Friday, February 10, 2012

Energy News Digest for February 10, 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

Lake Chelan Basin Runoff Forecast Predicts 100 Percent of Average (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

Suit Filed to Block Hatchery Salmon in Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Clallam PUD Fears New Bonneville Power Administration Wind Policy Could Drive Up Local Power Rates (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Installing Wire that Even Thieves Won’t Want – Hopefully (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

Chelan PUD Almost Ready to Talk Fiber (Wenatchee World, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Clallam PUD Fears New Bonneville Power Administration Wind Policy Could Drive Up Local Power Rates
  • Grays Harbor PUD Installing Wire that Even Thieves Won’t Want – Hopefully
  • Editorial - Utilities (read Puget Sound Energy) Must Use Recent Storms to Be Ready for Next One
  • Bonneville Power Administration Admits Error in Tree Removal after Angry Bethany Residents Protest
  • BC Hydro Abandons Public Relations Firm Hiring
  • Texas Lawmakers Press Regulators to Explain How Electricity Reserves Have Suddenly Waned
  • Behind Nevada’s Victory over Washington at Nuclear Tug-Of-War
  • Nuclear Power vs. Natural Gas
  • Australia - Alcoa Seeks Extra Funds from Government to Offset Carbon Price Hit
  • North Carolina - Smart Grid Company Itron to Double Jobs Here
  • Suit Filed to Block Hatchery Salmon in Elwha River
  • Wild Salmon Are Not Holding Up, Study Finds
  • Canada – Court Says Government Must Protect Orca Habitat
  • Lexicon of Sustainability: Salmon Safe
  • Canada - Anti-Fish Farm Activist to be Sent Home (Deported) After Defamation Hearing
  • Lake Chelan Basin Runoff Forecast Predicts 100 Percent of Average
  • California - Enlarging Shasta Lake Feasible, US Report Says
  • Farm Power Investing Millions in Northwest Dairy Towns
  • Despite Uncertainty, Portland Keeps Wind Industry Bet
  • Op/Ed - Wind Energy is Clean, But Wind Energy Systems are Not
  • Ice Caps Not Shrinking as Much as Once Thought, New Data Show
  • A Carbon Allowance in Every Pot
  • Frozen Danube River is Costing Shippers Millions
  • Chelan PUD Almost Ready to Talk Fiber
  • Google Plans to Challenge Dropbox with Cloud-Sync Service: Report
  • Kodak to Stop Making Cameras
  • Nickels for Washington Secretary of State? Testing the Waters, Asking for $$$
  • US Supreme Court Asked to Undo Montana Campaign Money Ban
  • Mason County Deputy Shoots, Wounds Man Seen Stealing Wood
  • Mudslide on Highway 106 Update
  • Washington State’s Share of Mortgage Settlement: $648 Million
  • Multiple Thefts of Fire Sprinkler Parts in Olympia Endanger Safety
  • Nearly 200 Now Report Becoming Ill after Washington State Cheerleading Event
WORD OF THE DAY

Ameliorate • \uh-MEEL-yuh-rate\ • Verb - To make better or more tolerable

“Is there anything I can do to ameliorate your experience?” Cooed the woolen-shirt salesman to his uncomfortable customer. “Yes,” pleaded the writhing patron, “please sell me an extra-thick undershirt.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Clallam PUD Fears New Bonneville Power Administration Wind Policy Could Drive Up Local Power Rates (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Installing Wire that Even Thieves Won’t Want – Hopefully (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

Editorial - Utilities (read Puget Sound Energy) Must Use Recent Storms to Be Ready for Next One (Olympian, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Admits Error in Tree Removal after Angry Bethany Residents Protest (Oregonian, Portland)

BC Hydro Abandons Public Relations Firm Hiring (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Texas Lawmakers Press Regulators to Explain How Electricity Reserves Have Suddenly Waned (Austin Statesman-American, TX)

Behind Nevada’s Victory over Washington at Nuclear Tug-Of-War - The Obama administration & Senate Majority Leader have effectively killed Yucca Mountain, leaving Hanford holding the (leaking) nuclear waste (Crosscut Seattle)

Nuclear Power vs. Natural Gas (NY Times)

Australia - Alcoa Seeks Extra Funds from Government to Offset Carbon Price Hit (The Australian)

North Carolina - Smart Grid Company Itron to Double Jobs Here (Triangle Business Journal, NC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Suit Filed to Block Hatchery Salmon in Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Wild Salmon Are Not Holding Up, Study Finds (NY Times)

Canada – Court Says Government Must Protect Orca Habitat (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Lexicon of Sustainability: Salmon Safe (Grist Online)

Canada - Anti-Fish Farm Activist to be Sent Home (Deported) After Defamation Hearing (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lake Chelan Basin Runoff Forecast Predicts 100 Percent of Average (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

California - Enlarging Shasta Lake Feasible, US Report Says (SF Chronicle)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Farm Power Investing Millions in Northwest Dairy Towns (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Despite Uncertainty, Portland Keeps Wind Industry Bet (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Op/Ed - Wind Energy is Clean, But Wind Energy Systems are Not: Unreliability of turbines means they must be backed up by polluting energy sources (Baltimore Sun, MD)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Ice Caps Not Shrinking as Much as Once Thought, New Data Show (Christian Science Monitor)

A Carbon Allowance in Every Pot (NY Times)

Frozen Danube River is Costing Shippers Millions (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Chelan PUD Almost Ready to Talk Fiber (Wenatchee World, WA)

Google Plans to Challenge Dropbox with Cloud-Sync Service: Report (Christian Science Monitor)

Kodak to Stop Making Cameras (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Nickels for Washington Secretary of State? Testing the Waters, Asking for $$$ (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

US Supreme Court Asked to Undo Montana Campaign Money Ban (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Deputy Shoots, Wounds Man Seen Stealing Wood (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Mudslide on Highway 106 Update (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington State’s Share of Mortgage Settlement: $648 Million (Seattle Times)

Multiple Thefts of Fire Sprinkler Parts in Olympia Endanger Safety (Olympian, WA)

Nearly 200 Now Report Becoming Ill after Washington State Cheerleading Event (Everett Herald, WA)

DIVERSIONS

How Did Washington State & Washington, DC, Get the Same Name?

Why is NASA Sending a Penny to Mars?

Guarantee She’ll Run Away Screaming by Asking Her to Marry You with a Pizza Hut Proposal Kit

SONG OF THE DAY

Human League - Don’t You Want Me