The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for September 27, 2013

Puget Sound Energy to Pay $275,000 Fine for North Seattle Home Explosion
Ex-Seattle Utilities Employee Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Theft
Idaho: Rupert Electric Rates to Increase by Four Percent
B-C Hydro Executive Takes Home $1 Million Pay Packet Again
Northern Wasco PUD Offers New Billing Option, Adds Weatherization Cap
Coal Makes Comeback in U-S Power Generation
National Grid Settles with Northeast U-S Workers Who Waited Months for Pay after Superstorm
Work Under Way to Squirrel-Proof Tampa Electric Company Lines
Dolphins, Whales Likely to Get Added Protections under Court Ruling
Wild Salmon: Are Their Best Days All Behind Them?
Wild Washington King Salmon Gets Waxed by Costco Frozen, Farm Raised in Blind Taste Test
Contra Costa County: PG&E Continues Work to Protect Endangered Butterfly near Antioch Dunes
Why Is Solar Power Booming in Snohomish County?
California: As More Go Solar, Grid Users Forced to Pay Up
Cost of Solar Set to Plummet with New 44.7% Efficiency Record
Vestas Receives Largest Order in Three Years
California: Eagle Conservation Effort at Solano Wind Energy Project Is First of Its Kind
Space Heaters: Wallet Saver or Eater?
U-S Is Making a Dent in Its Climate Change Goals
Global Warming ‘Extremely Likely’ to be Man-Made, U-N Panel Says
Google Says Data Center Expansion in the Dalles Will Cost $600 Million
Intel Needs Partner for Its TV Initiative, Sources Say
Nearly 78 Percent of American Homes Have Broadband & Nine Percent Cord Cutters
Seattle Is a Hub of Big Data & Cloud Innovation, Say TechNW Panelists
Bill Gates Admits ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ Was a ‘Mistake’
New Look, Better Search for BPA’s Transmission Website
Stormy Weekend to Bring a Lot of Rain to the Mountains
Special Weather Statement Issued for Weekend Rain, Possibly Blustery Conditions
Green Diamond Opens Lands, Starts Rewards Program
Timber Payments for Oregon Counties Clears Last Congressional Hurdle
Grocery Workers Authorize Strike - If It Comes to That

WORD OF THE DAY

Hoary • \HORE-ee\ • Adjective – 1: showing characteristics of age, especially having gray or white hair 2: ancient.

Brad’s male-pattern-blindness irritated his charming wife to no end. He would stand before the humming refrigerator, tendrils of cold, misty air wafting around his cranium, as he looked for things as simple as a bottle of catsup, or a jar of pickles. What disturbed his wife (her name was Trudy) the most was his overlooking of boxes of hoary leftovers from “Outback”, “Olive Garden” and other restaurants whose rumination added a pungent odor to the kitchen with each foray into the fridge.

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

Puget Sound Energy to Pay $275,000 Fine for North Seattle Home Explosion (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/PSU-to-pay-275k-fine-for-North-Seattle-home-explosion-225434022.html

Ex-Seattle Utilities Employee Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Theft (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Ex-Seattle-utilities-employee-pleads-guilty-to-11-million-embezzlement-225415462.html

Idaho: Rupert Electric Rates to Increase by Four Percent (Weekly News Journal, Burley, ID)

http://www.minicassia.com/news/local/article_d3a46132-26cf-11e3-b72f-001a4bcf6878.html

B-C Hydro Executive Takes Home $1 Million Pay Packet Again (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-hydro-executive-takes-home-1m-pay-packet-again-1.1869523?cmp=rss

Northern Wasco PUD Offers New Billing Option, Adds Weatherization Cap (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2013/sep/26/pud-offers-new-billing-option-adds-weatherization-/

Coal Makes Comeback in U-S Power Generation - Higher natural gas prices cause utilities to burn more polluting coal (Scientific American – Couldn’t resist a little jab, could you?)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=coal-makes-comeback-in-us-power-generation

National Grid Settles with Northeast U-S Workers Who Waited Months for Pay after Superstorm (Associated Press)

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/national-grid-settles-mass-ny-ri-workers-waited-213028351.html

