Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Energy News Digest for December 13, 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

French Nuclear Giant Areva to Post Large Loss (Associated Press)

Washington State House Passes Bill to Aid Cle Elum Solar Project (Associated Press)

Washington State Lawmakers Announce $479M in Budget Cuts (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Mason County PUD 3 Adopts $57 Million 2012 Budget - Renewable Energy Costs & Bonneville Power Administration Increase to Affect Local Rates (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Big Spring Chinook Run Forecast for Columbia River (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • French Nuclear Giant Areva to Post Large Loss
  • Household Electricity Bills Skyrocket
  • Mason County PUD 3 Adopts $57 Million 2012 Budget - Renewable Energy Costs & Bonneville Power Administration Increase to Affect Local Rates
  • Mason County PUD 1 Overnight Power Outage 12/19 - 12/20
  • EPA To Unveil Stricter Rules For Power Plants
  • Indiana - Ex-Regulatory Chief's Indictment is Latest Black Eye
  • When Dogs, Roosters or Bulls Attack
  • Big Spring Chinook Run Forecast for Columbia River
  • Clark County Groups Receive $925,383 for Fish Projects
  • Op/Ed - Federal Salmon Plan Stands Strong
  • Northern California Oyster Farm Dispute Spreads to Capitol Hill
  • Op/Ed - Shellfish: Restoring Past to Benefit Future
  • Rare sighting of blue whales off Washington State Coast
  • Belfair Sewer Project on Mason County Commission Agenda
  • Stage 1 Burn Ban for Mason County
  • Quality of Air? That’s as Murky as Western Sky
  • Washington State House Passes Bill to Aid Cle Elum Solar Project
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Studies Storing Wind Power Underground
  • Cow Manure to Power New King County Power Plant
  • GridMobility Winner 2011 Cleantech Open Global Business Competition Smart Power Category
  • Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Lays Off Solar Investor Group
  • Wind Leading to Midwest Energy Transmission Congestion
  • United Kingdom - Over-Reliance On Wind Farms 'Will Lead To Power Cuts'
  • Wind Energy is Turning Out New Fields of Study in Texas
  • New York - Trash Burner Ends Subsidy Bid
  • Power Savings on Auto Pilot
  • Energy Conservation Spurs LED Lighting Acceptance
  • Top Five Energy Efficiency Smartphone Apps
  • Canada Pulls Out of Kyoto Protocol
  • Climate Strategists: To Cut Emissions, Focus On Forests
  • Solar-Powered Seattle Home Uses Clever, Quirky Ways to be Green
  • Electric Cars Trump Flex-Fuel Cars on Places to Fill Up
  • The ‘Green’ Debate on Christmas Trees: Fresh vs. Fake?
  • Washington, DC: We’ll See Your 1 Gig, Raise You 100 Gig
  • Tweets Cause US Death Row Conviction to be Overturned
  • Washington State Lawmakers Announce $479M in Budget Cuts
  • Jay Inslee Faces Challenges in Washington State Governor’s Race
  • Four Dead in Chopper Crash at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
  • Occupy Portland Protesters Block Work at Three Port of Portland Terminals
  • Boeing Lands Biggest Order in Its History
  • Seattle Schools Face $50M in 'Glass Palace' Headquarters Debt
  • Downtown Shelton Goes Retro with Revamped Neon Lights
  • Conviction Upheld for Warden Metal Thief
  • Editorial - State Of California Needs Mettle to Stop Metal Thieves
  • FCC: TV Commercials Will Be A Lot Quieter One Year from Now
WORD OF THE DAY

Swivet • \ SWIV-utt\ • Noun - A state of extreme agitation

Anne was a-swivet
Over the loss of her trivet
Burn marks on the counter
From a hot pot encounter
Was said to be the cause of it

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

French Nuclear Giant Areva to Post Large Loss (Associated Press)

Household Electricity Bills Skyrocket (USA Today)

