Energy News Digest for May 3, 2017

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for May 3, 2017

70s & Thunderstorms Headed for Our Region (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2017/05/70s-and-thunderstorms-headed-for-our.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Solid Snowpack Heading into Dry Season (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/weather/solid-snowpack-heading-into-dry-season/436178617

Bonneville Power Administration’s Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Outlook Improving (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-fiscal-year-2017-financial-outlook-improving.aspx

Mason PUD 3 Restores Power to 3,300 Customers in Downtown Shelton (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

https://www.pud3.org/blog/articles--blog/post/mason-pud-3-working-to-restore-power-to-3300-customers-in-downtown-shelton

Incentives for Washington State Solar Begin to Sunset (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://knkx.org/post/incentives-solar-begin-sunset

Eclipse to Test U-S Electric Grid Reshaped by Solar Power (Financial Times)

https://www.ft.com/content/1e951508-2eae-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bonneville Power Administration’s Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Outlook Improving
• Mason PUD 3 Restores Power to 3,300 Customers in Downtown Shelton
• Mason PUD 3 Expects Growth, Plans Ahead with New Capacity Fees
• Chelan PUD Agrees to ALCOA “Buying Time” Agreement
• Contract Gives Okanogan PUD More Power from Wells Dam
• Oregon: Utility Rate Hikes on Ashland City Council Agenda
• $800 Avista Bill for Kettle Falls Home under Construction Explained – Air Handler on Two Weeks, 24/7 for Drywall
• Clean Energy Celebrated at Mason PUD 3 – Resolution Supports Columbia Generating Station, a Carbon-Free Electricity Source
• Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Say “We Are Lucky to Have Carbon Free Power” With Resolution
• Oregon Senators to President Trump: Jordan Cove LNG Isn’t Your Call
• University of British Columbia Peace River Dam Analysis Misses Mark on Electricity Demand
• Federal Budget Bill Agreement Includes Funding for LIHEAP, DOE Programs
• Op/Ed: U-S Hydropower: Room to Grow in Renewable Energy Production & Water Storage
• Energizing Local Leaders to Promote Public Power
• More Than 100 Animals Illegally Poached, 10 People under Investigation
• Solid Snowpack Heading into Dry Season
• This Dam Protects Jobs South of Seattle – Someday It Won’t
• The Colorado: How a River Rules the West
• Once Again, the River Runs Wild – The Now-Undammed Penobscot River Has Brought Bounty to My Backyard
• Incentives for Washington State Solar Begin to Sunset
• California: Woodland Biomass Firm to Pay $4.22 Million Settlement Involving Hazardous Waste Disposal
• Wind Turbines Provide 8% of U-S Generating Capacity, More Than Any Other Renewable Source
• Study Shows National Solar Firms Prices Are 10% Higher Than Local Firms
• German Project Looks to Home Photovoltaic Systems to Help Grid
• SmartRG Rides the Wave of Smart Homes
• A Small Victory for Cannabis in U-S Budget Agreement
• Debate over Paris Climate Deal Could Turn on a Single Phrase
• The Carbon Consensus: Generators, Analysts Back CO2 Price at FERC Technical Conference
• Eclipse to Test U-S Electric Grid Reshaped by Solar Power
• Op/Ed: Utilities Are Key to Boosting Electric-Vehicle Adoption
• The One-Two Knockout Punch for Broadband – Co-ops Partner with Local Government
• How a Small ISP Delivers Ultra-Fast Broadband When the Giants Won’t
• Why This Google Docs Phishing Attack Is Particularly Sneaky
• Thanks To Alexa, You Can Now Have Conversations with Your Thermostat
• Facebook Is Hiring 3,000 Staffers to Monitor Its Platform after a String of Livestreamed Murders & Suicides
• Three Common Sins Brands Commit on Social Media
• How to Legally Use Images in Your Social Media Marketing
• Maybe It’s Time to Treat Facebook like a Public Utility
• Business Groups Target Washington State House Majority Leader over Support of Tax Plan in Olympia
• U-S Senator Murkowski Frustrated over Nomination Process
• Colorado Congressmen Are Trying to Move the Bureau of Land Management to the West
• North Mason Schools Receive another Phony Student-With-Gun Report
• Police: Small Plane Crashes on Mukilteo Street; No Injuries
• Families Sue Lewis County Midwife after One Newborn Dies, another Injured
• Farmers Hope New ‘Cosmic Crisp’ Will Be America’s Next Top Apple
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians to Build Salem-Area Casino

WORD OF THE DAY (Horrible Haiku Edition)

Bioturbation ● /Bye-oh-tur-BAY-shun/ ● Noun - The restructuring of sedimentary deposits (as in a lake bottom or seabed) by moving organisms (as worms & burrowing clams)

