Monday, November 2, 2015

Energy News Digest for November 2, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for November 2, 2015

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Jury Finds New Mexico Utilities Responsible for Fire Caused by Downed Power Line (Utility Dive)

California: Growing Number of Lawsuits Blame Pacific Gas & Electric for Butte Fire (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Altamont Pass: Controversial Wind Turbine Company Blamed for Bird Deaths Shutting Down (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Federal Fish Managers Brace For another warm Year in the Pacific Northwest (Northwest Public Radio)

Washington Initiative to Create Carbon Tax Turns in Signatures (Northwest Public Radio)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Jury Finds New Mexico Utilities Responsible for Fire Caused by Downed Power Line
  • California: Growing Number of Lawsuits Blame Pacific Gas & Electric for Butte Fire
  • OP/Ed: Hydropower & Salmon Successfully Co-Exist
  • Op/Ed: Dams Don’t Need to be Removed
  • Grand Opening Soon For New Grant PUD Wanapum Dam Museum
  • Lower Natural Gas Prices Will Reduce Idaho Heating Bills
  • Editorial: Coal-Related Issues Burn Hot
  • Alaska: Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Project
  • Despite Recent Closures, U-S Nuclear Capacity Is Scheduled to Increase by 2020
  • Federal Fish Managers Brace For another warm Year in the Pacific Northwest
  • Coho Limit Reduced on Columbia River Tributaries
  • Columbia Fishing Winds Down: Coho Run Failed to Materialize, Fall Chinook Second Largest on Record
  • To Help Salmon, Fixing Culverts Is Key – But State Must Find Them All First
  • California Seeks Federal Aid as Bark Beetles Destroy Trees
  • NOAA Fisheries Forms ‘Columbia Basin Partnership’ to Provide Collaborative Forum on Salmon/Steelhead
  • Klickitat PUD - Bickleton Gets Water, Community Celebrates
  • El Nino Causes Drought “Here” & Heavy Rain “There”
  • Altamont Pass: Controversial Wind Turbine Company Blamed for Bird Deaths Shutting Down
  • Tacoma Power Offers Customers to Go Solar without the Panels
  • Arizona Gears Up for Full Cost-Benefit Solar Value Proceeding
  • Wisconsin Judge Kills Utility Proposal for Special Fees on Distributed Energy
  • SolarCity Stock Dives As Its Tightens Belt for Slower Growth
  • New York: SolarCity Pledges another 1,500 Jobs; Many Could Come to Buffalo
  • Utilities Making Efficiency Upgrades Easier with On-Bill Financing
  • Northwest Energy Council Plan Says Energy Efficiency is Key
  • Washington Initiative to Create Carbon Tax Turns in Signatures
  • Carbon Pricing: Everyone’s Favorite Climate Change Fix
  • Minnesota Firm’s Innovative Waste-To-Energy Technology Takes Shape in Oregon
  • Dispute over Fish-Farm Sponsor Halts Girls’ Soccer Squad in Vancouver Island
  • Editorial: These Cheap, Clean Stoves Were Supposed to Save Millions Of Lives. What Happened?
  • Oregon: Tax Breaks on the Line, Salem Wrangles over ‘Broadband’
  • Thought Leader Forum: Data Centers
  • Colorado to Vote to Kill Protectionist Broadband State Law
  • Facebook Tweaking “Real Name” Policy to Make It Easier for Users to Verify That They Are Who They Claim to Be
  • Comcast Tries, Fails to Mock Google Fiber Online
  • Five Ways to Create Infographics for Instagram
  • Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley Wins Hearing on Feds’ Seizure of Nearly $1 Million
  • Snow Returns to the Pacific Northwest’s Mountains
  • Are You Ready for Flood Season?
  • Toxic Algae Warning Issued for Five Thurston County Lakes
  • Mason County Sheriff’s Deputy Injured in Highway 3 Crash
WORD OF THE DAY

Ambuscade • \AM-buss-kade\ • noun - A trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise; also: the persons so concealed or their position

The intricate maze built of copy-paper boxes by the utility’s information services staff had a dual purpose: funnel abusers of the print-limit policy into a single line; and make escape past the carefully organized ambuscade of printer police virtually impossible. The camouflage of those lying in wait was impressive…at first glance; they appeared as innocent boxes of copy paper. However, tear-away panels stood ready to release an onslaught of hidden IS workers at the ambush point.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jury Finds New Mexico Utilities Responsible for Fire Caused by Downed Power Line (Utility Dive)

