Monday, June 2, 2014

Energy News Digest for June 2, 2014

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  • U-S Unveils Sweeping Plan to Slash Power Plant Pollution
  • States Move to Blunt Obama Carbon Plan
  • Gov. Inslee Praises Obama Step on Reducing Coal-Plant Carbon Emissions
  • EPA’s Clean Power Rule Must Ensure Electricity Remains Affordable & Reliable
  • Bonneville Power Administration Audit Finds Credit Card Abuse by Employees, Lack of Controls at Agency
  • Price Powers Eastside Debate of Putting Puget Sound Energy Line Underground
  • Repair Work Started at Wanapum Dam
  • Doubling Hydropower Doesn’t Mean New Dams, Says Energy Secretary Moniz at School Of Mines
  • NorthWestern Energy: Natural Gas Rates Will Go Down, Electricity Rates Headed Up
  • Pint-Size Nuclear Plants Get a Boost from Obama Administration
  • Natural Gas Production Reached Record High in March
  • Grand Coulee Dam’s New Laser Show worth the Wait (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)
  • Sea Lions Leave Bonneville Dam; Impact Well Below High Predation Years
  • Groups Challenge in Ninth Circuit BPA’s Record of Decision Accepting Feds’ New Hydro/Salmon Plan
  • Study Finds California Medical Pot Farms Draining Streams Dry
  • Water, Water Anywhere? Should California Use Taxpayer Dollars to Build More Dams?
  • Submerged Wave Energy Generator on Track for 2014 Deployment near Astoria 
  • Editorial: California Governor Brown’s Steady March to an Alternative Energy Future
  • Halting Home Air Leaks Can Cut Electricity Costs
  • Snohomish PUD Offering Everett Residents Tips on How to Save Money as Weather Heats Up
  • Is Global Warming Real? Most Americans Say Yes
  • Portland City Council Approves $15,000 for Its Share of Green Economy Global Study with London, Copenhagen & Oslo
  • Solar Plane Makes Inaugural Flight
  • Roll Your Eyes at the Beer Fridge That Promises to “Save the World”
  • The Killer Gigabit App? It’s Not What You Think.
  • Wow, Look How Many Gigabit Networks are in Washington State!
  • FCC May Redefine Broadband As High As 25Mbps Download Instead Of 4Mbps
  • Google Broadband Balloon Falls from the Sky near Yakima
  • Twitter & Public Safety: Agencies Seek to Inform
  • How Twitter Has Forever Changed the Nerdiest Event on ESPN
  • Dead Identified in Double Fatal Mason County Crash
  • Official: Too Dangerous to Get Climbers’ Bodies on Mt. Rainier
  • North Mason School District Takes over Theler Center in Belfair
  • USGS Confirms 2.6 Magnitude Earthquake near Seabeck
  • President Obama Welcomes Release of Bowe Bergdahl
  • Devastating ‘Coffee Rust’ Fungus Raises Prices on High-End Blends
CARBON CAPPING CAPER CREATES CONUNDRUM

U-S Unveils Sweeping Plan to Slash Power Plant Pollution (Reuters)

States Move to Blunt Obama Carbon Plan (Associated Press)

Gov. Inslee Praises Obama Step on Reducing Coal-Plant Carbon Emissions (Bellingham Herald, WA)

EPA’s Clean Power Rule Must Ensure Electricity Remains Affordable & Reliable (American Public Power Association)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Audit Finds Credit Card Abuse by Employees, Lack of Controls at Agency (Oregonian, Portland)

Price Powers Eastside Debate of Putting Puget Sound Energy Line Underground (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Repair Work Started at Wanapum Dam (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Doubling Hydropower Doesn’t Mean New Dams, Says Energy Secretary Moniz at School Of Mines (Denver Business Journal, CO)

NorthWestern Energy: Natural Gas Rates Will Go Down, Electricity Rates Headed Up (Associated Press)

Pint-Size Nuclear Plants Get a Boost from Obama Administration (Christian Science Monitor)

Natural Gas Production Reached Record High in March (Forbes Magazine)