Bioturbation

Clams and worms love to do it

Dig-Dug arcade game

http://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration’s Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Outlook Improving (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-fiscal-year-2017-financial-outlook-improving.aspx

Mason PUD 3 Restores Power to 3,300 Customers in Downtown Shelton (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

https://www.pud3.org/blog/articles--blog/post/mason-pud-3-working-to-restore-power-to-3300-customers-in-downtown-shelton

Mason PUD 3 Expects Growth, Plans Ahead with New Capacity Fees (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/communities/mason/2017/05/02/mason-pud-no-3-expects-growth-plans-ahead-new-capacity-fees/101220270/

Chelan PUD Agrees to ALCOA “Buying Time” Agreement (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://kpq.com/chelan-pud-agrees-alcoa-buying-time-agreement/

Contract Gives Okanogan PUD More Power from Wells Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2017/may/02/contract-gives-okanogan-pud-more-power-from-wells-dam/

Oregon: Utility Rate Hikes on Ashland City Council Agenda (Ashland Daily Tidings, OR)

http://www.dailytidings.com/news/20170502/utility-rate-hikes-on-council-agenda

$800 Avista Bill for Kettle Falls Home under Construction Explained – Air Handler on Two Weeks, 24/7 for Drywall (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

http://www.khq.com/story/35298803/800-avista-bill-for-kettle-falls-home-under-construction-explained

Clean Energy Celebrated at Mason PUD 3 – Resolution Supports Columbia Generating Station, a Carbon-Free Electricity Source (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

https://www.pud3.org/blog/articles--blog/pud-3-news-releases/clean-energy-celebrated-at-mason-pud-3

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Say “We Are Lucky to Have Carbon Free Power” With Resolution (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/grays-harbor-pud-commissioners-say-we-are-lucky-to-have-carbon-free-power-with-resolution/

Oregon Senators to President Trump: Jordan Cove LNG Isn’t Your Call (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/05/03/oregon-senators-to-trump-jordan-cove-lng-isn-t.html

University of British Columbia Peace River Dam Analysis Misses Mark on Electricity Demand (Business Vancouver, BC)

https://www.biv.com/article/2017/5/ubc-site-c-dam-analysis-misses-mark-electricity-de/

Federal Budget Bill Agreement Includes Funding for LIHEAP, DOE Programs (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=48030

Op/Ed: U-S Hydropower: Room to Grow in Renewable Energy Production & Water Storage (Washington Times)

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/1/us-hydropower-room-to-grow-in-renewable-energy-pro/

Energizing Local Leaders to Promote Public Power (American Public Power Association)

http://blog.publicpower.org/sme/?p=1375

FISH & WILDLIFE

More Than 100 Animals Illegally Poached, 10 People under Investigation (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://komonews.com/news/local/more-than-100-animals-illegally-poached-10-people-under-investigation-05-03-2017

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Solid Snowpack Heading into Dry Season (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/weather/solid-snowpack-heading-into-dry-season/436178617

This Dam Protects Jobs South of Seattle – Someday It Won’t (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

http://kuow.org/post/dam-protects-jobs-south-seattle-someday-it-wont

The Colorado: How a River Rules the West (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2017/0503/The-Colorado-how-a-river-rules-the-west

Once Again, the River Runs Wild – The Now-Undammed Penobscot River Has Brought Bounty to My Backyard (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/The-Home-Forum/2017/0503/Once-again-the-river-runs-wild

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Incentives for Washington State Solar Begin to Sunset (KNKX Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://knkx.org/post/incentives-solar-begin-sunset

California: Woodland Biomass Firm to Pay $4.22 Million Settlement Involving Hazardous Waste Disposal (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article148225709.html

Wind Turbines Provide 8% of U-S Generating Capacity, More Than Any Other Renewable Source (U-S Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=31032

Study Shows National Solar Firms Prices Are 10% Higher Than Local Firms (The Energy Collective)

http://www.theenergycollective.com/solarleaderboard/2403543/study-shows-national-solar-firms-price-10-higher-local-firms

German Project Looks to Home Photovoltaic Systems to Help Grid (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennet-hldg-power-blockchain-idUSKBN17X2GY

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

SmartRG Rides the Wave of Smart Homes (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/05/03/smartrg-rides-the-wave-of-smart-homes.html

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

A Small Victory for Cannabis in U-S Budget Agreement (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/05/02/a-small-victory-for-cannabis-in-u-s-budget.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Debate over Paris Climate Deal Could Turn on a Single Phrase (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/climate/trump-paris-climate-accord.html

The Carbon Consensus: Generators, Analysts Back CO2 Price at FERC Technical Conference (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/the-carbon-consensus-generators-analysts-back-co2-price-at-ferc-technical/441862/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – DRIVING ON SUNSHINE

