Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Energy News Digest for October 1, 2014


Weather Service Storm Forecasts Get More Localized (Associated Press)

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for October 1, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Regains Hiring Authorities; Managers Look to Bring “Very Difficult Chapter” to a Close (Oregonian, Portland)

Snohomish PUD Abandons Tidal Energy Project (Everett Herald, WA)

Officials Laud Record-Setting Columbia River Salmon Run (Oregonian Public Broadcasting)

Cascade Natural Gas Requests 5.6% Rate Hike to Cover Costs (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

There Are Now Three Million Data Centers in the U-S, & Climbing (Mashable)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Weather Service Storm Forecasts Get More Localized
  • Bonneville Regains Hiring Authorities; Managers Look to Bring “Very Difficult Chapter” to a Close
  • Bonneville Power Administration’s Hiring Authority Reinstated
  • Customers Comment on Return of Hiring Authority to Bonneville Power Administration
  • Washington Congressman Hastings Praises Decision to Reinstate Bonneville Power Admin’s Human Resources Authorities
  • Cascade Natural Gas Requests 5.6% Rate Hike to Cover Costs
  • Idaho: Rupert Power Customers See 3 Percent Rate Increase
  • California is Integrating Buffett’s Western Utilities into Its Grid Balancing Market
  • New Law Would Bring Dramatic Changes to the Texas Electricity Grid
  • News Release: With Fall & Winter Storm Season Approaching, Peninsula Light Company Provides Real-Time Communications with Members in the Pacific Northwest
  • NERC Report Offers Series of Recommendations Tied to Polar Vortex
  • Officials Laud Record-Setting Columbia River Salmon Run
  • 35,000 Walrus Come Ashore in Northwest Alaska
  • Oyster Prices Could Skyrocket if We Don’t Change Our Shellfish Ways
  • Stillaguamish Tribe Chairman Named to Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Post
  • Draft Water Rules Tied To Fish Consumption Released
  • Snohomish PUD Abandons Tidal Energy Project
  • Snohomish PUD Tidal Power Project Not to Advance
  • University of Wyoming Gets $4.25 Million Federal Grant for Wind Energy Research
  • The World’s Biggest Energy Hogs Aren’t Who You Think They Are
  • Antarctica Is Losing So Much Ice It’s Throwing Off Earth’s Gravity
  • Did Climate Change Create Modern Man? Ancient Temperature Shifts Made Us More Intelligent, Study Claims
  • There Are Now Three Million Data Centers in the U-S, & Climbing
  • Fiber Is Coming: Seattle City Council Strikes Down Restrictive Rule
  • Up to Speed: FCC Woos TV Stations for Upcoming Spectrum Auction
  • Verizon Starts Throttling Unlimited LTE Users Starting Today
  • Municipal Broadband: A Bad Deal for Taxpayers
  • Microsoft Unveils Windows 10 Operating System
  • Ello: How Is It Different from Other Social Networks?
  • Bad Stock Photos Make Us Want to Cry - Checklist for Creative
  • Washington State Bottled Water Tax May End Up in Governor Inslee’s Budget
  • Op/Ed: Public Officials Give Up Some Privacy on Personal Cellphones
  • Live Grenade Found in Dumpster Outside Belfair Business
  • Pacific Northwest’s Second Worst Fire Season Draws to a Close
  • Longview Marijuana Farm Is Preparing for Its First Harvest
  • Advocates File Petition to Legalize Marijuana in Mississippi
  • 24 Maps & Charts That Explain Marijuana
  • Washington State Minimum Wage Rises 15 Cents to $9.47 an Hour
  • Green Diamond Opens Lands for Hunting & Recreation
WORD OF THE DAY

Zeitgeist • \ZITE-ghyst\ • noun, often capitalized - The general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

Depending on whom you ask, the Zeitgeist of the Enron era was either pioneering financial activity or slumming in the underworld of questionable financial shenanigans.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Regains Hiring Authorities; Managers Look to Bring “Very Difficult Chapter” to a Close (Oregonian, Portland)

