Energy News Digest for February 10, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for February 10, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/lv833aa

Landslide Danger – Special Weather Statement

http://tinyurl.com/ofus42f

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

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Minority Groups Back Energy Companies in Fight against Solar Power “…Low-income households…paying higher…bills to subsidize solar arrays that only wealthier people can afford…” (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-solar-race-20150209-story.html

British Columbia: Sea Lion Flash Mobs Prey on Fishermen’s Catch (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/lion+flash+mobs+prey+fishermen+catch/10800488/story.html

Avista Seeking Washington State Rate Hikes in 2016 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/feb/10/avista-seeking-washington-rate-hikes-in-2016/

Lawsuit Over Ocean Acidification in Oregon, Washington Gets a Hearing in Seattle (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/02/ocean_acidification_seattle.html

Mayor Moves to End Seattle’s Cable Franchise Districts (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/mayor-moves-end-seattles-cable-franchise-districts/nj7J9/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1. Avista Seeking Washington State Rate Hikes in 2016
2. Pacific Gas & Electric Earns $1.44 Billion in 2014, $131 Million in Its Fourth Quarter
3. GOP Plans for ‘Era of Abundance’ in Energy
4. Annexation: Indiana Co-ops Fight Seizure of Members, Revenue
5. Ohio: AEP Wants To Charge More for Smart Meters
6. Pacific Gas & Electric Reacted Fast to Ex-PUC Chief’s Complaint about Size of His Bill
7. British Columbia: Sea Lion Flash Mobs Prey on Fishermen’s Catch
8. Decommissioning Abandoned Roads to Protect Fish
9. Video: Port Orchard Homeowners Fight Special Utility District
10. Why Lots of Rain Offers Little Relief to Drought-Stricken California
11. Water Manager Faces Discipline for Urinating in San Francisco Reservoir
12. Minority Groups Back Energy Companies in Fight against Solar Power
13. Duke Buys Controlling Interest in Commercial Developer REC Solar
14. Researchers Help Guard Sunken Tribe Artifacts from Offshore Wind Turbines
15. New Tool Monitors Effects of Tidal, Wave Energy on Marine Habitat
16. Wisconsin: Judge Sides with Solar Panel Users on Size Restrictions
17. Stockholm Power Goes Green as Biomass Ousts Coal
18. State Looks to Share Marijuana Taxes with Cities to Encourage Communities to Welcome Pot Businesses
19. Lawsuit Over Ocean Acidification in Oregon, Washington Gets a Hearing in Seattle
20. Canada: Climate Scientist Andrew Weaver Wins Defamation Suit against National Post
21. California Utility Aims to Quadruple the State’s EV Charging Stations
22. A Biofuel Debate: Will Cutting Trees Cut Carbon?
23. Mayor Moves to End Seattle’s Cable Franchise Districts
24. Time Warner Cable’s High-Speed Internet 97 Percent Profit Margin is a Big, Bright Red Flag; Critics Rebuked
25. FCC Chief Delivers Details on His Net Neutrality Strategy
26. Twitter Sees Surge in Government Requests for Data
27. Six Ways to Improve Your Facebook Page Results
28. Oregon Attorney General Says She’s Investigating Governor Kitzhaber
29. Ports’ Strife Could Cause Customers to ‘Write Off West Coast’
30. Nevada Asbestos Discovery – In Nevada, a Controversy in the Wind
31. Watch Brazen Car Prowler Hit Truck as Owner Pumps Gas Feet Away at Olympia Station
32. Barking Dog Could Cost North Seattle Family Its Home

WORD OF THE DAY

Antinomian • \ant-tin-NOME-ee-un\ • noun – 1: one who holds that under the gospel dispensation of grace the moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation 2: one who rejects a socially established morality.