Eclipse to Test U-S Electric Grid Reshaped by Solar Power (Financial Times)

https://www.ft.com/content/1e951508-2eae-11e7-9555-23ef563ecf9a

Op/Ed: Utilities Are Key to Boosting Electric-Vehicle Adoption (Boston Business Journal, MA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/05/03/viewpoint-utilities-are-key-to-boosting-electric.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The One-Two Knockout Punch for Broadband – Co-ops Partner with Local Government (Digital Communities)

http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/One-Two-Knockout-Punch-for-Broadband-Co-ops-Partner-With-Local-Government.html

How a Small ISP Delivers Ultra-Fast Broadband When the Giants Won’t (CIO)

http://www.cio.com/article/3193735/consumer-electronics/how-a-small-isp-delivers-ultra-fast-broadband-when-the-giants-won-t.html

Why This Google Docs Phishing Attack Is Particularly Sneaky (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/05/03/why-this-google-docs-phishing-attack-is-particularly-sneaky/?utm_term=.4f387330b226

Thanks To Alexa, You Can Now Have Conversations with Your Thermostat – Another Non-Advanced Meter Hacking Avenue (USA Today)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2017/05/03/alexa-continues-invading-homes-with-new-ecobee-smart-thermostat-and-light-switch/101243838/

MARKETING & MEDIA

Facebook Is Hiring 3,000 Staffers to Monitor Its Platform after a String of Livestreamed Murders & Suicides (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-hiring-3000-people-facebook-live-safe/

Three Common Sins Brands Commit on Social Media (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/digital/jordan-decker-steelhouse-guest-post-3-common-sins-brands-commit-on-social/

How to Legally Use Images in Your Social Media Marketing (Social Media Examiner)

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-legally-use-images-in-social-media-marketing/

Maybe It’s Time to Treat Facebook like a Public Utility (Fast Company)

https://www.fastcompany.com/40414024/maybe-its-time-to-treat-facebook-like-a-public-utility

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Business Groups Target Washington State House Majority Leader over Support of Tax Plan in Olympia (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/business-groups-target-house-majority-leader-over-support-tax-plan-olympia

U-S Senator Murkowski Frustrated over Nomination Process (Politico Morning Energy)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2017/05/u-s-senator-murkowski-frustrated-over.html

Colorado Congressmen Are Trying to Move the Bureau of Land Management to the West (The Denverite, CO)

https://www.denverite.com/colorado-senators-trying-move-bureau-land-management-west-34866/

GENERAL NEWS

North Mason Schools Receive another Phony Student-With-Gun Report (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/update-north-mason-schools-receive-another-phony-student-with-gun/article_16712cf6-301e-11e7-b6a2-631732da8f45.html

Police: Small Plane Crashes on Mukilteo Street; No Injuries (Associated Press)

http://koin.com/ap/police-small-plane-crashes-on-mukilteo-street-no-injuries/

Families Sue Lewis County Midwife after One Newborn Dies, another Injured (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/health/families-sue-midwife-after-one-newborn-dies-and-another-is-injured/436296907

Farmers Hope New ‘Cosmic Crisp’ Will Be America’s Next Top Apple (Consumerist)

https://consumerist.com/2017/05/03/farmers-hope-new-cosmic-crisp-will-be-americas-next-top-apple/

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians to Build Salem-Area Casino (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

http://koin.com/2017/05/02/confederated-tribes-of-siletz-indians-to-build-casino/

MULES IN THE SCHOOLS – DIVERSIONS

Donkey Offers Finals Week Stress Relief at Montana State

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/donkey-offers-finals-week-stress-relief-at-montana-state/article_c24ab42b-dde5-5e75-a670-6f206c01f3bb.html

Friend Flushes Baseball Fan’s Remains Down Ballpark Toilets

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/hit-and-run-plumber-s-ashes-flushed-at-ballparks/article_a4cff05b-0af3-5cfb-890e-b7f61270433f.html

Oregon Man Accused of Trying to Put Co-Worker into Chipper

http://www.heraldandnews.com/ap/state/oregon-man-accused-of-trying-to-put-co-worker-into/article_2695863b-9c49-5f42-bcc8-fd56125a3d2d.html

Antique Shaving Brushes Could Come With Free Vintage Anthrax

https://consumerist.com/2017/05/02/antique-shaving-brushes-could-come-with-free-vintage-anthrax/

SONG OF THE DAY

Jeff Russo – Fargo (Main Theme, Soundtrack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ldqG92chI

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. There may be paywall barriers, unless you are willing to fork over some dough or if you have a clean browser history.

