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.
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Pacific
Northwest Snowfall Eases Drought Concerns ... For Now (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
Climate
Change Could Cut Western Water Runoff by Ten Percent (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Avista Electricity & Natural Gas Rate Hikes
Approved for Next Two Years (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Idaho Supreme Court sides with PacifiCorp in Tax
Fight (Associated Press)
Rules Trap Former
Pacific Power Customers in Catch 22 (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Avista Electricity & Natural Gas Rate Hikes Approved for Next Two Years
- Idaho Supreme Court sides with PacifiCorp in Tax Fight
- Rules Trap Former Pacific Power Customers in Catch 22
- Report Says Downed Puget Sound Energy Power Line Caused Pinehurst Home Explosion
- Highway 2 Open, Lake Wenatchee & Plain Power Mostly Restored
- Columbia River PUD Board Approves 2013 Budget
- Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Bruce Jorgenson Sworn in for Fourth Term
- Emerald PUD Selects Kevin Parrish for Board Vacancy
- Ashton Reservoir - East Idaho Dam Set to Reopen After Work Project
- Ailing California Nuclear Power Plant Faces Questions on Restart
- New York - Con Ed Considers Flying Drones for Future Disaster Response
- Pepco’s Smart Meter Installation behind Schedule
- Marriage Leads to Demotion for Nashville Electric Service Utility Worker
- High Energy Costs Plaguing Europe
- Iran Media Report New Cyberattack by Stuxnet Worm – Targets Power Plant
- New Colville Tribal Hatchery to Boost Columbia Fish Production Starting this Spring
- Pacific Northwest Snowfall Eases Drought Concerns ... For Now
- EPA Administrator Jackson Announces Resignation
- British Columbia Offshore Wind Signs Up Siemens, and Hopes
- 2013: A Cloudy Forecast for Renewable Energy, With a Silver Lining
- North Carolina - Power Company Wants to Pay Less for Solar Energy
- Christmas Trees Will Be Recycled to Create Electricity for California Residents
- New York City’s Law Tracking Energy Use Yields Some Surprises
- Climate Change Could Cut Western Water Runoff by Ten Percent
- California Law Tests Company Responses to Carbon Costs
- Who’s Killing the Electric Car? Consumers
- Rules Urge Bigger Hybrid, Electric Car Signage to Protecting Firefighters, Tow-Truck Drivers
- Why Are U-S Firms Going ‘Green’: CEOs or Customers?
- ‘The Cloud’ Challenges Amazon
- Why Your Computer is Getting Cheaper but Your Broadband Bill Isn’t
- Owen to Broker Deal - Washington State’s Lieutenant Governor Plans Meeting Friday with Senate Dems, New Majority Coalition
- Eyman Readies Washington State I-517, Adding Six Months to Get Signatures
- Pacific Council Strikes Last-Minute Deal to Save City
- Early Snow Lays Thick Snowpack for Pacific NW Ski Resorts
- Mason County Unemployment Up
- Japan Tsunami’s Floating Debris to Keep Hitting the Pacific Coast This
- Oak Tree Restaurant & Casino Abruptly Closes - Struggling Business Promises to Reopen
WORD OF THE DAY
Mise-en-scène
• \meez-awn-SENN\ • noun - 1a: the arrangement of actors and scenery on a stage
for a theatrical production b: stage setting 2a: the physical setting of an
action (as of a narrative or a motion picture): context b: environment, milieu
The
utility’s accounting department had the misfortune to work for a supervisor whose
hobbies included improv theater…based on “Star Trek’s” Klingon mythology. To the
staff’s immense displeasure, the last day of each work week had been converted
from casual Friday to the Klingon ritual “Rite of passage.”
At
the start of each Friday, along employees dressing in costume, the board room
was converted into a mise-en-scène of Klingon finery. Each employee, from the
mail boy to the head accountant was required to chant “Today I am a Warrior. I
must show you my heart. I travel the river of blood.” Thankfully, members of
the gauntlet used rolled up newspapers to whack the participants as they fled
the room, instead of traditional Klingon painsticks.