Unused to the niceties of attending regular church services, the city’s new waste management official sauntered into the gracefully arched sanctuary exuding the very essence of his antinomian past. “Yep,” he uttered before his gravelly voice was drowned out by the organ, “I guessed that I should join y’all for singin’ and prayin’ at least once a year.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista Seeking Washington State Rate Hikes in 2016 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/feb/10/avista-seeking-washington-rate-hikes-in-2016/

Pacific Gas & Electric Earns $1.44 Billion in 2014, $131 Million in Its Fourth Quarter (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27496987/pg-e-earns-1-44-billion-2014-131

GOP Plans for ‘Era of Abundance’ in Energy (The Hill, Washington, DC)

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/232188-house-gop-targets-pipeline-permits-workforce-in-energy-policy-plan

Annexation: Indiana Co-ops Fight Seizure of Members, Revenue (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/editors-pick/indiana-co-ops-fight-annexation-revenue-losses/77825

Ohio: AEP Wants To Charge More for Smart Meters (Columbus Business First, OH)

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/ohio-energy-inc/2015/02/energy-roundup-aep-wants-to-charge-more-for-smart.html?page=all

Pacific Gas & Electric Reacted Fast to Ex-PUC Chief’s Complaint about Size of His Bill (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/pge/ci_27492122/pg-e-reacted-fast-ex-puc-chiefs-complaint?source=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

British Columbia: Sea Lion Flash Mobs Prey on Fishermen’s Catch (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/lion+flash+mobs+prey+fishermen+catch/10800488/story.html

Decommissioning Abandoned Roads to Protect Fish (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Decommissioning-abandoned-roads-to-protect-fish.aspx

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Video: Port Orchard Homeowners Fight Special Utility District (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/02/09/port-orchard-phillips-road-ulid/23152289/

Why Lots of Rain Offers Little Relief to Drought-Stricken California (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2015/0209/Why-lots-of-rain-offers-little-relief-to-drought-stricken-California-video

Water Manager Faces Discipline for Urinating in San Francisco Reservoir (Associated Press)

http://news.yahoo.com/water-manager-faces-discipline-urinating-reservoir-205519886.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Minority Groups Back Energy Companies in Fight against Solar Power “…Low-income households…paying higher…bills to subsidize solar arrays that only wealthier people can afford…” (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-solar-race-20150209-story.html

Duke Buys Controlling Interest in Commercial Developer REC Solar (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/duke-buys-controlling-interest-in-commercial-developer-rec-solar/362409/

Researchers Help Guard Sunken Tribe Artifacts from Offshore Wind Turbines (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/energy/article/Researchers-help-guard-sunken-tribe-artifacts-6071122.php

New Tool Monitors Effects of Tidal, Wave Energy on Marine Habitat (UW Today, Seattle, WA)

http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/02/05/new-tool-monitors-effects-of-tidal-wave-energy-instruments-on-marine-habitat/

Wisconsin: Judge Sides with Solar Panel Users on Size Restrictions (Wisconsin Public Radio)

http://www.wpr.org/judge-sides-solar-panel-users-size-restrictions

Stockholm Power Goes Green as Biomass Ousts Coal (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2015/02/stockholm-power-goes-green-as-biomass-ousts-coal?cmpid=rss

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

State Looks to Share Marijuana Taxes with Cities to Encourage Communities to Welcome Pot Businesses (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20150210/news/302109981/state-looks-to-share-marijuana-taxes-with-cities-to-encourage

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Lawsuit Over Ocean Acidification in Oregon, Washington Gets a Hearing in Seattle (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/02/ocean_acidification_seattle.html

Canada: Climate Scientist Andrew Weaver Wins Defamation Suit against National Post (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/climate-scientist-andrew-weaver-wins-defamation-suit-against-national-post-1.2950286?cmp=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California Utility Aims to Quadruple the State’s EV Charging Stations (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/02/09/california-utility-aims-to-quadruple-the-states-ev-charging-stations/

A Biofuel Debate: Will Cutting Trees Cut Carbon? (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/business/economy/a-biofuel-debate-will-cutting-trees-cut-carbon.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Mayor Moves to End Seattle’s Cable Franchise Districts (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/mayor-moves-end-seattles-cable-franchise-districts/nj7J9/

