Thursday, February 21, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 21, 2013


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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 21, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

New California Power Sales Ruling Could Cost BPA More than $60 Million (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Jay Inslee, Washington State Legislature Working to Keep the Evergreen State Ever Green (Seattle Times, WA)

Washington State Investment Board Admits Alternative Energy Not a Good Investment (Seattle Times)

Obama Settles on EPA, Energy Department Nominees: Source (Reuters)

Special Weather Statement for Western Washington (National Weather Service)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • New California Power Sales Ruling Could Cost BPA More than $60 Million
  • Warm Weather Contributes to Avista’s Lower 2012 Income
  • Obama Settles on EPA, Energy Department Nominees: Source
  • Wenatchee Substation Project Will Provide More Reliable Service to Alcoa, Support Local Jobs
  • Including $2.9 Million for Alaska’s Kotzebue Electric Association - Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding to Improve Rural Electric Service for Customers in 12 States
  • Editors Rebel against Ratepayer Financing for Nuclear Plants
  • Tennessee Valley Authority, B&W Sign Small Modular Reactor Agreement under DOE Program
  • Who Will Clean Up After the Nuclear Plants?
  • In New England, a Natural Gas Trap
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week
  • J.D. Power & Associates Reports: State Governments & Electric Utilities Provided More Effective Emergency Responsiveness during Hurricane Sandy than Local & Federal Governments
  • California - Study Proves Predation as Drain on Native Salmon
  • Jefferson County ‘Getting Closer’ to Net-Pen Permits
  • Survey Finds That Fish Are Often Not What Label Says
  • Pacific Salmon is British Columbia’s Official Fish
  • Editorial - Roll On, Oregon House Republicans, Roll On
  • Washington River among New York Times’ 46 Top World Destinations
  • Chinese Dare Officials to Swim in Polluted
  • Jay Inslee, Washington State Legislature Working to Keep the Evergreen State Ever Green
  • Washington State Investment Board Admits Alternative Energy Not a Good Investment
  • Iceland Looks to Export Power Bubbling From Below
  • Why Is Gaia Angry With Me? Baby Boomers Produce Highest Carbon Emissions
  • Seattle Will Pay $500,000 to Settle Yellow Pages Lawsuit
  • Oregon - Forest Grove Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Finish First Year with More than 70 Charges
  • Presto! Alaska Inventor Turns Wood Stove Heat into Electricity
  • Kansas City Fiber Dig Causes Massive Gas Explosion - Kills One Local, Injures Fifteen Others
  • Apple Moves Rapidly on Its Oregon Data Center
  • FCC Approves Wireless Signal Boosters, With Caveats
  • NTCA: Uncertainty Drove 69% of Rural Telcos to Cancel Projects
  • Cable Is Taking the Fast Train to Oblivion
  • FCC Broadband Performance Report Shows Improvement But Misses Big Picture – How do We Stack Up?
  • Tech Predictions for 2013: It’s All About Mobile
  • Where Life is Tweet: Study Ranks #Happy Places
  • Despite Appearances the Washington Legislature is Working on the Budget
  • Snohomish County Council Strips Reardon of Control over Tech Operations
  • Norm Dicks Says His Six-Figure Pension is Fair
  • Bickering, Lax Oversight Contributed to $800,000 Oregon City Error, Report Contends
  • Winter Storm to Blow into Washington Friday
  • Special Weather Statement for Western Washington
  • Skokomish Tribe Sues State over Hunting Rights
  • Copper Wire Stolen from Sea-Tac Runway Lighting System
  • Four-Year-Old Girl Rescues Younger Sister from Crash That Killed Mother
  • Mason County Seniors to Purchase Pavilion for New Center
  • Everett Baristas Accused of Serving More than Coffee
  • City of Shelton Looking Into Regulations for Bikini Baristas
  • Two Major U-S Companies Charged in ‘Honeygate’

WORD OF THE DAY

Bogart • \BOE-gart\ • Verb - 1: bully 2: to use or consume without sharing.

