Monday, December 17, 2018

Energy News Digest for December 17, 2018

The Hot Shots edition of the news digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

To subscribe to the Energy News Digest, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS






HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Here We Go Again: Next Round of Storms Arrives in Washington State Today (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Assessing the Damage: Port Angeles, Others to Start Adding Up Costs of Wind Storm (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Plan for Public Group to Buy Avista Has Major Obstacles (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Lost in the Shuffle of the Inslee Budget: A Washington State Broadband Office (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Expert Skeptical of Washington State’s Orca-Saving Proposal (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Assessing the Damage: Port Angeles, Others to Start Adding Up Costs of Wind Storm
2.      Plan for Public Group to Buy Avista Has Major Obstacles
3.      Would a $2 Billion Gas-To-Methanol Plant in Washington State Help Combat Climate Change?
4.      Portland General Electric: Who Will Pay More, or Less, on Their Bill in 2019
5.      Pacific Gas & Electric Falsified Gas Pipeline Records for Years after Deadly Explosion, Regulators Say
6.      Idaho Test Reactor Is Pivotal in U-S Nuclear Power Strategy
7.      Op/Ed: The Small Modular Reactor Revolution
8.      Conclusion of the Fourth Round of Negotiations to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime
9.      Editorial: Don’t Let the Window Close on a Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Storage Deal
10.   Fall River Electric Names New Member Service Manager
11.   TransCanada Sells U-S Power Plant in Arizona to Southwest Generation for $623 Million
12.   Why the Lights Keep Going Out in South Africa
13.   Cambodia’s Biggest Hydropower Dam Now Producing Electricity
14.   ‘We’re Sounding the Alarm’: Half of Canada’s Chinook Salmon Endangered
15.   Brown Trout Reduce Native Cutthroat Numbers, Study Finds
16.   Seventeen Fish Farms Could All Be Phased Out under New Agreement between British Columbia Government, First Nations
17.   Northwest Power & Conservation Council Recommends BPA Funding For 25 Existing Basin F&W Research Projects Reviewed by Science Panel
18.   Op/Ed: Shellfish Farming, The Lifeblood of Pacific County, Faces Extinction
19.   Lamprey: The World’s Most Terrifying Fish
20.   Expert Skeptical of Washington State’s Orca-Saving Proposal
21.   What If Dams Are Torn Down to Save Orcas? Washington State Governor Inslee Wants to Spend $750,000 to Find Out
22.   State Discusses Killing Seals & Sea Lions in Puget Sound – Aid for Orcas?
23.   Op/Ed: Why Utilities Are Making a Necessary Foray into Renewables
24.   Lost in the Shuffle of the Inslee Budget: A Washington State Broadband Office
25.   Lead Balloon: California Scraps Plan to Tax Text Messages
26.   Gotchas in the e-Connectivity Grant Program
27.   The Future of American Broadband Is a Comcast Monopoly
28.   Google To Spend $1 Billion on New Campus in New York
29.   Government Regulation May Spell Demise of Cryptocurrencies
30.   California Requires New City Buses to Be Electric by 2029
31.   Don’t Overload Your Extension Cords or Outlets This Season
32.   California Cedes Water to Feds in Delta Deal with Trump
33.   With Emissions on the Rise, Oregon Falls Well Short of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals
34.   Will 2019 Be the Year Oregon Gets Climate Change Bill to Finish Line?
35.   Teen Activist Says Leaders Not ‘Mature Enough’ to Take Action on Climate Change
36.   Pacific Power Greens Holiday Lights with Renewable Energy
37.   Idaho Rep. Nilsson Troy Looks to Legalize Hemp under New Farm Bill Guidelines
38.   Marijuana Pesticide Contamination Worries Oregon Farmers
39.   Heart Attacks Most Likely Happen at This Time on Christmas Eve, Study Says
40.   New Report on Russian Disinformation, prepared for the U-S Senate, Shows the Operation’s Scale & Sweep
41.   Here We Go Again: Next Round of Storms Arrives in Washington State Today
42.   Flood Warning Continues for Skokomish River in Mason County
43.   Atmospheric River Headed to Oregon & Southwest Washington
44.   Salem Public Library Halts Book Removal Campaign after Backlash

WORD OF THE DAY

Epitome ● /ih-PIT-oh-mee/ ● Noun – 1a: a summary of a written work b: a brief presentation or statement of something 2: a typical or ideal example: EMBODIMENT 3: brief or miniature form.