Time Warner Cable’s High-Speed Internet 97 Percent Profit Margin is a Big, Bright Red Flag; Critics Rebuked (Huffington Post)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-kushnick/time-warner-cables-high-s_b_6642210.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

FCC Chief Delivers Details on His Net Neutrality Strategy (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/02/09/fcc-chairman-tom-wheeler-net-neutrality/23130701/

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter Sees Surge in Government Requests for Data (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31358194

Six Ways to Improve Your Facebook Page Results (Social Media Commander)

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/improve-your-facebook-page-results/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Oregon Attorney General Says She’s Investigating Governor Kitzhaber (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/oregon-attorney-general-says-shes-investigating-governor-kitzhaber

GENERAL NEWS

Ports’ Strife Could Cause Customers to ‘Write Off West Coast’ (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/02/10/ports-strife-could-cause-customers-to-write-off.html

Nevada Asbestos Discovery – In Nevada, a Controversy in the Wind (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/science/a-controversy-in-the-wind.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Watch Brazen Car Prowler Hit Truck as Owner Pumps Gas Feet Away at Olympia Station (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/index.ssf/2015/02/watch_thief_hit_truck_as_owner.html

Barking Dog Could Cost North Seattle Family Its Home (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/Barking-dog-could-cost-North-Seattle-family-its-6072740.php

DIVERSIONS

Girl Scout Targets California Marijuana Dispensary for Maximum Sales – Again

http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2015/02/09/girl-scout-targets-calif-marijuana-dispensary-for-maximum-sales-again/#10916101=0

Some Museums Banning Selfie Sticks Because “Duck Face” Is Not Art

http://consumerist.com/2015/02/09/some-museums-banning-selfie-sticks-because-duck-face-is-not-art/

This Cat Broke Out of a Shelter & Returned to His Original Rescuer

http://time.com/3702917/cat-from-shelter-to-rescuer/

Science Finally Determines How Many Licks it Takes to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop

http://time.com/3702741/tootsie-pop-science/

SONG OF THE DAY

Velvet Underground – Candy Says

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t59gz0bTTfk

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 February 9, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for February 9, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/ozccqus

Special Weather Statement for Landslide Danger

http://tinyurl.com/lq4o4hm

Flood Warning for Skokomish River in Mason County

http://tinyurl.com/mbf625p

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Six Claim Racial Bias in Suit with Utilities in Seattle Public Utilities Bill-Fixing Scandal (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025656541_spulawsuit1xml.html

Amazon Plans Up to Eleven More Oregon Data Centers If Tax Situation Addressed (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/02/amazon_plans_up_to_11_more_ore.html

Idaho Regulators Shorten Renewable Power Contracts (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/idaho-regulators-shorten-renewable-power-contracts/361902/

2014 Snake River Fall Chinook Redd Estimate Highest Total since Surveys Began in 1988 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/433115.aspx

