Energy News Digest for May 28, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for May 28, 2014

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/05/word-cloud-for-energy-news-digest-may.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Small Scale Nuclear: NuScale Completes Federal Funding Deal Worth Up to $217 Million (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/nuscale_completes_federal_fund.html

Isle of Hungry Birds - Tribes Witness Salmon Kill, Ponder How to Save Small Fry (The Daily Astorian, OR)

http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/isle-of-hungry-birds/article_6df4e67c-e5e2-11e3-b61c-0019bb2963f4.html

High Levels of Mercury Found in Fish at Olympic National Park’s Hoh Lake (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140528/NEWS/305289976/high-levels-of-mercury-found-in-fish-at-olympic-national-parks-hoh

Man Convicted in Likely Largest Metal Theft in Washington State History (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/crime/Man-convicted-in-likely-largest-metal-theft-in-state-history-260814631.html

High-Pollution Power Plant That Said It Was Victim in Obama’s ‘War on Coal’ Survives, Thrives (Associated Press)

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2014/05/27/after-decades-dirty-power-plant-to-get-clean

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Small Scale Nuclear: NuScale Completes Federal Funding Deal Worth Up to $217 Million
• High-Pollution Power Plant That Said It Was Victim in Obama’s ‘War on Coal’ Survives, Thrives
• Editorial: A Coal-Free Washington? Changes Are Coming to the Way Electricity Is Produced, Washington State Is Preparing Itself
• Pacific Gas & Electric Natural Gas Operation Honored; Critics Say Pipeline System Remains Unsafe
• Two Jefferson County PUD Employees Train to Be Journeymen Linemen
• Benton PUD Demonstrates Danger of Power Lines
• Smart Grid Benefits Shown to Outweigh Costs
• Undergrounding Gains Ground
• Consumers Really Want Options in Utility Rate Plans
• Isle of Hungry Birds - Tribes Witness Salmon Kill, Ponder How to Save Small Fry
• Condit Dam Gone - Concerns Voiced for Lower White Salmon River’s Future
• British Columbia: Salmon Coming Home
• Editorial: Power Council Shouldn’t Fiddle with Hatcheries
• High Levels of Mercury Found in Fish at Olympic National Park’s Hoh Lake
• Two Portland Reservoirs Scrubbed After Boil Order
• California’s Flawed Water System Can’t Track Usage
• Homeowners Dismiss Clouds, Reap Benefits of Solar Panels
• Idaho Solar Road Startup Passes Fundraising Goal
• Montana: NorthWestern Energy Wants To Talk With Smurfit about Biomass Plant at Frenchtown Mill
• Want to Own Your Personal Power Plant? It Might Be Possible Soon
• Blinded by the Sun: How Much Do Solar Panels Really Cost?
• Applying the Lessons of Politics to Green Power
• Kilowatt Crackdown: Energy Contest Names 15 Oregon Building Winners
• Geothermal Heating – The Ultimate in Green from Sunset Air
• President Obama Will Let States Decide How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Why ‘Global Warming’ Is Scarier Than ‘Climate Change’
• How Fog Harvesting Can Revive the Driest Places on Earth
• The U-S Could Be on the Cusp of a Smart Toilet Revolution
• Why Are Netflix Streaming Video Speeds Slowing Down?
• EBay Breach Proves the Era of the Password Is Over. Now What?
• United Kingdom: A Third of Rural Residents Say Their Broadband Isn’t Fast Enough for Web Browsing
• Facebook Will Curb Automatic Posts from Apps in the News Feed
• Can You Spot the Change in Google’s Logo?
• Who Designed the Weather Icons?
• Space Invaders - Why You Should Never, Ever Use Two Spaces after a Period
• Man Convicted in Likely Largest Metal Theft in Washington State History
• Seismologists: Cluster of Earthquakes in Central Idaho ‘Dying Down to Normal Levels’
• Washington, Colorado Seek More Pot Banking Help
• Industrial Hemp Pilot Study Begins in Whatcom County
• Seattle Surpasses 6-Month Rainfall Record in Just 4 Months

WORD OF THE DAY

Fell • \FELL\ • Noun, Verb, Adjective – See Below

Fell – noun – 1: skin, hide, pelt 2: a thin tough membrane covering a carcass directly under the hide.

