Monday, November 21, 2011

Energy News Digest for November 21, 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

First Bankruptcy Hearing for Southern Montana Electric Co-Op to Be Held (KAJ-TV, Kalispell, MT)

US Senator Cantwell Warns Seniors, Low Income Could Lose Heating Aid (Seattle Times)

Sea Lions Raid Columbia, Grow Taste for Sturgeon (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Clark County Event Center Gets Energy Boost - Solar panels installed free of charge will reap savings for county (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Data Centers in Oregon: High Tech Meets High Desert (Three Part Series) (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • First Bankruptcy Hearing for Southern Montana Electric Co-Op to Be Held
  • US Senator Cantwell Warns Seniors, Low Income Could Lose Heating Aid
  • Snohomish PUD Low-Income & Senior Energy Assistance Available
  • Chelan PUD Advises Winter Prep for Outages
  • Tennessee Valley Authority Revenue Rises Almost Nine Percent in Fiscal 2011
  • Pay Freeze for Tennessee Valley Authority Employees, But CEO Salary Up $352,000 to $3.95 Million
  • Massachusetts Legislature - Frustrated Senators Ready for Look at Energy Industry
  • Northeast US - Don’t Overlook Electricity’s Power
  • Cyberattack on Illinois Water Utility May Confirm Stuxnet Warnings
  • Hacker Says Texas Town Used Three Character Password to Secure Internet Facing SCADA System
  • Sea Lions Raid Columbia, Grow Taste for Sturgeon
  • Pelicans Face New Threat on Oregon Coast: Junk Food
  • Squaxin Tribe, Three Local South Puget Sound Cities to Run Water-Restoration Fund
  • Ocean Advisory Group Maps Out What Works for Oregonians & Oregon's Coast
  • Clark County Event Center Gets Energy Boost
  • Editorial - Energy Northwest Makes Wise Choice on Radar Ridge
  • SolarWorld, Its California Plant Gone Dark, Prepares in Oregon for Industry Shakeout While Battling China
  • Bankrupt Energy Firm Beacon Power to Sell Assets
  • Kitzhaber Joins Call for Renewable Energy Tax Credit Extension
  • Oregon - Plant Would Convert Waste to Energy
  • Mason County PUD 3 Partner Wins 'Smart Power' Prize
  • As New Wind Farm Looms, Wyoming County Eyes Its Wind Projects, Power Lines
  • British Columbia - Wind Power Project Generates Learning Opportunity
  • New Hydropower Development: Alaskan Opportunity
  • Op/Ed - NorthWestern Energy Defends Its Energy Efficiency Programs
  • Snohomish PUD - Alstom Selected for Washington State Smart Grid Project
  • Tennessee - Habitat Gets High Marks for Low-Energy Homes
  • Holiday Lights That Dazzle - Electric Bills That Shock
  • AT&T Developing a Home Energy Service
  • UN: Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases Hit Record
  • Congress Kills Request for National Climate Service
  • What Will Climate Change Mean for California?
  • San Francisco May Not Be as Green as Advertised, Energy Experts Say
  • Electric Car Drivers Eschew Public Charging Stations So Far
  • Hybrid Cars Safer - And More Dangerous
  • Report: Washington State Residents Use 2 Billion Plastic Bags Each Year
  • Longview Reaping Benefits from Recycling
  • Data Centers in Oregon: High Tech Meets High Desert (Part 1 of 3)
  • Google Searches for Privacy, Finds a Community (Part 2 of 3)
  • Oregon is a Great Deal for Server Farms. Is the Deal Too Good? (Part 3 of 3)
  • CenturyLink Is Imposing Usage Caps - 150 GB for Slower than 1.5 Mbps, 250 GB Otherwise
  • Clearwire Slammed as CEO Reportedly Mulls Default
  • Gates Testifies In $1 Billion Lawsuit against Microsoft
  • As Washington State Makes Cuts, Lawsuits Are Flying
  • Public Records Ruling - Record-Breaking Judgment against DSHS
  • Federal Debt Supercommittee Members Brace for Failure
  • The Deficit Deal That Wasn’t: Hopes Are Dashed
  • Stimulus Funds Helped Some Stocks Soar
  • Prepare for a Wet & Windy Thanksgiving Week
  • Washington State Scrambles To Fight Massive Tree Die-Offs
  • State Treasurer Requests Bill to Prevent Wenatchee Arena Default
  • Editorial - What Choice Do We Have? We Unwisely Borrowed $42 Million for an Arena without a Firm Means to Repay
  • Lewis County Museum to Reopen amid Cash Probe
  • A Familial Plug - Marysville Ready to Hang Artists’ Wreaths throughout City (Everett Herald, WA – Go Big Sister!)
WORD OF THE DAY

Eschew • \ess-SHOO or ess-SCUE\ • Verb - To avoid habitually especially on moral or practical grounds: shun

Even as a child I eschewed hot cereal; there was something about the texture of the gloppy stuff. I warned my gramma that I couldn’t keep it down; she didn’t believe me, until I had my first bite. She was a believer then.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

First Bankruptcy Hearing for Southern Montana Electric Co-Op to Be Held (KAJ-TV, Kalispell, MT)

