Energy News Digest for February 27, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for February 27, 2014

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for_27.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration: Mainzer Firms Up BPA Front Office with Appointment of Delwiche & Andrews (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Mainzer-firms-up-BPA-front-office-with-appointment-of-Delwiche-and-Andrews.aspx

Yakima Basin Snowpack Now Just Above Average (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/1961248-8/yakima-basin-snowpack-now-just-above-average

Spokane Trash Burner Power Bill Dies in Washington State Legislature (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2014/feb/26/trash-burner-power-bill-dies/

Oregon Energy Department Allows Transfer of $10 Million Tax Credit for Solar Project – Again (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/02/oregon_energy_department_allow.html

Another Scam is Targeting Lewis County PUD Customers (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/another-scam-is-targeting-lewis-county.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bonneville Power Administration: Mainzer Firms Up BPA Front Office with Appointment of Delwiche & Andrews
• Another Scam is Targeting Lewis County PUD Customers
• Consumer Alert — ‘Phony Utility Bill’ Email Scam Heating Up in Washington State
• Cowlitz PUD Expands Online Billing System
• IDACORP, Inc. Announces Year-End & Fourth Quarter 2013 Results, Initiates 2014 Earnings Guidance
• Michigan: Consumers Energy-Funded Group Running Ads against Electric Choice/Deregulation
• Illinois: ComEd Customers Refusing Smart Meter Will Be Charged $21.53 a Month
• Natural Gas Prices Break $6.00 per MMBtu to Reach a Five-Year High
• Living Smart: Electrical System
• Columbia Basin’s Chinook Boom: Could Wild Salmon Be Fair Game?
• Scientists Solve Mystery of Chile’s Massive Whale Graveyard
• Yakima Basin Snowpack Now Just Above Average
• California’s Drought is Extreme; But the Government is Making It Worse
• Fertilizer Limits Sought Near Lake Erie to Fight Spread of Algae
• How Much Energy are We Flushing Down the Drain?
• Oregon Energy Department Allows Transfer of $10 Million Tax Credit for Solar Project – Again
• Spokane Trash Burner Power Bill Dies in Washington State Legislature
• Utility Interests Push for Protectionism in State of Washington
• Massachusetts Legislation Raises Question: What Is Clean Energy?
• Energy Dept.: Non-Hydro Renewables Are on a Roll
• Massachusetts: Cape Wind Project Gets Major Boost with $600 Million Loan from Danish Agency
• Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes
• What If Money DID Grow on Trees? Powerful Advice – Energy Insights from Mason PUD 3
• Op/Ed: California Carbon Tax Proposal Shines Light on Climate Change Policies
• Op/Ed: The Unscientific Consensus
• Editorial: Climate Science, Inescapable Truths
• Tesla Unveils $5 Billion Plan for Massive ‘Gigafactory’ to Manufacture Batteries
• Harsh Winter Brings Shortage of Pellet Fuel for Pellet Stoves
• Op/Ed: Why Super-Fast Internet Is Coming Super Slowly
• Target CEO Promises “Eye-Popping Irresistible Deals” after Profits Destroyed by Data Breach
• Washington Legislature on Collision Course over Tax Breaks
• Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill on Refusal of Service to Gays
• More Snow Possible This Weekend - Early Summer Forecast Looking Warm & Dry
• Special Weather Statement for Possible Lowland Snow in Puget Sound Region
• Victims’ Relatives Criticize Inslee’s Death Penalty Moratorium
• Lawsuit: Washington State Patrol Breaks the Law When Hiring Veterans
• Warehouses to Open Across State for Marijuana Businesses to Share Space
• States Push Public Lands for Designation as Monuments – Includes Sites in Oregon & Idaho

WORD OF THE DAY

Solatium • \so-LAY-shee-yum\ • Noun - A compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings.