Disaster on the Slopes: Record-Low Snow Year Continues (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/02/09/disaster-on-the-slopes-record-low-snow-year-continues/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1. Six Claim Racial Bias in Suit with Utilities in Seattle Public Utilities Bill-Fixing Scandal
2. Mason PUD 3 Working to Restore Electricity to Belfair Elementary School
3. Editorial: Enloe Project Making Strange Bedfellows
4. Is Your Electric Co-op Prepared to Handle a Crisis?
5. Bonneville Power Administration Regional Science Bowl – Pacific Northwest High School Students Give Their Brains a Serious Workout
6. Western Area Power Administration Budget Request Holds Steady for Fourth Year in a Row
7. Warning System for Solar Storms Is Kept on Earth for Now
8. 2014 Snake River Fall Chinook Redd Estimate Highest Total since Surveys Began in 1988
9. British Columbia: Quesnel Dragon Lake Trout Endangered by Koi Infestation
10. Upgrades at Oregon’s Foster Dam Fish Passage Facility Aimed at ESA-Listed Salmonids
11. Nile River May Be Running Out of Fish
12. Disaster on the Slopes: Record-Low Snow Year Continues
13. Could a Pineapple Express Save California from Drought?
14. The Dam Truth: How the U-S Army Corps of Engineers Manages Heavy Rain Storms
15. House Legislation Would Block Implementation of Waters of the U-S Rule
16. Idaho Regulators Shorten Renewable Power Contracts
17. Rocky Barker: Idaho Solar Dispute Shouldn’t Be Like Wind War
18. Intellectual Property Battles Roil the Wind Power Industry
19. The Hottest New Thing in Energy This Year? Wind Power
20. California: Interior Secretary Will Dedicate Large Solar Plant
21. Public Service Co. of New Mexico Plans 40,000-Panel Solar Farm near Santa Fe
22. Voters Favor Renewable Focus
23. Energy Smart Industrial: Five Years of Enormous Savings
24. Snohomish PUD Sees Energy Use Rise & Fall with the Super Bowl
25. Jefferson County Commissioners to Look Again at Marijuana Businesses Moratorium at Monday Meeting
26. Oregon Cities Pushing for Power to Tax, Ban Cannabis Sales
27. District of Columbia Sees Loophole in Congress’s Move to Halt Marijuana Law
28. Power Theft Suspect: Nearly 800 Marijuana Plants Found in Grow Operation Next to Day Care
29. Washington State’s Marijuana Law Hurts Idaho Police Recruitment
30. Report Says Emotions, Not Science, Rule U-S Climate Change Debate
31. Inslee a Student of California’s Carbon-Cap Lessons
32. University Of Hawaii Researchers Say Climate Change is Affecting Major Big Island Storms
33. Amazon Plans Up to Eleven More Oregon Data Centers If Tax Situation Addressed
34. FCC & Net Neutrality: What You Really Need to Know
35. Your Old Landline Could Get an Early Retirement
36. Virtual Private Networks Dissolve National Boundaries Online, for Work & Movie-Watching
37. Washington State Government Asked to Provide Nearly Every Email Ever Sent
38. Technicalities: Oregon Governor Kitzhaber Recall Efforts Could Prove Futile, For Now
39. Business Owners Voice Frustration over Temporary Port Shutdown
40. Mud, Not Flood, Now Primary Worry along Duckabush River
41. Is Winter Over?
42. Mystery of the ‘Milky Rain’ in Eastern Washington Solved?
43. Trade Stories: Building Boats at the Taylor Shellfish Fabrication Shop with Brian Omdahl
44. Post Season Mason County High School Basketball

WORD OF THE DAY

Weltschmerz • \VELT-shmertz\ • Noun - 1: mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state 2: a mood of sentimental sadness

“Ah, to live in the world of the 1500’s, when things were simpler…and you knew where you stood,” sighed the grizzled English lord to his bootblack. His state of weltschmerz was only slightly tempered by the historic realities of disease, dirt, body odor, and rampant halitosis.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Six Claim Racial Bias in Suit with Utilities in Seattle Public Utilities Bill-Fixing Scandal (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025656541_spulawsuit1xml.html

Mason PUD 3 Working to Restore Electricity to Belfair Elementary School (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1487

Editorial: Enloe Project Making Strange Bedfellows (Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, Oroville, WA)

http://www.gazette-tribune.com/opinion/enloe-project-making-strange-bedfellows/69551/

Is Your Electric Co-op Prepared to Handle a Crisis? (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/editors-pick/is-your-co-op-prepared-to-handle-a-crisis/77749

Bonneville Power Administration Regional Science Bowl – Pacific Northwest High School Students Give Their Brains a Serious Workout (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/02/at_bpa_regional_science_bowl_h.html

Western Area Power Administration Budget Request Holds Steady for Fourth Year in a Row (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=43124

Warning System for Solar Storms Is Kept on Earth for Now (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/09/science/warning-system-for-solar-storms-is-kept-on-earth-for-now.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

