Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

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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)

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

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

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

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

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


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)

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

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

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

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

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

Workers Say Vermont Yankee Safe Despite Problems (Associated Press)

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

FISH & WILDLIFE

Scientists Use Hovering Zeppelin to Film Whales (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

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

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

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

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

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

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

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

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

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

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

Everett Composting Odor Could Generate Electricity (Associated Press)

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

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

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

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

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

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

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

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Environmentalism’s Communications Problem (High Country News)

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

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

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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

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

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

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

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

GENERAL NEWS

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

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

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

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

DIVERSIONS

Coffee Survey Might Surprise the Coffee-Dependent Northwest

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

Buzzword of the Day: ‘Narrative’

Athiests & Agnostics Know More about Religion According to New Survey

SONG OF THE DAY

King Harvest - Dancin’ in the Moonlight