Energy News Digest for April 3, 2013

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 3, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/04/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for-april_3.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington Republicans Declare Victory on Inslee’s Climate Change Bill (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/washington-republicans-declare-victory-inslees-climate-change-bill

Testing Free Wi-Fi Zones in Downtown Poulsbo – Kitsap PUD pilot program installs antennas that tap into fiber optic broadband network (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/cover_story/2013-04-02/testing_free_wifi_zones_downtown

‘Unusual Mortality Event’ Is Declared For the California Sea Lion (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-stranded-sea-lions-20130402,0,7225136.story

BP to Sell U-S Wind Business in Retreat to Fossil Fuels (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-03/bp-to-sell-u-s-wind-buiness-in-retreat-to-fossil-fuels.html

SoloPower’s California Job Cuts Arrive Amid Company Restructuring (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/money/index.ssf/2013/04/solopowers_california_job_cuts.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Few Hitches in Jefferson County Energy Switch
• Tillamook Signs Order Denying PUD Line
• Open Houses Cover Next Leg of Columbia River Treaty Deliberations
• Environmental Groups Announce Plan to Sue Rail & Coal Companies Under Clean Water Act
• Puget Sound Energy Releases 2013 Draft Resource Plan
• Thieves Steal Record Amount of Copper Wire from Light Poles along Interstate in Salt Lake City
• Copper Theft: A Worldwide, And Sometimes Lethal, Epidemic
• Abundance of Natural Gas Isn’t Fueling Job Growth
• British Regulator Fines Electricity Supplier SSE 10.5 Million Pounds ($16 Million) for Misleading Customers
• Drunk Idiot Dangles Upside Down from Power Cables
• ‘Unusual Mortality Event’ Is Declared For the California Sea Lion
• States Delay Commercial Fishing for Columbia River Spring Chinook
• Chelan County PUD Preparing for Avian Visitors
• Below-Average Runoff Forecast for Lake Chelan
• BP to Sell U-S Wind Business in Retreat to Fossil Fuels
• SoloPower’s California Job Cuts Arrive Amid Company Restructuring
• States Show Folly of Energy Mandates
• North Carolina - Cut Your Electric Bill: Repeal the Mandate!
• NRG Rolls Out Solar Pergola to Target Residential Market
• Washington D-C Government Eyes Wind for a Third of Its Electricity Supply
• Eight Myths About Wind Energy
• Why Your Energy Company Wants You to Use Less Energy
• City of Aspen’s Electric Energy Usage Dropping Faster than Expected – It may be working too well 
• Classes Use Energy Dashboard to Study Conservation
• Washington Republicans Declare Victory on Inslee’s Climate Change Bill
• In Seattle - A Building Not Just Green, but Practically Self-Sustaining
• Seattle’s Green Stormwater Goals
• Testing Free Wi-Fi Zones in Downtown Poulsbo
• Who Knew? Fiber is Also Good for a Telco’s Health
• The Cellphone Turns 40 Today
• SEC Weighs In On Social Media as a Market Mover
• As Facebook Matures, Is It Losing Its Edge?
• Daily World Will Reduce Home Delivery to Three Days
• Study: More Young Adults Tuning Out Terrestrial Radio While Driving
• Washington State Bill Would Allow Bosses to Seek Facebook Passwords
• Vancouver, WA Man Identified in High-Rise California Graffiti Death
• Police: Bold Vandals Putting Themselves, Cleaning Crews in Danger
• Hanford Treatment Plant for Waste in Nuclear Cleanup Has Design Flaws, Panel Says
• State Farm Could Add 2,000 Jobs in Tacoma This Year
• Five Years after Financial Crisis, Survey Highlights Gains in Savings & Investing Discipline
• Which States Show Love to Small Businesses?

WORD OF THE DAY

Puce • \PYOOS\ •  - A dark red that is yellower and less strong than cranberry, paler and slightly yellower than average garnet, bluer, less strong, and slightly lighter than pomegranate, and bluer and paler than average wine.

