Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Energy News Digest for April 8, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for April 8, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

The Pacific Northwest Has Seen 130 Quakes over the Past Two Weeks (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Montana: Expert Says NorthWestern Dam Purchase Could Cost Ratepayers Up to $800 Million Extra (The Missoulian, MT)

Grays Harbor PUD Says Customers Still Getting Scam Phone Calls (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Oregon Wave Energy Project Sinks (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Mining Giant Quits Controversial Bristol Bay Project in Alaska (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Montana: Expert Says NorthWestern Dam Purchase Could Cost Ratepayers Up to $800 Million Extra (The Missoulian, MT)
  • Grays Harbor PUD Says Customers Still Getting Scam Phone Calls (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
  • Scammers Posing As Douglas County PUD Employees at It Again (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
  • Business Briefs - Clallam Public Utility District Honored In National Field (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • Mason PUD 3 Receives Highest National Recognition for Reliable Electric Operations (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)
  • City Council Could Eliminate Tacoma Pay Targets (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • Woman Arrested After Knocking Out Power to North Side of Pullman (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)
  • Massachusetts Utilities Appeal Millions in Fines for 2011 Storms (Associated Press)
  • U-S Natural Gas Exports Poised For Takeoff despite Debate (USA Today)
  • Security Holes in Power Grid Have Federal Officials Scrambling (Los Angeles Times, CA)
  • Power Plant Regulations, While ‘Flexible,’ Will Be ‘Enforceable,’ EPA Admin Says (U-S News & World Report)
  • Americans’ Energy Use Edged Up By 2.4% in 2013, Energy Department Reports (American Public Power Association)
  • U-S Sailors Sue Japanese Utility over Radiation (Associated Press)
  • Germany Says It Salvaged Power Discounts for Electricity-Heavy Companies, Which Faced European Union Probe (Associated Press)
  • Mining Giant Quits Controversial Bristol Bay Project in Alaska (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
  • Juvenile Salmon to be Released by Boat into San Francisco Bay (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
  • First Nations Save First Foods: Northwest Tribes Seek to Restore Historic Fish Runs (Indian Country Today Media0
  • Water Plan Advocates Lament Congressman Hastings’ Departure (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
  • Cowlitz River Deepened for First Time since Mount St. Helens Eruption (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Oregon Wave Energy Project Sinks (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
  • I-937 Updates: New Legislation & New Administrative Rules May Alter Washington’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)
  • Almost Half of New Electricity Is Now Clean & Green (New Scientist)
  • A Glimpse at Your Future Electric Bill? New Hampshire Utility Experiments Encourage Conservation (New Hampshire Public Radio)
  • Phantom Power: Leaving Electronic Devices on Standby Will Drain Your Finances (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
  • How Climate Change Conquered the American Campus (Wall Street Journal)
  • ‘We Made a Positive Impact’: Port Townsend Students Return from Climate-Change Trek to Washington, DC (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • We Should Give Up Trying to Save the World from Climate Change, Says James Lovelock (The Telegraph, UK)
  • U-S Court Questions EPA Delays to Biofuel Mandate (Reuters)
  • Where Clean Energy Dollars Went in 2013 (Bloomberg News)
  • In Scrutiny of Cable Merger, Internet Choice Will Be Crucial Battlefield (NY Times)
  • Broadcasting Group Decries FCC’s Alleged Favoritism of Wireless Broadband (Ars Technica)
  • Analysts: End of Windows XP Could Cause Operational & Security Problems for Industry, Consumers (Associated Press)
  • Twitter’s Facebook-Lite Look Kicks in Today, With New Profile Powers (Gizmodo)
  • Meet Erik Smith, the Newest Seattle Times Editorial Board Member (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • The Pacific Northwest Has Seen 130 Quakes over the Past Two Weeks (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
  • President Obama to Visit Site of Oso Mudslide (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)
  • New Website to Give Hanford Visitors Self-Guided Tour of Historic Reactor (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

WORD OF THE DAY

Virescent • \vuh-RESS-sunt\ • Adjective - Beginning to be green: greenish.