Fell – verb - To cut down (a tree): to beat or knock down (someone or something).

Fell – adjective - 1a: fierce, cruel, terrible b: sinister, malevolent c: very destructive: deadly.

Fell – noun - A high barren field or moor.

I meant to use this word in an example sentence, but fell forces in the linear makeup of time felled my initiative to write something that was reminiscent of the fells of “Wuthering Heights.”

HA!

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Local Weather for May 28, 2014

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Small Scale Nuclear: NuScale Completes Federal Funding Deal Worth Up to $217 Million (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/nuscale_completes_federal_fund.html

High-Pollution Power Plant That Said It Was Victim in Obama’s ‘War on Coal’ Survives, Thrives (Associated Press)

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2014/05/27/after-decades-dirty-power-plant-to-get-clean

Editorial: A Coal-Free Washington? Changes Are Coming to the Way Electricity Is Produced, Washington State Is Preparing Itself (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/may/28/in-our-view-coal-free-washington/

Pacific Gas & Electric Natural Gas Operation Honored; Critics Say Pipeline System Remains Unsafe (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_25844790

Two Jefferson County PUD Employees Train to Be Journeymen Linemen (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/news/two-pud-employees-train-to-be-journeymen/article_136e597a-e5f8-11e3-9b2a-001a4bcf6878.html

Benton PUD Demonstrates Danger of Power Lines (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/05/27/2990417/pud-demonstrates-danger-of-power.html

Smart Grid Benefits Shown to Outweigh Costs (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Smart-grid-benefits-shown-to-outweigh-costs.aspx

Undergrounding Gains Ground (American Public Power Association)

http://www.publicpower.org/Media/magazine/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=41392

Consumers Really Want Options in Utility Rate Plans (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/katherinetweed/387051/consumers-really-want-options-utility-rate-plans

FISH & WILDLIFE

Isle of Hungry Birds - Tribes Witness Salmon Kill, Ponder How to Save Small Fry (The Daily Astorian, OR)

http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/isle-of-hungry-birds/article_6df4e67c-e5e2-11e3-b61c-0019bb2963f4.html

Condit Dam Gone - Concerns Voiced for Lower White Salmon River’s Future (Hood River News, OR)

http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2014/may/28/concerns-voiced-lower-white-salmon-rivers-future/

British Columbia: Salmon Coming Home (Penticton Western News, BC)

http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/community/260836731.html

Editorial: Power Council Shouldn’t Fiddle with Hatcheries - Northwest Treaty Tribes have great success (The Daily Astorian, OR)

http://www.dailyastorian.com/opinion/power-council-shouldn-t-fiddle-with-hatcheries/article_7835a8d2-e5de-11e3-9420-0019bb2963f4.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

High Levels of Mercury Found in Fish at Olympic National Park’s Hoh Lake (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140528/NEWS/305289976/high-levels-of-mercury-found-in-fish-at-olympic-national-parks-hoh

Two Portland Reservoirs Scrubbed After Boil Order (KGW TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/news/Portland-Mt-Tabor-reservoirs-cleaned-after-e-coli-boil-water-alert-260768461.html

California’s Flawed Water System Can’t Track Usage (Associated Press)

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/california-s-flawed-water-system-can-t-track-usage/article_e49309a8-1969-55c8-8ef8-f77ce457da2e.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Homeowners Dismiss Clouds, Reap Benefits of Solar Panels - Overcast skies don’t stop photovoltaic cells from pumping out the watts (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/05/28/3215339/solar-energy-getting-brighter.html?sp=/99/1683/492/

Idaho Solar Road Startup Passes Fundraising Goal (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/may/27/idaho-solar-road-startup-passes-fundraising-goal/

Montana: NorthWestern Energy Wants To Talk With Smurfit about Biomass Plant at Frenchtown Mill (Ravalli Republic, MT)

http://ravallirepublic.com/news/state-and-regional/article_49a53bfd-c390-51aa-8a99-234418d58ddc.html