Mason County PUD 3 Adopts $57 Million 2012 Budget - Renewable Energy Costs & Bonneville Power Administration Increase to Affect Local Rates (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Mason County PUD 1 Overnight Power Outage 12/19 - 12/20 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

EPA To Unveil Stricter Rules For Power Plants (National Public Radio)

Indiana - Ex-Regulatory Chief's Indictment is Latest Black Eye: Former regulatory agency chairman is accused of having secret discussions with utility (Indianapolis Star, IN)

When Dogs, Roosters or Bulls Attack (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Big Spring Chinook Run Forecast for Columbia River (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Clark County Groups Receive $925,383 for Fish Projects (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Op/Ed - Federal Salmon Plan Stands Strong (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Northern California Oyster Farm Dispute Spreads to Capitol Hill (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Op/Ed - Shellfish: Restoring Past to Benefit Future (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Rare sighting of blue whales off Washington State Coast (KING-TV, Seattle)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Belfair Sewer Project on Mason County Commission Agenda (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Stage 1 Burn Ban for Mason County (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Quality of Air? That’s as Murky as Western Sky (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State House Passes Bill to Aid Cle Elum Solar Project (Associated Press)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Studies Storing Wind Power Underground (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Cow Manure to Power New King County Power Plant (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

GridMobility Winner 2011 Cleantech Open Global Business Competition Smart Power Category (PR-Web)

Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Lays Off Solar Investor Group (San Francisco Business Times, CA)

Wind Leading to Midwest Energy Transmission Congestion - Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, affecting both the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) and the PJM Interconnection Energy Biz Insider)

United Kingdom - Over-Reliance On Wind Farms 'Will Lead To Power Cuts' (The Telegraph, UK)

Wind Energy is Turning Out New Fields of Study in Texas (San Antonio Express-News, TX)

New York - Trash Burner Ends Subsidy Bid - Environmental groups opposed aid extension designed for wind, solar (Albany Times-Union, NY)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Power Savings on Auto Pilot (NY Times)

Energy Conservation Spurs LED Lighting Acceptance (EDN)

Top Five Energy Efficiency Smartphone Apps (Climate Progress)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Canada Pulls Out of Kyoto Protocol (CBS News)

Climate Strategists: To Cut Emissions, Focus On Forests (National Public Radio)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Solar-Powered Seattle Home Uses Clever, Quirky Ways to be Green (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Electric Cars Trump Flex-Fuel Cars on Places to Fill Up (USA Today)

The ‘Green’ Debate on Christmas Trees: Fresh vs. Fake? (Washington Post)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington, DC: We’ll See Your 1 Gig, Raise You 100 Gig (GigaOM)

Tweets Cause US Death Row Conviction to be Overturned (British Broadcasting Corporation)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Lawmakers Announce $479M in Budget Cuts (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Jay Inslee Faces Challenges in Washington State Governor’s Race (Everett Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Four Dead in Chopper Crash at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Northwest Cable News Network)

Occupy Portland protesters block work at three Port of Portland terminals (Oregonian, Portland)

Boeing Lands Biggest Order in Its History (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Seattle Schools Face $50M in 'Glass Palace' Headquarters Debt (Seattle Times)

Downtown Shelton Goes Retro with Revamped Neon Lights (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Conviction Upheld for Warden Metal Thief (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Editorial - State Of California Needs Mettle to Stop Metal Thieves (Sacramento Bee, CA)

FCC: TV Commercials Will Be A Lot Quieter One Year from Now (Consumerist)

DIVERSIONS

North Korea is Threatening South Korea with "Psychological Warfare" Because of Christmas Lights

Bell-Ringers Aim to Break National Record (USA Today)

Here Is the Official Color of Next Year

Authorities Say Man Published Obituary for His Still-Living Mother to Get Paid Time Off

SONG OF THE DAY

George Harrison - It Don't Come Easy

Ringo Starr - It Don't Come Easy