Monday, November 8, 2010

Energy News Digest for November 8, 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

Vermont-Yankee Nuclear Plant Shuts Down After Leak from Pipe (Associated Press)

Transformer Explosion at NY Nuclear Power Plant (Associated Press)

Surplus Wind & Hydro Power Have BPA Looking for Solutions (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Sea Lion Deaths on Oregon Coast Prompt Health Warning for Beachgoers, Dogs (Oregonian, Portland)

Cost of Green Power Makes Projects Tougher Sell (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·       ·         Vermont-Yankee Nuclear Plant Shuts Down After Leak from Pipe
·         Transformer Explosion at NY Nuclear Power Plant
·         Two Northeast Power Plants Face Emergency Shut-Down: Is Nuclear Power Really Safe?
·         Surplus Wind & Hydro Power Have BPA Looking for Solutions
·         Seattle City Light Crackdown on Power Outages Mean Several Trees Must Go
·         Northwest Natural Gas Reports $7.4M Loss, Cuts Washington State Rates
·         Giant Vitrification Assembly Arrives at Hanford from Utah
·         Nebraska Utility: New Rate Hike Will Raise Average Residential Bill 11.4%; $12 a Month
·         California - Pacific Gas & Electric Cleanup? Hinkley Water Tainted by Chromium 6 Spreading
·         European Nuclear Waste Shipment Prompts Protests
·         Sea Lion Deaths on Oregon Coast Prompt Health Warning for Beachgoers, Dogs
·         Fall Coho, King Plentiful on Olympic Peninsula
·         Hundreds of Steelhead Found Trapped in Dworkshak Turbine Tube; About 1,000 Fish Killed
·         States Raise Concerns About Sturgeon
·         NOAA Supports Catch Shares for Commercial Fisheries
·         Washington Prisoners Helping Save Endangered Frogs
·         Thirsty San Diego Could Learn from South Sound
·         Decrepit Washington, DC Water System Brings $8M Claim
·         Cost of Green Power Makes Projects Tougher Sell
·         Oregon - Dallas Site Attracts Interest from Biomass Business
·         Burning Questions About Biomass - Of Cane, Coal & Carbon Dioxide
·         Columnist - ‘Old Fogies’ Obsession: Turning Waves into Power
·         Tidal Stream Power Generator Ready for Deployment
·         Ocean Power Dips Its Toes in Water
·         Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Mandate May Get New Scrutiny
·         Shining Light on the Cost of Solar Energy
·         Green Group: Compressed Air Storage Key to Clean Energy
·         Texas - From Dung to $$$: El Paso Biogas Startup Has Big Plans
·         Avista Gears Audits Toward Plugged-In College Students
·         Tri-City Businesses Glad Cash for Appliances Program Ends
·         Energy-Saving Tips for Fall - As Leaves Keep Turning Orange, Here’s How You Can Stay Green
·         California’s Global Warming Law ‘Full Speed Ahead’ -- But Faces Long Road
·         Energy Policy Explored as Cap-&-Trade Dies
·         Climate Scientists Fighting Back - Campaign Targets Skeptical Lawmakers
·         Arctic Melting Sets International Issues Bubbling
·         Forest Products - Bill Virgin: When Old Becomes New Again
·         Your Personal Biomass Incinerator - Got Wood?
·         Tribes Working to Buck Unemployment with Green Jobs
·         European Biofuels Goals May Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Lobby Groups Say
·         Will Masses Embrace Electric Cars despite High Prices?
·         Stimulus’ End Worries Some Cleantech Companies
·         Broadband Usage Growing Even as Gaps Persist
·         Financial Woes Cloud Clearwire’s 4G Wireless Broadband Plans
·         Report Says AOL Hires Advisers for Options as It Eyes Yahoo
·         Whatever Happened to Free Wi-Fi in San Francisco?
·         Africa Is on the Cusp of an Internet Boom
·         Web Firms Face Brutal Competition in China
·         FCC to Ignore Net Neutrality This Fall
·         Mason County Election Results - Mason County and 35th District Candidates Solidify Leads
·         Washington State’s Balance of Power Still in Democrats Favor
·         California’s Secretary of State Office Gets Refund for Election Website Failure
·         Man Dies When Party Explosives Detonate; 1 Arrest
·         Mason County Hunter Charged with Manslaughter in Death of Brush Picker
·         Possible Grocery Strike Could Bring Thanksgiving Havoc
·         WA Governor Hopeful About Moses Lake Carbon Fiber Factory Expansion
·         Pro-Israel Students Harassed, Leave Evergreen State College
·         Port Townsend Couple Scammed by Woman Hired to be Surrogate Mother
·         North Mason’s Mission Creek Work Crews Popular for Local Projects 

WORD OF THE DAY

Pungle • \PUNG-gull\ • verb - To make a payment or contribution of money; usually used with up

“Never bet a million bucks on politics and coin flips,” announced the gold-toothed bookie to his humbled pigeon. “Now’s the time to pungle up, my friend,” he said sarcastically.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Vermont-Yankee Nuclear Plant Shuts Down After Leak from Pipe (Associated Press)

Transformer Explosion at NY Nuclear Power Plant (Associated Press)