Want to Own Your Personal Power Plant? It Might Be Possible Soon (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2014/0527/Want-to-own-your-personal-power-plant-It-might-be-possible-soon

Blinded by the Sun: How Much Do Solar Panels Really Cost? (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2014/05/26/blinded-by-the-sun-how-much-do-solar-panels-really-cost/

Applying the Lessons of Politics to Green Power (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/business/energy-environment/applying-the-lessons-of-politics-to-green-power.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Kilowatt Crackdown: Energy Contest Names 15 Oregon Building Winners (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2014/05/kilowatt-crackdown-energy-contest.html

Geothermal Heating – The Ultimate in Green from Sunset Air (Thurston Talks, Olympia, WA)

http://www.thurstontalk.com/2014/05/27/geothermal-heating-ultimate-green-sunset-air/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

President Obama Will Let States Decide How to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions (McClatchy News Service)

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/27/6436091/obama-will-let-states-decide-how.html

Cap-And-Trade to Get Fresh Look with EPA Power Plant Rule (Washington Examiner, DC)

http://washingtonexaminer.com/cap-and-trade-to-get-fresh-look-with-epa-power-plant-rule/article/2548965

Why ‘Global Warming’ Is Scarier Than ‘Climate Change’ (TIME Magazine)

http://time.com/119517/global-warming-climate-change/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

How Fog Harvesting Can Revive the Driest Places on Earth (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/05/28/how-fog-harvesting-can-revive-the-driest-places-on-earth/?wprss=rss_technology

The U-S Could Be on the Cusp of a Smart Toilet Revolution (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2014/05/27/japans-lixil-apple-toilets/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Why Are Netflix Streaming Video Speeds Slowing Down? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech-Culture/2014/0527/Why-are-Netflix-streaming-video-speeds-slowing-down

EBay Breach Proves the Era of the Password Is Over. Now What? (Triangle Business Journal, NC)

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/blog/2014/05/ebay-breach-proves-the-era-of-the-password-is-over.html

United Kingdom: A Third of Rural Residents Say Their Broadband Isn’t Fast Enough for Web Browsing (ITProPortal)

http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/27/a-third-of-rural-residents-say-their-broadband-isnt-fast-enough-for-web-browsing/

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Facebook Will Curb Automatic Posts from Apps in the News Feed (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2014/05/27/facebook-will-curb-automatic-posts-from-apps-in-the-news-feed/

Can You Spot the Change in Google’s Logo? (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/techchron/2014/05/27/can-you-spot-the-change-in-googles-logo/

Who Designed the Weather Icons? (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/who-designed-the-weather-icons-1582239276

Space Invaders - Why You Should Never, Ever Use Two Spaces after a Period (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html

GENERAL NEWS

Man Convicted in Likely Largest Metal Theft in Washington State History (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/crime/Man-convicted-in-likely-largest-metal-theft-in-state-history-260814631.html

Seismologists: Cluster of Earthquakes in Central Idaho ‘Dying Down to Normal Levels’ (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/05/seismologists_cluster_of_earth.html

Washington, Colorado Seek More Pot Banking Help (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Washington-Colorado-seek-more-pot-banking-help-260828561.html

Industrial Hemp Pilot Study Begins in Whatcom County (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Industrial-hemp-pilot-study-begins-in-Whatcom-County--260873071.html

Seattle Surpasses 6-Month Rainfall Record in Just 4 Months (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023709189_rainfallrecordxml.html

DIVERSIONS

Calling Mad Max - This Abandoned Wasteland Was Once America’s Largest Mall

http://gizmodo.com/this-abandoned-wasteland-was-once-americas-largest-mall-1581357311

Ohio Man: Meteorite Broke My Buick

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/national/kettering-man-meteorite-broke-my-buick/nf7qN/

How Mad Men-Era Americans Imagined the World Would Look in 1970

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/how-man-men-era-americans-imagined-the-world-would-look-1576854791

