Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Energy News Digest for January 24, 2012


Back from a fresh week of electricity restoration activities!

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

Windy Day Forecast in Washington State (Associated Press)

Lengthy Puget Sound Energy Electricity Outage Frustrates Residents (Olympian, WA)

White House Throws In the Towel On Rebecca Wodder, Interior Nominee (The Hill)

Bonneville Power Administration Eliminates Citizen-Proposed Route for I-5 Corridor Project in Southwest Washington (Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon Legislature Will Consider Capping Mercury in Fluorescent Bulbs (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Lengthy Puget Sound Energy Electricity Outage Frustrates Residents
  • Puget Sound Energy May Give $50 Credit for Outage
  • Mason County PUD 3 in Clean Up Mode
  • Bonneville Power Administration Eliminates Citizen-Proposed Route for I-5 Corridor Project in Southwest Washington
  • Increase: Richland Council to Discuss Power Rates Tonight
  • Hearing Wednesday in Yakima on Pacific Power Electric Rate Increase Proposal
  • Peggy Fowler Leaving Portland General Electric Board is End of an Era
  • US Foresees Greater Energy Independence
  • Feds Say Natural Gas Production to Soar by 2035
  • Austin Energy Could Cut Rate Increase by Relying on Debt
  • Tony Clark to FERC - President Obama Announces another Key Administration Post
  • Huh? Newt Gingrich Says Electric Co-Ops & Credit Unions are "Government-Sponsored Enterprises" Like Freddie Mac
  • White House Throws In the Towel on Rebecca Wodder, Interior Nominee
  • Obama’s Pick for DOI Job, Rebecca Wodder, Won’t Face Senate Again
  • Skokomish River Report Will Focus on Ecosystem Restoration
  • 920-Acre Former Ranch on Columbia River to be Restored to Estuary & Prime Fish Habitat
  • Some Plus & Minus Situations Still Exist for Threatened Columbia River Smelt
  • Plan to Track Endangered Whales May Harm Them, Expert Says
  • Elwha River - Empire of Dirt Gives Way to the Return of the Salmon
  • Chemicals from Geothermal Energy Project Concerns Doctor in Bend
  • Oregon - Tests Under Way on Paisley-Area Geothermal Power Project
  • Boom in Solar Panels Injects NIMBY Battles into Neighborhoods
  • Energy Turbines May Be Spinning in New York’s East River by 2013
  • Vermont Company's Biomass System Outperforms Expectations
  • Oregon Legislature Will Consider Capping Mercury in Fluorescent Bulbs
  • How Bainbridge Island Cut Peak Power Consumption
  • Assistance Available to Farmers Who Want to Conserve Energy
  • Energy Efficiency: Still Awesome, Still Ignored
  • US Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Stay Below 2005 Levels as Coal Use Shrinks
  • Arctic Ribbon Seal Spotted in Seattle
  • Eugene Teen Sues State of Oregon to Save Climate
  • Will Our Plugged-In Planet Have a Green or Black Future?
  • Editorial – Click! Network Owes the Ratepayers; Give it a Shot at Repaying
  • For the Smart Grid, the Wireless Debates are Over
  • Gay Marriage in Washington State: Legislature Has the Votes
  • Washington State - $1 Billion Legislative Plan Could Put 25,000 People to Work
  • Windy Day Forecast in Washington State
  • Wind Advisory for Western Washington State
  • Entrepreneurs Using Storm Damage to Make Money
  • After Solar Flare, Massive Storm Speeds Earthward
  • A Raging Solar Storm is Hitting the Earth Right Now
WORD OF THE DAY

Weltschmerz • \VELT-shmertz\ • Noun - 1: mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state 2: a mood of sentimental sadness

“Ah, to live in the world of the 1500’s, when things were simpler…and you knew where you stood,” sighed the grizzled English lord to his bootblack. His state of weltschmerz was only slightly tempered by the historic realities of disease, dirt, body odor, and rampant halitosis.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Lengthy Puget Sound Energy Electricity Outage Frustrates Residents (Olympian, WA)