The late Gary Owens (he of radio & Laugh In fame) was the epitome of what a radio announcer should be. We will never see his like again.
Gary Owens - Golden Voice Announcers School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cd2Otu8Xq8

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    Assessing the Damage: Port Angeles, Others to Start Adding Up Costs of Wind Storm (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

2.    Plan for Public Group to Buy Avista Has Major Obstacles (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

3.    Would a $2 Billion Gas-To-Methanol Plant in Washington State Help Combat Climate Change? (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

4.    Portland General Electric: Who Will Pay More, or Less, on Their Bill in 2019 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

5.    Pacific Gas & Electric Falsified Gas Pipeline Records for Years after Deadly Explosion, Regulators Say (Los Angeles Times, CA)

6.    Idaho Test Reactor Is Pivotal in U-S Nuclear Power Strategy (Associated Press)

7.    Op/Ed: The Small Modular Reactor Revolution (Morning Consult)

8.    Conclusion of the Fourth Round of Negotiations to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime (STL News)

9.    Editorial: Don’t Let the Window Close on a Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Storage Deal (Los Angeles Times, CA)

10. Fall River Electric Names New Member Service Manager (MDJ Online)

11. TransCanada Sells U-S Power Plant in Arizona to Southwest Generation for $623 Million (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

12. Why the Lights Keep Going Out in South Africa (Bloomberg News)

13. Cambodia’s Biggest Hydropower Dam Now Producing Electricity (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

14. ‘We’re Sounding the Alarm’: Half of Canada’s Chinook Salmon Endangered (The Guardian, UK)

15. Brown Trout Reduce Native Cutthroat Numbers, Study Finds (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

16. Seventeen Fish Farms Could All Be Phased Out under New Agreement between British Columbia Government, First Nations (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

17. Northwest Power & Conservation Council Recommends BPA Funding For 25 Existing Basin F&W Research Projects Reviewed by Science Panel (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

18. Op/Ed: Shellfish Farming, The Lifeblood of Pacific County, Faces Extinction (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

19. Lamprey: The World’s Most Terrifying Fish (Medium, Science)

ORCA ONTOLOGY

20. Expert Skeptical of Washington State’s Orca-Saving Proposal (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)


21. What If Dams Are Torn Down to Save Orcas? Washington State Governor Inslee Wants to Spend $750,000 to Find Out (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

22. State Discusses Killing Seals & Sea Lions in Puget Sound – Aid for Orcas? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

23. Op/Ed: Why Utilities Are Making a Necessary Foray into Renewables (The Hill, Washington, DC)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

24. Lost in the Shuffle of the Inslee Budget: A Washington State Broadband Office (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

25. Lead Balloon: California Scraps Plan to Tax Text Messages (Los Angeles Times, CA)



27. The Future of American Broadband Is a Comcast Monopoly (Motherboard)

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY

28. Google To Spend $1 Billion on New Campus in New York (Reuters)

29. Government Regulation May Spell Demise of Cryptocurrencies (SF Chronicle)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

30. California Requires New City Buses to Be Electric by 2029 (NY Times)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

31. Don’t Overload Your Extension Cords or Outlets This Season (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

32. California Cedes Water to Feds in Delta Deal with Trump (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

33. With Emissions on the Rise, Oregon Falls Well Short of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals (Oregonian, Portland)

34. Will 2019 Be the Year Oregon Gets Climate Change Bill to Finish Line? (Oregonian, Portland)

35. Teen Activist Says Leaders Not ‘Mature Enough’ to Take Action on Climate Change (Washington Post)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

36. Pacific Power Greens Holiday Lights with Renewable Energy (KVTZ-TV, Bend, OR)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

37. Idaho Rep. Nilsson Troy Looks to Legalize Hemp under New Farm Bill Guidelines (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

38. Marijuana Pesticide Contamination Worries Oregon Farmers (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

39. Heart Attacks Most Likely Happen at This Time on Christmas Eve, Study Says (USA Today)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

40. New Report on Russian Disinformation, prepared for the U-S Senate, Shows the Operation’s Scale & Sweep (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

GENERAL NEWS

41. Here We Go Again: Next Round of Storms Arrives in Washington State Today (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

42. Flood Warning Continues for Skokomish River in Mason County (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

43. Atmospheric River Headed to Oregon & Southwest Washington (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

44. Salem Public Library Halts Book Removal Campaign after Backlash (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Top of Mind: ‘Justice’ Is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year

Trucker Saves Dogs Thrown from Vehicle on New York Highway

Cat Mistakenly Shipped More Than 700 Miles from Home after Sneaking into Box

Parrot Who Has Made Friends with Its Owner’s Alexa Keeps Accidentally Ordering Things on Amazon... From Fruit & Veg to a Kite

SONG OF THE DAY

Canned Heat - On the Road Again

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.