“We’re sorry for your loss,” grinned the golden-toothed attorney to the bereaved energy trader. “Here’s your settlement for your poor decision making.” The solatium included a box of out-dated Snickers bars and a ten million dollar check.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

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

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration: Mainzer Firms Up BPA Front Office with Appointment of Delwiche & Andrews (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Mainzer-firms-up-BPA-front-office-with-appointment-of-Delwiche-and-Andrews.aspx

Another Scam is Targeting Lewis County PUD Customers (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/another-scam-is-targeting-lewis-county.html

Consumer Alert — ‘Phony Utility Bill’ Email Scam Heating Up in Washington State (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140227/NEWS/140229980/consumer-alert-8212-phony-utility-bill-email-scam-heating-up-in

Cowlitz PUD Expands Online Billing System (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/cowlitz-pud-expands-online-billing-system/article_5b120532-9f54-11e3-8d3b-001a4bcf887a.html

IDACORP, Inc. Announces Year-End & Fourth Quarter 2013 Results, Initiates 2014 Earnings Guidance (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/detail_news.php?ID=471163&cat=%3B90

Michigan: Consumers Energy-Funded Group Running Ads against Electric Choice/Deregulation (MLive Media Group, Lansing, MI)

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/02/michigan_consumers_energy_elec.html

Illinois: ComEd Customers Refusing Smart Meter Will Be Charged $21.53 a Month (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-06/business/chi-comed-smart-meter-fee-20140206_1_comed-meters-energy-infrastructure-modernization-act

Natural Gas Prices Break $6.00 per MMBtu to Reach a Five-Year High (Market Realist)

http://marketrealist.com/2014/02/natural-gas-prices-hit-5-year-high-since-end-2008/

Living Smart: Electrical System (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.theolympian.com/2014/02/27/3006915/living-smart-electrical-system.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia Basin’s Chinook Boom: Could Wild Salmon Be Fair Game? (Bend Bulletin, OR)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/1826698-151/columbia-basins-chinook-boom-could-wild-salmon-be#

Scientists Solve Mystery of Chile’s Massive Whale Graveyard (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/national/scientists-solve-mystery-chiles-massive-whale-grav/ndzzL/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Yakima Basin Snowpack Now Just Above Average (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/1961248-8/yakima-basin-snowpack-now-just-above-average

California’s Drought is Extreme; But the Government is Making It Worse (Washington Post)

http://knowmore.washingtonpost.com/2014/02/27/californias-drought-is-extreme-but-the-government-is-making-it-worse/

Fertilizer Limits Sought Near Lake Erie to Fight Spread of Algae (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/us/fertilizer-limits-sought-near-lake-erie-to-fight-spread-of-algae.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

How Much Energy are We Flushing Down the Drain? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/catherinewolfram/345391/how-much-energy-are-we-flushing-down-drain

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Energy Department Allows Transfer of $10 Million Tax Credit for Solar Project – Again (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/02/oregon_energy_department_allow.html

Spokane Trash Burner Power Bill Dies in Washington State Legislature (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2014/feb/26/trash-burner-power-bill-dies/

Utility Interests Push for Protectionism in State of Washington (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2014/02/utility-interests-push-for-protectionism-in-state-of-washington?cmpid=rss

Massachusetts Legislation Raises Question: What Is Clean Energy? “…would allow utilities to meet the state’s mandates to cut greenhouse gases by acquiring power from large-scale hydroelectric projects…” (Boston Globe, MA)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/02/26/legislation-would-increase-clean-energy-requirements-for-utilities/xrcj54IRKPudoYjmPZAFCK/story.html

Energy Dept.: Non-Hydro Renewables Are on a Roll (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2014/02/feds-non-hydro-renewables-comprise.html

Massachusetts: Cape Wind Project Gets Major Boost with $600 Million Loan from Danish Agency (Boston Business Journal, MA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2014/02/cape-wind-lands-600m-loan.html

Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes (Scientific American)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/offshore-wind-farms-could-knock-down-hurricanes1/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

What If Money DID Grow on Trees? Powerful Advice – Energy Insights from PUD 3 (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1351

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Op/Ed: California Carbon Tax Proposal Shines Light on Climate Change Policies (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/27/6192372/viewpoints-carbon-tax-proposal.html

