Friday, April 27, 2018

Energy News Digest for April 27, 2018


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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS





HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Avista’s Three-Year Rate Plan Denied by Washington State Regulators – Small Electric Increase Approved (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Solar Panels on Farmland? In Central Washington, That Stirs a Fight. (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Just Like Last Year, Sea Lions at Willamette Falls Hammering Wild Winter Steelhead Run (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Editorial: Will Washington Voters Warm to a New Carbon Tax Initiative? (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Tesla’s Foe in Fight over Electric Vehicle Rebate: Utilities (Bloomberg News)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Avista’s Three-Year Rate Plan Denied by Washington State Regulators – Small Electric Increase Approved
  • Northwest Tribes Noticeably Absent in Columbia River Treaty Renegotiations
  • Decision on Okanogan PUD General Manager Could Come Monday
  • California: Can a City Ditch the Power Company? Not without a Fight
  • Editorial: Bitcoin Miners May Threaten the Pacific NW’s Low-Cost Power
  • Editorial: You May Be Able to Opt Out of Smart Meters
  • Connecticut: Regulators Investigate a Nearly Doubled Increase in Utility’s Power Shut-Offs
  • Perry Begins Doling Out Millions in Bid to Save Nuclear Power
  • Just Like Last Year, Sea Lions at Willamette Falls Hammering Wild Winter Steelhead Run
  • Federal Bill to Protect Columbia, Snake Dams — And Keep Your Power Rates Down — Passes House
  • Yakamas Release Lamprey – Tribe, Others Celebrate Eel-Like Fish Contribution to Yakima River
  • Lowland Lake Fishing Season Starts Saturday
  • Save The Bees: Citizen Scientists Asked To Track Bumble Bees In Pacific Northwest
  • Solar Panels on Farmland? In Central Washington, That Stirs a Fight.
  • Arizona Utilities Cautious over Costs, Reliability for Proposed 80% Clean Energy Mandate
  • Poo Power: Is It Time To Embrace Our Waste as a Source of Renewable Energy?
  • Rural Oregon Joins Push for Faster Internet
  • Microsoft’s Cloud Has Business Booming Again
  • AT&T Thinks Fiber Makes More Sense than Fixed 5G
  • Op/Ed: Net Neutrality Is Vital – But So Is Rural Broadband
  • Tesla’s Foe in Fight over Electric Vehicle Rebate: Utilities
  • Energy Use Disaggregation Is Coming. Here Are Three Ways Utilities Can Make the Most of It.
  • Kittitas County to Expand Water Metering Program
  • Editorial: Will Washington Voters Warm to a New Carbon Tax Initiative?
  • As Climate Change Zaps Their Snow, Winter Sports Fans Seek to Change Washington
  • Have We Underestimated the Power of the Hashtag?
  • What the Mona Lisa Tells Us about Art in the Instagram Era
  • Dr. Pepper Must Face Suit over Ginger Ale Labeling
  • This Is What a Perfect Professional Email Signature Looks Like
  • WSU Halts Research into Marijuana Breath Test in Fear of Trump Administration Reversal on Pot Enforcement
  • How a Genealogy Website Led to the Alleged Golden State Killer
  • Herrera Beutler Pushes Distillery Tribal Bill – Lawmaker Says 1834 Prohibition Stymies Opportunity
  • With 14 Ballots Left to Count, Races for Shelton City Council Decided
  • Mason Transit Plans for Highway 3 Roundabout near Belfair
  • Consultant Recommends Belfair Bypass Connectors
  • Bill Cosby, Once Beloved ‘America’s Dad,’ Convicted of Sexual Assault
  • Shelton Fourth-Graders Take On High School Courses
  • Three Questions for the Seahawks as the NFL Draft Enters Its Second Day
WORD OF THE DAY

Footle • \FOO-tul\ • Verb - 1: To talk or act foolishly 2: to waste time: trifle, fool