Energy News Digest for May 1, 2017

Occasionally clear the cache & history of your internet browser. It will help when trying to access news sites that count your visits.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for May 1, 2017

A Spatial View of a Wet Winter (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2017/04/a-spatial-view-of-wet-winter.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Groups Want President Trump to Weigh in on Breaching Snake River Hydropower Dams (Hydroworld)

http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2016/12/groups-want-trump-to-weigh-in-on-breaching-snake-river-hydropower-dams.html

Carbon Intensity of Energy Use Is Lowest in U-S Industrial & Electric Power Sectors (U-S Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=31012

Biologist: Orca Attacks on Gray Whales in California Bay (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/Orcas-stage-unprecedented-killing-spree-in-11108809.php

Residents Voice Support of Grant PUD Fiber Optic Network Expansion (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

http://www.ifiberone.com/news/residents-voice-support-of-grant-pud-fiber-optic-network-expansion/article_7294e59e-2c46-11e7-ab37-3fa225774e86.html

Former Washington Governor Mike Lowry Dead at 78 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/618856/former-washington-governor-mike-lowry-dead-at-78/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Groups Want President Trump to Weigh in on Breaching Snake River Hydropower Dams
• Another Giant California Dam Has Downstream Residents Worried
• Lewis County: Timeline for Riffe Lake Drawdown Projects Unclear
• Washington State Finishes Study of Proposed Port for Montana & Wyoming Coal
• Editorial: Eugene Water & Electric Board Manager Seeks Rate Cuts
• Bonneville Power Administration Nears Completion of Consolidated Ross Complex Facility
• Kettle Falls: How Can a Home Under Construction with Only Two Outlets Generate an $800 Power Bill?
• Oregon: Fish on the Line Causes Brookings Power Outage
• Op/Ed: Despite Recent Blackout, Pacific Gas & Electric Upgrading Its Substations, Grid
• Public Energy Programs Save Customers Money — At Least in the Beginning
• Report: Tennessee Valley Authority Meddled in Third-Party Reviews on Watts Bar Nuclear Plant
• South Carolina: Good God – Gunshots Fired at Berkeley Electric Co-Op Line Workers
• Mail Call! Concerns Raised Over Grid Study
• FERC’s Honorable to Step Down When Term Expires in June
• Moody’s: Low Bulk Power Prices Are Affecting Public Power Decisions
• Biologist: Orca Attacks on Gray Whales in California Bay
• A New Oyster War: Rich Homeowners vs. Working-Class Watermen
• Bonneville Power Administration’s 2016 Sustainability Report Now Available Online
• Seattle: Mechanical Systems Restored At West Point Plant – Dirty Water Still Flowing Into Puget Sound
• Heat Wave Melting Record Snowpack in Northern California
• First U-S Offshore Wind Farm Powering More of Rhode Island
• California’s Imperial Irrigation District Tops SEPA List for Storage
• Carbon Intensity of Energy Use Is Lowest in U-S Industrial & Electric Power Sectors
• Schipper: A Conversation with Kyle Murphy, Carbon Washington Exec Director
• As Coal Burns Out, The Race for Natural Gas Is On
• EPA Website Removes Climate Science Site from Public View after Two Decades
• Fuel from Carbon Dioxide? Experiment Brings It a Step Closer to Reality
• Residents Voice Support of Grant PUD Fiber Optic Network Expansion
• What Is Net Neutrality, Why Does It Matter? FCC Challenges Provider Practice of Equal Treatment
• Four Misleading Things Internet Service Providers & the FCC Need to Stop Claiming about Net Neutrality
• The Internet of Things Needs a Code of Ethics
• Social Media Is the New Television
• Former Washington Governor Mike Lowry Dead at 78
• Washington State Senators Tap Surplus Campaign Money for Food, Clothes, Furnishing
• Washington State Lawmakers Dip Into Leftover Campaign Funds – Used for Travel, Furniture, Clothes
• Washington State Attorney General Says Travel Ban Will Probably Go to U-S Supreme Court
• Griffey Bill to Reduce Recidivism, Expand Access to Inmate Work Programs Gets Washington State Governor’s Approval
• Hoodsport Man Stabbed in Self Defense
• Man Who ‘Watched Women’ Faces Burglary, Voyeurism, Stolen Guns Charges
• Victor-Area Beaver Dam Rupture Floods Highway 302, Streets, Yards with Water
• The Road to Olympic National Park’s Staircase Region Is Finally Getting Fixed
• Big May Day Crowds Expected In Seattle
• Large Earthquake, Aftershock Rattle Corner of Canada, Alaska
• Seattle: Multiple NBA, NHL Execs Back KeyArena Renovation, New Documents Reveal

WORD OF THE DAY

Sheeple ● \SHEE-pull\ ● Noun – People who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced:  people likened to sheep.