Op/Ed: The Unscientific Consensus (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexepstein/2014/02/27/the-unscientific-consensus/

Editorial: Climate Science, Inescapable Truths (The Economist Magazine)

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2014/02/climate-science

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tesla Unveils $5 Billion Plan for Massive ‘Gigafactory’ to Manufacture Batteries (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_25234367

Harsh Winter Brings Shortage of Pellet Fuel for Pellet Stoves (WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY)

http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/tipline/2014/02/26/wgrz-winter-pellet-stoveshortage/5850473/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Op/Ed: Why Super-Fast Internet Is Coming Super Slowly (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304315004579381463769362886?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304315004579381463769362886.html%3F

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Target CEO Promises “Eye-Popping Irresistible Deals” after Profits Destroyed by Data Breach (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2014/02/26/target-ceo-promises-eye-popping-irresistible-deals-after-profits-destroyed-by-data-breach/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Legislature on Collision Course over Tax Breaks (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/washington-legislature-collision-course-over-tax-breaks

Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill on Refusal of Service to Gays (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/us/Brewer-arizona-gay-service-bill.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

More Snow Possible This Weekend - Early Summer Forecast Looking Warm & Dry (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/11/2466692/More-snow-possible-this-weekend-but-early-summer-forecast-looking-warm-and-dry

Special Weather Statement for Possible Lowland Snow in Puget Sound Region (National Weather Service, Seattle, WA)

http://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WA125143152FC4.SpecialWeatherStatement.12514322B900WA.SEWSPSSEW.b3cca49ca002a7af3d58ff253240fd68

Victims’ Relatives Criticize Inslee’s Death Penalty Moratorium (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Governors-death-penalty-move-criticized-by-victims-relatives-247378511.html

Lawsuit: Washington State Patrol Breaks the Law When Hiring Veterans (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Lawsuit-WSP-breaks-law-hiring-veterans.html

Warehouses to Open Across State for Marijuana Businesses to Share Space (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/business_daily/2014-02-26/warehouses_to_open_across_state_for_marijuana_businesses_to_share_space

States Push Public Lands for Designation as Monuments – Includes Sites in Oregon & Idaho (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/27/stateline-public-lands-wilderness-national-monuments/5860291/

DIVERSIONS

Purge These Redundancies & Needless Phrases

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-reinalda/purge-these-redundancies-_b_4746250.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

This Is What Happens When You Put Pit Bulls in a Photo Booth

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/pit-bull-photo-booth_n_4848766.html

Talking Parrot ‘Helps’ UP Police Crack Murder Case

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Talking-parrot-helps-UP-Police-crack-murder-case/articleshow/31057661.cms?

Shelter Dogs’ Before & After Photos Will Fetch Your Feels

http://mashable.com/2014/02/27/shelter-dogs-before-after/

SONG OF THE DAY

Toby Keith - Every Dog Has Its Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks8j99ckhzA

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 26, 2014

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

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

http://twitter.com/energydigest

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for February 26, 2014

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for_26.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

2014 Fall Chinook Returns Could Be Biggest on Record (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/2014-fall-chinook-returns-could-be-biggest-record

10,000 Hatchery Salmon Eggs Die; Pollution Feared (Associated Press)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/10000-hatchery-salmon-eggs-die-pollution-feared-247114811.html

Avista’s 2013 Income Up 42 Percent (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/feb/26/avistas-2013-income-42-percent/

TV Cable Cut in North Mason County (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)
http://masonwebtv.com/archives/12333

