Monday, July 29, 2013

Energy News Digest for July 29, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for July 29, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

A Canada-US Energy Treaty Faces a Key Decision in 2014 (Platts)

Bonneville Power Administration Rate Increase Effect Varies among Olympic Peninsula Electric Utilities (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

As Fellow Senators Bail, Oregon’s Ron Wyden Revels in His Rapidly Growing Clout (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Is There a Fix For Global Warming Under Our Feet? (Seattle Times - Paywall Advisory)

SkyFi High on Speedy Internet Delivery (Wenatchee World, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration Rate Increase Effect Varies among Olympic Peninsula Electric Utilities
  • Oregon Trail Electric Co-op to Raise Rates This Fall
  • Idaho - Wildfire North of Gooding Threatens Power to Wood River Valley
  • Editorial - The Wright Man for Chelan PUD
  • In Advance of Bonneville Power Administration Hearings - Statement on Hiring from U-S Department of Energy
  • Washington State Utilities & Transportation Commission Names King as Director
  • Editorial: Gains, Losses Must Balance – Eugene Water & Electric Board may transfer McKenzie area to Lane Electric
  • B-C Hydro Hit with Smart Meter Class-Action Lawsuit
  • Squirrel Knocks Out Power to More Than 7,000 in SE Portland
  • Editorial: Pay, Power & the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
  • Oklahoma - Tree-Trimming More Cost-Efficient Than Underground Conversion, AEP-PSO Says
  • Insurer Warns Solar Storms Could Devastate North American Grid, Cause Huge Damage
  • North Carolina - Teachers Can Apply Now for Electric Cooperative’s Bright Ideas Grants
  • Good News for Seal Pup Feared Starving Near Olympia; the Little Tyke Gets a Meal
  • First Snake River Sockeye of 2013 Returning to Central Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley
  • Skokomish River Opens August 3 for Recreational Salmon Fishing
  • Oregon: Interior Department Extends Chetco River Gold Mining Withdrawal for Five Years
  • Forest Service’s ‘Salmon Cam’ in Alaska Creek Allows World-Wide Viewing of Spawning Sockeye
  • A Canada-US Energy Treaty Faces a Key Decision in 2014
  • PolitiFact Oregon: Are ‘Pet Projects’ to Blame for Portland’s High Water & Sewer Rates?
  • Iowa - Dam Removal Project Would Benefit Many in Delaware County
  • Desert Storm: Battle Brews over Obama Renewable Energy Plan
  • Offshore Wind Just Can’t Gain Traction in the U-S
  • On Rooftops, a Rival for Utilities
  • News Release - Solar Power Helps to Increase Home Value
  • Ten Quick Summer Energy Saving Tips from Thurston Energy
  • Q&A: How to Improve Follow-Through on Energy Audits
  • Is There a Fix For Global Warming Under Our Feet?
  • After Delayed Vote, EPA Gains a Tough Leader to Tackle Climate Change
  • Electric Car Charging Stations Now Open at Cowlitz PUD
  • SkyFi High on Speedy Internet Delivery
  • Amazon Hiring 5,000 in Warehouses to Meet Customer Demand
  • Renewable Energy for the Data Center: Where, When & How?
  • As Fellow Senators Bail, Oregon’s Ron Wyden Revels in His Rapidly Growing Clout
  • Former Washington State Auditor Joins Freedom Foundation
  • Wenatchee-Area Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Homes, Cattle
  • Goldendale Area Wildfire Grows Over the Weekend
  • Hundreds Gather On Columbia River to Protest Fossil Fuel Terminals
  • DNR Releases Draft of Recreation Proposal for Green Mountain & Tahuya State Forests
  • Washington Faces Marijuana Legalization Roadblocks

WORD OF THE DAY

Suffuse • \suff-YOOZ\ • Verb - To spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light: flush, fill

The hatch flew open, its explosive bolts flinging the several-tons slab of gray, pitted metal twenty yards from the shiny, cylindrical spaceship, rolling across the dusty plain. The  interstellar craft lay on the surface of the foreign planet like some spent sockeye salmon on the upper reaches of the Snake River. Its lone occupant cautiously exited the ship, blinking like a naked mole rat at the uncanny yellow light which suffused the landing site with its feeble, oscillating rays. (Take THAT Edgar Rice Burroughs…)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Rate Increase Effect Varies among Olympic Peninsula Electric Utilities (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Oregon Trail Electric Co-op to Raise Rates This Fall (LaGrande Observer, OR)

