Energy News Digest for April 18, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 18, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/04/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for-april_18.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

U-S Senate Declares April 18 National Lineman’s Appreciation Day (American Public Power Association, Mason County PUD No. 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1208

Oregon Kills First Salmon-Eating Sea Lion of 2013 at Bonneville Dam (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/04/oregon_kills_first_salmon-eati.html

Bonneville Power Administration Plan Would Share Costs of Wind-Power Shutdown – BPA proposes to share the costs of shutting down wind turbines when energy production exceeds demand (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020803037_bpawindpowerxml.html?syndication=rss

Speed Matters — Google Fiber Brings One-Gig Internet to Provo, UT (Provo Daily Herald, UT)

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/what-google-fiber-means-for-provo-free-broadband-for-everyone/article_4879a53d-b76f-598c-a130-44b25db1b830.html

Facebooking with Coworkers? 40% Will Do Something Wrong (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2013/04/facebooking-with-coworkers-40-will.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• U-S Senate Declares April 18 National Lineman’s Appreciation Day
• Columbia River Treaty - Power Play among Friends
• Northern California Consumers Asked to Conserve Energy after Transformer Vandalism
• California Legislators Blast Public Utilities Commission - Safety & Utility Relationships Cited
• Hawaii Electric Light Company Looks to “Smart” Technology for Meter Reading
• Arizona Department of Public Safety Says Copper Thefts May Date Back to 2006
• American Public Power Association Stresses Importance of Municipal Bonds in Comments to House Panels
• Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order
• Electric Cable a Lifeline for Idled Symbol of Korean Cooperation
• Oregon Kills First Salmon-Eating Sea Lion of 2013 at Bonneville Dam
• Oregon Will Try to Trap Sea Lions That Have Gotten Through Bonneville Dam
• At First Foods Ceremonies along the Columbia River, Prized Spring Chinook is Scarce
• Bonneville Power Administration Considering Tribes' Proposed Hatchery
• Oregon Rivers Too Hot for Salmon? Deal Seeks Cooler Water
• Two Mason County Shellfish Areas Added to Threatened List
• West Richland Underbills Residents for Utility Services
• 'Elwha: A River Reborn' Tells Story of Dam Removal on Olympic Peninsula River
• Bonneville Power Administration Plan Would Share Costs of Wind-Power Shutdown
• Louisiana on the Brink of Dismantling Net Metering
• Rooftop Solar Vs. Utilities: The San Antonio Episode
• The Experts: How Should Governments Encourage Energy Conservation?
• Can We Afford a Carbon Tax?
• Kitsap Bank kicks off Go Green challenge on Earth Day
• Speed Matters — Google Fiber Brings One-Gig Internet to Provo, UT
• Buying iProvo - Google Fiber Takes On New Challenge: Obtaining an Already Existing System
• Telecom Companies Constantly Upgrade Networks
• Facebooking with Coworkers? 40% Will Do Something Wrong
• Just Who Uses Social Media? A Demographic Breakdown
• Five Things Kobe Bryant Can Teach Us about Social Media
• Why This Simple Government Website Was Named the Best Design of the Year
• Budgets Could Force Washington State Special Session
• Washington State Rep. DeBolt Steps Down as State House Republican Leader
• Inside Politics: How the Democrats Won the Election But Lost Olympia
• Texas: Fertilizer Plant Blast Injures Hundreds
• Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Captured in Terrifying Video
• It Could Happen: King County Prepares for Possible Bird Virus Pandemic
• 911 Operators Sound Alarm Over Washington State Lawmakers' Plan to Raid Budget
• Washington State's March Unemployment Rate Breaks Three-Month Holding Pattern
• Moses Lake Carbon Fiber Plant Readies Second Line for BMW

WORD OF THE DAY

Indissoluble • \inn-dih-SAWL-you-bull\ • Adjective - Incapable of being dissolved or disintegrated; especially: incapable of being annulled, undone, or broken: permanent

