Friday, January 19, 2018

Energy News Digest for January 19, 2018

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

The Energy News Digest is on Facebook.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS



HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington Lawmakers Reach Deal on $4.5 Billion Construction Budget (At Long Last) (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Investor-Owned Utility Customers Could Get Breaks on Electric, Gas Bills from Federal Tax Reform (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Washington State Lawmakers Must Release Public Records When the Public Requests Them, Judge Says (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Is Cap & Trade the Climate Solution? The Jury’s Still Out (Utility Dive)

Massive Waves Pummel Oregon Coast; Man Swept to Sea at Depoe Bay Presumed Dead (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Investor-Owned Utility Customers Could Get Breaks on Electric, Gas Bills from Federal Tax Reform 
  • Georgia Power Ordered to Refund Customers More than $43 Million
  • Two Utilities Sued Over Deadly California Mudslides
  • Hydroelectric Generation in Montana Recovers from Last Summer’s Flash Drought
  • Coast Guard on the Hook in Killer Whale Lawsuit
  • Study: Fraser River Juvenile Sockeye Infected With Sea Lice from Fish Farms Eat Less
  • West Coast California Sea Lion Population Has Rebounded; Meets Marine Mammal Protection Act Goal
  • Bald Eagles Gather at the Dalles Dam
  • Shelton Resident Donates to Find Snohomish Eagle’s Shooter
  • California Today: 100 Million Dead Trees Prompt Fears of Giant Wildfires
  • California ‘Raw’ Water Fans Pay $9 a Gallon for Oregon Tap Water
  • Harshed Mellow, Dude – Midwest Surfers Sue U-S Steel over Toxic Lake Michigan Spills
  • We’re Doing a Great Job of Creating Renewable Energy – We Don’t Have the Infrastructure to Actually Use It
  • Federal Judge Hints at Unfreezing Energy Efficiency Standards
  • 13% of Broadband Households Adopt Smart Thermostats
  • Four Smart Home Trends to Watch in 2018
  • Still Mellow But Ready to Fight. That’s The State of Washington’s Pot Industry
  • Op/Ed: Re-Criminalizing Cannabis Worse Than 1930s ‘Reefer Madness’
  • Is Cap & Trade the Climate Solution? The Jury’s Still Out
  • How Would Oregon’s Cap & Trade System Work?
  • Even Without El Nino, Earth Keeps Warming
  • FCC Report Keeps Faster Definition of Broadband – Separates Mobile from Fixed Connections
  • A Secret Hacking Group Is Using Android Malware to Spy on Thousands of People in 21 Countries, Research Finds
  • Over 2 Billion People Use at Least One of the Top 5 Social Apps Each Month
  • Why Posting on Social Media at the Best Times Will Help Your Engagement
  • YouTube Ranking: How to Get More Views on YouTube
  • Washington Lawmakers Reach Deal on $4.5 Billion Construction Budget (At Long Last)
  • Washington State Lawmakers Must Release Public Records When the Public Requests Them, Judge Says
  • Clock Running Out as U-S Senate Tries to Avert Federal Government Shutdown
  • Moving Closer & Closer to a Shutdown
  • What a Federal Government Shutdown Would Mean for Washington State
  • Massive Waves Pummel Oregon Coast; Man Swept to Sea at Depoe Bay Presumed Dead
  • High Seas Thursday Cause Flooding In Westport
  • Up to 10,000 Expected at Women’s Rally in Olympia Saturday
  • Wells Fargo Glitch Leaves Some Customers with Empty Bank Accounts
  • Murder Mystery: Detectives Hope You Can Help Solve Teen’s Murder That Shook Small Town Shelton Almost 30 Years Ago
  • Draft Plan Reviewed for Proposed Brinnon Resort
  • Mason County Christian School Has Room to Grow
  • Shelton Bowling Earns District Berth
WORD OF THE DAY

From Merriam Webster’s Ten Most Confused Words: Flak/Flack

If you’re getting shot at by antiaircraft guns, or receiving unfriendly criticism, are you taking flak or flack?

Answer: Flak

How to Remember It: Although flack is an established variant, the more foreign-looking flak is the original spelling and the better choice. Flak was originally a German acronym for Fliegerabwehrkanonen – from Flieger (“flyer”) + Abwehr (“defense”) + Kanonen (“cannons”) – which basically means “antiaircraft gun.” That use of flak in English dates back to 1938. In the decades after the war it took on its civilian meaning of “criticism.”