Sheeple or people.

Who wants the latest gadget?

Meee Meee Mee … Gimme

http://joelshorriblehaiku.blogspot.com/

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Groups Want President Trump to Weigh in on Breaching Snake River Hydropower Dams (Hydroworld)

http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2016/12/groups-want-trump-to-weigh-in-on-breaching-snake-river-hydropower-dams.html

Another Giant California Dam Has Downstream Residents Worried (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article147609839.html

Lewis County: Timeline for Riffe Lake Drawdown Projects Unclear (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article147773064.html

Washington State Finishes Study of Proposed Port for Montana & Wyoming Coal (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/business/features/washington-state-finishes-study-of-proposed-port-for-montana-and/article_9bf98c2e-07c4-59ec-81a2-18b9b46f565d.html

Editorial: Eugene Water & Electric Board Manager Seeks Rate Cuts (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/35530164-78/eweb-head-seeks-rate-cuts.html.csp

Bonneville Power Administration Nears Completion of Consolidated Ross Complex Facility (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/apr/28/bpa-nears-completion-of-consolidated-ross-complex-facility/

Kettle Falls: How Can a Home Under Construction with Only Two Outlets Generate an $800 Power Bill? (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

http://www.khq.com/story/35280040/how-can-a-home-under-construction-with-only-two-outlets-generate-an-800-power-bill

Oregon: Fish on the Line Causes Brookings Power Outage (Curry Coastal Pilot, Brookings, OR)

http://www.currypilot.com/news/5267821-151/fish-on-the-line-causes-brookings-power-outage

Op/Ed: Despite Recent Blackout, Pacific Gas & Electric Upgrading Its Substations, Grid (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Despite-recent-blackout-PG-E-upgrading-its-11109701.php

Public Energy Programs Save Customers Money — At Least in the Beginning (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-public-energy-programs-20170430-story.html

Report: Tennessee Valley Authority Meddled in Third-Party Reviews on Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (The Tennessean, Nashville)

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2017/04/28/report-tva-meddled-third-party-reports-watts-bar-nuclear-plant/100790860/

South Carolina: Good God – Gunshots Fired at Berkeley Electric Co-Op Line Workers (WCIV-TV, Charleston, SC)

http://abcnews4.com/news/local/bcso-reports-of-shots-fired-at-bec-linemen

Mail Call! Concerns Raised Over Grid Study (Politico Morning Energy)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2017/05/mail-call-concerns-raised-over-grid.html

FERC’s Honorable to Step Down When Term Expires in June (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/fercs-honorable-to-step-down-when-term-expires-in-june/441576/

Moody’s: Low Bulk Power Prices Are Affecting Public Power Decisions (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=48007

FISH & WILDLIFE

Biologist: Orca Attacks on Gray Whales in California Bay (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/Orcas-stage-unprecedented-killing-spree-in-11108809.php

A New Oyster War: Rich Homeowners vs. Working-Class Watermen - Along the East Coast, growing taste for oysters sparks a fight over public waterways (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2017-05-01/a-new-oyster-war-rich-homeowners-vs-working-class-watermen

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOT LOCKER

Bonneville Power Administration’s 2016 Sustainability Report Now Available Online (Bonneville Power Administration)

https://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPAs-2016-Sustainability-Report-is-now-available-online.aspx

WATER, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

Seattle: Mechanical Systems Restored At West Point Plant – Dirty Water Still Flowing Into Puget Sound (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/west-point-wastewater-plant-back-on-track-after-catastrophic-flood/

Heat Wave Melting Record Snowpack in Northern California (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article147761054.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

First U-S Offshore Wind Farm Powering More of Rhode Island (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/1st-US-offshore-wind-farm-begins-supplying-Block-11111522.php

California’s Imperial Irrigation District Tops SEPA List for Storage (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/californias-imperial-irrigation-district-tops-sepa-list-for-storage/441620/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Intensity of Energy Use Is Lowest in U-S Industrial & Electric Power Sectors (U-S Energy Information Administration)

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=31012

Schipper: A Conversation with Kyle Murphy, Carbon Washington Exec Director (Washington State Wire)

http://washingtonstatewire.com/schipper-conversation-carbon-washington-exec-director-kyle-murphy/

As Coal Burns Out, The Race for Natural Gas Is On (Washington Examiner)

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/as-coal-burns-out-the-race-for-natural-gas-is-on/article/2621491

EPA Website Removes Climate Science Site from Public View after Two Decades (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/28/epa-website-removes-climate-science-site-from-public-view-after-two-decades/?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.e032484c473a

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – DRIVING ON SUNSHINE

Fuel from Carbon Dioxide? Experiment Brings It a Step Closer to Reality (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2017/0428/Fuel-from-CO2-Experiment-brings-it-a-step-closer-to-reality

