Friday, October 17, 2014

Energy News Digest for October 17, 2014


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News Digest Word Cloud

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for October 17, 2014

Hot Shots – Today’s Top Five Stories

Peace River Dam: Is Victoria All-In on Site C? No, Energy Minister Bennett Insists (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Los Angeles Sued By Two Companies over Rejection of Solar Array Plan (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Texas Plant to Capture, and Then Reuse, Carbon (NY Times)

Cable Blackouts Could Someday Be Broadband Blackouts, Too (Washington Post)

This Video about Dropping a Brick Is Worth a Few Laughs & 67 Million Gallons of Water (AdWeek)

News Highlights (Details Below)
  1. Peace River Dam: Is Victoria All-In on Site C? No, Energy Minister Bennett Insists
  2. Industry Group Urges British Columbia to Invest in 'Clean Energy' Instead of New Peace River Dam
  3. British Columbia: A Massive Dam - And a Massive Legal Test
  4. Ultralight Plane Crashes into Stanwood-Area Power Lines; Pilot Up, Walking
  5. Homeowners Billed for Utility’s Faulty Equipment
  6. California: PUC Judge & Commissioner Propose Sanctions against PG&E for Judge Shopping
  7. Calls to Use Yucca Mountain as a Nuclear Waste Site, Now Deemed Safe
  8. Job Opening: Political Scapegoat for New England's Out of Control Energy Prices
  9. Methow Valley Irrigation Gets Overhaul for Fish
  10. Beavers with Parachutes in Idaho?
  11. This Video about Dropping a Brick Is Worth a Few Laughs & 67 Million Gallons of Water
  12. Los Angeles Sued By Two Companies over Rejection of Solar Array Plan
  13. Proposed San Francisco Law Would Put a Solar Panel on Nearly Every Roof
  14. California: Group Seeks Protection That Could Block Wind Project
  15. Alaska: Electrical Blowout Stops Turbine at Nome Wind Farm
  16. Wind Blows Away Fossil Power in the Nordics, the Baltics Next
  17. Arlington Man Competes in Insulation Competition
  18. Texas Plant to Capture, and Then Reuse, Carbon
  19. Oregon Won't Get into Yale (or Harvard) with These Grades
  20. Biofuel Companies Look Beyond the Gas Tank
  21. Cable Blackouts Could Someday Be Broadband Blackouts, Too
  22. City of Seattle’s Exploration of Municipal Broadband Is Far-Reaching
  23. Another City Wants To Stop Comcast from Taking over Cable Service
  24. More Americans Using Mobile Devices to Access Internet
  25. Starbucks to Test Smartphone 'Pay Ahead' Option in Portland
  26. Google Shares Fall as Ad Growth Slows
  27. How the BBC Is Using WhatsApp to Combat Ebola in West Africa
  28. Candy Maker Sweet on Vine, Instagram after Facebook Reach Drops 73%
  29. Shelton Prison Inmate Found Dead in Cell
  30. Washington State Regulators Put Pot Sales Information, Enforcement Reports Online to Help Banks
  31. Oregon Economist: Pot Benefits Outweigh Societal Costs
  32. Feds: Don't Expect Winter to Be Polar Vortex Redux
  33. Charge: Pair Stole $45,000 in Luggage from Sea-Tac Baggage Claim
  34. Cleaning Supply Sales Are Up as Americans Freak Out over Ebola
  35. FCC: Half of Wireless 911 Calls Are Butt-Dials
Word of the Day

Ideate • \EYE-dee-ate\ • verb – To form an idea or conception of - to form an idea

Ideate a Plan
Put it into Motion Now
Seemed Right at the Time

Energy & Utility Issues

Peace River Dam: Is Victoria All-In on Site C? No, Energy Minister Bennett Insists (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Industry Group Urges British Columbia to Invest in 'Clean Energy' Instead of New Peace River Dam (Globe & Mail, Canada)

British Columbia: A Massive Dam - And a Massive Legal Test (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Ultralight Plane Crashes into Stanwood-Area Power Lines; Pilot Up, Walking (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Homeowners Billed for Utility’s Faulty Equipment (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

California: PUC Judge & Commissioner Propose Sanctions against PG&E for Judge Shopping (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)

Calls to Use Yucca Mountain as a Nuclear Waste Site, Now Deemed Safe (NY Times)

Job Opening: Political Scapegoat for New England's Out of Control Energy Prices (Forbes Magazine)

Fish & Wildlife

Methow Valley Irrigation Gets Overhaul for Fish (Northwest Public Radio)

Beavers with Parachutes in Idaho? (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Water & Environment

This Video about Dropping a Brick Is Worth a Few Laughs & 67 Million Gallons of Water (AdWeek)

Renewable/Alternative Energy

Los Angeles Sued By Two Companies over Rejection of Solar Array Plan (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Proposed San Francisco Law Would Put a Solar Panel on Nearly Every Roof (SF Chronicle)

California: Group Seeks Protection That Could Block Wind Project (Victorville Daily Press, CA)

Alaska: Electrical Blowout Stops Turbine at Nome Wind Farm (KNOM Radio, Nome, AK)

Wind Blows Away Fossil Power in the Nordics, the Baltics Next “…helping to meet demand when hydropower production…falls due to dry weather…” (Reuters)

Conservation & Efficiency

Arlington Man Competes in Insulation Competition (Everett Herald, WA)

Climate Change Sequestration Vault

Texas Plant to Capture, and Then Reuse, Carbon (NY Times)

Barrel O’ Green Potpourri

Oregon Won't Get into Yale (or Harvard) with These Grades “…is far behind…in establishing a way to curb carbon emissions through taxes & fees…” (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Biofuel Companies Look Beyond the Gas Tank (NY Times)

Technology & Telecommunications

Cable Blackouts Could Someday Be Broadband Blackouts, Too (Washington Post)

City of Seattle’s Exploration of Municipal Broadband Is Far-Reaching (International Examiner)

Another City Wants To Stop Comcast from Taking over Cable Service (Consumerist)

More Americans Using Mobile Devices to Access Internet (USA Today)

Social Media & Marketing

Starbucks to Test Smartphone 'Pay Ahead' Option in Portland (Oregonian, Portland)

Google Shares Fall as Ad Growth Slows (USA Today)

How the BBC Is Using WhatsApp to Combat Ebola in West Africa (Christian Science Monitor)

Candy Maker Sweet on Vine, Instagram after Facebook Reach Drops 73% (AdWeek)

General News

Shelton Prison Inmate Found Dead in Cell (Associated Press)

Washington State Regulators Put Pot Sales Information, Enforcement Reports Online to Help Banks (Associated Press)

Oregon Economist: Pot Benefits Outweigh Societal Costs (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

Feds: Don't Expect Winter to Be Polar Vortex Redux (Associated Press)

Charge: Pair Stole $45,000 in Luggage from Sea-Tac Baggage Claim (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Cleaning Supply Sales Are Up as Americans Freak Out over Ebola (Consumerist)

FCC: Half of Wireless 911 Calls Are Butt-Dials (Mashable)

Diversions

Once in Million Years: Comet Buzzing Mars on Sunday, Robotic Explorers Have Best Seats in the House

Turbo the Chihuahua Finally Meets the Man Who 3D Printed His Wheelchair

Bigfoot Sighted Chasing Cars in Aberdeen

Australian Returns Home from Holiday with Spider in Stomach

Song of the Day

Gene Krupa - Big Noise from Winnetka

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.