Monday, September 28, 2015

Energy News Digest for September 28, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for September 28, 2015

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Possibility of another Low-Snow Winter Has Irrigators Scrambling (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Officials: Klamath River Fish Healthy after Flow Increase (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Shell to Cease Alaska Offshore Arctic Drilling (Associated Press)

Community Solar Energizes Public Power Communities (Conduit)

Thurston County Survey Shows Strong Local Support for Clean Energy (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Shell to Cease Alaska Offshore Arctic Drilling
  • Snohomish PUD Issues Bonds to Help Fund New Generation Projects
  • BC Hydro Preps for Rate Review
  • Drought Dries Up Pacific Gas & Electric Hydro Reservoir in Northern California
  • Portland Stops Auto Pay for Utility Bills – System Doesn’t Meet Current Credit Card Security Standards
  • Can Liquefied Natural Gas, Hydro Projects Jolt These British Columbia Ghost Towns Back to Life?
  • Massachusetts: Tough Times, No Easy Answers for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant
  • Florida: Nuclear Fallout – Crystal River Area Tops Nation in GDP Loss after Plant Closure
  • Candidate Clinton Calls For Sweeping U-S Power Grid Upgrades
  • Officials: Klamath River Fish Healthy after Flow Increase
  • Salmon to Swim above Shasta Dam for First Time in Nearly 80 Years
  • Vancouver Lake Restoration Efforts Aim to Improve Water Flow
  • Puyallup Hatchery to Celebrate Second Annual Salmon Homecoming
  • Idaho Sues over Interior’s Sage Grouse Ruling
  • New Jersey: Advocates Say Oyster Farming May Hurt Threatened Shorebirds
  • Possibility of another Low-Snow Winter Has Irrigators Scrambling
  • Irrigation, Aquaculture among Top Users of Idaho Water
  • After Years of Low Bills, U-S Water Customers Will Pay More
  • Canada Elections: Is Tom Mulcair In Favor of Exporting Bulk Water?
  • Community Solar Energizes Public Power Communities
  • California Solar Users Would Lose Savings If Proposal Is OKed; SolarCity Describes ‘Catastrophic’ Future
  • New York: Finger Lakes Wineries Turn to Solar Power
  • Pork Industry Wants Duke to Use North Carolina Swine Waste at Plants
  • Can I Mix & Match Different Types of Eco-Friendly Lightbulbs?
  • Oregon Retail Pot Sales Start October 1 – But Not Everywhere
  • Microsoft Leads Movement to Offset Emissions with Internal Carbon Tax
  • Thurston County Survey Shows Strong Local Support for Clean Energy
  • Op/Ed: This Fall, Let’s Clear the Air by Retiring Woodstoves
  • Portable Wind Turbines Power Phones or Homes
  • ViaWest Opens Third Data Center in Hillsboro
  • Net Neutrality Could Become the Biggest Face-Off on Corporate Speech since Citizens United
  • What’s Rural America Clicking On?
  • How to Manage Your Facebook Page Effectively
  • Mobile Streaming Apps: Can They Work for Co-ops?
  • U-S Government Shutdown Averted as Lawmakers Mull Boehner Resignation
  • McMorris Rodgers Pursuing Majority Leader Position in Congress, According to Politico
  • Fifth Student Dies after Aurora Bridge Collision
  • Haggen Plans to Lay Off 612 Workers in Washington State
  • Mt St Helens: Work on Temporary Fix for Spirit Lake Tunnel to Begin in October
  • Could Volkswagen Scandal Be Diesel Car’s Death Knell?
  • Strong Evidence Mars Has Streams of Salt Water in Summertime
  • OysterFest Grows Larger, Expands Into New Space
  • Where to Get Free (Or Discounted) Coffee for National Coffee Day Sept. 29
WORD OF THE DAY

Catbird Seat • \KAT-berd-SEET\ • noun – A position of great prominence or advantage.

