Friday, February 8, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 8, 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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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 8, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Drummond Sworn in as BPA administrator (Albany Tribune, OR)

Entergy Takes the Blame - Super Bowl Blackout Traced to Faulty Device (Associated Press)

Wind Power Purchasing Rules Spark another Fight in Olympia (Washington Wire, Olympia)

Salmon May Use Magnetic Field as a Navigational Aid, Oregon State Researchers Find (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Health Department: Washington State Lab-Confirmed Flu Deaths at 34 (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Entergy Takes the Blame - Super Bowl Blackout Traced to Faulty Device
  • Entergy Stock Takes a Hit for Super Bowl Blackout
  • Drummond Sworn in as BPA Administrator
  • Grant PUD Gathers Input on Proposed Transmission Line
  • Idaho PUC Staff Supports Avista’s Proposal to Hike Rates
  • The New Normal: Has Slow Load Growth & Limited Capacity Become the Norm in the Pacific Northwest?
  • Wahkiakum PUD Customers Challenged To Support Low-Income Program
  • Columbia River PUD Board Welcomes New Representative
  • Operator at California Nuke Plant Disputes Safety Claim
  • Sales Flat, Losses Up at Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Federal Judges Question Electricity Watchdog’s Authority
  • Insurers Blame Electric Co-op for Texas Wildfire
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week
  • Salmon May Use Magnetic Field as a Navigational Aid, Oregon State Researchers Find
  • Department of Obvious Headlines - Lack of Snow Hurts Idaho Snowpack Levels
  • In California, Reading the Snow to Tell the Future for the Water Supply
  • Wind Power Purchasing Rules Spark another Fight in Olympia
  • Bloom Energy Breaks Silence, Takes Responsibility for ‘Breakdown’ in Underpaying Mexican Workers
  • SolarWorld Will Survive Fiscal Crisis, Chief Executive Frank Asbeck Says
  • Biomass Breathing New Life into Coal Plants
  • In the Rockies, Growing Support for Renewables
  • Can Tidal Energy Take Off?
  • More Americans Convinced of Climate Change, Poll Finds
  • Nine Northeastern States Seek to Reduce Emissions Caps
  • U-S Can Slow Climate Change with New Carbon-Capture Technology
  • Tacoma’s Center for Urban Waters Puts Washington State at Number Eight on U-S LEED List
  • Facebook Outage Took Several Other Sites with It
  • Why the Feds Should Promote Wi-Fi Everywhere
  • During Power Outage, PR People Fumbled in New Orleans
  • Bill Would Protect Social Media Passwords from Employers
  • Are Printed Annual Reports Worth Money?
  • ‘Not Invited to Our Party Anymore’: Democrats Turn Up Heat on Tom, Sheldon
  • Inslee Knocks Washington State Senate Majority Proposals on Renewable Energy & Workers’ Comp
  • Health Department: Washington State Lab-Confirmed Flu Deaths at 34
  • Port of Shelton Approves Airport Plan; Says Fairgrounds Not Being Demolished
  • Ocean Debris Trashing Beaches on Washington Coast
  • Crooks Steal $100K in Bronze from Port Townsend Foundry
  • A State-By-State Look at the Northeast U-S Blizzard
  • U-S Senator Murray Plans to Re-Introduce Wild Olympics Legislation
WORD OF THE DAY

Métier • \MET-yay\ • noun - 1: vocation, trade 2: an area of activity in which one excels: forte

See Clapton’s métier
Guitar; Blues rock the house
Slowhand is awsome

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Entergy Takes the Blame - Super Bowl Blackout Traced to Faulty Device (Associated Press)

Entergy Stock Takes a Hit for Super Bowl Blackout (USA Today)

Drummond Sworn in as BPA Administrator (Albany Tribune, OR)

Grant PUD Gathers Input on Proposed Transmission Line (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Idaho PUC Staff Supports Avista’s Proposal to Hike Rates (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

The New Normal: Has Slow Load Growth & Limited Capacity Become the Norm in the Pacific Northwest? (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Wahkiakum PUD Customers Challenged To Support Low-Income Program (Wahkiakum Eagle, Skamokawa, WA)

Columbia River PUD Board Welcomes New Representative (St, Helens Chronicle, OR)

Operator at California Nuke Plant Disputes Safety Claim (Associated Press)

Sales Flat, Losses Up at Tennessee Valley Authority (Electric Co-op Today)

Federal Judges Question Electricity Watchdog’s Authority (Reuters)

Insurers Blame Electric Co-op for Texas Wildfire (Courthouse News Service)

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

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon May Use Magnetic Field as a Navigational Aid, Oregon State Researchers Find (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Department of Obvious Headlines - Lack of Snow Hurts Idaho Snowpack Levels (Associated Press)

In California, Reading the Snow to Tell the Future for the Water Supply (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind Power Purchasing Rules Spark another Fight in Olympia (Washington Wire, Olympia)

Bloom Energy Breaks Silence, Takes Responsibility for ‘Breakdown’ in Underpaying Mexican Workers (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

SolarWorld Will Survive Fiscal Crisis, Chief Executive Frank Asbeck Says (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Biomass Breathing New Life into Coal Plants (Forbes Magazine)

In the Rockies, Growing Support for Renewables (NY Times – Ed. Note: Something’s missing from the article’s chart…hydo)

Can Tidal Energy Take Off? (The Energy Collective)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

More Americans Convinced of Climate Change, Poll Finds (USA Today)

Nine Northeastern States Seek to Reduce Emissions Caps (USA Today)

U-S Can Slow Climate Change with New Carbon-Capture Technology (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tacoma’s Center for Urban Waters Puts Washington State at Number Eight on U-S LEED List (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Facebook Outage Took Several Other Sites with It (Washington Post)

Why the Feds Should Promote Wi-Fi Everywhere - The FCC isn’t really creating a free nationwide wireless network. But it might happen anyway (Slate Magazine)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

During Power Outage, PR People Fumbled in New Orleans (PR Daily)

Bill Would Protect Social Media Passwords from Employers (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Are Printed Annual Reports Worth Money? (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

‘Not Invited to Our Party Anymore’: Democrats Turn Up Heat on Tom, Sheldon (Seattle Times, WA)

Inslee Knocks Washington State Senate Majority Proposals on Renewable Energy & Workers’ Comp (Seattle Times, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Health Department: Washington State Lab-Confirmed Flu Deaths at 34 (Associated Press)

Port of Shelton Approves Airport Plan; Says Fairgrounds Not Being Demolished (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Ocean Debris Trashing Beaches on Washington Coast (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Crooks Steal $100K in Bronze from Port Townsend Foundry (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

A State-By-State Look at the Northeast U-S Blizzard (Associated Press)

U-S Senator Murray Plans to Re-Introduce Wild Olympics Legislation (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Family of Smokers on Airplane Forces Costly Diversion

Varmints in the Works - This Is a Case for ‘Car Talk’

Energy’s Steven Chu Has an Awesome Sense of Humor

Blonde ‘Anne of Green Gables’? A New Cover Displeases Loyal Readers

SONG OF THE DAY

Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard - Pancho & Lefty

Emmylou Harris - Pancho & Lefty