Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Energy News Digest for April 30, 2019


The Hot Shots edition of the Energy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

To subscribe to the Energy News Digest, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

State Budgets $750,000 For Outreach Over Impacts of Breaching Lower Snake River Dams (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Tacoma Claims in Lawsuit That Comcast Has Misused Public Property for Private Gain (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Nevada, Washington State Set Goals for 100 Percent ‘Clean’ Power (American Public Power Association)

Aquaculture Company Responsible for Washington State Net Pen Failure to Pay $332,000 Penalty (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

There’s Little Oversight for Mason County’s Vacation Rental Industry (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      State Budgets $750,000 For Outreach Over Impacts of Breaching Lower Snake River Dams
2.      Washington Budget Funds Group to Study Impacts of Snake River Dam Removal
3.      Chelan PUD’s Deal to Power Microsoft Set to Earn Millions in Annual Premiums
4.      Turlock Irrigation District Board OKs Move to Join CAISO Energy Imbalance Market
5.      As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, Private Companies Pitch New Ways to Store It
6.      Suit Over Deadly Electrocution on Tennessee Fishing Trip Gets Second Shot
7.      Massachusetts Utility Settles with Family Hurt in Natural Gas Explosions
8.      Poof, They’re Gone: Power Plant Towers Demolished in Seconds
9.      Aquaculture Company Responsible for Washington State Net Pen Failure to Pay $332,000 Penalty
10.   Dam Projects on Washington Rivers Will Restore Miles of Salmon Habitat
11.   Pikeminnow Season Opens Wednesday – Get Paid to Catch Northern Pikeminnow
12.   ‘Best Day Ever.’ Scientist Celebrates Recovering Sea Stars
13.   Tagged Salmon Released by Students Detected Passing McNary Dam
14.   Massachusetts: Sandwich Lobsterman Raises Concerns About Offshore Wind Farms
15.   Nevada, Washington State Set Goals for 100 Percent ‘Clean’ Power
16.   California: East County Residents Trying to Stop Proposed Wind Farm Near Boulevard
17.   Tacoma Claims in Lawsuit That Comcast Has Misused Public Property for Private Gain
18.   Rural Internet: Mississippi Cooperatives Seek to Learn from Alabama Success
19.   The FCC Wants to Roll Out ‘Improved Broadband’ to Over 106,000 Rural Homes & Businesses By 2028
20.   Tax Break for Electric Vehicles Makes a Comeback in Washington State
21.   Warming Oceans May Pump Out More Greenhouse Gas Than They Absorb
22.   New EPA Document Tells Communities to Brace for Climate Change Impacts
23.   ‘Getting Worse, Not Better’: Illegal Pot Market Booming in California Despite Legalization
24.   Sizing Up Twitter Users
25.   Dead Users May Overrun Facebook by 2070, Study Finds. Researchers Want Their Data.
26.   Chehalis River, Shelton YMCA & Other Projects Gain State Financial Support
27.   After Three Years, Federal Bill to Fix Columbia River Tribal Fishing Sites Could Become Law
28.   There’s Little Oversight for Mason County’s Vacation Rental Industry

WORD OF THE DAY

Aesopian • \ee-SOAP-pee-un\ • Adjective - 1: of, relating to, or characteristic of Aesop or his fables 2: conveying an innocent meaning to an outsider but a hidden meaning to a member of a conspiracy or underground movement

“What a sweet little kitten,” cooed the visitor to the Smith Estates. As her hand extended to pat the aggressively cute little ball of fluff, the admirer would have been horrified by the eventual outcome of her shrill mouthings of wonder. Behind those liquid eyes, under the huge, radar-like ears raged the Aesopian mind of a kitten who would be king. Needless to say, the Smith Estates used their entire stock of ‘Band-Aids’ in the aftermath of the encounter.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.      State Budgets $750,000 For Outreach Over Impacts of Breaching Lower Snake River Dams (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

