Friday, March 7, 2014

Energy News Digest for March 7, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for March 7, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Too Many Gawkers Spur Closing of Shoreline near Cracked Wanapum Dam on Columbia River (Associated Press)

Washington State Supreme Court Weighs Uses of Public Lands in Okanogan PUD Power Line Case (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes to Pay $18.3M for Kerr Dam; New Name Planned (The Missoulian, MT)

Anticipated Salmon Run Could Overwhelm Fraser River This Summer, Experts Say (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Tribes Challenge Snohomish PUD Tidal Turbine Proposal (South Whidbey Record, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Too Many Gawkers Spur Closing of Shoreline near Cracked Wanapum Dam on Columbia River
  • Grant PUD Commissioners Updated on Cracked Wanapum Spillway
  • Power Production Stopped at Chelan PUD’s Rock Island Dam
  • Washington State Supreme Court Weighs Uses of Public Lands in Okanogan PUD Power Line Case
  • Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes to Pay $18.3M for Kerr Dam; New Name Planned
  • Michael Ferrier, Mason PUD 1 Lineman Provides Aid to Disaster
  • Lewis County PUD Hires New Human Resources Manager
  • Alaska: Interior Electric Co-Op Golden Valley Electric Association Scrambling for Fuel Source
  • Maryland:  Electric Customers Opting Out of Smart Meters May Be Shocked by Monthly Charges
  • EPA Chief Says New U-S Energy Rules Won’t Hobble Business
  • Anticipated Salmon Run Could Overwhelm Fraser River This Summer, Experts Say
  • Great Salmon Season Projected
  • Full Water Supply Predicted for Yakima Basin Irrigators
  • Blasting On Hold at Glines Canyon as Elwha River Flows Ten Times Normal
  • A Dry California Town Struggles to Save Its Water Supply
  • Tribes Challenge Snohomish PUD Tidal Turbine Proposal
  • SoloPower Systems Further In the Red after Missing another Payment on $10 Million State Loan
  • Solar Panel Maker Is First to Default in China’s Domestic Bond Market
  • Benton City LED Lights are Going In
  • Climate Consultant Refutes Fuel Cost Increase Assumption
  • City of Beaverton Commits to 100% Wind Power
  • Can Solar Power Help Marijuana Growers?
  • In Tennessee, Four Bills Seek to Reverse Restrictions on Public Broadband
  • Texas: Thought of Comcast Merger Scares AT&T into Expanding Gigabit Fiber Service
  • Ohio: Holding Your Breath for Google Fiber? Local Network Plans to Offer Speeds Just as Fast
  • Kansas City Locals Annoyed by Google Fiber Cabinet Placement
  • New Scam Targets Netflix Subscribers
  • FCC Seeks Limits on TV Stations, to Curb Cable Costs
  • Getty to Let Bloggers and Others Use Photos Free
  • Bizarre New Sleep Disorder on the Rise: Sleep Texting
  • British Energy Company’s Gassy PSA Is Fracking Hilarious
  • North Mason School Leader David Peterson Selected as Next Nampa, Idaho Superintendent
  • We “Spring Ahead” Sunday Morning
  • Pacific Ocean Smackdown: El Niño versus Polar Vortex?
  • Albertsons Merges with Safeway
  • Editorial: Simpson Hands Off Its Pulp Mill with Honor
  • Judge Dismisses Sequim Woman’s Olympic National Park Shutdown Ticket

WORD OF THE DAY

Vortex • \VORE-tex\ • Noun - A mass of spinning air, liquid, etc., that pulls things into its center.

