Thursday, October 16, 2014

Energy News Digest for October 16, 2014


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News Digest Word Cloud

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for October 16, 2014

Hot Shots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Speculative Report Fuels Avista Trading “…speculative report…that the Spokane-based utility could be courting buyers…” (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Historic Coho Fishing Season Starts Friday on the Clearwater River (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Official in Pacific Gas & Electric Judge-Shopping Case Won’t Vote on Blast Penalty (SF Chronicle)

Washington State’s Unemployment Rate Inched Up in September – Mason 7.4 Percent (Washington State Employment Security)

Google Fiber Will Launch in Austin in December (GigaOM)

News Highlights (Details Below)
  1. Speculative Sale Report Fuels Avista Trading
  2. Official in Pacific Gas & Electric Judge-Shopping Case Won’t Vote on Blast Penalty
  3. Oregon: Public Electric Utility Debated at Millersburg Meeting
  4. Grand Coulee Dam: Third Power Plant Work Will Rebuild 3,000 Tons of Precision
  5. Clallam PUD Keeps High Bond Rating
  6. Utilities Reach Out to Customers
  7. Spokane Man Arrested on Suspicion of Mooching Neighbor’s Electricity
  8. Natural Gas’s Green Image Could Be Hot Air, Say Scientists
  9. As Communities Block Nuclear Restart, Japan’s 48 Operable Reactors Idle
  10. Nuclear Fusion Energy in a Decade? Lockheed Martin Is Betting On It
  11. Smart Meters Can Be Hacked to Cut Power Bills
  12. Historic Coho Fishing Season Starts Friday on the Clearwater River
  13. Pacific Northwest Salmon Numbers Surge to Highest Level since 1930’s
  14. Op/Ed: Pacific Northwest Must Preserve Salmon & Hydro Dams
  15. Interior Secretary Announces Sage Grouse Deal, Praises Wyoming Conservation Efforts
  16. EPA Fines Hanford for Stagnating Radioactive Waste near Columbia River
  17. Seven Underwater Surprises Exposed in Dried Out California Lakes
  18. Battery Backup System in Glacier May Help in Power Failures
  19. SolarCity Bonds – A New Way to Invest in Solar
  20. Wisconsin: The Latest Solar Energy Battleground
  21. In Defense of LEDs: Why the Rebound Effect for Solid-State Lighting May Be Overblown
  22. The Worst Drought of the Last 1,000 Years Was in 1934
  23. German Clean-Energy Costs Drop for First Time
  24. Google Fiber Will Launch in Austin in December
  25. Google Looks into Offering New Ultra-Fast Wireless Service
  26. Streaming Services: HBO is Taking on Netflix Like Never Before. They’ll Share the Same Headaches, Too
  27. CBS to Offer Stand-Alone Web Subscription Service
  28. Facebook ‘Safety Check’ Tells Friends You’re OK in a Natural Disaster
  29. Thanksgiving Will Top Black Friday for the Best Deals This Year
  30. BINGO! Four Innovation Buzzwords You Need to Know
  31. Washington State’s Unemployment Rate Inched Up in September
  32. Lewis County Won’t Allow Vader Marijuana Facility Access to Water Supply
  33. Pot-Growing Acreage Could Quadruple
  34. Backlash against Retail Pot Sales is Vast
  35. Teen Describes Dramatic Ocean Rescue on Oregon Coast
  36. Seattle Seahawks Now America’s Sixth Most Popular Team
Word of the Day

Fealty • \FEE-ul-tee\ • noun - 1a: the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord b: the obligation of such fidelity *2: intense fidelity

Sadly, the aging Elvis impersonator had to admit that his gray locks and increasing paunch had prematurely ousted him from the job which had placed ramen noodles in his bowl for many years. Regardless, his fealty to the Elvis skydiving team remained undiminished.