2014 Snake River Fall Chinook Redd Estimate Highest Total since Surveys Began in 1988 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/433115.aspx

British Columbia: Quesnel Dragon Lake Trout Endangered by Koi Infestation (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/quesnel-dragon-lake-trout-endangered-by-koi-infestation-1.2945523?cmp=rss

Upgrades at Oregon’s Foster Dam Fish Passage Facility Aimed at ESA-Listed Salmonids (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/433109.aspx

Nile River May Be Running Out of Fish (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/02/09/nile-egypt-fish/23113811/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Disaster on the Slopes: Record-Low Snow Year Continues (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/02/09/disaster-on-the-slopes-record-low-snow-year-continues/

Could a Pineapple Express Save California from Drought? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/0207/Could-a-Pineapple-Express-save-California-from-drought-video

The Dam Truth: How the U-S Army Corps of Engineers Manages Heavy Rain Storms (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blogs/scott/The-dam-truth-How-the-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-manages-heavy-rain-storms-291021051.html

House Legislation Would Block Implementation of Waters of the U-S Rule (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=43122

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Regulators Shorten Renewable Power Contracts (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/idaho-regulators-shorten-renewable-power-contracts/361902/

Rocky Barker: Idaho Solar Dispute Shouldn’t Be Like Wind War (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/02/09/3635636_solar-dispute-shouldnt-be-like.html?rh=1

Intellectual Property Battles Roil the Wind Power Industry (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2015/02/intellectual-property-battles-roil-the-wind-power-industry?cmpid=rss

The Hottest New Thing in Energy This Year? Wind Power (Wired Magazine)

http://www.wired.com/2015/02/countries-generating-wind-power/

California: Interior Secretary Will Dedicate Large Solar Plant (KESQ-TV, Palm Springs, CA)

http://www.kesq.com/news/interior-secretary-will-dedicate-large-solar-plant/31170858

Public Service Co. of New Mexico Plans 40,000-Panel Solar Farm near Santa Fe (Albuquerque Business First, NM)

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2015/02/pnm-plans-40-000-panel-solar-farm-near-santa-fe.html

Voters Favor Renewable Focus (Morning Consult)

http://themorningconsult.com/2015/02/renewables-win-voters/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Smart Industrial: Five Years of Enormous Savings (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Energy-Smart-Industrial-five-years-of-enormous-savings.aspx

Snohomish PUD Sees Energy Use Rise & Fall with the Super Bowl (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150206/BLOG31/150209293

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Jefferson County Commissioners to Look Again at Marijuana Businesses Moratorium at Monday Meeting (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20150206/news/302069972/jefferson-county-commissioners-to-look-again-at-marijuana-businesses

Oregon Cities Pushing for Power to Tax, Ban Cannabis Sales (Marijuana Business Daily)

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/oregon-cities-pushing-for-power-to-tax-rec/

District of Columbia Sees Loophole in Congress’s Move to Halt Marijuana Law (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/us/politics/district-of-columbia-sees-loophole-in-congresss-move-to-halt-marijuana-law.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Power Theft Suspect: Nearly 800 Marijuana Plants Found in Grow Operation Next to Day Care (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/02/05/nearly-800-marijuana-plants-found-in-grow-operation-next-to-daycare-prosecutors-say/

Washington State’s Marijuana Law Hurts Idaho Police Recruitment (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/marijuana/2015/02/07/marijuana-law-hurts-idaho-police-recruitment/23049909/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Report Says Emotions, Not Science, Rule U-S Climate Change Debate (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/05/us-climatechange-science-politics-idUSKBN0L92IN20150205

Inslee a Student of California’s Carbon-Cap Lessons (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025634069_californiacapandtradexml.html

University Of Hawaii Researchers Say Climate Change is Affecting Major Big Island Storms (Associated Press)

http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/02/08/researchers-climate-change-affecting-hawaii-island-storms

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Amazon Plans Up to Eleven More Oregon Data Centers If Tax Situation Addressed (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/02/amazon_plans_up_to_11_more_ore.html