2.      Washington Budget Funds Group to Study Impacts of Snake River Dam Removal (Oregonian Public Broadcasting)

3.      Chelan PUD’s Deal to Power Microsoft Set to Earn Millions in Annual Premiums (iFiberOne News, Ephrata, WA)

4.      Turlock Irrigation District Board OKs Move to Join CAISO Energy Imbalance Market (American Public Power Association)

5.      As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, Private Companies Pitch New Ways to Store It (National Public Radio)

6.      Suit Over Deadly Electrocution on Tennessee Fishing Trip Gets Second Shot (Courthouse News Service)

7.      Massachusetts Utility Settles with Family Hurt in Natural Gas Explosions (Associated Press)

8.      Poof, They’re Gone: Power Plant Towers Demolished in Seconds (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

9.      Aquaculture Company Responsible for Washington State Net Pen Failure to Pay $332,000 Penalty (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

10.   Dam Projects on Washington Rivers Will Restore Miles of Salmon Habitat (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

11.   Pikeminnow Season Opens Wednesday – Get Paid to Catch Northern Pikeminnow (Bonneville Power Administration)

12.   ‘Best Day Ever.’ Scientist Celebrates Recovering Sea Stars (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

13.   Tagged Salmon Released by Students Detected Passing McNary Dam (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

14.   Massachusetts: Sandwich Lobsterman Raises Concerns About Offshore Wind Farms (Cape Cod Times, MA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

15.   Nevada, Washington State Set Goals for 100 Percent ‘Clean’ Power (American Public Power Association)

16.   California: East County Residents Trying to Stop Proposed Wind Farm Near Boulevard (KGTV-TV, San Diego, CA)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

17.   Tacoma Claims in Lawsuit That Comcast Has Misused Public Property for Private Gain (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

18.   Rural Internet: Mississippi Cooperatives Seek to Learn From Alabama Success (The Daily Journal, Tupelo, MS)

19.   The FCC Wants to Roll Out ‘Improved Broadband’ to Over 106,000 Rural Homes & Businesses By 2028 (TechSpot – Wow, 43 states at about 2,500 customers each. That’s like, 300 customers per state, per year, over nine years.)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

20.   Tax Break for Electric Vehicles Makes a Comeback in Washington State (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

21.   Warming Oceans May Pump Out More Greenhouse Gas Than They Absorb (Courthouse News Service)

22.   New EPA Document Tells Communities to Brace for Climate Change Impacts (Washington Post)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

23.   ‘Getting Worse, Not Better’: Illegal Pot Market Booming in California Despite Legalization (NY Times)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

24.   Sizing Up Twitter Users (Pew Research Center)

25.   Dead Users May Overrun Facebook by 2070, Study Finds. Researchers Want Their Data. (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

26.   Chehalis River, Shelton YMCA & Other Projects Gain State Financial Support (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

27.   After Three Years, Federal Bill to Fix Columbia River Tribal Fishing Sites Could Become Law (Oregonian, Portland)

GENERAL NEWS

28.   There’s Little Oversight for Mason County’s Vacation Rental Industry (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Wyoming Man Shoplifted at Store, Applied for Job, Police Say

Finders Keepers? Police Say No Way After $30,000 Spills on Road

Beast from the East: Indian Soldiers Reckon They’ve Found Yeti Footprints

Fishermen Discover Harness-Wearing Whale Trained by Russian Navy

SONG OF THE DAY

Kansas – Dust in the Wind

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Energy News Digest for April 29, 2019 – The Hot Shots Edition


The Hot Shots edition of the Energy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

To subscribe to the Energy News Digest, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP STORIES

PacifiCorp Study Says It Is Cheaper to Close Some Coal Plants (Oregonian, Portland)

Avista Joins the Western Energy Imbalance Market (Daily Energy Advisor)

Clark Public Utilities Receives National Commendation for Mutual Aid Efforts (Clark County Today, Vancouver, WA)

Orca Advocates Join Lower Snake River Dam Removal Debate (Longview Daily News, WA)

