Monday, February 13, 2012

Obama seeks billions for home energy retrofits, electric vehicles (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2012/02/obama-seeks-6-billion-for-home-energy-retrofits/1?csp=34money

Energy News Digest for February 13, 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

Including Washington & Oregon - 11 States Suing EPA over Soot Rules (Associated Press)

Dead Orca Washes Ashore Near Long Beach (Oregonian, Portland)

Douglas PUD Plans New Transmission Line (Wenatchee World, WA)

Marysville Looks To Expand LED Streetlight Initiative (Everett Herald, WA)

Washington State Budget Writers Get Good News with $200 Million Windfall (Seattle Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Douglas PUD Plans New Transmission Line
  • Emerald People’s Utility District Supports Four Percent Rise in Utility Bills
  • Oregon – Central Lincoln PUD Lineman Injured in Workday Accident
  • Washington State Coal Railcars Proposal Draws Spirited Debate
  • Fruit Industry Leader, Former Chelan PUD Commissioner & State Legislator Bob Mcdougall Passes
  • Sun Setting on Sunset Falls? Snohomish PUD investigating Run of River Hydro
  • Smart Grid Show A& Tell - Seven Projects That Say 'Look at Me' – Includes BPA Transmission Pilot
  • Editorial - Bonneville Power Administration & Wind Power Producers - Happy to Pay Half the Subsidies
  • The Energy Assistance Program Received More Funds to Help Those in Need
  • South Carolina Electric Co-op Hit by Suspected Pot Ring
  • Lights Out for Some Coal Plants
  • Drillers Cut Natural Gas Production as Prices Drop
  • French Nuclear Reliance Seen Easing Price Hikes
  • Red Flag to Hackers - Iran Says Its Nuclear Facilities Immune to Cyber Attacks
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Warns of Valentine's Hazard: Metallic-Coated Balloons
  • Dead Orca Washes Ashore Near Long Beach
  • Banks Lake at Grand Coulee Nears Normal Water Level
  • California - Don't Expect a 'March Miracle' for Sierra Snowpack
  • Would You Drink Toilet Water?
  • Editorial - A needless shadow over Puget Sound cleanup efforts
  • California - Pacific Gas & Electric Has Record 300 Bids for Renewable Energy Projects
  • Washington State Senate Approves Legacy Biomass Bill
  • Energy: Birds Big Concern for Solar Project
  • Hawaiian Electric Says No Rate Increase for Solar Lost Revenue
  • Op/Ed – Ohio: Lake Erie Windmill Outlook is Anything But Breezy
  • Report: Solyndra Aside, Feds Stands to Lose Less than Expected in Energy Loans
  • Feds Hold Up Loan for Large California Solar-Energy Farm, First Solar Stock Plummets
  • Audit Shows Energy Loan Oversight is Needed
  • Video - UK Company Turns Electricity Bills into Windmills
  • Marysville Looks To Expand LED Streetlight Initiative
  • Lynnwood’s Rec Center Earns LEED Certification
  • Can Efficiency Counter a Loss of Nuclear Power?
  • Massachusetts - Energy-Savings Bug Bites Towns
  • Including Washington & Oregon - 11 States Suing EPA over Soot Rules
  • Study Reveals Complex Picture of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in King County
  • House Fit for a Green: Sustainable Home Construction Booms
  • Startups Tap Government Energy Research - Includes Umpqua Energy of Medford, OR
  • AT&T Customers Surprised by 'Unlimited Data' Limit
  • Clark County Congresswoman Herrera Beutler Hailed as Key GOP Messenger
  • Washington State Budget Writers Get Good News with $200 Million Windfall
  • Illness at Everett Cheerleading Event Traced to Norovirus
  • Residential Biomass - Olympia-Area's Dead Wood Being Put to Good Use
  • Why Can't Oregonians Pump Their Own Gas? Let Us Count the Reasons
WORD OF THE DAY

Vade Mecum • \vay-dee – MEE-kum\ • Noun - 1: a book for ready reference: manual 2: something regularly carried about by a person

Professor Henry Jones’ Diary could be considered among his vade mecum:

Professor Henry Jones: Well, he who finds the Grail must face the final challenge.
Indiana Jones: What final challenge?
Professor Henry Jones: Three devices of such lethal cunning.
Indiana Jones: Booby traps?
Professor Henry Jones: Oh, yes. But I found the clues that will safely take us through them in the Chronicles of St. Anselm.
Indiana Jones: [pleased] Well, what are they?
[annoyed]
Indiana Jones: Can't you remember?
Professor Henry Jones: I wrote them down in my diary so that I wouldn't “have” to remember.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Douglas PUD Plans New Transmission Line (Wenatchee World, WA)

