The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for March 6, 2015

Bonneville Power Administration Not Worried about Low Snowpack
Puget Sound Energy to Join Western Imbalance Market
Analysis: Pacific Northwest U-S Winter Hydro Output Rises
Power Failure Exposes Lower Valley Fruit Buds
Washington State House Passes, Sends Senate Bill to Improve Safety of Oil Movement
Can Republicans Block Obama’s Clean Energy Plans?
How Much Do You Know about Your Electric Utility?
Will Seattle Have Enough Water This Summer?
Ancient Mars Had an Ocean, Scientists Say
National Solar Installer Group Attacks American Electric Power over ‘Shady Tactics’
California: High Desert Residents Weigh-In on County Renewable Energy Policy
From Space, World’s Largest Solar Plant Looks Like Someone Playing Tetris
Pacific Gas & Electric Reminds Customers: Spring Forward, Fall Back, & Install Energy-Efficient LED Lights
Washington State House Approves Marijuana Deals with Tribes
Professor Projects Next Five States to Legalize Recreational Marijuana
How Potent Are Marijuana Edibles? Lab Tests Yield Surprising Results
What Could Oregon’s Clean Fuels Bill Mean to Your Wallet?
Green Leaders Praise Oregon House for Clean Fuels Vote, Challenge Washington State to Do the Same
Paul Ryan’s Climate Change Confusion
FCC’s Other Decision Aims to Spur Local Broadband
Net Neutrality Ruling Doesn’t End Debate
This New GOP Bill Would Completely Gut the FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules
False Alarm: Netflix Says No Change in Net Neutrality Support
Idaho Department Of Administration Declares Emergency, Gives CenturyLink $1.88 Million Broadband Contract
Apple Will Replace AT&T in the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Facebook is Removing Likes from Deactivated Accounts
ISIS Is Adept on Twitter, Study Finds
Looking to Buy a Prius, an Oregon Man Encounters a Racial Epithet on Carfax
“Sustainability Leader” Badges on Walmart Products Don’t Mean Items Are Good for Environment
Oregon’s Top Administrator Resigns in Wake of Kitzhaber Fiasco
One Killed in Central Washington School Bus Crash – 43 Kids Taken to Hospital
Daylight Saving Time Starts Sunday Morning
Daylight Saving Time Screws Us Up, So Why Do We Keep Springing Forward?
Graffiti-Spraying Youth Caught by Shelton Cops
Lake Quinault School District Being Investigated amid Allegations of Embezzlement
State Basketball Tourney: Mary M Knight Girls Lose in First Round – On to Consolation Bracket
Would You Call 911 on Another Parent?

WORD OF THE DAY

Gourmand • \GOOR-mahnd\ • noun – 1: one who is excessively fond of eating & drinking *2: one who is heartily interested in good food & drink

“Ahhh…that’s good eatin’,” grunted Roderick. He was basking in the afterglow of his fourth annual Haggis Harvest Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. He was considered among his Highlander friends a gourmand of the gastronomically curious national dish of Scotland. When asked what made good haggis, he replied “Just like good sausage, it’s best that ye not know.”

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Not Worried about Low Snowpack (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/bpa-not-worried-about-low-snowpack

Puget Sound Energy to Join Western Imbalance Market (Argus Media)

http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1003641

Analysis: Pacific Northwest U-S Winter Hydro Output Rises (Argus Media)

http://www.argusmedia.com/News/Article?id=1003130

Power Failure Exposes Lower Valley Fruit Buds (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/latestlocalnews/2969581-8/power-failure-exposes-lower-valley-fruit-buds

Washington State House Passes, Sends Senate Bill to Improve Safety of Oil Movement (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/03/05/house-passes-sends-senate-bill-to-improve-safety-of-oil-movement-in-washington/

Can Republicans Block Obama’s Clean Energy Plans? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0305/Can-Republicans-block-Obama-s-clean-energy-plans

How Much Do You Know about Your Electric Utility? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/coley-girouard/2201086/how-much-do-you-know-about-your-electric-utility

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Will Seattle Have Enough Water This Summer? (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2015/03/will-seattle-have-enough-water-this.html

Ancient Mars Had an Ocean, Scientists Say (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/06/science/mars-had-an-ocean-scientists-say-pointing-to-new-data.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

National Solar Installer Group Attacks American Electric Power over ‘Shady Tactics’ (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/national-solar-installer-group-attacks-aep-over-shady-tactics/371936/

California: High Desert Residents Weigh-In on County Renewable Energy Policy (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, CA)

http://www.dailybulletin.com/environment-and-nature/20150305/high-desert-residents-weigh-in-on-county-renewable-energy-policy

From Space, World’s Largest Solar Plant Looks Like Someone Playing Tetris (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/worlds-largest-solar-plant-looks-like-someone-playing-t-1689817522

