Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Energy News Digest for March 28, 2018 (Celebrating post 2,200 on the blog site today)


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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Seventh Circuit Appeals Court Hears Privacy Case over Smart Meters (Courthouse News Service)

Washington State Regulators Receive Proposed Terms for Avista’s Sale to Canadian Utility (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Tacoma in Search of Partners for Click! (South Sound Business Journal)

Kitsap to Allow the Retail Sale of Broadband by a Public Utility District (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Spokane Considers Burning Sewer Sludge after Outcry over Fertilizer Use (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Seventh Circuit Appeals Court Hears Privacy Case over Smart Meters
  • Washington State Regulators Receive Proposed Terms for Avista’s Sale to Canadian Utility
  • FERC Finds Idaho Power Lacks Market Power in Its Own Balancing Authority Area, & Terminates Federal Power Act Section 206 Proceeding
  • Wyden, Merkley in Bipartisan Letter Rejecting President Trump’s Proposed Bonneville Power Administration Sell-Off
  • Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Compensation Doubled in Year That Included Deadly Wine Country Fires
  • Itron & Utilidata Launch a Grid Voltage Control ‘App’ for Next-Generation Smart Meters
  • Massachusetts Ends Deal with Northern Pass Hydro Project
  • South Carolina Governor: Utility’s Post-Nuclear Debacle Lobbying ‘Egregious’
  • News Release: Salt River Project Board Approves $18.8 Million Price Decrease
  • Free-Market Group Urges FERC to Defend Grid from Companies Looking to Game the System
  • Small Utility Leaders Don Their Seven Hats Every Day
  • Idaho Spring Chinook Fishing Set to Open
  • It’s Protected Sea Lions against Endangered Salmon
  • British Columbia River Report Highlights Perilous State of Steelhead Stock
  • Report Finds Solar Jobs Declined Nationwide In 2017, Grew In Some Cities & States
  • Op/Ed: We All Love Wind Power, Unless You Want to Make Money
  • Tacoma in Search of Partners for Click!
  • Kitsap to Allow the Retail Sale of Broadband by a Public Utility District
  • Washington State Governor Signs Port Districts’ Rural Broadband Bill
  • West Virginia: Broadband Service Reports Could Mean the End of Funding for Many Counties
  • ISP Lobbyists Threaten Any State That Dare Protect Consumers
  • Spokane Considers Burning Sewer Sludge after Outcry over Fertilizer Use
  • Columbia River Flows at The Dalles Rise to 113% of Normal
  • Starbucks Opens in a U-S National Park for First Time – Not Everyone’s Thrilled
  • U-S Agency to Debate How the Internet of Things Could Kill You
  • Gig Harbor Residents Say They Feel Like ‘Small Fish’ over City’s Residential Construction Moratorium
  • States Vow to Fight U-S Plan to Ask Citizenship Question on Census
  • Studded Tires Now Allowed Through April 15
  • Amazon Shares Plunge 6% after Report That President Trump Wants to ‘Go After’ the Company
  • More Than 4,000 Eggs & Embryos Lost in Cleveland Fertility Clinic Tank Failure
WORD OF THE DAY

Cliometrics • \klye-uh-MET-riks\ • Noun – The application of methods developed in other fields (as economics, statistics, & data processing) to the study of history

Clarence briefly basked in the glory of his doctoral thesis. His use of cliometrics proved (on paper at least) that the 1929 stock market crash was not due to marginal trading and “irrational exuberance.” Instead, it was precipitated by men’s fashion trends…specifically the shortage of spats for men’s shoes. It wasn’t until he was defending his academic paper that the entire house of cards that was his thesis fell down. Literally. It had actually been constructed of 3x5 index cards that fluttered throughout the classroom when one of the professors sneezed.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Seventh Circuit Appeals Court Hears Privacy Case over Smart Meters (Courthouse News Service)

Washington State Regulators Receive Proposed Terms for Avista’s Sale to Canadian Utility (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

FERC Finds Idaho Power Lacks Market Power in Its Own Balancing Authority Area, & Terminates Federal Power Act Section 206 Proceeding (Troutman Sanders LLP, Energy Report)

Wyden, Merkley in Bipartisan Letter Rejecting President Trump’s Proposed Bonneville Power Administration Sell-Off (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Compensation Doubled in Year That Included Deadly Wine Country Fires (Sacramento Business Journal)

Itron & Utilidata Launch a Grid Voltage Control ‘App’ for Next-Generation Smart Meters (GreenTech Medi8a)

Massachusetts Ends Deal with Northern Pass Hydro Project (Associated Press)

South Carolina Governor: Utility’s Post-Nuclear Debacle Lobbying ‘Egregious’ (Associated Press)

News Release: Salt River Project Board Approves $18.8 Million Price Decrease (Salt River Project, Tempe, AZ)

Free-Market Group Urges FERC to Defend Grid from Companies Looking to Game the System (Washington Examiner)

Small Utility Leaders Don Their Seven Hats Every Day (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Spring Chinook Fishing Set to Open (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

It’s Protected Sea Lions against Endangered Salmon (Associated Press)

British Columbia River Report Highlights Perilous State of Steelhead Stock (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Report Finds Solar Jobs Declined Nationwide In 2017, Grew In Some Cities & States (Solar Power World)

Op/Ed: We All Love Wind Power, Unless You Want to Make Money (Bloomberg News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tacoma in Search of Partners for Click! (South Sound Business Journal)

Kitsap to Allow the Retail Sale of Broadband by a Public Utility District (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Washington State Governor Signs Port Districts’ Rural Broadband Bill (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

West Virginia: Broadband Service Reports Could Mean the End of Funding for Many Counties (WBOY-TV, Clarksburg, WV)

ISP Lobbyists Threaten Any State That Dare Protect Consumers (Broadband Reports)

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

Spokane Considers Burning Sewer Sludge after Outcry over Fertilizer Use (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Columbia River Flows at The Dalles Rise to 113% of Normal (Platts)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Starbucks Opens in a U-S National Park for First Time – Not Everyone’s Thrilled (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

U-S Agency to Debate How the Internet of Things Could Kill You (Gizmodo)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Gig Harbor Residents Say They Feel Like ‘Small Fish’ over City’s Residential Construction Moratorium (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

States Vow to Fight U-S Plan to Ask Citizenship Question on Census (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Studded Tires Now Allowed Through April 15 (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Amazon Shares Plunge 6% after Report That President Trump Wants to ‘Go After’ the Company (Los Angeles Times, CA)

More Than 4,000 Eggs & Embryos Lost in Cleveland Fertility Clinic Tank Failure (CNN)

ALL WHILE BALANCING AN EGG ON A SPOON – DIVERSIONS

What’s Cooking in That Egg Spoon? A Bite-Size Culture War

Yucky Ducky? Study Reveals Bath-Time Toy’s Dirty Secret

‘Whoa, She’s Not Done!’ Chihuahua Gives Birth to Whopping 11-Puppy Litter

‘Like A Riot’: Woman Says Her Home Was Ransacked after Estate Sale Mix-Up

SONG OF THE DAY

Lim Hui – The Rubber Duckies Song - Violin Instrumental

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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.