Thursday, December 18, 2014

Energy News Digest for December 18, 2014

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for December 18, 2014

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Governor Inslee Proposes Plan to Charge Big Washington State Polluters to Fund Budget Priorities (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Who’s Shooting Up Electrical Equipment near JBLM? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Biomass Power Plant Contract Secrecy Rejected (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

States in Parched Southwest Take Steps to Bolster Lake Mead (NY Times)

Snohomish County Marijuana-Business Discussion to Continue Today (Everett Herald, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  1. Who’s Shooting Up Electrical Equipment near JBLM?
  2. Insulator Damage Endangers Public, Power Reliability; Ratepayers Foot Repair Bill
  3. Power Outages Cost More Than $250,000 to Jefferson PUD
  4. British Columbia to Proceed with $7.6 Billion Hydro-Dam
  5. British Columbia: Peace River Mega-Project a Welcome Boost for Construction Industry
  6. British Columbia: First Nation Chief Says Peace River Dam Site Approval a ‘Spit in the Face’
  7. Columbia River Coal Decision Is At Least a Year Away
  8. Grays Harbor PUD Dropping Bi-Monthly Billing, Beginning January 2015
  9. Energy Northwest Santa & Elves Visit Head Start
  10. Moody’s: Public Power Sector Will Be Stable in 2015
  11. Computer Models Contest EPA Clean Power Plan’s Reliability Impacts
  12. Tree Top, Downed in Storm & Dangling from Wire, Is Decorated for Holidays by Festive Locals
  13. Spring Chinook Forecast: Mediocre Outlook in Willamette, Cowlitz Rivers
  14. Idaho: Kokanee Loving Their New Gravel at Lake Pend Oreille
  15. States in Parched Southwest Take Steps to Bolster Lake Mead
  16. Eugene Water & Electric Board Biomass Power Plant Contract Secrecy Rejected
  17. Nevada Regulators Reject Tribal Solar Plant, Again
  18. What the Senate’s Tax Extender Bill Means for Wind Energy
  19. Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Report Gives Businesses an Energy Roadmap
  20. Biggest Energy Myths Busted
  21. Snohomish County Marijuana-Business Discussion to Continue Today
  22. Colorado Funds $8 Million in Marijuana Research
  23. Strategies for Success: How Cannabis Businesses Can Build Relationships with Lawmakers
  24. Governor Inslee Proposes Plan to Charge Big Washington State Polluters to Fund Budget Priorities
  25. California Billionaire Backs Inslee’s Carbon Plan
  26. Seattle Cloud Company Skytap Raises $35 Million, Mulls Future IPO
  27. Half of Connecticut Says It Wants Fiber-Optic Internet - And Soon
  28. Why Broadband Execs Are Telling Washington & Wall Street Different Things on Net Neutrality
  29. A Year Out from Release, Star Wars is Already Killing It in Social Media
  30. Jeans Made That Will Prevent ‘Digital Pickpocketing’
  31. US-Cuba Thaw: Does This Mean Americans Can Now Go to Cuba?
  32. Cuban Cigars among Goods Travelers Get OK to Import
  33. 80-Year-Old Shelton-Area Man Fatally Shoots Friend after Putt-Putt Golf
  34. Dump Truck Spills Gravel on Highway 3 South of Allyn
  35. Belfair Sewer System – 20 Year Payoff Plan
  36. Washington’s Unemployment Rate Rises Again in November – Mason County Rate 8.1 Percent
  37. Wet, Breezy Weekend Forecast for Washington State
  38. How Much Learning Happens on Field Trips? A Lot, a New Study Says
WORD OF THE DAY

Palaver • \puh-LAV-er\ • noun 1 a: a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication b: conference, discussion 2 *a: idle talk b : misleading or beguiling speech