Grand Coulee Dam’s New Laser Show worth the Wait (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lions Leave Bonneville Dam; Impact Well Below High Predation Years (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

Groups Challenge in Ninth Circuit BPA’s Record of Decision Accepting Feds’ New Hydro/Salmon Plan (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Study Finds California Medical Pot Farms Draining Streams Dry (Associated Press)

Water, Water Anywhere? Should California Use Taxpayer Dollars to Build More Dams? (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Submerged Wave Energy Generator on Track for 2014 Deployment near Astoria (Northwest Public Radio)

Editorial: California Governor Brown’s Steady March to an Alternative Energy Future (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Halting Home Air Leaks Can Cut Electricity Costs (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Offering Everett Residents Tips on How to Save Money as Weather Heats Up (My Everett News, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Is Global Warming Real? Most Americans Say Yes (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Portland City Council Approves $15,000 for Its Share of Green Economy Global Study with London, Copenhagen & Oslo (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar Plane Makes Inaugural Flight (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Roll Your Eyes at the Beer Fridge That Promises to “Save the World” (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
The Killer Gigabit App? It’s Not What You Think. (GigaOM)

Wow, Look How Many Gigabit Networks are in Washington State! (Community Broadband Networks)

FCC May Redefine Broadband As High As 25Mbps Download Instead Of 4Mbps (Digital Trends)

Google Broadband Balloon Falls from the Sky near Yakima (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Twitter & Public Safety: Agencies Seek to Inform (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

How Twitter Has Forever Changed the Nerdiest Event on ESPN (GigaOM)

GENERAL NEWS

Dead Identified in Double Fatal Mason County Crash (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Official: Too Dangerous to Get Climbers’ Bodies on Mt. Rainier (Associated Press)

North Mason School District Takes over Theler Center in Belfair (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

USGS Confirms 2.6 Magnitude Earthquake near Seabeck (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

President Obama Welcomes Release of Bowe Bergdahl (Northwest Cable News)

Devastating ‘Coffee Rust’ Fungus Raises Prices on High-End Blends (Oregonian, Portland)

DIVERSIONS

Brady Bunch ‘Alice’ Actress Ann B. Davis Dies

Man Attempting To Blow Nose & Smoke Cigarette at Same Time Winds Up Burning House Down

Cross-Country Flight Diverted After Dog Poops

Police Confiscate $3 Million Worth of Shoes from Kentucky Home

SONG OF THE DAY

Ellen Burstyn - Piano Medley from “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Hot Shots Edition - Energy News Digest for May 30, 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:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Wildfire Damages Power Lines in Chelan County (Associated Press)

The Fight Is On: Obama’s Climate Rules Aren’t Out Yet, But Both Sides Are Already Slugging (Grist Online)

Oregon: Northern Wasco PUD Faces Opposition on Freedom Project Hydro (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

California orders thousands of Sacramento Valley water users to stop pumping from streams

Pend Oreille River to Hit Lowered Flood Stage (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

New Bill Threatens to Stop FCC Treating Broadband as a Utility (Gizmodo)

Mason PUD 3 Commission Report for the May 27 Business Meeting (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

Steve Ballmer Reportedly Buys L-A Clippers (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Longtime KOMO Commentator, Reporter Ken Schram Dies at 66 (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

New Wave of Suspected Tsunami Debris Washes Ashore (Northwest Public Radio)

Stunning Photos of Google's Massive Data Centers (Forbes Magazine)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


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.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Energy News Digest for May 29, 2014

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

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

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for May 29, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

A Pushback on Green Power (NY Times)

The Skinny on NuScale: How Many Millions It’ll Receive & When Its First Plant Will Open (Portland Business Jornal)

NERC Security Plan Draws Industry Support - And Lots of Questions (E&E Publishing)