Little known story: while writing the lyrics for “South Pacific’s” “Gonna Wash That Man Right out of My Hair” the renowned artist Oscar Hammerstein II was having a follicular challenge of his own. His obsessive use of Brylcream had resulted in an indissoluble mass of the petroleum-based hair dressing which took industrial solvents to remove.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

U-S Senate Declares April 18 National Lineman’s Appreciation Day (American Public Power Association, Mason County PUD No. 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1208

Columbia River Treaty - Power Play among Friends (Portland Tribune, Or)

http://portlandtribune.com/sl/150352-columbia-river-treaty-power-play-among-friends-

Northern California Consumers Asked to Conserve Energy after Transformer Vandalism (NBC News)

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/16/17781936-northern-california-consumers-asked-to-conserve-energy-after-transformer-vandalism?lite

California Legislators Blast Public Utilities Commission - Safety & Utility Relationships Cited (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_23048161

Hawaii Electric Light Company Looks to “Smart” Technology for Meter Reading (Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Hilo, HI)

http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections/news/local-news/helco-looks-%E2%80%9Csmart%E2%80%9D-technology-meter-reading.html

Arizona Department of Public Safety Says Copper Thefts May Date Back to 2006 (Bloomberg News)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-04-17/ariz-dot-dps-says-copper-thefts-may-date-back-to-2006

American Public Power Association Stresses Importance of Municipal Bonds in Comments to House Panels (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=215337&issueID=26998

Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order “…conforms…to…pro forma tariff and…satisfies the requirements for reciprocity status…” (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/news/2013/04/17/washington-department-of-energy-bonneville-power-administration-notice-of-petition-for-declaratory-o.html

Electric Cable a Lifeline for Idled Symbol of Korean Cooperation (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/17/us-korea-north-kaesong-idUSBRE93G08O20130417

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Kills First Salmon-Eating Sea Lion of 2013 at Bonneville Dam (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/04/oregon_kills_first_salmon-eati.html

Oregon Will Try to Trap Sea Lions That Have Gotten Through Bonneville Dam (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/04/oregon_will_try_to_trap_sea_li.html

At First Foods Ceremonies along the Columbia River, Prized Spring Chinook is Scarce (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/04/at_first_foods_ceremonies_alon.html

Bonneville Power Administration Considering Tribes' Proposed Hatchery (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/bpa-considering-tribes-proposed-hatchery/

Oregon Rivers Too Hot for Salmon? Deal Seeks Cooler Water (Associated Press)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Oregon-rivers-too-hot-for-salmon-Deal-seeks-cooler-water-203059041.html

Two Mason County Shellfish Areas Added to Threatened List (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/9925

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

West Richland Underbills Residents for Utility Services (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/04/17/2360988/w-richland-underbills-residents.html

'Elwha: A River Reborn' tells story of dam removal on Olympic Peninsula river (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2013/04/elwha_a_river_reborn_tells_sto.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration Plan Would Share Costs of Wind-Power Shutdown – BPA proposes to share the costs of shutting down wind turbines when energy production exceeds demand (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020803037_bpawindpowerxml.html?syndication=rss

Louisiana on the Brink of Dismantling Net Metering (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/louisiana-on-the-brink-of-dismantling-net-metering?cmpid=rss

Rooftop Solar Vs. Utilities: The San Antonio Episode (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/climate-energy/rooftop-solar-vs-utilities-the-san-antonio-episode/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

The Experts: How Should Governments Encourage Energy Conservation? (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324030704578426930656340990.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Can We Afford a Carbon Tax? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/ecsjessica/210166/can-we-afford-carbon-tax

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Kitsap Bank kicks off Go Green challenge on Earth Day (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/business_daily/2013-04-17/kitsap_bank_kicks_off_go_green_challenge_on_earth_day

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Speed Matters — Google Fiber Brings One-Gig Internet to Provo, UT (Provo Daily Herald, UT)

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/what-google-fiber-means-for-provo-free-broadband-for-everyone/article_4879a53d-b76f-598c-a130-44b25db1b830.html

Buying iProvo - Google Fiber Takes On New Challenge: Obtaining an Already Existing System (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_23045919

