Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Energy News Digest for June 1, 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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Elwha Dam Powerhouse Crew Finishing Mission with Shutdown at 8 AM Today (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Cheapest Electricity in the Entire Country - But many challenges face PUDs in North Central Washington (Wenatchee World, WA)

Idaho PUC to Hear Oral Arguments in Wind Dispute (North American Wind Power)

Germany’s Move Away from Nuclear Power Could Spread to US (Tulsa World, OK)

Washington State Retirees Fight for Cost of Living Increases - The Retired Public Employees Council says the state might be obligated to continue the increases (Olympian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Germany’s Move Away from Nuclear Power Could Spread to US
  • Germany Moves to Shutter Nuclear Power Stations
  • Germany Nuclear Power Substitute? Coal from Australia
  • Solar Stocks Surge on Germany’s Anti-Nuke Vow
  • No Damage from Lightning-Caused Outage in Chelan County
  • Electricity Restored on Tahuya River Rd - 229 Mason PUD 3 Customers Affected during Emergency Equipment Repair
  • Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Electric Revenue & Refunding Bonds ‘AA’; Outlook Stable
  • Mason PUD 3 Commission Report for May 31, 2011
  • Arizona Utilities Want to Give ‘Decoupling’ a Whirl
  • Washington, DC - Thousands in Dark, Cooling Centers Open amid Heat Wave
  • United Kingdom - Shale Gas Firm Halts Drilling After Earth Tremor
  • Opportunity in the Internet’s Voracious Energy Appetite
  • Canadian Utility Fortis to Buy Vermont Power Company for $470 Million
  • Barriers to Investment in North American Electricity Infrastructure Will Saddle Consumers with Higher Electricity Costs
  • Socializing Transmission Costs
  • Cheapest Electricity in the Entire Country - But many challenges face PUDs
  • Power of Water - Public Utilities’ Harvest of Megawatts Fuels Economic Growth
  • Hydro: The Profit Sweetener
  • Editorial - Electricity Gives Us a Powerful Advantage
  • Elwha Dam Powerhouse Crew Finishing Mission with Shutdown at 8 AM Today
  • Two Elwha River Dams Unplugged on Wednesday
  • Glut of Fish Means Copper River Salmon Bargain
  • Saving White Oak Trees … By Climbing Them?
  • High Water Levels on Columbia River Prompt Warning for Riverfront Parks, Docks, Boat Launches
  • Idaho PUC to Hear Oral Arguments in Wind Dispute
  • Dayco Installs Its First Tri-Cities Residential Wind Turbine
  • New Hampshire - Debate over Biomass Plant Heats Up: Regulators suspend order for approval
  • Oregon - Solar Power for a More Sustainable Spud
  • Canada - Solar Power Industry Seeks Higher Profile, Government Support
  • Already Part of Local Renewable Stock, Wind Energy Poised for Growth in San Diego
  • Hydropower Tunnel under Niagara Falls
  • Maine - Hydroelectric Dams’ Owner May Sell Operations to Belfast
  • Making the Case for Spinning Reserve on the Grid
  • How Close Are Large-Scale Ocean Energy Projects? – Snohomish PUD on the Panel
  • Ideas to Reduce Energy Costs
  • Did NJ Governor Chris Christie Just Doom US Climate Policy?
  • Will Recovering Global Economy Thwart Efforts to Curb Global Warming?
  • Electric Car Fast-Chargers Coming to I-5 in Oregon
  • Are GM Dealerships Gaming Chevy Volt Tax Credit?
  • Fiji Water Nixes Suit over Green Drop Labels
  • Apple to Unveil iCloud Next Week - Meet Your Newest Cap Eater
  • Microsoft Cloud Service Office 365 Launches in June
  • Dell Wants to Buy ‘Everything around Data Centers’
  • Wi-Fi to Overtake Wired Network Traffic by 2015
  • The FCC Needs More Fixes, Fewer Excuses for the National Broadband Map
  • Slate Misses the Real Story about Broadband Data & the FCC
  • Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Thinks Lack of Response to Facebook Was His Biggest Mistake
  • Data Security with Cloud Computing
  • Protect Your Wireless Network
  • Washington State Retirees Fight for Cost of Living Increases
  • Getting Married Doesn’t Count as Looking for Work, Washington State Reminds
  • Sex Change Benefits Proposed for Portland Workers
  • Woman Accused in Fraud Scam - JBLM soldiers among those she allegedly recruited to pay bills fraudulently: military exchanges, Tacoma Public Utilities & other businesses victimized
  • Washington State Representatives Debolt, Alexander Boycott Maple Lane Closing Ceremony
  • Port of Shelton Approves Mason Area Fair Agreement
  • City of Shelton’s “K” Street Restoration
  • World Health Organization: Cellphones Possibly Carcinogenic
  • Head to Head: Is the Rise of New Electronic Social Media Progress or Distraction?
  • America’s Looming Helium Crisis - No, Really

WORD OF THE DAY

Deleterious • \dell-uh-teer-ee-uss\ • Adjective - Harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way

“Hey man, is that a third ear growing out of the side of your head,” shouted a pizza-faced hoodlum at the cell-phone addicted businessman who was standing at a mid-town taxi stand. Bartholomew had been so infatuated with his constant cell conversations over the past year that he had not noticed the deleterious results of his addiction. “Well, at least it’s not a tumor,” he mumbled under his breath.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Germany’s Move Away from Nuclear Power Could Spread to US (Tulsa World, OK)

Germany Moves to Shutter Nuclear Power Stations (National Public Radio)

Germany Nuclear Power Substitute? Coal from Australia (Huffington Post)

Solar Stocks Surge on Germany’s Anti-Nuke Vow (Associated Press)