Canada: Killer Whales Return to Hunt Seals in Vancouver Harbour (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Environmental Groups Oppose New Gas Project at Oregon Mega-Dairy (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Eugene Couple Alleges Bonneville Power Administration Clearing of Trees, Plants Caused Emotional Distress (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Washington State Lawmakers Pass $52.4 Billion Budget – Raise Taxes, Approve Affirmative Action & Adjourn (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Washington Lawmakers Are Done This Year. Here’s What They Passed — And Didn’t — In 2019 (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Investigators Open Probe into Four Companies Involved in Dismantling Seattle Crane Before Deadly Collapse (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Officials Declare Pacific Northwest Measles Outbreak Over (Washington Post)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.

Friday, April 26, 2019

Energy News Digest for April 26, 2019


The Hot Shots edition of the Enewrgy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

To subscribe to the Energy News Digest, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS





HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Legislature’s Democrats Announce Tentative Deal on New State Budget (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

PacifiCorp Utility Considers Early Retirement for Some Coal Operations (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Oregon: Public Damage from Lane County February Snowstorms Tops $17 Million (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Feds Agree to Expand Habitat Protections for Northwest Orcas (Associated Press)

Moses Lake: Region Faces Huge Losses in Possible REC Silicon Closure (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      PacifiCorp Utility Considers Early Retirement for Some Coal Operations
2.      Oregon: Public Damage from Lane County February Snowstorms Tops $17 Million
3.      Going to Cowlitz PUD – Steve Taylor to Resign from Kelso City Manager Position
4.      Nightmare in West Seattle: A $26,000 Water & Sewer Bill
5.      LA County Sues Southern California Edison to Recover Over $100 Million in Costs from Woolsey Fire
6.      Op/Ed: Utah May Be Doomed to Repeat Nuclear History
7.      Colorado: Boulder Takes Another Step Toward Municipalization, Offering $68.5 Million for Xcel Assets
8.      U.S. Energy Secretary Says 100-Percent Renewables Would Lead to Black Outs
9.      Feds Agree to Expand Habitat Protections for Northwest Orcas
10.   Hatchery Changes Aim to Increase Number of Salmon in Puget Sound for Orcas
11.   Should Seals & Sea Lions Be Killed to Help Save Orcas?
12.   California: After 65 Years, Salmon Are Returning to the San Joaquin
13.   Columnist: Simpson Stops Short of Calling for Dam Removal to Save Salmon. But He Is Asking, ‘What If?’
14.   Klamath Dam Removal Project Moves Forward
15.   Montana: Brown Trout, Sauger Thriving in Bighorn River
16.   Moses Lake: Region Faces Huge Losses in Possible REC Silicon Closure
17.   Douglas County: Rock Island Silicon Smelter Remodel Plans Move Forward
18.   Worst Winds in Decades Deal New Earnings Blow to Power Suppliers
19.   Of Course Wireless Carriers Are Fighting a Bill That Stops Them from Throttling Firefighter’s Data
20.   Flint’s Water Crisis Started 5 Years Ago. It’s Not Over.
21.   States Say EPA Is in ‘Open Defiance’ of Clean Air Law
22.   Groups Call for Climate Justice, ‘Not Cap & Trade,’ at Gov. Inslee’s Office
23.   U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham: ‘Climate Change Is Real, The Science Is Sound & Solutions Are Available’
24.   France: Macron’s Response to Yellow Jackets – French President Suggests a European Union Carbon Tax
25.   Regulators Around the World Are Circling Facebook
26.   Washington State Legislature’s Democrats Announce Tentative Deal on New State Budget
27.   Trump Administration Pushes for Quick Action to Raise Federal Debt Limit
28.   Mason County Moves Ahead on Local Connector to Belfair Bypass
29.   Thurston Officials Clear Summit Lake of Toxic Algae Warning
30.   Habitat for Humanity to Dedicate 29th Home Built in Mason County
31.   Amazon’s Profit More Than Doubles on Cloud Computing Growth
32.   Springtime Snowstorm Set to Plaster a Swath from Montana to the Midwest

WORD OF THE DAY – HAIRBALL HAIKU EDITION

Hairball – Noun: A compact mass of hair formed in the stomach especially of a shedding animal (such as a cat) that cleanses its coat by licking.

