Thursday, June 21, 2012

Energy News Digest for June 21, 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 STORIES
Humane Society Offers Reward in Shootings of Columbia River Sea Lions (Associated Press)

Editorial – Bonneville Power Administration’s Wright Has Shown Decisive Leadership (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Idaho - Dworshak Dam’s Safety Rating Upgraded (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Federal Agencies Falling Short of Green Standards (Federal Times, Washington, DC)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Idaho - Dworshak Dam’s Safety Rating Upgraded
  • Editorial – Bonneville Power Administration’s Wright Has Shown Decisive Leadership
  • Top Grant PUD Manager Placed on Leave Pending Investigation
  • Pacific Northwest Energy - Spring Wind & Rain: Too Much of a Good Thing?
  • Centralia City Light Warns of Possible Widespread Outage
  • Feds Can’t Dictate Venue for Utility Showdown over FERC Order 1000
  • Regulators Delay Decision on California Nuclear Plant Probe
  • Shaw to Install Emissions Reduction Equipment at Boardman Station in Oregon
  • Co-ops, Munis Ask Commodity Futures Trading Commission for Exemption
  • Iowa - Cedar Rapids to Use Hydro Plant Repair Funds for a Boat Ramp
  • Humane Society Offers Reward in Shootings of Columbia River Sea Lions
  • Proposed Federal Conservation Legislation Takes Aim at Columbia River Sea Lions
  • BPA’s Columbia Basin Fish/Wildlife Expenditures: $650 Million in 2011, $12 Billion 1978-2011
  • New Hatchery Aims to Boost Snake River’s Sockeye Production
  • Comments Sought on White Salmon River Fish Plan
  • Clallam County/Clallam PUD Carlsborg Sewer Plan Moves Ahead
  • The High Plains - Land Sucked Dry Threatens Businesses, Homes, Agriculture, Critters
  • Maryland - Defense: Buyers Knew Renewable Credits Were Fake
  • On Our Radar: Fake Clean Energy Credits
  • Colorado Springs Probably Didn’t Need to Worry About Demand for Wind Power
  • Op/Ed - Wind Energy Helps to Power B-C’s Future
  • Microhydro Drives Change in Rural Nepal
  • Buying Electricity from Renewable Sources Can be Complicated
  • Kohl’s Expanding Solar-Powered Stores by 25%
  • Energy Adviser: Training Helps Avoid Mishaps on Heat Pumps
  • Washington State University’s Energy Innovation Center Focused on ‘Smart Grid’ System
  • Air Conditioning - Relief in Every Window, but Global Worry Too
  • Federal Agencies Falling Short of Green Standards
  • Buried Seed Vault Guards Thousands of Crop Varieties
  • First Vehicle to Home Power System in North America
  • Wholesale Rate, Fee Increase Approved for Chelan PUD Fiber Resellers
  • Utah Builds Business with Broadband
  • CenturyLink Brings IPTV to Colorado Springs - Very Targeted TV Deployments Continue
  • Fat Databases, Small Pipes: The Problem of Data Inertia
  • eBay to Build Huge Bloom Energy Fuel Cell Farm at Data Center
  • Revenue Forecast for Washington State Little Changed
  • New Study Dings Washington State for Not Prefunding Retiree Health Subsidies
  • Small Arson Fires Set All Over Olympic HS in Bremerton
  • An Ocean of Concern over Japanese Tsunami Debris
  • Port of Shelton to Call for Bids to Log John’s Prairie
  • Ten States That Will Boom: Washington State is Number Six
  • Fire Danger Prompts Ban of Sky Lanterns
  • Soggy Solstice: Stonehenge Gets Soaking
WORD OF THE DAY

Divertissement • \duh-VERT-tiss-munt\ • Noun - 1: a dance sequence or short ballet usually used as an interlude 2: an instrumental chamber work in several movements usually light in character 3: diversion, entertainment

The “New York Times” crossword was too tame a divertissement for Chad’s lunchtime break. He would closet himself in the broom closet with the “Klingon Gazette” crossword puzzle.

Ed Note: I am stunned by the amount of time and effort fanboys have put into creating and translating books into Klingon – Including the Bible, Book of Mormon and more. Yikes!