Wind Turbines Propel Learning at WSU-Vancouver - They are key component of school's renewable energy track (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/feb/25/wind-turbine-washington-state-university-vancouver/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Avista’s 2013 Income Up 42 Percent
• Franklin PUD Commission Raises Electric Rates
• PenLight Keeps Rate Hike Down for One Year
• Editorial: Is It Time to Renew Nuclear Power?
• Radioactive Water from Japan's Fukushima Power Plant Reaches Canada
• 2014 Fall Chinook Returns Could Be Biggest on Record
• 10,000 Hatchery Salmon Eggs Die; Pollution Feared
• Controlling Dam Water Levels Could Increase Number of Salmon
• First Nations Push to Restore Columbia River Salmon Runs
• Acidic Ocean Deadly for Vancouver Island Scallop Industry
• Drought Rates Missing from Local Drought Plans in California
• Wind Turbines Propel Learning at WSU-Vancouver
• Kwoiek Creek Begins Operation of 50 MW Hydroelectric Facility in British Columbia
• Green Energy Expansion in Germany Comes at a Hefty Price
• Energy Efficiency Programs May Have Caused Decline in U-S Electricity Sales
• Ask the Expert: Do Ground-source Heat Pumps Raise Your Electricity Use?
• Ohio Senate Gets Anti-LEED Resolution
• The Weird, Wacky & Cool Energy Ideas Coming Out of Labs Across the U-S
• TV Cable Cut in North Mason County
• Idaho Broadband Contract Extended to 2019, Lawmakers Weren’t Informed
• T-Mobile Losses Mount as No. 4 Carrier Pushes Customer Gains
• FCC Speed Test App Released on Apple iPhone to Measure Mobile Broadband Connections
• APPA Concerned over Reports Tax Reform Proposal Would Put Surtax on Municipal Bond Interest
• Man Pumping Gas in Newport Lights Cigarette, Suffers Burns
• Oregon: Gas Thieves Set Estacada House on Fire
• Faulty Water Heater to Blame in Idaho Carbon Monoxide Deaths
• Newest Summer Outlook for Seattle: Hot & Dry

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

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

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista’s 2013 Income Up 42 Percent (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/feb/26/avistas-2013-income-42-percent/

Franklin PUD Commission Raises Electric Rates (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/02/25/2847146/franklin-pud-commission-raises.html

PenLight Keeps Rate Hike Down for One Year (Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA)

http://www.gateline.com/2014/02/26/3067461/penlight-keeps-rate-hike-down.html

Editorial: Is It Time to Renew Nuclear Power? (The Daily Astorian, OR)

http://www.dailyastorian.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-is-it-time-to-renew-nuclear-power/article_6f500a06-9e43-11e3-b994-001a4bcf887a.html#.Uw0qlMkmHjQ.email

Radioactive Water from Japan's Fukushima Power Plant Reaches Canada (United Press International)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/02/25/Radioactive-water-from-Japans-Fukushima-power-plant-reaches-Canada/8711393354629/

FISH & WILDLIFE

2014 Fall Chinook Returns Could Be Biggest on Record (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/2014-fall-chinook-returns-could-be-biggest-record

10,000 Hatchery Salmon Eggs Die; Pollution Feared (Associated Press)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/10000-hatchery-salmon-eggs-die-pollution-feared-247114811.html

Controlling Dam Water Levels Could Increase Number of Salmon (International Science Times)

http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6879/20140225/controlling-dam-water-levels-increase-number-salmon.htm

First Nations Push to Restore Columbia River Salmon Runs (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/first-nations-push-to-restore-columbia-river-salmon-runs/article17077250/?service=mobile

Acidic Ocean Deadly for Vancouver Island Scallop Industry (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/acidic-ocean-deadly-for-vancouver-island-scallop-industry-1.2551662?cmp=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Drought Rates Missing from Local Drought Plans in California (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/345176/drought-rates-missing-most-local-drought-plans-california

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind Turbines Propel Learning at WSU-Vancouver - They are key component of school's renewable energy track (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/feb/25/wind-turbine-washington-state-university-vancouver/

Kwoiek Creek Begins Operation of 50 MW Hydroelectric Facility in British Columbia (Trading Charts)

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/news/futures/Kwoiek_Creek_begins_operation_of_hydroelectric_facility_in_British_Columbia_211109482.html

Green Energy Expansion in Germany Comes at a Hefty Price (Voice of America)

http://m.voanews.com/a/green-energy-expansion-in-germany-comes-at-a-hefty-price/1858699.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency Programs May Have Caused Decline in U-S Electricity Sales (Environmental Leader)

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/02/26/energy-efficiency-programs-may-have-cause-decline-in-us-electricity-sales-aceee-says/

