The Energy News Digest: 05/06/15

Energy Northwest Nuclear Power Plant Refueling Outage Starts May 9
Warm Winter Cuts into Avista’s Power Sales
Eugene Water & Electric to Fix All Three Gates at Leaburg Dam
Sun Unleashes Biggest Solar Flare of the Year, So Far
U-S Rep. Herrera Beutler Wants More 'Gorging' Columbia River Sea Lions Killed
Another Sea Lion Dies at Bonneville Dam
Chicken Wire Used on Astoria’s Sea Lions
Spring Chinook Fishing to be Open Saturday in Lower Columbia River
Oregon Coho Salmon Plan Attacked by Environmental Groups
The Most Influential Business Executives of the Past 35 Years: No. 32 Took Her Love of the Outdoors to the Interior
Deepening Northwest Drought Poses Challenges for Farmers
Moses Lake Irrigation District's North Dam Completed
Drought Forces California into First Mandatory Rules to Save Water
Snohomish PUD Clean-Energy Contract on Hold amid Ethics Probe
Report: The Top Ten Solar Utilities in the U-S
Solar Growth Changing Market Model
Solar Power is Booming. But Is It Booming Fast Enough?
Cape Wind: The Future of Massachusetts’s Offshore Wind Farm is Uncertain
Report: Iowa Can Meet Carbon Reduction Goal with Wind Power Alone
Connecticut: Developers Submit Plans for World's Largest Fuel Cell Installation
Building Lighting Controls: Strategies for Taming the Wild West
Selling the Energy Collected from Efficiency
Washington State Governor Honors Washington Industrial Companies
North Bonneville: City-Owned Pot Shop Struggles to Break Even
Why Washington State is Extinguishing Medical Marijuana
Graphics: Washington State’s Marijuana Revenue Broken Down
Amount of Carbon Dioxide in Air Keeps Rising, Hits Milestone
Could Wildfires Undermine California’s Grand Climate Goals?
How Fjords Are Helping Curb Global Warming
Comcast Will Add Thousands of Customer Service Jobs to Address Terrible Reputation
Google Fiber Begins Deploying Fiber Huts in Charlotte
Could Google's Project Fi Be Cable's Answer to Wireless?
Now It's Official: More Google Searches Are Coming from Mobile Than Desktop
Facebook Outrage over Oregon Park Vandalism Sparks Investigation
Perspective: Tourists Just Trying to Take a Selfie Severely Damaged a Marble Statue in Italy
Herrera Beutler: No Hard Feelings toward Local GOP
Incudes Pickering Passage: Bacteria Force State Officials to Restrict Shellfish in Three Commercial Areas
Forest Service Chief Tells Lawmakers to Expect 'Above Average' Wildfire Season
Germanwings Co-Pilot Rehearsed Descent Hours before Fatal Flight That Killed 150

WORD OF THE DAY

Minatory • \MIN-uh-tor-ee\ • Adjective – Having a menacing quality: threatening.

Brandy’s “bring your kids to work day” costume was perfect for hosting the youngsters dropped off at the daycare except for one thing: the greasepaint fangs she carefully drew, descending from her full, red lips. It wasn’t the children who were so put off by her minatory visage. The parents ushering their little minions into the colorful playroom couldn’t back out of the doorway fast enough. As a result, many children celebrated the day huddled in the dull, gray cubicle farms; playing with paper clips and rubber bands.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Energy Northwest Nuclear Power Plant Refueling Outage Starts May 9 (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2015/05/05/3546020_richland-nuclear-plant-refueling.html?rh=1

Warm Winter Cuts into Avista’s Power Sales (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/may/06/warm-winter-cuts-avistas-power-sales/

Eugene Water & Electric to Fix All Three Gates at Leaburg Dam (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33058531-75/eweb-to-replace-all-3-hydraulic-motors-at-leaburg-dam.html.csp

Sun Unleashes Biggest Solar Flare of the Year, So Far (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0506/Sun-unleashes-biggest-solar-flare-of-the-year-so-far

FISH & WILDLIFE

U-S Rep. Herrera Beutler Wants More 'Gorging' Columbia River Sea Lions Killed (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/herrera-beutler-wants-more-gorging-columbia-river-sea-lions-killed/article_3360bdf2-2dd4-5c87-b112-0f0189a75f9f.html

Another Sea Lion Dies at Bonneville Dam (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/another-sea-lion-dies-at-bonneville-dam/

Chicken Wire Used on Astoria’s Sea Lions (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

http://koin.com/2015/05/05/chicken-wire-used-on-astorias-sea-lions/

Spring Chinook Fishing to be Open Saturday in Lower Columbia River (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/may/05/spring-chinook-fishing-be-open-saturday-lower-colu/

Oregon Coho Salmon Plan Attacked by Environmental Groups (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2015/05/oregon_coho_salmon_plan_attack.html

The Most Influential Business Executives of the Past 35 Years: No. 32 Took Her Love of the Outdoors to the Interior (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2015/05/the-most-influential-business-executives-no-32.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Deepening Northwest Drought Poses Challenges for Farmers (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwnewsnetwork.org/post/deepening-northwest-drought-poses-challenges-farmers

Moses Lake Irrigation District's North Dam Completed (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/mlird-s-north-dam-completed/article_f9db7158-f377-11e4-99f2-c7a45da66064.html

