Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Energy News Digest for December 30, 2009


The Energy News Digest will be taking Thursday, December 31 off as it prepares for a raucous celebration on New Year’s Eve. It will return, sans hangover, on January 4. Best regards and well wishes to all for the new year.

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  Update - All Electricity Restored in Highway 106 Outage West of Belfair
  Grays Harbor PUD Power rates may rise 8%
  Nearly Three Cents per Kwh - Kentucky Power Asks for Nearly 35 Pct Rate Hike
  Idaho Power Plan to Sell Facilities to Cooperative Gets Hearing
  Pacific Gas & Electric Customer Revolt May Threaten Rollout of Obama’s Smart Grid
  Motion seeks to withdraw Va. power line request
  Michigan Regulators OK Air Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant
  France-Based Areva Plans California Nuclear Plant
  Australia Debates Plan to Build 10 Nuclear Reactors
  Record Coho Returns Boost Columbia River Restoration
  Washington State Closes Elk Archery Season after ‘Out of Hand’ Hunt
  $10 Million for Coastal Wetlands in Washington & Oregon
  Washington State Proposes Lifting Groundwater Rule
  Snowpack Thin Across Idaho So Far
  It’s Legal to Collect Your Own Rain
  The Lake Effect - What new research about how dams affect rainfall says about man-made climate change
  Supporters Tout Unified US Renewable Energy Standard
  Wal-Mart, Others Make Money on Oregon’s Energy Tax Credits
  Solar Power’s Popularity Spikes in Washington State
  California’s Renewable Pipeline Hits Nearly 70 GW
  Ice Risk for London’s Olympic Wind Turbine
  Nebraska Ethanol Plant Draws $30M at Bankruptcy Sale
  Glowing Walls Could Kill Off the Light Bulb
  North Dakota Lawsuit Likely Over Minnesota Carbon Dioxide Tax
  Eco-Officers Are Moving Into Executive Suites
  Would-be copper thief disrupts cable service for Issaquah customers
  Additional Guilty Plea by Hacker in Thefts
  Google’s 2009: A Glimpse of the Web’s Next Decade
  Shelton Man to Be Sentenced on Voyeurism Charges
  Travelers Should Brace for Mountain Snow
  Dogs Rescued from Illegal Taiwanese Meat Factory, Were Being Fattened Up to Be Eaten
  Climate Control Matters Heat Up in Offices; Agreements Ease Friction

WORD OF THE DAY

Epilogue • \EPP-uh-logg\ • noun – 1: a concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work 2a: a speech often in verse addressed to the audience by an actor at the end of a play; also: the actor speaking such an epilogue b: the final scene of a play that comments on or summarizes the main action 3: the concluding section of a musical composition: coda

As an epilogue to 2009, I will be sending out the pantingly anticipated 2009 words of the day compendium the first week of January. Once it has arrived in your trembling little paws, enjoy its oddness.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Update - All Electricity Restored in Highway 106 Outage West of Belfair (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Grays Harbor PUD Power rates may rise 8% (Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

Nearly Three Cents per Kwh - Kentucky Power Asks for Nearly 35 Pct Rate Hike (Associated Press)

Idaho Power Plan to Sell Facilities to Cooperative Gets Hearing (Associated Press)

Pacific Gas & Electric Customer Revolt May Threaten Rollout of Obama’s Smart Grid (Bloomberg News)

Motion seeks to withdraw Va. power line request (Associated Press)

Michigan Regulators OK Air Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant (Associated Press)

France-Based Areva Plans California Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)

Australia Debates Plan to Build 10 Nuclear Reactors (The National, Australia)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Record Coho Returns Boost Columbia River Restoration - Pioneering strategy restores upper Columbia species from near extinction (Bonneville Power Administration)

Washington State Closes Elk Archery Season after ‘Out of Hand’ Hunt (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

$10 Million for Coastal Wetlands in Washington & Oregon (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Proposes Lifting Groundwater Rule (Associated Press)

Snowpack Thin Across Idaho So Far (Associated Press)

It’s Legal to Collect Your Own Rain (Whidbey News-Times, Oak Harbor, WA)

The Lake Effect - What new research about how dams affect rainfall says about man-made climate change (Newsweek Magazine)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Supporters Tout Unified US Renewable Energy Standard (Associated Press)

Wal-Mart, Others Make Money on Oregon’s Energy Tax Credits (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar Power’s Popularity Spikes in Washington State (Cooler Planet)

California’s Renewable Pipeline Hits Nearly 70 GW - Proposed projects must clear regulatory hurdles (Reuters)

Ice Risk for London’s Olympic Wind Turbine - Engineers are trying to minimize the risk of the proposed wind turbine showering lumps of ice onto members of the public (New Civil Engineer)

Nebraska Ethanol Plant Draws $30M at Bankruptcy Sale (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Glowing Walls Could Kill Off the Light Bulb (The Times of London, UK)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

North Dakota Lawsuit Likely Over Minnesota Carbon Dioxide Tax (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Eco-Officers Are Moving Into Executive Suites (Los Angeles Times, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Would-be copper thief disrupts cable service for Issaquah customers (Issaquah Press, WA)

Additional Guilty Plea by Hacker in Thefts (NY Times)

Google’s 2009: A Glimpse of the Web’s Next Decade (Mashable.com)

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Man to Be Sentenced on Voyeurism Charges (KING-TV, Seattle)

Travelers Should Brace for Mountain Snow (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Dogs Rescued from Illegal Taiwanese Meat Factory, Being Fattened Up to Be Eaten, Brought to Vancouver Island (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

Climate Control Matters Heat Up in Offices; Agreements Ease Friction (Seattle Times)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

State Patrol: Truck thief calls 911 when vehicle breaks down

Pot-Stuffed Teddy Bear Found at California Toy Store

HP Ink Costs More Than Human Blood

‘Thriller,’ Muppets among 25 in US film registry

SONG OF THE DAY

Bette Midler with Jake Shimabukuro - In My Life