Energy News Digest for January 30, 2013

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Latest Effort May Lead to More Irrigation in Eastern Oregon, Proponent Says (Capital Ag Press)

http://www.capitalpress.com/content/ml-columbia-river-symposium-012913-art

Oregon to Haze Salmon-Munching Sea Lions on Willamette River (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/01/oregon_to_haze_salmon-munching.html

Bonneville Power Administration Schedules Cowlitz County Public Meetings over New Line Proposal (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/bpa-schedules-cowlitz-county-public-meetings-over-new-line-proposal/article_7a17d2e0-6a6c-11e2-908c-0019bb2963f4.html

Clatskanie Ethanol, Crude Plant Sells for $95 Million (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2013/01/clatskanie-ethanol-crude-plant-sells.html

How Snowy is It? Snow Survey Hydrologists Postpone Snow Survey on Mt. Hood Due to Heavy Snow (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2013/01/how_snowy_is_it_snow_survey_hy.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bonneville Power Administration Schedules Cowlitz County Public Meetings over New Line Proposal
• Tacoma City Council to Weigh Water, Power Rate Hikes
• Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Linda Gott Elected President of Energy Northwest Board of Directors
• Westar to Pay $1.6 Million to Settle Transmission Tariff Violation Charges
• Hawaii Lawmakers Urge Utilities to Focus on Consumers
• North American Utilities Planning Significant System Upgrades
• Oregon to Haze Salmon-Munching Sea Lions on Willamette River
• Making Sense of Columbia River Salmon Returns
• Cats Kill Billions of Creatures Every Year According to New Study
• Latest Effort May Lead to More Irrigation in Eastern Oregon, Proponent Says
• Dry January Shrinks California Snowpack
• EPA Air Quality Rules Face another Setback
• Port Townsend Paper Mill Files Appeal of Landfill Decision
• Solar Advocates Balking at Arizona's Renewable Waivers Discussion
• Ohio Regulator Tied to Group Opposing Renewables
• Report: Nest is Shipping 40,000 Thermostats a Month
• Comverge Leverages Broadband for Residential Demand Response
• Missoula City Council Passes Plan to be Carbon Neutral by 2025
• Clatskanie Ethanol, Crude Plant Sells for $95 Million
• Editorial - Thurston County Takes Lead in Building Green
• Reinventing the Washington State Energy Lobby
• Electric Cars & the Power Grid: How Are They Coming Together?
• Low-Speed, High-Priced Broadband
• Competition, High Bills Hurt Cable Companies
• Washington State Governor Announces New Cabinet Appointments
• Deep Federal Spending Cuts Are Likely, Lawmakers Say, With No Deal on Sequester in Sight
• Gary Alexander to Serve Double Duty as Thurston County Auditor, State Lawmaker
• Dangerous Shelton-Area Suspect Sought
• Small Earthquake in Olympic National Forest
• How Snowy is It? Snow Survey Hydrologists Postpone Snow Survey on Mt. Hood Due to Heavy Snow
• At Least 100 Batteries Failed on Boeing 787 Fleet
• Vaccination Rates for Adults ‘Unacceptably Low,’ U-S Says
• Green Thumb? Washington State Looks for Pot Consultant
• College Bound - Signing Event for Shelton Athletes
• Actor Jim Nabors Marries Male Partner in Seattle

WORD OF THE DAY

Mala Fide • \mal-uh FYE-dee\ • Adverb or Adjective - With or in bad faith.

Hidden in fine print

Mala Fide, bad intent

I now own you, Bud

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 Schedules Cowlitz County Public Meetings over New Line Proposal (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/bpa-schedules-cowlitz-county-public-meetings-over-new-line-proposal/article_7a17d2e0-6a6c-11e2-908c-0019bb2963f4.html

Tacoma City Council to Weigh Water, Power Rate Hikes (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/01/30/2454672/council-to-weigh-water-power-rate.html

Mason County PUD 3 Commissioner Linda Gott Elected President of Energy Northwest Board of Directors (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1181

Westar to Pay $1.6 Million to Settle Transmission Tariff Violation Charges (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=204992&issueID=26942

Hawaii Lawmakers Urge Utilities to Focus on Consumers (Associated Press)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/energy/article/Lawmakers-urge-utilities-to-focus-on-consumers-4233703.php

North American Utilities Planning Significant System Upgrades (Renew Grid)

http://www.renew-grid.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.9497#.UQlPw3fkp8E

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon to Haze Salmon-Munching Sea Lions on Willamette River (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/01/oregon_to_haze_salmon-munching.html

Making Sense of Columbia River Salmon Returns (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Making-sense-of-salmon-returns.aspx

