Friday, July 1, 2011

Energy News Digest for July 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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Summerlike Weather Pattern Likely to Begin on Fourth (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Japan Limits Energy Use as Disaster Causes Crunch (Associated Press)

German Parliament Approves Nuclear Shutdown (Associated Press)

Clark County Looks Across Street for Biomass Plant Site (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Group Sues to End New York State’s Role in Regional Cap-and-Trade (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Japan Limits Energy Use as Disaster Causes Crunch
German Parliament Approves Nuclear Shutdown
Avista Natural Gas Rates to Dip Slightly
Idaho – City of Rupert Approves Bonneville Power Administration Agreement
California - Pacific Gas & Electric Outlines Plan for 'Smart Grid'
Fracking Gas Drilling Technique Ban Passed by New Jersey Lawmakers
Bull Trout Released In Upper River Clackamas after 50 Years' Absence
Bullets May Be Used to Save Spotted Owl
Seattle Water Rates Could Go Up 28% Over Next Three Years
Clark County Looks Across Street for Biomass Plant Site
Oregon Power Technologies: Buoy Tests Successful, Next Stop Reedsport
Feds Offer First Solar $3.7 Billion to Build California Power Plants
Editorial – Arizona: If City & County Wise Up, Burrowing Owl Could Benefit From Solar Farm
Florida - Gainesville Biomass Plant Completes Construction Financing
Selling an Energy-Efficient Light Bulb is Trickier than You’d Think
Group Sues to End New York State’s Role in Regional Cap-and-Trade
Canada - Hike in Gas Prices Due to British Columbia's Carbon Tax
Europe & US in Legal Clash over Airline Emissions
Op/Ed - Hey San Francisco, Get a Life
Wireless-By-Satellite Start-Up Hits FCC Roadblock over GPS Interference Findings
Google+ Invites Halted After 'Insane Demand'
Facebook Brewing Something “Awesome” In Seattle
News Corp. Takes a Big Loss on MySpace Sale
Reports Say Federal Trade Commission Investigating Twitter
Wi-Fi: It’s the Other Cell Network
Cyber Attacks Outpace Global Response, US Warns
Oregon Legislature Adjourns 'Sine Die'
Washington State Governor Gregoire Takes Reins of Western Governors Group
Brian Sonntag Still Mulling a Washington State Governor's Race
Comic Stephen Colbert Gets Conditional OK on Campaign Finance
Summerlike Weather Pattern Likely to Begin on Fourth
Countdown to Independence Day - The 4th
West May See Longer Fire Season
From Now On, It'll Cost You to Visit Washington State Parks
Clallam Bay Prison Guard Taken Hostage Was Working Alone
Mason County - Belfair Water District Candidate Withdraws
Judge Denies Boeing Motion to Dismiss Labor Case
Biggest Loser: Washington State Tumbles in CNBC Business Rankings
Portland No. 15 on Forbes Business List
Western Ranchers Fight Push to Give Up Brands

WORD OF THE DAY

Extenuate • \eck-STEN-yuh-wait\ • Verb - 1: to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of by making partial excuses: mitigate 2: to lessen the strength or effect of

Bailey’s half-hearted excuses did little to extenuate his responsibility for an unfortunate fireworks-related disaster that faced the small group of tour boat survivors on a small, deserted Pacific island. “All I wanted to do was test for methane in the outhouse,” he muttered to himself. Unfortunately, his experiment with the M-100 “firecracker” obliterated the only comfort station available within a radius of nearly 1,000 miles. Shunning was a mild term for his one year sentence. (light and get away…with loud report)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Japan Limits Energy Use as Disaster Causes Crunch (Associated Press)

German Parliament Approves Nuclear Shutdown (Associated Press)

Avista Natural Gas Rates to Dip Slightly (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Idaho – City of Rupert Approves Bonneville Power Administration Agreement (Twin Falls Times News, ID)

California - Pacific Gas & Electric outlines plan for 'smart grid' (SF Chronicle)

Fracking Gas Drilling Technique Ban Passed by New Jersey Lawmakers (Christian Science Monitor)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Bull Trout Released In Upper River Clackamas after 50 Years' Absence (Oregonian, Portland)

Bullets May Be Used to Save Spotted Owl (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Seattle Water Rates Could Go Up 28% Over Next Three Years (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clark County Looks Across Street for Biomass Plant Site (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Oregon Power Technologies: Buoy Tests Successful, Next Stop Reedsport (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Feds Offer First Solar $3.7 Billion to Build California Power Plants (Forbes Magazine)

Editorial – Arizona: If City & County Wise Up, Burrowing Owl Could Benefit From Solar Farm (Arizona Star, Tucson)

Florida - Gainesville Biomass Plant Completes Construction Financing (Biomass Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Selling an Energy-Efficient Light Bulb is Trickier than You’d Think (Forbes Magazine)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Group Sues to End New York State’s Role in Regional Cap-and-Trade (NY Times)

Canada - Hike in Gas Prices Due to British Columbia's Carbon Tax (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Europe & US in Legal Clash over Airline Emissions (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Op/Ed - Hey San Francisco, Get a Life (SF Chronicle)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wireless-By-Satellite Start-Up Hits FCC Roadblock over GPS Interference Findings (Washington Post)

Google+ Invites Halted After 'Insane Demand' (Bloomberg News)

Facebook Brewing Something “Awesome” In Seattle (GigaOM)

News Corp. Takes a Big Loss on MySpace Sale – Bought for $580 million, sold for $35 million (Associated Press)

Reports Say Federal Trade Commission Investigating Twitter (USA Today)

Wi-Fi: It’s the Other Cell Network (GigaOM)

Cyber Attacks Outpace Global Response, US Warns (Reuters)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Oregon Legislature Adjourns 'Sine Die' (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Washington State Governor Gregoire Takes Reins of Western Governors Group - Incoming chairwoman unveils promotion initiative (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Brian Sonntag Still Mulling a Washington State Governor's Race (Crosscut Seattle)

Comic Stephen Colbert Gets Conditional OK on Campaign Finance (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Summerlike Weather Pattern Likely to Begin on Fourth (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Countdown to Independence Day - The 4th (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

West May See Longer Fire Season (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

From Now On, It'll Cost You to Visit Washington State Parks (Associated Press)

Clallam Bay Prison Guard Taken Hostage Was Working Alone (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Mason County - Belfair Water District Candidate Withdraws (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Judge Denies Boeing Motion to Dismiss Labor Case (Associated Press)

Biggest Loser: Washington State Tumbles in CNBC Business Rankings (KING-TV, Seattle)

Portland No. 15 on Forbes Business List (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Western Ranchers Fight Push to Give Up Brands (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

App Predicts What the Weather Will be a Year from Today

Happy (Belated) Smurf Day! 4,891 People Dressed As Smurfs Break Guinness Record

We Call It Brown - They Call It ‘Weekend in the Country’

Crows Don't Get Mad, They Get Even -- And Bring Friends, & Never Forget

SONG OF THE DAY

Leon Russell - Lady Blue