The lesser known brother of Theodore Geisel, Abner, was considered the more cerebral of the siblings. Whereas Ted waxed eloquently about “Green Eggs & Ham,” Abner’s treatise was titled “The Psychological Effects of Virescent Fried Chicken Embryos & Salt-Cured Pork Flesh on Anthropomorphic Creatures in Children’s Literature.” Understandably, Ted’s writings were much better sellers in every way.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Montana: Expert Says NorthWestern Dam Purchase Could Cost Ratepayers Up to $800 Million Extra (The Missoulian, MT)

Grays Harbor PUD Says Customers Still Getting Scam Phone Calls (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Scammers Posing As Douglas County PUD Employees at It Again (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Business Briefs - Clallam Public Utility District Honored In National Field (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Receives Highest National Recognition for Reliable Electric Operations (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

City Council Could Eliminate Tacoma Pay Targets (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Woman Arrested After Knocking Out Power to North Side of Pullman (KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA)

Massachusetts Utilities Appeal Millions in Fines for 2011 Storms (Associated Press)

U-S Natural Gas Exports Poised For Takeoff despite Debate (USA Today)

Security Holes in Power Grid Have Federal Officials Scrambling (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Power Plant Regulations, While ‘Flexible,’ Will Be ‘Enforceable,’ EPA Admin Says (U-S News & World Report)

Americans’ Energy Use Edged Up By 2.4% in 2013, Energy Department Reports (American Public Power Association)

U-S Sailors Sue Japanese Utility over Radiation (Associated Press)

Germany Says It Salvaged Power Discounts for Electricity-Heavy Companies, Which Faced European Union Probe (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Mining Giant Quits Controversial Bristol Bay Project in Alaska (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Juvenile Salmon to be Released by Boat into San Francisco Bay (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

First Nations Save First Foods: Northwest Tribes Seek to Restore Historic Fish Runs (Indian Country Today Media0

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Water Plan Advocates Lament Congressman Hastings’ Departure (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Cowlitz River Deepened for First Time since Mount St. Helens Eruption (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Wave Energy Project Sinks (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

I-937 Updates: New Legislation & New Administrative Rules May Alter Washington’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Almost Half of New Electricity Is Now Clean & Green (New Scientist)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

A Glimpse at Your Future Electric Bill? New Hampshire Utility Experiments Encourage Conservation (New Hampshire Public Radio)

Phantom Power: Leaving Electronic Devices on Standby Will Drain Your Finances (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

How Climate Change Conquered the American Campus (Wall Street Journal)

‘We Made a Positive Impact’: Port Townsend Students Return from Climate-Change Trek to Washington, DC (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

We Should Give Up Trying to Save the World from Climate Change, Says James Lovelock (The Telegraph, UK)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

U-S Court Questions EPA Delays to Biofuel Mandate (Reuters)

Where Clean Energy Dollars Went in 2013 (Bloomberg News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

In Scrutiny of Cable Merger, Internet Choice Will Be Crucial Battlefield (NY Times)

Broadcasting Group Decries FCC’s Alleged Favoritism of Wireless Broadband (Ars Technica)

Analysts: End of Windows XP Could Cause Operational & Security Problems for Industry, Consumers (Associated Press)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING

Twitter’s Facebook-Lite Look Kicks In Today, With New Profile Powers (Gizmodo)

Meet Erik Smith, the Newest Seattle Times Editorial Board Member (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

GENERAL NEWS

The Pacific Northwest Has Seen 130 Quakes over the Past Two Weeks (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

President Obama to Visit Site of Oso Mudslide (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

New Website to Give Hanford Visitors Self-Guided Tour of Historic Reactor (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Stradivarius Strung Out: In Blind Test, Soloists Prefer Newer Violins to Costly, Old Ones

Fargo 6th-Graders Mop Up Against College Investors

Washington State Is Safe from ‘Bieber Fever’

ATM Goes Haywire, Spews Out $37,000 to Maine Man with $140 Account

SONG OF THE DAY

Itzhak Perlman - Vivaldi The Four Seasons

Itzhak Perlman - Schindler’s List

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.