC Chairman?
  • Washington State Governor, Inslee Opposes House Bill on Snake River Dams & Salmon
  • Irrigators Run Ads in Washington DC News Publications Urging President Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries to Convene God Squad to Protect Columbia-Snake River System
  • Op/Ed: Columbia River Wild Salmon Runs Face Regulatory Hurdles, Political Indifference
  • Representatives MacEwen, Walsh Introduce Legislation to Ban Atlantic Salmon Farms in Washington State
  • Does Atlantic Salmon Fish Farming in Puget Sound Have a Future?
  • Toxin Level Found in Summit Lake Dangerous for Kids
  • Group Ends Quest Seeking Personhood for Colorado River
  • Oregon Hazelnut Farm Is First to Fully Operate Under Solar Energy
  • South Dakota Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Plant Closing
  • Op/Ed: With Energy Storage, Big & Cheap Beats Shiny & New
  • As Temperatures Drop, Find Out How to Save Money on Your Energy Bill
  • Use These Holiday Home Energy Hacks for a Stress-Free Season
  • New Data, Same Results: Saving Energy Is Still Cheaper Than Making Energy
  • Bellingham a Finalist in National Energy Competition
  • Pot Supporters, Opponents Air Their Differences at Benton County Hearing
  • Broadband Expansion on Hold, Jefferson PUD Pursues Options
  • Why CenturyLink Reported Broadband Subscriber Losses in the Third Quarter
  • Yahoo’s Insanely Bad Deal to Pay Mozilla $375 Million a Year for Nothing Is Headed to Court
  • All the Bitcoin in the World Are Now Worth More Than New Zealand
  • Survey: Social Media Leading to ‘Major Shift’ in Shopping
  • Did You Know That Facebook Rolled Out a New Feature?
  • Patty Murray among Senators Calling on Al Franken to Resign
  • U-S Interior Secretary Urges Size Cuts, Management Changes to More Monuments
  • Mason-Kitsap County Line Crash Injures Two from Belfair
  • Mason District Court Judge Refuses to Cut Budget for County Commissioners
  • Deputies Arrest Second Suspect Linked to Graham-Kapowsin High School Shooting
  • Canada’s Softwood Producers Unstirred by Declining U-S Exports
  • Scenes of Devastation from California’s Latest Wildfire
  • ‘Silence Breakers’ Named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
WORD OF THE DAY

Grog • \GRAHG\ • noun – Alcoholic liquor; especially: liquor (as rum) cut with water & now often served hot with lemon juice & sugar sometimes added.

“By golly, this is the WORST grog I’ve ever had,” croaked the sailor on the HMS Pinafore. “Watch your mouth,” muttered his mates. “Next thing you know, we’ll be swilling down our salt pork and pea soup with plain old water!”

Did you know? Eighteenth-century English admiral Edward Vernon reputedly earned the nickname “Old Grog” because he often wore a cloak made from grogram (a course, loosely woven fabric made of silk or silk blended with mohair or wool). In Old Grog’s day, sailors in the Royal Navy were customarily given a daily ration of rum, but in 1740 the admiral, concerned about the health of his men, ordered that the rum should be diluted with water. The decision wasn’t very popular with the sailors, who supposedly dubbed the mixture “grog” after Vernon. Today, “grog” can be used as a general term for any liquor, even undiluted, and someone who acts drunk or shaky can be called “groggy.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Coal Phase-Out - Puget Sound Energy to Raise Some Power Rates, Lower Others under Agreement (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Puget Sound Energy Rate Agreement Outlines Coal Plant Costs (Associated Press)

The Obscure Federal Agency That Soon Could Raise Your Electric Bill: Five Questions Answered on FERC (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Moody’s: Low Interest Rates, Fuel Costs, Will Support Competitive Public Power Rates in 2018 (Utility Dive)

Nearly Half of All U-S Electricity Customers Have Smart (sic) Meters (U-S Energy Information Administration)

Hoover Dam Is as Inspiring as it Is Educational (Renewable Energy World)

Grist for the Rumor Mill: Where’s the New FERC Chairman? (EE News)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State Governor, Inslee Opposes House Bill on Snake River Dams & Salmon (Associated Press)

Irrigators Run Ads in Washington DC News Publications Urging President Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries to Convene God Squad to Protect Columbia-Snake River System (Cision PR Newswire)

Op/Ed: Columbia River Wild Salmon Runs Face Regulatory Hurdles, Political Indifference (Forbes Magazine)

Representatives MacEwen, Walsh Introduce Legislation to Ban Atlantic Salmon Farms in Washington State (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Does Atlantic Salmon Fish Farming in Puget Sound Have a Future? (Northwest Public Radio)

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

Toxin Level Found in Summit Lake Dangerous for Kids (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Group Ends Quest Seeking Personhood for Colorado River (Courthouse News Service)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Oregon Hazelnut Farm Is First to Fully Operate Under Solar Energy (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

South Dakota Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing Plant Closing (Associated Press)

Op/Ed: With Energy Storage, Big & Cheap Beats Shiny & New (Oregonian, Portland)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

As Temperatures Drop, Find Out How to Save Money on Your Energy Bill (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Use These Holiday Home Energy Hacks for a Stress-Free Season (Texas Monthly)

New Data, Same Results: Saving Energy Is Still Cheaper Than Making Energy (The Energy Collective)

Bellingham a Finalist in National Energy Competition (Cascadia Weekly)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Pot Supporters, Opponents Air Their Differences at Benton County Hearing (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Expansion on Hold, Jefferson PUD Pursues Options (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Why CenturyLink Reported Broadband Subscriber Losses in the Third Quarter (Market Realist)

Yahoo’s Insanely Bad Deal to Pay Mozilla $375 Million a Year for Nothing Is Headed to Court (Gizmodo)

All the Bitcoin in the World Are Now Worth More Than New Zealand (USA Today)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Survey: Social Media Leading to ‘Major Shift’ in Shopping (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Did You Know That Facebook Rolled Out a New Feature? (AdWeek)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Patty Murray among Senators Calling on Al Franken to Resign (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

U-S Interior Secretary Urges Size Cuts, Management Changes to More Monuments (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason-Kitsap County Line Crash Injures Two from Belfair (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason District Court Judge Refuses to Cut Budget for County Commissioners (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Deputies Arrest Second Suspect Linked to Graham-Kapowsin High School Shooting (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Canada’s Softwood Producers Unstirred by Declining U-S Exports (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Scenes of Devastation from California’s Latest Wildfire (NY Times)

‘Silence Breakers’ Named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year (Associated Press)

SCIENCE ON THE GRIDIRON – DIVERSIONS

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson Weighs in on Seahawks Lateral

A New Job for the Power Company: Feeding Giraffes

How the Index Card Cataloged the World

Let It Go: Disney is Stripping ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ from ‘Coco’ Screenings

SONG OF THE DAY

The Moody Blues – Isn’t Life Strange

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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.