California: Growing Number of Lawsuits Blame Pacific Gas & Electric for Butte Fire (Sacramento Bee, CA)

OP/Ed: Hydropower & Salmon Successfully Co-Exist (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Op/Ed: Dams Don’t Need to be Removed (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Grand Opening Soon For New Grant PUD Wanapum Dam Museum (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Lower Natural Gas Prices Will Reduce Idaho Heating Bills (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Editorial: Coal-Related Issues Burn Hot (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Alaska: Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Sweetheart Lake Hydroelectric Project (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

Despite Recent Closures, U-S Nuclear Capacity Is Scheduled to Increase by 2020 (U-S Energy Information Administration)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Federal Fish Managers Brace For another warm Year in the Pacific Northwest (Northwest Public Radio)

Coho Limit Reduced on Columbia River Tributaries (Longview Daily News, WA)

Columbia Fishing Winds Down: Coho Run Failed to Materialize, Fall Chinook Second Largest on Record (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

To Help Salmon, Fixing Culverts Is Key – But State Must Find Them All First (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

California Seeks Federal Aid as Bark Beetles Destroy Trees (NY Times)

NOAA Fisheries Forms ‘Columbia Basin Partnership’ to Provide Collaborative Forum on Salmon/Steelhead (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Klickitat PUD - Bickleton Gets Water, Community Celebrates (Goldendale Sentinel, WA)

El Nino Causes Drought “Here” & Heavy Rain “There” (Renewable Energy World)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Altamont Pass: Controversial Wind Turbine Company Blamed for Bird Deaths Shutting Down (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Tacoma Power Offers Customers to Go Solar without the Panels (Tacoma Weekly, WA)

Arizona Gears Up for Full Cost-Benefit Solar Value Proceeding (Utility Dive)

Wisconsin Judge Kills Utility Proposal for Special Fees on Distributed Energy (Forbes Magazine)

SolarCity Stock Dives As Its Tightens Belt for Slower Growth (San Francisco Business Times, CA)

New York: SolarCity Pledges another 1,500 Jobs; Many Could Come to Buffalo (Buffalo Business First, NY)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Utilities Making Efficiency Upgrades Easier with On-Bill Financing (Midwest Energy News)

Northwest Energy Council Plan Says Energy Efficiency is Key (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
http://flatheadbeacon.com/2015/11/02/northwest-energy-council-plan-says-energy-efficiency-is-key/


CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington Initiative to Create Carbon Tax Turns in Signatures (Northwest Public Radio)

Carbon Pricing: Everyone’s Favorite Climate Change Fix – Economists, officials, & executives across the globe increasingly support carbon pricing to stem the rise of greenhouse-gas emissions (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Minnesota Firm’s Innovative Waste-To-Energy Technology Takes Shape in Oregon (Midwest Energy News)

Dispute over Fish-Farm Sponsor Halts Girls’ Soccer Squad in Vancouver Island (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Editorial: These Cheap, Clean Stoves Were Supposed to Save Millions Of Lives. What Happened? (Washington Post)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Oregon: Tax Breaks on the Line, Salem Wrangles over ‘Broadband’ (Oregonian, Portland)

Thought Leader Forum: Data Centers (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Colorado to Vote to Kill Protectionist Broadband State Law (Broadband Reports)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Tweaking “Real Name” Policy to Make It Easier for Users to Verify That They Are Who They Claim to Be (Consumerist)

Comcast Tries, Fails to Mock Google Fiber Online (Broadband Reports)

Five Ways to Create Infographics for Instagram (Social Media Examiner)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley Wins Hearing on Feds’ Seizure of Nearly $1 Million (Northwest Public Radio)

GENERAL NEWS

Snow Returns to the Pacific Northwest’s Mountains (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

Are You Ready for Flood Season? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Toxic Algae Warning Issued for Five Thurston County Lakes (Associated Press)

Mason County Sheriff’s Deputy Injured in Highway 3 Crash (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Woman Tries to Pet Omaha Zoo Tiger, Gets Bitten

97-Year-Old Michigan Woman Receives High School Diploma

Prosecutor Suspended after Pulling Gun on Fake Spiders

Truck Spills 22 Tons of Pizza Dough, Flour in Arizona Crash

SONG OF THE DAY

Dean Martin – That’s Amore

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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.