Lowland Lake Fishing Season Starts Saturday (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(CENTRALIA, WA) – Trout fishing in Washington reaches full speed Saturday when hundreds of lowland lakes open for a six-month season.

To prepare for the opener, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says department fish hatchery crews have been stocking more than 12 million trout and kokanee in lakes statewide.

To participate in the opener, Washington anglers must have an annual freshwater or combination fishing license valid through March 31, 2019. This is also the first lowland lakes opener in which anglers can use the new Fish Washington mobile app.

Perry Begins Doling Out Millions in Bid to Save Nuclear Power (Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy)

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced $60 million in federal funds on Friday as the first step in an effort to helping financially ailing nuclear plants, while advancing new technologies.

Important step: “Making these new investments is an important step to reviving and revitalizing nuclear energy, and ensuring that our nation continues to benefit from this clean, reliable, resilient source of electricity,” Perry said.

The big 13: The Energy Department selected 13 projects to receive about $60 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development for advanced nuclear technologies, the agency said.

The funding selections are the first under a new quarterly application review and selection process. Perry intends to use up to $40 million of fiscal 2018 funding in the next two quarterly award cycles for innovative proposals. 

Back to baseload: “Supporting existing as well as advanced reactor development will pave the way to a safer, more efficient, and clean baseload energy that supports the U.S. economy and energy independence,” he said. Baseload plants provide power around the clock.

What about First Energy? The funds were announced amid the utility First Energy’s appeal to Perry to issue an emergency order to help its ailing nuclear power and coal plants, three of which are slated to close.

Moody’s says all is well: Credit-rating giant Moody’s said Thursday that First Energy has enough flexibility to weather the closures and will emerge from its deal with its lenders a credit positive company.

Public Lands Crucial for U-S Senator Tester, MT (Politico Morning Energy)

(WASHINGTON, DC) -- Democratic Sen. Jon Tester's bid for reelection could come down to how he handles public lands issues, Pro's Kevin Robillard reports. Close to one-third of the land in Tester's home state of Montana is under federal government ownership, and the Democratic senator hopes to use it to keep on board those who voted Trump - including hunters, hikers, snowmobilers and ranchers. "Public lands is one of the great equalizers. It's part of who we are," Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock told Kevin. "It doesn't matter what our political beliefs are, it's a core part of our lives."

Tester's strategy is part of a larger effort by Democrats in the West to emphasize lands. Bullock emphasized it in his reelection bid in 2016 and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is expected to easily win reelection in 2018, started his reelection bid with a video focused heavily on public lands issues. And Democratic strategists think it can help them in states throughout the interior west. "There a lot of people here who are single-issue voters, and that issue is public lands," said Nick Gevock, the conservation director at the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Lewis County PUD Commissioner Elected President of State Association (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(CHEHALIS, WA) -- Two Lewis County PUD commissioners are serving in top leadership positions for the Washington Public Utility Districts Association for 2018-19.

Lewis County PUD Commissioner Dean Dahlin was recently elected as the Association’s President. He has previously served as Secretary and Vice-President. Dahlin’s fellow Commissioner Ben Kostick is currently serving in the second year of his term as Treasurer. 

Also elected to leadership positions were Chelan County PUD Commissioner Randy Smith as Vice-President and Skamania County PUD Commissioner Liz Green as Secretary.

Xcel Energy Not So Into Markets after All (Politico Morning Energy)

(DENVER, CO) Colorado utility Xcel Energy blew a hole in Southwest Power Pool's plans for a western power market when the company announced late Friday it had dropped out of the Mountain West Transmission Group. SPP had been working with the informal group of power providers for months to try and join the power market - and SPP had advanced the effort as recently as last month. Xcel didn't respond to a request for comment, but the press release said there were "limited benefits" in the effort and "increasingly uncertain costs."

Perhaps most intriguing to ME is the company's point that "Xcel now sees few opportunities for westward expansion of the RTO which might have added to the value proposition." SPP faces competition from both California's already established energy-imbalance market that includes utilities in the Pacific Northwest and Nevada, and a nascent joint project between eastern market operator PJM Interconnection and western reliability manager PEAK. Xcel's press release did not say if it had engaged with either of these other projects.

Lewis County PUD Equal Payment Plan (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(CHEHALIS, WA) -- Lewis County PUD is accepting enrollments in its Equal Payment Plan for customers.

The utility’s Cory Moses says the plan is designed to help customers during the months when their electricity bills can be extremely high. She says the only requirement to sign up for the plan is that you have lived at the same address for the past 12 months. Cory says the amount of your bill for the plan is recalculated every April for the next year.