Word Origin (Merriam Webster Dictionary Online): Puce entered English from French, where puce translates as “flea.” The relationship between the flea and the color is complicated but almost certainly one connection is the flea's hunger for blood.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Few Hitches in Jefferson County Energy Switch (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130402/NEWS/304029992/few-hitches-in-jefferson-county-energy-switch

Tillamook Signs Order Denying PUD Line (Tillamook Headlight Herald, OR)
http://www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news_paid/article_903b0bf0-9bd6-11e2-9ac2-0019bb2963f4.html

Open Houses Cover Next Leg of Columbia River Treaty Deliberations (Capital Press)

http://www.capitalpress.com/newest/mw-Treaty-meetings-040213

Environmental Groups Announce Plan to Sue Rail & Coal Companies Under Clean Water Act (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/environmental-groups-announce-plan-sue-rail-and-coal-companies-under-clean-water-act

Puget Sound Energy Releases 2013 Draft Resource Plan (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/articles/2013/04/puget-sound-energy-releases-2013-draft-resource-plan.html

Thieves Steal Record Amount of Copper Wire from Light Poles along Interstate in Salt Lake City (Associated Press)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/thieves-steal-record-amount-of-copper-wire-from-light-poles-along-interstate-in-salt-lake-city-1.102561

Copper Theft: A Worldwide, And Sometimes Lethal, Epidemic (MacLeans, Canada)

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/03/29/copper-theft-a-worldwide-and-sometimes-lethal-epidemic/

Abundance of Natural Gas Isn’t Fueling Job Growth (Albuquerque Business First, NM)

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2013/04/abundance-of-gas-not-fueling-jobs.html

British Regulator Fines Electricity Supplier SSE 10.5 Million Pounds ($16 Million) for Misleading Customers (Associated Press)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/british-regulator-fines-electricity-supplier-sse-10-5-million-pounds-for-misleading-customers-1.102868

Drunk Idiot Dangles Upside Down from Power Cables (Gizmodo – Note PG 13 Language in Comment Section)

http://gizmodo.com/5993416/drunk-idiot-dangles-upside-down-from-power-cables

FISH & WILDLIFE

‘Unusual Mortality Event’ Is Declared For the California Sea Lion (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-stranded-sea-lions-20130402,0,7225136.story

States Delay Commercial Fishing for Columbia River Spring Chinook (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/apr/01/states-delay-commercial-fishing-spring-chinook/

Chelan County PUD Preparing for Avian Visitors (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/apr/02/preparing-for-visitors/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Below-Average Runoff Forecast for Lake Chelan – Chelan County PUD expects to hit May elevation target for lake recreation (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/apr/02/snowpack-above-lake-chelan-93-percent-normal/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

BP to Sell U-S Wind Business in Retreat to Fossil Fuels (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-03/bp-to-sell-u-s-wind-buiness-in-retreat-to-fossil-fuels.html

SoloPower’s California Job Cuts Arrive Amid Company Restructuring (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/money/index.ssf/2013/04/solopowers_california_job_cuts.html

States Show Folly of Energy Mandates (Politico)

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/states-show-folly-of-energy-mandates-89515.html

North Carolina - Cut Your Electric Bill: Repeal the Mandate! (Carolina Journal, Durham, NC)

http://www.carolinajournal.com/daily_journal/display.html?id=10022

NRG Rolls Out Solar Pergola to Target Residential Market (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/uciliawang/2013/04/02/nrg-rolls-out-solar-pergola-to-target-residential-market/

Washington D-C Government Eyes Wind for a Third of Its Electricity Supply (Washington Business Journal, D-C)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2013/04/dc-government-eyes-wind-for-a-third.html

Eight Myths About Wind Energy (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/04/8-myths-about-wind-energy?cmpid=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Why Your Energy Company Wants You to Use Less Energy - It may even pay you (a little) if you do (U-S News & World Report)

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/04/02/why-your-energy-company-wants-you-to-use-less-energy

City of Aspen’s Electric Energy Usage Dropping Faster than Expected – It may be working too well (Aspen Daily News, CO)

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/157330

Classes Use Energy Dashboard to Study Conservation (Cornell Chronicle, Ithaca, NY)

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2013/04/classes-use-energy-dashboard-study-conservation

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington Republicans Declare Victory on Inslee’s Climate Change Bill (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/washington-republicans-declare-victory-inslees-climate-change-bill

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

In Seattle - A Building Not Just Green, but Practically Self-Sustaining (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/realestate/commercial/the-bullitt-center-in-seattle-goes-well-beyond-green.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Seattle’s Green Stormwater Goals - How to manage polluted runoff six times better? (Sightline Daily)

http://daily.sightline.org/2013/04/02/seattles-green-stormwater-goals/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Testing Free Wi-Fi Zones in Downtown Poulsbo – Kitsap PUD pilot program installs antennas that tap into fiber optic broadband network (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

http://kpbj.com/cover_story/2013-04-02/testing_free_wifi_zones_downtown

Who Knew? Fiber is Also Good for a Telco’s Health (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2013/04/02/who-knew-fiber-is-also-good-for-a-telcos-health/

