Thursday, February 24, 2011

Energy News Digest for February 24, 2011

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

Congressman Doc Hastings Says He’ll Nix All Snake Dam-Breaching Bills

Wind Power on BPA System Sets New Record - Renewable Resource Blows Past 3,000 Megawatts (Bonneville Power Administration)

Judge Recommends Electricity Rate Hike to Pay for Klamath Dam Removal (Associated Press)

Strong Fall Chinook Run Forecast for Columbia River (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Editorial - New Rules for New Technology: The proposal from the FCC to stop subsidizing rural phone lines & start subsidizing rural broadband connections is long overdue (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Congressman Doc Hastings Says He’ll Nix All Snake Dam-Breaching Bills
·         Wind Power on BPA System Sets New Record - Renewable Resource Blows Past 3,000 Megawatts
·         Judge Recommends Electricity Rate Hike to Pay for Klamath Dam Removal
·         Avista Reports Salary, Bonus Figures - CEO Made $3.25 Million Including Bigger Bonus
·         Cowlitz PUD Votes to Limit Pay Increases for 2011
·         Who Will Replace Hydropower’s Aging Work Force?
·         Battle over Nuclear Power Subsidies Heats Up
·         Gas Prices Jump in South Puget Sound
·         Strong Fall Chinook Run Forecast for Columbia River
·         Oregon Tribes Pursue First Bison Hunt in Century
·         Editorial - EPA Overhauls Boiler Rules, Seeks Additional Comment
·         Washington State Senate Moves Closer to Creating Puget Sound Conservation Group
·         Olympic Peninsula - Nature Conservancy Buys Clearwater River Frontage
·         Oregon’s Solar Industry Stumbles
·         Hoo, Boy! Solar Energy Faces Tests on Greenness
·         Avista Wants Bids for 35 Megawatts of Renewable Energy
·         University of Montana Shows Off Mobile Biomass Gasifier, Generator
·         Forests into Fuel: Promise & Limits of Biomass in the Northeast
·         Green Machine: Solar Street Lamp Feeds Energy to the Grid
·         Wind Energy Eminent Domain Bill Moves in Wyoming Senate
·         ‘Climategate’ Report Clears Scientists
·         To Invite Plug-In Cars, Cities Work on Permitting
·         Calling Rube Goldberg - Upgrading the Electric Grid with Flywheels & Air
·         A Start-Up Aims at Power Conversion to Save Electricity
·         Editorial - New Rules for New Technology: The proposal from the FCC to stop subsidizing rural phone lines & start subsidizing rural broadband connections is long overdue
·         FCC Notes Huge Interest in New Broadband Map
·         Oregon Democratic Congressman David Wu Pressured to Resign
·         Broke Park System Gives Workers Free Housing
·         Slick Morning Commute & Winter Weather Advisory
·         Mason County Population Up
·         Washington State’s Growth Centered in Pierce County, Elsewhere Along I-5 Corrido
·         Minorities Push Washington State’s Growth
·         US Census Bureau Interactive Map
·         Concerns for Boeing Grow as a Tanker Decision Nears
·         Particulates No! Land Owners’ Dust Can Lead to Hefty Fine

WORD OF THE DAY

Nix • \NICKS\ • VERB - Veto, reject

And now, one of Variety Magazine’s most famous (infamous) headlines:  “STICKS NIX HICK PIX”

The headline appeared on July 17, 1935, over an article about the reaction of rural audiences to movies about rural life. The headline was a use of “slanguage.” In parsing the headline, it means that people in rural areas (“the sticks”) reject (“nix”) motion pictures (“pix”) about rural life (“hicks”). The conventional wisdom of the movie industry was that themes of upper-class life would not be popular in the countryside; according to the article, this assumption was incorrect. (Wikipedia)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Congressman Doc Hastings Says He’ll Nix All Snake Dam-Breaching Bills (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Wind Power on BPA System Sets New Record - Renewable Resource Blows Past 3,000 Megawatts (Bonneville Power Administration)

Judge Recommends Electricity Rate Hike to Pay for Klamath Dam Removal (Associated Press)

Avista Reports Salary, Bonus Figures - CEO Made $3.25 Million Including Bigger Bonus (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Cowlitz PUD Votes to Limit Pay Increases for 2011 (Longview Daily News, WA)

Who Will Replace Hydropower’s Aging Work Force? (Renewable Energy World)

Battle over Nuclear Power Subsidies Heats Up (Oregonian, Portland)

Gas Prices Jump in South Puget Sound (Olympian, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Strong Fall Chinook Run Forecast for Columbia River (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Oregon Tribes Pursue First Bison Hunt in Century (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Editorial - EPA Overhauls Boiler Rules, Seeks Additional Comment (Michigan-Live)

Washington State Senate Moves Closer to Creating Puget Sound Conservation Group (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Olympic Peninsula - Nature Conservancy Buys Clearwater River Frontage (Seattle Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon’s Solar Industry Stumbles (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Hoo, Boy! Solar Energy Faces Tests on Greenness (NY Times)

Avista Wants Bids for 35 Megawatts of Renewable Energy (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

University of Montana Shows Off Mobile Biomass Gasifier, Generator at Paws Up (The Missoulian, MT)

Forests into Fuel: Promise & Limits of Biomass in the Northeast (Renewable Energy World)

Green Machine: Solar Street Lamp Feeds Energy to the Grid (New Scientist)

Wind Energy Eminent Domain Bill Moves in Wyoming Senate (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

‘Climategate’ Report Clears Scientists (The Hill)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

To Invite Plug-In Cars, Cities Work on Permitting (CNET News)

Upgrading the Electric Grid with Flywheels & Air - With the high price of batteries, scientists look for simpler ways to store energy (National Geographic)

A Start-Up Aims at Power Conversion to Save Electricity (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Editorial - New Rules for New Technology: The proposal from the FCC to stop subsidizing rural phone lines & start subsidizing rural broadband connections is long overdue (NY Times)

FCC Notes Huge Interest in New Broadband Map - Agency Says They’re Tripling Efforts to Improve Infrastructure (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Oregon Democratic Congressman David Wu Pressured to Resign (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Broke Park System Gives Workers Free Housing (KING-TV, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

Slick Morning Commute & Winter Weather Advisory (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Population Up (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington State’s Growth Centered in Pierce County, Elsewhere Along I-5 Corridor, Census Data Show (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Minorities Push Washington State’s Growth (USA Today)

US Census Bureau Interactive Map (US Census)

Concerns for Boeing Grow as a Tanker Decision Nears (NY Times)

Particulates No! Land Owners’ Dust Can Lead to Hefty Fine (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Puget Sound Business Journal Poll: You Think You Drive Well on Snow?

Irony Alert - Seattle Mayor’s Wife Has Bike Stolen After He Rode It to Work

Hey, You Smell! Portland Council OKs Fragrance-Free Policy

From Hitchcock to Watchmen: See the 50 Greatest Movie Opening Sequences

SONG OF THE DAY

Simon & Garfunkel - A Hazy Shade of Winter