Monday, April 30, 2012

Energy News Digest for April 30, 2012


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

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Irony Alert: Wind Farms Could Cause Warming - The atmospheric turbulence caused by large wind farms could cause local temperature increases, a new study indicates (Christian Science Monitor)

Intalco Needs New Bonneville Power Administration Energy Deal Soon (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Power Marketing Administration Changes Criticized in Congress (Electric Co-op Today)

The Big Muddy: Sediment Plume Pours Out of Newly Freed Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Pay your PUD Bill - Cable Television Service Disconnected in Forks; About 120 Customers Affected (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Intalco Needs New Bonneville Power Administration Energy Deal Soon
  • Power Marketing Administration Changes Criticized in Congress
  • US Senators Baucus, Tester Press Energy Department for Local Input, Affordable Energy
  • Idaho Power's Annual Power Cost Adjustment is Proposed 5.1 Percent Increase
  • Substation Fire Causes Power Outage in Heisson
  • Utilities Face ‘Age of the Consumer’
  • Op/Ed - Renewable Northwest Project: Clean Energy Best for State
  • Sign Up for Mason County PUD 3′s Budget Billing in May
  • Bergren Seeks Reelection to Chelan PUD Board
  • Pacific Gas & Electric SmartMeter Opt-Out Deadline is May 1
  • American Electric Power Disputes Study Linking Plants to 3,200 Deaths
  • Cheap Natural Gas Drives down Coal Industry
  • The Secret Energy Drain on Cities: Streetlights
  • The Main Attraction: Meet a Lineman
  • The Big Muddy: Sediment Plume Pours Out of Newly Freed Elwha River
  • “I Think We Need to Take Those Dams Down” - Judge Redden’s Interview Comments Stir Reaction
  • Editorial - Dam Debate Obscures Other Ways to Help Fish
  • Columbia River Gorge Hatcheries Release 10 Million Plus Smolts Past Week
  • Pikeminnow Reward Program Kicks Off May 1 in Columbia River Region
  • Top 100 Bass Lakes by Bassmaster Magazine, Includes Two from Washington State – Columbia River, Lake Sammamish
  • Effort Begins to Restore Whitebark Pine in Montana, Neighboring States
  • Irony Alert: Wind Farms Could Cause Warming
  • California - Protests Over Valley Solar Projects Called a Ploy
  • Grant Money Helps Idaho Dairy Tap into Solar Power
  • United Kingdom - Major Environmental Groups Seriously Compromised by Wind Developers’ Cash
  • United Kingdom, Denmark Study Power Cable to Swap Wind Energy
  • Energy Storage: Costly But Key to Power Production
  • Utility Websites Plug Users into Savings
  • Pay your PUD Bill - Cable Television Service Disconnected in Forks; About 120 Customers Affected
  • The United States of Broadband: Location Matters
  • Google Fiber's Fast Internet Worries Hollywood
  • $300 Million Investment - Microsoft Buys into Barnes & Noble's Nook
  • Report: Apple Legally Sidesteps Billions in Taxes
  • Washington State Tax Breaks to Benefit Data Centers, Food Processors
  • Think Arizona is Bad for Immigrants? Try Our Olympic Peninsula
  • Since Gov. Locke Froze Purchase of SUVs, State Has Actually Bought More of Them
  • Police Look for Killer of 24-Year-Old in Lacey
  • AAA: Washington Gas Price $4.08
  • Unmanned Drones Are Patrolling Washington Border
  • Brinnon Man Pulled Gun During Fight at Little League Game, Deputies Say
  • Sequim Store Manager Saves Grandmother from Wire Scam
WORD OF THE DAY

Spiel • \SPEEL\ • Noun – A voluble line of often extravagant talk: a speech delivered especially to sell or promote something

The canny power supply manager smirked under his beard as the “Whole House Capacitor” salesmen spun his story in an intricate spiel that included the promise of saving hundreds of dollars on a home’s energy bill. “But if a customer’s average bill is about $90, where would they be saving hundreds,” queried the quick-witted utility employee.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Intalco Needs New Bonneville Power Administration Energy Deal Soon (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Power Marketing Administration Changes Criticized in Congress (Electric Co-op Today)

