Friday, September 2, 2011

Energy News Digest for September 2, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Tsunami Warning Lifted After 6.8 Earthquake Near Alaska (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Upriver Salmon Runs Making a Move; Large Numbers of Fall Chinook Passing Bonneville Dam Daily (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Supreme Inconsistency? McKenna Rulings 180 Degrees Apart (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Wait for Electricity Frays Nerves as New England Begins to Clean Up (Associated Press)

US Solar Firms’ Woes Boost China (Sacramento Bee, CA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Supreme Inconsistency? McKenna Rulings 180 Degrees Apart
  • Wait for Electricity Frays Nerves as New England Begins to Clean Up
  • Irene Aftermath: Which States are Restoring Power the Quickest - And Why?
  • Was a Downed Power Line Used as a Weapon During Irene?
  • Officials Celebrate New Moses Lake BMW Plant
  • Grant PUD Plans to Refinance Debt, Construct Power Line
  • Snohomish PUD’s New Control Room Will Allow for Huge Map to Track Repairs, Emergencies
  • Natural Gas - NW Natural Seeks Rate Reductions in Washington & Oregon
  • Idaho - Avista Rate Hearings Sept. 13 in Coeur d’Alene
  • California – Pacific Gas & Electric Fires Four Inspectors over False Electrical Inspections
  • California - Another Pacific Gas & Electric Blast Draws Feds’ Attention
  • Quake Risk to Nuclear Reactors Greater Than Thought
  • Obama Decides Against Change in Ozone Standards
  • Nebraska Governor Urges Obama to Deny Cross-Country Pipeline Permit
  • Keystone XL Primer: Why Nebraska is Ground Zero in the Pipeline Fight
  • Editorial - Keystone Would Bring Jobs as Well as Crude Oil
  • Tennessee Valley Authority among Top Utilities for Economic Development for Sixth Straight Year
  • Upriver Salmon Runs Making a Move; Large Numbers of Fall Chinook Passing Bonneville Dam Daily
  • Snake River Sockeye Recovery on Track This Year; 120 Trapped Fish of Natural Origin
  • Fishing Boats Making a Good Haul of Pink Salmon This Season
  • Op/Ed - Ensuring Fish Restoration after the Elwha Dams Come Out
  • Keeping Industrial Plants Cool & Fish Alive
  • Pacific County, Oysterville Sea Farms at Odds over Zoning Rules
  • Study Calls for Halting Oyster Fishing in Chesapeake Bay
  • Eleven Years of Warm Water in the Columbia River
  • A Hiker’s Plight: How to Help When Water Runs Low
  • US Solar Firms’ Woes Boost China
  • Solar Power Pandemonium - House Republicans Step Up Solyndra Investigation
  • Columnist - Solar Energy’s Future in Not-So-Sunny Places
  • California - Measures Ease Environmental Permit Process for Renewable Energy Projects
  • Editorial - Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Renewable Energy Revolution
  • Portland - Timbers Park Earns High LEED Status
  • Mohave Electric Goes Out on a Limb to Save Energy
  • United States’ Department of Energy Selects Imperium Renewables as Part of Consortium to Continue Advances in Renewable Aviation Fuels
  • Mass Layoff at Bremerton Call Center, Hello AT&T?
  • Agency May Have Violated Law with Microsoft Cloud Services Contract, Judge Says
  • Chrome Turns 3, Google Celebrates Web’s History
  • Two California Men Charged with Selling iPhone Prototype
  • Kitsap County’s Urban Growth Areas Too Large, Hearings Board Rules
  • Tsunami Warning Lifted After 6.8 Earthquake Near Alaska
  • Shelton School District Teachers Contract Approved
  • Teachers Take Pay Cut in North Thurston School District
  • Bellingham Teachers to Hit Picket Line
  • Boys, 8, Face Felony Arson Charges in Idaho Brush Fire
  • Two-Year Term for Ex-WA Licensing Worker for Taking Bribes
  • Mason County’s Salish Cliffs Golf Course Opening
  • Survey: Oregon’s Rural Roads among Worst in US

WORD OF THE DAY

Colloquial • \cull-LOW-kwee-ull\ • Adjective - 1: of or relating to conversation: conversational 2a: used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation; also: unacceptably informal b: using conversational style

Amber stumbled from her first meeting with her utility’s energy experts in a daze. Acronyms and specialized concepts rolled out the door behind her, somewhat like “Fibber McGee’s Closet.” The colloquial onset was dulled somewhat by a quick “break” at the nearby pub, where a pint of ale replaced her mental confusion with more of a physical one.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Supreme Inconsistency? McKenna Rulings 180 Degrees Apart (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Wait for Electricity Frays Nerves as New England Begins to Clean Up (Associated Press)

