Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Energy News Digest for July 5, 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

State's Only Commercial Nuclear-Power Plant: How Safe Is It? (Seattle Times)

Avista Customers Feel Shock over Yearly Rate-Hike Requests (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Kalispel Tribe Joins Federal Agencies to Protect Bull Trout & Other Species - Agreement is similar to Accords inked by other Northwest tribes and three states (Bonneville Power Administration)

REC Silicon, Grant PUD Sign Power Contract (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

City of Seattle pays $11,000 to Owners of Electrocuted Dog (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Avista Customers Feel Shock over Yearly Rate-Hike Requests
  • As Avista Rates Rise, So Does Workers’ Pay
  • City of Seattle pays $11,000 to Owners of Electrocuted Dog
  • Beloved Gardening Columnist, BPA Employee, Dulcy Mahar Dies in Portland at Age 69
  • When Water Overpowers, Wind Farms Get Steamed
  • Chelan County PUD Toasts Dam’s 50 Anniversary
  • Alaska Co-op Rebuilds Hydro Plant
  • 'Deer With Wings' Causes Power Outage in Montana
  • Michigan - New Electric Meters Sparking Protests in Oakland, Macomb Counties
  • Indiana - Hydroelectric Dams May Offer Gateway to Ohio River's Power
  • Man Goes without Power for Eight Days Because ComEd Won’t Believe That His Power Is Out
  • State's Only Commercial Nuclear-Power Plant: How Safe Is It?
  • Weighing N-Plant's Costs, Benefits
  • Court Rules against Washington State, Others in Shipment of Hanford Waste
  • New Jersey - Nuclear Regulatory Commission OKs license renewal for PSEG Nuclear Salem Generating Station
  • Kalispel Tribe Joins Federal Agencies to Protect Bull Trout & Other Species
  • Summer Chum Make Comeback in Hood Canal
  • Op/Ed - Story Misled on Klamath Dam Removal
  • High Water Hurting Montana Fly Fishing Industry
  • What Happened to the Western Meadowlark?
  • Exxon Fights Yellowstone Oil Spill, Residents' Outrage
  • Op/Ed - Columbia River Dams Help Prevent Flooding
  • Op/Ed - Lake Roosevelt Belongs to All of Us
  • Haggling Over California's Water Complicates US Senator Feinstein's Re-Election Bid
  • REC Silicon, Grant PUD Sign Power Contract
  • Cloudy Future for Oregon's Solar Industry
  • California - Antelope Valley Residents Not Fired Up over Green Energy Projects
  • New Jersey Solar Farm Plans Raise Concerns
  • Red Lights Ahead for Green Projects
  • Dies Irae - Backers Say New Hampshire Biomass Project Hits Wall
  • Using Fossil-Fueled Generation to Accelerate the Deployment of Renewables
  • Hawaii - Big Wind Project Needs to be Killed Before It Kills Our Pocketbooks
  • Hydropower (Tidal) Promises Smooth Sailing for Green Investors
  • Farm Uses Poultry Power to Supply Green Energy
  • Push To Cut Costs, Go Green Boosts Hand-Dryer Business
  • Audits Promote Energy Efficiency
  • Editorial - Power-Hungry Devices
  • Five Reasons Why Microsoft Hohm Didn’t Take Off
  • Missing PowerMeter & Hohm? Here Are 12 Other Home Energy Tool Options
  • New Vehicle Rules to Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions Spark Debate
  • Asia Pollution Blamed for Halt in Warming: Study
  • Coastal California Developers Now Must Consider Sea-Level Rise
  • Study Says Global Warming No Friend of California Wines
  • British Academics Win Right to Temperature Data Held by University at Center of ‘Climategate’
  • Canada - Carbon Tax Finds Plenty of Green Supporters in British Columbia
  • Electric-Vehicle Station Opens in Clark County
  • Nissan Leaf Whips Chevrolet Volt in Electric Sales Race
  • United Kingdom - Has the Green Movement Lost Its Way?
  • Calling Icarus - Swiss Solar Plane Team Eyes Mediterranean Flight
  • Australia - Outrage over Cull of Farting Camels
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Cyberattack Still Being Fought at National Lab
  • Clark County’s Comcast Regulators Struggle
  • Evidence "Increasingly Against" Phone Cancer Risk
  • Google Says Gmail Getting a Makeover
  • Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Seen as Hulu Suitors
  • A Cloud Hub in North Texas?
  • Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag Won't Run for Governor
  • That’s A Wrap for Washington State Film Incentives
  • Fireworks Cause Mason County Brush Fire
  • Forecast: Warm & Dry for the Rest of the Summer
  • Wire Thieves Do $350K in Damage to Vacant Everett Businesses
  • Forewarned - Archaeologists Warned of Burial Ground Under Oak Harbor Street
  • Washington State Highway 3: Is It the Road or the Drivers?