Vancouver Island: Victoria Sewage Treatment Jeopardized after Sewer Plant Site is Dumped (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Shelton Shellfish Company Owner Thinks ‘Outright’ Bans Won’t Happen Again (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • The Skinny on NuScale: How Many Millions It’ll Receive & When Its First Plant Will Open
  • NERC Security Plan Draws Industry Support - And Lots of Questions
  • Oregon: Bandon Electric Rates to Increase
  • Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage
  • Bonneville Hiring Fiasco: BPA Watch Provides a Useful Chronology
  • Oregon: Reliability Varies by Power Company in Umatilla County
  • The Coal Free Puget Sound Energy Campaign
  • Goats to Clear Area near Walla Walla Dam by Eating Weeds
  • Technarians at the Gate: How Google Could Become Your Next Power Company
  • Shelton Shellfish Company Owner Thinks ‘Outright’ Bans Won’t Happen Again
  • Spring Chinook Fishing to Open in Columbia above Bonneville
  • Oregon State University Says Spawning Wild Salmon Smarter Than Farmed
  • Bonneville Power Administration Employees Help Restore Stream Habitat for Earth Day
  • New York: Speedy Surgery Puts Transmitters into Hudson River Fish
  • U-S House of Rep. Oversight Chairman Calls Prosecution of Tree Trimmer ‘Bureaucratic Bullying’
  • Vancouver Island: Victoria Sewage Treatment Jeopardized after Sewer Plant Site is Dumped
  • British Columbia: Stink Raised over Victoria Sewage Treatment
  • A Pushback on Green Power
  • Ohio Legislature Approves Two-Year Freeze on Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency Standards
  • Montana: U-S Senator Tester Pitches Bill for Renewable Energy Leasing on Federal Lands
  • How in the World Did Thieves Steal a Trailer Covered in Working Solar Panels?
  • In Wood We Trust
  • British Columbia: Power Plants Fuelled by Sawmill, Logging Waste to Produce Electricity This Year
  • Harnessing the Power of the Tides
  • Coming to a Home near You: The Battle of the Thermostats!
  • Nest CEO Sets the Record Straight: It ‘Wasn’t a Real Recall’
  • Cree Says This Will Replace the Lights in Your Parking Lot & Save You Money
  • Energy Efficiency First Explains a Healthy Home
  • Five Tips for Dodging Higher Energy Bills This Summer
  • President Said to Be Planning to Use Executive Authority on Carbon Rule
  • Chumps or Champs? California Leads on Climate
  • ‘Climate Change’ or ‘Global Warming’? Tough Choice for Pollsters
  • Reduced Mandates: EPA Records Sought to See if Pressure Led to Biofuel Action
  • Verizon Claims Public Utility Status on Broadband for Government Perks
  • CenturyLink Rates Increase in Tacoma, Gig Harbor; Approval Dates from Last Year
  • YouTube Starts Rating U-S ISPs, Puts Its Weight Behind Settlement-Free Peering
  • The Moon Has Better Broadband Than You Do
  • GE Turns Its LED Fixtures into Locating Beacons with the Help of Bytelight
  • The Anatomy of a Corporate Tweet: 140 Characters in 45 Days
  • Five Brands to Emulate on YouTube
  • Multnomah County’s New Website Focuses on Simplicity, Usability
  • TweetDeck Tips & Tricks to Master All Things Twitter
  • California Counties Will Vote on Secession
  • Apple Seals $3 Billion Deal to Buy Beats by Dre
  • Former Washington State Employee Accused of Identity Theft
  • Mason County Sheriff Honored at Conference
  • Blind Hood Canal Student Wins at Track Meet
WORD OF THE DAY

Toxophilite • \tock-SAH-fuh-lyte\ • Noun - A person fond of or expert at archery.

Toxopholite: see Robin Hood & Katniss Everdeen.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

The Skinny on NuScale: How Many Millions It’ll Receive & When Its First Plant Will Open (Portland Business Jornal)

NERC Security Plan Draws Industry Support - And Lots of Questions (E&E Publishing)

Oregon: Bandon Electric Rates to Increase (The Bandon World, OR)

Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Bonneville Hiring Fiasco: BPA Watch Provides a Useful Chronology (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Oregon: Reliability Varies by Power Company in Umatilla County (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

The Coal Free Puget Sound Energy Campaign (Sierra Club)