If you are on the Equal Payment Plan you receive a bill monthly instead of every two months. The enrollment period runs through July 31.

Contact Lewis County PUD for more information or to sign up for the Equal Payment Plan.

Snohomish PUD CEO/General Manager Craig Collar Announces Retirement (Snohomish PUD, Everett, WA)

(EVERETT, WA) – Snohomish County Public Utility District CEO/General Manager Craig Collar has announced his retirement from the utility, effective October 1, 2018, with his last day at the PUD June 29, 2018. Collar has led the PUD for nearly three years, and previously served as an Assistant General Manager of Power, Rates and Transmission. He joined the utility in 2006. Collar is leaving to spend more time with family.

Collar has played an instrumental role in securing tens of millions of dollars in grants and forging numerous partnerships with universities and research organizations as the PUD has studied and developed new renewable energy resources in the Pacific Northwest. He also led negotiations with the Bonneville Power Administration, the utility’s largest energy supplier, and worked to address a broad of range of federal energy compliance issues.

“PUD customers have benefited greatly from Craig’s expertise amid an increasingly complex energy industry,” said PUD Board of Commissioners President Kathleen Vaughn. “His many contributions have helped reinforce our continued commitment to conservation, financial prudence, renewable resources, safety, customer service and ongoing improvements to system reliability.”

As general manager Collar has placed a renewed emphasis on safety to reduce the risk of utility worker injuries and help ensure the well-being of all employees. As a result, the utility’s recordable injury rate is at its lowest level in nearly 30 years – down 50% from 2015. He also worked with the PUD’s Leadership Team to develop a set of strategic priorities that guide the utility to pursue a set of goals across several areas, including continual improvement, customer experience, fiscal management and delivering energy in the most prudent and reliable way now and into the future.

Prior to joining the PUD, Craig was employed at Kimberly-Clark Corporation for 16 years, serving in several positions that included energy and environmental manager, operations manager, operations leader, technical manager and mechanical engineer. He also served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear submarine officer. He earned his MBA at Colorado State University and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Montana State University.

The utility’s Board of Commissioners will conduct a thorough internal and external search, both regionally and nationally, to select the next individual to lead the PUD. With a seasoned leadership team in place, the PUD Board has expressed its confidence that current initiatives and day-to-day utility operations will move forward successfully in Collar’s absence. The Board of Commissioners will appoint an interim CEO/General Manager by June 29, 2018.

Another Clean Audit for Pend Oreille PUD (Pend Oreille PUD, Newport, WA)

(NEWPORT, WA) – Pend Oreille County Public Utility District received another clean financial audit for 2017. The PUD utilized a third party firm, Moss Adams LLP, to conduct the audit that covered the financial statements and reporting for the PUD’s electric, generating, water, and broadband systems.

On April 10, Moss Adams LLP Partner Olga Darlington presented her final audit report at the PUD Board Meeting. She stated that District personnel were courteous, responsive and fulfilled all requests in a timely manner. Darlington also mentioned that management was helpful and transparent during the process.

Board President Dan Peterson said, “The Commission is very pleased with the year-after-year excellence demonstrated by the District’s finance staff and management.”

Clark Public Utilities’ Joshua Vincent Receives 2018 Safety Heroism Award (Northwest Public Power Association)

(L-R) E&O Safety Committee Chair Sean Eskridge, Clark Public
Utilities' Joshua Vincent & Margaret Anderson, NWPPA
Board President Steve Taylor, and E&O Conference Chair
Pat Durham.

(VANCOUVER, WA) – Last week, Clark Public Utilities Customer Service Representative Joshua Vincent received the Northwest Public Power Association Safety Heroism Award at the association’s 2018 Engineering & Operations Conference on April 10 in Tacoma, Wash.

Vincent received the award for his life-saving actions on the evening of March 23, 2017. That day, Vincent was on a call with a customer when he noticed that she was disoriented and having trouble understanding basic information such as the time and date. Concerned, he suggested that the customer go seek medical help; she said she had a friend who was on their way. Not sure if she had help, Vincent called the customer’s home a couple more times over the course of 30 minutes and when her friend hadn’t arrived, he asked permission to call an ambulance to her address. The customer agreed, and the ambulance arrived just in time to save the customer’s life. She had been having a heart attack and was pre-stroke, so Vincent’s careful attention and concern was likely the reason she’s still alive. The customer and her family followed up with Vincent and thanked him.

