The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for February 21, 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 21, 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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 21, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/02/word-cloud-for-energy-news-digest_21.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

New California Power Sales Ruling Could Cost BPA More than $60 Million (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/new-ruling-could-cost-bpa-more-than-60m/

Jay Inslee, Washington State Legislature Working to Keep the Evergreen State Ever Green (Seattle Times, WA)

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/opinionnw/2013/02/21/working-to-keep-the-evergreen-state-ever-green/

Washington State Investment Board Admits Alternative Energy Not a Good Investment (Seattle Times)

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/opinionnw/2013/02/21/alternate-energy-a-good-investment/

Obama Settles on EPA, Energy Department Nominees: Source (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/us-obama-cabinet-epa-energy-idUSBRE91J0ZE20130220

Special Weather Statement for Western Washington (National Weather Service)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/02/special-weather-statement-for-western.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

New California Power Sales Ruling Could Cost BPA More than $60 Million
Warm Weather Contributes to Avista’s Lower 2012 Income
Obama Settles on EPA, Energy Department Nominees: Source
Wenatchee Substation Project Will Provide More Reliable Service to Alcoa, Support Local Jobs
Including $2.9 Million for Alaska’s Kotzebue Electric Association - Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding to Improve Rural Electric Service for Customers in 12 States
Editors Rebel against Ratepayer Financing for Nuclear Plants
Tennessee Valley Authority, B&W Sign Small Modular Reactor Agreement under DOE Program
Who Will Clean Up After the Nuclear Plants?
In New England, a Natural Gas Trap
U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week
J.D. Power & Associates Reports: State Governments & Electric Utilities Provided More Effective Emergency Responsiveness during Hurricane Sandy than Local & Federal Governments
California - Study Proves Predation as Drain on Native Salmon
Jefferson County ‘Getting Closer’ to Net-Pen Permits
Survey Finds That Fish Are Often Not What Label Says
Pacific Salmon is British Columbia’s Official Fish
Editorial - Roll On, Oregon House Republicans, Roll On
Washington River among New York Times’ 46 Top World Destinations
Chinese Dare Officials to Swim in Polluted
Jay Inslee, Washington State Legislature Working to Keep the Evergreen State Ever Green
Washington State Investment Board Admits Alternative Energy Not a Good Investment
Iceland Looks to Export Power Bubbling From Below
Why Is Gaia Angry With Me? Baby Boomers Produce Highest Carbon Emissions
Seattle Will Pay $500,000 to Settle Yellow Pages Lawsuit
Oregon - Forest Grove Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Finish First Year with More than 70 Charges
Presto! Alaska Inventor Turns Wood Stove Heat into Electricity
Kansas City Fiber Dig Causes Massive Gas Explosion - Kills One Local, Injures Fifteen Others
Apple Moves Rapidly on Its Oregon Data Center
FCC Approves Wireless Signal Boosters, With Caveats
NTCA: Uncertainty Drove 69% of Rural Telcos to Cancel Projects
Cable Is Taking the Fast Train to Oblivion
FCC Broadband Performance Report Shows Improvement But Misses Big Picture – How do We Stack Up?
Tech Predictions for 2013: It’s All About Mobile
Where Life is Tweet: Study Ranks #Happy Places
Despite Appearances the Washington Legislature is Working on the Budget
Snohomish County Council Strips Reardon of Control over Tech Operations
Norm Dicks Says His Six-Figure Pension is Fair
Bickering, Lax Oversight Contributed to $800,000 Oregon City Error, Report Contends
Winter Storm to Blow into Washington Friday
Special Weather Statement for Western Washington
Skokomish Tribe Sues State over Hunting Rights
Copper Wire Stolen from Sea-Tac Runway Lighting System
Four-Year-Old Girl Rescues Younger Sister from Crash That Killed Mother
Mason County Seniors to Purchase Pavilion for New Center
Everett Baristas Accused of Serving More than Coffee
City of Shelton Looking Into Regulations for Bikini Baristas
Two Major U-S Companies Charged in ‘Honeygate’

WORD OF THE DAY

Bogart • \BOE-gart\ • Verb - 1: bully 2: to use or consume without sharing.

The Girl Scout cookies I purchased at work are going home today. I will try not to bogart the tasty tidbits from the rest of the household.

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

New California Power Sales Ruling Could Cost BPA More than $60 Million (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/new-ruling-could-cost-bpa-more-than-60m/

Warm Weather Contributes to Avista’s Lower 2012 Income (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/feb/20/warm-weather-contributes-lower-2012-income-avista/

Obama Settles on EPA, Energy Department Nominees: Source (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/us-obama-cabinet-epa-energy-idUSBRE91J0ZE20130220

Wenatchee Substation Project Will Provide More Reliable Service to Alcoa, Support Local Jobs (North Central Washington TV)

http://www.ncwtv.com/substation-project-will-provide-more-reliable-service-to-alcoa-support-local-jobs-6410/

Including $2.9 Million for Alaska’s Kotzebue Electric Association - Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding to Improve Rural Electric Service for Customers in 12 States (USDA)

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2013/02/0027.xml&contentidonly=true

Editors Rebel against Ratepayer Financing for Nuclear Plants (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2013/02/20/editors-rebel-against-ratepayer-financing-for-nuclear-plants/

Tennessee Valley Authority, B&W Sign Small Modular Reactor Agreement under DOE Program (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=208002&issueID=26958

Who Will Clean Up After the Nuclear Plants? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0220/Who-will-clean-up-after-the-nuclear-plants

In New England, a Natural Gas Trap (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/16/business/electricity-costs-up-in-gas-dependent-new-england.html

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/02/21/2283619/us-natural-gas-supplies-fell-last.html

J.D. Power & Associates Reports: State Governments & Electric Utilities Provided More Effective Emergency Responsiveness during Hurricane Sandy than Local & Federal Governments (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=169104

FISH & WILDLIFE

California - Study Proves Predation as Drain on Native Salmon (Western Farm Press)

http://westernfarmpress.com/government/study-proves-predation-drain-native-salmon

Jefferson County ‘Getting Closer’ to Net-Pen Permits (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130221/NEWS/302219991/jefferson-county-getting-closer-to-net-pen-permits

Survey Finds That Fish Are Often Not What Label Says (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/us/survey-finds-that-fish-are-often-not-what-label-says.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Pacific Salmon is British Columbia’s Official Fish (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/pacific-salmon-is-b-c-s-official-fish-1.77712

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Editorial - Roll On, Oregon House Republicans, Roll On (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2013/02/steve_duin_roll_on_oregon_hous.html

Washington River among New York Times’ 46 Top World Destinations (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2013/02/19/washington-river-among-ny-times%E2%80%99-46-top-world-destinations/#10058-34

Chinese Dare Officials to Swim in Polluted Rivers (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020398344_apaschinapollutedrivers.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Jay Inslee, Washington State Legislature Working to Keep the Evergreen State Ever Green (Seattle Times, WA)

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/opinionnw/2013/02/21/working-to-keep-the-evergreen-state-ever-green/

Washington State Investment Board Admits Alternative Energy Not a Good Investment (Seattle Times)

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/opinionnw/2013/02/21/alternate-energy-a-good-investment/

Iceland Looks to Export Power Bubbling From Below (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/world/europe/iceland-weighs-exporting-the-power-bubbling-from-below.html?pagewanted=all

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Why Is Gaia Angry With Me? Baby Boomers Produce Highest Carbon Emissions (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/booming/baby-boomers-produce-highest-carbon-emissions.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Seattle Will Pay $500,000 to Settle Yellow Pages Lawsuit (Seattle Times, WA)

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/02/seattle-will-pay-500000-to-settle-yellow-pages-lawsuit/

Oregon - Forest Grove Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Finish First Year with More than 70 Charges (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/forest-grove/index.ssf/2013/02/forest_grove_electric_vehicle.html

Presto! Alaska Inventor Turns Wood Stove Heat into Electricity (Alaska Dispatch)

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/presto-alaska-inventor-turns-wood-stove-heat-electricity

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Kansas City Fiber Dig Causes Massive Gas Explosion - Kills One Local, Injures Fifteen Others (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Kansas-City-Fiber-Dig-Causes-Massive-Gas-Explosion-123221

Apple Moves Rapidly on Its Oregon Data Center (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2013/02/apple_moves_rapidly_on_its_ore.html

FCC Approves Wireless Signal Boosters, With Caveats (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/02/20/fcc-signal-boosters/

NTCA: Uncertainty Drove 69% of Rural Telcos to Cancel Projects (Telecompetitor)

http://www.telecompetitor.com/ntca-uncertainty-drove-69-of-rural-telcos-to-cancel-projects/

Cable Is Taking the Fast Train to Oblivion (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/02/17/michael-wolff-cables-fast-train-to-oblivion/1926749/

FCC Broadband Performance Report Shows Improvement But Misses Big Picture – How do We Stack Up? (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markgibbs/2013/02/20/fcc-broadband-performance-report-shows-improvement-but-misses-big-picture/

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Tech Predictions for 2013: It’s All About Mobile (NY Times)

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/tech-predictions-for-2013-its-all-about-mobile/

Where Life is Tweet: Study Ranks #Happy Places (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/20/happiest-cities-geotags-twitter/1933587/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Despite Appearances the Washington Legislature is Working on the Budget (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=2207863

Snohomish County Council Strips Reardon of Control over Tech Operations - Move follows revelations of apparent online harassment of political enemies (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130220/NEWS01/702209905

Norm Dicks Says His Six-Figure Pension is Fair (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/02/21/2483385/rep-dicks-says-his-six-figure.html

Bickering, Lax Oversight Contributed to $800,000 Oregon City Error, Report Contends – “…staffed with employees who for whatever reason dislike each other or had no desire to work together…” (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2013/02/dysfunction_lax_oversight_cont.html

GENERAL NEWS

Winter Storm to Blow into Washington Friday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/50412-winter-storm-to-blow-into-washington-friday-

Special Weather Statement for Western Washington (National Weather Service)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/02/special-weather-statement-for-western.html

Skokomish Tribe Sues State over Hunting Rights (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/feb/20/skokomish-tribe-sues-state-over-hunting-rights/

Copper Wire Stolen from Sea-Tac Runway Lighting System (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Copper-wire-stolen-from-Sea-Tac-runway-lighting-system-192058141.html

Four-Year-Old Girl Rescues Younger Sister from Crash That Killed Mother (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2013/02/20/4-year-old-girl-rescues-younger-sister-from-crash-that-killed-mother/