FCC & Net Neutrality: What You Really Need to Know (CNET News)

http://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-and-net-neutrality-what-you-really-need-to-know/

Your Old Landline Could Get an Early Retirement (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/your-old-landline-could-get-an-early-retirement/2015/02/07/c7733ff0-aed7-11e4-8876-460b1144cbc1_story.html

Virtual Private Networks Dissolve National Boundaries Online, for Work & Movie-Watching (NY Times)

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/in-ways-legal-and-illegal-vpn-technology-is-erasing-international-borders/?partner=rss&emc=rss

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Government Asked to Provide Nearly Every Email Ever Sent (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/State-government-asked-to-provide-nearly-every-email-ever-sent-291020681.html

Technicalities: Oregon Governor Kitzhaber Recall Efforts Could Prove Futile, For Now (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/kitzhaber-recall-efforts-could-prove-futile-now

GENERAL NEWS

Business Owners Voice Frustration over Temporary Port Shutdown (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Port-of-Seattle-weekend-shutdown-longshoreman--291215181.html

Mud, Not Flood, Now Primary Worry along Duckabush River (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/02/07/mud-not-flood-now-primary-worry-along-duckabush-river/23056409/

Is Winter Over? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2015/02/is-winter-over.html

Mystery of the ‘Milky Rain’ in Eastern Washington Solved? (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blogs/scott/Mystery-of-the-milky-rain-in-Eastern-Washington-solved--291226971.html

Trade Stories: Building Boats at the Taylor Shellfish Fabrication Shop with Brian Omdahl (Filson Life)

http://www.filson.com/filson-life/2015/02/trade-stories-taylor-shellfish/

Post Season Mason County High School Basketball (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/14325

DIVERSIONS

Internet Trolls Weigh In – Should Vermont Have an Official Latin Motto?

http://www.wcax.com/story/27849008/should-vermont-have-an-official-latin-motto

Forgotten Copy of Magna Carta Found in Scrapbook

http://time.com/3700712/magna-carta-scrapbook/

Seattle Police Bike Made Famous by Seahawks’ Bennett Auctioned Off

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/SPD-bike-made-famous-by-Seahawks-Bennett-6069849.php

Grower Uses Classical Music to Enhance Marijuana Potency

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/grower-uses-classical-music-to-enhance-potency/

SONG OF THE DAY

Walter Murphy – A Fifth of Beethoven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MFbn8EbB4k

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 February 6, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for February 6, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/oz5naas

Flood Warning for Mason County

http://tinyurl.com/kk2w9bo

Landslide Danger – Special Weather Statement for Mason County

http://tinyurl.com/jwwrljx

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pineapple Express Promises Stormy Weekend (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

http://koin.com/2015/02/05/stormy-weekend-ahead/

U-S Army Corps of Engineers Set to Release Final Cormorant Kill Plan (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/02/army_corps_of_engineers_set_to.html

Inslee’s Climate Plan Would Cost Jobs, Business-Backed Study Says (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025633805_capandtradestudyxml.html?syndication=rss

Do Electric Cars Still Need Support from Taxpayers? (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/do-electric-cars-still-need-support-taxpayers

Over 100 Tribes Exploring Marijuana Business Opportunities (Marijuana Business Daily)

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/over-100-tribes-exploring-marijuana-business-opportunities/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1. Employees Sue Seattle Public Utilities
2. New U-S Senate Chairman Vows Push on Nuke Waste, Yucca
3. California: Not All Democrats Oppose Fracking
4. Potential to Expand Hydropower in Maine Dries Up
5. Op/ED: Whither Power Markets? FERC’s Moment of Truth
6. U-S Army Corps of Engineers Set to Release Final Cormorant Kill Plan
7. Shellfish Growers Support Effort to Reduce ‘Bad Oyster’ Illness
8. California: Drought? That Was So January – Here Comes the February Flood
9. Views of ‘Waters of the US’ Rule Are Mixed at U-S House-Senate Hearing – Committee Leaders Call for Withdrawal
10. Utility Business Not as Usual
11. Your Home is Full of Devices That Never Turn Off – They’re Costing You a Lot of Money
12. Over 100 Tribes Exploring Marijuana Business Opportunities
13. Inslee’s Climate Plan Would Cost Jobs, Business-Backed Study Says
14. Idaho Officials Protest Carbon Reduction Plan
15. Do Electric Cars Still Need Support from Taxpayers?
16. Editorial: The Right Path Forward for the Internet is Public Utility Classification
17. Everything You Need to Know about Net Neutrality Now, In Plain English
18. Lawmakers Leery of Otter Admin’s Answers on Idaho Education Network
19. Verizon Selling $10 Billion Worth of Lines to Frontier
20. Google Is Serious about Taking on Telecom. Here’s Why It’ll Win
21. CenturyLink Works to Prevent another 911 Outage
22. Twitter Promises Return to User Growth
23. Report: Twitter CEO Says ‘We Suck’ at Policing Trolls
24. Oregon Attorney General Calls Allegations against John Kitzhaber, Cylvia Hayes ‘Very Serious & Troubling’
25. The Politically Toxic Relationship between Oregon’s Governor & His Fiancée
26. Pineapple Express Promises Stormy Weekend
27. Mild, Wet Weather Raises Landslide Danger in Western Washington State
28. Video: 1980’s Computers Plague Government Agencies
29. This Is a Great Jobs Report across the Board
30. So Long: Radio Shack Officially Goes Bankrupt

WORD OF THE DAY

Tussle • \TUSS-ull\ • Noun - 1: a physical contest or struggle: scuffle 2: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle

“Don’t go in there!” shouted the disheveled employee stumbling from the boardroom into a growing crowd of curious, yet strangely calm cubicle-dwellers. “A tussle over the last maple bar went horribly wrong…and the CEO did not come out the winner.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Employees Sue Seattle Public Utilities – “…disciplined, terminated or threatened…for making adjustments to family, friends or personal accounts…” (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/02/05/employees-sue-seattle-public-utilities/22953725/

New U-S Senate Chairman Vows Push on Nuke Waste, Yucca (Las Vega Review-Journal, NV)

http://www.reviewjournal.com/politics/government/new-senate-chairman-vows-push-nuke-waste-yucca

California: Not All Democrats Oppose Fracking – California governor, once environmental hero, harshly criticized for refusing to ban fracking (Associated Press)

http://www.usnews.com/news/science/news/articles/2015/02/06/fracking-puts-california-governor-environmentalists-at-odds

Potential to Expand Hydropower in Maine Dries Up (Portland Press-Herald, ME)

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/02/06/potential-to-expand-hydropower-in-maine-dries-up/

Op/ED: Whither Power Markets? FERC’s Moment of Truth (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2015/02/05/whither-power-markets-fercs-moment-of-truth/?ss=energy

FISH & WILDLIFE

U-S Army Corps of Engineers Set to Release Final Cormorant Kill Plan (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/02/army_corps_of_engineers_set_to.html

Shellfish Growers Support Effort to Reduce ‘Bad Oyster’ Illness (Skagit Valley Herald, Mt Vernon, WA)

http://www.goskagit.com/all_access/shellfish-growers-support-effort-to-reduce-bad-oyster-illness/article_59a8fbcd-e929-5797-af3c-1f91bfcd94bb.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

California: Drought? That Was So January – Here Comes the February Flood (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_27469551/drought-that-was-january-here-comes-february-flood

Views of ‘Waters of the US’ Rule Are Mixed at U-S House-Senate Hearing – Committee Leaders Call for Withdrawal (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=43115

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Utility Business Not as Usual (Breaking Energy – New word “prosumers”)

http://breakingenergy.com/2015/02/05/utility-business-not-as-usual/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Your Home is Full of Devices That Never Turn Off – They’re Costing You a Lot of Money (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/02/06/your-home-is-full-of-devices-that-never-turn-off-and-theyre-costing-you-a-lot-of-money/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Over 100 Tribes Exploring Marijuana Business Opportunities (Marijuana Business Daily)

