Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Energy News Digest for September 1, 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

Jefferson County PUD Gets the Power It Needs; Bonneville Inks Agreement (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Washington State’s Lt. Governor Supports Mason County ADAGE Biomass Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

California - Modesto Irrigation District Rejects Wood-Fired Power Plant - Many ratepayers at meeting call biomass expensive, polluting (Modesto Bee, CA)

Report to Mason County PUD 3 Customers: Utility Fuel Mix Report (Mason County PUD No. 3)

E Source Announces Top Utilities in Large Business Customer Satisfaction - Tacoma Power &
Portland General Electric ranked high (Electric Energy Online)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Jefferson County PUD Gets the Power It Needs; Bonneville Inks Agreement
·         Oregon DEQ Seeks Comment on Closing Portland General Electric Coal Plant
·         Shelton Woman Killed in Crash near Timberlakes – Causes Power Outage for 1,200
·         Grant PUD Shelves Fee Idea
·         Report to Mason County PUD 3 Customers: Utility Fuel Mix Report
·         Gas Pipeline Developers Sue Oregon Land Officials
·         E Source Announces Top Utilities in Large Business Customer Satisfaction - Tacoma Power &
·         Portland General Electric ranked high
·         Sierra Club Challenges RUS Lien Accommodation Regulation for Coal Plants
·         New Warnings About Costs of Nuclear Power
·         Op/Ed - Nuclear Micro-Reactors Could Supply Jobs, Energy to South Dakota
·         Chain Billing - Texas’ Public Utility Commission Considers Preventing Some Nonpaying Customers from Switching Electricity Providers
·         Op/Ed – Canada: It’s Time for an Energy Council
·         Op/Ed - Reducing Salmon to a Mere Commodity
·         Three Die When Fish Survey Helicopter Crashes in Middle of Small Idaho Town
·         Celebration of Salmon Ceremony in Belfair
·         Washington State Shellfish Harvester Appeals License Revocation
·         Research Buoys Planned Off Westport, Newport
·         Columbia River - Regulators Reevaluating Dredge Spoil Dumping on West Hayden Island
·         Judge Cancels Hawaii to Washington Garbage Shipments until Lawsuit Ends
·         Washington State’s Lt. Governor Supports Mason County ADAGE Biomass Plant
·         California - Modesto Irrigation District Rejects Wood-Fired Power Plant
·         Florida Supreme Court May Hear Biomass Power Plant Case
·         Canada’s Pristine Power Keen to Tackle Bioenergy
·         Massachusetts Court Rejects Challenge to Cape Wind Permit
·         Massachusetts - Cape Wind Dissent Rocks Environmentalists
·         Arizona - State Moves to Curb Hazards Alternative Energy Sites Pose for Wildlife
·         Wind Turbines Can Bring Financial Windfall for Landowners
·         Brookings Report Calls for Clean-Energy Centers in Colorado, West
·         Mason County PUD 3 Takes on Cutting-Edge Smart-Grid Project
·         Doing More While Using Less Power
·         Pennsylvania - Energy Makeovers Expected to Save Allegheny County $2 Million
·         Santa Cruz Mountains Lures Cash for Trapping Carbon
·         California Lawmakers Reject Plastic Shopping Bag Ban
·         Going Green: An Electric Vehicle Made from Hemp
·         Hood Canal Communications to Expand Broadband to Rural Mason County Areas
·         More Closed Door Neutrality Deals Struck
·         Clallam County’s Embezzled $600,000 Still Not Replaced by Insurance
·         California Passes Bills Responding to City Pay Scandal
·         Mason County Says Belfair Water District’s Hydrant Locks Violate the Fire Code
·         City of Shelton to Ask Fire District Five to Continue Contract
·         Test Results Mixed for Washington Students
·         Convicted Morton Teacher Calls in Sick for Third Straight Day

WORD OF THE DAY

Carceral • \KAHR-suh-rul\ • adjective - Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

My heart is captive
A pleasant carceral life
Love to you bonded

Yeesh, how mushy!