No Damage from Lightning-Caused Outage in Chelan County (Wenatchee World, WA)

Electricity Restored on Tahuya River Rd - 229 Mason PUD 3 Customers Affected during Emergency Equipment Repair (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Electric Revenue & Refunding Bonds ‘AA’; Outlook Stable (BusinessWire)

Mason PUD 3 Commission Report for May 31, 2011 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Arizona Utilities Want to Give ‘Decoupling’ a Whirl - utilities are beginning to ask regulators to “decouple” their prices from the volume of their sales, which proponents said will encourage conservation (Arizona Republic, Phoenix)

Washington, DC - Thousands in Dark, Cooling Centers Open amid Heat Wave (Washington Post)

United Kingdom - Shale Gas Firm Halts Drilling After Earth Tremor (Reuters)

Opportunity in the Internet’s Voracious Energy Appetite: The Cloud Begins with Coal - And Fracking “…Watch a live stream of a Major League Baseball game…and you…are using about as much energy as driving about 30 miles in your favorite car…” (Forbes Magazine)

Canadian Utility Fortis to Buy Vermont Power Company for $470 Million (Associated Press)

Barriers to Investment in North American Electricity Infrastructure Will Saddle Consumers with Higher Electricity Costs (Fraser Institute)

Socializing Transmission Costs (Energy Biz)

WATER POWER SPOTLIGHTED IN THE WENATCHEE WORLD

Cheapest Electricity in the Entire Country - But many challenges face PUDs in North Central Washington (Wenatchee World, WA)

Power of Water - Public Utilities’ Harvest of Megawatts Fuels Economic Growth (Wenatchee World, WA)

Hydro: The Profit Sweetener (Wenatchee World, WA)

Editorial - Electricity Gives Us a Powerful Advantage (Wenatchee World, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Elwha Dam Powerhouse Crew Finishing Mission with Shutdown at 8 AM Today (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Two Elwha River Dams Unplugged on Wednesday (Seattle Times)

Glut of Fish Means Copper River Salmon Bargain (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Saving White Oak Trees … By Climbing Them? (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

High Water Levels on Columbia River Prompt Warning for Riverfront Parks, Docks, Boat Launches (NCWTV)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho PUC to Hear Oral Arguments in Wind Dispute (North American Wind Power)

Dayco Installs Its First Tri-Cities Residential Wind Turbine (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

New Hampshire - Debate over Biomass Plant Heats Up: Regulators suspend order for approval (Associated Press)

Oregon - Solar Power for a More Sustainable Spud (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Canada - Solar Power Industry Seeks Higher Profile, Government Support - Clean energy expert cautions advocates on headwinds, “delusions” (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Already Part of Local Renewable Stock, Wind Energy Poised for Growth in San Diego (San Diego Daily Transcript, CA)

Hydropower Tunnel under Niagara Falls (Renewable Energy Focus)

Maine - Hydroelectric Dams’ Owner May Sell Operations to Belfast (Bangor Daily News, ME)

Making the Case for Spinning Reserve on the Grid (Renewable Energy World)


How Close Are Large-Scale Ocean Energy Projects? – Snohomish PUD on the Panel (Lexology)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Ideas to Reduce Energy Costs (Wenatchee World, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Did NJ Governor Chris Christie Just Doom US Climate Policy? (Washington Post)

Will Recovering Global Economy Thwart Efforts to Curb Global Warming? (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Car Fast-Chargers Coming to I-5 in Oregon (Associated Press)

Are GM Dealerships Gaming Chevy Volt Tax Credit? (National Legal & Policy Statement)

Fiji Water Nixes Suit over Green Drop Labels (Courthouse News Service)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Apple to Unveil iCloud Next Week - Meet Your Newest Cap Eater (Broadband Reports)

Microsoft Cloud Service Office 365 Launches in June (Seattle Times)

Dell Wants to Buy ‘Everything around Data Centers’ (Austin Business Journal, TX)

Wi-Fi to Overtake Wired Network Traffic by 2015 (GigaOM)

The FCC Needs More Fixes, Fewer Excuses for the National Broadband Map (Slate Magazine)

Slate Misses the Real Story about Broadband Data & the FCC - The FCC responds to the Slate article “Map to Nowhere.” (Slate Magazine)

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt Thinks Lack of Response to Facebook Was His Biggest Mistake (Washington Post)

Data Security with Cloud Computing (Everett Herald, WA)

Protect Your Wireless Network (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Retirees Fight for Cost of Living Increases - The Retired Public Employees Council says the state might be obligated to continue the increases (Olympian, WA)

Getting Married Doesn’t Count as Looking for Work, Washington State Reminds (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Sex Change Benefits Proposed for Portland Workers (KING-TV, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

Woman Accused in Fraud Scam - JBLM soldiers among those she allegedly recruited to pay bills fraudulently: military exchanges, Tacoma Public Utilities & other businesses victimized (Olympian, WA)

Washington State Representatives Debolt, Alexander Boycott Maple Lane Closing Ceremony (Olympian, WA)

Port of Shelton Approves Mason Area Fair Agreement (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

City of Shelton’s “K” Street Restoration (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

World Health Organization: Cellphones Possibly Carcinogenic (USA Today)

Head to Head: Is the Rise of New Electronic Social Media Progress or Distraction? (Sacramento Bee, CA)

America’s Looming Helium Crisis - No, Really (Washington Post)

DIVERSIONS

40 Years Later: Collectors Keyed Up over Ford Pinto

Walt Disney Surrenders to Navy’s SEAL Team 6

Circus Elephants Help with Joplin Cleanup

Family Fights Kitsap County over Safety of Tree House

SONG OF THE DAY

Carly Simon - Boys in the Trees