The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for July 15, 2013

Pipe Shock Knocks Boardman Electric Plant Offline
WECC Split - Bekkedahl Selected to Help Shape New Regional Reliability Organization
Snohomish PUD Considering New Technology to Store Extra Power
Community Energy Storage: Almost, But Not Quite There
Are Smart Meters The Smart Thing? Eugene Water & Electric Board customers worry about the health & financial costs
With FERC Approval of Plans, California ISO Issues Revised Proposal for Energy Imbalance Market
Greenpeace Activists Break into French Nuclear Plant
Illinois - Police Say Electrocution Victim Was Stealing Copper from Wires
Feds: Dam Fixes Helping Salmon
Briefing Ends on Sea Lion Removal; Humane Society Says NOAA Essentially ‘Re-Issued Same Decision’
Grant County PUD Plays Key Part in Lake Cle Elum Sockeye Release
Lamprey: Bringing Back an Ancient Species
Op/Ed - Columbia River Salmon Futures Lie in Large Part with Anglers, Who Need to Help Make It Work
Portland Wild Salmon: America’s Best Regional Food?
Sea Lion Makes Self at Home in the Dalles Marina
Maine - Breaching of Historic Veazie Dam to Improve Fish Runs in Penobscot
Extension of Washington State Sales Tax Exemption Helps Local Solar Projects
Thurston County Neighborhoods Want More Sun
Tennessee Valley Authority’s Solar Balance Limits Have Riled Some Providers
Utilities’ Fight Against Solar Might Have Been Lost Before It Started
Energy Efficiency: Light Bulb Wars Roar Back Into U-S House of Representatives
Ohio - Energy Industry Puts Target on Green Standards
The Watchdog: Smart Thermostat Contract’s Huge Termination Fee Shocks Electric Customer
How Utilities Can Make Any Customer Care About Efficiency
U-S Court Says Biofuel Producers Must Face Carbon Emissions Rules
Op/Ed – U-S Can’t Afford to Cede Green Energy Industry to Its Competitors
No More Excuses, Sprint. It’s Time to Build the Mother of All Networks
Why National Broadband Plans Work
U-S Rural Telcos Under Attack...Again
Woman Escapes Tumwater Hostage Situation
Living in the 80s – Temperatures, That Is
Heat Wave Causes Fish Die-Off in John Day River
Afternoon Jolt (Literally): Seattle Tunnel Construction Hits Utilities
Wild Olympics Still a Heated Topic
Two Beekeepers Strive to Breed a Stronger Queen Honeybee to Survive Portland Winters
Legal Pot Prompts a Question: What About Hash?

WORD OF THE DAY

Thwart • \THWORT\ • Verb - 1a: to run counter to so as to effectively oppose or baffle b: to oppose successfully: defeat the hopes or aspirations of 2: to pass through or across

Sweltering heat; yuck!

Thwarted by tall, frosty one

Hammock is my home

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

Pipe Shock Knocks Boardman Electric Plant Offline (Associated Press)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Pipe-shock-knocks-Boardman-electric-plant-offline-215260121.html

WECC Split - Bekkedahl Selected to Help Shape New Regional Reliability Organization (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Bekkedahl-selected-to-help-shape-new-regional-reliability-organization.aspx

Snohomish PUD Considering New Technology to Store Extra Power (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130713/NEWS01/707139941/0/sports01

Community Energy Storage: Almost, But Not Quite There (The Energy Collective)

http://www.theenergycollective.com/stephenlacey/248301/community-battery-storage-almost-not-quite-there

Are Smart Meters The Smart Thing? Eugene Water & Electric Board customers worry about the health & financial costs (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/30139007-75/eweb-meters-smart-meter-customers.html.csp

With FERC Approval of Plans, California ISO Issues Revised Proposal for Energy Imbalance Market (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=225615&issueID=27059

Greenpeace Activists Break into French Nuclear Plant (Reuters)

http://news.yahoo.com/greenpeace-activists-break-french-nuclear-plant-072054413.html

Illinois - Police Say Electrocution Victim Was Stealing Copper from Wires (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news/8449985-418/police-electrocution-victim-was-stealing-copper-from-wires.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds: Dam Fixes Helping Salmon (Associated Press)

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lateststatenews/1315437-8/feds-dam-fixes-helping-salmon

Briefing Ends on Sea Lion Removal; Humane Society Says NOAA Essentially ‘Re-Issued Same Decision’ (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/427423.aspx

Grant County PUD Plays Key Part in Lake Cle Elum Sockeye Release (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_5a234f08-eb38-11e2-914a-001a4bcf887a.html

Lamprey: Bringing Back an Ancient Species (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021384202_lampreyfishingxml.html