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Gas & Electric Reminds Customers: Spring Forward, Fall Back, & Install Energy-Efficient LED Lights (PG&E Currents)

http://www.pgecurrents.com/2015/03/05/pge-reminds-customers-spring-forward-fall-back-and-install-energy-efficient-led-lights/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Washington State House Approves Marijuana Deals with Tribes (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/03/06/washington-house-approves-marijuana-deals-with-tribes/24484219/

Professor Projects Next Five States to Legalize Recreational Marijuana (Marijuana Business Daily)

http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/professor-projects-next-5-states-to-legalize-rec/

How Potent Are Marijuana Edibles? Lab Tests Yield Surprising Results (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2015/03/how_potent_are_marijuana_edibl.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

What Could Oregon’s Clean Fuels Bill Mean to Your Wallet? (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.katu.com/news/problemsolver/What-could-Oregons-Clean-Fuels-bill-mean-to-your-wallet-295273991.html

Green Leaders Praise Oregon House for Clean Fuels Vote, Challenge Washington State to Do the Same (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/03/green-leaders-praise-oregon-house-for-clean-fuels.html

Paul Ryan’s Climate Change Confusion (U-S News & World Report)

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2015/03/06/paul-ryan-doesnt-get-it-on-climate-change-economics

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC’s Other Decision Aims to Spur Local Broadband (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/03/05/fcc-approve-municipal-broadband-exemption/24439695/

Net Neutrality Ruling Doesn’t End Debate (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/larry-magid/ci_27653770/magid-net-neutrality-ruling-doesnt-end-debate

This New GOP Bill Would Completely Gut the FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/03/05/this-new-gop-bill-would-completely-gut-the-fccs-net-neutrality-rules/?wprss=rss_technology

False Alarm: Netflix Says No Change in Net Neutrality Support (USA Today)

http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2015/03/05/362555/

Idaho Department Of Administration Declares Emergency, Gives CenturyLink $1.88 Million Broadband Contract (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/03/06/3680270_dept-of-administration-declares.html?rh=1

Apple Will Replace AT&T in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/Apple-to-replace-AT-T-in-Dow-6118726.php

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook is Removing Likes from Deactivated Accounts (GigaOM)

https://gigaom.com/2015/03/05/facebook-is-removing-likes-from-deactivated-accounts/

ISIS Is Adept on Twitter, Study Finds (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/06/world/middleeast/isis-is-skilled-on-twitter-using-thousands-of-accounts-study-says.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Looking to Buy a Prius, an Oregon Man Encounters a Racial Epithet on Carfax (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/looking_to_buy_a_prius_an_oreg.html

“Sustainability Leader” Badges on Walmart Products Don’t Mean Items Are Good for Environment (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2015/03/06/sustainability-leader-badges-on-walmart-products-dont-mean-items-are-good-for-environment/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Oregon’s Top Administrator Resigns in Wake of Kitzhaber Fiasco (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2015/03/oregons-top-administrator-resigns-in-wake-of.html

GENERAL NEWS

One Killed in Central Washington School Bus Crash – 43 Kids Taken to Hospital (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/1-killed-in-Central-Washington-school-bus-crash-6116924.php

Daylight Saving Time Starts Sunday Morning (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2015/03/daylight-saving-time-starts-sunday.html

Daylight Saving Time Screws Us Up, So Why Do We Keep Springing Forward? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/11/2723085/Daylight-Saving-Time-screws-us-up-so-why-do-we-keep-springing-forward

Graffiti-Spraying Youth Caught by Shelton Cops (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://kmasnewsradio.com/news/local-state-news/21705-graffiti-spraying-youth-caught-by-cops

Lake Quinault School District Being Investigated amid Allegations of Embezzlement (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/local-news/351835

State Basketball Tourney: Mary M Knight Girls Lose in First Round – On to Consolation Bracket (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/14664#more-14664

Would You Call 911 on Another Parent? (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2015/03/03/would-you-call-911-on-another-parent/?tid=sm_fb

DIVERSIONS

Japan’s Cat Island: A Bad Precedent or New Form of Tourism?

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2015/0303/Japan-s-Cat-Island-A-bad-precedent-or-new-form-of-tourism

Iraq Says Islamic State Militants ‘Bulldozed’ Ancient Site

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9b6f845bf29047b0a2602bb711c4dd27/iraq-says-islamic-state-militants-bulldozed-ancient-site

Buy One, Get One Free? Right: Snuggie Seller Settles Charges That It Deceived Customers

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Snuggie-seller-settles-charges-that-it-deceived-6117444.php

The Man Who Posted (Mailed) Himself to Australia

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31700049

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beatles – Got to Get You into My Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxhhFOnXs2M

Earth Wind & Fire – Got to Get You into My Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJPWXq6b1fA

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.

The Energy News Digest

Friday, March 6, 2015

Energy News Digest for March 6, 2015

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