Sacramento Municipal Utility District Chief Ready to Step down Next Year (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2013/08/16/smud-chief-john-di-stasio-steps-down.html

Energy News Digest for August 16, 2013

Programming Note: The energy news digest is on the road and incommunicado the next two weeks, following the Snake River and its tributaries as the editor is on vacation beginning August 19. Expect the new season to resume September 3.

While out & about, if some interesting news tidbits float through the window, you may get a chance to sample their tasty goodness on the news digest Twitter feed.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for August 16, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/08/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for_16.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Taking Back Power: Tribes Vie for Control of Hydro Dams (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/taking-back-power-tribes-vie-control-hydro-dams

California Attorney General Announces $750M Refund from Canadian Utility Powerex (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/16/5656168/california-attorney-general-announces.html

Fraser River Sockeye Test Fishery Scaled Back (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/08/14/bc-fraser-river-sockeye-test-fishery.html?cmp=rss

Climate Research Targets Western Wildfire Smoke (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Climate-research-targets-Western-wildfire-smoke-219831461.html

Washington State Supreme Court Says Columbia County Ranch Must Fence-In Creek (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/wa-supreme-court-says-ranch-must-fence-creek

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Taking Back Power: Tribes Vie for Control of Hydro Dams
• Bill Eases Regulations on Hydropower Projects - McMorris Rodgers’ Measure Speeds Up Licensing Process
• Power Group: Draft Columbia River Treaty Hurts U-S
• California Attorney General Announces $750M Refund from Canadian Utility Powerex
• Electricity Industry: JP Morgan & Market Complexity
• $22 Million Net Loss - Portland General Electric Announces Second Quarter Results
• Franklin PUD Completes Sale of Revenue Bonds
• Bonneville Power Administration Names Richard Shaheen VP of Engineering & Technical Services - Former Florida Power & Light Executive
• Grays Harbor PUD Earns Clean Annual Audit from Washington State Auditor’s Office
• Columbia River PUD Warns Customers to be Wary of Phone Scam
• Editorial: Heed Court’s Order on Nuke Waste Delay Tactics
• Report Says U-S Nuclear Power Plants Vulnerable to 9/11-Style Attacks
• Appeals Court Blocks Attempt by Vermont to Close a Nuclear Plant
• Minnesota: One Killed, One Injured While Working on Power Line Construction near New Prague
• Sierra Club Raises Concerns over Sale of NV Energy
• Alcoa to Close or Curtail 164,000 Metric Tons of Smelting Capacity
• Increased Air Conditioning Usage Threatens Global Energy Supply
• A Rare Glimpse Inside a Magnificent, Abandoned Shrine to Electricity
• Fraser River Sockeye Test Fishery Scaled Back
• Chehalis Developer to Pay $250,000 for Clean Water Violations
• Scatter Creek: Business Decision Drains Salmon Stream of Water
• California: Judge Orders New Yuba River Biological Opinion
• Washington State Supreme Court Says Columbia County Ranch Must Fence-In Creek
• New Law Caps Gold Mining Dredges in Oregon’s Rivers at 850
• Drought Forces Restrictions on Colorado River Water Releases
• Chelan County: Local Wind Power Keeps Energy Close to Home
• Washington State Agricultural Solar Projects to be Funded
• Secretary Jewell Underscores Importance of Landscape-Level Approach, Mitigation in Meeting Presidents Renewable Energy Goals on Public Lands
• Japan Solar Energy Soars, But Grid Needs to Catch Up
• Your iPhone Uses More Energy than a Refrigerator
• Climate Research Targets Western Wildfire Smoke
• Enviros Not Happy with California Carbon Offsets
• Severe Heat Waves Are Expected to Double by 2020
• White House Solar Panels Being Installed this Week
• New York: Rochester Man Puts Solar Panels on Home to Show Waste
• British Columbia: Solar Panels Mean $3 Electricity Bill for Surrey Man
• Gresham Goes Solar on Some Emergency Vehicles
• Google Unveils Provo Google Fiber Pricing
• Comcast Fights Google Fiber in Provo With New Pricing
• The Surprisingly Large Energy Footprint of the Digital Economy
• Editorial: Dave Sabey - Big Ideas & Big Data Go Hand In Hand
• CBS Blackout on Time Warner Cable May Last Until NFL Season
• Why Dayparting Must Be Part of Your Mobile Strategy
• Facebook is a Bummer, Study Says
• How Ant Colonies Foreshadow the Future of Facebook
• Idaho Congressman Labrador to Seek Third Term, Not Run for Governor
• Paid Washington State Signature Gatherer Accused of Faking Names
• Washington State is at “High Risk” of Losing Federal Education Waiver
• Washington State’s Unemployment Rate Ticks Up in July, While Jobs Continue to Climb
• Radical Environmentalist Rebecca Rubin Will Plead Guilty in Portland in October
• Silverdale Man Believed to be Under the Influence Causes Belfair Crash
• HHS Watchdog Says Rural Hospital Program Needs a Trim

WORD OF THE DAY

Moue • \moo\ • Noun - A little grimace: pout.

