Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Energy News Digest for December 30, 2014

The Energy News Digest will be out of circulation December 31, cogitating on the end of 2014 and considering the promise of 2015 and its attendant football feast. Have a wonderful New Year’s celebration.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for December 30, 2014

COLD! Area Forecast Discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Temperatures Plunge in Western Washington State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Vermont’s Sole Nuclear Power Plant Ends Operations - Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant ends operations after 42 years of producing electricity (Associated Press)

Up in Smoke: WA Pot Firms Say Their Profits Are Getting Burned Down by Tax Bills (Crosscut Seattle)

Alaska: Commercial Fishing Threatens Endangered Sea Lions, Groups Say (Courthouse News Service)

Is Microsoft About to Put Internet Explorer Out of Its Misery? (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Vermont’s Sole Nuclear Power Plant Ends Operations Japan’s Nuclear Jitters Might Spur Exports of U-S Energy
  2. Klickitat PUD’s ‘Audacious’ Pumped Storage Project Starting to Look like a Winner
  3. Western Power Lines Taking Shape
  4. Governor Inslee Names Ann Rendahl to Washington State Utilities & Transportation Commission
  5. Mason PUD 3 Commission Report – December 23, 2014 Business Meeting
  6. Alaska: Commercial Fishing Threatens Endangered Sea Lions, Groups Say
  7. Monarch Butterfly Eyed for Possible U-S Endangered Species Protection
  8. Small Hydro Is Renewable Energy the New Congress Might Just Get Behind
  9. Program That Backed Solyndra Now Showing Successes
  10. How Can Business Owners, Schools & Municipalities Benefit from Community Solar?
  11. Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s New Water Heater Promises Big Savings
  12. How Smart Glass Windows Slash Energy Bills
  13. This Lamp’s Very Structure Is Its Light Source, Too
  14. Up in Smoke: WA Pot Firms Say Their Profits Are Getting Burned Down by Tax Bills
  15. Marijuana Grower Hopes to Outlast Early Ups & Downs
  16. Dangerous Hash Oil Labs Expose Holes in Washington State Pot Laws
  17. Alaska Lawyers’ Group Exploring Marijuana Issues
  18. Sacramento Valley’s Powerhouse Rice Crop One Step Closer to Cap & Trade
  19. California Rangeland Loss Could Worsen Climate Change
  20. Poll Finds Support for EPA Low Ahead of Standoff with Congress
  21. Electric Cars Get Big Boost in Germany
  22. Plastic Bag Supporters Petition to Challenge Ban in California
  23. Is Microsoft About to Put Internet Explorer Out of Its Misery?
  24. Want to See Broadband’s Future? Check Out the Airline Industry
  25. Movie Studios Claim That Google Fiber Leads To More Piracy
  26. Sony Hackers ‘Shared’ Stolen Employee Login Data
  27. The Next Big Turning Point in the Net Neutrality Debate
  28. American Workers Say Internet Makes Them More Productive
  29. Twitter Account to Overly Thirsty Brands: Stop Saying the Word ‘Bae’
  30. Turns Out “Bae” Means Something Entirely Different
  31. Facebook Friend Request Nearly Costs Woman Thousands
  32. Harsh TripAdvisor Reviewer’s Anonymity Protected: Oregon Coast Hotel Drops $74,999 Defamation Suit
  33. New Republican-Led Panel Will Focus on Energy & Environment
  34. Temperatures Plunge in Western Washington State
  35. Inland Pacific Northwest Braces for Dangerous Temps
  36. Bodies, Debris from Missing AirAsia Plane Pulled from Sea Near Indonesia
  37. Body Found In Search for Mount Rainier Snowshoer
  38. Washington State Fines Tenino Fireworks Company for Explosion, Violations
  39. Washington State Governor Proposes Change to Sales Tax Exemption
  40. Copper Wire Thieves Turned Off Coulon Park’s Clam Lights
WORD OF THE DAY