The Girl Scout cookies I purchased at work are going home today. I will try not to bogart the tasty tidbits from the rest of the household.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

New California Power Sales Ruling Could Cost BPA More than $60 Million (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Warm Weather Contributes to Avista’s Lower 2012 Income (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Obama Settles on EPA, Energy Department Nominees: Source (Reuters)

Wenatchee Substation Project Will Provide More Reliable Service to Alcoa, Support Local Jobs (North Central Washington TV)

Including $2.9 Million for Alaska’s Kotzebue Electric Association - Secretary Vilsack Announces Funding to Improve Rural Electric Service for Customers in 12 States (USDA)

Editors Rebel against Ratepayer Financing for Nuclear Plants (Forbes Magazine)

Tennessee Valley Authority, B&W Sign Small Modular Reactor Agreement under DOE Program (American Public Power Association)

Who Will Clean Up After the Nuclear Plants? (Christian Science Monitor)

In New England, a Natural Gas Trap (NY Times)

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Fell Last Week (Associated Press)

J.D. Power & Associates Reports: State Governments & Electric Utilities Provided More Effective Emergency Responsiveness during Hurricane Sandy than Local & Federal Governments (Electric Energy Online)

FISH & WILDLIFE

California - Study Proves Predation as Drain on Native Salmon (Western Farm Press)

Jefferson County ‘Getting Closer’ to Net-Pen Permits (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Survey Finds That Fish Are Often Not What Label Says (NY Times)

Pacific Salmon is British Columbia’s Official Fish (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Editorial - Roll On, Oregon House Republicans, Roll On (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Washington River among New York Times’ 46 Top World Destinations (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Chinese Dare Officials to Swim in Polluted Rivers (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Jay Inslee, Washington State Legislature Working to Keep the Evergreen State Ever Green (Seattle Times, WA)

Washington State Investment Board Admits Alternative Energy Not a Good Investment (Seattle Times)

Iceland Looks to Export Power Bubbling From Below (NY Times)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Why Is Gaia Angry With Me? Baby Boomers Produce Highest Carbon Emissions (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Seattle Will Pay $500,000 to Settle Yellow Pages Lawsuit (Seattle Times, WA)

Oregon - Forest Grove Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Finish First Year with More than 70 Charges (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Presto! Alaska Inventor Turns Wood Stove Heat into Electricity (Alaska Dispatch)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Kansas City Fiber Dig Causes Massive Gas Explosion - Kills One Local, Injures Fifteen Others (Broadband Reports)

Apple Moves Rapidly on Its Oregon Data Center (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

FCC Approves Wireless Signal Boosters, With Caveats (Mashable)

NTCA: Uncertainty Drove 69% of Rural Telcos to Cancel Projects (Telecompetitor)

Cable Is Taking the Fast Train to Oblivion (USA Today)

FCC Broadband Performance Report Shows Improvement But Misses Big Picture – How do We Stack Up? (Forbes Magazine)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Tech Predictions for 2013: It’s All About Mobile (NY Times)

Where Life is Tweet: Study Ranks #Happy Places (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Despite Appearances the Washington Legislature is Working on the Budget (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Snohomish County Council Strips Reardon of Control over Tech Operations - Move follows revelations of apparent online harassment of political enemies (Everett Herald, WA)

Norm Dicks Says His Six-Figure Pension is Fair (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Bickering, Lax Oversight Contributed to $800,000 Oregon City Error, Report Contends – “…staffed with employees who for whatever reason dislike each other or had no desire to work together…” (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

GENERAL NEWS

Winter Storm to Blow into Washington Friday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Special Weather Statement for Western Washington (National Weather Service)

Skokomish Tribe Sues State over Hunting Rights (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Copper Wire Stolen from Sea-Tac Runway Lighting System (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Four-Year-Old Girl Rescues Younger Sister from Crash That Killed Mother (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Mason County Seniors to Purchase Pavilion for New Center (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Everett Baristas Accused of Serving More than Coffee (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

City of Shelton Looking Into Regulations for Bikini Baristas (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Two Major U-S Companies Charged in ‘Honeygate’ (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Ancient Wine Press Possibly Found Under Tel Aviv City Street

Man Riding Motorized Shopping Cart Accused of Setting Fire inside Wal-Mart as Diversion to Shoplift

Seattle Fish Thrower Becomes Surprising Commercial Star (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

The Most Expensive Starbucks Drink Seems Like an Unappetizing, Bad Idea

SONG OF THE DAY

Eric Burdon & War - Spill the Wine