Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Energy News Digest for May 27, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for May 27, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

U-S Plants Prepare Long-Term Nuclear Waste Storage - With plans for Yucca Mountain repository scrapped, some plants are building their own storage (Associated Press)

Seven States Running Out of Water (USA Today)

Governments Await Obama’s Move on Carbon to Gauge U-S Climate Efforts (NY Times)

Related to Highway 3 Project - Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage in Belfair for Relocation of High Voltage Power Pole (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Court Approves FCC Plan to Subsidize Rural Broadband Service (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • U-S Plants Prepare Long-Term Nuclear Waste Storage - With plans for Yucca Mountain repository scrapped, some plants are building their own storage
  • Related to Highway 3 Project - Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage in Belfair for Relocation of High Voltage Power Pole
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission Releases Proposed Rule to Provide Relief to Public Power Utilities
  • Boundary Dam Prepared to Offer Stunning Tours
  • Film Critical of River Dams to Be Screened Thursday in Port Townsend
  • Delay EPA Power Plant Rules, U-S Senators Demand
  • Federal Court Throws Out FERC Effort to Boost Demand Response
  • Cooperatives Scores Higher than Municipal Utilities
  • Big Stakes in Debate over Fish Consumption in Washington State
  • Researcher Draws Connection between Climate Change & Harmful Hybridization of Native Trout
  • Seven States Running Out of Water
  • Portland Boil Water Alert: Advisory Is Cancelled, But Questions Persist
  • Industrial Growth: Columbia’s Deeper Channel Is a Magnet for Big Business
  • Oregon: Closed Cave Junction Mill Rehires Many of Its Workers - will fire up its biomass burners, which are used to dry wood & generate electricity
  • Bonneville Moving Ahead on Transmission Aimed at Boosting Wind Energy Flow
  • Kansas: Wind War’s Total - Nearly Half-Million in Lobbying Dollars
  • Wind Turbines Popping Up on New York Roofs, Along with Questions of Efficiency “…A tiny windmill on a big building is just silly — it might as well be a pinwheel…”
  • Non-Hydro Renewables Outproduce Hydro for First Time Ever – But It’s also Non-Firm Power
  • ‘Home-Made’ Electricity Creating Buzz in Germany
  • Lighting is a ‘Gateway Drug to Energy Efficiency’
  • Cable Converters Are Electricity Hogs, Critics Say
  • How Much Did Nest Labs Save Utilities Last Summer?
  • What Is the State of the US Smart Grid Market?
  • Bulb of the Pharaoh: Egypt Takes Authoritarian Approach to Efficiency
  • Governments Await Obama’s Move on Carbon to Gauge U-S Climate Efforts
  • Scientists Say California Drought Causing Tule Fog to Disappear from Central Valley
  • Why the Best Path to a Low-Carbon Future is Not Wind or Solar Power
  • Tech Five: Google, Apple Entering Smart Home Market?
  • Two High-Profile Sustainability Jobs Open in Portland
  • Court Approves FCC Plan to Subsidize Rural Broadband Service
  • North Thurston Schools Embrace Wi-Fi
  • Europe’s Order to Mute Google Angers U-S
  • Report: Twitter Will Have Nearly 400 Million Users by 2018
  • Spring Clean Your Website Content for Better Summertime Results
  • Put Communications Front & Center at Your Co-op
  • Iranian Judge Summons Facebook CEO for Breach of Privacy
  • How One Girl’s Goofy Self-Portraits Became a Viral Hit
  • Power Outage, Property Damage: Port Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to 2013 Bulldozer Rampage
  • Snohomish Teen’s ‘Tunnel Game’ Caused Brutal Accident, Police Say
  • Tent Caterpillars Set Up Camp in Western Washington
WORD OF THE DAY

Bowdlerize • \BODE-lu-rise\ • Verb - To change by removing parts that could offend people.

Stalin was ecstatic with the final draft of his bowdlerized autobiography. “I especially like how you airbrushed those pesky purges from this most excellent volume,” he purred to his ghostwriter. Unbeknownst to the wispy, pasty-faced clerk, he was only a few days from literally becoming a “ghost writer.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

U-S Plants Prepare Long-Term Nuclear Waste Storage - With plans for Yucca Mountain repository scrapped, some plants are building their own storage (Associated Press)

Related to Highway 3 Project - Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage in Belfair for Relocation of High Voltage Power Pole (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Releases Proposed Rule to Provide Relief to Public Power Utilities (American Public Power Association)

