Friday, April 28, 2017

Breaking: DC Circuit Halts Clean Power Plan Case in Win for Trump (Utility Dive)

Bureau of Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Assessment for Grand Coulee Generator Project (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

California: Could An Offshore Wind Farm in San Luis Obispo County Hurt Endangered Whales? (San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA)

Olympic National Park Tourism Means Big Bucks for Nearby Communities (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Seattle City Councilmember Sawant Under Fire – Accused of Trying to Incite May Day Problems (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

New Schools Using Cross-Laminated Timber (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(SEQUIM, WA) – New modular classrooms are being built across Washington state using a new wood that’s the buzz of the industry. Crews began installing four new modular classrooms in Sequim this week as part of a statewide pilot project to create more classrooms using cross-laminated timber, or CLT. The technology is made by stacking beams in perpendicular layers and then glued or laminated with layers like a sandwich. Supporters say it could infuse struggling forest communities with new economic growth while reducing the carbon footprint of urban construction by using a renewable building material. For the Sequim classrooms, the wood panels came from local trees and were manufactured in Oregon. Washington state lawmakers set aside $5.5 million in the 2016 capital budget for 20 classrooms made from CLT. Five school districts in the pilot project are in Seattle, Mount Vernon, Sequim, Wapato and Toppenish.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Biggest Washington State Patrol Cadet Graduation in Recent Years (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(OLYMPIA, WA) -- A graduation ceremony for Washington State Patrol cadets at the Capitol on Wednesday was more crowded than usual this year. Patrol officials say the newest class of troopers, 49 in total, was the largest in modern history. The News Tribune reports sporting traditional bow ties and campaign hats, the cadets were a visual representation of improvements the agency says it has made in recruiting troopers, in part thanks to a promise of bigger paychecks from state lawmakers.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Monday, April 24, 2017

Pacific Mega Moisture Plume Approaches the West Coast “…Washington is a sunless disaster area…” (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

Washington State’s Special Legislative Session Starts Today (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Snowpack Surplus Roils Pacific Northwest Power Market (The Missoulian, MT)

Apple Says New Oregon Solar & Wind Projects Will Help Power Prineville Data Centers (Oregonian, Portland)

How Google Cashes In on the Space Right Under the Search Bar (NY Times)

Mason County: Serial Intruder Suspected of Hunting Victims through Social Media (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Federal Utility CEO: Coal Plants Not Reopening under Trump (Associated Press)

Tacoma City Council: Click ISPs Can’t Collect or Sell Your Personal Info without Permission (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Port Angeles: Former Nippon Cogeneration Plant Down; Fewer Than 30 Employees Retained (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Nearly 650 Barred Owls Killed In Bid to Save Spotted Owls (Northwest Public Radio)

Commercial Geoduck Diver Dies in Puget Sound (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Washington State Bill Allows Charge for Electronic Copies of Public Records Requests (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(OLYMPIA, WA) -- The Washington State Legislature has approved a measure that will allow government agencies to charge fees for electronic copies of records.
The House on Monday voted 80-18 to approve the bill, agreeing with earlier changes made by the Senate. It now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. 
The News Tribune reports the measure allows agencies to charge up to 10 cents per page for scanned documents and up to 5 cents for every four electronic attachments when replying to public records requests.
Public agencies can already charge a default rate of up to 15 cents per page for photocopying documents in response to public records requests.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Bonneville Power Administration Unveils Plan to Ease Prineville’s Power Crunch (Oregonian, Portland)

The Government Just Wrapped a Major Auction That’ll Shape the Future of the Internet (Washington Post)

Chelan PUD Considers Alcoa Request to Buy Time for Possible Restart (NCW Life, East Wenatchee, WA)

Oregon Legislature Drops Bill Discouraging Solar on Top Farmland (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Southwestern U-S Reservoir to Release Above-Average Amount (Associated Press)

Monday, April 17, 2017

Norovirus Found in Hammersley Inlet, Closes to Shellfish Harvest (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Could Implement CRAC Fee – Wet winter & spring has led to power supply glut, driving down open market prices (Cheney Free Press, WA)

In Quest for Clean Power, Microsoft Wants to Bypass Puget Sound Energy under New Deal (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Portland General Electric Seeks Appeal in Ninth Circuit on Deschutes Clean Water/Salmon Reintroduction Case (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

British Columbia Was Once a Leader in Fighting Climate Change – Now, It’s Embracing Fossil Fuels (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

EPA'S Benton, Former WA State Senator Tapped for Other Post (Politico)

(WASHINGTON, DC) -- President Trump announced late Monday that Don Benton, the EPA's White House-assigned senior adviser, would be nominated to head the Selective Service System.


Pro's learned last week that Benton, a former Washington state senator who oversaw Trump's campaign in that state, had been iced out by Pruitt's team in the agency and multiple sources thought was headed on his way toward EPA's gift shop.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Bonneville Power Administration Stops Wind Power Generation for the First Time in Four Years (Bonneville Power Administration)


http://kuow.org/post/bpa-stops-wind-power-generation-first-time-4-years

Data Centers Boost Prineville’s Economy, But Not Without Growing Pains (Oregon Public Broadcasting)


http://www.opb.org/news/article/prineville-oregon-facebook-data-centers-economic-problems-housing/

Bonneville Power Administration Runs Two-Year Test on Transmission System (Vancouver Columbian, WA)


http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/apr/08/bpa-runs-two-year-test-on-transmission-system/

Conservationists Sue Oregon over Endangered Coho (Portland Business Journal, OR)



Jobs in Legislature, Trump Administration Add Up to Big Payday for State Sen. Doug Ericksen (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)



Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Fishing-Industry Groups Blast Washington State Governor over His Picks for Federal Council (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Tacoma City Council Approves Power Rate Hikes for Next Two Years (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

Enloe Dam on Hold as Washington State Agency Re-Advertises Meeting (Omak Chronicle, WA)

Centralia College Gets $189,000 Grant for Solar Energy System (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

The Inventor of the Web Predicts ‘A Massive Outcry’ over Online Privacy (Washington Post)

Monday, April 3, 2017

Op/Ed: Snake River Dams or Shiny New Things (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Portland General Electric Defends Plans, Trims Estimate of New Power Needs (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Moody’s: More Renewable Energy Will Mean More Demand for Gas-Fired Electricity (Business Insider)

Oregon: Federal Agency Checks Stability of Ochoco Dam (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

States – Including Washington & Oregon – Sue Trump Administration for Delaying Energy Efficiency Standards on Multiple Products (Consumerist)