Thursday, September 3, 2015

Energy News Digest for September 3, 2015

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Weather Forecast for September 3, 2015

Special Weather Statement – Mountain Snow, Including the Olympics

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Crews Working Hard to Restore Power (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Community Solar Investors Could Qualify for Federal Tax Credits, IRS Ruling Indicates (Utility Dive)

Salmon Spawns on Obama’s Shoes: ‘He’s Happy to See Me,’ President Laughs (Associated Press)

Olympic Peninsula Tribe Acquires Mobilisa to Bring Internet Access to Rural Areas “…buys broadband capacity from a Tacoma nonprofit called NoaNet…” (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Good Weather Coming for Labor Day Weekend (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Washington State Crews Working Hard to Restore Power
  • ‘Historic’ Summer Storm: Jefferson County All Clear, All Back with Power
  • Bellingham Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Suspected in Death of Elderly Couple
  • Windstorm Shakes Up BC Hydro’s Weather Prediction System
  • Pacific Northwest Wildfires Continue to Plague Co-ops
  • Disaster Recovery: We Are All First Responders
  • Avista Seeks Rate Changes
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Wants to Boost Revenue by $2.7 Billion, Pushing Up Bills
  • In Parched California, a Farmer’s Market Is Emerging for Power
  • Nuclear Regulators Boost Oversight of Massachusetts Power Plant
  • Puerto Rico’s Electric Utility PREPA Reaches Deal with Bondholders
  • Salmon Spawns on Obama’s Shoes: ‘He’s Happy to See Me,’ President Laughs
  • Obama’s Fish Tale: Salmon Spawning on His Shoes
  • Ruling Strikes Down Lesser Prairie-Chicken’s ‘Threatened’ Listing
  • Washington State Sues Feds over Safety of Nuclear Waste Tanks
  • Feds Work on New Water Quality Rule for Washington State
  • Snoqualmie Tribe Rallies to ‘Save Falls’
  • Community Solar Investors Could Qualify for Federal Tax Credits, IRS Ruling Indicates
  • Spokane’s North Central High School to Get Solar Panels to Teach about Energy
  • Editorial: Credibility-Challenged Oregon Department of Energy Should Release Legal Memo
  • In Rural Alaska, Obama Works to Speed Renewable Energy Revolution
  • Solar Power Supplies Ten Percent of Japan’s Peak Summer Power
  • Washington State’s Camas School District Makes the Grade in Energy Efficiency
  • Whirlpool’s App-Connected Home Appliances Can Save You Money & Time
  • Marijuana Industry Struggles with Devastating Wildfire Season
  • Fears of Marijuana ‘Monopoly’ In Ohio Undercut Support for Legalization
  • What Does the Clean Power Plan Have In Store? Don’t Count Out Electron Laundering
  • Lots of Trees to Hug: Study Counts 3 Trillion Trees on Earth
  • Olympic Peninsula Tribe Acquires Mobilisa to Bring Internet Access to Rural Areas
  • Click! Subsidy Should Cease, Tacoma Public Utility Bosses Say, But Not Many Options to End It
  • Cable-Box Rentals: A Needless $19-Billion Industry
  • Eight Ways to Use Data to Tell a Compelling Story
  • Three Reminders That Selfies Are More than Frivolous Photos
  • The Good, Bad & Weird of Company Logo Changes
  • I Can’t Stop Reading One-Star Yelp Reviews of National Parks
  • Pam Roach, Controversial GOP State Senator, Running for Pierce County Council
  • Federal Energy Bill Vote May Get Pushed to 2016
  • FERC Chairman Bay Names Max Minzner as General Counsel
  • Good Weather Coming for Labor Day Weekend
  • No Charges against Officer in Olympia Skateboard Shooting
  • I-5 Exit to U-S 101 in Olympia Closes Thursday Night for Expansion Joint Repairs
  • The Biggest Risk for Seattle? No, It’s Not an Earthquake
  • Yawn: Judge Lets Brady Play, Ruling against NFL in ‘Deflategate’
WORD OF THE DAY

Doldrums • \DOLE-drums\ • Noun - 1: a spell of listlessness or despondency 2: often capitalized: a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light shifting winds 3: a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump

The drops of rain splattered against Donny’s office window. The rhythm of the pelting deluge worked as a hypnotic drug, dragging the usually energetic accountant into a listless bout of the doldrums.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State Crews Working Hard to Restore Power (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