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson County PUD Gets the Power It Needs; Bonneville Inks Agreement (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Oregon DEQ Seeks Comment on Closing Portland General Electric Coal Plant (Portland Business Journal)

Shelton Woman Killed in Crash near Timberlakes – Causes Power Outage for 1,200 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Grant PUD Shelves Fee Idea (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Report to Mason County PUD 3 Customers: Utility Fuel Mix Report (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Gas Pipeline Developers Sue Oregon Land Officials (Portland Business Journal)

E Source Announces Top Utilities in Large Business Customer Satisfaction - Tacoma Power &
Portland General Electric ranked high (Electric Energy Online)

Sierra Club Challenges RUS Lien Accommodation Regulation for Coal Plants (Lexology)

New Warnings About Costs of Nuclear Power (NY Times)

Op/Ed - Nuclear Micro-Reactors Could Supply Jobs, Energy to South Dakota (Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, SD)

Chain Billing - Texas’ Public Utility Commission Considers Preventing Some Nonpaying Customers from Switching Electricity Providers (Dallas Morning News, TX)

Op/Ed – Canada: It’s Time for an Energy Council. The focus of this new initiative would be on energy security, foreign policy, and expanded energy trade (Vancouver Sun, BC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Op/Ed - Reducing Salmon to a Mere Commodity (Oregonian, Portland)

Three Die When Fish Survey Helicopter Crashes in Middle of Small Idaho Town (Associated Press)

Celebration of Salmon Ceremony in Belfair (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Washington State Shellfish Harvester Appeals License Revocation (Northwest Public Radio)

Research Buoys Planned Off Westport, Newport (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Columbia River - Regulators Reevaluating Dredge Spoil Dumping on West Hayden Island (Oregonian, Portland)

Judge Cancels Hawaii to Washington Garbage Shipments until Lawsuit Ends (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State’s Lt. Governor Supports Mason County ADAGE Biomass Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

California - Modesto Irrigation District Rejects Wood-Fired Power Plant - Many ratepayers at meeting call biomass expensive, polluting (Modesto Bee, CA)

Florida Supreme Court May Hear Biomass Power Plant Case (Independent Florida Alligator)

Canada’s Pristine Power Keen to Tackle Bioenergy (Reuters)

Massachusetts Court Rejects Challenge to Cape Wind Permit (Bloomberg News)

Massachusetts - Cape Wind Dissent Rocks Environmentalists (Boston Herald, MA)

Arizona - State Moves to Curb Hazards Alternative Energy Sites Pose for Wildlife (MSNBC)

Wind Turbines Can Bring Financial Windfall for Landowners (Indiana Economic Digest)

Brookings Report Calls for Clean-Energy Centers in Colorado, West (Denver Business Journal)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Mason County PUD 3 Takes on Cutting-Edge Smart-Grid Project (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Doing More While Using Less Power (NY Times)

Pennsylvania - Energy Makeovers Expected to Save Allegheny County $2 Million (Pittsburgh Gazette, PA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Santa Cruz Mountains Lures Cash for Trapping Carbon (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California Lawmakers Reject Plastic Shopping Bag Ban (Associated Press)

Going Green: An Electric Vehicle Made from Hemp - Maybe this is the car that should have been called the Leaf (Seattle Post Intelligencer

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Hood Canal Communications to Expand Broadband to Rural Mason County Areas “…We’re bringing broadband to areas that don’t have any services now…” Huh? (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

More Closed Door Neutrality Deals Struck - Without pesky public input into the process (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Clallam County’s Embezzled $600,000 Still Not Replaced by Insurance (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

California Passes Bills Responding to City Pay Scandal - Bills to rein in excessive salaries & pensions of public employees (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS
Mason County Says Belfair Water District’s Hydrant Locks Violate the Fire Code (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

City of Shelton to Ask Fire District Five to Continue Contract (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Test Results Mixed for Washington Students (Associated Press)

Convicted Morton Teacher Calls in Sick for Third Straight Day (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

A Turnaround in Ansel Adams Photo Dispute

Golfer’s Swing Snags Rock, Sparks Southern California Fire

NYC Man Plunges 40 Stories, Lands on Car, Survives

The Washington Times Could be Sold for $1

SONG OF THE DAY

Jim Croce - Photographs & Memories