Idaho - Wildfire North of Gooding Threatens Power to Wood River Valley (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

Editorial - The Wright Man for Chelan PUD (Wenatchee World, WA)

In Advance of Bonneville Power Administration Hearings - Statement on Hiring from U-S Department of Energy (US Dept of Energy)

Washington State Utilities & Transportation Commission Names King as Director (South Sound Business Examiner)

Editorial: Gains, Losses Must Balance – Eugene Water & Electric Board may transfer McKenzie area to Lane Electric (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

B-C Hydro Hit with Smart Meter Class-Action Lawsuit (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Squirrel Knocks Out Power to More Than 7,000 in SE Portland (KGW TV, Portland, OR)

Editorial: Pay, Power & the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power - There’s more at stake than the city budget’s bottom line in talks over a new labor contract (LA Times, CA)

Oklahoma - Tree-Trimming More Cost-Efficient Than Underground Conversion, AEP-PSO Says (Tulsa World, OK)

Insurer Warns Solar Storms Could Devastate North American Grid, Cause Huge Damage (SNL Financial)

North Carolina - Teachers Can Apply Now for Electric Cooperative’s Bright Ideas Grants (Ansor Record, NC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Good News for Seal Pup Feared Starving Near Olympia; the Little Tyke Gets a Meal (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

First Snake River Sockeye of 2013 Returning to Central Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley (Colubmia Basin Bulletin)

Skokomish River Opens August 3 for Recreational Salmon Fishing (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Oregon: Interior Department Extends Chetco River Gold Mining Withdrawal for Five Years (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Forest Service’s ‘Salmon Cam’ in Alaska Creek Allows World-Wide Viewing of Spawning Sockeye (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

A Canada-US Energy Treaty Faces a Key Decision in 2014 (Platts)

PolitiFact Oregon: Are ‘Pet Projects’ to Blame for Portland’s High Water & Sewer Rates? (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Iowa - Dam Removal Project Would Benefit Many in Delaware County (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Desert Storm: Battle Brews over Obama Renewable Energy Plan (Energy Tribune)

Offshore Wind Just Can’t Gain Traction in the U-S (Sustainable Business)

On Rooftops, a Rival for Utilities (NY Times)

News Release - Solar Power Helps to Increase Home Value (PR Newswire)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Ten Quick Summer Energy Saving Tips from Thurston Energy (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Q&A: How to Improve Follow-Through on Energy Audits (Midwest Energy News)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Is There a Fix For Global Warming Under Our Feet? (Seattle Times - Paywall Advisory)

After Delayed Vote, EPA Gains a Tough Leader to Tackle Climate Change (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Car Charging Stations Now Open at Cowlitz PUD (Longview Daily News, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

SkyFi High on Speedy Internet Delivery (Wenatchee World, WA)

Amazon Hiring 5,000 in Warehouses to Meet Customer Demand (Bloomberg News)

Renewable Energy for the Data Center: Where, When & How? (IT Business Edge)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

As Fellow Senators Bail, Oregon’s Ron Wyden Revels in His Rapidly Growing Clout (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Former Washington State Auditor Joins Freedom Foundation (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Wenatchee-Area Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Homes, Cattle (Wenatchee World, WA)

Goldendale Area Wildfire Grows Over the Weekend (Northwest Public Radio)

Hundreds Gather On Columbia River to Protest Fossil Fuel Terminals (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

DNR Releases Draft of Recreation Proposal for Green Mountain & Tahuya State Forests (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

Washington Faces Marijuana Legalization Roadblocks (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Washington State Soldier Home from War, Dog Given Away

Olympia Man Challenges the Wrong Driver to Race

Mascot Melee: Angry Boeing Worker Punches the Mariner Moose

Ohio Bank Repossess Wrong House; Owner Wants $18,000

SONG OF THE DAY

409 - The Beach Boys

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.