Monday, September 26, 2011

Energy News Digest for September 26, 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

Winds Knock Out Power in Western Washington - More Rain, Wind Expected Monday (NW Cable News)

Tester, Baucus Push for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Plant Reopening – Dependent on Bonneville Power Administration agreement (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

Seattle City Light Ups Business Energy-Efficiency Incentives (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Hood Canal Shellfish Closure Extended (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Scientists Want Publisher to Refreeze Greenland (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Winds Knock Out Power in Western Washington - More Rain, Wind Expected Monday
  • Wind Knocks Out Power to 9,000 Snohomish County Residents
  • Tester, Baucus Push for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Plant Reopening – Dependent on Bonneville Power Administration agreement
  • Bonneville Power Administration Announces Plans for New Transmission Line
  • Chelan PUD Rate Change Could Leave Ratepayers with More Change
  • Oregon Trail Electric Co-Op Rate Hike: 7.1 Percent
  • Montana - Beartooth Co-Op Members Elect ‘Reform’ Candidates, Overwhelmingly Support Vote by Mail
  • California - High-Speed Rail Would Test Power Grid
  • Ruby Pipeline Ramps Up Rapidly to Supply Natural Gas to Northern California
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Trial on San Bruno Natural Gas Explosion Set for July
  • Colorado - Boulder Business Groups Weigh In On Municipalization Ballot Measures
  • New York Judge Tosses Electrical Utility’s 9/11 Lawsuit
  • Nuclear Progresses in Some Countries Despite Fukushima Fears
  • Iran’s Nuclear Energy Setbacks - More Than Just Bad Luck?
  • Hood Canal Shellfish Closure Extended
  • Salmon Hatchery under Construction - Decades Old Promise Fulfilled for Colville Tribe
  • Colville Tribes Turning to Traditional Fishing Methods
  • High Water Damages Bonneville Dam Fish Ladder; John Day Reservoir Level Range Highest Since 1995
  • Eagle-Eye View of Elwha River’s Origin Reveals Watershed of Olympian Proportions
  • Editorial - Let the Klamath River Dams Come Down
  • Industrial Poetry at the Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant
  • SoloPower, Preparing To Manufacture in Portland - Says Its Flexible Solar Panels Surpass Solyndra & Competitors
  • Solyndra Leaders Invoke Fifth Amendment at Congressional Hearing
  • GOP Lawmaker: US Solar Panel Industry Could Fail
  • Tapping Into the Sun’s Energy in Thurston County
  • Vancouver, WA Biomass Plant Arguments Heat Up Again This Week
  • Alaska - Naknek Geothermal Project Appears Dead
  • Austin Energy Tests Home Wind Turbine
  • California’s Public Goods Fee for State Energy Program to End
  • Poop Power Can Be Electric
  • Seattle City Light Ups Business Energy-Efficiency Incentives
  • The Right Space Heater Can Tame Energy Bills
  • How to Save a Few Bucks with Efficient Appliances
  • Op/Ed - Now’s the Time
  • Oregon Heath & Science University Building Earns Second LEED Platinum
  • California - LED Startup Switch Lighting Hopes To Light the Way in Valley
  • Scientists Want Publisher to Refreeze Greenland
  • Scientist Quits Over Climate ‘Religion’
  • A Deepening Desire to Disbelieve: Why US Remains Last Redoubt of Climate ‘Denialism’
  • Odor Complaints Abound for Seattle’s Composter
  • Seattle’s Version of the Oregon Sustainability Center Will Open Next Fall, a Year before Portland’s
  • New Jersey Electric Vehicle Drivers Offered Cut-Price Solar Power
  • Clark County Talks with Comcast ‘Progressing’ - Negotiations over franchise pact slow, but no major issues
  • Clearwire Looks to Sell 4G Service to Sprint Competitors
  • Net Neutrality Rules Are Coming. Here’s Why They Matter
  • NTIA Broadband Map of the United States
  • California Governor Signs Compromise on Collecting Internet Sales Tax, Moving Debate to Washington, DC
  • Amazon Has High Hopes for Its iPad Competitor
  • Mason County Commissioner Ring-Erickson to Run for 35th District Washington State Representative
  • Alaska ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’ The Knik Arm Crossing Project, Still on the Table
  • ORCAA Hearing On Simpson Air Quality Permit Tuesday
  • Boeing 787 Assembly Shapes Up
  • CH2M Hanford Owes the US $1.5 Million for False Claims & Kickbacks
  • Workers Complain of Harsh Conditions in Amazon Warehouse
  • Editorial – Belfair: Goodbye (Crazy) Eric’s, Hello Future
  • Report: Americans Fail to Appreciate Local Papers

WORD OF THE DAY

Tchotchke • \CHAWCH-kuh\ • Noun - knickknack, trinket

Like manic Costco customers wrenching their overflowing shopping carts from the store on a Sunday afternoon; the rabid prize locusts reeled from the vendor hall at the trade association meeting…their “gift bags” bulging with various and sundry tchotchkes. “One giveaway I could really have used,” grunted one such forager, “was a free truss, with the vendor’s logo prominently displayed.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Winds Knock Out Power in Western Washington - More Rain, Wind Expected Monday (NW Cable News)

Wind Knocks Out Power to 9,000 Snohomish County Residents (Everett Herald, WA)

Tester, Baucus Push for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Plant Reopening – Dependent on Bonneville Power Administration agreement (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

