Thursday, June 10, 2010

Energy News Digest for June 10, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State’s New Cell Phone Law Takes Effect Today (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Mason County - Day Three of Candidate Filing Nets a Fourth for PUD 3 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

A Call to Triple US Spending on Energy Research (NY Times)

Federal Study Shows Major Decline of Northwest Water Supplies (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Moses Lake Students Race for Solar Power - School District partnered with the Grant County Public Utility District & REC Silicon (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         A Call to Triple US Spending on Energy Research
·         DNR Steps into Okanogan PUD Transmission Line Tangle
·         California - Public Anger at Pacific Gas & Electric Helped Sink Prop 16
·         Summit Park Ballfields & BPA Power Lines Spark Maple Valley City Council Discussion
·         Coming to Earth Soon: Nasty Solar Storms
·         Canadian Commission into Sockeye Salmon Stocks Releases Areas of Inquiry
·         Canada – Captain Kirk Fights off Alien Salmon
·         Salmon Get Bar Codes
·         Biotoxin Closes All of Whatcom County to Recreational Shellfish Harvest
·         Editorial – Shellfish Industry: An Ill Wind Blows in Our Region’s Favor
·         Going to War against Grasshoppers
·         Federal Study Shows Major Decline of Northwest Water Supplies
·         AP Impact: BP Gulf Spill Response Plans Severely Flawed – Included seals & walruses as species at risk
·         Washington, Oregon Dishwashers to Go on Low-Phosphate Diets
·         Construction Begins on East Idaho Wind Project
·         Canada – Wind Farm Turbines Deadly for Birds, Bats
·         Idaho Geothermal Company Closer to $102 Million Loan
·         Texas - Mesquite Wood Fired Power Plant Moves Forward
·         Public Service of New Hampshire Reaches Power Purchase Agreement for Biomass Energy
·         Canada - New Brunswick Biomass Allocation Upsets Ecology Groups
·         United Kingdom Will Fail Climate Change Target to Generate More Electricity from Wind
·         Energy Savings on the Cheap - Hanging Laundry on Clotheslines Saves Money
·         Senator Graham Backs US Energy Bill without Carbon Cap He Once Sought
·         Energy, Climate Change, but No Cap & Trade
·         Once More, With Less Feeling - Climate-Change Negotiations Settle in for the Long Haul
·         Report: Potential of “Clean Coal” to Reduce Emissions is Overstated
·         Moses Lake Students Race for Solar Power
·         Solar Cells: Coming to a Window Near You?
·         Airplane Contrails Contribute to Global Warming
·         Lafayette Utility Service Files Complaint with FCC over Cox Blackballing
·         Verizon, Time Warner Cable Fight over the Definition of Fiber
·         Rural Wireless Carriers Ready for a Fight
·         FCC Looks for Silicon Valley Support of Broadband Plan
·         FCC Has 20,000 Speedtest Volunteers - But they’re looking for more...
·         Some ISPs Still Struggling With Definition of ‘Unlimited’
·         APOGEE Interactive Websites Take Top Honors
·         Mason County - Day Three of Candidate Filing Nets a Fourth for PUD 3
·         Mason County Candidate Filings
·         California Voters Overhaul Primary Election System – Go to “Top Two” System
·         Washington State’s New Cell Phone Law Takes Effect Today
·         Washington State & Three Others Begging Congress for $24B Medicaid Bailout
·         Mount Rainier Shaking With Tiny Ice Quakes
·         Cowlitz County: We’re Open for Business

WORD OF THE DAY

Ambuscade • \AM-buss-kade\ • noun - A trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise; also: the persons so concealed or their position

The intricate maze built of copy-paper boxes by the utility’s information services staff had a dual purpose: funnel abusers of the print-limit policy into a single line; and make escape past the carefully organized ambuscade of printer police virtually impossible. The camouflage of those lying in wait was impressive…at first glance; they appeared as innocent boxes of copy paper. However, tear-away panels stood ready to release an onslaught of hidden IS workers at the ambush point.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

A Call to Triple US Spending on Energy Research (NY Times)

DNR Steps into Okanogan PUD Transmission Line Tangle (Wenatchee World, WA)

California - Public Anger at Pacific Gas & Electric Helped Sink Prop 16 (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Summit Park Ballfields & BPA Power Lines Spark Maple Valley City Council Discussion (Covington Reporter, WA)