Boundary Dam Prepared to Offer Stunning Tours (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Film Critical of River Dams to Be Screened Thursday in Port Townsend (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Delay EPA Power Plant Rules, U-S Senators Demand (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Federal Court Throws Out FERC Effort to Boost Demand Response (Power Magazine)

Cooperatives Scores Higher than Municipal Utilities (Independence, IA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Big Stakes in Debate over Fish Consumption in Washington State (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Researcher Draws Connection between Climate Change & Harmful Hybridization of Native Trout (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Seven States Running Out of Water (USA Today)

Portland Boil Water Alert: Advisory Is Cancelled, But Questions Persist (Oregonian, Portland)

Industrial Growth: Columbia’s Deeper Channel Is a Magnet for Big Business (Longview Daily News, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon: Closed Cave Junction Mill Rehires Many of Its Workers - will fire up its biomass burners, which are used to dry wood & generate electricity (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Bonneville Moving Ahead on Transmission Aimed at Boosting Wind Energy Flow (SNL Financial)

Kansas: Wind War’s Total - Nearly Half-Million in Lobbying Dollars (Topeka Capital-Journal, KS)

Wind Turbines Popping Up on New York Roofs, Along with Questions of Efficiency “…A tiny windmill on a big building is just silly — it might as well be a pinwheel…” (NY Times)

Non-Hydro Renewables Outproduce Hydro for First Time Ever – But It’s also Non-Firm Power (Renewable Energy World)

‘Home-Made’ Electricity Creating Buzz in Germany (CTV News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Lighting is a ‘Gateway Drug to Energy Efficiency’ (The Energy Collective)

Cable Converters Are Electricity Hogs, Critics Say (Orlando Sentinel, FL)

How Much Did Nest Labs Save Utilities Last Summer? (The Energy Collective)

What Is the State of the US Smart Grid Market? (Renewable Energy World)

Bulb of the Pharaoh: Egypt Takes Authoritarian Approach to Efficiency (Forbes Magazine)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Governments Await Obama’s Move on Carbon to Gauge U-S Climate Efforts (NY Times)

Scientists Say California Drought Causing Tule Fog to Disappear from Central Valley (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Why the Best Path to a Low-Carbon Future is Not Wind or Solar Power (Brookings Institution)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tech Five: Google, Apple Entering Smart Home Market? (USA Today)

Two High-Profile Sustainability Jobs Open in Portland (Sustainable Business Oregon)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Court Approves FCC Plan to Subsidize Rural Broadband Service (NY Times)

North Thurston Schools Embrace Wi-Fi (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

Europe’s Order to Mute Google Angers U-S (Associated Press)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Report: Twitter Will Have Nearly 400 Million Users by 2018 (Mashable)

​Spring Clean Your Website Content for Better Summertime Results (The Business Journals)

Put Communications Front & Center at Your Co-op (Electric Co-op Today)

Iranian Judge Summons Facebook CEO for Breach of Privacy (Reuters)

How One Girl’s Goofy Self-Portraits Became a Viral Hit (Reviewed.com)

GENERAL NEWS

Power Outage, Property Damage: Port Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to 2013 Bulldozer Rampage (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Snohomish Teen’s ‘Tunnel Game’ Caused Brutal Accident, Police Say (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Tent Caterpillars Set Up Camp in Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

The Making of NASA’s Global Selfie: 100+ Countries, Thousands of Photos

Nepal Probes If Chinese Woman Used Helicopter on Everest Climb

“Weed Fairy” Visits Seattle & Leaves a Trail

HUH? Washingtonians apparently love Judas Priest, Pho & Unicorn tattoos

SONG OF THE DAY

Electric Light Orchestra - All Over the World

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.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Energy News Digest for May 23, 2014

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:

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for May 23, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Proposal Calls for Removal of Enloe Dam - No discussion of proposal planned at Tuesday meeting by Okanogan PUD (Omak Chronicle, WA)

It’s Time to Save the Pacific Northwest’s Crumbling Hydropower Dams (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Renewable Energy Causes Static on the Electric Grid “…Iberdrola is participating in a pilot project with Bonneville Power Administration…” (Washington Examiner, DC)

Facebook-Commissioned Study Says Oregon Data Center is Good for the Economy (GigaOM)

