Monday, January 30, 2012

Energy News Digest for January 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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increases for Electricity, Gas (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Pacific Power Asks for Rate Increase While Economy Drives Up Need for Bill Assistance (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Great Expectations Await Spring Chinook Fishery on the Columbia (Seattle Times)

At Least Eight Sea Lions Found Shot to Death around Puget Sound (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Editorial - Unneeded Wind Turbines Can’t Help Environment (Tri-City Herald, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increases for Electricity, Gas
  • Pacific Power Asks for Rate Increase While Economy Drives Up Need for Bill Assistance
  • Columnist - Natural Gas Promise Could Easily Fall Short
  • UPDATE: Natural Gas Leak Stopped in Shelton Neighborhood
  • Fed Energy Chief Says National Energy Standard Would Broaden Market
  • Op/Ed - Washington Delegation Must Fight to Proceed with Yucca Mountain Nuclear-Waste Repository
  • Oklahoma Emergency Response Officials Learn Lessons from Massive Ice Storm
  • “Extreme Views” - Minnesota Senate Likely to Reject Former State Senator for Public Utilities Commission
  • Ten Ways Big Data is Remaking Energy
  • Great Expectations Await Spring Chinook Fishery on the Columbia
  • Spring Chinook Return Expected to Be Large; Wild Component Predicted Above Ten-Year Average
  • How Would a New Approach to Managing Endangered Salmon Affect Idaho?
  • At Least Eight Sea Lions Found Shot to Death around Puget Sound
  • Blasting Being Used to Take Down Glines Canyon Dam
  • Last Fall’s Elwha Dam Party Brought Only Trickle of Funds
  • Keeping Dam to Save Salmon - Juan De Fuca Officials Galvanize to Battle ‘Stupid’ DFO Move
  • Environment Again a Source of Friction in Olympia
  • Slow Leaks at Ice Harbor Dam Spill 1,500 Gallons of Transformer Oil into Snake River
  • Tacoma: Supreme Court Rules against City in Hydrants Case
  • Editorial - Unneeded Wind Turbines Can’t Help Environment
  • Energy Tax Breaks Proposed, Despite Waning Support for Subsidies
  • Wind Power: Clean Energy, Dirty Business?
  • Spain Halts Renewable Subsidies to Curb $31 Billion of Debts
  • Portland Community College to Build Oregon’s Largest Solar Project
  • Canadian Pulp Mill Claims It Is Being Discriminated Against by BC Hydro
  • Minnesota Biomass Projects Burned by Low Natural Gas Prices
  • Georgia - Tire-Burning Plant Moves Forward, 75 Jobs Possible
  • Is Warren Buffet’s Utility Betting on Clean Energy?
  • LEED from Behind: Why We Should Focus on Greening Existing Buildings
  • Keep the Dishwasher & Fridge Apart; Save a Bundle on Energy
  • Activists Want Climate Change on TV Weather Reports
  • Op/Ed - A Dangerous Shift in Obama’s ‘Climate Change’ Rhetoric
  • North Dakota Wind Farms to Help Offset Electricity Used During Super Bowl at Stadium, Hotels
  • What the Green Bay Packers Can Teach Us about Broadband
  • Customer Interaction with Utilities Via Social Media Rising Swiftly, According to New Pike Research Survey
  • Crowded Field Jockeying to Represent Washington State’s First Congressional District
  • Ratings Agency Fitch Warns Washington State’s Credit Rating Could Suffer
  • Big Liquor Sellers Looking for Washington State Locations
  • Belfair-Based Winery to Release First Wines
  • Storm Solves Area Firewood Woes
WORD OF THE DAY

Xylography • \zye-LAW-gruh-fee\ • noun - The art of making engravings on wood especially for printing

Ten-year-old Webster backed away from his xylographic efforts, the sting of the smoke from his wood-burning iron making his eyes tear up. Not all of his tears were the result of the particulates from his new hobby. He was also fearful that he would not be able to hold his breath during the entire craft project, especially since he had heard that he could die from a single exposure to the acrid emissions from his “Washington Crossing the Delaware” artwork.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increases for Electricity, Gas (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Pacific Power Asks for Rate Increase While Economy Drives Up Need for Bill Assistance (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Columnist - Natural Gas Promise Could Easily Fall Short (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

