The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for September 30, 2013

With Water Treaty Set to Expire, Future of Columbia River Up for Debate
Editorial: The Pacific Northwest Needs an Overhauled Columbia River Treaty
NorthWestern to Buy PPL Montana’s 11 Hydropower Dams
Spokane Tribe Hopeful Its Long Wait for Payment over Grand Coulee Dam Will End
Restoration of Electricity Continues for Tahuya Area Residents – 980 Customers Remain
‘Smart Meter’ Project: Port Angeles City Council to Consider Request for $99,000 ‘Smart Meter’ Consultant
81 Legislators Urge Progress on Yucca Mountain Licensing
Small Modular Reactor Use Denounced By Scientists Group
Fitch Affirms Energy Northwest’s Wind Project Revenue Bonds at ‘A-’; Outlook Stable
Cascade Natural Gas Planning Price Increase
Old, Crumbling Dams Pose Potential Hazards across Michigan
Returning Chinook ‘Through the Roof’
More Room to Spawn
Longtime Foes Unite Over Water Plan for Eastern Washington
Study: Charred Forests in Columbia Basin Headwaters Leads to Changed Snow Runoff Patterns
Credits to Spur Renewable Energy Sources Seen Set to End
Other Western States Outpacing New Mexico on Renewable Energy
Forget Eagle Deaths, Wind Turbines Kill Humans
Company Works to Promote Power of Ductless Heat Pumps
Why Efficiency Is Harder in Industrial Facilities than Commercial Buildings
Washington State Governor’s Climate Panel Looks at Uphill Haul
High-Speed Broadband Networks with a Safety Net
Google Launches Huge Overhaul of Search Algorithm - Which You Probably Didn’t Notice
Broadband from the Bell Tower: The Church That Became an Internet Hub
Is Your Business Spending Too Much Time on Facebook?
Facebook Editing Function Raises Concern over Misuse
This Is Why No One Follows You on Twitter

WORD OF THE DAY

Foofaraw • \FOO-fu-raw\ • Noun - 1: frills & flashy finery 2: a disturbance or to-do over a trifle: fuss

Pretty foofaraw

Lipstick on a pig, yahoo

Punch drunk from outage

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

With Water Treaty Set to Expire, Future of Columbia River Up for Debate (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/debating-the-future-of-the-columbia-river/article14584669/

Editorial: The Pacific Northwest Needs an Overhauled Columbia River Treaty (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/09/the_northwest_needs_an_overhau.html

NorthWestern to Buy PPL Montana’s 11 Hydropower Dams (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/northwestern-to-buy-ppl-montana-s-hydropower-dams/article_24859418-26ee-11e3-a055-001a4bcf887a.html

Spokane Tribe Hopeful Its Long Wait for Payment over Grand Coulee Dam Will End (McClatchy News Service)

http://www.macon.com/2013/09/30/2688570/tribe-hopeful-its-long-wait-for.html

Restoration of Electricity Continues for Tahuya Area Residents – 980 Customers Remain (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1271

‘Smart Meter’ Project: Port Angeles City Council to Consider Request for $99,000 ‘Smart Meter’ Consultant (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130930/NEWS/309309990/smart-meter-project-port-angeles-city-council-to-consider-request

81 Legislators Urge Progress on Yucca Mountain Licensing (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/09/28/2599480/81-legislators-urge-progress-on.html

Small Modular Reactor Use Denounced By Scientists Group (Akin Standard, SC)

http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20130927/AIK0101/130929542/1004/small-modular-reactor-use-denounced

Fitch Affirms Energy Northwest’s Wind Project Revenue Bonds at ‘A-’; Outlook Stable (Yahoo! Finance)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fitch-affirms-energy-northwest-wind-173100189.html

Cascade Natural Gas Planning Price Increase (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/09/27/2597314/cascade-natural-gas-planning-price.html

Old, Crumbling Dams Pose Potential Hazards across Michigan (McClatchy News Service)

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20130930/NEWS26/309300003/Old-crumbling-dams-pose-potential-hazards-across-Michigan

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Northwest Tribes Exult as Nearly One Million Chinook Return to Columbia River (Indian Country Today)

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/09/26/northwest-tribes-exult-nearly-one-million-fall-chinook-return-columbia-river-151454

Returning Chinook ‘Through the Roof’ (The Eatonville Dispatch, WA)

http://www.dispatchnews.com/?p=3179

More Room to Spawn (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/sep/28/new-railroad-bridge-clears-century-old-obstacle-for-young-salmon/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Longtime Foes Unite Over Water Plan for Eastern Washington (Seattle Times - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021921558_yakimawaterxml.html

Study: Charred Forests in Columbia Basin Headwaters Leads to Changed Snow Runoff Patterns (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/428442.aspx

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Credits to Spur Renewable Energy Sources Seen Set to End (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-30/credits-to-spur-renewable-energy-sources-seen-set-to-end-taxes.html

Other Western States Outpacing New Mexico on Renewable Energy (Albuquerque Business First, NM)

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2013/09/27/other-western-states-exceed-nm-renewable.html

Forget Eagle Deaths, Wind Turbines Kill Humans (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2013/09/29/forget-eagle-deaths-wind-turbines-kill-humans/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Company Works to Promote Power of Ductless Heat Pumps (Olympian, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.theolympian.com/2013/09/29/2749304/company-works-to-promote-power.html

Why Efficiency Is Harder in Industrial Facilities than Commercial Buildings (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/stephenlacey/279661/why-efficiency-so-much-harder-industrial-facilities-commercial-buildings

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Governor’s Climate Panel Looks at Uphill Haul (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2013/09/28/washington-governor/116667/governors-climate-panel-looks-ways-get-moving/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

High-Speed Broadband Networks with a Safety Net (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/324911-high-speed-broadband-netwroks-with-a-safety-net

Google Launches Huge Overhaul of Search Algorithm - Which You Probably Didn’t Notice (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2013/09/27/google-launches-huge-overhaul-of-search-algorithm-which-you-probably-didnt-notice/

Broadband from the Bell Tower: The Church That Became an Internet Hub (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/29/broadband-bell-tower-st-andrews-church-paull

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Is Your Business Spending Too Much Time on Facebook? (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/09/30/facebook-small-business/

Facebook Editing Function Raises Concern over Misuse (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24330771

This Is Why No One Follows You on Twitter (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/09/30/twitter-followers/

DIVERSIONS

Chevrolet Dealer’s Old, Undriven Cars Auctioned Off

http://www.usatoday.com/story/driveon/2013/09/30/lambrecht-chevrolet-auction-nebraska/2894401/

Quack! Wisconsin Bill, No Pun Intended, Seeks to Legalize Rubber Duck Races

http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/5e34b3d472d148e68baa4a64081dbd8d/WI-ODD--Duck-Races

Jewels on French Mountain May Be from Plane Crash

http://news.yahoo.com/jewels-french-mountain-may-plane-crash-175511263.html

Boeing Turns Aging Planes into Drones for Air Force Target Practice

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/boeing-turns-aging-planes-into-drones-for-air-force-target-practice-010653391.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Shirley Bassey - Diamonds Are Forever

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

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, September 30, 2013

Energy News Digest for September 30, 2013

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