Thursday, June 16, 2011

Energy News Digest for June 16, 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

Port Of St. Helens a Potential Candidate for a Terminal to Export Coal to Asia (Oregonian, Portland)

Pacific Northwest - Tilting at Windmills: Teething Troubles in the Clean-Energy Sector (The Economist Magazine)

Environmental Groups Seek Review of Port Townsend Paper Corp. Biomass Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

US Congress House Moves to Bar Genetically Modified Salmon (Associated Press)

Clark Public Utilities Wins Award for Energy-Efficiency Efforts (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Port Of St. Helens a Potential Candidate for a Terminal to Export Coal to Asia
  • Pacific Northwest - Tilting at Windmills: Teething Troubles in the Clean-Energy Sector
  • Some Puget Sound Energy Customers Lose Electrical Service, Again
  • California Drought Drove Up Energy Costs
  • Pacific Gas & Electric to Start Widespread Installation of Smart Meters in Santa Cruz County
  • Op/Ed - Chairman’s Manipulation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Imperils Trust
  • Florida - If Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant Never Comes Back Online, What Happens to Your Electric Bill?
  • Germany’s Nuclear Hit to Markets
  • What the US Power Industry Thinks About the Future of the US Power Industry
  • Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for June 14, 2011
  • Sixth Annual Energy & Construction Best Practices Summit includes National Experts
  • Duke Sees Danger if US Hooked on Natural Gas
  • A Deeper Look at an Energy Analysis Raises Big Questions – Concern over Greenpeace Connection
  • West Virginia - 112-Year-Old Hydro Plant Gets Modern Makeover
  • Squirrel Project Has Pair of Mark Morris Students Spinning Their Wheels
  • US Congress House Moves to Bar Genetically Modified Salmon
  • On East Sand Island at the Mouth of the Columbia River, Cormorants & Terns Feast on Endangered Salmon
  • Plenty of Fish Around to Catch, & Coastal Salmon Fishery Opens This Saturday
  • Sprinkler Causes Columbia River Sea Lions to Scoot
  • Darigold Admits to Dumping Ammonia, Causing Issaquah Fish Kill
  • Good Grief! Man Caught Urinating in Portland’s Mount Tabor Reservoir
  • Chelan PUD: Timing Not Right for Pricey Water Project
  • Environmental Groups Seek Review of Port Townsend Paper Corp. Biomass Project
  • Cle Elum - Teanaway Solar Reserve Work Continues
  • Port Angeles’ City Pier Won’t Get Solar Panels
  • When Will We See Solar Panels on the White House?
  • Solar vs. Wind: Which Gets More Government Love?
  • Vermont Capital Residents Approve Wood-Heating System
  • New German Solar Energy Installations Slump: Sources
  • Clark Public Utilities Wins Award for Energy-Efficiency Efforts
  • BPA Accelerates Delivery of $35 Million to Utilities for Energy Efficiency
  • Breaking News: Energy-Efficiency Programs Work, Save Us Millions
  • Vampire Appliances Cause Higher Electric Bills
  • Australia Power Industry Fears “Even Worse” Carbon Plan
  • What Fading Sunspots Mean for ‘Little Ice Age’ Predictions
  • A Solar Scientist Rebuts a Cool Sunspot Prediction
  • Editorial - Horse Dung Was the Global Threat in 1898
  • What Google’s Kansas City Search Won’t Turn Up: Data Center, Lots of Jobs
  • Comcast Shows Off 1 Gbps Broadband
  • Seattle - High-Speed Internet, Lower Parking Rates Coming to Pioneer Square
  • Chromebooks Go on Sale
  • Google Chromebook Works Great as Long as You’re Online
  • State Moves Closer to Privatizing Liquor
  • Two Credible Washington Gubernatorial Candidates Promise Vigorous Contest
  • Vancouver Begins Cleanup after Riots over Stanley Cup Loss
  • Hiker Bullied by Aggressive Mountain Goat near Lake Cushman
  • Washington Loses Jobs in May; First Drop in Months
  • New Mill, New Hope in Grays Harbor County
  • Port of Olympia Busy with Timber Exports to Asia
  • Lacey Senior Center Getting $1 Million Federal Grant
  • Technology Pioneer Big Blue (IBM) Turns 100
  • Olympic Prison Escapee Captured near Forks – Visit to wrong cabin proves his undoing

WORD OF THE DAY

Efficacious • \eff-uhKAY-shus\ • Adjective - Having the power to produce a desired effect

Ipecac relief
Efficacious music now!
Here’s the “Candy Man”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Port Of St. Helens a Potential Candidate for a Terminal to Export Coal to Asia (Oregonian, Portland)

Pacific Northwest - Tilting at Windmills: Teething Troubles in the Clean-Energy Sector (The Economist Magazine)

Some Puget Sound Energy Customers Lose Electrical Service, Again (Seattle Times)