Moue, a nervous tic

“Seasons in the Sun,” I cringe

Terry Jacks, oh no!

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

Taking Back Power: Tribes Vie for Control of Hydro Dams (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/taking-back-power-tribes-vie-control-hydro-dams

Bill Eases Regulations on Hydropower Projects - McMorris Rodgers’ Measure Speeds Up Licensing Process (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/16/bill-eases-regulations-on-hydropower-projects/

Power Group: Draft Columbia River Treaty Hurts U-S (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/energy-environment/power-group-draft-treaty-hurts-u-s/60245

California Attorney General Announces $750M Refund from Canadian Utility Powerex (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/16/5656168/california-attorney-general-announces.html

Electricity Industry: JP Morgan & Market Complexity (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/jamesbushnell/260151/jp-morgan-and-market-complexity

$22 Million Net Loss - Portland General Electric Announces Second Quarter Results (BusinessWire)

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130802005129/en/Portland-General-Electric-Announces-Quarter-Results

Franklin PUD Completes Sale of Revenue Bonds (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/08/15/2523551/franklin-pud-completes-sale-of.html

Bonneville Power Administration Names Richard Shaheen VP of Engineering & Technical Services - Former Florida Power & Light Executive (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/BPA-names-former-Florida-Power-and-Light-executive-VP-of-Engineering-and-Technical-Services.aspx

Grays Harbor PUD Earns Clean Annual Audit from Washington State Auditor’s Office (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5887

Columbia River PUD Warns Customers to be Wary of Phone Scam (St Helens Chronicle, OR)

http://www.thechronicleonline.com/news/article_79f7fefe-05f1-11e3-a887-0019bb2963f4.html

Editorial: Heed Court’s Order on Nuke Waste Delay Tactics (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/15/editorial-heed-courts-order-on-nuke-waste-delay/

Report Says U-S Nuclear Power Plants Vulnerable to 9/11-Style Attacks (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/15/us-usa-nuclear-vulnerabilities-idUSBRE97E18I20130815

Appeals Court Blocks Attempt by Vermont to Close a Nuclear Plant (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/business/energy-environment/appeals-court-blocks-attempt-by-vermont-to-close-a-nuclear-plant.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Minnesota: One Killed, One Injured While Working on Power Line Construction near New Prague (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/219583331.html

Sierra Club Raises Concerns over Sale of NV Energy (Individula.com)

http://www.individual.com/storyrss.php?story=180582771&hash=fe71919d0db659e2f2b9084e55c2a869

Alcoa to Close or Curtail 164,000 Metric Tons of Smelting Capacity (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2013/08/14/alcoa-to-close-or-curtail-164000.html?page=all

Increased Air Conditioning Usage Threatens Global Energy Supply (U-S News & World Report)

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/08/12/increased-air-conditioning-usage-threatens-global-energy-supply

A Rare Glimpse Inside a Magnificent, Abandoned Shrine to Electricity (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/a-rare-glimpse-inside-a-magnificent-abandoned-shrine-t-1000133696

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fraser River Sockeye Test Fishery Scaled Back (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/08/14/bc-fraser-river-sockeye-test-fishery.html?cmp=rss

Chehalis Developer to Pay $250,000 for Clean Water Violations (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/chehalis-developer-to-pay-for-clean-water-violations/article_bd23cc6c-0605-11e3-a1e8-0019bb2963f4.html

Scatter Creek: Business Decision Drains Salmon Stream of Water (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Business-decision-drains-219857321.html

California: Judge Orders New Yuba River Biological Opinion (The Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, CA)

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/yuba-127000-agency-county.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Supreme Court Says Columbia County Ranch Must Fence-In Creek (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/wa-supreme-court-says-ranch-must-fence-creek

New Law Caps Gold Mining Dredges in Oregon’s Rivers at 850 (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/new-law-caps-gold-mining-dredges-oregon-s-rivers-850

Drought Forces Restrictions on Colorado River Water Releases (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/16/212527903/drought-forces-restrictions-on-colorado-river-water-releases?ft=1&f=3

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Chelan County: Local Wind Power Keeps Energy Close to Home (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/local-wind-power-keeps-energy-close-home