Puget Sound Energy May Give $50 Credit for Outage (Associated Press)

Mason County PUD 3 in Clean Up Mode (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Eliminates Citizen-Proposed Route for I-5 Corridor Project in Southwest Washington (Oregonian, Portland)

Increase: Richland Council to Discuss Power Rates Tonight (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Hearing Wednesday in Yakima on Pacific Power Electric Rate Increase Proposal (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Peggy Fowler Leaving Portland General Electric Board is End of an Era (Portland Business Journal, OR)

US Foresees Greater Energy Independence (USA Today)

Feds Say Natural Gas Production to Soar by 2035 (Associated Press)

Austin Energy Could Cut Rate Increase by Relying on Debt (Austin Business Journal)

Tony Clark to FERC - President Obama Announces another Key Administration Post (The White House)

Huh? Newt Gingrich Says Electric Co-Ops & Credit Unions are "Government-Sponsored Enterprises" Like Freddie Mac (PolitiFact, Tampa Bay Times, FL)

FISH & WILDLIFE

White House Throws In the Towel On Rebecca Wodder, Interior Nominee (The Hill)

Obama’s Pick for DOI Job, Rebecca Wodder, Won’t Face Senate Again (Washington Post)

Skokomish River Report Will Focus on Ecosystem Restoration (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

920-Acre Former Ranch on Columbia River to be Restored to Estuary & Prime Fish Habitat (Oregonian, Portland)

Some Plus & Minus Situations Still Exist for Threatened Columbia River Smelt (Seattle Times)

Plan to Track Endangered Whales May Harm Them, Expert Says (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Elwha River - Empire of Dirt Gives Way to the Return of the Salmon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Chemicals from Geothermal Energy Project Concerns Doctor in Bend (Oregonian, Portland – Renewable Projects: build them…we dare you…)

Oregon - Tests Under Way on Paisley-Area Geothermal Power Project (Klamath Falls Herald & News, OR)

Boom in Solar Panels Injects NIMBY Battles into Neighborhoods (E&E Publishing)

Energy Turbines May Be Spinning in New York’s East River by 2013 (Bloomberg News)
Vermont Company's Biomass System Outperforms Expectations (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon Legislature Will Consider Capping Mercury in Fluorescent Bulbs (Oregonian, Portland)

How Bainbridge Island Cut Peak Power Consumption (The Energy Collective)

Assistance Available to Farmers Who Want to Conserve Energy (Wenatchee World, WA)

Energy Efficiency: Still Awesome, Still Ignored (Grist Online)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

US Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Stay Below 2005 Levels as Coal Use Shrinks (Reuters)

Arctic Ribbon Seal Spotted in Seattle (Associated Press)

Eugene Teen Sues State of Oregon to Save Climate (KLCC Radio, Eugene, OR)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Will Our Plugged-In Planet Have a Green or Black Future? In some ways, a greater reliance on Internet makes Mother Earth smile (Kansas City Star, MO)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Editorial – Click! Network Owes the Ratepayers; Give it a Shot at Repaying (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

For the Smart Grid, the Wireless Debates are Over (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Gay Marriage in Washington State: Legislature Has the Votes (Seattle Times)

Washington State - $1 Billion Legislative Plan Could Put 25,000 People to Work (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Windy Day Forecast in Washington State (Associated Press)

Wind Advisory for Western Washington State (National Weather Service)

Entrepreneurs Using Storm Damage to Make Money (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

After Solar Flare, Massive Storm Speeds Earthward (Christian Science Monitor)

A Raging Solar Storm is Hitting the Earth Right Now (Gizmodo)

DIVERSIONS

Massachusetts Dentist Admits Doing Paper Clip Root Canals

Shhh: Pope Urges Silence to Communicate Better

Awkward! 'Citizen Kane' to be Shown at Hearst Castle

Heart Attack in an Envelope - NY Hospital Mistakenly Bills Patients for Millions

SONG OF THE DAY

Herman's Hermits - There's a Kind of Hush