US Senators Baucus, Tester Press Energy Department For Local Input, Affordable Energy - Call on Energy Secretary to Provide Certainty for Montana’s Electric Cooperatives (Political News.ME)
http://politicalnews.me/?id=13773&keys=ENERGY-CHU-IMPLEMENT-UPGRADES

Idaho Power's Annual Power Cost Adjustment is Proposed 5.1 Percent Increase (Power Engineering)

Substation Fire Causes Power Outage in Heisson (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Utilities Face ‘Age of the Consumer’ - UL official: Changes ahead for electric’s use, generation (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Op/Ed - Renewable Northwest Project: Clean Energy Best for State (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Sign Up for Mason County PUD 3′s Budget Billing in May (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Bergren Seeks Reelection to Chelan PUD Board (Wenatchee World, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric SmartMeter Opt-Out Deadline is May 1 (SF Chronicle)

American Electric Power Disputes Study Linking Plants to 3,200 Deaths (Associated Press)

Cheap Natural Gas Drives down Coal Industry (SF Chronicle)

The Secret Energy Drain on Cities: Streetlights (The Atlantic Magazine)

The Main Attraction: Meet a Lineman - It’s a question facing many electric cooperatives: How to get younger members to go to the annual meeting (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

The Big Muddy: Sediment Plume Pours Out of Newly Freed Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

“I Think We Need to Take Those Dams Down” - Judge Redden’s Interview Comments Stir Reaction (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Editorial - Dam Debate Obscures Other Ways to Help Fish (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Columbia River Gorge Hatcheries Release 10 Million Plus Smolts Past Week; More Transferred for Recovery Programs (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Pikeminnow Reward Program Kicks Off May 1 in Columbia River Region (Seattle Times)

Top 100 Bass Lakes by Bassmaster Magazine, Includes Two from Washington State – Columbia River, Lake Sammamish (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Effort Begins to Restore Whitebark Pine in Montana, Neighboring States (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Irony Alert: Wind Farms Could Cause Warming - The atmospheric turbulence caused by large wind farms could cause local temperature increases, a new study indicates (Christian Science Monitor)

California - Protests Over Valley Solar Projects Called a Ploy (Fresno Bee, CA)

Grant Money Helps Idaho Dairy Tap into Solar Power (Associated Press)

United Kingdom - Major Environmental Groups Seriously Compromised by Wind Developers’ Cash (For Argyll, UK)

United Kingdom, Denmark Study Power Cable to Swap Wind Energy (Reuters)

Energy Storage: Costly But Key to Power Production (Forbes Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Utility Websites Plug Users into Savings (Sacramento Bee, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pay your PUD Bill - Cable Television Service Disconnected in Forks; About 120 Customers Affected (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

The United States of Broadband: Location Matters (GigaOM)

Google Fiber's Fast Internet Worries Hollywood (SF Chronicle)

$300 Million Investment - Microsoft Buys into Barnes & Noble's Nook (Associated Press)

Report: Apple Legally Sidesteps Billions in Taxes (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Tax Breaks to Benefit Data Centers, Food Processors (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Think Arizona is Bad for Immigrants? Try Our Olympic Peninsula (Seattle Times)

Since Gov. Locke Froze Purchase of SUVs, State Has Actually Bought More of Them (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Police Look for Killer of 24-Year-Old in Lacey (Associated Press)

AAA: Washington Gas Price $4.08 (Associated Press)

Unmanned Drones Are Patrolling Washington Border (Associated Press)

Brinnon Man Pulled Gun During Fight at Little League Game, Deputies Say (KING-TV, Seattle)

Sequim Store Manager Saves Grandmother from Wire Scam (KCPQ-TV, Seattle-Tacoma, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Australian Billionaire: Titanic II to Sail in 2016 – Made in China

Man Accused of Climbing Flagpole to Swipe Albany Police Department Flags

Man Jailed For Smuggling Iguana Meat into United States

‘Polite’ Burglar Offers to Trade Items with People He Robbed (burglarized, actually)

SONG OF THE DAY

Wooden Ships - Crosby Stills Nash