Bonneville Power Administration Announces Plans for New Transmission Line (Associated Press)

Chelan PUD Rate Change Could Leave Ratepayers with More Change (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

Oregon Trail Electric Co-Op Rate Hike: 7.1 Percent (Baker City Herald, OR)

Montana - Beartooth Co-Op Members Elect ‘Reform’ Candidates, Overwhelmingly Support Vote by Mail (Billings Gazette, MT)

California - High-Speed Rail Would Test Power Grid (Fresno Bee, CA)

Ruby Pipeline Ramps Up Rapidly to Supply Natural Gas to Northern California (Energy Information Administration)

Pacific Gas & Electric Trial on San Bruno Natural Gas Explosion Set for July (SF Chronicle)

Colorado - Boulder Business Groups Weigh In On Municipalization Ballot Measures (Boulder Daily Camera, CO)

New York Judge Tosses Electrical Utility’s 9/11 Lawsuit - Says ‘strange, improbable’ events downed 7 World Trade Center building (Associated Press)

Nuclear Progresses in Some Countries Despite Fukushima Fears (Energy Collective)

Iran’s Nuclear Energy Setbacks - More Than Just Bad Luck? (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Hood Canal Shellfish Closure Extended (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Salmon Hatchery under Construction - Decades Old Promise Fulfilled for Colville Tribe (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA)

Colville Tribes Turning to Traditional Fishing Methods (Wenatchee World, WA)

High Water Damages Bonneville Dam Fish Ladder; John Day Reservoir Level Range Highest Since 1995 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Eagle-Eye View of Elwha River’s Origin Reveals Watershed of Olympian Proportions (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Editorial - Let the Klamath River Dams Come Down (SF Chronicle)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Industrial Poetry at the Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant (Crosscut Seattle)

Restoration of Garry Oak Meadows Goal of New Guide (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

SoloPower, Preparing To Manufacture in Portland - Says Its Flexible Solar Panels Surpass Solyndra & Competitors (Oregonian, Portland)

Solyndra Leaders Invoke Fifth Amendment at Congressional Hearing (Associated Press)

GOP Lawmaker: US Solar Panel Industry Could Fail (Associated Press)

Tapping Into the Sun’s Energy in Thurston County - Stone Hedge House largest of 19 projects that can be viewed Oct. 1 (Olympian, WA)

Vancouver, WA Biomass Plant Arguments Heat Up Again This Week (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Alaska - Naknek Geothermal Project Appears Dead (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Austin Energy Tests Home Wind Turbine (KVET-TV, Austin, TX)

California’s Public Goods Fee for State Energy Program to End – “…Has generated billions of dollars in funding for energy efficiency & renewable energy research over the past 14 years…” (SF Chronicle)

Poop Power Can Be Electric (Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, FL)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle City Light Ups Business Energy-Efficiency Incentives (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

The Right Space Heater Can Tame Energy Bills (Seattle Times)

How to Save a Few Bucks with Efficient Appliances (Seattle Times)

Op/Ed - Now’s the Time (Longview Daily News, WA)

Oregon Heath & Science University Building Earns Second LEED Platinum (Sustainable Business Oregon)

California - LED Startup Switch Lighting Hopes To Light the Way in Valley (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Scientists Want Publisher to Refreeze Greenland (NY Times)

Scientist Quits Over Climate ‘Religion’ (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

A Deepening Desire to Disbelieve: Why US Remains Last Redoubt of Climate ‘Denialism’ (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Odor Complaints Abound for Seattle’s Composter (Associated Press)

Seattle’s Version of the Oregon Sustainability Center Will Open Next Fall, a Year before Portland’s (Oregonian, Portland)

New Jersey Electric Vehicle Drivers Offered Cut-Price Solar Power (Brighter Energy)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Clark County Talks with Comcast ‘Progressing’ - Negotiations over franchise pact slow, but no major issues (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Clearwire Looks to Sell 4G Service to Sprint Competitors (Kansas City Business Journal)

Net Neutrality Rules Are Coming. Here’s Why They Matter (Christian Science Monitor)

NTIA Broadband Map of the United States (NTIA)

California Governor Signs Compromise on Collecting Internet Sales Tax, Moving Debate to Washington, DC (Associated Press)

Amazon Has High Hopes for Its iPad Competitor (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Commissioner Ring-Erickson to Run for 35th District Washington State Representative (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA – As seen in the news digest mid-day Friday)

Alaska ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’ The Knik Arm Crossing Project, Still on the Table (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

ORCAA Hearing On Simpson Air Quality Permit Tuesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Boeing 787 Assembly Shapes Up (Seattle Times)

CH2M Hanford Owes the US $1.5 Million for False Claims & Kickbacks (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Workers Complain of Harsh Conditions in Amazon Warehouse (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Editorial – Belfair: Goodbye (Crazy) Eric’s, Hello Future (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Report: Americans Fail to Appreciate Local Papers - A Majority of Americans Don’t Seem to Recognize the Value of Their Local Newspaper (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

UC Berkeley Scientists ‘See’ Movies in the Mind

Cat Scratch Turntable Is the Only Stupid Thingamajig That Actually Needs a USB Connection

Pig Thefts a Byproduct of Spiking Pork Prices

Woman Who Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant Has Baby after Being Rescued While Hiking

SONG OF THE DAY

Clint Holmes - Playground In My Mind