Friday, May 2, 2014

Energy News Digest for May 2, 2014

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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for May 2, 2014

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Long-Range Forecasts for Pacific Northwest Call for Hot, Dry Summer (Oregonian, Portland)

Study: Pacific Northwest Has Enormous Potential for New Hydropower Dams (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Official: Windmills Are ‘Giant Cuisinarts for Birds’ (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Olympic Snowpack At 88 Percent of Normal; In ‘Pretty Good Shape,’ Specialist Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

All 34 Cities Eligible for Google Fiber Expansion Get Applications In On Time (Consumerist)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Study: Pacific Northwest Has Enormous Potential for New Hydropower Dams (Sustainable Business Oregon)
  • Proposed Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Warrenton Gets Nod for Gas Exports from Canada (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Oil Train Opposition Dominates Centralia Meeting (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)
  • Tense Hearing on Anacortes Oil Refinery Permit (Associated Press)
  • Cigarette Starts Fire in Downtown Portland Electrical Vault (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
  • Tacoma Power Line Workers Approve Union Contract - 79 percent of IBEW 483 members voted yes (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • Pacific Northwest-Heavyweights - Six Companies Win NHA Water Stewardship Awards (Water Power Magazine)
  • Pacific Northwest Teams Place Second, Fourth in National Science Bowl (Bonneville Power Administration)
  • Grant PUD Commissioner Announces Run for New Term (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
  • Californians Used Less Electricity in 2013 (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)
  • Western Area Power Administration Expects Early 2016 Decision on San Luis Transmission Project (SNL Financial)
  • Pacific Gas & Electric’s First Quarter Profit Falls on Expenses (Associated Press)
  • NRG CEO Expects Most Households to Soon Go Off the Grid (Dallas Business Journal, TX)
  • New Jersey: Public Service Electric & Gas Reaches Deal over Storm Improvements (Associated Press)
  • Grant PUD Releases 3,400 Fish to Study Effects of Changes at Dams (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)
  • Canada, U-S Urged to Focus on Species at Risk in Salish Sea (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
  • Olympic Snowpack At 88 Percent of Normal; In ‘Pretty Good Shape,’ Specialist Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
  • North Kitsap County Water Mains Coming Along (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)
  • Report Says Report: Well Water under Strain across California (Sacramento Bee, CA)
  • Official: Windmills Are ‘Giant Cuisinarts for Birds’ (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)
  • Fitch: U-S Wind Power’s Problem Will Remain Speed & Direction (BusinessWire)
  • In Michigan, Debate over Burning Trees for Biomass Energy (Midwest Energy News)
  • Seattle Startup Raises $7 Million to Build Energy Efficiency Software for Utilities (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
  • Editorial: Washington State Governor Inslee’s Climate Panel Needs More Business Voices (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)
  • Local Electric Vehicle Gets Boost from Obama (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
  • Electric Cars Tax Credit Should Rise to $10,000, Says Congressman (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Power to the Pedals: Washington is the Most Bicycle-Friendly State (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
  • The Bad Side of the Biofuel Boom (USA Today)
  • All 34 Cities Eligible for Google Fiber Expansion Get Applications In On Time (Consumerist)
  • Will FCC Overturn State Laws Blocking Municipal Broadband? (Consumerist)
  • Report: Average U-S Broadband Prices Are Below World Average of $76.61 (Telecompetitor)
  • Three Ways You Can Lower Your Internet Bills (USA Today)
  • Internet Explorer Gets Its Security Patch, & So Does Windows XP (Mashable)
  • Appeals Ruling Lets AT&T Install Utility Boxes on San Francisco Sidewalks (SF Chronicle, CA)
  • How Cloud Storage Complicates the Supreme Court Debate over Cellphone Privacy (Washington Post)
  • Congratulations, You’re a Hotspot - Comcast Enables User Gateway Public Wi-Fi Sharing in Atlanta (Broadband Reports)
  • America’s First Bitcoin ATM Opens in Seattle; Privacy Concerns Could Keep People Away (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
  • Twitter Tries Out ‘Mute’ Feature for Irritating Tweets (British Broadcasting Corporation)
  • Snapchat Makes a Play for Mobile Messaging (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)
  • Has Facebook Beaten Google Plus? (U-S News & World Report)
  • Get to Know 63 Styles of Graphic Design with One Simple Poster (Gizmodo)
  • First Openly Gay Justice Appointed to Washington State Supreme Court (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • May Day Heat Records Set Across Oregon, Western Washington State (Associated Press)
  • Long-Range Forecasts for Pacific Northwest Call for Hot, Dry Summer (Oregonian, Portland)
  • Man Accused of Shelton Bomb Plot Dead in Cell (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
  • Police Arrest Nine during May Day ‘Anarchist’ March in Seattle - Some Damage Reported, But Largely Uneventful (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
  • Washington State to Name 334 Who Can Try for Pot Store Licenses (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
  • With Banks Wary of Pot, Colorado Again Trying to Create Financial Co-Ops for Marijuana Money (U-S News & World Report)
WORD OF THE DAY