Irene Aftermath: Which States are Restoring Power the Quickest - And Why? (Christian Science Monitor)

Was a Downed Power Line Used as a Weapon During Irene? (Washington Post)

Officials Celebrate New Moses Lake BMW Plant “…Washington’s cheap power from renewable resources & its renewable-energy incentives were factors in the decision to locate in Moses Lake…” (Associated Press)

Grant PUD Plans to Refinance Debt, Construct Power Line (Wenatchee World, WA)

Snohomish PUD’s New Control Room Will Allow for Huge Map to Track Repairs, Emergencies (Everett Herald, WA)

Natural Gas - NW Natural Seeks Rate Reductions in Washington & Oregon (Portland Business Journal, OR)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2011/09/01/nw-natural-seeks-to-reduce-rates-in.html

Idaho - Avista Rate Hearings Sept. 13 in Coeur d’Alene (Coeur d’Alene Press, ID)

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Fires Four Inspectors over False Electrical Inspections (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

California - Another Pacific Gas & Electric Blast Draws Feds’ Attention (SF Chronicle)

Quake Risk to Nuclear Reactors Greater Than Thought (Associated Press)

Obama Decides Against Change in Ozone Standards (USA Today)

Nebraska Governor Urges Obama to Deny Cross-Country Pipeline Permit (USA Today)

Keystone XL Primer: Why Nebraska is Ground Zero in the Pipeline Fight (Solve Climate)

Editorial - Keystone Would Bring Jobs as Well as Crude Oil (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Tennessee Valley Authority among Top Utilities for Economic Development for Sixth Straight Year (Electric Energy Online)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Upriver Salmon Runs Making a Move; Large Numbers of Fall Chinook Passing Bonneville Dam Daily (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Snake River Sockeye Recovery on Track This Year; 120 Trapped Fish of Natural Origin (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Fishing Boats Making a Good Haul of Pink Salmon This Season (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Op/Ed - Ensuring Fish Restoration after the Elwha Dams Come Out (Seattle Times)

Keeping Industrial Plants Cool & Fish Alive (NY Times)

Pacific County, Oysterville Sea Farms at Odds over Zoning Rules (Longview Daily News, WA)

Study Calls for Halting Oyster Fishing in Chesapeake Bay (Washington Post)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Eleven Years of Warm Water in the Columbia River (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/11_years_of_warm_water_in_the_columbia_river/

A Hiker’s Plight: How to Help When Water Runs Low (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

US Solar Firms’ Woes Boost China (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Solar Power Pandemonium - House Republicans Step Up Solyndra Investigation (Washington Post)

Columnist - Solar Energy’s Future in Not-So-Sunny Places (Seattle Times)

California - Measures Ease Environmental Permit Process for Renewable Energy Projects (Desert Sun, Palm Springs, CA)

Editorial - Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Renewable Energy Revolution (Desert Sun, Palm Springs, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Portland - Timbers Park Earns High LEED Status (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Mohave Electric Goes Out on a Limb to Save Energy (Mohave Daily News, AZ)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

United States’ Department of Energy Selects Imperium Renewables as Part of Consortium to Continue Advances in Renewable Aviation Fuels (Market Watch)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Mass Layoff at Bremerton Call Center, Hello AT&T? (Seattle Times)

Agency May Have Violated Law with Microsoft Cloud Services Contract, Judge Says (Bloomberg News)

Chrome Turns 3, Google Celebrates Web’s History (Washington Post)

Two California Men Charged with Selling iPhone Prototype (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Kitsap County’s Urban Growth Areas Too Large, Hearings Board Rules (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Tsunami Warning Lifted After 6.8 Earthquake Near Alaska (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Shelton School District Teachers Contract Approved (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Teachers Take Pay Cut in North Thurston School District (Olympian, WA)

Bellingham Teachers to Hit Picket Line (KING-TV, Seattle)

Boys, 8, Face Felony Arson Charges in Idaho Brush Fire - Playing with matches (Reuters)

Two-Year Term for Ex-WA Licensing Worker for Taking Bribes (Associated Press)

Mason County’s Salish Cliffs Golf Course Opening (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Survey: Oregon’s Rural Roads among Worst in US (Oregon Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS

Steamin’ Piles o’ Doo - Zoo Doo is Back for Fall Fecal Fest at Woodland Park Zoo

JC Penney Yanks ‘I’m Too Pretty to Do Homework’ T-Shirt after Online Outcry

Super Mario Rides the Alaskan Way Viaduct

Fan Boys on a Rampage - New Star Wars: Blu-Ray Release of Original Trilogy Contains Yet More Changes

SONG OF THE DAY

Captain Kangaroo - Animal Fair