Thursday, April 17, 2014

Energy News Digest for April 17, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 17, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Portland Will Flush 38 Million Gallons of Water After Man Urinates in Mt. Tabor Reservoir (Oregonian, Portland)

Despite the Drawdown, Fish Are Headed Past Wanapum Dam (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Jefferson County PUD: A Year of Power - The big switch: What went right, wrong, what needs changing (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Spokane to Take Over Waste-To-Energy Plant Operations (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Google Fiber Reaches Preliminary Franchise Agreement with Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Jefferson County PUD: A Year of Power - The big switch: What went right, wrong, what needs changing (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
  • Jefferson County PUD: The Switch to Public Power - A Matter of Perspective: Commissioners, customers weigh in on what went right, wrong, & what needs to change (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
  • Port Angeles: Report Due Next Month on Future of Morse Creek Hydro Project (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
  • Lewis County PUD Safety Coordinator Wins Award (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
  • Bonneville Power Administration Honors Lostine Native Connie Howard (Wallowa County Chieftain, Enterprise, OR)
  • Tiny Power Plants Hold Promise for Industry under Scrutiny, New Global Nuclear Chief Says (Associated Press)
  • New Program Prepares Northwest College Students for Careers in Energy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
  • Despite the Drawdown, Fish Are Headed Past Wanapum Dam (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
  • Dead Whale Gets Burial near the Sea in Seaside (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
  • Portland Will Flush 38 Million Gallons of Water After Man Urinates in Mt. Tabor Reservoir (Oregonian, Portland)
  • California Drought to Cause Fruit & Veggie Sticker Shock (USA Today)
  • Spokane to Take Over Waste-To-Energy Plant Operations (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
  • How a California County Produces More Power than It Uses (Christian Science Monitor)
  • U-S Department of Energy Plans $4 Billion in Loan Aid for Renewable Energy (Reuters)
  • Clean Energy: Is a Boom Coming in 2014? (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Western Area Power Administration Seeks Proposals for Transmission Projects That Promote Renewables (American Public Power Association)
  • Border Battle: North Dakota Refuses to Pay Millions in Minnesota Renewable Energy Bills (Watchdog.Org)
  • Obama to Challenge Private Companies to Boost Solar Power Use (Washington Post)
  • Homeowners Try New LED Lights with Incentives (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
  • Here Comes an App to Tie Your Carbon Footprint with What You Buy (GigaOM)
  • Another Week, Another Report - Options for Limiting Climate Change Are Narrowing (The Economist Magazine)
  • Scientists Might Have Figured Out How to Make Solar Power Work at Night (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Are Electric Cars Money Savers? Depends Where You Live (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Researchers Harvest Renewable Energy from Flushing Toilets (Ecopreneurist)
  • Google Fiber Reaches Preliminary Franchise Agreement with Portland (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Supreme Court Case Could Test Future of Broadcast TV (USA Today)
  • Three Ways Microsoft Is Rethinking Its Energy Supply (Forbes Magazine)
  • Ousted Yahoo Executive de Castro Earned $58 Million for 15 Months of Work (San Francisco Business Times, CA)
  • Yahoo Has Grand Ambitions to Woo Apple Off Google as Default Search (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)
  • When ‘Liking’ a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue (NY Times)
  • Web TV Business Booms in Silicon Valley - Content is cheaper than ever, so companies such as Yahoo & Microsoft plan new Web shows. (U-S News & World Report)
  • Facebook Profiles Can Predict Work Performance (Mashable)
  • How to Turn Off Facebook’s Auto-Playing Video Ads (LifeHacker)
  • How to Lie with Data Visualization (Gizmodo)
  • Washington State Governor Jay Inslee Hires Coal Lobbyist to Direct His Policy Office (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)
  • Surprised Gig Harbor City Administrator Gets Pink Slip from Mayor (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • California: Ex-Bell City Manager Leader Gets 12 Years in Prison for Corruption (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
  • Unemployment Rate Steady, Washington State Adds 6,700 Jobs (Associated Press)
  • Proposed Pot Farm near Tenino Draws Neighbors’ Ire - Skookumchuck Valley residents fear pollution, smell, loss of property value (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)
  • On the Cannabis Cash Trail: The Story of One Real Estate Prospector (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
  • Southside & North Mason Schools Win State’s Highest Honor (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)
  • Lumberjack Climbs to Top of ‘Worst Careers’ List – Newspaper Reporter is Second Worst (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
  • Watch the Recession Sweep over the U-S in One GIF (Washington Post)
  • Watch: Why There’s a Cool Breeze Just Before a Rain Storm (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

WORD OF THE DAY

Oneiric • \oh-NYE-rick\ • adjective - Of or relating to dreams: dreamy.

Bernice saw the tree looming directly in her lane of travel down the steep, winding off-road bicycle trail. She knew that at the speed she was traveling that there was no way to avoid a bone-jarring (and perhaps bone-breaking) collision with the impressive cedar giant. What she found most interesting was how everything slowed down and took an the qualities of a hazy, oneiric, out of body experience. She knew that two seconds was all it took to slam into the rough, beautifully textured bark of the colossal tree trunk. In those two seconds, time stood still for her. She had time to think about where her cell phone was located (to call 911); whether or not she was wearing clean underwear; review her to-do list at work; and recall whether or not she had left the iron on at home before she left for her bike trip.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson County PUD: A Year of Power - The big switch: What went right, wrong, what needs changing (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Jefferson County PUD: The Switch to Public Power - A Matter of Perspective: Commissioners, customers weigh in on what went right, wrong, & what needs to change (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Port Angeles: Report Due Next Month on Future of Morse Creek Hydro Project (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Lewis County PUD Safety Coordinator Wins Award (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Honors Lostine Native Connie Howard (Wallowa County Chieftain, Enterprise, OR)

Tiny Power Plants Hold Promise for Industry under Scrutiny, New Global Nuclear Chief Says (Associated Press)

New Program Prepares Northwest College Students for Careers in Energy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Despite the Drawdown, Fish Are Headed Past Wanapum Dam (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Dead Whale Gets Burial near the Sea in Seaside (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Portland Will Flush 38 Million Gallons of Water After Man Urinates in Mt. Tabor Reservoir (Oregonian, Portland)

California Drought to Cause Fruit & Veggie Sticker Shock (USA Today)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Spokane to Take Over Waste-To-Energy Plant Operations (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

How a California County Produces More Power than It Uses (Christian Science Monitor)

U-S Department of Energy Plans $4 Billion in Loan Aid for Renewable Energy (Reuters)

Clean Energy: Is a Boom Coming in 2014? (Christian Science Monitor)

Western Area Power Administration Seeks Proposals for Transmission Projects That Promote Renewables (American Public Power Association)

Border Battle: North Dakota Refuses to Pay Millions in Minnesota Renewable Energy Bills (Watchdog.Org)

Obama to Challenge Private Companies to Boost Solar Power Use (Washington Post)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Homeowners Try New LED Lights with Incentives (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Here Comes an App to Tie Your Carbon Footprint with What You Buy (GigaOM)

Another Week, Another Report - Options for Limiting Climate Change Are Narrowing (The Economist Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Scientists Might Have Figured Out How to Make Solar Power Work at Night (Christian Science Monitor)

Are Electric Cars Money Savers? Depends Where You Live (Christian Science Monitor)

Researchers Harvest Renewable Energy from Flushing Toilets (Ecopreneurist)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Fiber Reaches Preliminary Franchise Agreement with Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

Supreme Court Case Could Test Future of Broadcast TV (USA Today)

Three Ways Microsoft Is Rethinking Its Energy Supply (Forbes Magazine)

Ousted Yahoo Executive de Castro Earned $58 Million for 15 Months of Work (San Francisco Business Times, CA)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Yahoo Has Grand Ambitions to Woo Apple Off Google as Default Search (Silicon Valley Business Journal, CA)

When ‘Liking’ a Brand Online Voids the Right to Sue (NY Times)

Web TV Business Booms in Silicon Valley - Content is cheaper than ever, so companies such as Yahoo & Microsoft plan new Web shows. (U-S News & World Report)

Facebook Profiles Can Predict Work Performance (Mashable)

How to Turn Off Facebook’s Auto-Playing Video Ads (LifeHacker)

How to Lie with Data Visualization (Gizmodo)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee Hires Coal Lobbyist to Direct His Policy Office (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

Surprised Gig Harbor City Administrator Gets Pink Slip from Mayor (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

California: Ex-Bell City Manager Leader Gets 12 Years in Prison for Corruption (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

GENERAL NEWS

Unemployment Rate Steady, Washington State Adds 6,700 Jobs (Associated Press)

Proposed Pot Farm near Tenino Draws Neighbors’ Ire - Skookumchuck Valley residents fear pollution, smell, loss of property value (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

On the Cannabis Cash Trail: The Story of One Real Estate Prospector (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Southside & North Mason Schools Win State’s Highest Honor (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

Lumberjack Climbs to Top of ‘Worst Careers’ List – Newspaper Reporter is Second Worst (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Watch the Recession Sweep over the U-S in One GIF (Washington Post)

Watch: Why There’s a Cool Breeze Just Before a Rain Storm (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
http://www.komonews.com/weather/blogs/scott/Watch-Why-is-there-a-cool-breeze-just-before-a-rain-storm-254595691.html

DIVERSIONS

The Science Behind Making the Fastest Possible Pinewood Derby Car

The Best Parts Weren’t Scripted: 15 Of The Best Improvised Bits In Movie History

Golf Balls Raining Down on an Airport And It’s a Big Problem

Teenager’s Alleged Cashing of Judge’s Paycheck a Terrible Move

SONG OF THE DAY

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

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.