Ask the Expert: Do Ground-source Heat Pumps Raise Your Electricity Use?  (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/02/ask-the-expert-do-ground-source-heat-pumps-raise-your-electricity-use?cmpid=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Ohio Senate Gets Anti-LEED Resolution (Columbus Business First, OH)

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2014/02/ohio-senate-gets-anti-leed-resolution.html

The Weird, Wacky & Cool Energy Ideas Coming Out of Labs Across the U-S (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2014/02/26/the-weird-wacky-cool-energy-ideas-coming-out-of-labs-across-the-u-s/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

TV Cable Cut in North Mason County (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)
http://masonwebtv.com/archives/12333

Idaho Broadband Contract Extended to 2019, Lawmakers Weren’t Informed (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2014/feb/25/idaho-broadband-contract-extended-2019-lawmakers-w/

T-Mobile Losses Mount as No. 4 Carrier Pushes Customer Gains (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2022992414_tmobilelossxml.html

FCC Speed Test App Released on Apple iPhone to Measure Mobile Broadband Connections (International Business Times)

http://www.ibtimes.com/fcc-speed-test-app-released-apple-iphone-measure-mobile-broadband-connections-1558018

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

APPA Concerned over Reports Tax Reform Proposal Would Put Surtax on Municipal Bond Interest (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=255298&issueID=34802

GENERAL NEWS

Man Pumping Gas in Newport Lights Cigarette, Suffers Burns (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Man-pumping-gas-in-Newport-lights-cigarette-suffers-burns-247124221.html

Oregon: Gas Thieves Set Estacada House on Fire (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/Gas-thieves-set-Estacada-house-on-fire-247269361.html

Faulty Water Heater to Blame in Idaho Carbon Monoxide Deaths (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Faulty-water-heater-to-blame-in-death-of-Idaho-family-247181651.html

Newest Summer Outlook for Seattle: Hot & Dry (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blogs/scott/Newest-summer-outlook-for-Seattle-Hot-and-dry-247173461.html

DIVERSIONS

California Couple Discovers $10 Million in Gold Coins While Walking Dog

http://www.kgw.com/news/Couple-discovers-10-million-in-gold-coins-while-walking-dog-247136461.html

Typing Takes Its Toll on Cursive Writing

http://www.katu.com/news/problemsolver/Kids-are-losing-the-ability-to-write-in-cursive-247188261.html

Eat Mushrooms That Grow Off the Top of This Living Lampshade

http://gizmodo.com/eat-mushrooms-that-grow-off-the-top-of-this-living-lamp-1530012184

SONG OF THE DAY

Fats Waller - I´M Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself a Letter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZZRAU3DeOo

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 25, 2014

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

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

http://twitter.com/energydigest

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for February 25, 2014

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for_25.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Supreme Court Skeptical of Greenhouse Gas Permits (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/24/supreme-court-greenhouse-gas/5779185/

Anita Decker Named New Executive Director of Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/anita-decker-named-new-executive.html

Local Rivers High, Fast, Cold, Full of Debris (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/Local-rivers-high-fast-cold-full-of-debris--246973151.html

Verizon, AT&T Say Netflix Will Pay Them Too (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2014/02/25/verizon-att-say.html