In the cat bird seat
Nothing can bring me down, yes?
Hubris is thy name

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Shell to Cease Alaska Offshore Arctic Drilling (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Issues Bonds to Help Fund New Generation Projects (American Public Power Association)

BC Hydro Preps for Rate Review (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Drought Dries Up Pacific Gas & Electric Hydro Reservoir in Northern California (Utility Dive)

Portland Stops Auto Pay for Utility Bills – System Doesn’t Meet Current Credit Card Security Standards (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

Can Liquefied Natural Gas, Hydro Projects Jolt These British Columbia Ghost Towns Back to Life? (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Massachusetts: Tough Times, No Easy Answers for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant (Boston Globe, MA)

Florida: Nuclear Fallout – Crystal River Area Tops Nation in GDP Loss after Plant Closure (Tampa Bay Times, FL)
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/nuclear-fallout-crystal-river-area-tops-nation-in-gdp-loss-after-plant/2246899


Candidate Clinton Calls For Sweeping U-S Power Grid Upgrades (The Hill, Washington, DC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Officials: Klamath River Fish Healthy after Flow Increase (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Salmon to Swim above Shasta Dam for First Time in Nearly 80 Years (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Vancouver Lake Restoration Efforts Aim to Improve Water Flow (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Puyallup Hatchery to Celebrate Second Annual Salmon Homecoming (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Idaho Sues over Interior’s Sage Grouse Ruling (Associated Press)

New Jersey: Advocates Say Oyster Farming May Hurt Threatened Shorebirds (Associated Press)


WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Possibility of another Low-Snow Winter Has Irrigators Scrambling (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Irrigation, Aquaculture among Top Users of Idaho Water (Associated Press)

After Years of Low Bills, U-S Water Customers Will Pay More (Associated Press)

Canada Elections: Is Tom Mulcair In Favor of Exporting Bulk Water? (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Community Solar Energizes Public Power Communities (Conduit)

California Solar Users Would Lose Savings If Proposal Is OKed; SolarCity Describes ‘Catastrophic’ Future (Los Angeles Times, CA)

New York: Finger Lakes Wineries Turn to Solar Power (Democrat & Chronicle, NY)

Pork Industry Wants Duke to Use North Carolina Swine Waste at Plants (Winston-Salem Journal, NC)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Can I Mix & Match Different Types of Eco-Friendly Lightbulbs? (Grist Online)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Oregon Retail Pot Sales Start October 1 – But Not Everywhere (Northwest Public Radio)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Microsoft Leads Movement to Offset Emissions with Internal Carbon Tax (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Thurston County Survey Shows Strong Local Support for Clean Energy (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Op/Ed: This Fall, Let’s Clear the Air by Retiring Woodstoves (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Portable Wind Turbines Power Phones or Homes (Discovery News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

ViaWest Opens Third Data Center in Hillsboro (Oregonian, Portland)

Net Neutrality Could Become the Biggest Face-Off on Corporate Speech since Citizens United (Washington Post)

Zuckerberg Pushes Internet for Everyone in UN Speech (USA Today)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

What’s Rural America Clicking On? (Electric Co-op Today)

How to Manage Your Facebook Page Effectively (Social Media Examiner)

Mobile Streaming Apps: Can They Work for Co-ops? (Electric Co-op Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S Government Shutdown Averted as Lawmakers Mull Boehner Resignation (Morning Consult)

McMorris Rodgers Pursuing Majority Leader Position in Congress, According to Politico (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Fifth Student Dies after Aurora Bridge Collision (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Haggen Plans to Lay Off 612 Workers in Washington State (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Mt St Helens: Work on Temporary Fix for Spirit Lake Tunnel to Begin in October (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Could Volkswagen Scandal Be Diesel Car’s Death Knell? (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Strong Evidence Mars Has Streams of Salt Water in Summertime (Associated Press)

OysterFest Grows Larger, Expands Into New Space (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

Where to Get Free (Or Discounted) Coffee for National Coffee Day Sept. 29 (Consumerist)

DIVERSIONS

Washington State School District Says Tag Won’t Be Banned at Recess

Super Blood Moon Seen from Seattle & Across the World

Moon Bloopers, a NASA Study

Father & Son Fishing Trip Nets Two Kittens in Willamette River

SONG OF THE DAY

Joe South – Games People Play

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY


All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their websites 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.