(A flack, meanwhile, is a PR agent or someone who provides publicity.)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Investor-Owned Utility Customers Could Get Breaks on Electric, Gas Bills from Federal Tax Reform (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Georgia Power Ordered to Refund Customers More than $43 Million (Associated Press)

Two Utilities Sued Over Deadly California Mudslides (Utility Dive)

Hydroelectric Generation in Montana Recovers from Last Summer’s Flash Drought (U-S Energy Information Administration)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Coast Guard on the Hook in Killer Whale Lawsuit (Courthouse News Service)

Study: Fraser River Juvenile Sockeye Infected With Sea Lice from Fish Farms Eat Less (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

West Coast California Sea Lion Population Has Rebounded; Meets Marine Mammal Protection Act Goal (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Bald Eagles Gather at the Dalles Dam (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Shelton Resident Donates to Find Snohomish Eagle’s Shooter (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

California Today: 100 Million Dead Trees Prompt Fears of Giant Wildfires (NY Times)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

California ‘Raw’ Water Fans Pay $9 a Gallon for Oregon Tap Water (Oregonian, Portland)

Harshed Mellow, Dude – Midwest Surfers Sue U-S Steel over Toxic Lake Michigan Spills (Courthouse News Service)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

We’re Doing a Great Job of Creating Renewable Energy – We Don’t Have the Infrastructure to Actually Use It (Popular Science)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Federal Judge Hints at Unfreezing Energy Efficiency Standards (Courthouse News Service)

13% of Broadband Households Adopt Smart Thermostats (MediaPost)

Four Smart Home Trends to Watch in 2018 (USA Today)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Still Mellow But Ready to Fight. That’s The State of Washington’s Pot Industry (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Op/Ed: Re-Criminalizing Cannabis Worse Than 1930s ‘Reefer Madness’ (Oregonian, Portland)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Is Cap & Trade the Climate Solution? The Jury’s Still Out (Utility Dive)

How Would Oregon’s Cap & Trade System Work? (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Even Without El Nino, Earth Keeps Warming (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Report Keeps Faster Definition of Broadband – Separates Mobile from Fixed Connections (TechCrunch)

A Secret Hacking Group Is Using Android Malware to Spy on Thousands of People in 21 Countries, Research Finds (Gizmodo)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Over 2 Billion People Use at Least One of the Top 5 Social Apps Each Month (AdWeek)

Why Posting on Social Media at the Best Times Will Help Your Engagement (Grammarly)

YouTube Ranking: How to Get More Views on YouTube (Social Media Examiner)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Washington Lawmakers Reach Deal on $4.5 Billion Construction Budget (At Long Last) (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Washington State Lawmakers Must Release Public Records When the Public Requests Them, Judge Says (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Clock Running Out as U-S Senate Tries to Avert Federal Government Shutdown (Reuters)

Moving Closer & Closer to a Shutdown (Politico Morning Energy)

What a Federal Government Shutdown Would Mean for Washington State (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Massive Waves Pummel Oregon Coast; Man Swept to Sea at Depoe Bay Presumed Dead (Oregonian, Portland)

High Seas Thursday Cause Flooding In Westport (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Up to 10,000 Expected at Women’s Rally in Olympia Saturday (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Wells Fargo Glitch Leaves Some Customers with Empty Bank Accounts (KCBS TV, San Francisco, CA)

Murder Mystery: Detectives Hope You Can Help Solve Teen’s Murder That Shook Small Town Shelton Almost 30 Years Ago (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

Draft Plan Reviewed for Proposed Brinnon Resort (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Mason County Christian School Has Room to Grow (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Shelton Bowling Earns District Berth (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

ROADKILL ON THE MENU – DIVERSIONS

Washington State, Idaho Officials Say Saving Roadkill Makes Sense

Paper Cup Allegedly Used By Elvis Presley Up for Auction

After 950 Years, the Bayeux Tapestry Is Set to Be Displayed in Britain

One of the World’s Oldest Clocks Stops Ticking, Briefly

SONG OF THE DAY

Cliff Edwards (Jiminy Cricket) – When You Wish Upon A Star

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

GET SOCIAL WITH THE NEWS DIGEST

The Energy News Digest is on Facebook.

Follow the Energy News Digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices.

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.