Washington State Agricultural Solar Projects to be Funded (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kvewtv.com/article/2013/aug/15/wa-agricultural-projects-be-funded/

Secretary Jewell Underscores Importance of Landscape-Level Approach, Mitigation in Meeting Presidents Renewable Energy Goals on Public Lands (Renewables Biz)

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/13/08/secretary-jewell-underscores-importance-landscape-level-approach-mitigation-meeting-presidents-renewable-energy-go

Japan Solar Energy Soars, But Grid Needs to Catch Up (National Geographic Magazine)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/08/130814-japan-solar-energy-incentive/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Your iPhone Uses More Energy than a Refrigerator (The Week)

http://theweek.com/article/index/248273/your-iphone-uses-more-energy-than-a-refrigerator#

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Research Targets Western Wildfire Smoke (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Climate-research-targets-Western-wildfire-smoke-219831461.html

Enviros Not Happy with California Carbon Offsets (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_23843662

Severe Heat Waves Are Expected to Double by 2020 (U-S News & World Report)

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/08/14/severe-heat-waves-are-expected-to-double-by-2020

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

White House Solar Panels Being Installed this Week (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/08/15/white-house-solar-panels-finally-being-installed/

New York: Rochester Man Puts Solar Panels on Home to Show Waste (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, NY)

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130813/NEWS01/308130053/solar-panels-cost-of-government

British Columbia: Solar Panels Mean $3 Electricity Bill for Surrey Man (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/08/14/bc-surrey-solar-home.html?cmp=rss

Gresham Goes Solar on Some Emergency Vehicles (KGW TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/Gresham-adding-solar-panels-to-fire-trucks-219713961.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Unveils Provo Google Fiber Pricing (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Unveils-Provo-Google-Fiber-Pricing-125409

Comcast Fights Google Fiber in Provo With New Pricing (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Fights-Google-Fiber-in-Provo-With-New-Pricing-125390

The Surprisingly Large Energy Footprint of the Digital Economy (TIME Magazine)

http://science.time.com/2013/08/14/power-drain-the-digital-cloud-is-using-more-energy-than-you-think/

Editorial: Dave Sabey - Big Ideas & Big Data Go Hand In Hand (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/blogs/common-ground/2013/aug/15/dave-sabey-big-ideas-and-big-data-go-hand-hand/

CBS Blackout on Time Warner Cable May Last Until NFL Season (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/business/media/cbs-blackout-on-time-warner-cable-may-last-until-nfl-season.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Why Dayparting Must Be Part of Your Mobile Strategy (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/08/14/dayparting-mobile/

Facebook is a Bummer, Study Says (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-facebook-bummer-20130814,0,3655078.story

How Ant Colonies Foreshadow the Future of Facebook (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/08/16/facebook-breakpoint/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Idaho Congressman Labrador to Seek Third Term, Not Run for Governor (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/aug/14/labrador-seek-3rd-term-not-run-governor/

Paid Washington State Signature Gatherer Accused of Faking Names (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130816/NEWS01/708169905

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State is at “High Risk” of Losing Federal Education Waiver (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/washington-high-risk-losing-federal-education-waiver

Washington State’s Unemployment Rate Ticks Up in July, While Jobs Continue to Climb (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/business_daily/2013-08-15/states_unemployment_rate_ticks_up_in_july_while_jobs_continue_to_climb

Radical Environmentalist Rebecca Rubin Will Plead Guilty in Portland in October (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/08/radical_environmentalist_rebec.html

Silverdale Man Believed to be Under the Influence Causes Belfair Crash (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/aug/16/silverdale-man-believed-to-be-under-the-causes/?partner=RSS#axzz2c9BS9Gby

HHS Watchdog Says Rural Hospital Program Needs a Trim (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/hhs-watchdog-says-rural-hospital-program-needs-a-trim/2013/08/15/1eaccf7a-05a6-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html

DIVERSIONS

Lambrecht Chevrolet Auction is Your Chance to Buy New (And We Mean New) Old Cars

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130624/CARNEWS01/130629911

Residents Blow Up Home in Attempt to Make Hash Oil

http://q13fox.com/2013/08/16/homeowners-blow-up-home-in-attempt-to-make-hash-oil/#axzz2c98wWDER

Chinese Zoo Tries to Pass Off Dog as African Lion

http://q13fox.com/2013/08/15/zoo-tries-to-pass-off-dog-as-african-lion-but-it-barked/#axzz2c98wWDER

Want a ‘Star Trek’ Tricorder? Your Smart Phone Could Be Getting Close

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0814/Want-a-Star-Trek-tricorder-Your-smart-phone-could-be-getting-close

SONG OF THE DAY

Jigsaw - Sky High

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

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.