Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 3, 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

As Utility Crews Scramble, 1.4 Million Remain without Power after Storm (Christian Science Monitor)

Bonneville Power Administration, Central Washington Utilities to Build $14 Million Power Line (Associated Press)

Rate Hikes in Store for Seattle City Light Customers under Six-Year Plan (KING-TV, Seattle)

Global Warming No Longer Americans’ Top Environmental Concern, Poll Finds (Washington Post)

Clackamas River Water Ratepayers Suffer Consequence of Board Members’ Behavior (Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration, Central Washington Utilities to Build $14 Million Power Line
  • Rate Hikes in Store for Seattle City Light Customers under Six-Year Plan
  • Chelan PUD Approves 10-Year Plan for Power Supply - Also Votes to Withdraw from NoaNet
  • Avista Wants to Drop Natural Gas Rebates
  • California – Pacific Gas & Electric Seeks More Than $2 Billion Rate Increase
  • Pacific Gas & Electric’s California Rate Plan Would Cost 15.6% More Typically
  • Chief Engineers Reunite, Reminisce For Bonneville Power Administration’s 75th Anniversary
  • Potential Poltergeist - Natural Gas Supplies under Cemeteries Raises Money, Moral Questions
  • As Utility Crews Scramble, 1.4 Million Remain without Power after Storm
  • Why Is It Taking So Long to Get Power Back? Actually, It’s Not
  • How the ‘Derecho’ Storm Came to be Such A Surprise to the Mid-Atlantic
  • Editorial - Powerful Storm Exposes Lack of Disaster Preparedness
  • Editorial - Have You Given a Hug to Your Local Utility Worker Today?
  • Oregon Ban on Gillnetting Appears Headed to November Ballot
  • Conservationists Sue over White Salmon River-Area Proposal
  • Oregon Suspends Logging amid Marbled Murrelet Lawsuit
  • Clackamas River Water Ratepayers Suffer Consequence of Board Members’ Behavior
  • Regional Water Planning - Jefferson PUD Happy over Ruling by Appellate Court
  • City of Shelton to Dredge Downtown Creeks
  • Aberdeen Biomass Hums Along without Controversy
  • Second Air Monitoring Station for Port Angeles Unlikely, State Agency Says
  • Snohomish County PUD’s Planet Power Supports Six New Solar & School Projects
  • Rural Oregon Businesses Win Grants for Renewable Energy Projects
  • U-S Completes Environmental Review for Largest Wind Farm
  • Massachusetts, Rhode Island Wind Area Closer to Development
  • Why wind farms sometimes pay to get rid of power
  • California - Oroville Swapping Street Lights for Energy-Saving LEDs
  • Oregon - LaGrande School District Aims to Lower Its Energy Bills
  • IBM Energy Efficiency Program Saves $43 Million
  • An Illuminating Article – Finding Lighting Alternatives to Incandescent Bulbs
  • Global Warming No Longer Americans’ Top Environmental Concern, Poll Finds
  • This U-S Summer is ‘What Global Warming Looks Like’
  • Congressional Budget Office - Carbon Capture Efforts Aren’t Going So Well
  • Green Crusader Accused of Making Stuff Up
  • U-S Lawmakers Voice Concern over Cloud-Computing Outages from Eastern Storm
  • Wireless Carriers’ Disaster Plans Tested After Eastern U-S Storm
  • Internet Service Providers Recover from Weekend Storm
  • Is it Time for More Off-Grid Options for Data Centers?
  • Co-ops Offer Assistance on Broadband
  • United Kingdom - Broadband Deal Puts Country Areas in Line for Economic Boom
  • City of Shelton to Split Planning & Public Works
  • Washington State Targets Bugs to Avoid Colorado-Like Wildfire Disaster
  • Coal Train Derails in Columbia River Gorge
  • Hall Equities Submits Shelton Hills Application
  • Columbia River Bridge Planners Sued Over Height
  • Conservation Renews Portraits of Founding Fathers
WORD OF THE DAY

Volant • \VOE-lunt\ • Adjective - 1: having the wings extended as if in flight - used of a heraldic bird 2: flying or capable of flying 3: quick, nimble

Famous last words of the backwoods flight enthusiast, his arms out flung like a volent bird, feathers fluttering on his arms where he had pasted them in preparation of this early morning experiment, his knees trembling at the edge of a steep cliff: “Hey Buford, watch this!”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration, Central Washington Utilities to Build $14 Million Power Line (Associated Press)

