Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Energy News Digest for August 6, 2014


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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for August 6, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Russian Hackers Amass Over a Billion Internet Passwords (NY Times)

Bonneville Power Administration & U-S DOE Avoid Disclosure of Public Records on BPA’s Hiring Scandal – Again (Oregonian, Portland)

Tennessee Valley Authority Cutting Thousands of Jobs (Nashville Business Journal, TN)

British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Return in Doubt after Quesnel Spill - Fish will be swimming through the toxic debris field in two weeks (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Will the Pacific Northwest be a Climate Refuge under Global Warming? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration & U-S DOE Avoid Disclosure of Public Records on BPA’s Hiring Scandal – Again
  • Tennessee Valley Authority Cutting Thousands of Jobs
  • 9th Circuit Won’t Review Liquefied Natural Gas Columbia River Shipments Letter
  • Northwest Natural Gas Earnings Down in Second Quarter
  • Avista Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter, Raises 2014 Earnings Guidance
  • FERC Approves Pilot Project to Test Two-Year Hydropower Licensing Process
  • APPA, Other Electricity Groups Ask Court Not to Revisit May Ruling on FERC Order No. 745
  • United Kingdom: Energy Bosses Found Guilty of Rigging Gas & Electricity Prices
  • British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Return in Doubt after Quesnel Spill
  • Central Puget Sound Hatchery King Harvest Rate Nearing Catch Quota Ceiling
  • Portland May Enlist Border Collies to Manage Its Ever-Growing Goose Population
  • Maine: Scientists Want Bird-Ogling Public to Observe Puffins Eating, Help with Research to Save Them
  • Utah: What’s Rooftop Solar Power Worth? Not Much, Utility Says
  • Areva Posts Loss, Announces Close of Solar Business
  • Texas: Austin Energy Changes Wind Power Program
  • Wall Street Meets Hippies as Green Energy Turns into Big Business
  • Will the Pacific Northwest be a Climate Refuge under Global Warming?
  • Hot Planet: Pacific Northwest Winners & Losers
  • Scientist on Rainier Chases Climate Change’s Butterfly Effect
  • Column: Cap-And-Trade Can Help Forests & Businesses Grow Together
  • What is Electric Car Sales’ Biggest Challenge? Car Dealers
  • SunPower Targets Hybrid Car Buyers with Lure of Pure Solar Power
  • iFIBER Communications Offers Internet, Phone Access for People without Power in Pend Oreille
  • CenturyLink Fined for Improper Billing in Pasco, Elsewhere
  • CenturyLink Rolls Out Speedier Internet in Some Parts of Spokane
  • How Fast Should Basic Internet Be? Telecom Regulators Want to Know
  • Obama on Net Neutrality: My Administration is Against Internet Fast Lanes
  • Comcast Makes Changes for Low-Income Families
  • Facebook Outage Points to Importance of ‘Dark Social’
  • Technology Meets Marijuana in New Networking Event
  • E-Coyotes: The Central American People Smugglers Who ‘Like’ Facebook
  • McDonald’s Gets Super-Sized Backlash with Instagram Ads - People Aren’t Loving It
  • Mason County Election Results – Official Canvas August 19
  • Tim Sheldon, Maverick Washington State Senator, In Tight Race
  • The Washington State Legislature: Senate Veterans Roach & Sheldon in Trouble
  • Top Two Primary: Two GOP House Candidates to Face Off for First Time in Washington State History
  • Russian Hackers Amass Over a Billion Internet Passwords
  • Seven Steps to Stronger, More Secure Passwords
  • Oregon: Missing Dundee Mom, Jennifer Huston, Found Dead Off Rural Yamhill County Logging Road
  • Firefighters Make Progress on Largest Pacific Northwest Blazes
  • Vilsack Says Forest Service Will Soon Tap Other Programs to Pay for Firefighting Expenses
  • Two Men Get Prison for Accidentally Starting Wildfire. Too Harsh?
  • Workshop on Mason County Pot Farms Set
  • Rosetta Space Probe Catches Up With Comet after Ten-Year Chase
WORD OF THE DAY

Insalubrious • \inn-suh-LOO-bree-uss\ • Adjective - Not clean or healthy.

Insalubrious
Breathing evening Beijing air
Worse than cigarettes?

