Thursday, October 28, 2010

Energy News Digest for October 28, 2010

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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

Benton PUD Rates to Increase 32% Over Four Years; Local Rep. Trying to Stop It by Changing Renewable Energy Laws (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Canada - Record Sockeye Run to Shrink Due to Overestimate (British Columbia Local News)

Olympic Peninsula Biomass Tours Set November 10th (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

NIMBY Neuroses - Vote In Northeast Oregon Gauges Love-Hate For Wind Energy Expansion (Oregon Public Radio)

Companies Fight to Keep Global Warming Data Secret (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Benton PUD Rates to Increase 32% Over Four Years; Local Rep. Trying to Stop It by Changing Renewable Energy Laws
·         Wind Power Groups Urge US to Open Electricity Markets
·         Oregon Public Utility Commission Approves Rate Decreases For Natural Gas
·         Natural Gas Stocks Continue to Grow
·         Puget Sound First: Shore Power Instead of Generators For Docked Cargo Ship
·         Northern Wasco PUD Seeks Falls Land Lease to Restore White River Falls Hydroelectric Project
·         Liberty Lake’s Itron Sees Record Revenue
·         Three Gorges Dam In China Sees Maximum Water Level
·         Texas - Urban Affairs: Austin’s Poorest Spend 45% of Income on Electricity
·         Canada - Record Sockeye Run to Shrink Due to Overestimate
·         On Our Radar: Record Salmon Run in British Columbia
·         Entiat National Fish Hatchery Plans Switch In Fish
·         Oregon - Cutting Down Desert Junipers to Save Precious Water
·         Nine Named for Hood Canal Awards
·         Olympic Peninsula Biomass Tours Set November 10th
·         NIMBY Neuroses - Vote In Northeast Oregon Gauges Love-Hate For Wind Energy Expansion
·         Editorial - Remember Renewable Energy? Subsidies, Permitting & Transmission
·         Giant Solar Projects Shape U.S. Clean Energy Frontier
·         Solar Power Could Overwhelm Germany’s Grid
·         Electronics’ Standby Mode Costs US Families $3 Billion A Year
·         Companies Fight to Keep Global Warming Data Secret
·         China smog, clog might bring one-car-a-home policy
·         GM’s 2011 Volt Buyers Won’t Get $3,000 Rebate From California
·         Shortage of ‘Green’ Job Skill Looms In British Columbia, Study Warns
·         Comcast Sued Over Response to Florida Emergency Calls
·         Developers Starting to Ride on Microsoft’s Cloud
·         National Price Tag of Midterm Campaign Likely to Hit $4 Billion
·         Study Reveals How Much Snow Fell In Past La Nina Winters
·         Seattle No. 6, Portland No. 11 on Smartest Cities List

WORD OF THE DAY

Tonton Macoutes • \tawn-tawn MAH-coot\ • Noun - Haitian Creole: bogeymen. Personal police force of dictator Francois Duvalier

The supply room clerk stood triumphant, his legs shoulder width, his arms crossed; a smirk playing across his thin, chapped lips. His Tonton Macoutes had succeeded in rooting out the employees who had been abusing the two-highlighters-a-month limit. “They will now pay,” he mused….”They will pay.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES


Wind Power Groups Urge US to Open Electricity Markets (Reuters – And we ALL know how well that worked the first time around…)

Oregon Public Utility Commission Approves Rate Decreases For Natural Gas (Oregon Public Radio)

Natural Gas Stocks Continue to Grow (Associated Press)

Puget Sound First: Shore Power Instead of Generators For Docked Cargo Ship (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Northern Wasco PUD Seeks Falls Land Lease to Restore White River Falls Hydroelectric Project (Dalles Chronicle, OR)

Liberty Lake’s Itron Sees Record Revenue (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Three Gorges Dam In China Sees Maximum Water Level (Christian Science Monitor)

Texas - Urban Affairs: Austin’s Poorest Spend 45% of Income on Electricity (Austin American-Statesman, TX)

FISH & WILDLIFE


On Our Radar: Record Salmon Run in British Columbia (NY Times)

Entiat National Fish Hatchery Plans Switch In Fish (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon - Cutting Down Desert Junipers to Save Precious Water (Oregon Public Radio)

Nine Named for Hood Canal Awards (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY



Editorial - Remember Renewable Energy? Subsidies, Permitting & Transmission (NY Times)

Giant Solar Projects Shape U.S. Clean Energy Frontier (Environmental News Service)

Solar Power Could Overwhelm Germany’s Grid (Wired Science)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Electronics’ Standby Mode Costs US Families $3 Billion A Year (Bloomberg News)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT


BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

China smog, clog might bring one-car-a-home policy (USA Today)

GM’s 2011 Volt Buyers Won’t Get $3,000 Rebate From California (Bloomberg News)

Shortage of ‘Green’ Job Skill Looms In British Columbia, Study Warns (Vancouver Sun, BC)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Comcast Sued Over Response to Florida Emergency Calls (Associated Press)

Developers Starting to Ride on Microsoft’s Cloud (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

National Price Tag Of Midterm Campaign Likely to Hit $4 Billion (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Study Reveals How Much Snow Fell In Past La Nina Winters (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Seattle No. 6, Portland No. 11 on Smartest Cities List (Portland Business Journal)

DIVERSIONS

‘Deadliest Catch’ Capt. Phil Harris Memorialized In Thurston County Corn Maze

‘Balloon Boy’ Dad Turns TV Pitchman

Holy Card! Nuns Auction Rare Honus Wagner Baseball Card

Man Lives In Glass Cage For Charity

SONG OF THE DAY

Brenton Wood - The Oogum Boogum Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhMIF0fi9pU