Plebeian • \plih-BEE-un\ • Noun - A member of the common people of ancient Rome: a common person

Barney’s Rice Barn was not a very popular eatery in northeast North Dakota. There wasn’t anything at all interesting about his rice dishes. Every item was steamed white rice of varying varieties; a relatively plebeian repast for weather-hardened farmers who were used to a hearty meat and potatoes menu for every meal. “It just doesn’t stick to my ribs,” complained one irritated customer.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Study: Pacific Northwest Has Enormous Potential for New Hydropower Dams (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Proposed Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Warrenton Gets Nod for Gas Exports from Canada (Oregonian, Portland)

Oil Train Opposition Dominates Centralia Meeting (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Tense Hearing on Anacortes Oil Refinery Permit (Associated Press)

Cigarette Starts Fire in Downtown Portland Electrical Vault (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Tacoma Power Line Workers Approve Union Contract - 79 percent of IBEW 483 members voted yes (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Pacific Northwest-Heavyweights - Six Companies Win NHA Water Stewardship Awards (Water Power Magazine)

Pacific Northwest Teams Place Second, Fourth in National Science Bowl (Bonneville Power Administration)

Grant PUD Commissioner Announces Run for New Term (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Californians Used Less Electricity in 2013 (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

Western Area Power Administration Expects Early 2016 Decision on San Luis Transmission Project (SNL Financial)

Pacific Gas & Electric’s First Quarter Profit Falls on Expenses (Associated Press)

NRG CEO Expects Most Households to Soon Go Off the Grid (Dallas Business Journal, TX)

New Jersey: Public Service Electric & Gas Reaches Deal over Storm Improvements (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Grant PUD Releases 3,400 Fish to Study Effects of Changes at Dams (iFiber One News, Ephrata, WA)

Canada, U-S Urged to Focus on Species at Risk in Salish Sea (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympic Snowpack At 88 Percent of Normal; In ‘Pretty Good Shape,’ Specialist Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

North Kitsap County Water Mains Coming Along (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Report Says Report: Well Water under Strain across California (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Official: Windmills Are ‘Giant Cuisinarts for Birds’ (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Fitch: U-S Wind Power’s Problem Will Remain Speed & Direction (BusinessWire)

In Michigan, Debate over Burning Trees for Biomass Energy (Midwest Energy News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle Startup Raises $7 Million to Build Energy Efficiency Software for Utilities (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Editorial: Washington State Governor Inslee’s Climate Panel Needs More Business Voices (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Local Electric Vehicle Gets Boost from Obama (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Electric Cars Tax Credit Should Rise to $10,000, Says Congressman (Christian Science Monitor)

Power to the Pedals: Washington is the Most Bicycle-Friendly State (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

The Bad Side of the Biofuel Boom (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

All 34 Cities Eligible for Google Fiber Expansion Get Applications In On Time (Consumerist)

Will FCC Overturn State Laws Blocking Municipal Broadband? (Consumerist)

Report: Average U-S Broadband Prices Are Below World Average of $76.61 (Telecompetitor)

Three Ways You Can Lower Your Internet Bills (USA Today)

Internet Explorer Gets Its Security Patch, & So Does Windows XP (Mashable)

Appeals Ruling Lets AT&T Install Utility Boxes on San Francisco Sidewalks (SF Chronicle, CA)

How Cloud Storage Complicates the Supreme Court Debate over Cellphone Privacy (Washington Post)

Congratulations, You’re a Hotspot - Comcast Enables User Gateway Public Wi-Fi Sharing in Atlanta (Broadband Reports)

America’s First Bitcoin ATM Opens in Seattle; Privacy Concerns Could Keep People Away (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter Tries Out ‘Mute’ Feature for Irritating Tweets (British Broadcasting Corporation)

Snapchat Makes a Play for Mobile Messaging (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

Has Facebook Beaten Google Plus? (U-S News & World Report)

Get to Know 63 Styles of Graphic Design with One Simple Poster (Gizmodo)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

First Openly Gay Justice Appointed to Washington State Supreme Court (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

May Day Heat Records Set Across Oregon, Western Washington State (Associated Press)

Long-Range Forecasts for Pacific Northwest Call for Hot, Dry Summer (Oregonian, Portland)

Man Accused of Shelton Bomb Plot Dead in Cell (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Police Arrest Nine during May Day ‘Anarchist’ March in Seattle - Some Damage Reported, But Largely Uneventful (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

Washington State to Name 334 Who Can Try for Pot Store Licenses (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

With Banks Wary of Pot, Colorado Again Trying to Create Financial Co-Ops for Marijuana Money (U-S News & World Report)

DIVERSIONS

NASA’s New Spacesuit Design Looks Like Something From ‘Tron’

A Neo-Fagin, à la Oliver! Cops: Man got kids to steal purses at Olympia Chuck E. Cheese

Report: Yep, Under Armour’s Suits Did Slow U-S Speedskaters Down

Scientists Reveal That Mona Lisa May Be the First 3D Image in History

SONG OF THE DAY

Orleans - Dance with Me

Peter Brown - Dance with Me

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.