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration & U-S DOE Avoid Disclosure of Public Records on BPA’s Hiring Scandal – Again (Oregonian, Portland)

Tennessee Valley Authority Cutting Thousands of Jobs (Nashville Business Journal, TN)

9th Circuit Won’t Review Liquefied Natural Gas Columbia River Shipments Letter (Courthouse News Service)

Northwest Natural Gas Earnings Down in Second Quarter (Oregonian, Portland)

Avista Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter, Raises 2014 Earnings Guidance (MarketWatch)

FERC Approves Pilot Project to Test Two-Year Hydropower Licensing Process (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

APPA, Other Electricity Groups Ask Court Not to Revisit May Ruling on FERC Order No. 745 - Demand Response Compensation (American Public Power Association)

United Kingdom: Energy Bosses Found Guilty of Rigging Gas & Electricity Prices - Could Face Two Years In Jail Under New Laws (The Daily Mail, UK)

FISH & WILDLIFE

British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Return in Doubt after Quesnel Spill - Fish will be swimming through the toxic debris field in two weeks (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Central Puget Sound Hatchery King Harvest Rate Nearing Catch Quota Ceiling (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Portland May Enlist Border Collies to Manage Its Ever-Growing Goose Population (Oregonian, Portland)

Maine: Scientists Want Bird-Ogling Public to Observe Puffins Eating, Help with Research to Save Them (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Utah: What’s Rooftop Solar Power Worth? Not Much, Utility Says - Net-metered ratepayers say they give more than utility credits reflect (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

Areva Posts Loss, Announces Close of Solar Business (Renewable Energy World)

Texas: Austin Energy Changes Wind Power Program (Houston Chronicle, TX)

Wall Street Meets Hippies as Green Energy Turns into Big Business (GigaOM)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Will the Pacific Northwest be a Climate Refuge under Global Warming? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

Hot Planet: Pacific Northwest Winners & Losers (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Scientist on Rainier Chases Climate Change’s Butterfly Effect (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Column: Cap-And-Trade Can Help Forests & Businesses Grow Together (Sustainable Business Oregon)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

What is Electric Car Sales’ Biggest Challenge? Car Dealers (Christian Science Monitor)

SunPower Targets Hybrid Car Buyers with Lure of Pure Solar Power (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

iFIBER Communications Offers Internet, Phone Access for People without Power in Pend Oreille (iFIBER One, Ephrata, WA)

CenturyLink Fined for Improper Billing in Pasco, Elsewhere (Tri-City Herald, WA)

CenturyLink Rolls Out Speedier Internet in Some Parts of Spokane (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

How Fast Should Basic Internet Be? Telecom Regulators Want to Know (Washington Post)

Obama on Net Neutrality: My Administration is Against Internet Fast Lanes (Washington Post)

Comcast Makes Changes for Low-Income Families (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Outage Points to Importance of ‘Dark Social’ – Instant Messages, emails & office conversations also drive visitors to websites (Ad Week)

Technology Meets Marijuana in New Networking Event (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

E-Coyotes: The Central American People Smugglers Who ‘Like’ Facebook (Reuters)

McDonald’s Gets Super-Sized Backlash with Instagram Ads - People Aren’t Loving It (Ad Week)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Election Results – Official Canvas August 19 (Mason County Auditor’s Office, Shelton, WA – Multi-county races link to cumulative results)

Tim Sheldon, Maverick Washington State Senator, In Tight Race (Associated Press)

The Washington State Legislature: Senate Veterans Roach & Sheldon in Trouble (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Top Two Primary: Two GOP House Candidates to Face Off for First Time in Washington State History (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Russian Hackers Amass Over a Billion Internet Passwords (NY Times)

Seven Steps to Stronger, More Secure Passwords (Associated Press)

Oregon: Missing Dundee Mom, Jennifer Huston, Found Dead Off Rural Yamhill County Logging Road (Oregonian, Portland)

Firefighters Make Progress on Largest Pacific Northwest Blazes (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Vilsack Says Forest Service Will Soon Tap Other Programs to Pay for Firefighting Expenses (Associated Press)

Two Men Get Prison for Accidentally Starting Wildfire. Too Harsh? (Christian Science Monitor)

Workshop on Mason County Pot Farms Set (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Rosetta Space Probe Catches Up With Comet after Ten-Year Chase (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Heartless Thug Who Kicked a Squirrel into the Grand Canyon in a YouTube Clip Has a £10,000 Bounty Put on His Head

Teachers in STEM Class Learn to Build Ukuleles at Hanford High School

Teens' Bagpipes Seized At U-S Border over Ivory

Aussie Commuters Tip Train Car to Help Trapped Man

SONG OF THE DAY

Heart - Heartless

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.