The Cellphone Turns 40 Today (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5993422/the-cellphone-turns-40-today

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

SEC Weighs In On Social Media as a Market Mover (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2013/04/sec-weighs-in-on-social-media-as-a-mark.html

As Facebook Matures, Is It Losing Its Edge? (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/02/facebook-matures-less-fun/2045761/

Daily World Will Reduce Home Delivery to Three Days (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/daily-world-will-reduce-home-delivery-three-days.html

Study: More Young Adults Tuning Out Terrestrial Radio While Driving (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/04/02/internet-radio-study-npd/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Bill Would Allow Bosses to Seek Facebook Passwords (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020694843_socialpasswordxml.html

GENERAL NEWS

Vancouver, WA Man Identified in High-Rise California Graffiti Death (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Craig-Fugate-man-identified-in-high-rise-graffiti-death-201081251.html

Police: Bold Vandals Putting Themselves, Cleaning Crews in Danger (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Police-bold-vandals-putting-themselves-cleaning-crews-in-danger-201186011.html

Hanford Treatment Plant for Waste in Nuclear Cleanup Has Design Flaws, Panel Says (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/03/science/earth/treatment-plant-for-waste-in-nuclear-cleanup-has-design-flaws-panel-says.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

State Farm Could Add 2,000 Jobs in Tacoma This Year (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/morning_call/2013/04/state-farm-could-add-2000-jobs-in.html

Five Years after Financial Crisis, Survey Highlights Gains in Savings & Investing Discipline (Associated Press)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/5-years-after-financial-crisis-survey-highlights-gains-in-savings-and-investing-discipline-1.102916

Which States Show Love to Small Businesses? (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/which-states-show-love-to-small-businesses/2013/04/02/042bae60-9bc4-11e2-9a79-eb5280c81c63_story.html?wprss=rss_business

DIVERSIONS

Dalai Lama Ticket Scalpers Inviting Bad Karma

http://www.kgw.com/news/Scalping-tickets-dalai-lama-legal-karma-bad-201057021.html

Ready For a One-Way Trip to Mars? A Dutch company wants to send four people, selected via reality-show-style elimination, on a permanent trip to the Red Planet in 2022

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0401/Ready-for-a-one-way-trip-to-Mars

Rogue Releases Beer Made from Beard Yeast

http://www.kgw.com/news/Rogue-releases-beer-made-from-beard-yeast-200946321.html

Ring That May Have Inspired Tolkien Goes On Show

http://news.yahoo.com/ring-may-inspired-tolkien-goes-show-171323816.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Paul McCartney & Wings - Venus & Mars & Rock Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU_2oNF9CZE

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.

Energy News Digest for April 2, 2013

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:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 2, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/04/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for-april_2.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Army Corps of Engineers Studies Threat of Quakes to Oregon, Southwest Washington Dams (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/04/army_corps_of_engineers_studie.html

FERC Won’t Charge Hydro Licensees for Land Subject to Power Site Reservation – Order sought by eight utilities, including Chelan County & Grant County PUDs (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=212855&issueID=26986

Cloudy Days for a Washington-State Community Solar Effort (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/article/cloudy-days-for-a-washington-state-community-solar-effort/

Environmental Group Fights Delay in Marbled Murrelet Habitat Protections (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/environmental-group-fights-delay-in-marbled-murrelet-habitat-protections/

Biorefinery Lays Off Eastern Oregon Workers (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/biorefinery-lays-eastern-oregon-workers