Unwittingly, the small shop owner’s new lighting created a vortex of controversy. The vintage theater sign, it’s hundreds of blinking and chasing incandescent lights, was unveiled in the trendy hipster neighborhood to the hoots of environmental purists. “You’re killing the planet,” shouted one fellow…his full-length leather coat’s collar flopping around his neck, interfering with his cellphone, various pockets engorged with electronic devices emitting high levels of RF, their batteries packed chock full of a chemical stew that could kill an elephant if released into the environment.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Too Many Gawkers Spur Closing of Shoreline near Cracked Wanapum Dam on Columbia River (Associated Press)

Grant PUD Commissioners Updated on Cracked Wanapum Spillway (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Power Production Stopped at Chelan PUD’s Rock Island Dam (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Washington State Supreme Court Weighs Uses of Public Lands in Okanogan PUD Power Line Case (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes to Pay $18.3M for Kerr Dam; New Name Planned (The Missoulian, MT)

Michael Ferrier, Mason PUD 1 Lineman Provides Aid to Disaster (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Lewis County PUD Hires New Human Resources Manager (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

Alaska: Interior Electric Co-Op Golden Valley Electric Association Scrambling for Fuel Source (Alaska Journal of Commerce)

Maryland:  Electric Customers Opting Out of Smart Meters May Be Shocked by Monthly Charges (Gaithersburg Gazette, MD)

EPA Chief Says New U-S Energy Rules Won’t Hobble Business (Reuters)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Anticipated Salmon Run Could Overwhelm Fraser River This Summer, Experts Say (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Great Salmon Season Projected (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Full Water Supply Predicted for Yakima Basin Irrigators (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Blasting On Hold at Glines Canyon as Elwha River Flows Ten Times Normal (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

A Dry California Town Struggles to Save Its Water Supply (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Tribes Challenge Snohomish PUD Tidal Turbine Proposal (South Whidbey Record, WA)

SoloPower Systems Further In the Red after Missing another Payment on $10 Million State Loan (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar Panel Maker Is First to Default in China’s Domestic Bond Market (NY Times)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Benton City LED Lights are Going In (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Consultant Refutes Fuel Cost Increase Assumption (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

City of Beaverton Commits to 100% Wind Power (North America Wind Power)

Can Solar Power Help Marijuana Growers? (Renewable Energy World)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

In Tennessee, Four Bills Seek to Reverse Restrictions on Public Broadband (Ars Technica)

Texas: Thought of Comcast Merger Scares AT&T into Expanding Gigabit Fiber Service (Consumerist)

Ohio: Holding Your Breath for Google Fiber? Local Network Plans to Offer Speeds Just as Fast (Cincinnati Business Courier, OH)
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/03/07/holding-your-breath-for-google-fiber.html

Kansas City Locals Annoyed by Google Fiber Cabinet Placement (Broadband Reports)

New Scam Targets Netflix Subscribers (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

FCC Seeks Limits on TV Stations, to Curb Cable Costs (NY Times)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Getty to Let Bloggers and Others Use Photos Free (NY Times)

Bizarre New Sleep Disorder on the Rise: Sleep Texting (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

British Energy Company’s Gassy PSA Is Fracking Hilarious (Mashable – Note: flatulence humor…lots of it!)

GENERAL NEWS

North Mason School Leader David Peterson Selected as Next Nampa, Idaho Superintendent (Idaho Press Tribune, Nampa)

We “Spring Ahead” Sunday Morning (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Pacific Ocean Smackdown: El Niño versus Polar Vortex? (Christian Science Monitor)

Albertsons Merges with Safeway (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Editorial: Simpson Hands Off Its Pulp Mill with Honor (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Judge Dismisses Sequim Woman’s Olympic National Park Shutdown Ticket (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Dufur Five-Year-Old’s Pet Rooster Can Stay ‘For Now’ (livestock issues in Dufer? Really?)

Welcome to Southwest Airlines - Passenger Upset over No First Class Seating Diverts Plane to Portland

One In Ten Americans Think HTML Is an STD, Study Finds

Is Stonehenge Just a Giant Glockenspiel? (For ancient aliens? J)

SONG OF THE DAY

Harry Nilsson - Put the Lime in the Coconut

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.