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Idaho - Dworshak Dam’s Safety Rating Upgraded (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Dworshak Dam, Wikipedia

Editorial – Bonneville Power Administration’s Wright Has Shown Decisive Leadership (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Top Grant PUD Manager Placed on Leave Pending Investigation (Wenatchee World, WA)

Pacific Northwest Energy - Spring Wind & Rain: Too Much of a Good Thing? (Daily Journal of Commerce, OR)

Pacific Power Has Layoffs - Five in Yakima (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Centralia City Light Warns of Possible Widespread Outage (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Feds Can’t Dictate Venue for Utility Showdown over FERC Order 1000 – Would change electric-transmission planning & cost-allocation requirements for public utilities (Courthouse News Service)

Regulators Delay Decision on California Nuclear Plant Probe (Associated Press)

Shaw to Install Emissions Reduction Equipment at Boardman Station in Oregon (Electric Light & Power)

Co-ops, Munis Ask Commodity Futures Trading Commission for Exemption (Electric Co-op Today)

Iowa - Cedar Rapids to Use Hydro Plant Repair Funds for a Boat Ramp  - $12 million in FEMA funding for the hydroelectric plant will go towards a new ramp (Cedar Rapids Gazette, IA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Humane Society Offers Reward in Shootings of Columbia River Sea Lions (Associated Press)

Proposed Federal Conservation Legislation Takes Aim at Columbia River Sea Lions (Examiner.com)

BPA’s Columbia Basin Fish/Wildlife Expenditures: $650 Million in 2011, $12 Billion 1978-2011 (Columbia Basin Herald)

New Hatchery Aims to Boost Snake River’s Sockeye Production (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

Comments Sought on White Salmon River Fish Plan (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clallam County/Clallam PUD Carlsborg Sewer Plan Moves Ahead (Sequim Gazette, WA)

The High Plains - Land Sucked Dry Threatens Businesses, Homes, Agriculture, Critters (Forbes Magazine)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Maryland - Defense: Buyers Knew Renewable Credits Were Fake (Associated Press)

On Our Radar: Fake Clean Energy Credits (NY Times)

Colorado Springs Probably Didn’t Need to Worry About Demand for Wind Power (Grist Online)

Op/Ed - Wind Energy Helps to Power B-C’s Future (Vancouver Sun, B-C)

Microhydro Drives Change in Rural Nepal (NY Times)

Buying Electricity from Renewable Sources Can be Complicated (Washington Post)

Kohl’s Expanding Solar-Powered Stores by 25% (Milwaukee Business Journal, WI)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Adviser: Training Helps Avoid Mishaps on Heat Pumps (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Washington State University’s Energy Innovation Center Focused on ‘Smart Grid’ System (McClatchy-Tribune News Service)

Air Conditioning - Relief in Every Window, but Global Worry Too (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Federal Agencies Falling Short of Green Standards (Federal Times, Washington, DC)

Buried Seed Vault Guards Thousands of Crop Varieties (Christian Science Monitor)

First Vehicle to Home Power System in North America (Grist Online)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wholesale Rate, Fee Increase Approved for Chelan PUD Fiber Resellers (Wenatchee World, WA)

Utah Builds Business with Broadband (Utah Pulse)

CenturyLink Brings IPTV to Colorado Springs - Very Targeted TV Deployments Continue (Broadband Reports)

Fat Databases, Small Pipes: The Problem of Data Inertia (GigaOM)

eBay to Build Huge Bloom Energy Fuel Cell Farm at Data Center (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Revenue Forecast for Washington State Little Changed (Associated Press)

New Study Dings Washington State for Not Prefunding Retiree Health Subsidies (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Small Arson Fires Set All Over Olympic HS in Bremerton (KING-TV, Seattle)

An Ocean of Concern over Japanese Tsunami Debris (Seattle Times)

Port of Shelton to Call for Bids to Log John’s Prairie (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Ten States That Will Boom: Washington State is Number Six (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Fire Danger Prompts Ban of Sky Lanterns (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Soggy Solstice: Stonehenge Gets Soaking (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Good Humor Ice Cream Shortage No Laughing Matter

Ban Lifted on 9-Year-Old Scottish Blogger Who Posted Photos of Nasty School Lunches

Woman Charged with Stealing Nearly $10K to Purchase ‘Goods’ for Facebook Game

Famed Sports Painter Leroy Neiman Dead at 91

SONG OF THE DAY

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition