Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Energy News Digest for March 29, 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

Heavy Rains on the Way, Some Flooding Possible (Seattle Times)

Pacific Power Customers to See Increase in Utility Bill – Average of 12 Percent per Month (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Op/Ed - The Facts about Replacing Power from Snake River Dams (Oregonian, Portland)

LOCKS OPEN: Columbia-Snake River Barging Resumes (Tri-City Herald, WA)

State of Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Goals Could Increase Driving Costs (Portland Tribune, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Pacific Power Customers to See Increase in Utility Bill – Average of 12 Percent per Month
·         Op/Ed - The Facts about Replacing Power from Snake River Dams
·         Transformer Troubles - Power Outage Still Disrupting Boeing Auburn Plant
·         Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Kent, Washington; Reward Offered
·         BPA’s New High-Voltage Power Line to Carry Wind Power
·         Grant County Sheriff Discusses Wire Theft
·         Canada - BC Hydro’s Planned Rate Hike on Hold - For Now
·         Arkansas - Rich Hunters, Poor Town Clash over Coal-Fired Power Plant
·         Electricity in Japan May Not be Back to Normal for Months
·         Power Saved to Have Same Price as Power Generated
·         Oregonians Split on Nuclear Power, Not Concerned About Radiation from Japan
·         Are Nuclear Plants Safe? Environmentalists Are Split
·         Iowa - Nuclear Power Debated in Packed Hearing Room
·         Energy CEO: Costs, Not Safety, Block New Nukes
·         Power Group: China Lowering Nuclear Power Target
·         Radiation & Climate Change Drive Islanders to the Pacific Northwest
·         The Small World of Big Nuclear Worries
·         Another Contract Awarded for Elwha Dam Demolition
·         Oregon - Some Deschutes County Property Owners Abusing Wildlife Habitat Tax Breaks
·         Oregon Ranchers Seek Right to Shoot Wolves
·         Report: Native Fish Species Decline at Lake Tahoe
·         LOCKS OPEN: Columbia-Snake River Barging Resumes
·         Brightwater Sewer Tunneling Project Blamed for another Sinkhole
·         City of Shelton Holds Hearing on Water Rates
·         Japan Orders British Columbia Water after Fears of Radioactive Contamination
·         Idaho - Avista, Kootenai Electric’s Fight Cut from Energy Rebate Bill
·         Idaho Power Considering Solar Energy to Meet Summer Demands
·         Economic Effect of Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard
·         Portland School Goes Green with Wind Turbine
·         TransAlta Corp. Takes First Step on 66-Megawatt Quebec Wind Farm
·         Does Solar Energy Hurt the Grid?
·         EPA Plans to Put off Need for Carbon Dioxide Permits to Burn Biomass
·         Wisconsin Biomass Fight a Matter of Trust
·         South Carolina Lawmakers Take a Dim View of New Light Bulbs
·         State of Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Goals Could Increase Driving Costs
·         The Week Ahead: Senate to Vote on Proposal to Block EPA Climate Rules
·         European Union to Ban Cars from Cities by 2050
·         Northwest Group Gets Charge from Converting Cars to Electric Power
·         Garbage: To Burn or to Bury
·         US Energy Department Program to Cut Costs for Start-Ups
·         Enron Broadband Exec Gets Two Years on Probation
·         Data Center Construction to Grow to $18 Billion in 2020
·         Bob Kimball Resigns Abruptly as CEO of RealNetworks
·         How Do You Convince the Cable Co to Lay Broadband to a Semirural Area?
·         How Germany’s Greens Rose from Radical Fringe to Ruling Power
·         Heavy Rains on the Way, Some Flooding Possible
·         Chinese Demand Boosting Peninsula Log Exports to ‘Astronomical’ Levels
·         Tacoma Man, Four Others Sentenced for Bangor Break-In & Nuke Protest
·         City of Shelton Sets Hearing on Shelton Hills Rezone
·         NASA: Mars Rover, Phone Home after Yearlong Sleep
·         Will You Pay to Read News Online?

WORD OF THE DAY

Gibbous • \JIB-buss\ • Adjective - 1a: marked by convexity or swelling b of the moon or a planet: seen with more than half but not the entire apparent disk illuminated 2: having a hump: humpbacked

“Young Frankenstein – 1974”

The scene opens; Gene Wilder, as Doctor Frankenstein addresses his “googly-eyed” gibbous assistant Igor, played by Marty Feldman:

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: You know, I’m a rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I can help you with that hump.
Igor: What hump?