US Senator Cantwell Warns Seniors, Low Income Could Lose Heating Aid (Seattle Times)

Snohomish PUD Low-Income & Senior Energy Assistance Available (Arlington Times, WA)

Chelan PUD Advises Winter Prep for Outages (Wenatchee World, WA)

Tennessee Valley Authority Revenue Rises Almost Nine Percent in Fiscal 2011 (Memphis Business Journal, TN)

Pay Freeze for Tennessee Valley Authority Employees, But CEO Salary Up $352,000 to $3.95 Million (USA Today)

Massachusetts Legislature - Frustrated Senators Ready for Look at Energy Industry (Boston Herald, MA)

Northeast US - Don’t Overlook Electricity’s Power (NY Times)

Cyberattack on Illinois Water Utility May Confirm Stuxnet Warnings (Christian Science Monitor)

Hacker Says Texas Town Used Three Character Password to Secure Internet Facing SCADA System (Threat Post)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lions Raid Columbia, Grow Taste for Sturgeon (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Pelicans Face New Threat on Oregon Coast: Junk Food (Daily Astorian, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Squaxin Tribe, Three Local South Puget Sound Cities to Run Water-Restoration Fund (Olympian, WA)

Ocean Advisory Group Maps Out What Works for Oregonians & Oregon's Coast – The “Visual-Shed Component?” (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clark County Event Center Gets Energy Boost - Solar panels installed free of charge will reap savings for county (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Editorial - Energy Northwest Makes Wise Choice on Radar Ridge (Tri-City Herald, WA)

SolarWorld, Its California Plant Gone Dark, Prepares in Oregon for Industry Shakeout While Battling China (Oregonian, Portland)

Bankrupt Energy Firm Beacon Power to Sell Assets (Associated Press)

Kitzhaber Joins Call for Renewable Energy Tax Credit Extension (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Oregon - Plant Would Convert Waste to Energy: A new Eugene company wants to use farm and food byproducts to make gas and generate electricity (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Mason County PUD 3 Partner Wins 'Smart Power' Prize (South Sound Business Examiner, WA)

As New Wind Farm Looms, Wyoming County Eyes Its Wind Projects, Power Lines (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)

British Columbia - Wind Power Project Generates Learning Opportunity (Penticton Western News, BC)

New Hydropower Development: Alaskan Opportunity (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Op/Ed - NorthWestern Energy Defends Its Energy Efficiency Programs (Helena Independent Record, MT)

Snohomish PUD - Alstom Selected for Washington State Smart Grid Project (Smart Meters)

Tennessee - Habitat Gets High Marks for Low-Energy Homes (The Tennessean, Nashville)

Holiday Lights That Dazzle - Electric Bills That Shock (Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL)

AT&T Developing a Home Energy Service (GigaOM)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

UN: Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases Hit Record (Associated Press)

Congress Kills Request for National Climate Service (Washington Post)

What Will Climate Change Mean for California? (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

San Francisco May Not Be as Green as Advertised, Energy Experts Say (NY Times)

Electric Car Drivers Eschew Public Charging Stations So Far (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Hybrid Cars Safer - And More Dangerous (Christian Science Monitor)

Report: Washington State Residents Use 2 Billion Plastic Bags Each Year (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Longview Reaping Benefits from Recycling (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data Centers in Oregon: High Tech Meets High Desert (Part 1 of 3) (Oregonian, Portland)

Google Searches for Privacy, Finds a Community (Part 2 of 3) (Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon is a Great Deal for Server Farms. Is the Deal Too Good? (Part 3 of 3) (Oregonian, Portland)

CenturyLink Is Imposing Usage Caps - 150 GB for Slower than 1.5 Mbps, 250 GB Otherwise (Broadband Reports)

Clearwire Slammed as CEO Reportedly Mulls Default (Associated Press)

Gates Testifies In $1 Billion Lawsuit against Microsoft (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

As Washington State Makes Cuts, Lawsuits Are Flying (Seattle Times)

Public Records Ruling - Record-Breaking Judgment against DSHS (KING-TV, Seattle)

Federal Debt Supercommittee Members Brace for Failure (Washington Post)

The Deficit Deal That Wasn’t: Hopes Are Dashed (NY Times)

Stimulus Funds Helped Some Stocks Soar (USA Today)

GENERAL NEWS

Prepare for a Wet & Windy Thanksgiving Week (Seattle Times)

Washington State Scrambles To Fight Massive Tree Die-Offs (Seattle Times)

State Treasurer Requests Bill to Prevent Wenatchee Arena Default (Associated Press)

Editorial - What Choice Do We Have? We Unwisely Borrowed $42 Million for an Arena without a Firm Means to Repay (Wenatchee World, WA)

Lewis County Museum to Reopen amid Cash Probe (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

A Familial Plug - Marysville Ready to Hang Artists’ Wreaths throughout City (Everett Herald, WA – Go Big Sister!)

DIVERSIONS

Students Fight Back Against Chocolate Milk Ban

Chinese Children Endure 'World's Most Dangerous School Run'

Theft Victim Catches Alleged Crook Returning Merchandise at Store

SONG OF THE DAY

Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough (A Cappella)

Michael McDonald - Ain`t No Mountain High Enough