Thursday, June 14, 2012

Energy News Digest for June 14, 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

Bonneville Power Administration’s Defenders in Congress Mobilize Again to Insulate Power Generator from Federal ‘Micro-Management’ (Oregonian, Portland)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Planning to Cut 63 Positions - The utility notifies 48 employees that they will be laid off at the end of the month (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

SoloPower Launches New Solar Panels with Portland Production & Hiring Underway (Oregonian, Portland)
Fisherman’s Wrath - A Campaign Targeting Gillnetters Takes Class War to the Columbia River (Willamette Weekly, OR)

Unexplained Puget Sound Algae Blooms Have Scientists Searching for Answers (KING-TV, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration’s Defenders in Congress Mobilize Again to Insulate Power Generator from Federal ‘Micro-Management’
  • Eugene Water & Electric Board Planning to Cut 63 Positions - The utility notifies 48 employees that they will be laid off at the end of the month
  • After Reportedly Hitting Power Line - East Wenatchee Helicopter Crash Kills One, Injures a Second
  • Ice Harbor Dam Turns 50
  • Mason County PUD 3 Announces Public Operations Center Tours
  • Look Up! Tree Worker Electrocuted in Crane Accident in New Hampshire
  • At Forum, Experts Say Natural Gas Plays Mixed Role in America’s Energy Future
  • Hydropower Continues Steady Growth
  • Fisherman’s Wrath - A Campaign Targeting Gillnetters Takes Class War to the Columbia River
  • Is Oregon Only One of Three States to Allow Commercial Gillnetting?
  • Fish Fraud Sweep Mostly Good News for Consumers
  • OSU Scientists Feel a ‘Cast of Very Bad Characters’ May Have Arrived on Dock from Japan
  • Blinded By the Light, Birds Crash Into Radio Towers
  • Unexplained Puget Sound Algae Blooms Have Scientists Searching for Answers
  • Belfair Water District Hoping to Help Businesses Hit by Service Outage
  • Robin Hood Village Facing Ecology Fine for Shoreline Permitting Violations
  • Potlatch Waste Water Plant Ground Breaking
  • SoloPower Launches New Solar Panels with Portland Production & Hiring Underway
  • California - Renewable Power Isn’t Green Enough for Enviro Group
  • SnoPUD a Part of the Group - Gregoire Outlines Trade Trip to Ireland, England
  • Utilities Look to Mitigate Renewable Integration Challenges
  • Big Mission for Small Wind Turbine - A Colorado electric cooperative is working to maximize the educational potential of a tiny wind turbine in the state’s central mountains
  • Corporate Energy Conservation Effort Adds Participants
  • Cap & Trade Lives, And Works, in Northeastern U-S
  • Worst 21st-Century Fires: Models Say Expect More
  • Electric Car Rally to Converge in Wenatchee Saturday
  • Outsmarting the Meter: Off the Grid on Lasqueti
  • Lyman Set to Speed Down Information Superhighway – Skagit PUD halfway through 18-month grant project to connect city to fiber-optic cable Internet
  • Lee Willis - Broadband Backer, Moses Lake Rotarian Dies
  • It’s About Time: US Almost Gets Serious About Broadband Buildout
  • U-S Probe of Comcast, Broadband Giants Echoes ‘Net Neutrality’ Battles
  • Data Center, Meet the Smart Grid
  • Washington State Added Jobs in May but Unemployment Rate Up
  • $100,000 Bail for Tumwater, Washington Man Accused in Hitchhiker Shooting
  • Vandals Do $30,000 in Damage to Loggers Association Offices
  • After Near-Historic Highs, Local Gas Prices Finally Dropping
  • Feds Stiff Local Officials Who Heeded Federal Warnings of Green River Flood Perils
  • SAVER Present First & Railroad Drawings for Downtown Shelton
  • Oops. Wrong Grays Harbor Home Hit in Drug Raid
WORD OF THE DAY

Mandarin • \MAN-drin\ • Adjective – 1: of, relating to, or typical of a public official in China 2: marked by polished ornate complexity of language

Ferdinand had taken his increased responsibilities in the steno pool very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that his office gradually began to resemble the mandarin elegance of a minor far-east potentate. Right down to the replacement of his desk chair with a huge, overstuffed pillow, and a noxious, continuously billowing incense burner near his tiny little zen garden on his desk. Biomass be damned….

