Energy News Digest for March 30, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 30, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/nmejefb

Small Craft Advisory for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

http://tinyurl.com/pauj8bf

Will This Summer Be Warmer Than Normal? – I believe the probability of a warm summer in the Pacific Northwest is quite high (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2015/03/will-this-summer-be-warmer-than-normal.html

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THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Probe of Back-Channel Dealing Continues at California Public Utilities Commission (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article16859606.html

Governor's Signature Could Trigger Data Center Boom in Rural Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/03/gov_kate_brown_signs_tech_tax.html

Washington State Attorney General Tells High Court: Nebraska, Oklahoma Shouldn’t Pick on Colorado Pot Law (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/03/27/nebraska-oklahoma-shouldnt-pick-on-colorado-pot-law-ferguson/

Seattle Mayor Bans City Funding for Indiana Travel (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/03/28/murray-bans-city-funding-for-indiana-travel/

Editorial: Thumbs Up To Benton PUD’s Community Solar Project (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/03/30/3479216_thumbs-up-to-benton-puds-community.html?rh=1

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1. Probe of Back-Channel Dealing Continues at California Public Utilities Commission
2. Nation’s Biggest Nuclear Firm Makes a Play for Green Energy Money
3. Op/Ed: A Transition from Coal to Clean Energy
4. Clallam PUD Meeting Schedule, Budget Expectations in Building New Headquarters in Carlsborg
5. Transactive Energy: Enabling a More Intelligent, Interactive Grid
6. Op/Ed: Power Grid Is Protected – Your Say
7. How APS, APPA, And NRECA Would Design a 'Blank' Electricity Market
8. Audubon Announces Intent to Sue Corps over Plan to Cull Cormorants from Columbia River Estuary
9. Salmon BiOp Case: Feds File Cross-Motion Following Challengers’ Request for Summary Judgment
10. Judge Rules McKenzie River Salmon Hatchery Releases Sufficient to Protect Wild Fish
11. Drought, Early Spring Warmth Force Oregon Agriculture to Prepare for Tough Year – Or Years
12. Difficult Choices – Meager Snowpack Complicates Oregon’s Water Balancing Act
13. Sultan River Basin: Snow Depth Measured at Zero, But Rainfall Makes Up for It
14. Historically Small Sierra Snowpack, Seen Up Close, another Bad Sign in California Drought
15. Editorial: Thumbs Up To Benton PUD’s Community Solar Project
16. California's Shift toward Renewables Makes Energy Harder to Manage
17. Why Going “Off the Grid” May Not Actually be Such a Good Idea
18. Making Solar Work for You
19. New Jersey: Wind Power or Hot Air? Foes Question Christie’s Shift on Clean Energy
20. Report: Half of All Pacific Northwest Hospitals Cut Energy Consumption
21. Water Heater Bill Clears U-S Senate, on to House
22. An Energy App Startup's Unusual Bid to Make Money from California's Wholesale Electricity Market
23. Washington State Attorney General Tells High Court: Nebraska, Oklahoma Shouldn’t Pick on Colorado Pot Law
24. Moses Lake Zoning Proposal for Marijuana Production & Processing Fails
25. Washington State Marijuana Grower Suggests New Businesses Start Small
26. Portland Workshop Set to Guide Would-Be Pot-Preneurs
27. After Legalization, Marijuana Events Fighting for a Foothold in Portland
28. What It’s Like to Be Allergic to Wi-Fi
29. Governor's Signature Could Trigger Data Center Boom in Rural Oregon
30. Goldendale Lawmaker Seeks Permanent Tax Exemption for Internet Access
31. New Home, No Broadband? Prepare to Negotiate
32. Apple TV 'Skinny' Package Likely to Accelerate Cord Cutting
33. The Campaign to Make National Parks Relevant to Millennials
34. Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Trout Derby Hooks Anglers of All Sizes
35. Are You a Millennial Boss? Here's How to Work With Boomers and Xers
36. Seattle Mayor Bans City Funding for Indiana Travel
37. In Delaying Vote on Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, GOP Is in a Quandary
38. Port Angeles Man Sentenced for Collecting Dead Grandmother's Benefits
39. State Takes Step toward Fining CenturyLink for 911 Outage
40. Steep Costs of Inmate Phone Calls Are Under Scrutiny
41. Germanwings Co-Pilot Had Been Treated for ‘Suicidal Tendencies,’ Authorities Say

WORD OF THE DAY

Panjandrum • \pan-JANN-drum\ • Noun - A powerful personage or pretentious official.

Like potentates of old, the city council ordered its members to wear an official uniform: powdered wig, “Elizabethan Collar” (no, not the pet-type collar), and black, silk robes. The group of pretentious panjandrums would then hold court on weighty topics: such as animal control ordinances, official holiday pronouncements, and the designation of mead as the official city beverage. Bartholomew’s sartorial secret was safe. That is until the day he suffered a seizure during the debate over the official city tree. It was found by the attending emergency medical technicians that the emperor truly wore no clothes (other than his uniform.)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Probe of Back-Channel Dealing Continues at California Public Utilities Commission (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article16859606.html

Nation’s Biggest Nuclear Firm Makes a Play for Green Energy Money “…looking for policy support that every other technology receives…that produces zero-carbon electricity with the exception of nuclear…” (Associated Press)

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article16578626.html

Op/Ed: A Transition from Coal to Clean Energy (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/column-a-transition-from-coal-to-clean-energy.html

Clallam PUD Meeting Schedule, Budget Expectations in Building New Headquarters in Carlsborg (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20150330/NEWS/303309984/clallam-public-utility-district-meeting-schedule-budget-expectations

Transactive Energy: Enabling a More Intelligent, Interactive Grid (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Transactive-energy-enabling-a-more-intelligent-interactive-grid.aspx

Op/Ed: Power Grid Is Protected – Your Say (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/03/29/power-grid-security-threats-your-say/70635388/

How APS, APPA, And NRECA Would Design a 'Blank' Electricity Market – SEPA asks stakeholders to design the "51st State." Here are the utility proposals (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-aps-appa-and-nreca-would-design-a-blank-electricity-market/380795/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Audubon Announces Intent to Sue Corps over Plan to Cull Cormorants from Columbia River Estuary (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/433509.aspx

Salmon BiOp Case: Feds File Cross-Motion Following Challengers’ Request for Summary Judgment (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/433506.aspx

Judge Rules McKenzie River Salmon Hatchery Releases Sufficient to Protect Wild Fish (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/433511.aspx

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Drought, Early Spring Warmth Force Oregon Agriculture to Prepare for Tough Year – Or Years (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/drought_early_spring_warmth_fo.html

Difficult Choices – Meager Snowpack Complicates Oregon’s Water Balancing Act (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32887103-75/kayakers-in-march-low-snowpack-brings-odd-sights-big-concerns.html.csp

Sultan River Basin: Snow Depth Measured at Zero, But Rainfall Makes Up for It (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150328/NEWS01/150328959

Historically Small Sierra Snowpack, Seen Up Close, another Bad Sign in California Drought (Fresno Bee, CA)

http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/03/28/4450307_ghost-on-californias-rooftop-close.html?rh=1

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Editorial: Thumbs Up To Benton PUD’s Community Solar Project (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/03/30/3479216_thumbs-up-to-benton-puds-community.html?rh=1

California's Shift toward Renewables Makes Energy Harder to Manage (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27796539/californias-shift-toward-renewables-makes-energy-harder-manage

Why Going “Off the Grid” May Not Actually be Such a Good Idea (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/30/why-ditching-the-electric-grid-may-not-actually-be-such-a-good-idea/?wprss=rss_national

Making Solar Work for You (American Public Power Association)

http://blog.publicpower.org/sme/?p=433

New Jersey: Wind Power or Hot Air? Foes Question Christie’s Shift on Clean Energy (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/wind-power-or-hot-air-foes-question-christies-shift-on-clean-energy/2015/03/29/f8faf97e-d3e3-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Report: Half of All Pacific Northwest Hospitals Cut Energy Consumption (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/report-half-of-all-nw-hospitals-cut-energy.html

Water Heater Bill Clears U-S Senate, on to House (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/legislation/water-heater-bill-clears-senate-on-to-house/79565

An Energy App Startup's Unusual Bid to Make Money from California's Wholesale Electricity Market (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2015/03/27/an-energy-app-startups-unusual-bid-to-make-money-from-californias-wholesale-electricity-market/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Washington State Attorney General Tells High Court: Nebraska, Oklahoma Shouldn’t Pick on Colorado Pot Law (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/03/27/nebraska-oklahoma-shouldnt-pick-on-colorado-pot-law-ferguson/

Moses Lake Zoning Proposal for Marijuana Production & Processing Fails (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/politics/zoning-proposal-for-marijuana-production-and-processing-fails/article_d111353a-d4d9-11e4-8771-570700490449.html

Washington State Marijuana Grower Suggests New Businesses Start Small (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/washington-marijuana-grower-suggests-new-businesses-start-small/

Portland Workshop Set to Guide Would-Be Pot-Preneurs (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2015/03/portland-workshop-set-to-guide-would-be-pot.html

After Legalization, Marijuana Events Fighting for a Foothold in Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/03/after_legalization_marijuana_e.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

What It’s Like to Be Allergic to Wi-Fi (New York Magazine)

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/03/what-its-like-to-be-allergic-to-wi-fi.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Governor's Signature Could Trigger Data Center Boom in Rural Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2015/03/gov_kate_brown_signs_tech_tax.html

Goldendale Lawmaker Seeks Permanent Tax Exemption for Internet Access (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/3034991-8/goldendale-lawmaker-seeks-permanent-tax-exemption-for-internet

New Home, No Broadband? Prepare to Negotiate (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2015/03/29/home-outside-broadband-coverage/70626156/

Apple TV 'Skinny' Package Likely to Accelerate Cord Cutting (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27799019/apple-tv-skinny-package-likely-accelerate-cord-cutting

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

The Campaign to Make National Parks Relevant to Millennials (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2015/03/30/find-your-national-park/

Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Trout Derby Hooks Anglers of All Sizes (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/outdoors/hunting-fishing/article16866623.html

Are You a Millennial Boss? Here's How to Work With Boomers and Xers (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/are-you-millennial-boss-heres-how-work-boomers-and-xers-163743

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Seattle Mayor Bans City Funding for Indiana Travel (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/03/28/murray-bans-city-funding-for-indiana-travel/

In Delaying Vote on Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, GOP Is in a Quandary (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/us/politics/in-holding-up-loretta-lynch-attorney-general-nominee-gop-is-in-a-quandary.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Port Angeles Man Sentenced for Collecting Dead Grandmother's Benefits (Associated Press)

http://www.kxly.com/news/northwest/man-sentenced-for-collecting-dead-grandmothers-benefits/32066282

State Takes Step toward Fining CenturyLink for 911 Outage (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/03/29/3708674_state-takes-step-toward-fining.html?rh=1

Steep Costs of Inmate Phone Calls Are Under Scrutiny (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/us/steep-costs-of-inmate-phone-calls-are-under-scrutiny.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Germanwings Co-Pilot Had Been Treated for ‘Suicidal Tendencies,’ Authorities Say (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/world/europe/germanwings-copilot-andreas-lubitz.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

DIVERSIONS

'God She's Beautiful': College Basketball Star Left Red-Faced as He Forgets Microphone is Still Running & Remarks on Pretty Reporter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3012866/College-basketball-star-left-red-faced-forgets-microphone-running-calls-reporter-beautiful.html

3D Printing with Cheese is Here ... And it Stinks

http://mashable.com/2015/03/30/3d-cheese-whiz-printing/

Oregon Home Demolished after Diesel Mistakenly Dumped into Its Basement

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32924140-75/home-demolished-after-diesel-mistakenly-dumped-into-its-basement.html.csp

Trevor Noah Set to Replace Jon Stewart on 'Daily Show'

http://news.yahoo.com/trevor-noah-set-replace-stewart-daily-show-132131368.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM-8QNkqx4M

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 March 27, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 27, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/pw77qd8

Small Craft Advisory for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

http://tinyurl.com/psgpkzz

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

TransAlta Tax Break Bill Heard in Committee (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/mar/26/transalta-tax-break-bill-heard-in-committee/

Oregon Clean Energy Advocates Want Salem to Put Sunset on Coal (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/clean-energy-advocates-want-salem-to-put-sunset-on.html

North-Central Oregon Wind Farm Dies – Application withdraw for project in Wasco & Sherman counties (Bend Bulletin, OR)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/3014650-151/wind-project-is-no-more#

At Nearly $1 Billion, California Cap-&-Trade Revenues Last Year Blew Past Predictions (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/27/at-nearly-1b-cap-and-trade-revenues-last-year-blew.html

Video: More Than 2,300 Sea Lions on Astoria Docks (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/north-coast/2015/03/26/more-than-2300-sea-lions-on-astoria-docks/70523496/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1. TransAlta Tax Break Bill Heard in Committee
2. Oregon Clean Energy Advocates Want Salem to Put Sunset on Coal
3. Washington State Nuclear Power Measures Face Questions
4. California PUC Head: Pacific Gas & Electric Used Pipeline Safety Money for Exec Raises before San Bruno Explosion
5. ‘Cost of Service’ Workshop Set by Grant PUD Commissioners
6. Testing Error Causes Short Grays Harbor Power Outage
7. Pacific Power: Be on the Lookout for Phony Employees on ATVs
8. Illinois Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee Passes Bill Supporting Nuclear Energy Plants
9. ‘Cat Litter Mix’ Closed U-S Nuclear Waste Repository
10. Federal Agencies Renew Commitment to Hydropower
11. Video: More Than 2,300 Sea Lions on Astoria Docks
12. Milestone Reached in 2001 Klamath Water Lawsuits
13. Oregon: Warrenton Dam Will Go, But How?
14. North-Central Oregon Wind Farm Dies – Application withdraw for project in Wasco & Sherman counties
15. Are Solar-Powered Homes Jacking Up Everyone Else’s Electric Bills?
16. EIA: Sun Rises on Solar – Coal Takes its Lumps
17. Texas Small Hydro Project Loses Exemption
18. Costa Rica Goes 75 Days Powering Itself Using Only Renewable Energy
19. Landscaping for Energy Conservation
20. Maui plans to replace streetlights with LED lighting
21. Slow Cooker Uses Less Electricity than Oven
22. Oregon’s State Marijuana Chief Tom Burns Fired
23. Pot Seed Giveaway Attracts Huge Crowd, No Cops, in Washington, D-C
24. At Nearly $1 Billion, California Cap-&-Trade Revenues Last Year Blew Past Predictions
25. Big Shelves of Antarctic Ice Melting Faster Than Scientists Thought
26. Florida Democrat Hits Home-State Governor over Climate Gag Rule
27. Washington State Patrol Makes Switch to Greener Power Source for Radio Towers
28. Vancouver, WA Mayor Promises Broadband Internet, Fully Staffed Police Department
29. Internet Outages Reveal Gaps in U-S Broadband Infrastructure
30. Periscope & Meerkat Competition Heats Up
31. Twitter’s Periscope Launch Is an Unintentional PR Coup for an Agency Called Periscope
32. One Secret Facebook Doesn’t Want You to Know
33. From New Logos to New Coke: When Corporations Make Mistakes
34. Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
35. Attorney: Washington State Auditor, Troy Kelley Knew of Federal Inquiry nearly Two Years Ago
36. Nevada’s Harry Reid to Retire from U-S Senate in 2016
37. Slashed Letter Found in Dust Bin Declared Germanwings Co-Pilot ‘Unfit to Work’
38. Oregon Joins Texas, 21 Other States in Effort to Keep Radio Shack from Selling Customer Data
39. Shelton Police: Two Arrested, One Hospitalized in Overnight Pine Tree Inn Bar-Fight
40. Huffing Laughing Gas – Man Accused of Hitting Flagger: ‘Sorry Doesn’t Begin to Cover It’
41. Kingdome Kash – Stadium’s Debts Paid Off—15 Years after Implosion

WORD OF THE DAY

Prelapsarian • \pree-lap-SAIR-ee-un\ • Adjective - Characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the biblical fall of humankind

Amber and Bert walked hand in hand through the green and fragrant tunnel of vines and creepers in the verdant rain forest. Each was lost in thought. Amber in particular thought that the environment could have been like a prelapsarian Eden, heavy in romance and primitive love. Bert could only think of one thing, “Did I leave the iron on?”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

TransAlta Tax Break Bill Heard in Committee (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/mar/26/transalta-tax-break-bill-heard-in-committee/

Oregon Clean Energy Advocates Want Salem to Put Sunset on Coal (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/clean-energy-advocates-want-salem-to-put-sunset-on.html

Washington State Nuclear Power Measures Face Questions (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2015/03/nuclear-power-measures-face-questions/

California PUC Head: Pacific Gas & Electric Used Pipeline Safety Money for Exec Raises before San Bruno Explosion (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/cpuc-head-pge-used-pipeline-safety-money-for-exec-raises-before-san-bruno/380011/

‘Cost of Service’ Workshop Set by Grant PUD Commissioners (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/cost-of-service-workshop-set-by-pud-commissioners/article_ad704608-d410-11e4-b976-3fa696b76cae.html

Testing Error Causes Short Grays Harbor Power Outage (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.kxro.com/testing-error-causes-power-outage/

Pacific Power: Be on the Lookout for Phony Employees on ATVs (Medford Mail Tribune, OR)

http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150326/NEWS/150329694/101033/NEWS?rssfeed=true

Illinois Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee Passes Bill Supporting Nuclear Energy Plants (Clinton Herald, IL)

http://www.clintonherald.com/news/illinois-senate-energy-and-public-utilities-committee-passes-bill-supporting/article_9ade55d8-d402-11e4-9b67-4fb90bfb2284.html

‘Cat Litter Mix’ Closed U-S Nuclear Waste Repository (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32079504

Federal Agencies Renew Commitment to Hydropower (Fierce Energy)

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/federal-agencies-renew-commitment-hydropower/2015-03-26

FISH & WILDLIFE

Video: More Than 2,300 Sea Lions on Astoria Docks (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/north-coast/2015/03/26/more-than-2300-sea-lions-on-astoria-docks/70523496/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Milestone Reached in 2001 Klamath Water Lawsuits (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

http://www.heraldandnews.com/email_blast/milestone-reached-in-water-lawsuits/article_78987052-d449-11e4-8f1a-ab014f559a7f.html

Oregon: Warrenton Dam Will Go, But How? (Daily Astorian, OR)

http://www.dailyastorian.com/Local_News/20150326/dam-removal-darkened-by-concerns

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

North-Central Oregon Wind Farm Dies – Application withdraw for project in Wasco & Sherman counties (Bend Bulletin, OR)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/3014650-151/wind-project-is-no-more#

Are Solar-Powered Homes Jacking Up Everyone Else’s Electric Bills? (Mother Jones)

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/03/solar-power-net-metering-pge

EIA: Sun Rises on Solar – Coal Takes its Lumps (U-S News & World Report)

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/03/27/us-solar-wind-and-oil-production-rise-coal-falls

Texas Small Hydro Project Loses Exemption (JD Supra)

http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=3a621bb9-a95c-4a77-8dd9-256edbdf9746

Costa Rica Goes 75 Days Powering Itself Using Only Renewable Energy (The Independent, UK)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/costa-rica-goes-75-days-powering-itself-using-only-renewable-energy-10126127.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Landscaping for Energy Conservation (High Plains Journal, Dodge City, KS)

http://www.hpj.com/horticulture/landscaping-for-energy-conservation/article_484ca281-e469-586f-ab9d-bedf4d7327c8.html

Maui plans to replace streetlights with LED lighting (Pacific Business Journal, HI)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2015/03/26/maui-plans-to-replace-streetlights-with-led.html

Slow Cooker Uses Less Electricity than Oven (Cincinnati Enquirer OH)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/local/boone-county/2015/03/23/slow-cooker-uses-less-electricity-oven/70329750/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Oregon’s State Marijuana Chief Tom Burns Fired (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2015/03/oregons_state_marijuana_chief.html

Pot Seed Giveaway Attracts Huge Crowd, No Cops, in Washington, D-C (U-S News & World Report)

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/03/27/pot-seed-giveaway-attracts-huge-crowd-no-cops-in-dc

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

At Nearly $1 Billion, California Cap-&-Trade Revenues Last Year Blew Past Predictions (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2015/03/27/at-nearly-1b-cap-and-trade-revenues-last-year-blew.html

Big Shelves of Antarctic Ice Melting Faster Than Scientists Thought (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2015/03/26/395379216/big-shelves-of-antarctic-ice-melting-faster-than-scientists-thought

Florida Democrat Hits Home-State Governor over Climate Gag Rule (National Journal)

http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/florida-democrat-hits-home-state-governor-over-climate-gag-rule-20150326

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State Patrol Makes Switch to Greener Power Source for Radio Towers (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

http://union-bulletin.com/news/2015/mar/25/washington-state-patrol-makes-switch-greener-power/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Vancouver, WA Mayor Promises Broadband Internet, Fully Staffed Police Department (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/leavitt-promises-broadband-internet-fully-staff-police-department-/

Internet Outages Reveal Gaps in U-S Broadband Infrastructure (Associated Press)

http://www.khq.com/story/28630999/internet-outages-reveal-gaps-in-us-broadband-infrastructure

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Periscope & Meerkat Competition Heats Up (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27793570/periscope-and-meerkat-competition-heats-up?source=rss

Twitter’s Periscope Launch Is an Unintentional PR Coup for an Agency Called Periscope (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/twitters-periscope-launch-unintentional-pr-coup-agency-called-periscope-163693

One Secret Facebook Doesn’t Want You to Know (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2015/03/27/facebook-secret/70482820/

From New Logos to New Coke: When Corporations Make Mistakes (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/From-new-logos-to-New-Coke-when-corporations-6162606.php

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2015/03/27/consumerist-friday-flickr-finds-282/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Attorney: Washington State Auditor, Troy Kelley Knew of Federal Inquiry nearly Two Years Ago (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/attorney-troy-kelley-knew-federal-inquiry-nearly-two-years-ago

Nevada’s Harry Reid to Retire from U-S Senate in 2016 (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/us/politics/senator-harry-reid-retire.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Slashed Letter Found in Dust Bin Declared Germanwings Co-Pilot ‘Unfit to Work’ (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/03/27/slashed-letter-found-in-dust-bin-declared-germanwings-co-pilot-unfit-to-work/

Oregon Joins Texas, 21 Other States in Effort to Keep Radio Shack from Selling Customer Data (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/oregon_joins_texas_21_other_st.html

Shelton Police: Two Arrested, One Hospitalized in Overnight Pine Tree Inn Bar-Fight (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://kmasnewsradio.com/news/local-state-news

Huffing Laughing Gas – Man Accused of Hitting Flagger: ‘Sorry Doesn’t Begin to Cover It’ (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Man-accused-of-hitting-flagger-Sorry-doesnt-begin-to-cover-it-297724221.html

Kingdome Kash – Stadium’s Debts Paid Off—15 Years after Implosion (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/03/27/seattle-kingdome-financing-bonds/70529912/

DIVERSIONS

Richard III’s Tomb Unveiled at Leicester Cathedral

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-32085532

Someone Stole More Than 200 Hens That Lay Pastel-Colored Eggs

http://consumerist.com/2015/03/26/someone-stole-more-than-200-hens-that-lay-pastel-colored-eggs/

Tough Jam: Cubs Pitcher Winds Up at Wrong Park, Misses Start

http://news.yahoo.com/tough-jam-cubs-pitcher-winds-wrong-park-misses-072027145--spt.html

Feel-Good Tale: Man Gets $7M Lottery Ticket in Get-Well Card

http://news.yahoo.com/feel-good-tale-man-gets-7m-lottery-ticket-160514139--finance.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-O3kYrDPbI

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 March 26, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for March 26, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/p6f4n76

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

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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

California: Pacific Gas & Electric Executives Reap Pay Raises despite Scandal, Indictment (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27785310/pg-e-executives-harvest-pay-raises?source=rss

Congressman Kilmer to Canadians: Get Off the Pot on Victoria Sewage (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/03/25/kilmer-to-canadians-get-off-the-pot-on-victoria-sewage/

Once-Starving Seals, Sea Lions Swarm Columbia River for Smelt, Salmon Runs (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/03/hungry_in_california_pinnipeds.html

Bill Would Allow Klickitat PUD to Sell Landfill Energy (Goldendale Sentinel, WA)

http://www.goldendalesentinel.com/story/2015/03/25/news/bill-would-allow-pud-to-sell-landfill-energy/5628.html

Washington State Environmentalists, Utilities at Odds over (State-Mandated) Green Power (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2015/03/environmentalists-utilities-at-odds-over-green-power/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1. California: Pacific Gas & Electric Executives Reap Pay Raises despite Scandal, Indictment
2. Pacific Power Rates Go Up Three Percent Next Month
3. Obama’s Clean Energy Order Boosts NuScale’s Nuclear Profile
4. As World Expands Nuclear Power, U-S Grapples with Decades of Waste
5. $7.2 Million Grand Coulee Contract Awarded
6. Five Charts That Explain U-S Electricity Prices
7. Once-Starving Seals, Sea Lions Swarm Columbia River for Smelt, Salmon Runs
8. Video: Controversial Plan Would Kill Cormorants to Save Salmon
9. Congressman Kilmer to Canadians: Get Off the Pot on Victoria Sewage
10. Chelan PUD: Snowpack’s Low But Lake-Level Targets Should Be Hit
11. Drained Lake Tapps Exposes Underwater Forests, Lost Items
12. Op/Ed: Montana – Water Compact Damaging to State, Similar to Electrical Dereg
13. Bill Would Allow Klickitat PUD to Sell Landfill Energy
14. Washington State Environmentalists, Utilities at Odds over (State-Mandated) Green Power
15. Lifting State Limits on Local Power
16. Illinois Seizing Clean-Energy Funds to Balance Budget
17. Sacramento’s Greenleaf Power Announces Deal to Acquire Connecticut Biomass Facility
18. Geothermal Firm Sued under False Claims Act
19. Cities & Towns Choose Renewables to Save Money
20. PDF File Link – Governor Jay Inslee Honors Washington Industrial Energy Leaders
21. A Bright Idea: How Oregon’s Rural Schools Are Taming Power Bills
22. Ten Energy Saving Tips for Spring
23. Why You Can’t Call Marijuana ‘Organic’
24. U-S Supreme Court Appears Divided over MATS Rule
25. Editorial: Rocky Barker – Harder for Us in the West to Ignore This Climate
26. Clean Cars, Dirty Energy: Canada’s Electric Car Dilemma
27. Smartphones Make Up 75 Percent of Mobile Market
28. Op/Ed: National Broadband Plan & the Uncertain Future of the Internet
29. Facebook’s Messenger App to Mix Business with More Pleasure
30. Washington State Auditor Doesn’t Have Much Choice: Tough It Out or Quit
31. Troy Kelley: A Man of Mystery, Even to His Staff
32. Germanwings Co-Pilot, Andreas Lubitz, Deliberately Crashed Plane, Prosecutor Says
33. Lawsuit Filed Against Shelton Schools over Pool Closure
34. Community Kitchen in Shelton Forced to Close Its Doors
35. City of Shelton, & Chamber of Commerce Partnering for Downtown Vision Plan
36. Damage Caused by City Trees Rarely Covered by City’s Insurance
37. Bend among Nation’s Fastest-Growing Metros, Census Bureau Reports

WORD OF THE DAY

Verdigris • \VER-duh-grease\ • Noun – A green or bluish deposit formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces.

Look, cheap jewelry

Green on your skin, verdigris

Verdigris, lookit!

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

California: Pacific Gas & Electric Executives Reap Pay Raises despite Scandal, Indictment (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27785310/pg-e-executives-harvest-pay-raises?source=rss

Pacific Power Rates Go Up Three Percent Next Month (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/03/25/3479347_pacific-power-rates-go-up-3-percent.html?rh=1

Obama’s Clean Energy Order Boosts NuScale’s Nuclear Profile (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/obamas-clean-energy-order-boosts-nuscales-nuclear.html

As World Expands Nuclear Power, U-S Grapples with Decades of Waste (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0325/As-world-expands-nuclear-power-US-grapples-with-decades-of-waste

$7.2 Million Grand Coulee Contract Awarded (Star of the Grand Coulee, WA)

http://www.grandcoulee.com/story/2015/03/25/news/72-million-contract-awarded/5482.html

Five Charts That Explain U-S Electricity Prices (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/5-charts-that-explain-us-electricity-prices/378054/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Once-Starving Seals, Sea Lions Swarm Columbia River for Smelt, Salmon Runs (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/03/hungry_in_california_pinnipeds.html

Video: Controversial Plan Would Kill Cormorants to Save Salmon (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/green/2015/03/25/controversial-plan-would-kill-cormorants-to-save-salmon/70468296/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Congressman Kilmer to Canadians: Get Off the Pot on Victoria Sewage (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/03/25/kilmer-to-canadians-get-off-the-pot-on-victoria-sewage/

Chelan PUD: Snowpack’s Low But Lake-Level Targets Should Be Hit (RenewablesBiz)

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/15/03/chelan-pud-snowpacks-low-lake-level-targets-should-be-hit

Drained Lake Tapps Exposes Underwater Forests, Lost Items (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Drained-Lake-Tapps-exposes-underwater-forests-6159822.php

Op/Ed: Montana – Water Compact Damaging to State, Similar to Electrical Dereg (Montana Standard, Butte)

http://mtstandard.com/news/opinion/guest/water-compact-damaging-to-state-similar-to-electrical-dereg/article_6f576a98-3cdc-5e0c-85d9-e84482d4a386.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Bill Would Allow Klickitat PUD to Sell Landfill Energy (Goldendale Sentinel, WA)

http://www.goldendalesentinel.com/story/2015/03/25/news/bill-would-allow-pud-to-sell-landfill-energy/5628.html

Washington State Environmentalists, Utilities at Odds over (State-Mandated) Green Power (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2015/03/environmentalists-utilities-at-odds-over-green-power/

Lifting State Limits on Local Power (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2015/03/lifting-state-limits-on-local-power?cmpid=rss

Illinois Seizing Clean-Energy Funds to Balance Budget (Crain’s Chicago Business, IL)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150325/NEWS11/150329881/illinois-seizing-clean-energy-funds-to-balance-budget

Sacramento’s Greenleaf Power Announces Deal to Acquire Connecticut Biomass Facility (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article16281935.html

Geothermal Firm Sued under False Claims Act (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/03/26/geothermal-firm-sued-under-false-claims-act.htm

Cities & Towns Choose Renewables to Save Money “…it’s becoming more common to see wind, solar, hydropower & biomass use…” (Scientific American)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cities-and-towns-choose-renewables-to-save-money/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

PDF File Link – Governor Jay Inslee Honors Washington Industrial Energy Leaders (Washington State University, Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/releases/Documents/20150325-Governor-Jay-Inslee-Honors-Washington-Industrial-Energy-Leaders.pdf

A Bright Idea: How Oregon’s Rural Schools Are Taming Power Bills (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/a-bright-idea-how-oregonsrural-schools-are-taming.html

Ten Energy Saving Tips for Spring (Breaking Energy)

http://breakingenergy.com/2015/03/25/10-energy-saving-tips-for-spring/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Why You Can’t Call Marijuana ‘Organic’ (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/why-you-cant-call-marijuana-organic.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Supreme Court Appears Divided over MATS Rule (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/supreme-court-appears-divided-over-mats-rule/379611/

Editorial: Rocky Barker – Harder for Us in the West to Ignore This Climate (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/03/26/3718462_harder-for-us-in-the-west-to-ignore.html?rh=1

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Clean Cars, Dirty Energy: Canada’s Electric Car Dilemma (Triple Pundit)

http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/03/green-energy-canadas-electric-car-dilemma/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Smartphones Make Up 75 Percent of Mobile Market (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Smartphones-make-up-75-percent-of-mobile-market-6159074.php

Op/Ed: National Broadband Plan & the Uncertain Future of the Internet (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/236768-national-broadband-plan-and-the-uncertain-future-of-the

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook’s Messenger App to Mix Business with More Pleasure (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/Facebook-s-Messenger-app-adding-more-ways-to-6158441.php

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Auditor Doesn’t Have Much Choice: Tough It Out or Quit (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150326/NEWS01/150329266

Troy Kelley: A Man of Mystery, Even to His Staff (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/troy-kelley-man-mystery-even-his-own-staff

GENERAL NEWS

Germanwings Co-Pilot, Andreas Lubitz, Deliberately Crashed Plane, Prosecutor Says (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/27/world/europe/germanwings-crash.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Lawsuit Filed Against Shelton Schools over Pool Closure (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://kmasnewsradio.com/news/local-state-news/22043-lawsuit-filed-against-shelton-schools-over-pool-closure

Community Kitchen in Shelton Forced to Close Its Doors (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://kmasnewsradio.com/news/local-state-news/22048-community-kitchen-closing-its-doors

City of Shelton, & Chamber of Commerce Partnering for Downtown Vision Plan (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/14863

Damage Caused by City Trees Rarely Covered by City’s Insurance (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/damage-caused-by-city-trees-rarely-covered-by-city-s/article_5640da98-d341-11e4-82fa-a77c9d4d7909.html

Bend among Nation’s Fastest-Growing Metros, Census Bureau Reports (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/bend_among_fastest-growing_met.html

DIVERSIONS

USPS Driver Shows Off Athleticism by Throwing Package, Running Lap around Delivery Van

http://consumerist.com/2015/03/26/usps-driver-shows-off-athleticism-by-throwing-package-running-lap-around-delivery-van/

How Floating Soap Was Invented

http://gizmodo.com/how-floating-soap-was-invented-1693781360

NASA Wants to Orbit a Small Asteroid around the Moon

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0326/NASA-wants-to-orbit-a-small-asteroid-around-the-moon

Mysterious Bags of Smelly Goo Stump Officials on Bainbridge Island

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/03/mysterious_bags_of_smelly_goo.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Nigel Olsson - Little Bit of Soap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQSww1CZ7OE

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.