Thursday, December 23, 2010

Energy News Digest for December 23, 2010

Whatever your holiday celebration includes, may this season give you peace, happiness and some tasty tidbits. And let’s hope that the New Year brings opportunity, surprise (the good kind), and opportunity. Best wishes from the elves at the energy news digest.

The news digest will be on a short sabbatical next week, but will return tanned, rested and relaxed on January 3. Be looking for the annual celebration of the “Words of the Day” shortly after the beginning of the New Year!

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

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Flood Watch in Effect for Olympic Peninsula (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Idaho - Payette County Puts Rezoning for Nuke Plant on Hold (Northwest Public Radio)

Thanks to NoaNet & Public Utilities - Hoodsport Library to Receive Broadband Internet Upgrades (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington State Adopts Kittitas County Water Rule (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Report: More Fish Sliding Safely Through Dams (Oregon Public Radio)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Idaho - Payette County Puts Rezoning for Nuke Plant on Hold
·         Congressman Hastings Focuses on Energy, Job Security
·         Firefighters Warning About Alternative Heating Sources
·         Report: More Fish Sliding Safely Through Dams
·         Mason County Awarded Grants for Salmon Recovery
·         Court Requires Longer View on Operations of Icicle Creek Hatchery
·         Fishing Report: Hatchery Winter Steelhead Fishing Remains Strong
·         West Coast Fishery Moves to Market-Based System
·         Northwest Researchers Find Hope for Polar Bears
·         Washington State Adopts Kittitas County Water Rule
·         China Says Wind, Solar Subsidies Are WTO Compliant
·         Maryland Wind Project Sued over Endangered Bats
·         Wind Transmission Plans Blow into Iowa
·         Op/Ed - Wind Energy Can Only be Electric Supplement, Not Substitute
·         The One Unknown about Proposed Solar Field: Cost of Energy
·         Brighten the Season, Lighten Your Load: Snohomish PUD Offers Ideas for Holiday Savings
·         West Coast Fogginess Not Following Climate Change Script
·         Biochar: Running the Numbers
·         Thanks to NoaNet & Public Utilities - Hoodsport Library to Receive Broadband Internet Upgrades
·         Worldwide Skype outage highlights dependence on VoIP
·         High-Tech Electronics Dressed Up to Look Old
·         Open-Records Settlement Costs Monroe $157,000
·         Clark County - Local Cities to State: No Unfunded Mandates
·         Is Olympia an Early Favorite to Get Washington’s 10th Congressional District?
·         Alaska Justices Deal US Senate Candidate Miller Decisive Blow
·         Alabama Town’s Failed Pension Is a Warning to the Nation
·         Flood Watch in Effect for Olympic Peninsula
·         A Good Site to Know: National Weather Service Warnings
·         Olympia-Based Heritage Financial Corp. Zeroes Out TARP Debt

WORD OF THE DAY

Supererogation • \soop-err-air-uh-GAY-shun\ • Noun - The act of performing more than is required by duty, obligation, or need

“Barty, you have an exemplary talent…you’re supererogation is an inspiration to all the other employees here,” barked the supervisor to his cowering minion. “Great,” thought Barty, “Now I need to buy a dictionary to see if that was a compliment or not.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Idaho - Payette County Puts Rezoning for Nuke Plant on Hold (Northwest Public Radio)

Congressman Hastings Focuses on Energy, Job Security (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Firefighters Warning About Alternative Heating Sources (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Report: More Fish Sliding Safely Through Dams (Oregon Public Radio)

Mason County Awarded Grants for Salmon Recovery (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Court Requires Longer View on Operations of Icicle Creek Hatchery (Crosscut Seattle)

Fishing Report: Hatchery Winter Steelhead Fishing Remains Strong (Seattle Times)

West Coast Fishery Moves to Market-Based System (National Public Radio)

Northwest Researchers Find Hope for Polar Bears (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Adopts Kittitas County Water Rule (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

China Says Wind, Solar Subsidies Are WTO Compliant (Associated Press)

Maryland Wind Project Sued over Endangered Bats (Baltimore Sun, MD)

Wind Transmission Plans Blow into Iowa (Sioux City Journal, IA)

Op/Ed - Wind Energy Can Only be Electric Supplement, Not Substitute (Duluth News Tribune, MN)

The One Unknown about Proposed Solar Field: Cost of Energy (Las Vegas Sun, NV)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Brighten the Season, Lighten Your Load: Snohomish PUD Offers Ideas for Holiday Savings (Mukilteo Beacon, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

West Coast Fogginess Not Following Climate Change Script (Northwest Public Radio)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Biochar: Running the Numbers (British Broadcasting Corporation)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Thanks to NoaNet & Public Utilities - Hoodsport Library to Receive Broadband Internet Upgrades (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Worldwide Skype outage highlights dependence on VoIP (Christian Science Monitor)

High-Tech Electronics Dressed Up to Look Old (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Open-Records Settlement Costs Monroe $157,000 (Associated Press)

Clark County - Local Cities to State: No Unfunded Mandates (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Is Olympia an Early Favorite to Get Washington’s 10th Congressional District? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Alaska Justices Deal US Senate Candidate Miller Decisive Blow (Seattle Times)

Alabama Town’s Failed Pension Is a Warning to the Nation (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Flood Watch in Effect for Olympic Peninsula (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

A Good Site to Know: National Weather Service Warnings (Seattle Times)

Olympia-Based Heritage Financial Corp. Zeroes Out TARP Debt - Troubled Asset Relief Program: Company repaid $24.1 million to Treasury (Olympian, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Too Many Air Fresheners Led to Discovery of Cocaine worth $1.5 Million

Man Sues Restaurant for Not Stopping Him from Eating an Entire Artichoke (Note: the comment section may include PG-13 comments…possibly of a scatological nature)

Bellevue Dog Poo Dispute Prompts Assault Charges

What’s the Deal with Mistletoe? How the Plant Came to be Associated with Christmas Kissing (Slate Magazine)

SONG OF THE DAY

Heart - Even It Up