Business Will Bury Your Web Presence After You Die

http://www.kgw.com/news/Business-will-bury-your-web-presence-after-you-die-260861561.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kJKFdAaNuA

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 May 27, 2014

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 May 27, 2014

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2014/05/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for-may_27.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

U-S Plants Prepare Long-Term Nuclear Waste Storage - With plans for Yucca Mountain repository scrapped, some plants are building their own storage (Associated Press)

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/5687666

Seven States Running Out of Water (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/25/states-running-out-of-water/9506821/

Governments Await Obama’s Move on Carbon to Gauge U-S Climate Efforts (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/us/politics/governments-await-obamas-move-on-carbon-to-gauge-us-climate-efforts.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Related to Highway 3 Project - Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage in Belfair for Relocation of High Voltage Power Pole (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1390

Court Approves FCC Plan to Subsidize Rural Broadband Service (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/business/court-approves-fcc-plan-to-subsidize-rural-broadband-service.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• U-S Plants Prepare Long-Term Nuclear Waste Storage - With plans for Yucca Mountain repository scrapped, some plants are building their own storage
• Related to Highway 3 Project - Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage in Belfair for Relocation of High Voltage Power Pole
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission Releases Proposed Rule to Provide Relief to Public Power Utilities
• Boundary Dam Prepared to Offer Stunning Tours
• Film Critical of River Dams to Be Screened Thursday in Port Townsend
• Delay EPA Power Plant Rules, U-S Senators Demand
• Federal Court Throws Out FERC Effort to Boost Demand Response
• Cooperatives Scores Higher than Municipal Utilities
• Big Stakes in Debate over Fish Consumption in Washington State
• Researcher Draws Connection between Climate Change & Harmful Hybridization of Native Trout
• Seven States Running Out of Water
• Portland Boil Water Alert: Advisory Is Cancelled, But Questions Persist
• Industrial Growth: Columbia’s Deeper Channel Is a Magnet for Big Business
• Oregon: Closed Cave Junction Mill Rehires Many of Its Workers - will fire up its biomass burners, which are used to dry wood & generate electricity
• Bonneville Moving Ahead on Transmission Aimed at Boosting Wind Energy Flow
• Kansas: Wind War’s Total - Nearly Half-Million in Lobbying Dollars
• Wind Turbines Popping Up on New York Roofs, Along with Questions of Efficiency “…A tiny windmill on a big building is just silly — it might as well be a pinwheel…”
• Non-Hydro Renewables Outproduce Hydro for First Time Ever – But It’s also Non-Firm Power
• ‘Home-Made’ Electricity Creating Buzz in Germany
• Lighting is a ‘Gateway Drug to Energy Efficiency’
• Cable Converters Are Electricity Hogs, Critics Say
• How Much Did Nest Labs Save Utilities Last Summer?
• What Is the State of the US Smart Grid Market?
• Bulb of the Pharaoh: Egypt Takes Authoritarian Approach to Efficiency
• Governments Await Obama’s Move on Carbon to Gauge U-S Climate Efforts
• Scientists Say California Drought Causing Tule Fog to Disappear from Central Valley
• Why the Best Path to a Low-Carbon Future is Not Wind or Solar Power
• Tech Five: Google, Apple Entering Smart Home Market?
• Two High-Profile Sustainability Jobs Open in Portland
• Court Approves FCC Plan to Subsidize Rural Broadband Service
• North Thurston Schools Embrace Wi-Fi
• Europe’s Order to Mute Google Angers U-S
• Report: Twitter Will Have Nearly 400 Million Users by 2018
• Spring Clean Your Website Content for Better Summertime Results
• Put Communications Front & Center at Your Co-op
• Iranian Judge Summons Facebook CEO for Breach of Privacy
• How One Girl’s Goofy Self-Portraits Became a Viral Hit
• Power Outage, Property Damage: Port Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to 2013 Bulldozer Rampage
• Snohomish Teen’s ‘Tunnel Game’ Caused Brutal Accident, Police Say
• Tent Caterpillars Set Up Camp in Western Washington

WORD OF THE DAY

Bowdlerize • \BODE-lu-rise\ • Verb - To change by removing parts that could offend people.