Bonneville Power Administration’s Hiring Authority Reinstated (U-S Department of Energy)

Customers Comment on Return of Hiring Authority to Bonneville Power Administration (Public Power Council, Portland, OR)

Washington Congressman Hastings Praises Decision to Reinstate Bonneville Power Admin’s Human Resources Authorities (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

Cascade Natural Gas Requests 5.6% Rate Hike to Cover Costs (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Idaho: Rupert Power Customers See 3 Percent Rate Increase (Twin Falls Times News, ID)

California is Integrating Buffett’s Western Utilities into Its Grid Balancing Market (Green Tech Media)

New Law Would Bring Dramatic Changes to the Texas Electricity Grid (Dallas Morning News, TX)

News Release: With Fall & Winter Storm Season Approaching, Peninsula Light Company Provides Real-Time Communications with Members in the Pacific Northwest (Yahoo! Finance)

NERC Report Offers Series of Recommendations Tied to Polar Vortex (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Officials Laud Record-Setting Columbia River Salmon Run (Oregonian Public Broadcasting)

35,000 Walrus Come Ashore in Northwest Alaska (Associated Press)

Oyster Prices Could Skyrocket if We Don’t Change Our Shellfish Ways (Grist Online)

Stillaguamish Tribe Chairman Named to Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Post (Everett Herald, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Draft Water Rules Tied To Fish Consumption Released (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Snohomish PUD Abandons Tidal Energy Project (Everett Herald, WA)

Snohomish PUD Tidal Power Project Not to Advance (Snohomish County PUD, Everett, WA)

University of Wyoming Gets $4.25 Million Federal Grant for Wind Energy Research (Wyoming Business Report)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

The World’s Biggest Energy Hogs Aren’t Who You Think They Are (Christian Science Monitor)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Antarctica Is Losing So Much Ice It’s Throwing Off Earth’s Gravity (Gizmodo)

Did Climate Change Create Modern Man? Ancient Temperature Shifts Made Us More Intelligent, Study Claims (The Daily Mail, UK)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

There Are Now Three Million Data Centers in the U-S, & Climbing (Mashable)

Fiber Is Coming: Seattle City Council Strikes Down Restrictive Rule (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Up to Speed: FCC Woos TV Stations for Upcoming Spectrum Auction (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Verizon Starts Throttling Unlimited LTE Users Starting Today (Broadband Reports)

Municipal Broadband: A Bad Deal for Taxpayers (Forbes Magazine)

Microsoft Unveils Windows 10 Operating System (British Broadcasting Corporation)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Ello: How Is It Different from Other Social Networks? (Christian Science Monitor)

Bad Stock Photos Make Us Want to Cry - Checklist for Creative (AdWeek)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Bottled Water Tax May End Up in Governor Inslee’s Budget (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Op/Ed: Public Officials Give Up Some Privacy on Personal Cellphones (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

Live Grenade Found in Dumpster Outside Belfair Business (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Pacific Northwest’s Second Worst Fire Season Draws to a Close (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Longview Marijuana Farm Is Preparing for Its First Harvest (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Advocates File Petition to Legalize Marijuana in Mississippi “…initiatives are on the November ballot in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia…similar measures before voters in 2016 in California, Arizona, Nevada and Massachusetts…” (Reuters)

24 Maps & Charts That Explain Marijuana (Vox)

Washington State Minimum Wage Rises 15 Cents to $9.47 an Hour (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Green Diamond Opens Lands for Hunting & Recreation (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Everything You Need to Know about Oysters & a How-To-Shuck Tutorial

Hey Kids, Let’s Not Trick-Or-Treat in This Completely Black Bodysuit

Missing Child Discovered by Journalist Reporting on Story

Reports: China Body-Searched 10,000 Pigeons

SONG OF THE DAY

John Mayer – Gravity

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.