“In a busy work environment, it would be easy to focus solely on the task at hand,” said Margaret Anderson, Clark Public Utilities’ assistant to the CEO.

Anderson also noted that Vincent showed compassion and fortitude in his insistence that this customer receive medical attention.

The Safety Heroism Award recognizes an NWPPA member utility employee or team that displayed an act of unselfish and voluntary assistance in a situation where life, significant injury, or significant property loss would have been incurred were it not for the efforts of the individual or team. The NWPPA E&O Safety Subcommittee selects the winner of the annual Safety Heroism Award with concurrence from the NWPPA E&O Policy Committee.

2018 Northwest Public Power Association Safety Award Winners Announced (NWPPA)

(VANCOUVER, WA) – An annual tradition, the 2018 Northwest Public Power Association Safety Award winners were announced at last week’s Engineering & Operations Conference in Tacoma, Wash., on April 12.

Safety contest awards are based upon a review of each utility’s safety contest form, the number of recordable injury/illness cases (the incident rate) in 2017, and the lost work days (the severity rate) in 2017.

Employees accepted the awards on behalf of their utilities at the conference’s closing banquet on Thursday evening in front of nearly 300 public power industry peers.

0-40,000 Hours of Exposure

First place (tie): Kittitas County PUD #1 (Wash.)

First place (tie): Northern Wasco PUD (Ore.)

First place (tie): Wasco Electric Cooperative (Ore.)

Second place: Milton-Freewater City Light & Power (Ore.)

Third place: Hood River Electric Cooperative (Ore.)

40,001-80,000 Hours of Exposure

First place (tie): Blachly-Lane Electric Cooperative (Ore.)

First place (tie): Lincoln Electric Cooperative (Mont.)

First place (tie): Sun River Electric Cooperative (Mont.)

Second place: Clatskanie People's Utility District (Wash.)

Third place: Douglas Electric Cooperative (Ore.)

80,001-125,000 Hours of Exposure

First place (tie): Columbia River PUD (Ore.)

First place (tie): Columbia Rural Electric Association (Wash.)

First place (tie): Consumers Power (Ore.)

First place (tie): Copper Valley Electric Association (Alaska)

Second place: Salem Electric (Ore.)

Third place: Lane Electric Cooperative (Ore.)

125,001-200,000 Hours of Exposure

First place: Umatilla Electric Cooperative (Ore.)

Second place: Idaho Falls Power (Idaho)

Third place: Mission Valley Power (Mont.)

200,001-275,000 Hours of Exposure

First place: Roseville Electric Utility (Calif.)

Second place: Homer Electric Association (Alaska)

Third place: Silicon Valley Power (Calif.)

275,001-500,000 Hours of Exposure

First place: Benton PUD (Wash.)

Second place: Mason County PUD No 3 (Wash.)

Third place: Cowlitz PUD # 1 (Wash.)

500,001-1,000,000 Hours of Exposure

First place: Clark Public Utilities (Wash.)

Second place: Eugene Water & Electric Board (Ore.)

Third place: Modesto Irrigation District (Calif.)

Over 1,000,000 Hours of Exposure

First place: Energy Northwest (Wash.)

Second place: Sacramento Municipal Utility District (Calif.)

Third place: Chelan County PUD (Wash.)

Bitcoin Mining Operations Moratorium (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(SHELTON, WA) – We’ve been hearing more about cryptocurrencies these days.  The best known cryptocurrency is bitcoin. Mason County PUD 3 spokesman Joel Myer says the utility’s commissioners last week unanimously approved a moratorium on accepting applications for service to “cryptocurrency” mining operations after receiving request from a company for 10 megawatts of electricity for their bitcoin business. Myer says the commissioners expect the moratorium will be in place only about 3 or 4 months to give the utility time to do its due diligence on the issue. He says there are currently two cryptocurrency mining operations in the county, but on a much more modest scale.

Centralia College Lighting Grant (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(CENTRALIA, WA) -- Centralia College is receiving a grant for almost $232,000 for new LED lighting on campus from the Centralia Coal Transition Grants Weatherization Board.

The Board announced last week it approved the grant to help improve the learning environment for students by replacing old lighting technology with new LED lighting.

College spokeswoman Amanda Haines says over spring break crews replaced the lighting in the Kirk Library. She says they have also replaced the lighting in some of the parking lots. The project to replace the exterior walkway lighting on campus will continue over the next few months.