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Pacific Power Customers to See Increase in Utility Bill – Average of 12 Percent per Month (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Op/Ed - The Facts about Replacing Power from Snake River Dams (Oregonian, Portland)

Transformer Troubles - Power Outage Still Disrupting Boeing Auburn Plant

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Kent, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

BPA’s New High-Voltage Power Line to Carry Wind Power (Renew Grid)

Grant County Sheriff Discusses Wire Theft (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Canada - BC Hydro’s Planned Rate Hike on Hold - For Now (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Arkansas - Rich Hunters, Poor Town Clash over Coal-Fired Power Plant (Associated Press)

Electricity in Japan May Not be Back to Normal for Months (LA Observed, CA)

Power Saved to Have Same Price as Power Generated (Courthouse News Service)

NUCLEAR SCIENCE READING ROOM

Oregonians Split on Nuclear Power, Not Concerned About Radiation from Japan (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Are Nuclear Plants Safe? Environmentalists Are Split (North Country Public Radio, NY)

Iowa - Nuclear Power Debated in Packed Hearing Room (Des Moines Register, IA)

Energy CEO: Costs, Not Safety, Block New Nukes (CNET News)

Power Group: China Lowering Nuclear Power Target (Associated Press)

Radiation & Climate Change Drive Islanders to the Pacific Northwest (Northwest Public Radio)

The Small World of Big Nuclear Worries (Seattle Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Another Contract Awarded for Elwha Dam Demolition (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Oregon - Some Deschutes County Property Owners Abusing Wildlife Habitat Tax Breaks, Inspections Find (Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon Ranchers Seek Right to Shoot Wolves (Associated Press)

Report: Native Fish Species Decline at Lake Tahoe (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

LOCKS OPEN: Columbia-Snake River Barging Resumes (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Brightwater Sewer Tunneling Project Blamed for another Sinkhole (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

City of Shelton Holds Hearing on Water Rates (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Japan Orders British Columbia Water after Fears of Radioactive Contamination (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho - Avista, Kootenai Electric’s Fight Cut from Energy Rebate Bill; Dustup Had Stalled Compromise (Canadian Business Online)

Idaho Power Considering Solar Energy to Meet Summer Demands (via the Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Economic Effect of Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (National Center for Policy Analysis)

Portland School Goes Green with Wind Turbine (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)

TransAlta Corp. Takes First Step on 66-Megawatt Quebec Wind Farm (Calgary Herald, Alberta)

Does Solar Energy Hurt the Grid? (Renewable Energy World)

EPA Plans to Put off Need for Carbon Dioxide Permits to Burn Biomass (Courthouse News Service)

Wisconsin Biomass Fight a Matter of Trust - A Closer Look at the Proposed Rothschild Biomass Plant (Wausau Daily Herald, WI)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

South Carolina Lawmakers Take a Dim View of New Light Bulbs (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

State of Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Goals Could Increase Driving Costs (Portland Tribune, OR)

The Week Ahead: Senate to Vote on Proposal to Block EPA Climate Rules (The Hill)

European Union to Ban Cars from Cities by 2050 - Cars will be banned from London & all other cities across Europe under a draconian EU master plan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years (The Telegraph, UK)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Northwest Group Gets Charge from Converting Cars to Electric Power (Seattle Times)

Garbage: To Burn or to Bury - Europe burns heaps of garbage, getting lots of electricity & some heat. The United States does not. (Renewable Energy World)

US Energy Department Program to Cut Costs for Start-Ups (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Enron Broadband Exec Gets Two Years on Probation (Associated Press)

Data Center Construction to Grow to $18 Billion in 2020 (Seattle Times)

Bob Kimball Resigns Abruptly as CEO of RealNetworks (Seattle Times)

How Do You Convince the Cable Co to Lay Broadband to a Semirural Area? (Consumerist)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

How Germany’s Greens Rose from Radical Fringe to Ruling Power (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy Rains on the Way, Some Flooding Possible (Seattle Times)

Chinese Demand Boosting Peninsula Log Exports to ‘Astronomical’ Levels (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Tacoma Man, Four Others Sentenced for Bangor Break-In & Nuke Protest (Olympian, WA)

City of Shelton Sets Hearing on Shelton Hills Rezone (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NASA: Mars Rover, Phone Home after Yearlong Sleep (Associated Press)

Will You Pay to Read News Online? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

Bright, Shiny Objects for Green Technologists

New Company Promises to Give You a Pretend Facebook Girlfriend

Forger Shows Up in Court with Phony Doctor Note

Super Glue Inventor Harry W. Coover Dies at 94

SONG OF THE DAY

Helen Reddy - Angie Baby