Rate Hikes in Store for Seattle City Light Customers under Six-Year Plan (KING-TV, Seattle)

Chelan PUD Approves 10-Year Plan for Power Supply - Also Votes to Withdraw from NoaNet (North Central Washington TV)

Avista Wants to Drop Natural Gas Rebates (Associated Press)

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Seeks More Than $2 Billion Rate Increase (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Pacific Gas & Electric’s California Rate Plan Would Cost 15.6% More Typically (SF Chronicle, CA)

Chief Engineers Reunite, Reminisce For Bonneville Power Administration’s 75th Anniversary (Bonneville Power Administration)

Potential Poltergeist - Natural Gas Supplies under Cemeteries Raises Money, Moral Questions (Associated Press)

PHOENIX RISING – EASTERN U-S STORM AFTERMATH

As Utility Crews Scramble, 1.4 Million Remain without Power after Storm (Christian Science Monitor)

Why Is It Taking So Long to Get Power Back? Actually, It’s Not (Christian Science Monitor)

How the ‘Derecho’ Storm Came to be Such A Surprise to the Mid-Atlantic (Christian Science Monitor)

Editorial - Powerful Storm Exposes Lack of Disaster Preparedness (Washington Post)

Editorial - Have You Given a Hug to Your Local Utility Worker Today? (Staunton News Leader, VA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Ban on Gillnetting Appears Headed to November Ballot (Oregonian, Portland)

Conservationists Sue over White Salmon River-Area Proposal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Oregon Suspends Logging amid Marbled Murrelet Lawsuit (Oregonian, Portland)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clackamas River Water Ratepayers Suffer Consequence of Board Members’ Behavior (Oregonian, Portland)

Regional Water Planning - Jefferson PUD Happy over Ruling by Appellate Court (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

City of Shelton to Dredge Downtown Creeks (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Aberdeen Biomass Hums Along without Controversy - Sales of lumber is down; sale of electricity is up (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Second Air Monitoring Station for Port Angeles Unlikely, State Agency Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Snohomish County PUD’s Planet Power Supports Six New Solar & School Projects (Edmonds Beacon, WA)

Rural Oregon Businesses Win Grants for Renewable Energy Projects (Oregonian, Portland)

U-S Completes Environmental Review for Largest Wind Farm (Bloomberg News)

Massachusetts, Rhode Island Wind Area Closer to Development (Associated Press)

Why wind farms sometimes pay to get rid of power (Midwest Energy News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

California - Oroville Swapping Street Lights for Energy-Saving LEDs (Oroville Mercury Register, CA)

Oregon - LaGrande School District Aims to Lower Its Energy Bills (LaGrande Observer, OR)

IBM energy efficiency program saves $43 million (Electric Light & Power)

An Illuminating Article – Finding Lighting Alternatives to Incandescent Bulbs (Clean Tech Blog)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global Warming No Longer Americans’ Top Environmental Concern, Poll Finds (Washington Post)

This U-S Summer is ‘What Global Warming Looks Like’ (Associated Press)

Congressional Budget Office - Carbon Capture Efforts Aren’t Going So Well (Washington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Crusader Accused of Making Stuff Up (Courthouse News Service)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

U-S Lawmakers Voice Concern over Cloud-Computing Outages from Eastern Storm (Associated Press)

Wireless Carriers’ Disaster Plans Tested After Eastern U-S Storm (USA Today)

Internet Service Providers Recover from Weekend Storm - As Frontier Has Generators Stolen During Repair Efforts (Broadband Reports)

Is it Time for More Off-Grid Options for Data Centers? (GigaOM)

Co-ops Offer Assistance on Broadband (Electric Co-op Today)

United Kingdom - Broadband Deal Puts Country Areas in Line for Economic Boom (Yorkshire Post)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

City of Shelton to Split Planning & Public Works (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Targets Bugs to Avoid Colorado-Like Wildfire Disaster (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Coal Train Derails in Columbia River Gorge (Associated Press)

Hall Equities Submits Shelton Hills Application (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Columbia River Bridge Planners Sued Over Height (Associated Press)

Conservation Renews Portraits of Founding Fathers (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Reports: Actor, Director Andy Griffith Has Died

Woman Engaged to Neighborhood Storms Seattle City Council Meeting with Wedding Announcement

Olympia Brewery Cherubs, Planter Removed as a Precaution

Talking Urinal Cakes Target Drunk Drivers

SONG OF THE DAY

Sixty Years of Rock N’ Roll Summed Up in 100 Famous Guitar Riffs – This is AWSOME!