Thursday, September 15, 2011

Energy News Digest for September 15, 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

Dam Removal Work Begins: First Chip Out of Taller Glines Canyon Dam This Morning (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

EPA Seen Likely to Miss Deadline on Rule for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Utilities (NY Times)

Power Plants Can Comply with Green Regulations: FERC (Reuters)

Obama Green-Tech Program That Backed Solyndra Struggles to Create Jobs (Washington Post)

For Idaho & the Internet, Life in the Slow Lane - Washington Ranks Among Fastest States (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Power Plants Can Comply with Green Regulations: FERC
  • Editorial - Power Grid Must Be Reliable to Protect Us
  • Fitch Rates Benton County PUD’s $38.6MM Revenue Bonds ‘A+’
  • Orcas Light & Power Rate Change: Board Merges Limited Service with Residential Tariff
  • Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for September 13, 2011
  • Oregon - Formerly of Snohomish PUD: Monmouth Names New Power & Light Superintendent
  • California Water Utility Paid $200K for Positive Web Stories
  • Western Area Power Administration Commits to Arizona Renewable Transmission Project
  • Copper Drops as Consumers Restrain Spending
  • Dam Removal Work Begins: First Chip Out of Taller Glines Canyon Dam This Morning
  • Op/Ed - Restoration of the Elwha’s Wild Runs Will Need a Careful Jump-Start
  • Removing the Two Elwha Dams — Two Videos Show How It Will be Done
  • Webcast of Elwha Ceremony Planned
  • Are They Elwha Dam Cams? Watch the Tear-Downs on Your Computer
  • The Elwha Dams, Part 5 - Flooding Along the Elwha
  • Fishing for Solutions - Sustaining Our Fisheries: Buy Local? Rethink Aquaculture?
  • Make Pacific Salmon British Columbia’s Official Fish, Groups Urge
  • Fighting Pirates Who Steal Fish on the High Seas
  • A City of Glass Towers, & a Hazard for Migratory Birds – 90,000 per Year Die in NY City
  • Discovery of New Shrimp Species Sparked Changes to Kalama’s Water System
  • State Agency Dings Port of Port Angeles over Sprint Track Water
  • Hydration Stations Sweep Colleges to Promote Tap Water
  • Obama Green-Tech Program That Backed Solyndra Struggles to Create Jobs
  • Federal Green Energy Loan Guarantees Could Go to 15 More Companies
  • California - Calisolar Fires 80 Sunnyvale Staffers after Turning Down Federal Loan Guarantee
  • SolarWorld Panels Head to the Emmy’s
  • Solar Is Not Dead, Says Prominent Investor
  • How Do US Solar Companies Compare to China’s?
  • Michigan - Biomass Boiler: VA Medical Center Power & Heating Plant Going Green
  • Refrigerators Getting Bigger, Cheaper, More Efficient
  • Why Is One House Office Building Ditching Energy-Efficient Bulbs?
  • Easy-Bake Loses Its Bulb with 100-Watt Phase-Out
  • EPA Seen Likely to Miss Deadline on Rule for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Utilities
  • For Idaho & the Internet, Life in the Slow Lane - Washington Ranks Among Fastest States
  • FCC Set to Trial First Database for Super Wi-Fi
  • Big Cable is Facing an ‘Affordability Crisis’
  • New State Revenue Forecast to Bring More Bad News
  • Congressman Norm Dicks: I Want to Keep Tacoma
  • Kucinich Will Run In New Ohio District, Not Washington
  • Costco Pours Another $820k into Washington State Liquor-Privatization Fight
  • An Essential Primer for Washington State Legislators
  • Classes Canceled at Tacoma Schools as Teachers Continue Strike
  • 4.1 Earthquake Hits Off Vancouver Island
  • Washington State Adds Jobs, But Unemployment Rate Holds Steady
  • Longshoremen Reach Tentative Labor Deal With West Coast Grain Terminals
  • Ex-Lacey Chamber of Commerce Leader Sentenced for Stealing
  • US House of Representatives Expected to Pass Bill Aiding New North Carolina Boeing Plant
  • Washington State’s SAT Scores Among Highest in Nation
  • Seattle among Best Educated Cities
  • Rogue Trader Causes $2 Billion Loss at UBS

WORD OF THE DAY

Stridulate • \STRIDJ-uh-late\ • Verb - To make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures; used especially of male insects (as crickets or grasshoppers)

“This is SO cool!” enthused the fresh-faced etymologist to his grizzled mentor. “Listen to this: when you slow down a recording of Tuscan crickets’ stridulating…they sound just like Cliff Edwards singing ‘When You Wish upon a Star’.”


SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Power Plants Can Comply with Green Regulations: FERC (Reuters)

Editorial - Power Grid Must Be Reliable to Protect Us (Palm Springs Desert Sun, CA)

Fitch Rates Benton County PUD’s $38.6MM Revenue Bonds ‘A+’ (Market Watch)

Orcas Light & Power Rate Change: Board Merges Limited Service with Residential Tariff (Island Sounder, East Sound WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for September 13, 2011 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Oregon - Formerly of Snohomish PUD: Monmouth Names New Power & Light Superintendent (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

California Water Utility Paid $200K for Positive Web Stories (SF Chronicle)

Western Area Power Administration Commits to Arizona Renewable Transmission Project (Transmission & Distribution World)

Copper Drops as Consumers Restrain Spending (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

ELWHA DAM FRENZY

Dam Removal Work Begins: First Chip Out of Taller Glines Canyon Dam This Morning (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Op/Ed - Restoration of the Elwha’s Wild Runs Will Need a Careful Jump-Start (Seattle Times)

Removing the Two Elwha Dams — Two Videos Show How It Will be Done (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Webcast of Elwha Ceremony Planned (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Are They Elwha Dam Cams? Watch the Tear-Downs on Your Computer (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

The Elwha Dams, Part 5 - Flooding Along the Elwha (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fishing for Solutions - Sustaining Our Fisheries: Buy Local? Rethink Aquaculture? (Forest Grove News Times, OR)

Make Pacific Salmon British Columbia’s Official Fish, Groups Urge (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Fighting Pirates Who Steal Fish on the High Seas (Wenatchee World, WA)

A City of Glass Towers, & a Hazard for Migratory Birds – 90,000 per Year Die in NY City (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Discovery of New Shrimp Species Sparked Changes to Kalama’s Water System (Longview Daily News, WA)

State Agency Dings Port of Port Angeles over Sprint Track Water (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Hydration Stations Sweep Colleges to Promote Tap Water (USA Today)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Obama Green-Tech Program That Backed Solyndra Struggles to Create Jobs (Washington Post)

Federal Green Energy Loan Guarantees Could Go to 15 More Companies (Associated Press)

California - Calisolar Fires 80 Sunnyvale Staffers after Turning Down Federal Loan Guarantee (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

SolarWorld Panels Head to the Emmy’s (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Solar Is Not Dead, Says Prominent Investor (NY Times)

How Do US Solar Companies Compare to China’s? (National Public Radio)

Michigan - Biomass Boiler: VA Medical Center Power & Heating Plant Going Green (Battle Creek Enquirer, MI)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Refrigerators Getting Bigger, Cheaper, More Efficient (Midwest Energy News)

Why Is One House Office Building Ditching Energy-Efficient Bulbs? (Talking Points Memo)

Easy-Bake loses its bulb with 100-watt phase-out (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

EPA Seen Likely to Miss Deadline on Rule for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Utilities (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

For Idaho & the Internet, Life in the Slow Lane - Washington Ranks Among Fastest States (NY Times)

FCC Set to Trial First Database for Super Wi-Fi (Gigaom)

Big Cable is Facing an ‘Affordability Crisis’ (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

New State Revenue Forecast to Bring More Bad News (Associated Press)

Congressman Norm Dicks: I Want to Keep Tacoma (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Kucinich Will Run In New Ohio District, Not Washington (Associated Press)

Costco Pours Another $820k into Washington State Liquor-Privatization Fight (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

An Essential Primer for Washington State Legislators (Crosscut Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

Classes Canceled at Tacoma Schools as Teachers Continue Strike (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

4.1 Earthquake Hits Off Vancouver Island (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Washington State Adds Jobs, But Unemployment Rate Holds Steady (Seattle Times)

Longshoremen Reach Tentative Labor Deal With West Coast Grain Terminals (Longview Daily News, WA)

Ex-Lacey Chamber of Commerce Leader Sentenced for Stealing (Olympian, WA)

US House of Representatives Expected to Pass Bill Aiding New North Carolina Boeing Plant (NY Times)

Washington State’s SAT Scores Among Highest in Nation (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Seattle among Best Educated Cities (KCPQ-TV, Tacoma, WA)

Rogue Trader Causes $2 Billion Loss at UBS (USA Today)

DIVERSIONS

Would You be Better Off Eating Like a Caveman?

Body Odor? Gene Disorder May be the Culprit

Man on First Date Climbs, Then Falls from School Chimney

The Food Lab, Drinks Edition: Is Mexican Coca-Cola Better?

SONG OF THE DAY

Floyd Cramer - Last Date