The ethereal palaver between Moses, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Winston Churchill and Tiny Tim had its awkward moments. A breakthrough was achieved when Beethoven snatched Tiny Tim’s ukulele and played an exceptionally energetic version of “Born to be Wild”. God was not amused.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Who’s Shooting Up Electrical Equipment near JBLM? (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Insulator Damage Endangers Public, Power Reliability; Ratepayers Foot Repair Bill (Bonneville Power Administration)

Power Outages Cost More Than $250,000 to Jefferson PUD - Extra crews on hand all weekend to restore PUD electricity (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

British Columbia to Proceed with $7.6 Billion Hydro-Dam (Bloomberg News)

British Columbia: Peace River Mega-Project a Welcome Boost for Construction Industry (Vancouver Sun, BC)

British Columbia: First Nation Chief Says Peace River Dam Site Approval a ‘Spit in the Face’ (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Columbia River Coal Decision Is At Least a Year Away (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Dropping Bi-Monthly Billing, Beginning January 2015 (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Energy Northwest Santa & Elves Visit Head Start (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Moody’s: Public Power Sector Will Be Stable in 2015 (Utility Dive)

Computer Models Contest EPA Clean Power Plan’s Reliability Impacts (E&E Publishing)

Tree Top, Downed in Storm & Dangling from Wire, Is Decorated for Holidays by Festive Locals (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Chinook Forecast: Mediocre Outlook in Willamette, Cowlitz Rivers (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Idaho: Kokanee Loving Their New Gravel at Lake Pend Oreille (Coeur d’Alene Press, ID)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

States in Parched Southwest Take Steps to Bolster Lake Mead (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Eugene Water & Electric Board Biomass Power Plant Contract Secrecy Rejected (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Nevada Regulators Reject Tribal Solar Plant, Again (Associated Press)

What the Senate’s Tax Extender Bill Means for Wind Energy (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Report Gives Businesses an Energy Roadmap (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Biggest Energy Myths Busted (Forbes Magazine)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Snohomish County Marijuana-Business Discussion to Continue Today (Everett Herald, WA)

Colorado Funds $8 Million in Marijuana Research (Associated Press)

Strategies for Success: How Cannabis Businesses Can Build Relationships with Lawmakers (Marijuana Business Daily)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Governor Inslee Proposes Plan to Charge Big Washington State Polluters to Fund Budget Priorities (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

California Billionaire Backs Inslee’s Carbon Plan (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Seattle Cloud Company Skytap Raises $35 Million, Mulls Future IPO (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Half of Connecticut Says It Wants Fiber-Optic Internet - And Soon (Washington Post)

Why Broadband Execs Are Telling Washington & Wall Street Different Things on Net Neutrality (Washington Post)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

A Year Out from Release, Star Wars is Already Killing It in Social Media (AdWeek)

Jeans Made That Will Prevent ‘Digital Pickpocketing’ (British Broadcasting Corporation)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

US-Cuba Thaw: Does This Mean Americans Can Now Go to Cuba? (Christian Science Monitor)

Cuban Cigars among Goods Travelers Get OK to Import (USA Today)

GENERAL NEWS

80-Year-Old Shelton-Area Man Fatally Shoots Friend after Putt-Putt Golf (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Dump Truck Spills Gravel on Highway 3 South of Allyn (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Belfair Sewer System – 20 Year Payoff Plan (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington’s Unemployment Rate Rises Again in November – Mason County Rate 8.1 Percent (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Wet, Breezy Weekend Forecast for Washington State (Associated Press)

How Much Learning Happens on Field Trips? A Lot, a New Study Says (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

DIVERSIONS

Guy Picks the Lucky Gal with Same Name as His Ex to Fly Around the World with Him

A Scientific Defense of Santa’s Weight

Deputies: Man Faked Heart Attack So Friend Could Steal Barbie Car, Toy House from Wal-Mart

Watch Sir Ian McKellen Teach Cookie Monster about Self-Control

SONG OF THE DAY

The Band - The Weight

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.