(I
am ashamed I know even THIS much about Klingons)
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Avista Electricity & Natural Gas Rate Hikes
Approved for Next Two Years (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Idaho Supreme Court sides with PacifiCorp in Tax
Fight (Associated Press)
Rules Trap Former Pacific
Power Customers in Catch 22 (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)
Report Says Downed Puget Sound Energy Power Line
Caused Pinehurst Home Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Highway 2 Open, Lake Wenatchee & Plain Power
Mostly Restored (Wenatchee World, WA)
Columbia River PUD
Board Approves 2013 Budget (Coast River Business Journal, Astoria, OR)
Mason County PUD 3
Commissioner Bruce Jorgenson Sworn in for Fourth Term (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Emerald PUD Selects
Kevin Parrish for Board Vacancy (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
Ashton Reservoir - East Idaho Dam Set to Reopen
After Work Project (Associated Press)
Ailing California Nuclear Power Plant Faces
Questions on Restart (Associated Press)
New York - Con Ed Considers
Flying Drones for Future Disaster Response (New York Business Journal)
Pepco’s Smart Meter Installation behind Schedule
(Washington, D-C Business Journal)
Marriage Leads to Demotion for Nashville Electric
Service Utility Worker (USA Today)
High Energy Costs Plaguing Europe (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/business/energy-environment/27iht-green27.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Iran Media Report New Cyberattack by Stuxnet Worm –
Targets Power Plant (Associated Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
New Colville Tribal Hatchery to Boost Columbia Fish
Production Starting this Spring (Seattle Times)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Pacific
Northwest Snowfall Eases Drought Concerns ... For Now (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
EPA
Administrator Jackson Announces Resignation (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
British
Columbia Offshore Wind Signs Up Siemens, and Hopes (The Energy Collective)
2013:
A Cloudy Forecast for Renewable Energy, With a Silver Lining (TIME Magazine)
http://science.time.com/2012/12/27/2013-a-cloudy-forecast-for-renewable-energy-with-a-silver-lining/
North
Carolina - Power Company Wants to Pay Less for Solar Energy (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer)
Christmas
Trees Will Be Recycled to Create Electricity for California Residents (KSBY-TV,
San Luis Obispo, CA)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
New York City’s Law Tracking Energy Use Yields Some
Surprises (NY Times)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate
Change Could Cut Western Water Runoff by Ten Percent (Los Angeles Times, CA)
California
Law Tests Company Responses to Carbon Costs (NY Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Who’s Killing the Electric Car? Consumers (Christian
Science Monitor)
Rules
Urge Bigger Hybrid, Electric Car Signage to Protecting Firefighters, Tow-Truck
Drivers (USA Today)
Why
Are U-S Firms Going ‘Green’: CEOs or Customers? (Christian
Science Monitor)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
‘The Cloud’ Challenges Amazon (NY Times)
Why Your Computer is Getting Cheaper but Your
Broadband Bill Isn’t (Gigaom)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Owen to Broker Deal - Washington State’s Lieutenant
Governor Plans Meeting Friday with Senate Dems, New Majority Coalition (Washington
State Wire)
Eyman Readies Washington State I-517, Adding Six
Months to Get Signatures (Olympian, WA)
Pacific Council Strikes Last-Minute Deal to Save
City (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
GENERAL NEWS
Early Snow Lays Thick Snowpack for Pacific NW Ski
Resorts (Associated Press)
Mason County Unemployment Up (Mason Web TV,
Shelton, WA)
Japan Tsunami’s Floating Debris to Keep Hitting the
Pacific Coast This Winter (Gizmodo)
Oak Tree Restaurant & Casino Abruptly Closes - Struggling
Business Promises to Reopen (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Pizza-Flavored
Beer - They’re Not Selling Just a Garden Variety Brew
World’s
Largest Gluten-Free Pizza Weighs 50,000 Pounds
City
Government Busts Old-Timey Soda Fountain for Selling Old-Timey Candy Cigarettes
Southern
California Couple Unlawfully Wedded for 48 Years
SONG OF THE DAY
Dean
Martin - That's Amore