“MISTER Peebles, stop your footling around,” bellowed the master sergeant to the fresh-faced recruit. For some reason the combination of Peebles and Footle made the observing General laugh…thinking what a wonderful name that would be for a pub in his West Virginia home town.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista’s Three-Year Rate Plan Denied by Washington State Regulators – Small Electric Increase Approved (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Northwest Tribes Noticeably Absent in Columbia River Treaty Renegotiations (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)

Decision on Okanogan PUD General Manager Could Come Monday (Omak Chronicle, WA – Paywall Advisory)

California: Can a City Ditch the Power Company? Not without a Fight (NY Times)

Editorial: Bitcoin Miners May Threaten the Pacific NW’s Low-Cost Power (Capital Ag Press)

Editorial: You May Be Able to Opt Out of Smart Meters – State utilities commission requires private & inverstor-owned (sic) utilities to offer opt-out (Sunnyside Daily Sun, WA)

Connecticut: Regulators Investigate a Nearly Doubled Increase in Utility’s Power Shut-Offs (Associated Press)

Perry Begins Doling Out Millions in Bid to Save Nuclear Power (Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Just Like Last Year, Sea Lions at Willamette Falls Hammering Wild Winter Steelhead Run (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Federal Bill to Protect Columbia, Snake Dams — And Keep Your Power Rates Down — Passes House (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

Yakamas Release Lamprey – Tribe, Others Celebrate Eel-Like Fish Contribution to Yakima River (Sunnyside Daily Sun, WA)

Lowland Lake Fishing Season Starts Saturday (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Save The Bees: Citizen Scientists Asked To Track Bumble Bees In Pacific Northwest (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Solar Panels on Farmland? In Central Washington, That Stirs a Fight. (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Arizona Utilities Cautious over Costs, Reliability for Proposed 80% Clean Energy Mandate (Utility Dive)

Poo Power: Is It Time To Embrace Our Waste as a Source of Renewable Energy? (The Guardian, UK)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Rural Oregon Joins Push for Faster Internet (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)

Microsoft’s Cloud Has Business Booming Again (NY Times)

AT&T Thinks Fiber Makes More Sense than Fixed 5G (Broadband Reports)

Op/Ed: Net Neutrality Is Vital – But So Is Rural Broadband (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

Tesla’s Foe in Fight over Electric Vehicle Rebate: Utilities (Bloomberg News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Use Disaggregation Is Coming. Here Are Three Ways Utilities Can Make the Most of It. (Utility Dive)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Kittitas County to Expand Water Metering Program (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Editorial: Will Washington Voters Warm to a New Carbon Tax Initiative? (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

As Climate Change Zaps Their Snow, Winter Sports Fans Seek to Change Washington (McClatchy News)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Have We Underestimated the Power of the Hashtag? (AdWeek)

What the Mona Lisa Tells Us about Art in the Instagram Era (NY Times)

Dr. Pepper Must Face Suit over Ginger Ale Labeling (Courthouse News Service)

This Is What a Perfect Professional Email Signature Looks Like (Grammarly)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

WSU Halts Research into Marijuana Breath Test in Fear of Trump Administration Reversal on Pot Enforcement (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

How a Genealogy Website Led to the Alleged Golden State Killer (Atlantic Magazine)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Herrera Beutler Pushes Distillery Tribal Bill – Lawmaker Says 1834 Prohibition Stymies Opportunity (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

With 14 Ballots Left to Count, Races for Shelton City Council Decided (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason Transit Plans for Highway 3 Roundabout near Belfair (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Consultant Recommends Belfair Bypass Connectors (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Bill Cosby, Once Beloved ‘America’s Dad,’ Convicted of Sexual Assault (Reuters)

Shelton Fourth-Graders Take On High School Courses (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Three Questions for the Seahawks as the NFL Draft Enters Its Second Day (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Winning Wildlife Photo Disqualified Because of Suspected Fake Anteater

Theater Accidentally Plays Horror Movie Trailer before Peter Rabbit, Families Run Out Screaming

Brought Back to Life! Two of Four Kittens Saved from Chesapeake IHOP Fire

ABBA Announce First New Music Since 1982

SONG OF THE DAY

ABBA – Money, Money, Money

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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.