Stalin was ecstatic with the final draft of his bowdlerized autobiography. “I especially like how you airbrushed those pesky purges from this most excellent volume,” he purred to his ghostwriter. Unbeknownst to the wispy, pasty-faced clerk, he was only a few days from literally becoming a “ghost writer.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for May 27, 2014

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

U-S Plants Prepare Long-Term Nuclear Waste Storage - With plans for Yucca Mountain repository scrapped, some plants are building their own storage (Associated Press)

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/5687666

Related to Highway 3 Project - Mason PUD 3 Schedules June 7 Planned Outage in Belfair for Relocation of High Voltage Power Pole (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1390

Commodity Futures Trading Commission Releases Proposed Rule to Provide Relief to Public Power Utilities (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=268274&issueID=34865

Boundary Dam Prepared to Offer Stunning Tours (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/bounday-dam-prepared-to-offer-stunning-tours/26149402

Film Critical of River Dams to Be Screened Thursday in Port Townsend (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140527/NEWS/305279989/film-critical-of-river-dams-to-be-screened-thursday-in-port-townsend

Delay EPA Power Plant Rules, U-S Senators Demand (The Hill, Washington, DC)

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/207100-over-40-senators-press-epa-to-hold-off-on-coal-rule

Federal Court Throws Out FERC Effort to Boost Demand Response (Power Magazine)

http://www.powermag.com/federal-court-throws-out-ferc-effort-to-boost-demand-response/

Cooperatives Scores Higher than Municipal Utilities (Independence, IA)

http://www.communitynewspapergroup.com/vinton_newspapers/news/article_a24c377e-e5b3-11e3-9466-001a4bcf887a.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Big Stakes in Debate over Fish Consumption in Washington State (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Big-stakes-in-debate-over-fish-consumption-in-Wash-state-260672831.html

Researcher Draws Connection between Climate Change & Harmful Hybridization of Native Trout (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/researcher_draws_connection_between_climate_change_and_harmful_hybridizatio/39489/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Seven States Running Out of Water (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/25/states-running-out-of-water/9506821/

Portland Boil Water Alert: Advisory Is Cancelled, But Questions Persist (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/05/portland_boil_water_alert_advi.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/05/portland_boil_water_alert_advi.html

Industrial Growth: Columbia’s Deeper Channel Is a Magnet for Big Business (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/industrial-growth-columbia-s-deeper-channel-is-a-magnet-for/article_d1c4593a-e466-11e3-b3ce-0019bb2963f4.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon: Closed Cave Junction Mill Rehires Many of Its Workers - will fire up its biomass burners, which are used to dry wood & generate electricity (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/31634157-75/mill-phillippi-ready-cave-junction.html.csp#

Bonneville Moving Ahead on Transmission Aimed at Boosting Wind Energy Flow (SNL Financial)

http://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-28180411-15147

Kansas: Wind War’s Total - Nearly Half-Million in Lobbying Dollars (Topeka Capital-Journal, KS)

http://cjonline.com/news/2014-05-24/wind-wars-total-nearly-half-million-lobbying-dollars

Wind Turbines Popping Up on New York Roofs, Along with Questions of Efficiency “…A tiny windmill on a big building is just silly — it might as well be a pinwheel…” (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/nyregion/turbines-pop-up-on-new-york-roofs-along-with-questions-of-efficiency.html?hpw&rref=nyregion&_r=1

Non-Hydro Renewables Outproduce Hydro for First Time Ever – But It’s also Non-Firm Power (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/05/non-hydro-renewables-outproduce-hydro-for-first-time-ever?cmpid=rss

‘Home-Made’ Electricity Creating Buzz in Germany (CTV News)

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/home-made-electricity-creating-buzz-in-germany-1.1840029

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Lighting is a ‘Gateway Drug to Energy Efficiency’ (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/jared-anderson/386906/lighting-gateway-drug-energy-efficiency

Cable Converters Are Electricity Hogs, Critics Say (Orlando Sentinel, FL)

