Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Energy News Digest for March 7, 2018


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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Carbon Tax Dead; Initiative in Works (South Sound Business Examiner)

Richland’s Nuclear Power Plant under Extra Federal Scrutiny (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Facebook Data Centers in Oregon Help Add $6 Billion to GDP (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

PacifiCorp OK’d to Build EV Charging Stations as Part of $4.6 Million Transportation Plan (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Fall Chinook Season Looking Poor; One-Half 10-Year Average (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Richland’s Nuclear Power Plant under Extra Federal Scrutiny
  • Ellensburg Electric Rate Increase Will Go into Effect March 12
  • National Grid Pays $7 Million for Overcharging Massachusetts Customers
  • Op/Ed: The Renewable Resource of Snow
  • Cambodia: Gaining Power but Losing Ground? Balancing Hydropower & Sand Supply on the Irrawaddy
  • 4 Predictions for Blockchain in Energy in 2018
  • Fall Chinook Season Looking Poor; One-Half 10-Year Average
  • Washington State’s Ban on Net-Pen Fish Farms Has Canadian Consequences, Salmon Group Says
  • Bonneville Power Administration Conserves Hundreds of Thousands of Acres for Wildlife Habitat
  • The U-S Just Hit a Major Milestone for Energy Storage – Which Is Also Great News for Solar
  • California: Off-Shore Windmills Proposed for North Coast
  • SolarCity, Salt River Project Could Settle Lawsuit, Opening Door to Residential Storage
  • Facebook Data Centers in Oregon Help Add $6 Billion to GDP
  • Once Wary of Facebook & Apple, a Mill Town Tells Them to Keep Expanding
  • Why Companies & Countries Are Battling for Ascendancy in 5G
  • Geek Squad & the FBI Have Worked Together for At Least a Decade
  • PacifiCorp OK’d to Build EV Charging Stations as Part of $4.6 Million Transportation Plan
  • Not Your Grandmother’s Thermostat – Internet-Connected Devices Could Be the Next Wave of Energy Efficiency Savings
  • Washington State Carbon Tax Dead; Initiative in Works
  • Science Says: Arctic Not So Chill This Record Warm Winter
  • Forests Protect the Climate. A Future With More Storms Would Mean Trouble.
  • Amazon Offers Low-Cost Prime Memberships to Medicaid Recipients
  • Alaska, Other States Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Status for Marijuana Businesses
  • War on Microfiber Pollution Starts in the Laundry Room
  • Move over Blueberries – Salal Produces Contender for World’s Healthiest Berry
  • Feds Sue California over Sanctuary State Law
  • Travel Snarled, Power Outages as Storm Bears Down on U-S Northeast
  • Kathy Chaussee Announces Bid for County Commissioner
  • It’s Official: Ichiro Is a Seattle Mariner Again
  • 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Daylight Saving Time
WORD OF THE DAY – HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION

Woolgathering ● \Really? You need a pronunciation guide for this?\ ● Noun – Indulgence in idle daydreaming

I’m woolgathering.
Dreaming of spring to come.
Chase winter away.

Word Origin – Merriam-Webster
Woolgathering once literally referred to the act of gathering loose tufts of wool that had gotten caught on bushes & fences as sheep passed by. Woolgatherers must have seemed to wander aimlessly, gaining little for their efforts, for in the mid-16th century “woolgathering” began to appear in figurative phrases such as “my wits (or my mind) went a-woolgathering” - in other words, “my mind went wandering aimlessly.” From there, it wasn’t long before the word woolgathering came to suggest the act of indulging in purposeless mind-wandering.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Richland’s Nuclear Power Plant under Extra Federal Scrutiny (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Ellensburg Electric Rate Increase Will Go into Effect March 12 (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

National Grid Pays $7 Million for Overcharging Massachusetts Customers (Boston Business Journal, MA)

Op/Ed: The Renewable Resource of Snow (Nelson Star, BC)

Cambodia: Gaining Power but Losing Ground? Balancing Hydropower & Sand Supply on the Irrawaddy (Forbes Magazine)

4 Predictions for Blockchain in Energy in 2018 (GreenTech Media)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fall Chinook Season Looking Poor; One-Half 10-Year Average (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

Washington State’s Ban on Net-Pen Fish Farms Has Canadian Consequences, Salmon Group Says (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Bonneville Power Administration Conserves Hundreds of Thousands of Acres for Wildlife Habitat (Bonneville Power Administration)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

The U-S Just Hit a Major Milestone for Energy Storage – Which Is Also Great News for Solar (Washington Post)

California: Off-Shore Windmills Proposed for North Coast (KRCR-TV, Redding, CA)

SolarCity, Salt River Project Could Settle Lawsuit, Opening Door to Residential Storage (Utility Dive)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Facebook Data Centers in Oregon Help Add $6 Billion to GDP (Pamplin Media Group, Portland, OR)

Once Wary of Facebook & Apple, a Mill Town Tells Them to Keep Expanding (NY Times)

Why Companies & Countries Are Battling for Ascendancy in 5G (NY Times)

Geek Squad & the FBI Have Worked Together for At Least a Decade (Mashable)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

PacifiCorp OK’d to Build EV Charging Stations as Part of $4.6 Million Transportation Plan (Portland Business Journal, OR)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Not Your Grandmother’s Thermostat – Internet-Connected Devices Could Be the Next Wave of Energy Efficiency Savings (NW Power & Conservation Council)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Carbon Tax Dead; Initiative in Works (South Sound Business Examiner)

Science Says: Arctic Not So Chill This Record Warm Winter (Associated Press)

Forests Protect the Climate. A Future With More Storms Would Mean Trouble. (NY Times)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Amazon Offers Low-Cost Prime Memberships to Medicaid Recipients (USA Today)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Alaska, Other States Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Status for Marijuana Businesses (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

War on Microfiber Pollution Starts in the Laundry Room (Christian Science Monitor)

Move over Blueberries – Salal Produces Contender for World’s Healthiest Berry (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Feds Sue California over Sanctuary State Law (Courthouse News Service)

GENERAL NEWS

Travel Snarled, Power Outages as Storm Bears Down on U-S Northeast (Reuters)

Kathy Chaussee Announces Bid for County Commissioner (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

It’s Official: Ichiro Is a Seattle Mariner Again (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Daylight Saving Time (USA Today)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Prosperity Theology – Maryland Church Offers Chance to Win Salvation – And a Car

European Clocks Slowed By Lag in Continent’s Power Grid

Michelle Obama Dances with Parker Curry, Her Littlest Fan

Amazon Alexa’s Creepy, Spontaneous Laugh Is Weirding People Out

SONG OF THE DAY

Pink Floyd – Time

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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