Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Energy News Digest for January 17, 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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

More Snow Arrives Overnight, But the Worst is Yet to Come (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Future Uncertain, Blame Bad Economy (KCFW-TV, Kalispell, MT)

Grant PUD Opposed To Certain Renewable Energy Law Changes (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Groups Drop Appeals against Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion - “…Duff Badgley, a spokesman for leading opponent & Seattle-based No Biomass Burn, did not return a call seeking comment…” (Longview Daily News, WA)

Corps of Engineers Wants to Shoo Salmon-Munching Cormorants Away from East Sand Island in the Columbia River (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Future Uncertain, Blame Bad Economy
  • Hoku Pays Idaho Power Bill, Files Overcharging Complaint
  • Kittitas PUD Faces Challenges, Opportunities Ahead
  • Dog Shocked by Faulty Mountlake Terrace Light Pole
  • American Public Power Association, Others Urge FERC to Dismiss BPA Wind Curtailment Case
  • Op/Ed – Clark Public Utility Customers Play Role in Future
  • Chelan PUD to Stick to Twice-Monthly Meeting Schedule
  • Wyoming - Bullets Damage Co-op Transformers
  • Canada - Copper-Wire Bandits Strike Again, This Time in Saanich for $10,000
  • Hanford Nuclear Safety Manager Questions Waste Treatment Plant
  • Electricity Prices Decline 50% in Light of Natural Gas Glut
  • Georgia - Street Lights Out? There’s An App for That
  • Corps of Engineers Wants to Shoo Salmon-Munching Cormorants Away from East Sand Island in the Columbia River
  • Obama Consolidation Plan Would Bump NOAA’s Salmon Regulators into Same Department as Dam Builders
  • Audubon Wins a Round on Spotted Owl
  • Grant PUD Opposed To Certain Renewable Energy Law Changes
  • State Pollution Board Ruling Sides with Nippon Paper Industries USA Biomass Project in Port Angeles
  • Project to Pour Water into Oregon Volcano to Make Electricity
  • Large-Scale Wind May Wane in Oregon
  • Protect the Columbia Gorge - Stop the Whistling Ridge Energy Project!
  • Feds Study Proposed Nevada Wind Farm Harm to Eagles
  • Ohio Solar-Panel Company Lays Off 40 Employees
  • Maine - New Renewable Energy Mandate Would Drive Up Costs
  • Light Bulb Classes at Home Depot
  • New Energy-Efficient Lighting Puts People to Work
  • Olympic National Park Glaciers Are Shrinking, Study Says
  • Climate Change Skepticism Seeps into Science Classrooms
  • Oregon Governor Kitzhaber’s Energy Plan Seeks Big Ideas
  • Got Any Good Green Jokes?
  • Tacoma’s Click! Network Might Soon Sell Bundled Net & Phone
  • Bill To Bring High-Speed Internet to Rural Communities Draws Opposition
  • Op/Ed - Internet Regulation Matters to US Economic Recovery
  • Congress House Shelves Piracy Act, But Blackout Protests Continue
  • A Wireless Road around Data Traffic Jams
  • Online Shoppers are Rooting for the Little Guy
  • House Democrats in Olympia Show Interest in Creating Washington State Bank
  • Fitch Downgrades Two Tacoma Bonds
  • Some Question Power of Washington State Attorney General
  • Washington State Rep Fred Finn Seeks Constitutional Amendment on Ballot Initiatives
  • With More Snow Coming, Officials Say to Stock Up on Supplies
  • Here’s (sic) Some Tips to Prepare for the Snowstorms
  • Mount Rainier Snowshoer Burned Cash to Stay Warm
WORD OF THE DAY

Graupel • \GROW-pull (like OUCH)\ • Noun - Granular snow

“Popcorn snow, bead snow, little round pellets,” no two are exactly alike enthused the climatologist to his ten year old son. “Sure dad,” piped the youngster, “but it’s all graupel to me!”

