Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Energy News Digest for February 5, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for February 5, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Avista Wants to Hike Washington State Electricity, Gas Rates (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Week of Cold Temperatures Could Be Capped Off with Snow (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Oregon: Klamath County Declares Drought for Second Year in a Row (Associated Press)

City of Port Angeles’ Report Shows Big Problems with Smart-Meter Rollout (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Hitting Send Forfeits Privacy of Text Messages (Courthouse News Service)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Avista Wants to Hike Washington State Electricity, Gas Rates
  • City of Port Angeles’ Report Shows Big Problems with Smart-Meter Rollout
  • Illinois: Naperville Sues Washington State Company over Smart Grid Website
  • Oregon: Plug Pulled on “Utility Transfer” - Eugene Water & Electric Board Will Continue McKenzie Service
  • Joe Grad Promoted to Franklin PUD Director of Operations
  • California: Generator at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Shut Down
  • Two Companies Fined over California Power Plant Demolition That Injured Five Spectators
  • New England Power Plant Closings Seen Pinching Supply
  • How the Federal Farm Bill Affects Electric Co-ops
  • Utilities Want Regulatory Rescue from ‘Death Spiral’
  • Australia: Sabotage Behind Fire at Yallourn Coal-Fired Power Station, Say Police
  • Columnist: Washington Rep. Doc Hastings Proposes ‘Targeted’ Changes to Weaken Endangered Species Act
  • Oregon: Klamath County Declares Drought for Second Year in a Row
  • REC Solar Sheds Residential Solar PV Business Unit & Sunrun Scoops It Up
  • Buckeye Wind Opponents Say Ohio’s Alternative Energy Mandates Are Unconstitutional
  • The Lone Star State’s Clean-Energy Leader
  • Cold & Unhedged: How the Polar Vortex Drove Clean Currents out of Business
  • U-S to Launch ‘Climate Hubs’ to Help Farmers Face Climate Change
  • Do It Yourself Guide on Small Hydro
  • Primus Power Raises $20 Million for Energy Storage
  • Here’s the President’s Plan to Give Teachers & Libraries $1 Billion A Year in Extra Funding
  • Cox Blames ‘Misinformation’ For Kansas Broadband Bill Troubles
  • You Can Look It Up: Broadband Internet Is Core Service for Public Libraries
  • Hitting Send Forfeits Privacy of Text Messages
  • Savvy Artist Crowdsources #HowSeattleRiots to Fix Seattle’s Famed Pergola
  • Facebook Turns 10: How Has It Changed Culture?
  • How Mark Zuckerberg Envisioned Facebook in 2004
  • Boeing to Throw ‘Thank You’ Party for Lawmakers for $8.7 Billion in Tax Breaks
  • Week of Cold Temperatures Could Be Capped Off with Snow
  • Special Weather Statement - Cold Temperatures Continue Through Friday; Lowland Snow Possible This Weekend
  • Here We Go Again: Seahawks Parade to Rival Sonics in 1979
  • Mason County Commission Looks at the Cost of Justice
  • Public Hearing February 18 on Shelton Hills Development
  • AAA Warns Oregon, Pacific Northwest Drivers: Gas Prices About to Go Up – Fast
  • Alaska Voters Could Legalize Marijuana this Summer
  • Mexican Style Wrestlers Want to Escape Regulatory Choke Hold

WORD OF THE DAY

Never • \NEH-verr\ • Adverb - Not ever: not at any time

I always smile when I have to think about why and how advertisers select music for their commercials. A young man in a Bank of America ad is apparently visiting someone for a date…but over the distinctive guitar riff from “Never Going Back Again.” On the surface, you would think that it would be jarring. NEVER going back again? But the song itself has more of an optimistic flavor: I’ve been a loser (in love)….never going back (to that) again.

Somehow, I don’t think the copywriter was thinking that deeply. Probably just liked the guitar riff in the intro to the song.