Franklin PUD Announces New Assistant General Manager (Franklin PUD, Pasco, WA)

(PASCO, WA) Franklin PUD announced today that Holly Dohrman has been promoted to the Assistant General Manager for the utility.

Dohrman has been the Power Director for Franklin PUD since July 2015, with over 15 years in the electric utility industry. She has extensive analytical and technical expertise and project management experience regarding transmission, distribution issues and other rates and revenue matters regarding power supply and delivery. 

“We are excited to have Holly on board with such impressive skills and talents,” said Franklin PUD General Manager, Tim Nies.  “We are pleased that Holly is taking on this new position of Assistant General Manager to assist Franklin PUD customers and employees regarding current and future electric utility issues”. 

Dohrman resides in Pasco, Washington and is a graduate of Washington State University with a B.A. in Social Science, and Yakima Valley Community college with an A.A. in Engineering. 

Energy News Digest for April 6, 2018

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SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

Gale Watch for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

Flood Watch for the Skokomish River

Weather Forecast for April 6, 2018

Marine Forecast for Puget Sound & Hood Canal

Olympic Mountain Forecast for Mason County

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Predicted Strong Storm ‘A Little Unusual’ For This Time of Year (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/947973/strong-storm-a-little-unusual-for-this-time-of-year/?

Dam Spill Could Boost Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Bills – Cooperative might add $2 charge to monthly bills from May through September each year (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/6140864-151/dam-spill-could-boost-otec-bills

McMorris Rodgers Says Bill Promoting Hydropower, Fish Migration Will See House Action Soon (Ripon Advance, Washington, DC)

https://riponadvance.com/stories/mcmorris-rodgers-says-bill-promoting-hydropower-fish-migration-will-see-house-action-soon/

Salmon Survival: ‘We Need More Lethal Removal of Sea Lions. Hazing Is Not the Answer’ (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/salmon-survival-we-need-more-lethal-removal-of-sea-lions/article_b3c6e334-8ea1-556e-9d4a-fe68f1e54eba.html

Twitter Suspends Over 1.2 Million Accounts for Terrorist Content (C/Net News)

https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-suspends-over-1-2-million-accounts-for-terrorist-content/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Dam Spill Could Boost Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Bills
• Chelan PUD Staff Gets OK to Target ‘Rogue’ Bitcoin Operations
• Northwest Power & Conservation Council Sends ‘State of the Columbia River Basin’ to Congress
• Tacoma Requests Proposals for Advanced Metering Infrastructure Technology & Services
• New Hydro Project on Hold at Idaho’s Black Canyon Dam Due to Low Energy Prices
• Jefferson PUD to Celebrate Five Years of Providing Electrical Power
• Chelan PUD Customer-Owners Happy with Service
• Public Invited to Engage Okanogan PUD General Manager Finalists
• Op/Ed: Franklin PUD: Our Future - Challenges & OPPORTUNITIES Lie Ahead
• South Carolina Lawmakers Vote to Remove Santee Cooper Board, Create New Panel to Study Sale
• President Trump Says He’s Looking at Emergency Aid for Battered Power Plants
• Salmon Survival: ‘We Need More Lethal Removal of Sea Lions. Hazing Is Not the Answer’
• Ninth Circuit Revives Lower Yellowstone River Dam Meant to Help Endangered Fish
• Surprising Parties, U.S. District Judge Dismisses U-S V. Oregon Case Guiding Basin Fisheries
• Puget Sound Salmon Do Drugs, Which May Hurt Their Survival
• Editorial: Compromise on Salmon
• Olympic Mountains Provide Suitable Reintroduction Site for Gray Wolves, Study Finds
• Build It. We Dare You – Sierra Club Likes Wind Farms – Just Not This New Jersey One
• Google Officially Hits Its 100% Renewable Energy Target
• Former FTC Chair Takes Aim at State Broadband Bills
• Project Will Boost Access to Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles in Washington State
• Western, Northeast U-S States Strike Partnerships to Boost Electric Vehicle Adoption
• Are Electric Vehicle Charging Corridors the Best Way to Spend Volkswagen’s Dieselgate Billions?
• Smart Meter Project Puts Power in the Hands of People
• Twitter Suspends Over 1.2 Million Accounts for Terrorist Content
• Cannabis Sales Forecast Suggests It May Surpass Soda by 2030
• Turning Poultry Poop & Scrap Wood into Electricity
• McMorris Rodgers Says Bill Promoting Hydropower, Fish Migration Will See House Action Soon
• U-S Senator Murray Talks Tri-Cities Issues Like Dams, Shoreline — And Tennis Shoes?
• Predicted Strong Storm ‘A Little Unusual’ For This Time of Year
• One of the Greatest West Coast Atmospheric Rivers on Record
• Skokomish Flood Watch this Weekend, Wind Possible Saturday

WORD OF THE DAY

Ineluctable \in-uh-LUCK-tuh-bull\ ● Adjective – Not to be avoided, changed, or resisted: inevitable.