Cats Kill Billions of Creatures Every Year According to New Study (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0129/Cats-kill-billions-of-creatures-every-year-according-to-new-study

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Latest Effort May Lead to More Irrigation in Eastern Oregon, Proponent Says (Capital Ag Press)

http://www.capitalpress.com/content/ml-columbia-river-symposium-012913-art

Dry January Shrinks California Snowpack (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/29/5148611/second-snow-survey-of-the-season.html

EPA Air Quality Rules Face another Setback (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/01/30/54385.htm

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Townsend Paper Mill Files Appeal of Landfill Decision (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130130/news/301309993/port-townsend-paper-mill-files-appeal-of-landfill-decision

Solar Advocates Balking at Arizona's Renewable Waivers Discussion (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/business/2013/01/solar-advocates-balking-at-arizonas.html

Ohio Regulator Tied to Group Opposing Renewables (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Ohio-regulator-tied-to-group-fighting-renewables-4232377.php

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Report: Nest is Shipping 40,000 Thermostats a Month (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/01/30/nest-raises-80-million/

Comverge Leverages Broadband for Residential Demand Response (GreenTech Grid)

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/comverge-leverages-broadband-for-residential-demand-response

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Missoula City Council Passes Plan to be Carbon Neutral by 2025 (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-city-council-passes-plan-to-be-carbon-neutral-by/article_2468de06-69d2-11e2-baac-001a4bcf887a.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Clatskanie Ethanol, Crude Plant Sells for $95 Million (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2013/01/clatskanie-ethanol-crude-plant-sells.html

Editorial - Thurston County Takes Lead in Building Green (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2013/01/30/2403254/thurston-county-takes-lead-in.html

Reinventing the Washington State Energy Lobby (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2013/01/28/environment/112708/Environmental-priorities-coalition-Legislature-201/

Electric Cars & the Power Grid: How Are They Coming Together? (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2013/01/28/electric-cars-and-the-power-grid-how-are-they-coming-together/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Low-Speed, High-Priced Broadband (WBUR Radio, Boston, MA)

http://radioboston.wbur.org/2013/01/29/broadband

Competition, High Bills Hurt Cable Companies (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/30/170630094/competition-high-bills-hurt-cable-companies?ft=1&f=3

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Announces New Cabinet Appointments (Governor Jay Inslee, WA)

http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/20130129.aspx

Deep Federal Spending Cuts Are Likely, Lawmakers Say, With No Deal on Sequester in Sight (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/deep-spending-cuts-are-likely-lawmakers-say-with-no-deal-on-sequester-in-sight/2013/01/29/286d4f94-6a1f-11e2-ada3-d86a4806d5ee_story.html?wprss=rss_business

Gary Alexander to Serve Double Duty as Thurston County Auditor, State Lawmaker (Seattle Times, WA)

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/01/29/gary-alexander-to-serve-double-duty-as-thurston-county-auditor-state-lawmaker/

GENERAL NEWS

Dangerous Shelton-Area Suspect Sought (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/9099

Small Earthquake in Olympic National Forest (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/9092

How Snowy is It? Snow Survey Hydrologists Postpone Snow Survey on Mt. Hood Due to Heavy Snow (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2013/01/how_snowy_is_it_snow_survey_hy.html

At Least 100 Batteries Failed on Boeing 787 Fleet (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020241385_787deadbatteriesxml.html

Vaccination Rates for Adults ‘Unacceptably Low,’ U-S Says (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2020241201_vaccinationadultsxml.html

Green Thumb? Washington State Looks for Pot Consultant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020241647_apuspotconsultant1stldwritethru.html

College Bound - Signing Event for Shelton Athletes (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/48800-signing-event-for-shelton-athletes

Actor Jim Nabors Marries Male Partner in Seattle (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020241553_apuspeoplenabors1stldwritethru.html

DIVERSIONS

Watch Five Huge Power Station Towers Collapse in Super Slow Motion

http://gizmodo.com/5979594/watch-four-huge-power-station-towers-collapse-in-super-slow-motion

This Japanese Restaurant Has a Dirty Little Secret

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/this-japanese-restaurant-has-a-dirty-little-secret--164612162.html

I Can’t Think of a Better Wedding Ring than This Cool Titanium Utility Ring

http://gizmodo.com/5979842/i-cant-think-of-a-better-wedding-ring-than-this-cool-titanium-utility-ring

Incredible Photo Shows Pillars of Fire Bursting from Manholes in Downtown Omaha (Ed. Note: please be aware that there is PG-13 Language in this posting)

http://gawker.com/5979692/incredible-photo-shows-pillars-of-fire-bursting-from-manholes-in-downtown-omaha

SONG OF THE DAY

Chase - Get It On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVt_M1bY_Sw