Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Energy News Digest for January 16, 2018

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS



HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Congressman Newhouse Urges State of Emergency for Rattlesnake Ridge Landslide Threat (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

NorthWestern Energy Electric Rates in Montana: Still Among Highest in Region (KRTV-TV, Great Falls, MT)

Company, Idaho Energy Regulators at Odds over Battery Storage Plan (Associated Press)

Understanding Oregon’s ‘Cap & Invest’ Climate Bills (Oregonian, Portland)

West Coast Business Group Asks Congress for Protection for Marijuana (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • NorthWestern Energy Electric Rates in Montana: Still Among Highest in Region
  • Slideshow: Who Is Paying the Most for Electric Power in the U-S?
  • Nuclear Power Provides a Whole Lot More than Just Energy
  • British Columbia Utilities Regulator to Hear Final Pitch for Proposed Electricity Rate Freeze
  • Washington State Lawmakers Debate Bill to Save Starving Orcas
  • Oil Spills into Snake River at Lower Monumental Dam
  • Possible Hirst Water Rights Fix Passes First Legislative Hurdle
  • Company, Idaho Energy Regulators at Odds over Battery Storage Plan
  • Electric Car ‘Batteries on Wheels’ Could Help Solve Renewable Energy’s Storage Issue
  • Lewis County PUD Provides $100,000 Grant for Napavine School District; Washington State Chips in $7K
  • West Coast Business Group Asks Congress for Protection for Marijuana
  • Lewis County Sheriff: Trend of Large, Illegal Pot Grows Likely to Continue
  • Oregon: Sustainable Practices Profit Cannabis Companies
  • Understanding Oregon’s ‘Cap & Invest’ Climate Bills
  • Washington State Governor Inslee’s Climate-Change Advisers Draw Scrutiny as His National Profile Rises
  • Editorial: No Sense in Washington State Carbon Tax
  • How Much Has ‘Climate Change’ Been Scrubbed From Federal Websites? A Lot.
  • Electric Car Tax Incentive Soon to Expire in Washington, Just Starting in Oregon
  • Montana: Businesses Sought for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
  • Off-Road Alaska Town Offers Free Electric-Car Charging. First You Have to Get There.
  • Ford Says It Will Spend $11 Billion in Electrification Investment
  • The U-S Senate’s Push to Overrule the FCC on Net Neutrality Now Has 50 Votes, Democrats Say
  • Municipal Broadband PDX Pushing for Portland to Make Internet a Public Utility
  • CenturyLink Again Makes it Clear Rural Upgrades not a Priority
  • CEO: We Don’t Need 5G for U-S Cellular Fixed Wireless, LTE Will Work Just Fine
  • Harvard Study Shows Why Big Telecom Is Terrified of Community-Run Broadband
  • Google Laying Three New Underwater Cables to Speed Up the Internet
  • Tully’s Coffee Prepares to Lose Its Name after Suit by Keurig
  • The Difficulties with Facebook’s News Feed Overhaul
  • A Google App That Matches Your Face to Artwork Is Wildly Popular. It’s Also Raising Privacy Concerns.
  • Op/Ed: City of Everett, Snohomish PUD Seek Balance on Cellular Technology
  • Congressman Newhouse Urges State of Emergency for Rattlesnake Ridge Landslide Threat
  • Voters to Consider New Mason County High School
  • Shelton City Council Candidates Forum Wednesday
  • Former Washington State Governor, King County Executive John Spellman Dies
  • Sender of Hawaii’s Nuclear Missile False Alarm Is Reassigned, but Not Named
  • Nestle Is Selling Its U-S Candy Business to Ferrero for About $2.8 Billion
WORD OF THE DAY

Halyard • \HAL-yerd\ • Noun - A rope used to raise or lower something such as a sail or flag.