Washington State Governor: Fuel Standard Won’t Push Gas Prices Up $1 per Gallon (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Proposal Calls for Removal of Enloe Dam - No discussion of proposal planned at Tuesday meeting by Okanogan PUD
  • It’s Time to Save the Pacific Northwest’s Crumbling Hydropower Dams
  • Power Restored After Outage on Camano Island – Farmer Clips Guy Wire
  • Following Planned Outage: Power Restored to Mason County Customers
  • Fitch Rates Cowlitz PUD Bonds ‘A’
  • Anti-Coal Activist Burr Wants Whatcom PUD Commission Seat
  • Power Company Burns Down Couple’s House during Cancer Treatment
  • Florida:  Authorities Say Spring Hill Man Stole More Than $18,000 of Electricity
  • Tough Winter Boosted Heating Bills, But Consumers Spent Less on Gasoline
  • Commodity Conundrum - NERC Highlights Risks of Increased Gas Dependence
  • Electric Slide: A Look at U-S Energy Consumption by Sector
  • Idaho: South Fork Salmon & Upper Salmon Rivers’ Chinook Season Opens June 21
  • Washington State Officials Keep Watch on Snohomish County Mudslide’s Effect on Fish
  • New Bill Looks to Halt Ocean Acidification & Save Local Shellfish
  • Bureau of Reclamation Issues Policy Prohibiting Use of Federal Water for Marijuana Cultivation, But Policy May Lack Teeth
  • Examining Past, Future of Idaho’s Water Issues
  • Appeals Court Says Chelan PUD is Not Immune from Wenatchee B&O Tax
  • California Drought Will Hit Cost of Rice Hardest
  • 100th Anniversary Celebrating for Three Mile Dam across Umatilla River
  • How Good Government Made That Glass of Water You’ll Drink Today, Safe Enough to Consume
  • Renewable Energy Causes Static on the Electric Grid
  • Alaska: Nome Wind Turbine Collapses; Exact Cause Still Unknown
  • South Sound Solar’s Perspective on Choosing a Solar Installer & Products
  • Moses Lake:  Students Learn About Energy at Solar Races
  • Utahns Protest Proposed Fee for Solar Panel Users
  • First Quarter of 2014:  Clean Jobs Down from Same Period in 2013
  • Electricity Use Slashed with Efficiency Controls for Heating, Cooling
  • Annual Conference Is Breeding Ground for Energy Efficiency Ideas
  • PS4, Xbox One Are Energy Hogs, Add Up to “Several Power Plants of Electricity,” New Report Finds
  • Illinois:  Hinsdale Central Students Present at Energy Conservation Challenge
  • Washington State Governor: Fuel Standard Won’t Push Gas Prices Up $1 per Gallon
  • Australia’s Pollution U-Turn Threatening UN Climate Talks
  • People in Straw Houses ... Have Made a Smart, Green Choice
  • Facebook-Commissioned Study Says Oregon Data Center is Good for the Economy
  • Seattle Residents Are Ditching Cable, But Most Have Internet at Home
  • Cable Continues to Dominate U-S Broadband
  • Olympic National Park to Add New Fiber Connection to Hurricane Ridge Road
  • The Switchboard: Google Fiber: We Don’t Do ‘Fast Lanes’
  • Here’s How Terrible U-S Broadband Service Really Is
  • Top Ten Reasons Broadband Internet Is Not a Public Utility
  • GM Recall Investigation Reveals List of Words - Like ‘Defect’ - That Employees Shouldn’t Use
  • Biz Break: Google Passes Apple as World’s Most Valuable Brand
  • Pack of Teens Caught in Mason County Crime Spree
  • One More Body Found in Rubble of March Washington State Mudslide
  • Byrd Withdraws From Race for Mason County Commissioner
  • Census: Seattle is the Fastest-Growing Big City in the U-S
  • Proposed Pot Processing Plant Ousting Oak Harbor Businesses
  • Controversy Stirred at the Gorge Amphitheater
  • Man Sets Himself Ablaze While Trying to Vacuum Up Fuel Spill
  • Shelton Looks to Stay Lucky at Baseball Regionals
WORD OF THE DAY

Dibble • \DIB-bull\ • Noun - A small hand implement used to make holes in the ground for plants, seeds, or bulbs.

