Monday, October 24, 2011

Energy News Digest for October 24, 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

Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Files for Bankruptcy (Billings Gazette, MT)

US Senate Approved Investigation & Response Plan for Virus Outbreak in British Columbia Salmon (Seattle Times)

Spokane Tribal Members Seek New Grand Coulee Dam Deal (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Using Oregon’s Forests for Bioenergy Production Has a Down Side: Increased Carbon Emissions (Oregonian, Portland)

Data Centers Storm into Hillsboro, Bringing Big Investment - But Not Many Jobs (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Files for Bankruptcy
  • Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Board Refuses to Seat New Beartooth Co-Op Member, Prompting Walkout
  • Spokane Tribal Members Seek New Grand Coulee Dam Deal
  • Oregon - Natural-Gas-Fired Power Plant Proposed for Troutdale’s Former Reynolds Aluminum Plant 
  • Grays Harbor PUD Battles Copper Wire Theft
  • Copper Wiring Traded for Crack - Task Force Helps Catch Copper Thieves
  • Fitch Rates Snohomish PUD Electric System Bonds ‘AA-’; Outlook Stable
  • Montana Coal Mine Seeks to Expand Exports with Deal
  • Gregoire to Welcome TransAlta USA to Olympia Offices
  • Deregulating Electric Power - It’s Been Politicized for Too Long
  • Expert Says Quakes in England May Be Tied to Gas Extraction
  • US Senate Approved Investigation & Response Plan for Virus Outbreak in British Columbia Salmon
  • Condit Dam to be Breached Wednesday - Safety a Key Consideration Ahead of Historic Blast
  • A White Salmon River Free of Condit Dam is Monumental for Tribal Elder, Kayaker & a Fish Biologist
  • Fall Chinook Sports Harvest, Angler Trips Remain In Record-Breaking Mode
  • With Survival Data, Grant PUD Alters Strategy in Efforts to Boost ESA-Listed White River Spring Chinook
  • Bering Sea Cold Pool Keeps Fish from Moving North
  • California - North Bay Center That Lost 60,000 Salmon Gets Donated Fish
  • West Coast Habitats Receive New Status to Save Smelt
  • Signing Ceremony for Johns Prairie Water Agreement - Mason PUD 3, City of Shelton & Port of Shelton
  • EPA Recalls $120,000 in Puget Sound Partnership Funds
  • Mid-Columbia Farmers at Odds With Ecology over Water
  • Empty Fields Fill Urban Basins & Farmers’ Pockets
  • Bureau of Reclamation Names New Pacific Northwest Region Director
  • Pinchot Embraces His Family Name, Its Calling
  • Op/Ed - Dire Economy Should Not Betray Northwest’s Environmental Values
  • Using Oregon’s Forests for Bioenergy Production Has a Down Side: Increased Carbon Emissions
  • Oregon - Iberdrola Halts Work on $100 Million Lakeview Biomass Project
  • Vancouver’s Biomass Plant Standoff Could Head to Court
  • Burning Wood to Save West’s Trees
  • China Blasts SolarWorld’s Request for Tariffs - Says Cheap Solar Panels Help Economy, Environment
  • Solar: Chinese Efficiency vs. US Innovation
  • Solar Power Is Beginning to Go Mainstream
  • Olympia Taking Solar Bids - Panels for 4 Buildings
  • Maine Reflects Solar Industry’s Rapid Growth
  • E.ON Moves Wind Development Office to Portland
  • California - First Wind Turbines Energized in Ford County
  • Getting Smart, Flathead Electric Co-Op Installs Appliances to Study Efficiency
  • Avista’s Light-Bulb Mailing Going ‘Seamlessly’
  • The Energy Efficiency Paradox
  • Climate Study, Funded In Part by Conservative Group, Confirms Global Warming
  • Climate Study Raises ‘Heated Debate’
  • How Global Warming Fell Off the National Agenda
  • Snohomish County PUD Hosts Regional Workshop on Electric Vehicles
  • Data Centers Storm into Hillsboro, Bringing Big Investment - But Not Many Jobs
  • Google May Play Role in Possible Yahoo Sale
  • Apple Hires Yahoo’s Data Center Chief
  • High Hopes for iCloud After Dust Settles Down
  • How the Web Has Powered Work for 20 Years
  • 150 Years Ago, A Primitive Internet United the USA
  • ‘Sovereign’ Washington Group Draws Federal Fire
  • Autopsy Shows Washington State Senator Scott White Died of ‘Cardiac Event’
  • Forest ‘Roadless Rule’: Environmental Victory or US Job-Killer?
  • Plan Would Convert Ferries to Liquefied Natural Gas
  • It Never Hurts Commuters to be Prepared for Snowfall

WORD OF THE DAY

Importunate • \im-PORCH-uh-nutt\ • Adjective - 1: troublesomely urgent: overly persistent in request or demand 2: troublesome

Why is it that in the quietest moments before dropping off the sleep, seemingly invisible mosquitos in your bedroom become importunate dive bombers with the buzz and whine the volume of a Stuka dive bomber.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Files for Bankruptcy (Billings Gazette, MT)

Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Board Refuses to Seat New Beartooth Co-Op Member, Prompting Walkout (Billings Gazette, MT)

Spokane Tribal Members Seek New Grand Coulee Dam Deal (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Oregon - Natural-Gas-Fired Power Plant Proposed for Troutdale’s Former Reynolds Aluminum Plant (Oregonian, Portland)

Grays Harbor PUD Battles Copper Wire Theft (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Copper Wiring Traded for Crack - Task Force Helps Catch Copper Thieves (WPLG-TV, Miami, FL)

Fitch Rates Snohomish PUD Electric System Bonds ‘AA-’; Outlook Stable (Market Watch)

Montana Coal Mine Seeks to Expand Exports with Deal (Associated Press)

Gregoire to Welcome TransAlta USA to Olympia Offices (Olympian, WA)

Deregulating Electric Power - It’s Been Politicized for Too Long (Energybiz Insider)

Expert Says Quakes in England May Be Tied to Gas Extraction (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

US Senate Approved Investigation & Response Plan for Virus Outbreak in British Columbia Salmon (Seattle Times)

Condit Dam to be Breached Wednesday - Safety a Key Consideration Ahead of Historic Blast (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

A White Salmon River Free of Condit Dam is Monumental for Tribal Elder, Kayaker & a Fish Biologist (Oregonian, Portland)

Fall Chinook Sports Harvest, Angler Trips Remain In Record-Breaking Mode; Coho Returns Still High (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

With Survival Data, Grant PUD Alters Strategy in Efforts to Boost ESA-Listed White River Spring Chinook (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Bering Sea Cold Pool Keeps Fish from Moving North (Associated Press)

California - North Bay Center That Lost 60,000 Salmon Gets Donated Fish (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

West Coast Habitats Receive New Status to Save Smelt (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Signing Ceremony for Johns Prairie Water Agreement - Mason PUD 3, City of Shelton & Port of Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

EPA Recalls $120,000 in Puget Sound Partnership Funds (Associated Press)

Mid-Columbia Farmers at Odds With Ecology over Water (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Empty Fields Fill Urban Basins & Farmers’ Pockets (NY Times)

Bureau of Reclamation Names New Pacific Northwest Region Director (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Pinchot Embraces His Family Name, Its Calling (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Op/Ed - Dire Economy Should Not Betray Northwest’s Environmental Values (Seattle Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Using Oregon’s Forests for Bioenergy Production Has a Down Side: Increased Carbon Emissions (Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon - Iberdrola Halts Work on $100 Million Lakeview Biomass Project (Oregonian, Portland)

Vancouver’s Biomass Plant Standoff Could Head to Court (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Burning Wood to Save West’s Trees (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)


China Blasts SolarWorld’s Request for Tariffs - Says Cheap Solar Panels Help Economy, Environment (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar: Chinese Efficiency vs. US Innovation (Seattle Times)

Solar Power Is Beginning to Go Mainstream (Associated Press)

Olympia Taking Solar Bids - Panels For 4 Buildings (Olympian, WA)

Maine Reflects Solar Industry’s Rapid Growth (Kennebec Journal, Augusta ME)

E.ON Moves Wind Development Office to Portland (Sustainable Business Oregon)

California - First Wind Turbines Energized in Ford County (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Getting Smart, Flathead Electric Co-Op Installs Appliances to Study Efficiency (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

Avista’s Light-Bulb Mailing Going ‘Seamlessly’ (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

The Energy Efficiency Paradox (Big Think)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Study, Funded In Part by Conservative Group, Confirms Global Warming (Christian Science Monitor)

Climate Study Raises ‘Heated Debate’ (British Broadcasting Corporation)

How Global Warming Fell Off the National Agenda (TIME Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Snohomish County PUD Hosts Regional Workshop on Electric Vehicles (Sky Valley Chronicle, Monroe, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data Centers Storm into Hillsboro, Bringing Big Investment - But Not Many Jobs (Oregonian, Portland)

Google May Play Role in Possible Yahoo Sale (Associated Press)

Apple Hires Yahoo’s Data Center Chief (GigaOM)

High Hopes for iCloud After Dust Settles Down (Seattle Times)

How the Web Has Powered Work for 20 Years (Gigaom)

150 Years Ago, A Primitive Internet United the USA (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

‘Sovereign’ Washington Group Draws Federal Fire - Four indicted in ongoing investigation into radical anti-government group; threats against officials (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

GENERAL NEWS

Autopsy Shows Washington State Senator Scott White Died of ‘Cardiac Event’ (KING-TV, Seattle)

Forest ‘Roadless Rule’: Environmental Victory or US Job-Killer? (Christian Science Monitor)

Plan Would Convert Ferries to Liquefied Natural Gas (Seattle Times)

It Never Hurts Commuters to be Prepared for Snowfall (Seattle Times)

DIVERSIONS

Bats in Your Hair? Top 15 Most Bizarre Excuses for Missing Work

Mountain Jesus Statue Could Lose Its Lease

285 Indian Girls Shed ‘Unwanted’ Names

And The Most Stolen Food On Earth Is...Cheese

SONG OF THE DAY

Bread – Baby I’m-A Want You