UPDATE: Natural Gas Leak Stopped in Shelton Neighborhood (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Fed Energy Chief Says National Energy Standard Would Broaden Market (CBS News)

Op/Ed - Washington Delegation Must Fight to Proceed with Yucca Mountain Nuclear-Waste Repository (Seattle Times)

Oklahoma Emergency Response Officials Learn Lessons from Massive Ice Storm (Associated Press)

“Extreme Views” - Minnesota Senate Likely to Reject Former State Senator for Public Utilities Commission (Pioneer Press, St Paul, MN)

Ten Ways Big Data is Remaking Energy (GigaOM)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Great Expectations Await Spring Chinook Fishery on the Columbia (Seattle Times)

Spring Chinook Return Expected to Be Large; Wild Component Predicted Above Ten-Year Average (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

How Would a New Approach to Managing Endangered Salmon Affect Idaho? (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

At Least Eight Sea Lions Found Shot to Death around Puget Sound (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Blasting Being Used to Take Down Glines Canyon Dam (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Last Fall’s Elwha Dam Party Brought Only Trickle of Funds — But Media Attention Worth It, Olympic National Park Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Keeping Dam to Save Salmon - Juan De Fuca Officials Galvanize to Battle ‘Stupid’ DFO Move (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Environment Again a Source of Friction in Olympia (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Slow Leaks at Ice Harbor Dam Spill 1,500 Gallons of Transformer Oil into Snake River (Oregonian, Portland)

Tacoma: Supreme Court Rules against City in Hydrants Case (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Editorial - Unneeded Wind Turbines Can’t Help Environment (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Energy Tax Breaks Proposed, Despite Waning Support for Subsidies (NY Times)

Wind Power: Clean Energy, Dirty Business? In the developing world, where land-intensive wind turbines are being rapidly constructed, wind power has often turned clean energy into dirty business (Christian Science Monitor)

Spain Halts Renewable Subsidies to Curb $31 Billion of Debts (Bloomberg News)

Portland Community College to Build Oregon’s Largest Solar Project (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Canadian Pulp Mill Claims It Is Being Discriminated Against by BC Hydro (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Minnesota Biomass Projects Burned by Low Natural Gas Prices (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

Georgia - Tire-Burning Plant Moves Forward, 75 Jobs Possible (Atlanta Business Journal, GA)

Is Warren Buffet’s Utility Betting on Clean Energy? (The Energy Collective)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LEED from Behind: Why We Should Focus on Greening Existing Buildings (TIME Magazine)

Keep the Dishwasher & Fridge Apart; Save a Bundle on Energy (Christian Science Monitor)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Activists Want Climate Change on TV Weather Reports (Houston Chronicle, TX)

Op/Ed - A Dangerous Shift in Obama’s ‘Climate Change’ Rhetoric (Washington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

North Dakota Wind Farms to Help Offset Electricity Used During Super Bowl at Stadium, Hotels (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

What the Green Bay Packers Can Teach Us about Broadband - If Green Bay…can raise $70 million to rehabilitate its football field by selling $250 stock shares, I bet $250 there’s a community in America that can raise $2 or $3 million for a broadband network (GigaOM)

Customer Interaction with Utilities Via Social Media Rising Swiftly, According to New Pike Research Survey (Electric Energy Online)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Crowded Field Jockeying to Represent Washington State’s First Congressional District (KING-TV, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

Ratings Agency Fitch Warns Washington State’s Credit Rating Could Suffer (Seattle Times)

Big Liquor Sellers Looking for Washington State Locations (Associated Press)

Belfair-Based Winery to Release First Wines (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Storm Solves Area Firewood Woes (Olympian, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Deathbed Music: The Final Works of Famous Composers

Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Eight Great Quotes on His Birthday

Beard & Stache Fest Grows Contestants, Money for Treehouse

Walls of Discovery Bay Cafe Yield Amazing $10,316

SONG OF THE DAY

Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson - Hello Walls