Facebook Closes Down Email Addresses (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/02/25/facebook-ends-its-experiment-with-email.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Anita Decker Named New Executive Director of Northwest Public Power Association
• Mason PUD 3’s Lake Cushman Project Aims to Repair Storm Damaged Power Lines
• Grays Harbor PUD Warns of Phone Scam
• British Columbia: Poles Chopped Down, Transformers Stripped in Brazen Langley Copper Wire Theft 
• How Co-ops Can Help Key Accounts After Storms
• U-S Supreme Court Won’t Hear Challenge to Grid Cost-Allocation Ruling
• Alcoa Reaches Electricity Deal with Hydro-Quebec
• Hanford Reach Salmon Thriving After Controlling Water Release from Dam
• USDA Spending $3 Million to Feed Honeybees in Midwest
• Local Rivers High, Fast, Cold, Full of Debris
• People Who Draw Directly from Lake Whatcom Urged to Boil Water
• Will California Get Smart About Water?
• Texas: As Water Usage Drops, Austin Officials Weigh Higher Rates
• Can You Make a Wind Turbine Without Fossil Fuels?
• Supreme Court Skeptical of Greenhouse Gas Permits
• Did EPA Overstep in Tackling Global Warming? Supreme Court Sharply Split
• U-S Readies Big-Data Dump on Climate & Weather
• Volcanoes Helped Slow Global Warming, Livermore Scientists Conclude
• Climate Engineering May Do More Harm than Good, According to New Research
• What Do You Do with a 2.5 Million Ton Pile of Trash?
• Verizon, AT&T Say Netflix Will Pay Them Too
• Why Your Broadband is So Bad That Netflix Has to Pay for Special Access
• TV Networks Are Lining Up to Denounce Aereo to the Supremes
• North Carolina: Analyst Says Google Fiber Would Spark Internet Service ‘Renaissance’
• Comcast to ‘Help’ Consumers by Raising Rates in Washington State
• Facebook Closes Down Email Addresses
• Selfies Have Led to a Head Lice Epidemic
• John Dingell: Five Must-Knows About the Longest-Serving Member of Congress
• Skull in Westport Crab Pot Confirmed Human, FBI Now Involved
• 2013: A Good Year for West Coast Log & Lumber Exports
• Carbon Monoxide Suspected in Deaths of Four Idaho Family Members
• Trustee Lawyer: Ex-Pettit Oil Customers Should Gain Reimbursement
• This Year’s Crazy Weather is Freezing the Economy
• Weather Eye: ‘Old Farmer’s Almanac’ Correctly Predicted This Harsh Winter

WORD OF THE DAY

Monopsony • \muh-NOP-su-nee\ • Noun – A sale apparently limited to one buyer.

Buy my goods kind sir

You’re my only customer

Monopsony, yes!

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Mason County Weather Forecast for February 25, 2014

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Anita Decker Named New Executive Director of Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/02/anita-decker-named-new-executive.html

Mason PUD 3’s Lake Cushman Project Aims to Repair Storm Damaged Power Lines (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1353

Grays Harbor PUD Warns of Phone Scam (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://thedailyworld.com/news/local/pud-warns-phone-scam

British Columbia: Poles Chopped Down, Transformers Stripped in Brazen Langley Copper Wire Theft (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Poles+chopped+down+transformers+stripped+brazen+copper+wire/9548786/story.html

How Co-ops Can Help Key Accounts After Storms (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/industry/business-finance/how-co-ops-can-help-key-accounts-after-storms/65983

U-S Supreme Court Won’t Hear Challenge to Grid Cost-Allocation Ruling (Platts)

http://www.platts.com/latest-news/electric-power/washington/us-supreme-court-wont-hear-challenge-to-grid-21258926

Alcoa reaches electricity deal with Hydro-Quebec “…Alcoa had threatened…to close its facilities in Quebec if Hydro-Quebec refused to lower its electricity rates…” (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/alcoa-reaches-electricity-deal-with-hydro-quebec/article17080437/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Hanford Reach Salmon Thriving After Controlling Water Release from Dam (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/02/25/2846116/hanford-reach-salmon-thriving.html

USDA Spending $3 Million to Feed Honeybees in Midwest (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/02/25/2846300/usda-spending-3m-to-feed-honeybees.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Local Rivers High, Fast, Cold, Full of Debris (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/Local-rivers-high-fast-cold-full-of-debris--246973151.html

People Who Draw Directly from Lake Whatcom Urged to Boil Water (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.theolympian.com/2014/02/25/3003806/people-who-draw-directly-from.html

Will California Get Smart About Water? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/christine-hertzog/345146/will-california-get-smart-about-water

Texas: As Water Usage Drops, Austin Officials Weigh Higher Rates (Austin Business Journal, TX)

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2014/02/25/as-water-usage-drops-austin-officials-weigh-higher.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Can You Make a Wind Turbine Without Fossil Fuels? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/robertwilson190/344771/can-you-make-wind-turbine-without-fossil-fuels