Emerald People’s Utility District Supports Four Percent Rise in Utility Bills (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Oregon – Central Lincoln PUD Lineman Injured in Workday Accident (PDF File - Central Lincoln PUD, OR)

Washington State Coal Railcars Proposal Draws Spirited Debate (Olympian, WA)

Fruit Industry Leader, Former Chelan PUD Commissioner & State Legislator Bob Mcdougall Passes (Wenatchee World, WA)

Sun Setting on Sunset Falls? Snohomish PUD investigating Run of River Hydro (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Smart Grid Show A& Tell - Seven Projects That Say 'Look at Me' – Includes BPA Transmission Pilot (AOL Energy)

Editorial - Bonneville Power Administration & Wind Power Producers - Happy to Pay Half the Subsidies (Wenatchee World, WA)

The Energy Assistance Program Received More Funds to Help Those in Need (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

South Carolina Electric Co-op Hit by Suspected Pot Ring (Electric Co-op Today)

Lights Out for Some Coal Plants (Forbes Magazine)

Drillers Cut Natural Gas Production as Prices Drop (Associated Press)

French Nuclear Reliance Seen Easing Price Hikes (Reuters)

Red Flag to Hackers - Iran Says Its Nuclear Facilities Immune to Cyber Attacks (Associated Press)

Pacific Gas & Electric Warns of Valentine's Hazard: Metallic-Coated Balloons (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Dead Orca Washes Ashore Near Long Beach (Oregonian, Portland)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Banks Lake at Grand Coulee Nears Normal Water Level (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

California - Don't Expect a 'March Miracle' for Sierra Snowpack (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Would You Drink Toilet Water? (Christian Science Monitor)

Editorial - A needless shadow over Puget Sound cleanup efforts (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Has Record 300 Bids for Renewable Energy Projects (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

Washington State Senate Approves Legacy Biomass Bill (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Energy: Birds Big Concern for Solar Project (The Press Enterprise, Riverside, CA)

Hawaiian Electric Says No Rate Increase for Solar Lost Revenue (Pacific Business News, HI)

Op/Ed – Ohio: Lake Erie Windmill Outlook is Anything But Breezy (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

Report: Solyndra Aside, Feds Stands to Lose Less than Expected in Energy Loans (Associated Press)

Feds Hold Up Loan for Large California Solar-Energy Farm, First Solar Stock Plummets (Reuters)

Audit Shows Energy Loan Oversight is Needed (NY Times)

Video - UK Company Turns Electricity Bills into Windmills (EcoTricity/YouTube)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Marysville Looks To Expand LED Streetlight Initiative (Everett Herald, WA)

Lynnwood’s Rec Center Earns LEED Certification (Everett Herald, WA)

Can Efficiency Counter a Loss of Nuclear Power? (NY Times)

Massachusetts - Energy-Savings Bug Bites Towns (Boston Globe, MA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Including Washington & Oregon - 11 States Suing EPA over Soot Rules (Associated Press)

Study Reveals Complex Picture of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in King County “…per-person sources of greenhouse gas emissions generated in King County are half the national average, thanks to abundant clean energy and the particular mix of industry in the region…” (Maple Valley Reporter, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State Senate Passes $100 Annual Electric Car Fee (Associated Press)

Residents of Olympia, Washington Want Tiny Homes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

House Fit for a Green: Sustainable Home Construction Booms (Grist Online)

Startups Tap Government Energy Research - Includes Umpqua Energy of Medford, OR (Portfolio.com)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT&T Customers Surprised by 'Unlimited Data' Limit (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Clark County Congresswoman Herrera Beutler Hailed as Key GOP Messenger (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Budget Writers Get Good News with $200 Million Windfall (Seattle Times)

Illness at Everett Cheerleading Event Traced to Norovirus (Everett Herald, WA)

Residential Biomass - Olympia-Area's Dead Wood Being Put to Good Use (Olympian, WA)

Why Can't Oregonians Pump Their Own Gas? Let Us Count the Reasons (Oregonian, Portland)

DIVERSIONS

Purple Squirrel Spotted in Pennsylvania. Did it Fall into a Portable Toilet?

Roses Lose Bloom as Hobby, Industry

Calling Hari Seldon - US Seeks to Mine Social Media to Predict Future

SONG OF THE DAY

Chris Young & Willie Nelson - Rose in Paradise