Goats to Clear Area near Walla Walla Dam by Eating Weeds (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Technarians at the Gate: How Google Could Become Your Next Power Company “… We aren’t worried about the utilities because they have no clue how to get beyond the meter, to be inside the house…” (Bloomberg News)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Shelton Shellfish Company Owner Thinks ‘Outright’ Bans Won’t Happen Again (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Spring Chinook Fishing to Open in Columbia above Bonneville (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Oregon State University Says Spawning Wild Salmon Smarter Than Farmed (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Bonneville Power Administration Employees Help Restore Stream Habitat for Earth Day (Bonneville Power Administration)

New York: Speedy Surgery Puts Transmitters into Hudson River Fish (Associated Press)

U-S House of Rep. Oversight Chairman Calls Prosecution of Tree Trimmer ‘Bureaucratic Bullying’ (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Vancouver Island: Victoria Sewage Treatment Jeopardized after Sewer Plant Site is Dumped (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

British Columbia: Stink Raised over Victoria Sewage Treatment (The Canadian Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

A Pushback on Green Power (NY Times)

Ohio Legislature Approves Two-Year Freeze on Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency Standards (NW Ohio Media Group)

Montana: U-S Senator Tester Pitches Bill for Renewable Energy Leasing on Federal Lands (Ravalli Republic, MT)

How in the World Did Thieves Steal a Trailer Covered in Working Solar Panels? (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

In Wood We Trust “…milling wood pellets & shipping them to Europe to be fired with coal for electricity production…” (KQED-TV, San Francisco, CA)

British Columbia: Power Plants Fuelled by Sawmill, Logging Waste to Produce Electricity This Year (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Harnessing the Power of the Tides (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Coming to a Home near You: The Battle of the Thermostats! (The Energy Collective)

Nest CEO Sets the Record Straight: It ‘Wasn’t a Real Recall’ (Mashable)

Cree Says This Will Replace the Lights in Your Parking Lot & Save You Money (Triangle Business Journal, NC)

Energy Efficiency First Explains a Healthy Home (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Five Tips for Dodging Higher Energy Bills This Summer (AOL Real Estate)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

President Said to Be Planning to Use Executive Authority on Carbon Rule (NY Times)

Chumps or Champs? California Leads on Climate (The Energy Collective)

‘Climate Change’ or ‘Global Warming’? Tough Choice for Pollsters (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Reduced Mandates: EPA Records Sought to See if Pressure Led to Biofuel Action (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Verizon Claims Public Utility Status on Broadband for Government Perks (Gizmodo – When is broadband a utility? When we can get subsidies, regulatory relief, and tax breaks, of course!)

CenturyLink Rates Increase in Tacoma, Gig Harbor; Approval Dates from Last Year (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

YouTube Starts Rating U-S ISPs, Puts Its Weight Behind Settlement-Free Peering (GigaOM)

The Moon Has Better Broadband Than You Do (C/NET News)

GE Turns Its LED Fixtures into Locating Beacons with the Help of Bytelight (GigaOM)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

The Anatomy of a Corporate Tweet: 140 Characters in 45 Days (National Public Radio)

Five Brands to Emulate on YouTube (Mahsable)

Multnomah County’s New Website Focuses on Simplicity, Usability (Oregonian, Portland)

TweetDeck Tips & Tricks to Master All Things Twitter (Gizmodo)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

California Counties Will Vote on Secession (Washington Post – Hmm, Now About That Flag)

GENERAL NEWS

Apple Seals $3 Billion Deal to Buy Beats by Dre (Bloomberg News)

Former Washington State Employee Accused of Identity Theft (Associated Press)

Mason County Sheriff Honored at Conference (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Blind Hood Canal Student Wins at Track Meet (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Astronauts Plant Trees in Russia That Tower above Politics

Southern California City Drops Bill against Sriracha Hot Sauce Plant

Anonymous Donor Leaves San Francisco Fans Searching for Hidden Cash

School Photoshops Yearbook Pictures, Adding Sleeves, Other Clothing

SONG OF THE DAY

Fever - Peggy Lee

Buddy Guy - Fever

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.