Monday, March 5, 2012

Energy News Digest for March 5, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

In Push to Reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum, Hesitancy over Languishing Aluminum Market (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

Grant County PUD Fiber Expansion Continues in Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Oregon Governor’s New Ten Year Energy Plan Draft Floats Big Ideas to Reactivate Green Energy (Oregonian, Portland)

Fish Projections: Are Salmon Outsmarting Scientists? (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California
  • In Push to Reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum, Hesitancy over Languishing Aluminum Market
  • Seattle City Light Names Marketing Director
  • New York Nuclear - Surviving Without Indian Point: Is It Doable?
  • Vermont Board Sets Its Own Pace on Nuclear Power Plant’s Future
  • Gas Pipeline Safety - Pacific Gas & Electric Workers’ Warnings Likely to be Focus of Suits
  • Bad Address Delays City of Sacramento Water Bill for Years
  • TransAlta Profit Slips on Outages
  • Tennessee - Appliances on the Fritz: Residents Blame Co-op’s New Transmitter
  • Turning Water into Electricity, Students into Experts
  • Fish Projections: Are Salmon Outsmarting Scientists?
  • Fall Chinook Redds On Rise in Snake River
  • Northern Idaho’s Yellowdog Creek Restoration Example of Bringing Degraded Streams Back to Life
  • Pacific Northwest - Feds Seek Answer to Fish-Eating Bird
  • Drones Being Tested to Track Fish, Wildlife
  • $4 Billion Plan Proposed for Yakima Water Supplies
  • Washington State’s Governor: ‘Water Is the Lifeblood of Our State’
  • Weather Gives Needed Boost to Mt. Hood Snowpack
  • Fight in Olympia over Solutions for Toxic Runoff
  • Chelan Businesses Want Higher Lake for Tourism
  • Oregon Governor’s New Ten Year Energy Plan Draft Floats Big Ideas to Reactivate Green Energy
  • Wind Farming - Where Gusts Are a Must... And Hair Can Get Mussed
  • Saving Desert Tortoises a Costly Hurdle for Solar Projects
  • Brazil’s Sugarcane Electricity Faces Brownout on Cost
  • North Carolina - Waste-To-Electricity Push Lags
  • Bainbridge Energy Efficiency Program Credited for Jobs
  • Good Bead of Caulk Can Keep Home Heating Bills Down
  • Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Gas Works, Others Fight US New Furnace Efficiency Rule
  • Warm Winter Helped Fuel Tornado Outbreak
  • Outdoor Skating Rinks Threatened by Climate Change
  • All Scottish Coal Plants to Use Carbon Capture by 2025
  • GM Stops Building Slow-Selling Chevy Volts for Five Weeks
  • Now You Can Buy a Prefab IKEA House
  • Grant County PUD Fiber Expansion Continues in Moses Lake
  • Big Data Centers in Top Five US Construction Projects – Facebook’s Prineville Site Ranked Third
  • Cloud Computing to Generate 14 Million Jobs, According to Microsoft-Commissioned Study
  • Yahoo to Lay Off Thousands?
  • FCC Asks for Guidance on Whether, and When, to Cut Off Cellphone Service
  • With Norm Dicks’ Retirement, State Will Lose a Power Player
  • Who Might Take Norm Dicks’ Place in Congress?
  • Eye on Olympia: Overtime Likely for Washington State Legislative Session
  • Washington State House Passes Transportation Budget
  • Washington State Senate Honors Alcoa Wenatchee Works
  • Driver Arrested in Double Fatality in Olympia; Shelton Man Injured
  • Bigger than WPPSS - Judge Clears Way for Alabama County’s Bankruptcy
  • The Decline of the Paper Map in Washington State
  • Cut Trees an Issue in Sumner - City Councilman Suspected
WORD OF THE DAY

Jiggle • \JIGG-gull\ • Verb - To cause to move with quick little jerks or oscillating motions

“Darn this particle accelerator, why won’t it fire up?” groused the CERN engineer to the “Hank,” the long-suffering janitor. After acrobatically switching a quid of chewing tobacco from one cheek to the other, Hank calmly offered his sage advice, “well sonny, sometimes you just have to jiggle the plug.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

In Push to Reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum, Hesitancy over Languishing Aluminum Market (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

Seattle City Light Names Marketing Director (Seattle Times)