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Residents Voice Support of Grant PUD Fiber Optic Network Expansion (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

http://www.ifiberone.com/news/residents-voice-support-of-grant-pud-fiber-optic-network-expansion/article_7294e59e-2c46-11e7-ab37-3fa225774e86.html

What Is Net Neutrality, Why Does It Matter? FCC Challenges Provider Practice of Equal Treatment (Associated Press)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/apr/30/what-is-net-neutrality-and-why-does-it-matter/

Four Misleading Things Internet Service Providers & the FCC Need to Stop Claiming about Net Neutrality (Consumerist)

https://consumerist.com/2017/04/28/4-misleading-things-isps-and-the-fcc-need-to-stop-claiming-about-net-neutrality/

The Internet of Things Needs a Code of Ethics (Atlantic Magazine)

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/05/internet-of-things-ethics/524802/?utm_source=feed

MARKETING & MEDIA

Social Media Is the New Television (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/digital/kurt-abrahamson-sharethis-guest-post-social-media-is-the-new-television/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Former Washington Governor Mike Lowry Dead at 78 (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/618856/former-washington-governor-mike-lowry-dead-at-78/

Washington State Senators Tap Surplus Campaign Money for Food, Clothes, Furnishing (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-state-senators-tap-surplus-campaign-money-for-food-clothes-furnishing/

Washington State Lawmakers Dip Into Leftover Campaign Funds – Used for Travel, Furniture, Clothes (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/lawmakers-dip-leftover-campaign-funds-travel-furniture-clothes

Washington State Attorney General Says Travel Ban Will Probably Go to U-S Supreme Court (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2017/04/29/526205013/washington-attorney-general-says-travel-ban-will-probably-go-to-scotus

Griffey Bill to Reduce Recidivism, Expand Access to Inmate Work Programs Gets Washington State Governor’s Approval (WA House Republicans)

http://dangriffey.houserepublicans.wa.gov/2017/04/21/griffey-bill-reduce-recidivism-expand-access-inmate-work-programs-gets-governors-approval/

GENERAL NEWS

Hoodsport Man Stabbed in Self Defense (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/25341

Man Who ‘Watched Women’ Faces Burglary, Voyeurism, Stolen Guns Charges (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/video-man-who-watched-women-faces-burglary-voyeurism-stolen-guns/youtube_ceb48750-2c6c-11e7-8788-2ff3b5bb5332.html

Victor-Area Beaver Dam Rupture Floods Highway 302, Streets, Yards with Water (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/mb/news/local/beaver-dam-rupture-floods-streets-yards-with-water/435035929

The Road to Olympic National Park’s Staircase Region Is Finally Getting Fixed (Outdoor Society)

http://outdoor-society.com/the-road-to-olympic-national-parks-staircase-region-is-finally-getting-fixed/

Big May Day Crowds Expected In Seattle (Seattle CBS Local)

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2017/05/01/big-may-day-crowds-expected-in-seattle/

Large Earthquake, Aftershock Rattle Corner of Canada, Alaska (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/Magnitude-6-2-earthquake-rattles-corner-of-11111430.php

Seattle: Multiple NBA, NHL Execs Back KeyArena Renovation, New Documents Reveal (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/multiple-nba-nhl-execs-back-keyarena-renovation/435563685

CHESS OFFICALS’ MINDS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

12-Year-Old Girl Booted From Chess Tournament for ‘Seductive’ Dress

http://nypost.com/2017/05/01/12-year-old-girl-booted-from-chess-tournament-for-seductive-dress/

Flower Shop Owner Accused of Stealing Plants from Cemetery

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/flower-shop-owner-accused-of-stealing-plants-from-cemetery/article_c2193e5e-e36e-5ffa-9c82-35a48a771f49.html

Oregon Yellow-Light Crusader Fined for Doing Math without a License

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/business/traffic-light-fine.html

Sheeple Is Now An Official Word – iPhone Fans Might Not Be Pleased

http://metro.co.uk/2017/04/30/sheeple-is-now-an-official-word-but-iphone-fans-might-not-be-pleased-6607673/

SONG OF THE DAY

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHOYvIhLxo

For Short Attention Spans

WALTER MURPHY- A Fifth of Beethoven

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

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. There may be paywall barriers, unless you are willing to fork over some dough or if you have a clean browser history.

Energy News Digest for April 28, 2017

Occasionally clear the cache & history of your internet browser. It will help when trying to access news sites that count your visits.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for April 28, 2017

NOAA Says Pacific Northwest Winter Weather ‘Selected Significant Climate Anomaly’ (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/438791.aspx

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Breaking: DC Circuit Halts Clean Power Plan Case in Win for Trump (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/breaking-dc-circuit-halts-clean-power-plan-case-in-win-for-trump/441554/

Bureau of Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Assessment for Grand Coulee Generator Project (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/438794.aspx

California: Could An Offshore Wind Farm in San Luis Obispo County Hurt Endangered Whales? (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article147254914.html

Olympic National Park Tourism Means Big Bucks for Nearby Communities (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/25280

Seattle City Councilmember Sawant Under Fire – Accused of Trying to Incite May Day Problems (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://komonews.com/news/local/councilmember-sawant-under-fire-accused-of-trying-to-incite-problems-on-may-day

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bureau of Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Assessment for Grand Coulee Generator Project
• Peace River Dam Petition Delivers 120K Signatures Asking Feds to Halt Dam Construction
• Hopes, Suspicions Raised by Smelter Restart Talk in Wenatchee
• California Utilities Propose Bill Charges for Community Aggregation Customers
• San Francisco Clean Power Program’s Customers Could Face Higher Pacific Gas & Electric Fee
• Salt River Project to Participate in Western Energy Imbalance Market
• Editorial: Subsidies Are Subsidies, Whether ‘In’ or ‘Around’ the Market
• Will Salmon Ever Come Back to the Upper Columbia?
• California: Could An Offshore Wind Farm in San Luis Obispo County Hurt Endangered Whales?
• Washington, DC: Merkley Bill Aims U-S Toward 100% Renewables by 2050
• Is Rooftop Solar Just a Toy for the Wealthy?
• Breaking: DC Circuit Halts Clean Power Plan Case in Win for Trump
• State of Washington Doubling Its Electric Vehicle Fleet
• Even the World’s Largest Internet Companies Get Phished, Just Like Your Grandma
• This Program Gets Rural Schools Online – Will It Survive Trump’s FCC?
• Cloud Produces Sunny Earnings at Amazon, Microsoft, & Alphabet
• Google Fiber Confirms Louisville as New Launch City
• FCC Falsely Claims Net Neutrality Took Away Your Freedom
• Op/Ed: The ‘Fix’ for Net Neutrality That Consumers Don’t Need
• Six Interesting Social & Mobile Marketing Stats from This Week
• Sharing More Than 140 Characters on Twitter
• Heineken Just Put Out the Antidote to That Pepsi Kendall Jenner Ad
• Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
• Seattle City Councilmember Sawant Under Fire – Accused of Trying to Incite May Day Problems
• Congress Oks Bill Averting Government Shutdown - For a Week
• Facebook Data ‘Does Not Contradict’ Intelligence on Russia Meddling
• Olympic National Park Tourism Means Big Bucks for Nearby Communities
• Shelton’s Railroad Avenue, 4th Street Traffic Lights to Be Removed Next Friday
• Mumps Case Confirmed in Kitsap County
• New Schools Using Cross-Laminated Timber
• $72,000 Means You’re Low Income in King & Snohomish County

WORD OF THE DAY

Scarify • \SKAIR-uh-fye\ • verb – 1: to make scratches or small cuts in (as the skin) 2: to lacerate the feelings of *3: to cut or soften the wall of (a hard seed) to hasten germination 4: to clear ground of debris in preparation for replanting, as in logging clean up

Ambrose wandered aimlessly through the wasteland that was his backyard. A stunted tree with a crazily angled swing off a cracked limb; an abandoned fish pond filled with frogs eggs and mosquito larvae; and his barren garden plot, half an acre of rocky soil that looked as if God had scarified it as a biblical curse. “Hmm,” he pondered. “Maybe potatoes this year.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bureau of Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Assessment for Grand Coulee Generator Project (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/438794.aspx

Peace River Dam Petition Delivers 120K Signatures Asking Feds to Halt Dam Construction (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/site-c-petition-1.4089941?cmp=rss

Hopes, Suspicions Raised by Smelter Restart Talk in Wenatchee (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/hopes-suspicions-raised-smelter-restart-talk-wenatchee

California Utilities Propose Bill Charges for Community Aggregation Customers (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-utilities-propose-charges-for-community-aggregation-custome/441406/

San Francisco Clean Power Program’s Customers Could Face Higher Pacific Gas & Electric Fee (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/SF-clean-power-program-s-customers-could-face-11098754.php

Salt River Project to Participate in Western Energy Imbalance Market (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/daily/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=48005

Editorial: Subsidies Are Subsidies, Whether ‘In’ or ‘Around’ the Market (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/subsidies-are-subsidies-whether-in-or-around-the-market/441548/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Will Salmon Ever Come Back to the Upper Columbia? (Castlegar News, BC)

http://www.castlegarnews.com/news/will-salmon-ever-come-back-to-the-columbia/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

California: Could An Offshore Wind Farm in San Luis Obispo County Hurt Endangered Whales? (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article147254914.html

Washington, DC: Merkley Bill Aims U-S Toward 100% Renewables by 2050 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/04/27/merkley-bill-aims-u-s-toward-100-renewables-by.html

Is Rooftop Solar Just a Toy for the Wealthy? (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/is-rooftop-solar-just-a-toy-for-the-wealthy/441373/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Breaking: DC Circuit Halts Clean Power Plan Case in Win for Trump (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/breaking-dc-circuit-halts-clean-power-plan-case-in-win-for-trump/441554/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – DRIVING ON SUNSHINE

State of Washington Doubling Its Electric Vehicle Fleet (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/state-washington-doubling-its-electric-vehicle-fleet

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Even the World’s Largest Internet Companies Get Phished, Just Like Your Grandma (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/even-the-worlds-largest-internet-companies-get-phished-1794741454

This Program Gets Rural Schools Online – Will It Survive Trump’s FCC? (Fast Company)

https://www.fastcompany.com/40404086/this-program-gets-rural-schools-online-will-it-survive-trumps-fcc

Cloud Produces Sunny Earnings at Amazon, Microsoft, & Alphabet (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/technology/quarterly-earnings-cloud-computing-amazon-microsoft-alphabet.html

Google Fiber Confirms Louisville as New Launch City (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Fiber-Confirms-Louisville-as-New-Launch-City-139459

FCC Falsely Claims Net Neutrality Took Away Your Freedom (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Boss-Insists-Net-Neutrality-Took-Away-Your-Freedom-139462

Op/Ed: The ‘Fix’ for Net Neutrality That Consumers Don’t Need (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/opinion/the-fix-for-net-neutrality-that-consumers-dont-need.html

MARKETING & MEDIA

Six Interesting Social & Mobile Marketing Stats from This Week (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/digital/6-interesting-social-and-mobile-marketing-stats-from-this-week/

Sharing More Than 140 Characters on Twitter (NY Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/technology/personaltech/sharing-screen-shots-on-twitter.html

Heineken Just Put Out the Antidote to That Pepsi Kendall Jenner Ad (Fast Company)

https://www.fastcompany.com/40412848/heineken-just-put-out-the-antidote-to-that-pepsi-kendall-jenner-ad

Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds (Consumerist)

https://consumerist.com/2017/04/28/consumerist-friday-flickr-finds-376/

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Seattle City Councilmember Sawant Under Fire – Accused of Trying to Incite May Day Problems (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://komonews.com/news/local/councilmember-sawant-under-fire-accused-of-trying-to-incite-problems-on-may-day

Congress Oks Bill Averting Government Shutdown - For a Week (Associated Press)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/apr/28/congress-oks-bill-averting-government-shutdown-for/

Facebook Data ‘Does Not Contradict’ Intelligence on Russia Meddling (Atlantic Magazine)

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/facebook-data-does-not-contradict-intelligence-report-about-russia-meddling/524703/?utm_source=feed

GENERAL NEWS

Olympic National Park Tourism Means Big Bucks for Nearby Communities (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/25280

Shelton’s Railroad Avenue, 4th Street Traffic Lights to Be Removed Next Friday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/shelton-s-railroad-ave-th-street-traffic-lights-to-be/article_c0cf0f3a-2b85-11e7-998a-9bd35f502458.html

Mumps Case Confirmed in Kitsap County (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/mumps-case-confirmed-in-kitsap-county/434864226

New Schools Using Cross-Laminated Timber (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2017/04/new-schools-using-cross-laminated.html

$72,000 Means You’re Low Income in King & Snohomish County (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2017/04/26/72000-means-youre-low-income-in-king-and-snohomish-county/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Color Outside the Lines: Women in STEM 2017 Coloring Book

https://energy.gov/articles/color-outside-lines-women-stem-2017-coloring-book

Shelton Skydiver – After the Free Fall

http://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/luke-aikins-jumped-out-of-a-plane-with-no-parachute-now-he-talks-about-what-happened-after-he-hit-the-net/

The Moon Magically Appears on the Post Office’s New Total Solar Eclipse Stamp

http://gizmodo.com/the-moon-magically-appears-on-the-post-offices-new-tota-1794737081

Teen Cashes In on the Perfect Revenge after Being Dumped by Prom Date (PG-13 Content, Language)

http://mashable.com/2017/04/28/teen-gets-revenge-on-ex-with-pennies/

SONG OF THE DAY

Lola Albright - How High the Moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4jFd0XYYb0

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

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THE NEWS DIGEST BLOG & TWITTER FEED

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

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. There may be paywall barriers, unless you are willing to fork over some dough or if you have a clean browser history.