An you thought the old saw about Eskimo snow names was outrageous:


SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Montana - Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Future Uncertain, Blame Bad Economy (KCFW-TV, Kalispell, MT)

Hoku Pays Idaho Power Bill, Files Overcharging Complaint (Pacific Business Journal, HI)

Kittitas PUD Faces Challenges, Opportunities Ahead (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

Dog Shocked by Faulty Mountlake Terrace Light Pole (The Weekly Herald, Everett, WA)

American Public Power Association, Others Urge FERC to Dismiss BPA Wind Curtailment Case (Public Power Daily, APPA)

Op/Ed – Clark Public Utility Customers Play Role in Future: Consumers are key to energy-efficiency goals to keep rates as low as possible (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Chelan PUD to Stick to Twice-Monthly Meeting Schedule (Wenatchee World, WA)

Wyoming - Bullets Damage Co-op Transformers (Electric Co-op Today)

Canada - Copper-Wire Bandits Strike Again, This Time in Saanich for $10,000 (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Hanford Nuclear Safety Manager Questions Waste Treatment Plant (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Electricity Prices Decline 50% in Light of Natural Gas Glut (Bloomberg News)

Georgia - Street Lights Out? There’s An App for That: Customers can use smartphone technology to report street light outages (Gainesville Times, GA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Corps of Engineers Wants to Shoo Salmon-Munching Cormorants Away from East Sand Island in the Columbia River (Oregonian, Portland)

Obama Consolidation Plan Would Bump NOAA’s Salmon Regulators into Same Department as Dam Builders (Oregonian, Portland)

Audubon Wins a Round on Spotted Owl (Courthouse News Service)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grant PUD Opposed To Certain Renewable Energy Law Changes (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Groups Drop Appeals against Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion - “…Duff Badgley, a spokesman for leading opponent & Seattle-based No Biomass Burn, did not return a call seeking comment…” (Longview Daily News, WA)

State Pollution Board Ruling Sides with Nippon Paper Industries USA Biomass Project in Port Angeles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Project to Pour Water into Oregon Volcano to Make Electricity (USA Today)

Large-Scale Wind May Wane in Oregon (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Protect the Columbia Gorge - Stop the Whistling Ridge Energy Project! (YouTube)

Feds Study Proposed Nevada Wind Farm Harm to Eagles (Associated Press)

Ohio Solar-Panel Company Lays Off 40 Employees (Toledo Blade, OH)

Maine - New Renewable Energy Mandate Would Drive Up Costs (Bangor Daily News, ME)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Light Bulb Classes at Home Depot (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

New Energy-Efficient Lighting Puts People to Work (The Energy Collective)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Olympic National Park Glaciers Are Shrinking, Study Says (Associated Press)

Climate Change Skepticism Seeps into Science Classrooms (Los Angeles Times, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon Governor Kitzhaber’s Energy Plan Seeks Big Ideas (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Got Any Good Green Jokes? (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tacoma’s Click! Network Might Soon Sell Bundled Net & Phone (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Bill To Bring High-Speed Internet to Rural Communities Draws Opposition (North Kitsap Herald, Bremerton, WA)

Op/Ed - Internet Regulation Matters to US Economic Recovery (Seattle Times)

Congress House Shelves Piracy Act, But Blackout Protests Continue (GigaOM)

A Wireless Road around Data Traffic Jams (NY Times)

Online Shoppers are Rooting for the Little Guy (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

House Democrats in Olympia Show Interest in Creating Washington State Bank (Seattle Times)

Fitch Downgrades Two Tacoma Bonds - The swift reversal of Tacoma’s fiscal outlook “raises concerns about the city’s budget monitoring capabilities,” Fitch said in a statement (Seattle Times)

Some Question Power of Washington State Attorney General (Associated Press)

Washington State Rep Fred Finn Seeks Constitutional Amendment on Ballot Initiatives (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

More Snow Arrives Overnight, But the Worst is Yet to Come (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

With More Snow Coming, Officials Say to Stock Up on Supplies (Everett Herald, WA)

Here’s (sic) Some Tips to Prepare for the Snowstorms (KCPQ-TV, Tacoma/Seattle, WA)

Mount Rainier Snowshoer Burned Cash to Stay Warm (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

DIVERSIONS

Obama to Betty White: Your Birth Certificate?

Ten Surprising Health Benefits of Beer

Benjamin Franklin: Ten Great Quotes on His Birthday

Scarcity of Women Causes Men to Spend More, Save Less

SONG OF THE DAY

Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love