Energy News Digest for September 28, 2010

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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

BPA Transformer Blast Cuts Power, Spills Oil - Agency Says 8,500 Gallons Contained at Site W. of Redmond (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

http://www.ktvz.com/news/25181025/detail.html

Oregon Wind Energy Too Much to Handle (Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce)

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/09/27/oregon-wind-energy-too-much-to-handle/

Wind Energy Can Power Much of East Coast, Study Says (McClatchy News Service – good luck getting anything built anytime soon)

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/28/101206/wind-energy-can-power-much-of.html

Olympic National Park on List for Ecology’s Haze Reduction Efforts (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100927/news/309279992/olympic-national-park-on-list-for-ecologys-haze-reduction-efforts

Will Washington State Add Another Congressional District? (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/09/27/daily7.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         BPA Transformer Blast Cuts Power, Spills Oil

·         Olympia: Rallies to Protest Centralia Coal Fueled Power Plant

·         California – Pacific Gas & Electric Recommends Energy Conservation after Heat Knocks Out Power for More Than 30,000

·         Benton PUD to Discuss Planned Rate Increases

·         Mason PUD 1 - Planned Power Outage for Union Area Tonight

·         Mason County PUD No. 3 to Celebrate Public Power Week October 3-9

·         Workers Say Vermont Yankee Safe Despite Problems

·         Tennessee Valley Authority Inspector Says Poor Management Led to Coal Ash Spill

·         Scientists Use Hovering Zeppelin to Film Whales

·         Olympic National Park on List for Ecology’s Haze Reduction Efforts

·         Shelton City Commission Briefed on Water Rate Study – One suggestion: raise water utility tax to about 13%

·         US Congressman Dicks, Governor’s Chief of Staff Receive Clean Water Awards

·         Oregon Wind Energy Too Much to Handle

·         Wind Energy Can Power Much of East Coast, Study Says

·         Never Mind Oil, Group Says: Think Atlantic Wind

·         South Dakota Wind Partners Reach Investment Goal

·         Wisconsin - Customer groups oppose Rate Increase – Cite green power transmission bottleneck

·         Britain’s Offshore Wind Power Costs Twice as Much as Coal & Gas Generated Electricity

·         Everett Composting Odor Could Generate Electricity

·         South Carolina - Santee Cooper Board Approves Major Biomass Project

·         North Carolina Utilities Buy Power from Poop, Landfills

·         Electricity Plant Fuelled by Waste Food in Cumbernauld Opens

·         Scotland to get 100 pct green energy by 2025

·         Water Heaters Get Their Smart Grid on at Mason County PUD No. 3

·         Proctor & Gamble to Push Cold-Water Laundry Washing

·         Environmentalism’s Communications Problem

·         Seattle’s Turning Its Rooftops Green

·         Lowe’s Goes Green with Recycling Centers

·         Computer Attacks May be Cyber War

·         Social Media Advertising: Who Measures, Who Wins

·         Will Washington State Add Another Congressional District?

·         Kitsap County Elected Officials Accept Two-Year Pay Freeze

·         Yamaha Faces Hundreds of Lawsuits over Off-Road Rhino Injuries, Deaths

·         Spokane - For Street & Water Projects, Economic Downturn Has an Upside

·         Spiders, Spiders Everywhere This Season

·         Don’t Expect IRS Tax Forms in Mail

WORD OF THE DAY

Eternize • \it-TER-nyze\ • verb - 1a: to make eternal b: to prolong indefinitely 2: immortalize

“I’m not sure this will eternize you,” stuttered the plastic extrusion engineer to the towering, imposing customer with the oversized thumb. “But if you want immortality by embedding your ashes into tiddlywinks disks when you die, that’s up to you. I just think it’s kinda creepy…that’s all”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

BPA Transformer Blast Cuts Power, Spills Oil - Agency Says 8,500 Gallons Contained at Site W. of Redmond (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

http://www.ktvz.com/news/25181025/detail.html

Olympia: Rallies to Protest Centralia Coal Fueled Power Plant (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/09/28/1384187/olympia-rallies-to-protest-centralia.html

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Recommends Energy Conservation after Heat Knocks Out Power for More Than 30,000 (Oakland Tribune, CA)

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_16180235

Benton PUD to Discuss Planned Rate Increases (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/09/27/1185454/benton-pud-to-discuss-planned.html

Mason PUD 1 - Planned Power Outage for Union Area Tonight (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/3365-planned-power-outage-for-union-area-tonight

Mason County PUD No. 3 to Celebrate Public Power Week October 3-9 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=778

Workers Say Vermont Yankee Safe Despite Problems (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013011646_apvtvermontyankeelabor.html