WORD OF THE DAY

Hubris • \hyoo-bruss\ • Noun - Exaggerated pride or self-confidence

As the ancients would say about hubris, “Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make proud.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Avista Customers Feel Shock over Yearly Rate-Hike Requests (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

As Avista Rates Rise, So Does Workers’ Pay (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

City of Seattle pays $11,000 to Owners of Electrocuted Dog (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Beloved Gardening Columnist, BPA Employee, Dulcy Mahar Dies in Portland at Age 69 (Oregonian, Portland)

When Water Overpowers, Wind Farms Get Steamed (National Public Radio)

Chelan County PUD Toasts Dam’s 50 Anniversary (Wenatchee World, WA)

Alaska Co-op Rebuilds Hydro Plant - Facility washed away by 2006 flood better than ever (Electric Coop Today)

'Deer With Wings' Causes Power Outage in Montana (Associated Press)

Michigan - New Electric Meters Sparking Protests in Oakland, Macomb Counties (Daily Tribune, Mount Clemens, MI)

Indiana - Hydroelectric Dams May Offer Gateway to Ohio River's Power (Evansville Courier & Press, IN)
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jul/03/48pt-hed1-15-inches-ofy/

Man Goes without Power for Eight Days Because ComEd Won’t Believe That His Power Is Out (Consumerist – Note cynicism & potential PG 13 language in comment section)

RETURN OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE READING ROOM

State's Only Commercial Nuclear-Power Plant: How Safe Is It? (Seattle Times)

Weighing N-Plant's Costs, Benefits (Seattle Times – Just ask Jim?)

Court Rules against Washington State, Others in Shipment of Hanford Waste (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

New Jersey - Nuclear Regulatory Commission OKs license renewal for PSEG Nuclear Salem Generating Station (Electric Light & Power)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Kalispel Tribe Joins Federal Agencies to Protect Bull Trout & Other Species - Agreement is similar to Accords inked by other Northwest tribes and three states (Bonneville Power Administration)

Summer Chum Make Comeback in Hood Canal (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Op/Ed - Story Misled on Klamath Dam Removal (Sacramento Bee, CA)

High Water Hurting Montana Fly Fishing Industry (Associated Press)

What Happened to the Western Meadowlark? (Eugene Daily News, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Exxon Fights Yellowstone Oil Spill, Residents' Outrage (Associated Press)

Op/Ed - Columbia River Dams Help Prevent Flooding (Columbia Basin Bulletin, Moses Lake, WA)

Op/Ed - Lake Roosevelt Belongs to All of Us (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Haggling Over California's Water Complicates US Senator Feinstein's Re-Election Bid (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

REC Silicon, Grant PUD Sign Power Contract (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Cloudy Future for Oregon's Solar Industry (KVAL-TV, Eugene, OR)

California - Antelope Valley Residents Not Fired Up over Green Energy Projects: Wind and solar projects proposed in the Antelope Valley would ruin the area's ambiance and harm the environment, residents say (Los Angeles Times, CA)

New Jersey Solar Farm Plans Raise Concerns (Asbury Park Press, NJ)

Red Lights Ahead for Green Projects (EnergyBiz Insider)

Dies Irae - Backers Say New Hampshire Biomass Project Hits Wall (Associated Press)

Using Fossil-Fueled Generation to Accelerate the Deployment of Renewables (Power Magazine)

Hawaii - Big Wind Project Needs to be Killed Before It Kills Our Pocketbooks (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, HI)

Hydropower (Tidal) Promises Smooth Sailing for Green Investors (The National)

Farm Uses Poultry Power to Supply Green Energy (Greenwise)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Push To Cut Costs, Go Green Boosts Hand-Dryer Business (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Audits Promote Energy Efficiency (The Coloradan)

Editorial - Power-Hungry Devices (NY Times)

Five Reasons Why Microsoft Hohm Didn’t Take Off (GigaOM)

Missing PowerMeter & Hohm? Here Are 12 Other Home Energy Tool Options (GigaOM)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

New Vehicle Rules to Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions Spark Debate (Washington Post)

Asia Pollution Blamed for Halt in Warming: Study (Reuters)

Coastal California Developers Now Must Consider Sea-Level Rise (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Study Says Global Warming No Friend of California Wines (Vancouver Sun, BC)

British Academics Win Right to Temperature Data Held by University at Center of ‘Climategate’ (Associated Press)

Canada - Carbon Tax Finds Plenty of Green Supporters in British Columbia (Vancouver Sun, BC)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric-Vehicle Station Opens in Clark County (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Nissan Leaf Whips Chevrolet Volt in Electric Sales Race (USA Today)

United Kingdom - Has the Green Movement Lost Its Way? Anti-nuclear, anti-capitalist, anti-flying: the green movement may have alienated more people than it has won over The Guardian, UK)

Calling Icarus - Swiss Solar Plane Team Eyes Mediterranean Flight (Associated Press)

Australia - Outrage over Cull of Farting Camels (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - Cyberattack Still Being Fought at National Lab (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Clark County’s Comcast Regulators Struggle (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Evidence "Increasingly Against" Phone Cancer Risk (Reuters)

Google Says Gmail Getting a Makeover (Washington Post)

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Seen as Hulu Suitors (Los Angeles Business Journal, CA)

A Cloud Hub in North Texas? (Dallas Business Journal, TX)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag Won't Run for Governor (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

That’s A Wrap for Washington State Film Incentives (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Fireworks Cause Mason County Brush Fire (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Forecast: Warm & Dry for the Rest of the Summer (Associated Press)

Wire Thieves Do $350K in Damage to Vacant Everett Businesses (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Forewarned - Archaeologists Warned of Burial Ground Under Oak Harbor Street (KING-TV, Seattle)

Washington State Highway 3: Is It the Road or the Drivers? (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Motorcyclist Crashes in Helmet Law Protest, Dies

Cheers! The 50 Best Beers in America

Oy Vey! America the Baffled: One in Four Americans Doesn't Know the Country from Which We Broke Free

Irony or Hubris - To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen Caught By Hidden Cameras Cheating On His Wife

SONG OF THE DAY

Billy Paul - Me & Mrs Jones