Op/Ed - Columbia River Salmon Futures Lie in Large Part with Anglers, Who Need to Help Make It Work (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2013/07/post_83.html

Portland Wild Salmon: America’s Best Regional Food? (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/07/11/portland-wild-salmon/2509251/

Sea Lion Makes Self at Home in the Dalles Marina (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/sea-lion-makes-self-at-home-in-the-dalles-marina/

Maine - Breaching of Historic Veazie Dam to Improve Fish Runs in Penobscot (Lewiston Sun Journal, Maine)

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2013/07/01/breaching-historic-veazie-dam-improve-fish-runs-pe/1386860

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Extension of Washington State Sales Tax Exemption Helps Local Solar Projects (Edmonds Beacon, WA)
http://edmondsbeacon.villagesoup.com/p/extension-of-sales-tax-exemption-helps-local-solar-projects/1030045

Thurston County Neighborhoods Want More Sun (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)
http://www.thurstontalk.com/2013/07/12/thurston-county-neighborhoods-want-more-sun/

Tennessee Valley Authority’s Solar Balance Limits Have Riled Some Providers (Memphis Daily News, TN)

http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2013/jul/13/tvas-solar-balance-limits-have-riled-some-providers/

Utilities’ Fight Against Solar Might Have Been Lost Before It Started (Clean Energy Authority)

http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-energy-news/utilities-fight-against-solar-was-lost-before-it-started-071013

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency: Light Bulb Wars Roar Back Into U-S House of Representatives (The Energy Collective)

http://www.theenergycollective.com/tinacasey/249166/light-bulb-wars-roar-back-house-representatives

Ohio - Energy Industry Puts Target on Green Standards: Energy industry fighting efficiency mandates, others try to maintain (The News Messenger, Fremont, OH)

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/20130712/NEWS01/307120022/Energy-industry-puts-target-green-standards

The Watchdog: Smart Thermostat Contract’s Huge Termination Fee Shocks Electric Customer (Dallas Morning News, TX)

http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20130714-watchdog-customer-in-2-year-electricity-company-thermostat-contract-faces-huge-termination-fee.ece

How Utilities Can Make Any Customer Care About Efficiency (GreenBiz)

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/07/12/utilities-customers-care-efficiency

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

U-S Court Says Biofuel Producers Must Face Carbon Emissions Rules (Reuters)

http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUKBRE96B0Z420130712?irpc=932

Op/Ed – U-S Can’t Afford to Cede Green Energy Industry to Its Competitors (Christian Science Monitor)

http://news.yahoo.com/us-cant-afford-cede-green-energy-industry-competitors-125735009.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

No More Excuses, Sprint. It’s Time to Build the Mother of All Networks (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2013/07/11/no-more-excuses-sprint-its-time-to-build-the-mother-of-all-networks/

Why National Broadband Plans Work (CNN Money)

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/07/12/why-national-broadband-plans-work/

U-S Rural Telcos Under Attack...Again (Light Reading)

http://www.lightreading.com/blog/dsl/us-rural-telcos-under-attackagain/240158134

GENERAL NEWS

Woman Escapes Tumwater Hostage Situation (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2013/07/14/woman-escapes-tumwater-gas-station-hostage-situation/

Living in the 80s – Temperatures, That Is (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2013/07/15/living-in-the-80s/

Heat Wave Causes Fish Die-Off in John Day River (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/heat-wave-causes-fish-die-off-in-john-day-river/

Afternoon Jolt (Literally): Seattle Tunnel Construction Hits Utilities (PubliCola)

http://www.seattlemet.com/articles/afternoon-jolt-literally-tunnell-project-stikes-spu-sewer-line-and-city-light-electical-vault-july-2013

Wild Olympics Still a Heated Topic (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kxro.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/wild-olympics-still-a-heated-topic/

Two Beekeepers Strive to Breed a Stronger Queen Honeybee to Survive Portland Winters (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/07/honeybee_hives_thrive_in_orego.html

Legal Pot Prompts a Question: What About Hash? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Legal-pot-prompts-a-question-What-about-hash-215514801.html

DIVERSIONS

Rejected Kitten Has Been Adopted By a Bulldog

http://www.dailynewsclick.com/animals/rejected-kitten-has-been-adopted-by-a-bulldog/

Couple & Newborn Survive Lightning Strike

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/couple-newborn-survive-lightning-strike-170559438.html

Florida Restaurant Owner Fires Employees by Text Message

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/florida-restaurant-fires-employees-text-message-144320874.html

Five-Figure Ohio Water Bills Blamed on New Software

http://news.yahoo.com/5-figure-ohio-water-bills-blamed-software-170054320.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=devNnEA0AdU

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.

The Energy News Digest

Monday, July 15, 2013

Energy News Digest for July 15, 2013

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