Work Under Way to Squirrel-Proof Tampa Electric Company Lines (Tampa Tribune, FL)

http://tampatribune.com/news/teco-lines-get-squirrel-proofed-20130925/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Dolphins, Whales Likely to Get Added Protections under Court Ruling (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Dolphins-whales-likely-to-get-added-protections-under-US-court-ruling-225380532.html

Wild Salmon: Are Their Best Days All Behind Them? (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2013/09/27/environment/116498/what-will-it-take-wild-salmon-return-record-number/

Wild Washington King Salmon Gets Waxed by Costco Frozen, Farm Raised in Blind Taste Test (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=2362963

Contra Costa County: PG&E Continues Work to Protect Endangered Butterfly near Antioch Dunes (Pacific Gas & Electric)

http://www.pgecurrents.com/2013/09/26/contra-costa-county-pge-continues-work-to-protect-endangered-butterfly-near-antioch-dunes/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Why Is Solar Power Booming in Snohomish County? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/Solar-power-doubles-in-Snohomish-Countykeeps-growing--225419522.html

California: As More Go Solar, Grid Users Forced to Pay Up (SF Chronicle, CA)

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/As-more-go-solar-grid-users-forced-to-pay-up-4847318.php

Cost of Solar Set to Plummet with New 44.7% Efficiency Record (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/tinacasey/279671/cost-solar-set-plummet-new-447-efficiency-record

Vestas Receives Largest Order in Three Years (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/09/vestas_receives_largest_order.html

California: Eagle Conservation Effort at Solano Wind Energy Project Is First of Its Kind (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/27/5772735/eagle-conservation-effort-at-solano.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Space Heaters: Wallet Saver or Eater? (Northern Michigan Review, Petoskey, MI)

http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/featured/pnr-space-heaters-wallet-saver-or-eater-20130927,0,3535437.story

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Is Making a Dent in Its Climate Change Goals (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/26/climate-change-progress/2877611/

Global Warming ‘Extremely Likely’ to be Man-Made, U-N Panel Says (Associated Press)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/global-warming-extremely-likely-to-be-man-made-un-panel-says-1.1870378

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Says Data Center Expansion in the Dalles Will Cost $600 Million (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2013/09/google_says_data_center_expans.html

Intel Needs Partner for Its TV Initiative, Sources Say (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/09/intel_needs_partner_to_keep_tv.html

Nearly 78 Percent of American Homes Have Broadband & Nine Percent Cord Cutters (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2013/09/26/nearly-78-percent-of-american-homes-have-broadband/

Seattle Is a Hub of Big Data & Cloud Innovation, Say TechNW Panelists (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2013/09/seattle-is-the-hub-of-big-data-cloud.html

Bill Gates Admits ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ Was a ‘Mistake’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Bill-Gates-Ctrl-Alt-Del-mistake-225385052.html

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

New Look, Better Search for BPA’s Transmission Website (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/New-look-better-search-for-BPAs-Transmission-website.aspx

GENERAL NEWS

Stormy Weekend to Bring a Lot of Rain to the Mountains (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Stormy-weekend-to-bring-a-lot-of-rain-to-the-mountains-225379282.html

Special Weather Statement Issued for Weekend Rain, Possibly Blustery Conditions (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1261

Green Diamond Opens Lands, Starts Rewards Program (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://kmasnewsradio.com/news/local-state-news/6059-green-diamond-opens-lands-starts-rewards-program

Timber Payments for Oregon Counties Clears Last Congressional Hurdle (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/09/timber_payments_for_oregon_cou.html

Grocery Workers Authorize Strike - If It Comes to That (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130926/BIZ/709269886

DIVERSIONS

Our Universe Might Just Be Fourth-Dimensional Black Hole Vomit

http://gizmodo.com/our-universe-might-just-be-fourth-dimensional-black-hol-1410271260

TomTato Combines Two Plants in One

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/tomtato-combines-two-plants-into-one-231215239.html

Pilots Fall Asleep on Long-Haul Flight to UK

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/26/us-airlines-pilots-asleep-idUSBRE98P12Y20130926

China Puffer Fish Tower Prompts a Huff about State Spending

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/us-china-fish-idUSBRE98Q0FT20130927

SONG OF THE DAY

Bing Crosby - Swinging on a Star

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

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

Friday, September 27, 2013

Energy News Digest for September 27, 2013

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