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Army Corps of Engineers Studies Threat of Quakes to Oregon, Southwest Washington Dams
• FERC Won’t Charge Hydro Licensees for Land Subject to Power Site Reservation
• Castle Rock Officials Concerned New Bonneville Power Administration Line Could Hamper Growth
• Puget Sound Energy Sees More, Cheap Gas in Its Future
• Amazon’s Growth Drives up Cost of Seattle Electrical Substation by 48 Percent
• Oregon - Port of Coos Bay Coal-Export Proposal Ends after 18 Months of Work
• EPA to Begin Evaluation of Closed Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant
• Debbie Kitchin Re-Elected to Oregon Energy Trust Position
• Q-and-A: Debbie Kitchin Energized by Board Role
• Wyoming Industrial Siting Council OK’s Seventh Extension in 16 Years for Long-Delayed Power Plant
• Pakistan Attack: Deadly Raid on Peshawar Power Plant
• Japan Moves to Revamp Troubled Power Industry
• Germany: Electricity Exports Much Higher Than Imports Last Year despite Faster Nuclear Exit
• Environmental Group Fights Delay in Marbled Murrelet Habitat Protections
• Fort George Brewery’s Commonsense Approach to the Sea Lion Problem
• Plan for Regional Kitsap County Water Supply Coming True
• Editorial – California: Reservoirs Should Stay in Water Bond
• Lake Erie: Big Algae Problems, More to Come
• Cloudy Days for a Washington-State Community Solar Effort
• Heavens to BETC: Oregon Sets Hearing On Embattled Incentives Program
• Germany’s Solar-Power Success: Too Much of a Good Thing?
• De-risking Wind: Hedging Against Variability
• U-S Senator Lamar Alexander Still Tilting at Wind Energy
• Combine Home Improvement with Lower Energy Bills in Thurston County
• NASA’s James Hansen Retires to Pursue Climate Fight
• Biorefinery Lays Off Eastern Oregon Workers
• Op/Ed – Oregon Lawmakers Should Extend the Clean Fuels Program
• Comcast Adding Hurdles to Most-Basic Cable-TV Service
• Court Clears Online TV Rebroadcaster
• New Mexico - Navajo Nation Nearing Completion of $46 Million Broadband Project
• Social Media Advice: Are Voicemails Verboten or Not?
• Social Networks: Building Empires, Not Businesses
• Hormel Hopes to Make Spam a Star with Social Media
• Social Marketing Drives a New York Renaissance
• Washington State Governor Proposes Extending Beer Tax to Microbreweries
• North Mason Food Bank Director Resigns
• Flight Attendants Take ‘No Knives on Planes’ Campaign to Passengers
• U-S to Re-Examine Health Effects of Cellphone Radio Waves
• Leaders celebrate San Juan Islands National Monument
• Shelton Drive-In Looking for Help to Keep Shows Running

WORD OF THE DAY

Mellifluous • \mel-LIF-loo-us\ • Adjective - 1: having a smooth rich flow 2: filled with something (as honey) that sweetens

Mellifluous voice

Like sweet honey from heaven

Nat King Cole’s “Stardust”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Army Corps of Engineers Studies Threat of Quakes to Oregon, Southwest Washington Dams (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/04/army_corps_of_engineers_studie.html

FERC Won’t Charge Hydro Licensees for Land Subject to Power Site Reservation – Order sought by eight utilities, including Chelan County & Grant County PUDs (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=212855&issueID=26986

Castle Rock Officials Concerned New Bonneville Power Administration Line Could Hamper Growth (Longview Daily News, WA – What’s a “high speed transmission line?”)

http://tdn.com/news/local/castle-rock-officials-concerned-new-bpa-line-could-hamper-growth/article_fae20714-9b37-11e2-8508-0019bb2963f4.html

Puget Sound Energy Sees More, Cheap Gas in Its Future (South Sound Business Examiner)

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/April-2013/PSE-sees-more-cheap-gas-in-its-future/

Amazon’s Growth Drives up Cost of Seattle Electrical Substation by 48 Percent (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2013/04/amazons-growth-drives-up-cost-of.html

Oregon - Port of Coos Bay Coal-Export Proposal Ends after 18 Months of Work (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/04/port_of_coos_bay_coal-export_p.html

EPA to Begin Evaluation of Closed Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/epa-to-begin-evaluation-of-closed-columbia-falls-plant/article_9edfe276-9b3f-11e2-85b4-0019bb2963f4.html

Debbie Kitchin Re-Elected to Oregon Energy Trust Position (Portland Business Journal, OR)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2013/04/debbie-kitchin-takes-leadership-role.html

Q-and-A: Debbie Kitchin Energized by Board Role (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2013/04/q-and-a-debbie-kitchin-energized-by.html

Wyoming Industrial Siting Council OK’s Seventh Extension in 16 Years for Long-Delayed Power Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/wyoming-industrial-siting-council-ok-s-7th-extension-in-16-years-for-long-delayed-power-plant-1.101854

Pakistan Attack: Deadly Raid on Peshawar Power Plant (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21999352

Japan Moves to Revamp Troubled Power Industry (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Japan-moves-to-revamp-troubled-power-industry-4401851.php

Germany: Electricity Exports Much Higher Than Imports Last Year despite Faster Nuclear Exit (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/germany-electricity-exports-much-higher-than-imports-last-year-despite-faster-nuclear-exit-1.102179