Two Northeast Power Plants Face Emergency Shut-Down: Is Nuclear Power Really Safe? (TIME Magazine)

Surplus Wind & Hydro Power Have BPA Looking for Solutions (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Seattle City Light Crackdown on Power Outages Mean Several Trees Must Go “…After a huge blackout back East, federal regulators are cracking down on power providers…” (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Northwest Natural Gas Reports $7.4M Loss, Cuts Washington State Rates (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Giant Vitrification Assembly Arrives at Hanford from Utah (Associated Press)

Nebraska Utility: New Rate Hike Will Raise Average Residential Bill 11.4%; $12 a Month (SF Examiner)

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Cleanup? Hinkley Water Tainted by Chromium 6 Spreading (SF Chronicle)

European Nuclear Waste Shipment Prompts Protests (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lion Deaths on Oregon Coast Prompt Health Warning for Beachgoers, Dogs (Oregonian, Portland)

Fall Coho, King Plentiful on Olympic Peninsula (Wenatchee World, WA)

Hundreds of Steelhead Found Trapped in Dworkshak Turbine Tube; About 1,000 Fish Killed (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

States Raise Concerns About Sturgeon (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NOAA Supports Catch Shares for Commercial Fisheries (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Washington Prisoners Helping Save Endangered Frogs (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Thirsty San Diego Could Learn from South Sound (Olympian, WA)

Decrepit Washington, DC Water System Brings $8M Claim (Courthouse News Service)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cost of Green Power Makes Projects Tougher Sell (NY Times)

Oregon - Dallas Site Attracts Interest from Biomass Business (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

Burning Questions About Biomass - Of Cane, Coal & Carbon Dioxide (High Country News)

Columnist - ‘Old Fogies’ Obsession: Turning Waves into Power (Seattle Times)

Tidal Stream Power Generator Ready for Deployment (Renewable Energy Focus)

Ocean Power Dips Its Toes in Water (CNET News)

Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Mandate May Get New Scrutiny (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)

Shining Light on the Cost of Solar Energy (National Geographic)

Green Group: Compressed Air Storage Key to Clean Energy (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

Texas - From Dung to $$$: El Paso Biogas Startup Has Big Plans (El Paso Times, TX)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Avista Gears Audits Toward Plugged-In College Students - Company challenging them to take charge of their energy use (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Tri-City Businesses Glad Cash for Appliances Program Ends (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Energy-Saving Tips for Fall - As Leaves Keep Turning Orange, Here’s How You Can Stay Green (Chicago Tribune, IL)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California’s Global Warming Law ‘Full Speed Ahead’ -- But Faces Long Road (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Energy Policy Explored as Cap-&-Trade Dies (National Public Radio)

Climate Scientists Fighting Back - Campaign Targets Skeptical Lawmakers (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Arctic Melting Sets International Issues Bubbling (USA Today)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Forest Products - Bill Virgin: When Old Becomes New Again (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Your Personal Biomass Incinerator - Got Wood? How Eco-Friendly Hipsters Keep Warm in the Winter “…people can use wood pellets or hardwood to cut their energy bills in half…” (Out & About Newspaper)

Tribes Working to Buck Unemployment with Green Jobs (Reuters)

European Biofuels Goals May Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Lobby Groups Say (Bloomberg News)

Will Masses Embrace Electric Cars despite High Prices? (USA Today)

Stimulus’ End Worries Some Cleantech Companies (Sustainable Business Oregon)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Usage Growing Even as Gaps Persist (Associated Press)

Financial Woes Cloud Clearwire’s 4G Wireless Broadband Plans (USA Today)

Report Says AOL Hires Advisers for Options as It Eyes Yahoo (Reuters)

Whatever Happened to Free Wi-Fi in San Francisco? (SF Chronicle)

Africa Is on the Cusp of an Internet Boom (Christian Science Monitor)

Web Firms Face Brutal Competition in China (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

FCC to Ignore Net Neutrality This Fall - November agenda involves politically safer issues (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Unofficial Mason County Election Results - Mason County and 35th District Candidates Solidify Leads (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington State’s Balance of Power Still in Democrats Favor (Associated Press)

Clock Ticking to Remove Political Signs near State Highways (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

California’s Secretary of State Office Gets Refund for Election Website Failure (Sacramento Bee, CA)

GENERAL NEWS

Man Dies When Party Explosives Detonate; 1 Arrest (Associated Press)

Mason County Hunter Charged with Manslaughter in Death of Brush Picker (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Possible Grocery Strike Could Bring Thanksgiving Havoc (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

WA Governor Hopeful About Moses Lake Carbon Fiber Factory Expansion (NW Public Radio)

Pro-Israel Students Harassed, Leave Evergreen State College (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Port Townsend Couple Scammed by Woman Hired to be Surrogate Mother (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

North Mason’s Mission Creek Work Crews Popular for Local Projects (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Alaska - Former North Pole Postal Worker Accused of Throwing Away Mail

For Exercise in New York Futility, Push Button

Mystery, Debate Still Surround Sinking of Edmund Fitzgerald

Theater of the Obvious - Michael Jackson’s Mother Says Son Was Addicted to Plastic Surgery

SONG OF THE DAY

Joe Cocker - The Letter

The Box Tops – The Letter