Friday, August 6, 2010

Energy News Digest for August 6, 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

Connecticut - Firms Involved in Power Plant Blast that Killed Six Workers Fined $16 Million (Associated Press)

Portland General Electric Rates Set to Increase an Average of 3 Percent in 2011 (Oregonian, Portland)

Idaho - Sockeye to Swim into Redfish Lake under Own Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Port Townsend - Biomass ‘Greenness’: Program to Address Pollution Created by ‘Incinerators’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

New Data Center to Open in Puyallup - The Seattle area (sic), rife with hydroelectric power, is about to get another data center (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Connecticut - Firms Involved in Power Plant Blast that Killed Six Workers Fined $16 Million
·         Idaho - Nampa Excavator Criticizes Power Project for Hiring Out of State Contractors
·         Chelan/Grant PUDs to Sue State for Tax Collections
·         Portland General Electric Sales Get a Cool Weather Bump
·         Portland General Electric Rates Set to Increase an Average of 3 Percent in 2011
·         Power Outage at US Bank Holds Up Unemployment Benefits for 118,000 Oregonians
·         Collaboration Key to Solving Transmission Congestion
·         Editorial - Wisconsin Power Line Needs Serious Look
·         Feds Sue Michigan Utility over Coal-Fired Plant
·         US Energy Department Alters FutureGen Plans in Illinois
·         Idaho - Sockeye to Swim into Redfish Lake under Own Power
·         Lake Wenatchee Set to Reopen for Sockeye
·         Industry Group Comes Forward to Keep Hood Canal Hatchery Open
·         Bellevue - Fish Count Shows Kelsey Creek Is Healthy
·         Editorial - Are Oysters Canaries in the Coal Mine?
·         Scientist: Carp May Have Been Planted Near Lake Michigan
·         Fungus on Track to Extinguish Bats in Northeast
·         Kittitas Groundwater Rule Comment Period Extended
·         Environmentalists Outraged over Dump of Dredge Spoils on Hayden Island
·         Port Townsend - Biomass ‘Greenness’: Program to Address Pollution Created by ‘Incinerators’
·         Wood into Power - Washington Biomass Plant is Similar to One Planned for Eugene
·         Wisconsin - Charter Street Coal Plant Embarks on Its Transition to Cleaner Biofuels
·         North Dakota - Otter Tail Electric Bills Rise With Wind Power
·         Can Huge Mojave Wind Farm Boost Faltering Wind Power Industry?
·         Dissecting the US Wind Market
·         Polysilicon Maker Hoku’s Loss Bigger Than Year-Ago Period
·         Study: Over Long Term, Cars Worse for Climate than Planes
·         Electric Filling Station Opens in Oregon
·         Let the Chevrolet Volt Buyer Beware, as Some Dealers Mark Up Price
·         Meet Bio-Bug, a VW Beetle That Runs on Human Waste
·         Arbor Anger: City of Seattle, Tree Preservation Panel at Odds
·         New Data Center to Open in Puyallup
·         $1.2 Billion in Broadband Stimulus Funding
·         Remaining Schedule of Grant Announcements - USDA & the Commerce Department Supporting Broadband Access & Economic Opportunity Across America through the Recovery Act
·         Kentucky Utilities Get $246 Million for Broadband Project
·         Ohio Lands $14 Million in Stimulus for Broadband Capacity
·         Most of Portland’s Wi-Fi Gear Is Gone, but Several Dozen Units Remain
·         FCC Abandons Efforts at Net Neutrality Compromise
·         FCC: No More Closed-Door Neutrality Meetings
·         Google Denies Selling Out on Net Neutrality
·         FCC Chief Opposes Fees for Internet Priority
·         Editorial - The Broadband Gap
·         Cable Focuses on Internet & Satellite TV Grows
·         How to Finance a Community Broadband Network When Incumbents Fight Back
·         How Fast Will Your Internet be in 2020?
·         US Senate - Murray Spent $3.9 Million in July
·         State Municipal Bonds Are Offering Decent Rates Now
·         Washington Congressional Delegation Demands Obama Stop NOAA Move
·         WA Supreme Court: Rude King County Judge Suspended for Five Days
·         Russia - Planes Diverted & Offices Close as Smoke Chokes Moscow
·         British Columbia Fires Continue to Send Smoke into the Wenatchee Valley
·         Mason County - Ballots Missing for Some Belfair Voters
·         Anonymous Source Says Lewis County Deputy Coroner Had Morphine Overdose at Work
·         Video Shows Disabled Seattle Firefighter Dancing
·         La Nina Forecast; Snowy, Wet Winter Ahead?
·         Two Teens Arrested in $100,000 School Bus Vandalism Case

WORD OF THE DAY

Extrinsic • \eck-STRIN-zick\ • adjective - 1a: not forming part of or belonging to a thing: extraneous b: originating from or on the outside; especially: originating outside a part and acting upon the part as a whole

Mel gazed upon the unidentifiable auto part in his hand, his brows furrowed in perplexed wonderment as to where it belonged inside his newly rebuilt engine. He puzzled over the odd-shaped widget all afternoon, absently lathing his hands with ‘Goop’ cleaner, hoping that the spare part was an extrinsic cog for the motor.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Connecticut - Firms Involved in Power Plant Blast that Killed Six Workers Fined $16 Million (Associated Press)