Energy & Utility Issues

Speculative Report Fuels Avista Trading “…speculative report…that the Spokane-based utility could be courting buyers…” (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Official in Pacific Gas & Electric Judge-Shopping Case Won’t Vote on Blast Penalty (SF Chronicle)

Oregon: Public Electric Utility Debated at Millersburg Meeting (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)

Grand Coulee Dam: Third Power Plant Work Will Rebuild 3,000 Tons of Precision (Star of the Grand Coulee, Grand Coulee, WA)

Clallam PUD Keeps High Bond Rating (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Utilities Reach Out to Customers (Umpqua Post, Coos Bay, OR)

Spokane Man Arrested on Suspicion of Mooching Neighbor’s Electricity (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Natural Gas’s Green Image Could Be Hot Air, Say Scientists (Christian Science Monitor)

As Communities Block Nuclear Restart, Japan’s 48 Operable Reactors Idle (Forbes Magazine)

Nuclear Fusion Energy in a Decade? Lockheed Martin Is Betting On It (Washington Post)

Smart Meters Can Be Hacked to Cut Power Bills (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Fish & Wildlife

Historic Coho Fishing Season Starts Friday on the Clearwater River (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Pacific Northwest Salmon Numbers Surge to Highest Level since 1930’s (KREM-TV, Spokane, WA)

Op/Ed: Pacific Northwest Must Preserve Salmon & Hydro Dams (Oregonian, Portland)

Interior Secretary Announces Sage Grouse Deal, Praises Wyoming Conservation Efforts (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)

Water & Environment

EPA Fines Hanford for Stagnating Radioactive Waste near Columbia River (Northwest Public Radio)

Seven Underwater Surprises Exposed in Dried Out California Lakes (Mashable)

Renewable/Alternative Energy

Battery Backup System in Glacier May Help in Power Failures (Bellingham Herald, WA)

SolarCity Bonds – A New Way to Invest in Solar (SF Chronicle)

Wisconsin: The Latest Solar Energy Battleground (The Energy Collective)

Conservation & Efficiency

​In Defense of LEDs: Why the Rebound Effect for Solid-State Lighting May Be Overblown (The Energy Collective)

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

The Worst Drought of the Last 1,000 Years Was in 1934 (Gizmodo)

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri

German Clean-Energy Costs Drop for First Time (Bloomberg News)

Technology & Telecommunications

Google Fiber Will Launch in Austin in December (GigaOM)

Google Looks into Offering New Ultra-Fast Wireless Service (Kansas City Business Journal, MO)

Streaming Services: HBO is Taking on Netflix Like Never Before. They’ll Share the Same Headaches, Too (Washington Post)

CBS to Offer Stand-Alone Web Subscription Service (NY Times)

Social Media & Marketing

Facebook ‘Safety Check’ Tells Friends You’re OK in a Natural Disaster (Mashable)

Thanksgiving Will Top Black Friday for the Best Deals This Year (Christian Science Monitor)

BINGO! Four Innovation Buzzwords You Need to Know (Washington Post)

General News

Washington State’s Unemployment Rate Inched Up in September – Mason 7.4 Percent (Washington State Employment Security)

Lewis County Won’t Allow Vader Marijuana Facility Access to Water Supply (Longview Daily News, WA)

Pot-Growing Acreage Could Quadruple (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Backlash against Retail Pot Sales is Vast “…while plenty of Washington residents embraced the idea of a legal marijuana trade…plenty now shudder at the thought of it transacting anywhere near them…” (Everett Herald, WA)

Teen Describes Dramatic Ocean Rescue on Oregon Coast (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Seattle Seahawks Now America’s Sixth Most Popular Team (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Diversions

Rats in the Toilet Aren’t an Urban Legend: Oregon Rains Can Force Rodents into Your Home

Finnish Authorities Ban Whisky from Expo Name

Chocolate-Covered Bugs Served Up at Insect Museum

Cops: Woman Stole $520 from Jury on Another Trial

Song of the Day

Walter Egan - Magnet & Steel

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.