Friday, May 25, 2012

Energy News Digest for May 25, 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

Feds Propose $2.1 Billion Fish Plan for Columbia River (Electric Co-op Today)

Mason County PUD 3 Dedicates Ops Center (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Whatcom County Halts Applications for Large Scale Wind Energy (KGMI Radio, Bellingham, WA)

Industrial Hotbed Grant County May Need New Energy Sources (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Pacific Northwest’s Only Nuclear Plant Celebrates Relicensing (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Pacific Northwest’s Only Nuclear Plant Celebrates Relicensing
  • Washington State Governor Gregoire Congratulates Energy Northwest Employees on 20 More Years
  • Mason County PUD 3 Dedicates Ops Center
  • Mason County PUD 3 Dedicates the Johns Prairie Operations Center
  • Industrial Hotbed Grant County May Need New Energy Sources
  • PacifiCorp Poached Design, Federal Jury Finds - Slaps PacifiCorp with $134 Million in Damages
  • Obama Taps Yucca Mountain Critic to Lead Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • New Pilgrim Nuke License Nears Despite NRC Chairman’s Vote Against It
  • Co-ops Backing Small Nuclear Plants
  • Germany Beefs Up Monitoring of Nuclear Shutdown
  • Energy Revolution Interruptus - Germany Stalled on the Expressway to a Green Future
  • Three-Quarters of Japanese Firms Oppose Nuclear Power
  • Kansas - Copper Theft Brazen, Costly, Dangerous
  • Smart Meter Data: Privacy& Cybersecurity
  • Warm Weather & Low Natural Gas Prices Dampen Spot Electricity Prices This Winter
  • Feds Propose $2.1 Billion Fish Plan for Columbia River
  • Second British Columbia Salmon Farm Under Quarantine for Virus
  • Alaska - Can Bristol Bay Salmon Survive Big Mine? EPA Sets Hearing
  • Bringing Back the Olympia Oysters
  • The Decades-Long Comeback of Mark Twain’s Favorite Food
  • Unbound River to Surge through Grand Canyon
  • EPA Proposes New Rules for Muddy Logging Roads
  • Whatcom County Halts Applications for Large Scale Wind Energy
  • BLM OKs Engineering for Proposed Transmission Line for Southeastern Oregon Wind Project
  • Utility Regulators More Than Double California’s Solar Power Goal
  • Longview City Council Clears Path for Windmills
  • California - How Much Will Marin Clean Energy Cost You?
  • Editorial - Marin Energy Authority’s Local Solar Deal is a Big Step
  • In Newton, Obama Calls for Extending Wind Energy Tax Breaks
  • What Ails Geothermal? Let’s Count the Ways
  • Gallery: Inside Vestas’ New Digs
  • Has LEED Become So Ubiquitous That it No Longer Stands Out from Traditional Design?
  • Leafully Wins DOE Top Prize for its Green Button App
  • Detroit Shutting Off Street Lights to Save Money
  • Climate Change Allows Once-Rare British Butterfly to Thrive
  • Toxic Shock - A Climate-Change Skeptic is Melting
  • What is the Break-Even Point on Hybrid Gas Savings?
  • Apps Allow Electric Cars to Charge at Cheapest Rates
  • This Coal-Plant Snow Globe Could be Yours for Only $3,100
  • Prospective Buyer Would Turn Hynix’s Shuttered Chip Factory in Eugene into a Big Data Center
  • RealNetworks Settles $2.4 Million Lawsuit with Washington State
  • Minnesota - Small Telcos Lose Out to Giants on Broadband Money
  • Three Broadband Strategies
  • PBS Frontline Focuses on Cellular Tower Climbers - ‘The Hidden Cost of the Smartphone Revolution’
  • Morgan Stanley May Refund Some Facebook Investors
  • Memorial Day Weekend Forecast: W. Washington Sunny; E. Washington Windy
  • AAA: Average Price of Gasoline in Washington $4.24
  • West Coast Gas Prices Higher Than Other Regions
  • More Boozing at 520 Job Site?
  • Shelton State Run Liquor Store Closes End of Day May 28
WORD OF THE DAY

Troubadour • \TROO-buh-dorr\ • Noun - 1: a lyric poet or musician who performed chiefly in southern France and northern Italy in the 11th through 13th centuries 2: a singer especially of folk songs

“This troubadour is awful,” whined the dissipated king of a small middle European Kingdom. “You get what you pay for,” simpered the court jester. “A tone-deaf musician is right up there with a humorless comic,” the two-bit jokester unconsciously uttered.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Pacific Northwest’s Only Nuclear Plant Celebrates Relicensing (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Washington State Governor Gregoire Congratulates Energy Northwest Employees on 20 More Years (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Dedicates Ops Center (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Dedicates the Johns Prairie Operations Center (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Industrial Hotbed Grant County May Need New Energy Sources (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