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration’s Defenders in Congress Mobilize Again to Insulate Power Generator from Federal ‘Micro-Management’ (Oregonian, Portland)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Planning to Cut 63 Positions - The utility notifies 48 employees that they will be laid off at the end of the month (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

After Reportedly Hitting Power Line - East Wenatchee Helicopter Crash Kills One, Injures a Second (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Ice Harbor Dam Turns 50 (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Announces Public Operations Center Tours (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Look Up! Tree Worker Electrocuted in Crane Accident in New Hampshire (Boston Globe, MA)

At Forum, Experts Say Natural Gas Plays Mixed Role in America’s Energy Future (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)

Hydropower Continues Steady Growth (Grist Online)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fisherman’s Wrath - A Campaign Targeting Gillnetters Takes Class War to the Columbia River (Willamette Weekly, OR)

Is Oregon Only One of Three States to Allow Commercial Gillnetting? (Oregonian, Portland)

Fish Fraud Sweep Mostly Good News for Consumers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

OSU Scientists Feel a ‘Cast of Very Bad Characters’ May Have Arrived on Dock from Japan (Oregonian, Portland)

Blinded By the Light, Birds Crash Into Radio Towers (National Public Radio)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Unexplained Puget Sound Algae Blooms Have Scientists Searching for Answers (KING-TV, Seattle)

Belfair Water District Hoping to Help Businesses Hit by Service Outage (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Robin Hood Village Facing Ecology Fine for Shoreline Permitting Violations (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Potlatch Waste Water Plant Ground Breaking (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

SoloPower Launches New Solar Panels with Portland Production & Hiring Underway (Oregonian, Portland)

California - Renewable Power Isn’t Green Enough for Enviro Group (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA)

SnoPUD a Part of the Group - Gregoire Outlines Trade Trip to Ireland, England (Everett Herald, WA)

Utilities Look to Mitigate Renewable Integration Challenges (Renew Grid)

Big Mission for Small Wind Turbine - A Colorado electric cooperative is working to maximize the educational potential of a tiny wind turbine in the state’s central mountains (Electric Co-op Today)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Corporate Energy Conservation Effort Adds Participants (USA Today)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Cap & Trade Lives, And Works, in Northeastern U-S (The Energy Collective)

Worst 21st-Century Fires: Models Say Expect More (Discovery Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Car Rally to Converge in Wenatchee Saturday (Wenatchee World, WA)

Outsmarting the Meter: Off the Grid on Lasqueti (The Tyee, British Columbia)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Lyman Set to Speed Down Information Superhighway – Skagit PUD halfway through 18-month grant project to connect city to fiber-optic cable Internet (Skagit Valley Herald, Mount Vernon, WA)

Lee Willis - Broadband Backer, Moses Lake Rotarian Dies (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

It’s About Time: US Almost Gets Serious About Broadband Buildout (GigaOM)

U-S Probe of Comcast, Broadband Giants Echoes ‘Net Neutrality’ Battles (TIME Magazine)

Data Center, Meet the Smart Grid (GigaOM)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Added Jobs in May but Unemployment Rate Up (Associated Press)

$100,000 Bail for Tumwater, Washington Man Accused in Hitchhiker Shooting (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Vandals Do $30,000 in Damage to Loggers Association Offices (Olympian, WA)

After Near-Historic Highs, Local Gas Prices Finally Dropping (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Feds Stiff Local Officials Who Heeded Federal Warnings of Green River Flood Perils (Seattle Times)

SAVER Present First & Railroad Drawings for Downtown Shelton (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Oops. Wrong Grays Harbor Home Hit in Drug Raid (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Professor Aims to ‘Plug Holes’ In English Language with a Word a Day

Police Say 120 Mph Driver Was ‘Late for Work’

You Can Judge 90 Percent of People’s Personalities by Their Shoes, Researchers Say

Stolen Picasso Lithograph Found Leaning against Park Fence

SONG OF THE DAY

Elton John - Who Wears These Shoes?