Telecom Companies Constantly Upgrade Networks - Investment needed to outpace technology (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/18/companies-constantly-upgrade-networks/

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebooking with Coworkers? 40% Will Do Something Wrong (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2013/04/facebooking-with-coworkers-40-will.html

Just Who Uses Social Media? A Demographic Breakdown (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/04/12/social-media-demographic-breakdown/

Five Things Kobe Bryant Can Teach Us about Social Media (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/04/16/kobe-bryant-social-media/

Why This Simple Government Website Was Named the Best Design of the Year (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5994829/why-this-simple-government-website-was-named-the-best-design-of-the-year

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Budgets Could Force Washington State Special Session (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/18/budgets-could-force-special-session/

Washington State Rep. DeBolt Steps Down as State House Republican Leader (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/apr/17/rep-debolt-steps-down-state-house-republican-leade/

Inside Politics: How the Democrats Won the Election But Lost Olympia (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2013/04/18/washington-legislature/113957/how-democrats-won-election-lost-olympia/

GENERAL NEWS

Texas: Fertilizer Plant Blast Injures Hundreds (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0418/Texas-Fertilizer-plant-blast-injures-hundreds

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Captured in Terrifying Video (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/04/18/texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-viral-video/

It Could Happen: King County Prepares for Possible Bird Virus Pandemic (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/04/16/king-county-officials-prepare-for.html

911 Operators Sound Alarm Over Washington State Lawmakers' Plan to Raid Budget (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/911-operators-sound-alarm-over-plan-to-divert-funds-away-from-agency-203311121.html

Washington State's March Unemployment Rate Breaks Three-Month Holding Pattern (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/business_daily/2013-04-18/states_march_unemployment_rate_breaks_three_month_holding_pattern

Moses Lake Carbon Fiber Plant Readies Second Line for BMW “…BMW looked around the world to find a site where it could produce the carbon fiber without burning fossil fuels, and settled on Washington’s Grant County, with its low electricity costs due to the dams it operators on the Columbia River…” (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/04/17/bmwsgl-plant-in-grant-county-readies.html

DIVERSIONS

Mariners Offer Vegan Chili Cheese Dog

http://www.kgw.com/news/Mariners-offer-vegan-chili-cheese-dog-202153971.html

High-Tech Bathrooms - Bathrooms Have Quickly Become the Gee-Whiz Spaces of Tomorrow

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/graphics/lennox-2013/index.html

The Master Bedroom is No More - In Residential Real Estate, Bid Farewell to the 'Master Bedroom'

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2013/04/in-residential-real-estate-bid.html

George Beverly Shea Dies at 104; Stirring Singer at Billy Graham Revivals

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/arts/music/george-beverly-shea-billy-grahams-singer-dies-at-104.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

SONG OF THE DAY

George Beverly Shea - How Great Thou Art

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsrEscUUNMA

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.

Energy News Digest for April 17, 2013

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 17, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/04/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for-april_17.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Greenhouse Gas - Second Suit Targets California’s Cap-And-Trade Program (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/17/5347724/second-suit-targets-californias.html

Bonneville Power Administration Revises Oversupply Rate Proposal‏ (Albany Tribune, OR)

http://www.albanytribune.com/16042013-bpa-revises-oversupply-rate-proposal%E2%80%8F/

Conservation Groups Lists Rivers in Southern Oregon, Idaho as Most Endangered (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/conservation-groups-lists-rivers-southern-oregon-idaho-most-endangered

Tribe Closes Lake Quinault to Non-Tribal Fishing (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Tribe-closes-Lake-Quinault-to-non-tribal-fishing-203306121.html