Coming to Earth Soon: Nasty Solar Storms - The sun is about to get a lot more active, which spells bad news for Earth’s satellites, power grids, & other trappings of modern living (Christian Science Monitor)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Canadian Commission into Sockeye Salmon Stocks Releases Areas of Inquiry “…water pollution, salmon farms, logging, diseases & parasites, predators, non-retention fisheries, climate change, urbanization & agricultural activities & hydro…” (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Canada – Captain Kirk Fights off Alien Salmon (Edmonton Journal, Alberta)

Salmon Get Bar Codes (Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR)

Biotoxin Closes All of Whatcom County to Recreational Shellfish Harvest (KING-TV, Seattle)

Editorial – Shellfish Industry: An Ill Wind Blows in Our Region’s Favor (Daily Astorian, OR)

Going to War against Grasshoppers (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Federal Study Shows Major Decline of Northwest Water Supplies (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

AP Impact: BP Spill Response Plans Severely Flawed “…The plan lists cold-water marine mammals including walruses, sea otters, sea lions & seals as sensitive biological resources…none of those animals live anywhere near the Gulf…” (Associated Press)

Washington, Oregon Dishwashers to Go on Low-Phosphate Diets (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Construction Begins on East Idaho Wind Project (KMVT-TV, Boise, ID)

Canada – Wind Farm Turbines Deadly for Birds, Bats (Globe & Mail)

Idaho Geothermal Company Closer to $102 Million Loan (Associated Press)

Texas - Mesquite Wood Fired Power Plant Moves Forward (Abilene Reporter News, TX)

Public Service of New Hampshire Reaches Power Purchase Agreement for Biomass Energy “…will move New Hampshire closer to its goal of 25 percent renewable energy…” (Market Watch)

Canada - New Brunswick Biomass Allocation Upsets Ecology Groups (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

United Kingdom Will Fail Climate Change Target to Generate More Electricity from Wind Farms (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7813742/UK-will-fail-climate-change-target.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Savings on the Cheap - Hanging Laundry on Clotheslines Saves Money, Cuts Carbon (Portland Tribune, OR)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Senator Graham Backs US Energy Bill without Carbon Cap He Once Sought (Bloomberg Business News)

Energy, Climate Change, but No Cap & Trade (NY Times)

Once More, With Less Feeling - Climate-Change Negotiations Settle in for the Long Haul (The Economist Magazine)

Report: Potential of “Clean Coal” to Reduce Emissions is Overstated (Solve Climate)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Moses Lake Students Race for Solar Power - School District partnered with the Grant County Public Utility District & REC Silicon (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Solar Cells: Coming to a Window Near You? (CNN)

Airplane Contrails Contribute to Global Warming (Natural News)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Lafayette Utility Service Files Complaint with FCC over Cox Blackballing - Insists they’re being kept out of National Cable Television Cooperative (Broadband Reports)

Verizon, Time Warner Cable Fight over the Definition of Fiber (Broadband Reports)

Rural Wireless Carriers Ready for a Fight (Light Reading)

FCC Looks for Silicon Valley Support of Broadband Plan (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

FCC Has 20,000 Speedtest Volunteers - But they’re looking for more... (Broadband Reports)

Some ISPs Still Struggling With Definition of ‘Unlimited’ (Broadband Reports)

APOGEE Interactive Websites Take Top Honors - National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Competition (PR Newswire)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County - Day Three of Candidate Filing Nets a Fourth for PUD 3 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Candidate Filings (Mason County Auditor)

California Voters Overhaul Primary Election System – Go to “Top Two” System (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State’s New Cell Phone Law Takes Effect Today (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Washington State & Three Others Begging Congress for $24B Medicaid Bailout (Associated Press)

Mount Rainier Shaking With Tiny Ice Quakes (Associated Press)

We’re Open for Business “…Cowlitz PUD & the state were able to offer the family a $2.2 million package of grants & low-interest loans to pay power costs for the new plant…” (Longview Daily News, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Stowaway Survives Flight Next to Jet Landing Gear

NY’s Empire State Bldg Says ‘No’ to Mother Teresa

Yuck!!! Galileo’s Fingers Go on Display in Florence Museum

Elementary School Counselor Kisses a Pig to Reward Her Students

SONG OF THE DAY

Indigo Girls - Galileo