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/over-100-tribes-exploring-marijuana-business-opportunities/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Inslee’s Climate Plan Would Cost Jobs, Business-Backed Study Says (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025633805_capandtradestudyxml.html?syndication=rss

Idaho Officials Protest Carbon Reduction Plan “…hydroelectric generating capacity isn’t being treated as renewable energy, & the state is getting little credit for its large wind turbine capacity…” (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/02/06/3631135_idaho-officials-protest-carbon.html?rh=1

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Do Electric Cars Still Need Support from Taxpayers? (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/do-electric-cars-still-need-support-taxpayers

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Editorial: The Right Path Forward for the Internet is Public Utility Classification (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/editorials/2025624242_netneutralityfcctomwheelertitleiicommoncarrieredit4xml.html

Everything You Need to Know about Net Neutrality Now, In Plain English (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/02/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-net-neutrality-now-in-plain-english/

Lawmakers Leery of Otter Admin’s Answers on Idaho Education Network (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/feb/05/lawmakers-leery-otter-admins-answers-idaho-educati/

Verizon Selling $10 Billion Worth of Lines to Frontier (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/02/05/verizon-sale-10-billion-landline-frontier/22945253/

Google Is Serious about Taking on Telecom. Here’s Why It’ll Win (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/02/06/google-is-serious-about-taking-on-telecom-heres-why-itll-win/

CenturyLink Works to Prevent another 911 Outage (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

http://union-bulletin.com/news/2015/feb/05/centurylink-works-prevent-another-911-outage/

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter Promises Return to User Growth (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/02/05/twitter-earnings/22933407/

Report: Twitter CEO Says ‘We Suck’ at Policing Trolls (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Report-Twitter-CEO-says-we-suck-at-policing-6065394.php

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Oregon Attorney General Calls Allegations against John Kitzhaber, Cylvia Hayes ‘Very Serious & Troubling’ (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2015/02/attorney_general_ellen_rosenbl_1.html

The Politically Toxic Relationship between Oregon’s Governor & His Fiancée (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/06/wonkbook-the-politically-toxic-relationship-between-oregons-governor-and-his-fiancee/

GENERAL NEWS

Pineapple Express Promises Stormy Weekend (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

http://koin.com/2015/02/05/stormy-weekend-ahead/

Mild, Wet Weather Raises Landslide Danger in Western Washington State (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Mild-wet-weather-raises-landslide-danger-in-Western-Wash-291053601.html

Video: 1980’s Computers Plague Government Agencies (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/02/06/old-computers-state-government-agencies/22953063/

This Is a Great Jobs Report across the Board (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/07/upshot/this-is-a-great-jobs-report-across-the-board.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&abt=0002&abg=1

So Long: Radio Shack Officially Goes Bankrupt “…like a rotting corpse being pulled apart by zombie corporations…” (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/so-long-radioshack-officially-goes-bankrupt-1683952033

DIVERSIONS

Man Loses Hat in Fourth Owl Attack at Oregon Park

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/02/06/man-loses-hat-in-fourth-owl-attack/22973227/

Missouri Parents Say They Staged 6-Year-Old’s Kidnapping to Teach Him a Lesson

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/02/06/missouri-parents-say-they-staged-6-year-olds-kidnapping-to-teach-him-a-lesson

Want a Short-Sleeve Dress Shirt Covered in Poo Emojis? Of Course You Do

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/want-short-sleeve-dress-shirt-covered-poo-emojis-course-you-do-162794

Target Workers Caught on Camera… Helping Teen Job Interviewee Tie His Tie

http://consumerist.com/2015/02/06/target-workers-caught-on-camera-helping-teen-job-interviewee-tie-his-tie/

SONG OF THE DAY

Little River Band – The Night Owls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5R40czQ-rI

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.