Running Gag from the Radio Show “Fibber McGee & Molly:” Fibber McGee’s Closet

Fibber McGee carefully inserted a shoebox of receipts into the last available space in his closet. Unwittingly, the box would become the keystone to holding all the other contents of the closet in a tightly packed, tenuous position. Of course, mayhem and hilarity ensued when he opened the closet door one day, only to be engulfed with the ineluctable avalanche of items that poured from the ill-fated storage space.

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Dam Spill Could Boost Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Bills – Cooperative might add $2 charge to monthly bills from May through September each year (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/6140864-151/dam-spill-could-boost-otec-bills

Chelan PUD Staff Gets OK to Target ‘Rogue’ Bitcoin Operations (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/state_news/chelan-pud-staff-gets-ok-to-target-rogue-bitcoin-operations/article_20c4a08a-3814-11e8-8902-fbb0984ae12b.html

Northwest Power & Conservation Council Sends ‘State of the Columbia River Basin’ to Congress (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/440471.aspx

Tacoma Requests Proposals for Advanced Metering Infrastructure Technology & Services (South Sound Business Examiner)

https://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2018/04/tacoma-requests-proposals-for-advanced.html

New Hydro Project on Hold at Idaho’s Black Canyon Dam Due to Low Energy Prices (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/440468.aspx

Jefferson PUD to Celebrate Five Years of Providing Electrical Power (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/jefferson-pud-to-celebrate-five-years-of-providing-electrical-power/

Chelan PUD Customer-Owners Happy with Service (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://www.kpq.com/chelan-pud-customer-owners-happy-service/

Public Invited to Engage Okanogan PUD General Manager Finalists (Okanogan PUD, Okanogan, WA)

https://www.okanoganpud.org/news/notice-special-meetings-2

Op/Ed: Franklin PUD: Our Future - Challenges & OPPORTUNITIES Lie Ahead (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/special-reports/progress-edition/article207859509.html

South Carolina Lawmakers Vote to Remove Santee Cooper Board, Create New Panel to Study Sale (Charleston Post & Courier, SC)

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sc-house-votes-to-replace-santee-cooper-board-and-create/article_05165cdc-3767-11e8-a34c-77a58d825f55.html

President Trump Says He’s Looking at Emergency Aid for Battered Power Plants (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-05/trump-says-emergency-aid-sought-by-firstenergy-to-be-examined

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Survival: ‘We Need More Lethal Removal of Sea Lions. Hazing Is Not the Answer’ (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/salmon-survival-we-need-more-lethal-removal-of-sea-lions/article_b3c6e334-8ea1-556e-9d4a-fe68f1e54eba.html

Ninth Circuit Revives Lower Yellowstone River Dam Meant to Help Endangered Fish (Courthouse News Service)

https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-circuit-revives-dam-meant-to-help-endangered-fish/

Surprising Parties, U.S. District Judge Dismisses U-S V. Oregon Case Guiding Basin Fisheries (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/440477.aspx

Puget Sound Salmon Do Drugs, Which May Hurt Their Survival (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/state_news/puget-sound-salmon-do-drugs-which-may-hurt-their-survival/article_5ab8948e-39a6-11e8-a6b8-cfa8df7a7f76.html

Editorial: Compromise on Salmon (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2018/apr/06/in-our-view-compromise-on-salmon/

Olympic Mountains Provide Suitable Reintroduction Site for Gray Wolves, Study Finds (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/olympics-provide-suitable-reintroduction-site-for-gray-wolves-study-finds/

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

Build It. We Dare You – Sierra Club Likes Wind Farms – Just Not This New Jersey One (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-05/sierra-club-likes-wind-farms-just-not-this-new-jersey-one

Google Officially Hits Its 100% Renewable Energy Target (Green Tach Media)

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/google-officially-hits-100-renewable-energy-target#gs.BURHMqw

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Former FTC Chair Takes Aim at State Broadband Bills (Broadcasting & Cable)

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/former-ftc-chair-takes-aim-at-state-broadband-bills

