Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Energy News Digest for November 24, 2010

As we head towards the holiday of Thanksgiving, let us give thanks for all the blessings we have, including a healthy dose of humility in the face of nature’s wrath. May we never grow to be complacent.

The news digest will be off the grid for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will return Monday, November 29.

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

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

Forecast Doesn’t Show Much Improvement for Thanksgiving (Seattle Times)

Puget Sound Energy: Most in Kitsap Will Have Power Wednesday (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Salmon-Munching Sea Lions Get Reprieve from Federal Appeals Court (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Cowlitz County Commissioners Approve Permit for Columbia River Coal Terminal (Longview Daily News, WA)

US Interior Secretary Salazar Aims to Streamline Offshore Wind (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Puget Sound Energy: Most in Kitsap Will Have Power Wednesday
·         About 50,000 Still Without Power in Kitsap County - Some could be out of luck until Thanksgiving
·         36,000 Without Power; 32,000 of Them in Kitsap County
·         Thousands of Cold, Dark Homes without Power in Kitsap County
·         Some Kitsap Power Outages May Last to Thanksgiving
·         Chelan PUD Outages
·         Benton PUD Approves 2011 Rate Increase
·         Chelan PUD Looks at Credit for Possible Reserves Help
·         Mason County PUD 3 Employees Personally Donate to Brighten Thanksgiving for Families in Need
·         Cowlitz County Commissioners Approve Permit for Columbia River Coal Terminal
·         Planned Coal Dock in Longview Energizes Debate
·         Nuclear Plant North of New York City Back Online
·         Ontario Hangs Energy Future on Green Power – Customers could see bills double by 2030
·         Salmon-Munching Sea Lions Get Reprieve from Federal Appeals Court
·         New Hatchery Part of Grant PUD Dam Licensing Costs
·         Pikeminnow Program Pays Off Big & Helps Save Salmon
·         US Interior Secretary Salazar Aims to Streamline Offshore Wind
·         Utah Municipal Power Alliance to Harness Idaho Wind
·         Navajo Lawmakers Override Wind Energy Project Veto
·         Wind Power Surplus Blamed for Spike in Rural Electricity Costs
·         Wood Chip Flap - Duke Energy’s Request to Use Wood Chips Ruffles Feathers
·         Wenatchee, Quincy Schools to Save Energy – Chelan PUD to Kick in Funds
·         UN Says Greenhouse Gas Concentration at Record Level
·         Copenhagen One Year After: Did Global Warming Talks Accomplish Anything?
·         Portland - Green Giant: How Much is Sustainability Worth? Try $65 Million in Public Money
·         Greening Requires a Lot of Green - The Messy Side of Energy Efficiency: Finance
·         Some GOP Senators Become Unlikely Allies of Green Groups in Fight to Gut Ethanol Subsidies
·         Al Gore Says Supporting Corn Ethanol Was a Mistake
·         Could Climate Change Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner?
·         Comcast Announces Fiber Lease Agreement With Colorado Department of Transportation
·         Cars with Wi-Fi Hitting the New Information Highway
·         Gregoire Lists Options for Washington State Budget Cuts
·         Three Washington State Legislative Races Appear Headed for Recounts
·         Roads Still Icy Today - Warmer Temperatures Expected Thursday
·         Forecast Doesn’t Show Much Improvement for Thanksgiving
·         Storm Gives Some Kitsap Businesses an Unexpected Stimulus
·         Carbon Monoxide Danger from Indoor Burning
·         Seattle Rush-Hour Traffic: Nation’s 4th-Worst
·         Today’s Turkey is a Product of Science & Popular Demand

WORD OF THE DAY

tu quoque • \TOO-KWOH-kwee\ • noun - A retort charging an adversary with being or doing what he or she criticizes in others