Pend Oreille County to Get Broadband (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/17/in-brief-pend-oreille-county-to-get-broadband/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bonneville Power Administration Revises Oversupply Rate Proposal‏
• California - Power Trouble? Pacific Gas & Electric Substation Hit by Vandalism, Could Impact Valley Businesses
• Chelan PUD & Entiat Celebrate Launch of Improvements for City’s Popular Riverfront Park
• Deferrals Leave Duke Energy with No Federal Income Tax Payment
• Colorado - Boulder Chamber of Commerce Urges New City Vote on Municipalization
• Natural Gas Prices Rise from Historic Lows, Easing Pressure on Renewable Energy & Coal
• Pennsylvania - Montco Man Headed to State Prison for Stealing Copper from PECO Substations
• West Virginia - Copper Crisis: 911 Center Theft Unacceptable
• U-S Rethinks How to Respond to Nuclear Disaster
• A Clear, Comprehensive Overview of the U-S Electricity System
• Op/Ed - Should Utilities Be Required to Bury Power Lines to Protect Them?
• Tribe Closes Lake Quinault to Non-Tribal Fishing
• New Protections Proposed For Giant Pacific Octopus in Puget Sound
• Burien Whale Raising Stink; City Gets Job of Removing It
• Conservation Groups Lists Rivers in Southern Oregon, Idaho as Most Endangered
• Elwha: The Olympics’ Greatest River Being Restored & Reborn
• Colorado - Renewable Energy Bill Could Hurt Rural Co-Ops
• Wal-Mart Works to Cut $1 Billion from Annual Energy Costs
• Transformation of Industrial Energy Management Systems Could Benefit Utility Bottom Line
• Ten Energy Efficiency Tips for Your Spring Cleaning
• Do LED Bulbs Make Turkeys Happy? Minnesota Farmer Smiling Either Way
• Greenhouse Gas - Second Suit Targets California’s Cap-And-Trade Program
• A Portrait of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Panel: Ocean Acidification Threatening Sea Life Here
• Rural Electric Co-Ops Go Green
• Celebrate Earth Day at the Greenest Office Building in Your Neighborhood… And the World
• Pend Oreille County to Get Broadband
• Google Gmail, Drive & Other Services Disrupted for Some Users
• As FCC Chairman Leaves Post, Challenges Persist in Broadband Expansion
• America’s Broadband Networks Are ‘Passports to Economic & Social Citizenship’
• Why the Cloud is Threatened by Unprofitability
• Verizon to Extend Phone-Upgrade Waiting Period
• Wi-Fi-Phobes Flee to West Virginia Mountains
• U-S Internet Ad Revenue Grows 15 Percent in 2012
• Why Brands Should Be Human on Social Media
• Washington State Legislature - Final Push Made for $8.4 Billion Roads Plan
• Washington State Patrol Says Crime Lab Manager Falsified Work
• Circuit Board, Pressure Cooker Lid Recovered in Boston Bombing
• Image of Lake Stevens Runner in Boston Will Be Sports Illustrated Cover
• Seattle Playfield Knocked Out of Service by Massive Copper Theft
• Phone Companies No Longer Have to Print Directories
• 100th Anniversary of John Tornow’s Death; Site Dedication/Memorial
• Sunday April 21 - Grand Opening of Oakland Bay Park & Celebration of the 4th Annual Earth Day on Oakland Bay
• Nevada Buses Hundreds of Mentally Ill Patients to Cities around Country
• NBA Delays Vote on Kings’ Future in Sacramento

WORD OF THE DAY

Surd • \SERD\ • Adjective - 1: lacking sense: irrational 2: voiceless - used of speech sounds

Surd – Description of a person afraid of radio waves from Wi-Fi transmitters who calls “Papa Murphy’s” on their cellphone to place a pickup order for a family sized cowboy pizza on de-light crust. Then spends the next half hour on the cell phone (while driving to the store) talking about their upcoming twentieth tanning session.

Word Origin via Merriam Webster Dictionary - Both “surd” and its more common cousin “absurd” come from the Latin word “surdus,” meaning “unhearing, deaf, muffled, or dull.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Revises Oversupply Rate Proposal‏ (Albany Tribune, OR)

http://www.albanytribune.com/16042013-bpa-revises-oversupply-rate-proposal%E2%80%8F/

California - Power Trouble? Pacific Gas & Electric Substation Hit by Vandalism, Could Impact Valley Businesses (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/04/16/power-trouble-pge-substation-vandalism.html