Good grief. I’m Joel Myer, join me next week for another episode of “Inside the Artist’s Studio.” Sheesh…

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista Wants to Hike Washington State Electricity, Gas Rates (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

City of Port Angeles’ Report Shows Big Problems with Smart-Meter Rollout (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Illinois: Naperville Sues Washington State Company over Smart Grid Website (Chicago Tribune, IL)

Oregon: Plug Pulled on “Utility Transfer” - Eugene Water & Electric Board Will Continue McKenzie Service (McKenzie River Reflections, OR)

Joe Grad Promoted to Franklin PUD Director of Operations (Franklin County PUD, Pasco, WA)

California: Generator at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Shut Down (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Two Companies Fined over California Power Plant Demolition That Injured Five Spectators (Associated Press)

New England Power Plant Closings Seen Pinching Supply (Associated Press)

How the Federal Farm Bill Affects Electric Co-ops (Electric Co-op Today)

Utilities Want Regulatory Rescue from ‘Death Spiral’ (Forbes Magazine)

Australia: Sabotage Behind Fire at Yallourn Coal-Fired Power Station, Say Police (Penn Energy)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columnist: Washington Rep. Doc Hastings Proposes ‘Targeted’ Changes to Weaken Endangered Species Act (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon: Klamath County Declares Drought for Second Year in a Row (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

REC Solar Sheds Residential Solar PV Business Unit & Sunrun Scoops It Up (Renewable Energy World)

Buckeye Wind Opponents Say Ohio’s Alternative Energy Mandates Are Unconstitutional (Columbus Business First, OH)

The Lone Star State’s Clean-Energy Leader (Christian Science Monitor)

Cold & Unhedged: How the Polar Vortex Drove Clean Currents out of Business (Baltimore Buisness Journal, MD)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S to Launch ‘Climate Hubs’ to Help Farmers Face Climate Change (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Do It Yourself Guide on Small Hydro (ReNews)

Primus Power Raises $20 Million for Energy Storage (San Francisco Business Times, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Here’s the President’s Plan to Give Teachers & Libraries $1 Billion A Year in Extra Funding (Washington Post)

Cox Blames ‘Misinformation’ For Kansas Broadband Bill Troubles (Broadband Reports)

You Can Look It Up: Broadband Internet Is Core Service for Public Libraries (WRAL TV, Raleigh, NC)

Op/Ed: Why Seattle Does Not Need to Build a Broadband Network (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Hitting Send Forfeits Privacy of Text Messages (Courthouse News Service)

Savvy Artist Crowdsources #HowSeattleRiots to Fix Seattle’s Famed Pergola (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Facebook Turns 10: How Has It Changed Culture? (Christian Science Monitor)

How Mark Zuckerberg Envisioned Facebook in 2004 (Mashable)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Boeing to Throw ‘Thank You’ Party for Lawmakers for $8.7 Billion in Tax Breaks - “…I don’t see anything wrong with a casual get-together…” (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Week of Cold Temperatures Could Be Capped Off with Snow (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Special Weather Statement - Cold Temperatures Continue Through Friday; Lowland Snow Possible This Weekend (National Weather Service, Seattle, WA)

Here We Go Again: Seahawks Parade to Rival Sonics in 1979 (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Mason County Commission Looks at the Cost of Justice (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Public Hearing February 18 on Shelton Hills Development - News from the City of Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

AAA Warns Oregon, Pacific Northwest Drivers: Gas Prices About to Go Up -- Fast (Oregonian, Portland)

Alaska Voters Could Legalize Marijuana this Summer (Associated Press)

Mexican Style Wrestlers Want to Escape Regulatory Choke Hold (Northwest Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS

Owl Named After Richard Sherman Stolen from Central WA Sanctuary

Pompeii-Style Volcanic Eruptions Fossilized Chinese Dinos

Customer Gives Three Waitresses $5,000 Tips

Entrusted to Burn John Paul II’s Notes, Cardinal Publishes Them Instead

SONG OF THE DAY

Lindsay Buckingham & Stevie Nicks - Never Going Back Again

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.