Tempus Fugate • \temp-uss FYOO-jet\ • “Foreign Term” - Latin - Time flies

Days flew by this year
Tempus Fugate, won’t come back
Find treasure each day

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Vermont’s Sole Nuclear Power Plant Ends Operations - Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant ends operations after 42 years of producing electricity (Associated Press)

Japan’s Nuclear Jitters Might Spur Exports of U-S Energy (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Klickitat PUD’s ‘Audacious’ Pumped Storage Project Starting to Look like a Winner (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Western Power Lines Taking Shape (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Governor Inslee Names Ann Rendahl to Washington State Utilities & Transportation Commission (Washington State Governor)

Mason PUD 3 Commission Report – December 23, 2014 Business Meeting (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Alaska: Commercial Fishing Threatens Endangered Sea Lions, Groups Say (Courthouse News Service)

Monarch Butterfly Eyed for Possible U-S Endangered Species Protection (Reuters)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Small Hydro Is Renewable Energy the New Congress Might Just Get Behind (KUNC Radio, Greeley, CO)

Program That Backed Solyndra Now Showing Successes (Associated Press)

How Can Business Owners, Schools & Municipalities Benefit from Community Solar? (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s New Water Heater Promises Big Savings (Portland Business Journal, OR)

How Smart Glass Windows Slash Energy Bills (SF Chronicle, CA)

This Lamp’s Very Structure Is Its Light Source, Too (Gizmodo)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Up in Smoke: WA Pot Firms Say Their Profits Are Getting Burned Down by Tax Bills (Crosscut Seattle)

Marijuana Grower Hopes to Outlast Early Ups & Downs (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Dangerous Hash Oil Labs Expose Holes in Washington State Pot Laws (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Alaska Lawyers’ Group Exploring Marijuana Issues (Marijuana Business Daily)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Sacramento Valley’s Powerhouse Rice Crop One Step Closer to Cap & Trade (Sacramento Bee, CA)

California Rangeland Loss Could Worsen Climate Change (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Poll Finds Support for EPA Low Ahead of Standoff with Congress (Utility Dive)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Cars Get Big Boost in Germany (Christian Science Monitor)

Plastic Bag Supporters Petition to Challenge Ban in California (Consumerist)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Is Microsoft About to Put Internet Explorer Out of Its Misery? (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Want to See Broadband’s Future? Check Out the Airline Industry (GigaOM)

Movie Studios Claim That Google Fiber Leads To More Piracy (Consumerist)

Sony Hackers ‘Shared’ Stolen Employee Login Data (British Broadcasting Corporation)

The Next Big Turning Point in the Net Neutrality Debate (Washington Post)

American Workers Say Internet Makes Them More Productive (NY Times)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter Account to Overly Thirsty Brands: Stop Saying the Word ‘Bae’ (TIME Magazine)

Turns Out “Bae” Means Something Entirely Different (Refinery 29)

Facebook Friend Request Nearly Costs Woman Thousands (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Harsh TripAdvisor Reviewer’s Anonymity Protected: Oregon Coast Hotel Drops $74,999 Defamation Suit (Oregonian, Portland)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

New Republican-Led Panel Will Focus on Energy & Environment “…watch over the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the departments of agriculture, energy & interior…” (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Temperatures Plunge in Western Washington State (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Inland Pacific Northwest Braces for Dangerous Temps (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Bodies, Debris from Missing AirAsia Plane Pulled from Sea Near Indonesia (Reuters)

Body Found In Search for Mount Rainier Snowshoer (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Washington State Fines Tenino Fireworks Company for Explosion, Violations (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Washington State Governor Proposes Change to Sales Tax Exemption (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Copper Wire Thieves Turned Off Coulon Park’s Clam Lights (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

So You Call Yourself an Oregon Ducks Football Fan? Take Our Quiz (Using the scientific method of guessing I got a score of 50%)

No Kidding, Jack Daniels Names Son Jim Beam…

Our Windowless Megachurches Are Killing the Stained Glass Industry

A Baltimore Truck Driver Has Won the Maryland Lottery for a Second Time

SONG OF THE DAY

Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel - Whiskey River

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.