‘Historic’ Summer Storm: Jefferson County All Clear, All Back with Power (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Bellingham Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Suspected in Death of Elderly Couple (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

Windstorm Shakes Up BC Hydro’s Weather Prediction System – Heavy rainfall was expected, but high winds a surprise (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Pacific Northwest Wildfires Continue to Plague Co-ops (Electric Co-op Today)

Disaster Recovery: We Are All First Responders – FEMA Director Craig Fugate on why the Katrina response failed, why it’s important to talk about “survivors” instead of “victims,” and why citizens can’t just wait for the government to save them in a huge disaster (The Atlantic)

Avista Seeks Rate Changes (Goldendale Sentinel, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Wants to Boost Revenue by $2.7 Billion, Pushing Up Bills (SF Chronicle, CA)

In Parched California, a Farmer’s Market Is Emerging for Power (Bloomberg News)

Nuclear Regulators Boost Oversight of Massachusetts Power Plant (Associated Press)

Puerto Rico’s Electric Utility PREPA Reaches Deal with Bondholders (Utility Dive)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Spawns on Obama’s Shoes: ‘He’s Happy to See Me,’ President Laughs (Associated Press)

Obama’s Fish Tale: Salmon Spawning on His Shoes (Associated Press)

Ruling Strikes Down Lesser Prairie-Chicken’s ‘Threatened’ Listing (Amarillo Globe News, TX)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Sues Feds over Safety of Nuclear Waste Tanks (Associated Press)

Feds Work on New Water Quality Rule for Washington State (Associated Press)

Snoqualmie Tribe Rallies to ‘Save Falls’ (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Community Solar Investors Could Qualify for Federal Tax Credits, IRS Ruling Indicates (Utility Dive)

Spokane’s North Central High School to Get Solar Panels to Teach about Energy (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Editorial: Credibility-Challenged Oregon Department of Energy Should Release Legal Memo (Oregonian, Portland)

In Rural Alaska, Obama Works to Speed Renewable Energy Revolution (Fairbanks News Miner, AK)

Solar Power Supplies Ten Percent of Japan’s Peak Summer Power (Reuters)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Washington State’s Camas School District Makes the Grade in Energy Efficiency (Breaking Energy)

Whirlpool’s App-Connected Home Appliances Can Save You Money & Time (Mashable)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Marijuana Industry Struggles with Devastating Wildfire Season (Grist Online)

Fears of Marijuana ‘Monopoly’ In Ohio Undercut Support for Legalization (National Public Radio)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

What Does the Clean Power Plan Have In Store? Don’t Count Out Electron Laundering (Forbes Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Lots of Trees to Hug: Study Counts 3 Trillion Trees on Earth (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Olympic Peninsula Tribe Acquires Mobilisa to Bring Internet Access to Rural Areas “…buys broadband capacity from a Tacoma nonprofit called NoaNet…” (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Click! Subsidy Should Cease, Tacoma Public Utility Bosses Say, But Not Many Options to End It (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Paywall Advisory)

Cable-Box Rentals: A Needless $19-Billion Industry (Atlantic Magazine)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Eight Ways to Use Data to Tell a Compelling Story (Mashable)

Three Reminders That Selfies Are More than Frivolous Photos (Washington Post)

The Good, Bad & Weird of Company Logo Changes (SF Chronicle, CA)

I Can’t Stop Reading One-Star Yelp Reviews of National Parks (Mother Jones)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Pam Roach, Controversial GOP State Senator, Running for Pierce County Council (Olympian - Paywall Advisory)

Federal Energy Bill Vote May Get Pushed to 2016 (Morning Consult)

FERC Chairman Bay Names Max Minzner as General Counsel (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

GENERAL NEWS

Good Weather Coming for Labor Day Weekend (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

No Charges against Officer in Olympia Skateboard Shooting (Northwest Public Radio)

I-5 Exit to U-S 101 in Olympia Closes Thursday Night for Expansion Joint Repairs (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

The Biggest Risk for Seattle? No, It’s Not an Earthquake (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Yawn: Judge Lets Brady Play, Ruling against NFL in ‘Deflategate’ (Yahoo! Sports)

DIVERSIONS

Australian Sheep Is Unofficially the World’s Woolliest

Female MMA Fighter Puts Man into Incredibly Painful Choke Hold after He Tries to Steal Her Cell Phone

How the Ballpoint Pen Killed Cursive

Donald Trump Piñatas a Hit for Santa Cruz County Maker

SONG OF THE DAY

Pat Benatar- Hit Me with Your Best Shot

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.