Chelan PUD & Entiat Celebrate Launch of Improvements for City’s Popular Riverfront Park (North Central Washington TV)

http://www.ncwtv.com/chelan-pud-and-entiat-celebrate-launch-of-improvements-for-citys-popular-riverfront-park-6813/

Deferrals Leave Duke Energy with No Federal Income Tax Payment (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/power_city/2013/04/deferrals-leave-duke-energy-no-federal.html

Colorado - Boulder Chamber of Commerce Urges New City Vote on Municipalization (Boulder Daily Camera, CO)

http://www.dailycamera.com/energy/ci_23032914/boulder-chamber-urges-new-city-vote-municipalization

Natural Gas Prices Rise from Historic Lows, Easing Pressure on Renewable Energy & Coal (Associated Press)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/natural-gas-prices-rise-from-historic-lows-easing-pressure-on-renewable-energy-and-coal/2013/04/17/6f7bd9f6-a76d-11e2-9e1c-bb0fb0c2edd9_story.html

Pennsylvania - Montco Man Headed to State Prison for Stealing Copper from PECO Substations (Journal-Register, Admore, PA)

http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2013/04/16/region/doc516da90a13b90153319232.txt

West Virginia - Copper Crisis: 911 Center Theft Unacceptable (Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV)

http://bdtonline.com/editorials/x437164589/Copper-crisis

U-S Rethinks How to Respond to Nuclear Disaster (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/15/science/earth/new-rules-for-us-nuclear-disaster-response.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

A Clear, Comprehensive Overview of the U-S Electricity System (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/climate-energy/a-simple-visual-overview-of-the-u-s-electricity-system/

Op/Ed - Should Utilities Be Required to Bury Power Lines to Protect Them? (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323478004578302242864478774.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

FISH & WILDLIFE

Tribe Closes Lake Quinault to Non-Tribal Fishing (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Tribe-closes-Lake-Quinault-to-non-tribal-fishing-203306121.html

New Protections Proposed For Giant Pacific Octopus in Puget Sound (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/new-protections-proposed-giant-pacific-octopus-puget-sound

Burien Whale Raising Stink; City Gets Job of Removing It (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020787585_deadwhalexml.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Conservation Groups Lists Rivers in Southern Oregon, Idaho as Most Endangered (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/conservation-groups-lists-rivers-southern-oregon-idaho-most-endangered

Elwha: The Olympics’ Greatest River Being Restored & Reborn (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Elwha-The-Olympics-greatest-river-being-4431019.php

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Colorado - Renewable Energy Bill Could Hurt Rural Co-Ops (Fort Morgan Times, CO)

http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/fort-morgan-local-news/ci_23014165/renewable-energy-bill-could-hurt-rural-co-ops

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Wal-Mart Works to Cut $1 Billion from Annual Energy Costs (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/business_daily/2013-04-17/walmart_works_to_cut_1_billion_from_annual_energy_costs

Transformation of Industrial Energy Management Systems Could Benefit Utility Bottom Line (Fierce Energy)

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/transformation-iems-could-benefit-utility-bottom-line/2013-04-16

10 Energy Efficiency Tips for Your Spring Cleaning (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/04/10-energy-efficiency-tips-for-your-spring-cleaning/

Do LED Bulbs Make Turkeys Happy? Minnesota Farmer Smiling Either Way (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2013/04/17/do-led-bulbs-make-turkeys-happy-minnesota-farmer-smiling-either-way/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Greenhouse Gas - Second Suit Targets California’s Cap-And-Trade Program (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/17/5347724/second-suit-targets-californias.html

A Portrait of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/blog/ecotrope/a-portrait-of-our-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

Panel: Ocean Acidification Threatening Sea Life Here (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130416/NEWS/304169990/panel-ocean-acidification-threatening-sea-life-here

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Rural Electric Co-Ops Go Green - Electric cooperatives have served rural Americans for generations. Some are taking advantage of their member-owned status to begin weaning their regions off of fossil fuels (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/Change-Agent/2013/0415/Rural-electric-co-ops-go-green