PacifiCorp Poached Design, Federal Jury Finds - Slaps PacifiCorp with $134 Million in Damages (Associated Press)

Obama Taps Yucca Mountain Critic to Lead Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Associated Press)

New Pilgrim Nuke License Nears Despite NRC Chairman’s Vote Against It (Quincy Patriot Ledger, MA)

Co-ops Backing Small Nuclear Plants (Electric Co-op Today)

Germany Beefs Up Monitoring of Nuclear Shutdown (Associated Press)

Energy Revolution Interruptus - Germany Stalled on the Expressway to a Green Future (Spiegel Online)

Three-Quarters of Japanese Firms Oppose Nuclear Power (Reuters)

Kansas - Copper Theft Brazen, Costly, Dangerous (Topeka Capitol Journal, KS)

Smart Meter Data: Privacy& Cybersecurity (Congressional Research Service)

Warm Weather & Low Natural Gas Prices Dampen Spot Electricity Prices This Winter (US Energy Information Administration)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds Propose $2.1 Billion Fish Plan for Columbia River (Electric Co-op Today)

Second British Columbia Salmon Farm Under Quarantine for Virus (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Alaska - Can Bristol Bay Salmon Survive Big Mine? EPA Sets Hearing (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Bringing Back the Olympia Oysters (Smithsonian Magazine)

The Decades-Long Comeback of Mark Twain’s Favorite Food - When America’s favorite storyteller lived in San Francisco, nothing struck his fancy like a heaping plate of this Pacific Northwest delicacy (Smithsonian Magazine)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Unbound River to Surge through Grand Canyon (USA Today)

EPA Proposes New Rules for Muddy Logging Roads (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Whatcom County Halts Applications for Large Scale Wind Energy (KGMI Radio, Bellingham, WA)

BLM OKs Engineering for Proposed Transmission Line for Southeastern Oregon Wind Project (Oregonian, Portland)

Utility Regulators More Than Double California’s Solar Power Goal (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Longview City Council Clears Path for Windmills (Longview Daily News, WA)

California - How Much Will Marin Clean Energy Cost You? (San Anselmo-Fairfax Patch)

Editorial - Marin Energy Authority’s Local Solar Deal is a Big Step (Marin Independent Journal, Novato, CA)

In Newton, Obama Calls for Extending Wind Energy Tax Breaks (Des Moines Register, IA)

What Ails Geothermal? Let’s Count the Ways (Forbes Magazine)

Gallery: Inside Vestas’ New Digs (Sustainable Business Oregon)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Has LEED Become So Ubiquitous That it No Longer Stands Out from Traditional Design? (The Albany Business Review, NY)

Leafully Wins DOE Top Prize for its Green Button App (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Detroit Shutting Off Street Lights to Save Money (Bloomberg News)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change Allows Once-Rare British Butterfly to Thrive (Christian Science Monitor)

Toxic Shock - A Climate-Change Skeptic is Melting (The Economist Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

What is the Break-Even Point on Hybrid Gas Savings? (USA Today)

Apps Allow Electric Cars to Charge at Cheapest Rates (USA Today)

This Coal-Plant Snow Globe Could be Yours for Only $3,100 (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Prospective Buyer Would Turn Hynix’s Shuttered Chip Factory in Eugene into a Big Data Center (Oregonian, Portland)

RealNetworks Settles $2.4 Million Lawsuit with Washington State (Associated Press)

Minnesota - Small Telcos Lose Out to Giants on Broadband Money (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal)

Three Broadband Strategies (Forbes Magazine)

PBS Frontline Focuses on Cellular Tower Climbers - ‘The Hidden Cost of the Smartphone Revolution’ (Broadband Reports)

Morgan Stanley May Refund Some Facebook Investors (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Memorial Day Weekend Forecast: W. Washington Sunny; E. Washington Windy (Associated Press)

AAA: Average Price of Gasoline in Washington $4.24 (Associated Press)

West Coast Gas Prices Higher Than Other Regions (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

More Boozing at 520 Job Site? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Shelton State Run Liquor Store Closes End of Day May 28 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Man Ticketed for Dropping Money on the Ground

Miniature Titanic Causes a Stir

Woman Traces Stolen iPhone after Alleged Thief’s Photos Were Uploaded to iCloud

Man Divorces Wife after She Brings Home 550 Cats

SONG OF THE DAY

Eagles РSad Caf̩ (no reason, just like the song)