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-05-22/business/os-bright-house-energy-hog-20140520_1_electricity-hogs-donald-forbes-power-strip

How Much Did Nest Labs Save Utilities Last Summer? (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/katherinetweed/383796/how-much-did-nest-labs-save-utilities-last-summer

What Is the State of the US Smart Grid Market? (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2014/05/paul-de-martini-on-the-state-of-the-u-s-smart-grid-market-1?cmpid=rss

Bulb of the Pharaoh: Egypt Takes Authoritarian Approach to Efficiency (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkanellos/2014/05/26/bulb-of-the-pharaoh-egypt-takes-authoritarian-approach-to-efficiency/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Governments Await Obama’s Move on Carbon to Gauge U-S Climate Efforts (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/us/politics/governments-await-obamas-move-on-carbon-to-gauge-us-climate-efforts.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Scientists Say California Drought Causing Tule Fog to Disappear from Central Valley (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/23/6429002/drought-causing-tule-fog-to-disappear.html

Why the Best Path to a Low-Carbon Future is Not Wind or Solar Power (Brookings Institution)

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/planetpolicy/posts/2014/05/20-low-carbon-wind-solar-power-frank

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Tech Five: Google, Apple Entering Smart Home Market? (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/05/27/tech-stocks-google-apple/9619871/

Two High-Profile Sustainability Jobs Open in Portland (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2014/05/two-high-profile-sustainability-jobs.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Court Approves FCC Plan to Subsidize Rural Broadband Service (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/24/business/court-approves-fcc-plan-to-subsidize-rural-broadband-service.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

North Thurston Schools Embrace Wi-Fi (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.theolympian.com/2014/05/27/3151349/north-thurston-schools-embrace.html

Europe’s Order to Mute Google Angers U-S (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2023699762_apxgooglemuted.html

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Report: Twitter Will Have Nearly 400 Million Users by 2018 (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2014/05/27/twitter-user-growth-2018/

​Spring Clean Your Website Content for Better Summertime Results (The Business Journals)

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2014/05/spring-clean-your-website-content-for-better.html?page=all

Put Communications Front & Center at Your Co-op (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/industry/trends-reports-analyses/put-communications-front-and-center-at-your-co-op/70358

Iranian Judge Summons Facebook CEO for Breach of Privacy (Reuters)

https://news.yahoo.com/iranian-judge-summons-facebook-ceo-breach-privacy-121827710--finance.html

How One Girl’s Goofy Self-Portraits Became a Viral Hit (Reviewed.com)

http://cameras.reviewed.com/features/how-one-girls-goofy-self-portraits-became-a-viral-sensation

GENERAL NEWS

Power Outage, Property Damage: Port Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to 2013 Bulldozer Rampage (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140524/news/305249976/update-8212-port-angeles-man-pleads-guilty-to-2013-bulldozer

Snohomish Teen’s ‘Tunnel Game’ Caused Brutal Accident, Police Say (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2014/05/26/police-say-snohomish-teen-held-breath-causing-an-accident-that-sent-4-to-hospital/#axzz32vZoSIN1

Tent Caterpillars Set Up Camp in Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Tent-caterpillars-take-over-Western-Washington-260463381.html

DIVERSIONS

The Making of NASA’s Global Selfie: 100+ Countries, Thousands of Photos

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2014-globalselfie-wrap-up/#.U3_y5ShwW5I

Nepal Probes If Chinese Woman Used Helicopter on Everest Climb

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/27/us-nepal-china-everest-idUSKBN0E70UO20140527

“Weed Fairy” Visits Seattle & Leaves a Trail

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Weed-Fairy-visits-Seattle-and-leaves-a-trail-260503131.html

HUH? Washingtonians apparently love Judas Priest, Pho & Unicorn tattoos

http://q13fox.com/2014/05/26/huh-washingtonians-apparently-love-judas-preist-pho-and-unicorn-tattoos/#axzz32vZoSIN1

SONG OF THE DAY

Electric Light Orchestra - All Over the World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IlfCsj7gWQ

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.