FISH & WILDLIFE

Environmental Group Fights Delay in Marbled Murrelet Habitat Protections (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/environmental-group-fights-delay-in-marbled-murrelet-habitat-protections/

Fort George Brewery’s Commonsense Approach to the Sea Lion Problem (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/beer/index.ssf/2013/04/fort_georges_commonsense_appro.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Plan for Regional Kitsap County Water Supply Coming True (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/apr/01/plan-for-regional-water-supply-coming-true/

Editorial – California: Reservoirs Should Stay in Water Bond (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/02/5308955/dan-walters-reservoirs-should.html

Lake Erie: Big Algae Problems, More to Come (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0402/Lake-Erie-big-algae-problems-more-to-come

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cloudy Days for a Washington-State Community Solar Effort (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/article/cloudy-days-for-a-washington-state-community-solar-effort/

Heavens to BETC: Oregon Sets Hearing On Embattled Incentives Program (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2013/04/heavens-to-betc-state-sets-hearing-on.html

Germany’s Solar-Power Success: Too Much of a Good Thing? (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/business-technology/germanys-solar-power-success-too-much-of-a-good-thing/

De-risking Wind: Hedging Against Variability (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/de-risking-wind-hedging-against-variability?cmpid=rss

U-S Senator Lamar Alexander Still Tilting at Wind Energy - TVA, other utilities committed, despite war on subsidies (The Tennessean, Nashville)

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130401/NEWS11/304010040/Sen-Lamar-Alexander-still-tilting-wind-energy

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Combine Home Improvement with Lower Energy Bills in Thurston County (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

http://www.thurstontalk.com/2013/04/01/combine-home-improvement-with-lower-energy-bills-in-thurston-county/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

NASA’s James Hansen Retires to Pursue Climate Fight (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22000810

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Biorefinery Lays Off Eastern Oregon Workers (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/biorefinery-lays-eastern-oregon-workers

Op/Ed – Oregon Lawmakers Should Extend the Clean Fuels Program (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/04/lawmakers_should_extend_the_cl.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Comcast Adding Hurdles to Most-Basic Cable-TV Service (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020672173_briercolumn91xml.html?syndication=rss

Court Clears Online TV Rebroadcaster - Aereo digitizes free signals of major networks for a fee (Associated Press)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/02/court-clears-online-tv-rebroadcaster/

New Mexico - Navajo Nation Nearing Completion of $46 Million Broadband Project (Farmington Daily Times, NM)

http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-news/ci_22863325/navajo-nation-nearing-completion-46-million-broadband-project

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media Advice: Are Voicemails Verboten or Not? (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175955812/social-media-advice-are-voicemails-verboten-or-not?ft=1&f=2

Social Networks: Building Empires, Not Businesses (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/01/social-networks-minyanville/2041801/

Hormel Hopes to Make Spam a Star with Social Media (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/mar/31/hormel-hopes-to-make-spam-a-star-with-social-media/

Social Marketing Drives a New York Renaissance (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/business/media/social-marketing-drives-a-new-york-renaissance.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor Proposes Extending Beer Tax to Microbreweries (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/21849690/inslee-proposes-extending-beer-tax-to-microbreweries

GENERAL NEWS

North Mason Food Bank Director Resigns (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/apr/01/north-mason-food-bank-director-resigns/

Flight Attendants Take ‘No Knives on Planes’ Campaign to Passengers (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/flight-attendants-no-knives-picketing-200890541.html

U-S to Re-Examine Health Effects of Cellphone Radio Waves (Reuters)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_22914807

Leaders celebrate San Juan Islands National Monument (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Leaders-celebrate-San-Juan-Islands-National-Monument-200920771.html

Shelton Drive-In Looking for Help to Keep Shows Running (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Shelton-drive-in-looking-for-help-to-keep-shows-running-200959261.html

DIVERSIONS

Dozens Shimmy, Shake to Protest Washington State Dance Tax

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Dozens-dance-on-Capitol-steps-to-protest-tax-201041101.html

Sea Lion Bobs Head to Backstreet Boys in Groundbreaking Study

http://mashable.com/2013/04/02/sea-lion-bobs-head-study/

‘Pawn Stars’ Offer Valuable Business Lessons

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/strauss/2013/04/01/steve-strauss-pawn-stars-deals/2041665/

‘New York Times’ Kicks Off Poetry Month with Haiku Tumblr

http://mashable.com/2013/04/01/new-york-times-haiku/

SONG OF THE DAY

Nat King Cole – Stardust

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZKwp6cjd4

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.