Celebrate Earth Day at the Greenest Office Building in Your Neighborhood… And the World (Central District News, Seattle, WA)

http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2013/04/celebrate-earth-day-at-the-greenest-office-building-in-your-neighborhood-and-the-world/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pend Oreille County to Get Broadband (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/17/in-brief-pend-oreille-county-to-get-broadband/

Google Gmail, Drive & Other Services Disrupted for Some Users (Financial Post, Canada)

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/17/gmail-drive-and-other-google-services-disrupted-for-some/

As FCC Chairman Leaves Post, Challenges Persist in Broadband Expansion (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bna.com/fcc-chairman-leaves-n17179873392/

America’s Broadband Networks Are ‘Passports to Economic & Social Citizenship’ (Huffington Post)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-m-burns/americas-broadband-networ_b_3072665.html

Why the Cloud is Threatened by Unprofitability (GigaOm)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/15/cloud-computing-minyanville/2084039/

Verizon to Extend Phone-Upgrade Waiting Period (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_23015451

Wi-Fi-Phobes Flee to West Virginia Mountains (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/WiFiPhobes-Flee-to-West-Virginia-Mountains-123889

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

U-S Internet Ad Revenue Grows 15 Percent in 2012 (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/US-Internet-ad-revenue-grows-15-percent-in-2012-4438420.php

Why Brands Should Be Human on Social Media (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/04/16/humanize-brand-social/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Legislature - Final Push Made for $8.4 Billion Roads Plan (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130417/NEWS01/704179922

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Patrol Says Crime Lab Manager Falsified Work (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/State-crime-lab-manager-resigns-amid-investigation-203214851.html

Circuit Board, Pressure Cooker Lid Recovered in Boston Bombing (Associated Press)

http://www.katu.com/news/national/Circuit-board-pressure-cooker-lid-recovered-in-Boston-bombing-203392311.html

Image of Lake Stevens Runner in Boston Will Be Sports Illustrated Cover (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Lake-Stevens-runner-boston-marathon-explosion-203112371.html

Seattle Playfield Knocked Out of Service by Massive Copper Theft (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Seattle-playfield-knocked-out-of-service-by-massive-copper-theft-203301011.html

Phone Companies No Longer Have to Print Directories (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/04/17/2560626/phone-companies-no-longer-have.html?storylink=rss

100th Anniversary of John Tornow’s Death; Site Dedication/Memorial (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/54751-100th-anniversary-of-john-tornows-death-site-dedicationmemorial

Sunday April 21 - Grand Opening of Oakland Bay Park & Celebration of the 4th Annual Earth Day on Oakland Bay (Mason County PUD No. 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1207

Nevada Buses Hundreds of Mentally Ill Patients to Cities around Country (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/14/5340078/nevada-buses-hundreds-of-mentally.html

NBA Delays Vote on Kings’ Future in Sacramento (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/17/5347837/nba-delays-vote-on-kings-future.html

DIVERSIONS

It’s Official: Just the Taste of Beer Makes Your Brain Happy

http://grist.org/food/its-official-just-the-taste-of-beer-makes-our-brains-happy-crack/

(“Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy” -- Benjamin Franklin. Note: the actual quote was attributed to wine, but some wit changed it to beer. The sentiment is still a nice one: “…We hear of the conversion of water into wine at the marriage in Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made every day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy. The miracle in question was only performed to hasten the operation, under circumstances of present necessity, which required it…” – In a letter dated 1779, while in Paris, France.)

Pat Summerall, Legendary NFL Announcer, Dies at 82

http://q13fox.com/2013/04/16/pat-summerall-legendary-nfl-announcer-dies-at-82/

Prankster Pretends to Pee on Rich Guy’s Ferrari after He Illegally Parks in Handicap Spot (PG-13 Content)

http://gawker.com/5994672/prankster-pretends-to-pee-on-rich-guys-ferrari-after-he-parks-in-handicap-spot

Most Kids Curse Before They Learn the Alphabet - Foul-mouthed parents are largely to blame, according to a new book

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/14/children-swearing/2082137/

SONG OF THE DAY

NFL Films Theme song - Classic Battle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p30QHbD8018

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.