Drought Forces California into First Mandatory Rules to Save Water (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/us-usa-california-drought-idUSKBN0NR05M20150506

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Snohomish PUD Clean-Energy Contract on Hold amid Ethics Probe (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20150506/NEWS01/150509366/PUD-clean-energy-contract-on-hold-amid-ethics-probe

Report: The Top Ten Solar Utilities in the U-S (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/report-the-top-10-solar-utilities-in-the-us/394143/

Solar Growth Changing Market Model (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/power-supply/renewable-energy/2015-legislative-conference-solar-growth-changing-market-model/80907

Solar Power is Booming. But Is It Booming Fast Enough? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy/2015/0505/Solar-power-is-booming.-But-is-it-booming-fast-enough

Cape Wind: The Future of Massachusetts’s Offshore Wind Farm is Uncertain (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2015/05/06/404626479/future-of-offshore-wind-farm-in-massachusetts-uncertain

Report: Iowa Can Meet Carbon Reduction Goal with Wind Power Alone (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA)

http://thegazette.com/subject/news/report-iowa-can-meet-carbon-reduction-goal-with-wind-power-alone-20150505

Connecticut: Developers Submit Plans for World's Largest Fuel Cell Installation (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/developers-submit-plans-for-worlds-largest-fuel-cell-installation-in-ct/394397/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Building Lighting Controls: Strategies for Taming the Wild West (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/matt-conway/2224121/building-lighting-controls-strategies-taming-wild-west

Selling the Energy Collected from Efficiency (GreenBiz)

http://www.greenbiz.com/article/selling-energy-collected-efficiency

Washington State Governor Honors Washington Industrial Companies (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/news/newsroom/Pages/Gov.-Inslee-honors-Washington-industrial-companies.aspx

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

North Bonneville: City-Owned Pot Shop Struggles to Break Even (Seattle Times, WA - Paywall Advisory)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/city-owned-pot-shop-struggles-to-break-even/

Why Washington State is Extinguishing Medical Marijuana (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2015/05/06/medical-marijuana-washington/

Graphics: Washington State’s Marijuana Revenue Broken Down (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2015/05/05/graphics-washingtons-marijuana-revenue-broken-down-includes-revenue-from-seattle-stores/#31507101=0

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Amount of Carbon Dioxide in Air Keeps Rising, Hits Milestone (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/Amount-of-carbon-dioxide-in-air-keeps-rising-6246039.php

Could Wildfires Undermine California’s Grand Climate Goals? (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/climate-energy/could-wildfires-undermine-californias-grand-climate-goals/

How Fjords Are Helping Curb Global Warming (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0504/How-fjords-are-helping-curb-global-warming

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Comcast Will Add Thousands of Customer Service Jobs to Address Terrible Reputation (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2015/05/comcast_will_add_thousands_of.html

Google Fiber Begins Deploying Fiber Huts in Charlotte (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Fiber-Begins-Deploying-Fiber-Huts-in-Charlotte-133660

Could Google's Project Fi Be Cable's Answer to Wireless? (C/Net News)

http://www.cnet.com/news/could-googles-project-fi-be-cables-answer-to-wireless/?tag=nl.e404&s_cid=e404&ttag=e404&ftag=CAD1acfa04

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Now It's Official: More Google Searches Are Coming from Mobile Than Desktop (AdWeek)

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/mobile-overtakes-desktop-google-rethinks-search-ad-164514

Facebook Outrage over Oregon Park Vandalism Sparks Investigation (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kgw.com/story/news/local/bend/2015/05/05/facebook-tumalo-park-vandalism/26935843/

Perspective: Tourists Just Trying to Take a Selfie Severely Damaged a Marble Statue in Italy (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2015/05/05/dangerous-selfie-italy/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Herrera Beutler: No Hard Feelings toward Local GOP – Group sought to censure congresswoman earlier this year (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/may/05/jaime-herrera-beutler-clark-county-republicans/

GENERAL NEWS

Incudes Pickering Passage: Bacteria Force State Officials to Restrict Shellfish in Three Commercial Areas (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2015/05/05/bacteria-force-state-officials-to-restrict-shellfish-in-3-commercial-areas/

Forest Service Chief Tells Lawmakers to Expect 'Above Average' Wildfire Season (Associated Press)

http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/05/05/forest-service-chief-expects-busy-firefighting-season

Germanwings Co-Pilot Rehearsed Descent Hours before Fatal Flight That Killed 150 (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2015/05/germanwings_co-pilot_rehearsed.html

DIVERSIONS

Cat That Adopted Three Abandoned Kittens Is Now a Purr-Fectly Happy Mom

http://mashable.com/2015/05/05/cat-adopts-abandoned-kittens/

Boston Marathon Runner Hears From Wife of Stranger She Kissed

http://time.com/3847638/boston-marathon-kiss-wife/

How We Accidentally Turned the Entire Statue of Liberty into a Battery

http://io9.com/we-accidentally-turned-the-entire-statue-of-liberty-int-1702334758

Florida: Highlands Woman Held Hostage Asks for Help in Online Pizza Order

http://www.wfla.com/story/28984148/highlands-woman-held-hostage-sends-message-in-online-pizza-order

SONG OF THE DAY

Paul Simon – American Tune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3_qyWU3-qQ

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.

The Energy News Digest

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Energy News Digest for May 6, 2015

Blog Archive

About Me