“Golly,” exclaimed the fresh-faced liberal arts college student, “writing these environmentalist pamphlets to educate our brethren about the dangers of wood-fired power plants almost Thoreauesque!” The subtle tu quoque of the wool-clad group was lost on them as they huddled close to the crackling, open-hearth wood fire in their off-grid house.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Puget Sound Energy: Most in Kitsap Will Have Power Wednesday (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

About 50,000 Still Without Power in Kitsap County - Some could be out of luck until Thanksgiving (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

36,000 Without Power; 32,000 of Them in Kitsap County (Seattle Times)

Thousands of Cold, Dark Homes without Power in Kitsap County (KING-TV, Seattle)

Some Kitsap Power Outages May Last to Thanksgiving (Associated Press)

Chelan PUD Outages (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Benton PUD Approves 2011 Rate Increase (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Chelan PUD Looks at Credit for Possible Reserves Help (Wenatchee World, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Employees Personally Donate to Brighten Thanksgiving for Families in Need (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Cowlitz County Commissioners Approve Permit for Columbia River Coal Terminal (Longview Daily News, WA)

Planned Coal Dock in Longview Energizes Debate (Seattle Times)

Nuclear Plant North of New York City Back Online (Associated Press)

Ontario Hangs Energy Future on Green Power – Customers could see their electricity bills double by 2030 (Reuters)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon-Munching Sea Lions Get Reprieve from Federal Appeals Court (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

New Hatchery Part of Grant PUD Dam Licensing Costs (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Pikeminnow Program Pays Off Big & Helps Save Salmon - Final fish count includes record-breaking catch (Bonneville Power Administration)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

US Interior Secretary Salazar Aims to Streamline Offshore Wind (NY Times)

Utah Municipal Power Alliance to Harness Idaho Wind (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

Navajo Lawmakers Override Wind Energy Project Veto (Associated Press)

Wind Power Surplus Blamed for Spike in Rural Electricity Costs (Minnesota Public Radio)

Wood Chip Flap - Duke Energy’s Request to Use Wood Chips Ruffles Feathers (Biomass Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Wenatchee, Quincy Schools to Save Energy – Chelan PUD to Kick in Funds (Wenatchee World, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

UN Says Greenhouse Gas Concentration at Record Level (Associated Press)

Copenhagen One Year After: Did Global Warming Talks Accomplish Anything? (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Portland - Green Giant: How Much is Sustainability Worth? Try $65 Million in Public Money (Willamette Week, OR)

Greening Requires a Lot of Green - The Messy Side of Energy Efficiency: Finance (Grist Online)

Some GOP Senators Become Unlikely Allies of Green Groups in Fight to Gut Ethanol Subsidies (Huffington Post)

Al Gore Says Supporting Corn Ethanol Was a Mistake (Energy Collective)

Could Climate Change Ruin Thanksgiving Dinner? (Discovery Channel)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Comcast Announces Fiber Lease Agreement With Colorado Department of Transportation (Stock Briefings - Gasp! Partnering with a public agency?)

Cars with Wi-Fi Hitting the New Information Highway (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Gregoire Lists Options for Washington State Budget Cuts (Seattle Times)

Three Washington State Legislative Races Appear Headed for Recounts (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Roads Still Icy Today - Warmer Temperatures Expected Thursday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Forecast Doesn’t Show Much Improvement for Thanksgiving (Seattle Times)

Storm Gives Some Kitsap Businesses an Unexpected Stimulus (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Carbon Monoxide Danger from Indoor Burning (Associated Press)

Seattle Rush-Hour Traffic: Nation’s 4th-Worst (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Today’s Turkey is a Product of Science & Popular Demand (USA Today)

DIVERSIONS

Study: Internet Turns Kids into Terrible Spellers (well, POOR spellers actually)

J-E-L-L-Uh-Oh: Gelatin, Pudding Spill in Iowa - Semitrailer Tipped Over

The 5 Stupidest Questions People Ask the Butterball Turkey Hotline

SONG OF THE DAY

Ella Fitzgerald - Midnight Sun (The first 30 seconds of this song will drop your blood pressure by at least ten points at either end…very VERY nice….)