California Drought Drove Up Energy Costs (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Pacific Gas & Electric to Start Widespread Installation of Smart Meters in Santa Cruz County (San Jose Mercury News, CA - Let the Hysteria Begin)

Op/Ed - Chairman’s Manipulation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Imperils Trust (Seattle Times)

Florida - If Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant Never Comes Back Online, What Happens to Your Electric Bill? (St Petersburg Times, FL)

Germany’s Nuclear Hit to Markets (Bloomberg News)

What the US Power Industry Thinks About the Future of the US Power Industry (Grist Online)

Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for June 14, 2011 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Sixth Annual Energy & Construction Best Practices Summit includes National Experts (Center of Excellence – Links to PDF file)

Duke Sees Danger if US Hooked on Natural Gas (Reuters)

A Deeper Look at an Energy Analysis Raises Big Questions – Concern over Greenpeace Connection (NY Times)

West Virginia - 112-Year-Old Hydro Plant Gets Modern Makeover (WBOY-TV, Clarksburg, WV)

Squirrel Project Has Pair of Mark Morris Students Spinning Their Wheels – Cool, squirrels generating electricity instead of causing an outage (Longview Daily News, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

US Congress House Moves to Bar Genetically Modified Salmon (Associated Press)

On East Sand Island at the Mouth of the Columbia River, Cormorants & Terns Feast on Endangered Salmon (Oregonian, Portland)

Plenty of Fish Around to Catch, & Coastal Salmon Fishery Opens This Saturday (Seattle Times)

Sprinkler Causes Columbia River Sea Lions to Scoot (KOMO-TV, Seattle – I have one of these to keep deer away from my roses…gets me sometimes also)

Darigold Admits to Dumping Ammonia, Causing Issaquah Fish Kill (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Good Grief! Man Caught Urinating in Portland’s Mount Tabor Reservoir Prompts City to Shift Water Supply (Oregonian, Portland)

Chelan PUD: Timing Not Right for Pricey Water Project (Wenatchee World, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Environmental Groups Seek Review of Port Townsend Paper Corp. Biomass Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Cle Elum - Teanaway Solar Reserve Work Continues (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

Port Angeles’ City Pier Won’t Get Solar Panels (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

When Will We See Solar Panels on the White House? (Grist Online)

Solar vs. Wind: Which Gets More Government Love? (Reuters)

Vermont Capital Residents Approve Wood-Heating System (USA Today)

New German Solar Energy Installations Slump: Sources (Reuters)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Clark Public Utilities Wins Award for Energy-Efficiency Efforts (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

BPA Accelerates Delivery of $35 Million to Utilities for Energy Efficiency - Utilities achieve unprecedented energy savings (Bonneville Power Administration)

Breaking News: Energy-Efficiency Programs Work, Save Us Millions (Grist Online)

Vampire Appliances Cause Higher Electric Bills (ABC News)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Australia Power Industry Fears “Even Worse” Carbon Plan (Reuters)

What Fading Sunspots Mean for ‘Little Ice Age’ Predictions (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

A Solar Scientist Rebuts a Cool Sunspot Prediction (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Editorial - Horse Dung Was the Global Threat in 1898 (Toronto Sun, Ontario – which is where we get the phrase “for the birds” – ‘cause birds pecked out the undigested oats, seeds, etc from the dung. So you’re literally saying” that’s a pile of horsesh**.”)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

What Google’s Kansas City Search Won’t Turn Up: Data Center, Lots of Jobs (Kansas City Business Journal, MO)

Comcast Shows Off 1 Gbps Broadband (Gigaom)

Seattle - High-Speed Internet, Lower Parking Rates Coming to Pioneer Square (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Chromebooks Go on Sale (Washington Post)

Google Chromebook Works Great as Long as You’re Online (USA Today)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

State Moves Closer to Privatizing Liquor (Seattle Times)

Two Credible Washington Gubernatorial Candidates Promise Vigorous Contest (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Vancouver Begins Cleanup after Riots over Stanley Cup Loss (KING-TV, Seattle)

Hiker Bullied by Aggressive Mountain Goat near Lake Cushman (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Washington Loses Jobs in May; First Drop in Months (Associated Press)

New Mill, New Hope in Grays Harbor County (KING-TV, Seattle)

Port of Olympia Busy with Timber Exports to Asia (Associated Press)

Lacey Senior Center Getting $1 Million Federal Grant - Expansion will allow increase in programs; construction set for 2012 (Olympian, WA)

Technology Pioneer Big Blue (IBM) Turns 100 (Associated Press)

Olympic Prison Escapee Captured near Forks – Visit to wrong cabin proves his undoing (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Three Soaked When GPS Guides Car Into Mercer Slough

Missing Edmonton Lawn Mystery Solved

YouTube: Teaching You More about Microwaves Than You Wanted to Know

Texting Juror Who Caused Mistrial Faces Judge

SONG OF THE DAY

The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday