Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 18, 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

Manipulation of California Energy Market Gives Consumers a Jolt (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Electric Co-ops Rally against Obama DOE Plan for Power Marketing Administrations (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Salmon Spotted Upstream of Breached Condit Dam Site on White Salmon River (Associated Press)

The $55 Million Question: Will Port Townsend Paper's Cogeneration Turn a Profit? (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Washington State Hospitals Well Represented in 2012 “Most Wired” Hospital Report (Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Manipulation of California Energy Market Gives Consumers a Jolt
  • Electric Co-ops Rally against Obama DOE Plan for Power Marketing Administrations
  • Mason County PUD 3 Reaches 33 Consecutive Years of State Audits with No Findings
  • Editorial – Thurston County Voters Need Accurate, Complete Information on Public Power
  • Eugene Water & Electric Board Survey: Customers Want Reliable Service
  • Customers Rank Seattle City Light Among the Best U-S Utilities
  • Oregon Tech Renewable Energy Engineering Students Bring Electricity to Tanzanian Villages
  • July 24 – Planned Power Outage for Strong Road Area
  • Clark Public Utilities Board Race Draws Crowded Field
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Ads - Utility 'Lost Its Way'
  • CEO Switch: Duke Energy Seeks Delay in Testimony
  • U-S Senators Spar with Power Industry: Is It Safe From Cyberattack?
  • Few Options for Replacing Copper
  • Op/Ed - Tree Down: The Ethics of Being a Neighbor
  • Salmon Spotted Upstream of Breached Condit Dam Site on White Salmon River
  • Get Eye to Eye with Thousands of Salmon a Day at Rocky Reach Dam
  • Alaskan Salmon Evolve Along With the Climate
  • Pacific Northwest Lawmakers Say Tsunami Debris Grants Not Enough
  • Poll Finds Water Quality Pacific Northwest Residents Top Concern
  • Illegal Aquatic Weed Treatment Fuels Controversy at Haven Lake in North Mason
  • 19th District Legislators Support Potential Dam on Chehalis River
  • Washougal Company Lands Toutle River Spillway Contract
  • Vancouver Island Sewage Project Overruns, If Any, Will Fall to Local Taxpayers
  • The $55 Million Question: Will Port Townsend Paper's Cogeneration Turn a Profit?
  • Science Group Grades Sacramento-Area Utilities on Clean Energy
  • The Potential of Plug-N-Play Solar
  • Renewable Energy Corporation Receives Global Customer Value Enhancement Award from Frost & Sullivan for Solar Industry
  • Utilities Embracing Smart Thermostats to Help Manage Grids
  • South Carolina Rural Energy Efficiency Effort Goes National
  • The Air Conditioner: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of 110 Years Beating the Heat
  • U-S Leads the World in Cutting CO2 Emissions - So Why Aren’t We Talking About It?
  • Editorial - Not So Fast on Blaming Global Warming
  • Poor Corn Crop Will Have Major Impact on Ethanol Market
  • Washington State Hospitals Well Represented in 2012 “Most Wired” Hospital Report
  • Google Fiber to Launch Next Week
  • Is Broadband Must-Have Resource for Economic Recovery?
  • Meet the Company Building AOL’s Micro Data Centers
  • Five Fun Data Center Facts from the Uptime Institute
  • Washington State to Unveil Voter Registration on Facebook
  • Connie Schultz Hopes for ‘Teaching Moment’ on Conservative Blogger’s Failed Gotcha
  • Former Mason County Fish Hatchery Manager Sentenced for Voyeurism
  • Highway 3 Slide Repairs near Shelton Begin Monday
  • Shell: An Embarrassing Start to Arctic Drilling
  • Potlatch State Park Plays Host to ShellFest 2012
  • NASA's Mars Rover May Be in for Blind Landing
  • Lawn Chair Balloonists Recount Harrowing Flight over Oregon
WORD OF THE DAY

Calliope • \kuh-LIE-uh-pee\ • Noun - 1: the Greek Muse of heroic poetry 2: a keyboard musical instrument resembling an organ and consisting of a series of whistles sounded by steam or compressed air.

Calliope was in a funk. Resting her chin atop her shapely hands, she looked down from the heavens upon a scene of utter chaos: a musician madly hammering away at the keys of a steam-powered organ making the most unlikely sounds. “Great,” she opined. “If they were going to name an instrument after me, couldn’t they have made is something really cool, like a ukulele?”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Manipulation of California Energy Market Gives Consumers a Jolt (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Electric Co-ops Rally against Obama DOE Plan for Power Marketing Administrations (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Mason County PUD 3 Reaches 33 Consecutive Years of State Audits with No Findings (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Editorial – Thurston County Voters Need Accurate, Complete Information on Public Power (Olympian, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board Survey: Customers Want Reliable Service - Results indicate ratepayers favor a balanced approach to solving a budget crunch (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Customers Rank Seattle City Light Among the Best U-S Utilities (Electric Energy Online)

Oregon Tech Renewable Energy Engineering Students Bring Electricity to Tanzanian Villages (Oregon Tech)

July 24 – Planned Power Outage for Strong Road Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Clark Public Utilities Board Race Draws Crowded Field (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Ads - Utility 'Lost Its Way' (SF Chronicle, CA)

CEO Switch: Duke Energy Seeks Delay in Testimony (Associated Press)

U-S Senators Spar with Power Industry: Is It Safe From Cyberattack? (Christian Science Monitor)

Few Options for Replacing Copper (Electric Co-op Today)

Op/Ed - Tree Down: The Ethics of Being a Neighbor (Washington Post)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Spotted Upstream of Breached Condit Dam Site on White Salmon River (Associated Press)

Get Eye to Eye with Thousands of Salmon a Day at Rocky Reach Dam (North Central Washington TV)

Alaskan Salmon Evolve Along With the Climate (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Pacific Northwest Lawmakers Say Tsunami Debris Grants Not Enough (Northwest Public Radio)

Poll Finds Water Quality Pacific Northwest Residents Top Concern (Northwest Public Radio)

Illegal Aquatic Weed Treatment Fuels Controversy at Haven Lake in North Mason (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

19th District Legislators Support Potential Dam on Chehalis River (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Washougal Company Lands Toutle River Spillway Contract (Longview Daily News, WA)

Vancouver Island Sewage Project Overruns, If Any, Will Fall to Local Taxpayers (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The $55 Million Question: Will Port Townsend Paper's Cogeneration Turn a Profit? (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

Science Group Grades Sacramento-Area Utilities on Clean Energy (Sacramento Bee, CA)

The Potential of Plug-N-Play Solar (GigaOM)

Renewable Energy Corporation Receives Global Customer Value Enhancement Award from Frost & Sullivan for Solar Industry (MarketWatch)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Utilities Embracing Smart Thermostats to Help Manage Grids (GigaOM)

South Carolina Rural Energy Efficiency Effort Goes National (Associated Press)

The Air Conditioner: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of 110 Years Beating the Heat (Washington Post)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Leads the World in Cutting CO2 Emissions - So Why Aren’t We Talking About It? (Grist Online)

Editorial - Not So Fast on Blaming Global Warming (Washington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Poor Corn Crop Will Have Major Impact on Ethanol Market (The Energy Collective)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Hospitals Well Represented in 2012 “Most Wired” Hospital Report (Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine)

Google Fiber to Launch Next Week (GigaOM)

Is Broadband Must-Have Resource for Economic Recovery? (CNBC)

Meet the Company Building AOL’s Micro Data Centers (GigaOM)

Five Fun Data Center Facts from the Uptime Institute (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State to Unveil Voter Registration on Facebook (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Connie Schultz Hopes for ‘Teaching Moment’ on Conservative Blogger’s Failed Gotcha (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Former Mason County Fish Hatchery Manager Sentenced for Voyeurism (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Highway 3 Slide Repairs near Shelton Begin Monday (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

Shell: An Embarrassing Start to Arctic Drilling (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Potlatch State Park Plays Host to ShellFest 2012 (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

NASA's Mars Rover May Be in for Blind Landing (Reuters)

Lawn Chair Balloonists Recount Harrowing Flight over Oregon (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Mayor of Alaska Village Walks on Four Paws

Darth Vader Interviews 12-Year-Old Anakin (Note: There may be some PG-13 content in this video)

NYC Bus Driver Catches Girl Who Fell from Third-Story Window

Graphic Novel Stars Nicola Tesla, Inventor of AC Power & An Oddball Physicist

SONG OF THE DAY

Delta Queen Calliope Music Playoff