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

Project Will Boost Access to Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles in Washington State (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/project-will-boost-access-to-charging-stations-for-electric-vehicles-in-washington/

Western, Northeast U-S States Strike Partnerships to Boost Electric Vehicle Adoption (Utility Dive)

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/western-northeast-states-strike-partnerships-to-boost-electric-vehicle-ado/520514/

Are Electric Vehicle Charging Corridors the Best Way to Spend Volkswagen’s Dieselgate Billions? (Forbes Magazine)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2018/04/04/are-electric-vehicle-charging-corridors-the-best-way-to-spend-volkswagens-dieselgate-billions/#304872216e64

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Smart Meter Project Puts Power in the Hands of People (Cornell Chronicle)

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/04/smart-meter-project-puts-power-hands-people

PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA

Twitter Suspends Over 1.2 Million Accounts for Terrorist Content (C/Net News)

https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-suspends-over-1-2-million-accounts-for-terrorist-content/

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

Cannabis Sales Forecast Suggests It May Surpass Soda by 2030 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/marijuana/index.ssf/2018/04/cannabis_sales_forecast_sugges.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE

Turning Poultry Poop & Scrap Wood into Electricity (Bloomberg News)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-03/veolia-turning-poultry-poop-and-scrap-wood-into-electricity

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

McMorris Rodgers Says Bill Promoting Hydropower, Fish Migration Will See House Action Soon (Ripon Advance, Washington, DC)

https://riponadvance.com/stories/mcmorris-rodgers-says-bill-promoting-hydropower-fish-migration-will-see-house-action-soon/

U-S Senator Murray Talks Tri-Cities Issues Like Dams, Shoreline — And Tennis Shoes? “…I did not call for, nor will I call for, the removal of the Snake River dams...” (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article207395339.html

GENERAL NEWS

Predicted Strong Storm ‘A Little Unusual’ For This Time of Year (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

http://mynorthwest.com/947973/strong-storm-a-little-unusual-for-this-time-of-year/?

One of the Greatest West Coast Atmospheric Rivers on Record (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2018/04/one-of-greatest-west-coast-atmospheric.html

Skokomish Flood Watch this Weekend, Wind Possible Saturday (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/30006

ANIMAL STORIES – DIVERSIONS

Ohio Police Investigate Reports of ‘Zombie’ Raccoons

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/police-investigate-reports-of-zombie-raccoons/article_391ac8b4-7b14-5712-90c5-7a9499a8a761.html

Zoo Offering Visitors Buckets of ‘Detroit Zoo Poo’

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/weird_news/zoo-offering-visitors-buckets-of-detroit-zoo-poo/article_9ff5d45b-214b-53ee-94fb-b293b218fbf6.html

Gig Harbor: HGTV Dream Home Winner: ‘We Finally Get Our Win’

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/gateway/article207808569.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Carpenter - Bless the Beasts & the Children

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhR36gV6vW4

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LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links. There may be paywall barriers, unless you are willing to fork over some dough or if you have a clean browser history.

Tacoma Requests Proposals for Advanced Metering Infrastructure Technology & Services (South Sound Business Examiner)

(TACOMA, WA) – The City of Tacoma has issued a request for proposals for an “Advanced Metering Infrastructure Technology and Services” project.

Qualified vendors should submit a plan to implement an Advanced Metering Infrastructure communications system, electric meters, water meters, and information systems for the management and control of the network.

The city, which issued the RFP in partnership with Tacoma Public Utilities, prefers to purchase an AMI system that has proven to work well in other similar-sized utilities. The city and TPU also prefer to award a single contract for all water and electric meters, but may decide otherwise depending on the submissions received.

The awarded contract will be for a minimum of three years, including a one-year period for maintenance and support. TPU estimates that the cost of the project will be approximately $60 million.

The submission deadline is May 15, 2018 at 11 a.m. Questions about the project are due on Apr. 26, 2018.

Bonneville Power Administration Statement on Court Ruling for Additional Columbia River Spill (Bonneville Power Administration)

(PORTLAND, OR) -- The Bonneville Power Administration will follow today’s court decision that orders additional spill operations for the Federal Columbia River Power System. That said, this decision creates a new multi-million dollar obligation for the region’s ratepayers. As we stated in our newly released agency strategic plan, achieving the full scope of BPA’s mission requires a careful balance between sometimes competing objectives. Specifically, we at BPA are committed to delivering on our vast public responsibilities through a commercially successful business. We are analyzing the full financial impacts of this court decision and we will make more information available in the coming weeks.