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Supreme Court Skeptical of Greenhouse Gas Permits (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/24/supreme-court-greenhouse-gas/5779185/

Did EPA Overstep in Tackling Global Warming? Supreme Court Sharply Split (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2014/0224/Did-EPA-overstep-in-tackling-global-warming-Supreme-Court-sharply-split.-video

U-S Readies Big-Data Dump on Climate & Weather (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2014/02/24/noaa-data-cloud/

Volcanoes helped slow global warming, Livermore scientists conclude (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_25219296

Climate Engineering May Do More Harm than Good, According to New Research (The Carbon Brief)

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2014/02/climate-engineering-may-do-more-harm-than-good,-according-to-new-research/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

What Do You Do with a 2.5 Million Ton Pile of Trash? (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/what-do-you-do-with-a-million-ton-pile-of/article_1760638c-9cd0-11e3-90cb-001a4bcf887a.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Verizon, AT&T Say Netflix Will Pay Them Too (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2014/02/25/verizon-att-say.html

Why Your Broadband is So Bad That Netflix Has to Pay for Special Access (Think Progress)

http://thinkprogress.org/home/2014/02/25/3324351/netflix-comcast-deal/#

TV Networks Are Lining Up to Denounce Aereo to the Supremes (New York Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2014/02/25/tv-networks-are-lining-up-to-denounce-aereo-to-the.html

North Carolina: Analyst Says Google Fiber Would Spark Internet Service ‘Renaissance’ (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2014/02/24/analyst-google-fiber-would-spark-internet-service.html

Comcast to ‘Help’ Consumers by Raising Rates in Washington State (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-To-Help-Consumers-By-Raising-Rates-in-Washington-State-127915

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Closes Down Email Addresses (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/02/25/facebook-ends-its-experiment-with-email.html

Selfies Have Led to a Head Lice Epidemic (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/selfies-have-led-to-a-head-lice-epidemic-1529945578

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

John Dingell: Five Must-Knows About the Longest-Serving Member of Congress (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2014/0224/John-Dingell-five-must-knows-about-the-longest-serving-member-of-Congress-video

GENERAL NEWS

Skull in Westport Crab Pot Confirmed Human, FBI Now Involved (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2014/02/24/skull-in-crab-pot-confirmed-human-fbi-now-involved/#axzz2uLsRVcmz

2013: A Good Year for West Coast Log & Lumber Exports (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/2013-good-year-west-coast-log-and-lumber-exports

Carbon Monoxide Suspected in Deaths of Four Idaho Family Members (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Carbon-monoxide-idaho-family-246969881.html

Trustee Lawyer: Ex-Pettit Oil Customers Should Gain Reimbursement (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140225/NEWS/302259974/trustee-lawyer-ex-pettit-oil-customers-should-gain-reimbursement

This Year’s Crazy Weather is Freezing the Economy (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/02/24/this-years-crazy-weather-is-freezing-the-economy/?wprss=rss_business

Weather Eye: ‘Old Farmer’s Almanac’ Correctly Predicted This Harsh Winter (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/feb/25/old-farmers-almanac-correctly-predicted-this-harsh/

DIVERSIONS

Moon Struck by ‘Extraordinary’ Asteroid Blast

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/25/newser-moon-asteroid/5807555/

Why the Same Side of the Moon Always Faces the Earth

http://gizmodo.com/why-the-same-side-of-the-moon-always-faces-the-earth-1529577488

Player Leaves NFL Combine After ‘Hearing God;’ Says He’ll Play for Seahawks

http://q13fox.com/2014/02/24/player-leaves-nfl-combine-after-hearing-god-says-hell-play-for-seahawks/#axzz2uLsRVcmz

Bible Saves Man’s Life by Acting as a Bulletproof Vest

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/02/25/bible-saves-mans-life-by-acting-as-a-bulletproof-vest/

SONG OF THE DAY

Pink Floyd - Brain Damage/Eclipse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzy6w_jbNRU

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.