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

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/breaking-dc-circuit-halts-clean-power-plan-case-in-win-for-trump/441554/

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

http://www.cbbulletin.com/438794.aspx

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

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/environment/article147254914.html

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

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/25280

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

http://komonews.com/news/local/councilmember-sawant-under-fire-accused-of-trying-to-incite-problems-on-may-day

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.

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.

Student in Custody after Bringing Gun to Hawkins Middle School in Mason County (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/shooting-reported-at-mason-county-middle-school/

Mason PUD 3 Commissioners Adopt Plan for Future Substation Funding (Mason PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

https://www.pud3.org/blog/articles--blog/post/pud-3-commissioners-adopt-plan-for-future-substation-funding

Columbia River to Hit Flood Stage Again (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/columbia-river-to-hit-flood-stage-again/article_688f73eb-f62b-5d3b-9c3b-da3dd74b1ee3.html

Protest of Portland General Electric’s Resource Plan Takes a Fracking Twist (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/04/26/protest-of-portland-general-electrics-resource.html

DC Circuit Upholds FERC Ruling in Portland General Electric PURPA Dispute (RTO Insider)

https://www.rtoinsider.com/ferc-purpa-power-purchase-agreement-42104/

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

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2017/04/pacific-mega-moisture-plume-approaches.html

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

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/article/20170424/ARTICLE/170429972

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

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/snowpack-surplus-roils-northwest-power-market/article_577409a3-ed27-5ecc-8d03-4fee031b06b0.html

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

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2017/04/apple_says_new_oregon_solar_an.html

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

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/23/technology/google-parent-company-alphabet-advertising.html?_r=0

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

http://q13fox.com/2017/04/22/serial-intruder-suspected-of-hunting-victims-through-social-media/

Steens Mountain: Federal Court Kills Large Wind Energy Project in Southeast Oregon (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/04/federal_court_kills_large_wind.html

Conservation Groups Ask to Stop Barging Sockeye around Dams (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)

http://klcc.org/post/conservation-groups-ask-stop-barging-sockeye-around-dams

TransCanada Closes $1 Billion Sale of Hydro Assets (Utility Dive)

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/transcanada-closes-1b-sale-of-hydro-assets/440981/

AP Exclusive: Missteps Made In Handling of Oroville Dam Crisis (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2017-04-19/ap-exclusive-dam-managers-made-missteps-in-handling-crisis

Mason Pot Business Generates More Than $3.9 Million in Excise Tax (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/mason-pot-business-generates-more-than-million-in-excise-tax/article_37e6d056-25fc-11e7-885f-1fdd817842b3.html

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

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/federal-utility-ceo-coal-plants-not-reopening-under-trump/2017/04/18/bf4b4876-2479-11e7-928e-3624539060e8_story.html

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

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article145363804.html

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

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/former-nippon-cogeneration-plant-down-fewer-than-30-employees-retained/

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

http://nwpr.org/post/nearly-650-barred-owls-killed-bid-save-spotted-owls

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

http://mynorthwest.com/604159/commercial-geoduck-diver-dies-in-puget-sound/

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.

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

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2017/04/bpa_unveils_plan_to_ease_prine.html

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

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/13/the-government-just-wrapped-a-major-auction-thatll-shape-the-future-of-the-internet/?utm_term=.f31571c912d0

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

http://www.ncwlife.com/pud-reconsiders-alcoa-67-million-payment/

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

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/04/17/legislature-drops-bill-discouraging-solar-on-top.html

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

http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/southwestern-us-reservoir-to-release-above-average-amount/

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

http://www.ifiberonenewsradio.com/news/local_news/norovirus-found-in-hammersley-inlet-closes-to-shellfish-harvest/article_8c55a782-209a-11e7-96a6-6f29ace84d64.html

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)

http://www.cheneyfreepress.com/story/2017/04/13/front-page/bpa-could-implement-crac-fee/20380.html

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

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/microsoft-pse-reach-agreement-on-greener-energy/

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

http://www.cbbulletin.com/438716.aspx

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

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-trans-mountain-pipeline-2017-story.html

Montana Lawmakers Table Colstrip Closure Bill – Would have Cost Puget Sound Energy (Associated Press)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2017-04-11/montana-lawmakers-table-colstrip-closure-bill

Most Americans Want to Let Cities Build & Sell Homegrown Internet Service (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/11/most-americans-want-to-let-cities-build-and-sell-homegrown-internet-service/?utm_term=.b09cca898c2c

Kenmore Residents Fed Up with Puget Sound Energy Power Outage Issues (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

http://q13fox.com/2017/04/10/kenmore-residents-fed-up-with-power-outage-issues/

Washington State’s Salmon Fisheries Set for 2017 (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.kxro.com/washingtons-salmon-fisheries-set-2017/

United Airlines Finally Apologizes, as Image Takes Beating (Yahoo News)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-ceo-apologizes-promises-thorough-review-200154639.html

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.

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)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/04/10/conservationists-sue-oregon-over-endangered-coho.html

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

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/state-sen-doug-ericksen-is-drawing-on-state-federal-salaries/

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

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/fishing-industry-groups-blast-inslee-over-his-picks-for-federal-council/

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

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article142750189.html

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

http://www.omakchronicle.com/news/2017/apr/04/enloe-dam-hold-state-agency-readvertises-meeting/

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

http://www.chronline.com/news/centralia-college-gets-grant-for-solar-energy-system/article_17ef50a6-195a-11e7-b5b6-830ae820667d.html

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

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/04/the-inventor-of-the-web-explains-why-you-shouldnt-use-a-vpn/?utm_term=.c7d1b380de47

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

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/mar/31/sue-lani-madsen-snake-river-dams-or-shiny-new-thin/

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

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2017/04/03/pge-defends-plans-trims-estimate-of-new-power.html

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

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/moodys-more-renewable-energy-will-mean-more-demand-for-gas-fired-electricity-2017-4

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

http://koin.com/2017/04/02/federal-agency-checks-stability-of-ochoco-dam/

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

https://consumerist.com/2017/04/03/states-sue-trump-administration-for-delaying-energy-efficiency-standards-on-multiple-products/