Welcome to National Hairball Awareness day

There’s no alarm clock
As good as a cat puking hairballs
Can’t move fast enough!


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    PacifiCorp Utility Considers Early Retirement for Some Coal Operations (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

2.    Oregon: Public Damage from Lane County February Snowstorms Tops $17 Million (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

3.    Going to Cowlitz PUD – Steve Taylor to Resign from Kelso City Manager Position (Longview Daily News, WA)

4.    Nightmare in West Seattle: A $26,000 Water & Sewer Bill (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

5.    LA County Sues Southern California Edison to Recover Over $100 Million in Costs from Woolsey Fire (CNBC)

6.    Op/Ed: Utah May Be Doomed to Repeat Nuclear History (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)

7.    Colorado: Boulder Takes Another Step Toward Municipalization, Offering $68.5 Million for Xcel Assets (American Public Power Association)

8.    U.S. Energy Secretary Says 100-Percent Renewables Would Lead to Black Outs (Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy)

FISH & WILDLIFE

9.    Feds Agree to Expand Habitat Protections for Northwest Orcas (Associated Press)

10. Hatchery Changes Aim to Increase Number of Salmon in Puget Sound for Orcas (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

11. Should Seals & Sea Lions Be Killed to Help Save Orcas? (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

12. California: After 65 Years, Salmon Are Returning to the San Joaquin (Courthouse News Service)

13. Columnist: Simpson Stops Short of Calling for Dam Removal to Save Salmon. But He Is Asking, ‘What If?’ (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

14. Klamath Dam Removal Project Moves Forward (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

15. Montana: Brown Trout, Sauger Thriving in Bighorn River (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

16. Moses Lake: Region Faces Huge Losses in Possible REC Silicon Closure (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

17. Douglas County: Rock Island Silicon Smelter Remodel Plans Move Forward (NCW Life Channel, East Wenatchee, WA)

18. Worst Winds in Decades Deal New Earnings Blow to Power Suppliers (Bloomberg News)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

19. Of Course Wireless Carriers Are Fighting a Bill That Stops Them from Throttling Firefighter’s Data (Gizmodo)

“CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE” – WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

20. Flint’s Water Crisis Started 5 Years Ago. It’s Not Over. (NY Times)

21. States Say EPA Is in ‘Open Defiance’ of Clean Air Law (Courthouse News Service)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

22. Groups Call for Climate Justice, ‘Not Cap & Trade,’ at Gov. Inslee’s Office (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

23. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham: ‘Climate Change Is Real, The Science Is Sound & Solutions Are Available’ (Dallas Business Journal, TX)

24. France: Macron’s Response to Yellow Jackets – French President Suggests a European Union Carbon Tax (Politico)

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

25. Regulators Around the World Are Circling Facebook (NY Times)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

26. Washington State Legislature’s Democrats Announce Tentative Deal on New State Budget (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

27. Trump Administration Pushes for Quick Action to Raise Federal Debt Limit (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

28. Mason County Moves Ahead on Local Connector to Belfair Bypass (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

29. Thurston Officials Clear Summit Lake of Toxic Algae Warning (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

30. Habitat for Humanity to Dedicate 29th Home Built in Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

31. Amazon’s Profit More Than Doubles on Cloud Computing Growth (Associated Press)

32. Springtime Snowstorm Set to Plaster a Swath from Montana to the Midwest (Washington Post)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

NBA Legend John Havlicek Dies at 79

Ohio Woman with Memorable Face Tattoo Arrested for Third Time in Six Months

The Squirrels Being Raised Among Kittens in Crimea

Report: Petty Crooks’ $5 Million UK Lottery Win Raises Suspicions

SONG OF THE DAY

Jerry Goldsmith – Hoosiers Suite (Movie Soundtrack)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.