Tennessee Valley Authority Inspector Says Poor Management Led to Coal Ash Spill (Associated Press)

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/09/28/business-financial-impact-us-tva-ash-spill_7965389.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Scientists Use Hovering Zeppelin to Film Whales (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13227972

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympic National Park on List for Ecology’s Haze Reduction Efforts (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100927/news/309279992/olympic-national-park-on-list-for-ecologys-haze-reduction-efforts

Shelton City Commission Briefed on Water Rate Study – One suggestion: raise water utility tax to about 13% (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/3370-shelton-city-commission-briefed-on-water-rate-study

US Congressman Dicks, Governor’s Chief of Staff Receive Clean Water Awards (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100927/news/309279993/us-rep-dicks-governors-chief-of-staff-receive-clean-water-awards

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Wind Energy Too Much to Handle (Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce)

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/09/27/oregon-wind-energy-too-much-to-handle/

Wind Energy Can Power Much of East Coast, Study Says (McClatchy News Service – good luck getting anything built anytime soon)

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/28/101206/wind-energy-can-power-much-of.html

Never Mind Oil, Group Says: Think Atlantic Wind (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/never-mind-oil-group-says-think-atlantic-wind/

South Dakota Wind Partners Reach Investment Goal (Rapid City Journal, SD)

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_d546b3b6-ca87-11df-a477-001cc4c002e0.html

Wisconsin - Customer groups oppose Rate Increase – Cite green power transmission bottleneck (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)

http://www.jsonline.com/business/103900619.html

Britain’s Offshore Wind Power Costs Twice as Much as Coal & Gas Generated Electricity (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/8028328/Britains-offshore-windpower-costs-twice-as-much-as-coal-and-gas-generated-electricity.html

Everett Composting Odor Could Generate Electricity (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013015893_apwaodorpower.html

South Carolina - Santee Cooper Board Approves Major Biomass Project (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display/articles/electric-light-power/renewable-energy/2010/09/Santee_Cooper_board_approves_major_biomass_project.html

North Carolina Utilities Buy Power from Poop, Landfills (Associated Press)

http://www.freep.com/article/20100928/BUSINESS07/100928013/N-C-utilities-buy-power-from-poop-landfills

Electricity Plant Fuelled by Waste Food in Cumbernauld Opens (British Broadcasting Corp.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-11418388

Scotland to get 100 pct green energy by 2025 (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68Q61X20100927

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Water Heaters Get Their Smart Grid on at Mason County PUD No. 3 (EarthTechling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2010/09/water-heaters-get-their-smart-grid-on/

Proctor & Gamble to Push Cold-Water Laundry Washing (Media Post)

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136456

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Environmentalism’s Communications Problem (High Country News)

http://www.hcn.org/greenjustice/blog/environmentalisms-communications-problem

Seattle’s Turning Its Rooftops Green (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=370774

Lowe’s Goes Green with Recycling Centers (Charlotte Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2010/09/27/daily13.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Computer Attacks May be Cyber War (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/sep/27/computer-attacks-may-be-cyber-war/

Social Media Advertising: Who Measures, Who Wins (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/09/27/social-media-advertising-who-measures-who-wins/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Will Washington State Add Another Congressional District? (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/09/27/daily7.html

Kitsap County Elected Officials Accept Two-Year Pay Freeze (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/27/kitsap-county-elected-officials-accept-two-year-pa/

GENERAL NEWS

Yamaha Faces Hundreds of Lawsuits over Off-Road Rhino Injuries, Deaths (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/09/yamaha_faces_hundreds_of_lawsu.html

Spokane - For Street & Water Projects, Economic Downturn Has an Upside: City rescheduling saves money, creates work for local businesses (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/28/for-street-water-projects-downturn-has-an-upside/

Spiders, Spiders Everywhere This Season (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Spiders-spiders-everywhere-this-season-103905509.html

Don’t Expect IRS Tax Forms in Mail (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013012895_taxform28.html

DIVERSIONS

Coffee Survey Might Surprise the Coffee-Dependent Northwest

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=370567

Robbers Clean Up With Vacuum - A gang of thieves armed with a powerful vacuum cleaner that sucks cash from supermarket safes has struck for the fifteenth time in France

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3149962/Robbers-clean-up-with-vacuum.html

Buzzword of the Day: ‘Narrative’

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100928/OPINION03/9280315/1008/opinion01/Buzzword-of-the-day---narrative-

Athiests & Agnostics Know More about Religion According to New Survey

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=371157

SONG OF THE DAY

King Harvest - Dancin’ in the Moonlight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMc8naeeSS8