Benny’s shoulders were cramping with fatigue. The self-proclaimed captain of the tramp steamer, the “Greasy Getaway” had ordered him to spell out the opening lines of “Moby Dick” using the signal flags for the rest of the rusty flotilla of ships. The squeaking sounds of the tackle as the halyard was pulled up and down was almost as excruciating as the aches in Ben’s shoulders.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

NorthWestern Energy Electric Rates in Montana: Still Among Highest in Region (KRTV-TV, Great Falls, MT)

Slideshow: Who Is Paying the Most for Electric Power in the U-S? (Renewable Energy World)

Nuclear Power Provides a Whole Lot More than Just Energy (Forbes Magazine)

British Columbia Utilities Regulator to Hear Final Pitch for Proposed Electricity Rate Freeze (Globe & Mail, Canada)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State Lawmakers Debate Bill to Save Starving Orcas (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

Oil Spills into Snake River at Lower Monumental Dam (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Possible Hirst Water Rights Fix Passes First Legislative Hurdle (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Company, Idaho Energy Regulators at Odds over Battery Storage Plan (Associated Press)

Electric Car ‘Batteries on Wheels’ Could Help Solve Renewable Energy’s Storage Issue (Institution of Mechanical Engineers)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Lewis County PUD Provides $100,000 Grant for Napavine School District; Washington State Chips in $7K (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

West Coast Business Group Asks Congress for Protection for Marijuana (Associated Press)

Lewis County Sheriff: Trend of Large, Illegal Pot Grows Likely to Continue (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Oregon: Sustainable Practices Profit Cannabis Companies (Bend Bulletin, OR)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Understanding Oregon’s ‘Cap & Invest’ Climate Bills (Oregonian, Portland)

Washington State Governor Inslee’s Climate-Change Advisers Draw Scrutiny as His National Profile Rises (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Editorial: No Sense in Washington State Carbon Tax (Longview Daily News, WA)

How Much Has ‘Climate Change’ Been Scrubbed From Federal Websites? A Lot. (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

Electric Car Tax Incentive Soon to Expire in Washington, Just Starting in Oregon (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

Montana: Businesses Sought for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

Off-Road Alaska Town Offers Free Electric-Car Charging. First You Have to Get There. (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

Ford Says It Will Spend $11 Billion in Electrification Investment (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The U-S Senate’s Push to Overrule the FCC on Net Neutrality Now Has 50 Votes, Democrats Say (Washington Post)

Municipal Broadband PDX Pushing for Portland to Make Internet a Public Utility (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

CenturyLink Again Makes it Clear Rural Upgrades not a Priority (Broadband Reports)

CEO: We Don’t Need 5G for U-S Cellular Fixed Wireless, LTE Will Work Just Fine (Telecompetitor)

Harvard Study Shows Why Big Telecom Is Terrified of Community-Run Broadband (Motherboard)

Google Laying Three New Underwater Cables to Speed Up the Internet (Pacific Business Journal, HI)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Tully’s Coffee Prepares to Lose Its Name after Suit by Keurig (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

The Difficulties with Facebook’s News Feed Overhaul (NY Times)

A Google App That Matches Your Face to Artwork Is Wildly Popular. It’s Also Raising Privacy Concerns. (Washington Post)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Op/Ed: City of Everett, Snohomish PUD Seek Balance on Cellular Technology (Everett Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Congressman Newhouse Urges State of Emergency for Rattlesnake Ridge Landslide Threat (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Voters to Consider New Mason County High School (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Shelton City Council Candidates Forum Wednesday (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Former Washington State Governor, King County Executive John Spellman Dies (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Sender of Hawaii’s Nuclear Missile False Alarm Is Reassigned, but Not Named (NY Times)

Nestle Is Selling Its U-S Candy Business to Ferrero for About $2.8 Billion (USA Today)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Brinnon Shrimpfest Called Off This Year Due to Workloads, Lack of Volunteers

Butcher Trapped In Freezer Uses Blood Sausage to Bash His Way Out

Video Shows Firefighter Catching Baby Dropped from Burning Apartment (About 40 seconds in)

Boeing Uses Potatoes Instead of People to Test Wi-Fi

SONG OF THE DAY

Buck Owens - I’ll Catch You When You Fall

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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.