Idaho - Nampa Excavator Criticizes Power Project for Hiring Out of State Contractors (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

Chelan/Grant PUDs to Sue State for Tax Collections (Wenatchee World, WA)

Portland General Electric Sales Get a Cool Weather Bump (Portland Business Journal)

Portland General Electric Rates Set to Increase an Average of 3 Percent in 2011 (Oregonian, Portland)

Power Outage at US Bank Holds Up Unemployment Benefits for 118,000 Oregonians (Oregonian, Portland)

Collaboration Key to Solving Transmission Congestion (Bonneville Power Administration)

Editorial - Wisconsin Power Line Needs Serious Look (Wisconsin State Journal)

Feds Sue Michigan Utility over Coal-Fired Plant (Associated Press)

US Energy Department Alters FutureGen Plans in Illinois (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho - Sockeye to Swim into Redfish Lake under Own Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Lake Wenatchee Set to Reopen for Sockeye (Wenatchee World, WA)

Industry Group Comes Forward to Keep Hood Canal Hatchery Open (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Bellevue - Fish Count Shows Kelsey Creek Is Healthy (Seattle Times)

Editorial - Are Oysters Canaries in the Coal Mine? (The Daily Astorian, OR)

Scientist: Carp May Have Been Planted Near Lake Michigan (USA Today)

Fungus on Track to Extinguish Bats in Northeast (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kittitas Groundwater Rule Comment Period Extended (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Environmentalists Outraged over Dump of Dredge Spoils on Hayden Island (Northwest Cable News)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Townsend - Biomass ‘Greenness’: Program to Address Pollution Created by ‘Incinerators’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Wood into Power - Washington Biomass Plant is Similar to One Planned for Eugene (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Wisconsin - Charter Street Coal Plant Embarks on Its Transition to Cleaner Biofuels (Wisconsin State Journal)

North Dakota - Otter Tail Electric Bills Rise With Wind Power (The Daily Caller)

Can Huge Mojave Wind Farm Boost Faltering Wind Power Industry? (Christian Science Monitor)

Dissecting the US Wind Market (Renewable Energy World)

Polysilicon Maker Hoku’s Loss Bigger Than Year-Ago Period (Pacific Business News)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study: Over Long Term, Cars Worse for Climate than Planes (United Press International)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Filling Station Opens in Oregon (Associated Press)

Let the Chevrolet Volt Buyer Beware, as Some Dealers Mark Up Price (NY Times)

Meet Bio-Bug, a VW Beetle That Runs on Human Waste (NY Times)

Arbor Anger: City of Seattle, Tree Preservation Panel at Odds (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

New Data Center to Open in Puyallup - The Seattle area (sic), rife with hydroelectric power, is about to get another data center (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

$1.2 Billion in Broadband Stimulus Funding - 126 projects, most of which focus on rural wireless & DSL expansion: $4.8 billion remaining to be distributed (Broadband Reports)

Remaining Schedule of Grant Announcements - USDA & the Commerce Department Supporting Broadband Access & Economic Opportunity Across America through the Recovery Act (White House)

Kentucky Utilities Get $246 Million for Broadband Project (Business First of Louisville)

Ohio Lands $14 Million in Stimulus for Broadband Capacity (Business First of Columbus)

Most of Portland’s Wi-Fi Gear Is Gone, but Several Dozen Units Remain (Oregonian, Portland)

FCC Abandons Efforts at Net Neutrality Compromise (USA Today)

FCC: No More Closed-Door Neutrality Meetings - Didn’t create ‘robust framework’ of openness. No kidding? (Broadband Reports)

Google Denies Selling Out on Net Neutrality - Though it is clear they’re now fighting real neutrality rules (Broadband Reports)

FCC Chief Opposes Fees for Internet Priority

Editorial - The Broadband Gap (NY Times)

Cable Focuses on Internet & Satellite TV Grows (Reuters)

How to Finance a Community Broadband Network When Incumbents Fight Back (GigaOM)

How Fast Will Your Internet be in 2020? (Newsweek Magazine)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

US Senate - Murray Spent $3.9 Million in July (Everett Herald, WA)

State Municipal Bonds Are Offering Decent Rates Now (USA Today)

Washington Congressional Delegation Demands Obama Stop NOAA Move (Puget Sound Business Journal)

WA Supreme Court: Rude King County Judge Suspended for Five Days (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Russia - Planes Diverted & Offices Close as Smoke Chokes Moscow (Reuters)

British Columbia Fires Continue to Send Smoke into the Wenatchee Valley (Wenatchee World, WA)

Mason County - Ballots Missing for Some Belfair Voters (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Anonymous Source Says Lewis County Deputy Coroner Had Morphine Overdose at Work (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Video Shows Disabled Seattle Firefighter Dancing (Northwest Cable News)

La Nina Forecast; Snowy, Wet Winter Ahead? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Two Teens Arrested in $100,000 School Bus Vandalism Case (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

Multnomah County Chief Apologizes for Health Inspectors Who Shut Down 7-Year-Old’s Lemonade Stand at Local Art Show

Pink Floyd Anthem Rewritten for Young Iranians

Nebraska’s Move a Sour Note for KU Fight Song

Germany’s Attack of the Radioactive Boars!

SONG OF THE DAY

Johnny Cash - Heart of Gold 

Neil Young - Heart of Gold (Disregard the five second dopey intro)