Dibble makes the hole
Gardener nurtures the seed
In time, nature blooms

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Proposal Calls for Removal of Enloe Dam - No discussion of proposal planned at Tuesday meeting by Okanogan PUD (Omak Chronicle, WA)

It’s Time to Save the Pacific Northwest’s Crumbling Hydropower Dams (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Power Restored After Outage on Camano Island – Farmer Clips Guy Wire (Everett Herald, WA)

Following Planned Outage: Power Restored to Mason County Customers (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Fitch Rates Cowlitz PUD Bonds ‘A’ (Yahoo! Finance)

Anti-Coal Activist Burr Wants Whatcom PUD Commission Seat (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Power Company Burns Down Couple’s House during Cancer Treatment (Consumerist)

Florida:  Authorities Say Spring Hill Man Stole More Than $18,000 of Electricity (Tampa Bay Times, FL)

Tough Winter Boosted Heating Bills, But Consumers Spent Less on Gasoline (America’s Markets)

Commodity Conundrum - NERC Highlights Risks of Increased Gas Dependence (World Coal)

Electric Slide: A Look at U-S Energy Consumption by Sector (The Energy Collective)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho: South Fork Salmon & Upper Salmon Rivers’ Chinook Season Opens June 21 (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Washington State Officials Keep Watch on Snohomish County Mudslide’s Effect on Fish (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

New Bill Looks to Halt Ocean Acidification & Save Local Shellfish (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Bureau of Reclamation Issues Policy Prohibiting Use of Federal Water for Marijuana Cultivation, But Policy May Lack Teeth (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Examining Past, Future of Idaho’s Water Issues - After 27 years, the state is near the end of a legal review on ownership of a precious resource (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Appeals Court Says Chelan PUD is Not Immune from Wenatchee B&O Tax (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

California Drought Will Hit Cost of Rice Hardest (Sacramento Bee, CA)

100th Anniversary Celebrating for Three Mile Dam across Umatilla River (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

How Good Government Made That Glass of Water You’ll Drink Today, Safe Enough to Consume (Sky Valley Chronicle, Monroe, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Renewable Energy Causes Static on the Electric Grid “…Iberdrola is participating in a pilot project with Bonneville Power Administration…” (Washington Examiner, DC)

Alaska: Nome Wind Turbine Collapses; Exact Cause Still Unknown (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

South Sound Solar’s Perspective on Choosing a Solar Installer & Products (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Moses Lake:  Students Learn About Energy at Solar Races (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Utahns Protest Proposed Fee for Solar Panel Users (KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT)

First Quarter of 2014:  Clean Jobs Down from Same Period in 2013 (Clean Energy Works for Us)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Electricity Use Slashed with Efficiency Controls for Heating, Cooling “…research was supported by DOE…and the Bonneville Power Administration…”

Annual Conference Is Breeding Ground for Energy Efficiency Ideas (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

PS4, Xbox One Are Energy Hogs, Add Up to “Several Power Plants of Electricity,” New Report Finds (GameSpot)

Illinois:  Hinsdale Central Students Present at Energy Conservation Challenge (Chicago Sun-Times, IL)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Governor: Fuel Standard Won’t Push Gas Prices Up $1 per Gallon (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Australia’s Pollution U-Turn Threatening UN Climate Talks (Bloomberg News)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

People in Straw Houses ... Have Made a Smart, Green Choice (Forbes Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Facebook-Commissioned Study Says Oregon Data Center is Good for the Economy (GigaOM)

Seattle Residents Are Ditching Cable, But Most Have Internet at Home (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Cable Continues to Dominate U-S Broadband (Broadband Reports)

Olympic National Park to Add New Fiber Connection to Hurricane Ridge Road (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

The Switchboard: Google Fiber: We Don’t Do ‘Fast Lanes’ (GigaOM)

Here’s How Terrible U-S Broadband Service Really Is (The Daily Dot – Beware of some PG-13 content)

Top Ten Reasons Broadband Internet Is Not a Public Utility (The Heartland Institute, of Course)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

GM Recall Investigation Reveals List of Words - Like ‘Defect’ - That Employees Shouldn’t Use (Associated Press)

Biz Break: Google Passes Apple as World’s Most Valuable Brand (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

GENERAL NEWS

Pack of Teens Caught in Mason County Crime Spree (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

One More Body Found in Rubble of March Washington State Mudslide (Reuters)

Byrd Withdraws From Race for Mason County Commissioner (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Census: Seattle is the Fastest-Growing Big City in the U-S (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Proposed Pot Processing Plant Ousting Oak Harbor Businesses (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Controversy Stirred at the Gorge Amphitheater (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Man Sets Himself Ablaze While Trying to Vacuum Up Fuel Spill (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Shelton Looks to Stay Lucky at Baseball Regionals (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

DIVERSIONS

Mummified Mammoth: Can We Clone This Critter?

$68 Million Mistake: France’s New Trains Don’t Fit in Stations

Levi CEO: Don’t Wash Your Blue Jeans

Depressed Goat Ends Hunger Strike after Reunion with Donkey Friend

SONG OF THE DAY

Henry Mancini - Baby Elephant Walk

David Beckingham - Baby Elephant Walk

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.