New York Nuclear - Surviving Without Indian Point: Is It Doable? (NY Times)

Vermont Board Sets Its Own Pace on Nuclear Power Plant’s Future (Associated Press)

Gas Pipeline Safety - Pacific Gas & Electric Workers’ Warnings Likely to be Focus of Suits (SF Chronicle)

Bad Address Delays City of Sacramento Water Bill for Years (Sacramento Bee, CA)

TransAlta Profit Slips on Outages (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Tennessee - Appliances on the Fritz: Residents Blame Co-op’s New Transmitter (Knoxville News-Sentinel, TN)

Turning Water into Electricity, Students into Experts (Earth Techling)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fish Projections: Are Salmon Outsmarting Scientists? (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Fall Chinook Redds On Rise in Snake River – Including Tributaries between Lower Granite & Hells Canyon Dams (Seattle Times)

Northern Idaho’s Yellowdog Creek Restoration Example of Bringing Degraded Streams Back to Life (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Pacific Northwest - Feds Seek Answer to Fish-Eating Bird (Electric Co-op Today)

Drones Being Tested to Track Fish, Wildlife (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

$4 Billion Plan Proposed for Yakima Water Supplies (Associated Press)

Washington State’s Governor: ‘Water Is the Lifeblood of Our State’ (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Weather Gives Needed Boost to Mt. Hood Snowpack (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Fight in Olympia over Solutions for Toxic Runoff (Associated Press)

Chelan Businesses Want Higher Lake for Tourism (Wenatchee World, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Governor’s New Ten Year Energy Plan Draft Floats Big Ideas to Reactivate Green Energy (Oregonian, Portland)

Wind Farming - Where Gusts Are a Must... And Hair Can Get Mussed (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Where-gusts-are-a-must-and-hair-can-get-mussed

Saving Desert Tortoises a Costly Hurdle for Solar Projects (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Brazil’s Sugarcane Electricity Faces Brownout on Cost (Reuters)

North Carolina - Waste-To-Electricity Push Lags (Raleigh News & Observer, NC)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bainbridge Energy Efficiency Program Credited for Jobs (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Good Bead of Caulk Can Keep Home Heating Bills Down (Everett Herald, WA)

Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Gas Works, Others Fight US New Furnace Efficiency Rule - The city-owned utility says some homeowners can’t afford the costly systems & will opt for cheaper electric or kerosene heaters (Philadelphia Inquirer, PA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Warm Winter Helped Fuel Tornado Outbreak (USA Today)

Outdoor Skating Rinks Threatened by Climate Change (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/03/05/outdoor-rinks-threatened.html

All Scottish Coal Plants to Use Carbon Capture by 2025 (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

GM Stops Building Slow-Selling Chevy Volts for Five Weeks (USA Today)

Now You Can Buy a Prefab IKEA House (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Grant County PUD Fiber Expansion Continues in Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Big Data Centers in Top Five US Construction Projects – Facebook’s Prineville Site Ranked Third (GigaOM)

Cloud Computing to Generate 14 Million Jobs, According to Microsoft-Commissioned Study (Seattle Times)

Yahoo to Lay Off Thousands? (Seattle Times)

FCC Asks for Guidance on Whether, and When, to Cut Off Cellphone Service (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

With Norm Dicks’ Retirement, State Will Lose a Power Player (Everett Herald, WA)

Who Might Take Norm Dicks’ Place in Congress? (Seattle Times)

Eye on Olympia: Overtime Likely for Washington State Legislative Session (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Washington State House Passes Transportation Budget (Associated Press)

Washington State Senate Honors Alcoa Wenatchee Works (Wenatchee World, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Driver Arrested in Double Fatality in Olympia; Shelton Man Injured (Mason Web TV)
http://masonwebtv.com/?p=3097

Bigger than WPPSS - Judge Clears Way for Alabama County’s Bankruptcy (Reuters)

The Decline of the Paper Map in Washington State (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Cut Trees an Issue in Sumner - City Councilman Suspected (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Saint’s Ancient Heart Stolen from Dublin Cathedral

Yay! We’re Number Two - The Most Miserable Sports Cities of the Year

Wisconsin Lawmakers to Honor Man behind Cheesehead Hat

Man Steals Money from Girl Scout Cookie Sales, Gets Beat Up by Girl Scout

SONG OF THE DAY

Little Martha - The Allman Brothers Band