Friday, July 20, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 20, 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

Federal Plan to Update Grids for Cleaner Energy May Mean Power Rates Double (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120719/NEWS01/207190301/Federal-plan-update-grids-cleaner-energy-may-mean-power-rates-double

Op/Ed - Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Think Feds Are Overstepping (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Chelan PUD Appeals Federal Court Ruling in Telecom Managers’ Lawsuit (Wenatchee World, WA)

What Is Killing Baby Birds on the Oregon Coast? (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Native Americans Seek Plan to Respond to Climate Changes They Say Affect Their Way of Life (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Federal Plan to Update Grids for Cleaner Energy May Mean Power Rates Double
  • Op/Ed - Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Think Feds Are Overstepping
  • Eugene Water & Electric Board: Power, Water Rate Increases Needed
  • Sinkhole Discovered in Centralia City Light’s Yelm Canal
  • Grant County PUD - Ninth Turbine Going in at Wanapum Dam
  • Mason County PUD 3 Reaches 33 Consecutive Years of State Audits with Clean Findings
  • Op/Ed - Thurston Voters Will Pick a Power Provider
  • Oregon - Coal Export Critics Pressure Gov. John Kitzhaber to Delay Permit Approvals
  • Feds: California Nuclear Plant Didn’t Mislead Regulators
  • How to Expand Nuclear Power without Attracting (Too Much) Attention
  • New York City - At Con Ed, the Managers Are Tasked With Repairs
  • In the Southeast, a Struggle for the Future of Utilities
  • Talking leadership with Jon Wellinghoff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
  • Texas - Power Struggle: Local Woman Uses Gun to Stop Worker from Installing Smart Meter
  • What Is Killing Baby Birds on the Oregon Coast?
  • Lake Washington Sockeye Counts Waning, But Still Well on Its Way to Being a Good Return
  • Solo Sockeye - Lonesome Larry Hits 20-Year Anniversary
  • Discovery of Deadly Salmon Virus in Freshwater Fish Puts Pressure on British Columbia to Conduct Wider Study
  • PacifiCorp Not Done Having Blast at Condit Dam Site
  • Study Suggests Multi-Pronged Solutions to Chehalis River Flooding
  • Tolerable Risk vs. Terrible Catastrophe: Dams & the Big One
  • Dabob Bay - Washington State Governor Praises Hood Canal Mitigation Program
  • New Director Aims to Shore Up Puget Sound Agency
  • America’s Big Drought: Time to Rethink Water Conservation
  • Report: SolarWorld CEO Forgoes Pay Until Profits Return
  • California - Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One Project Vandalized
  • Using Electricity Rate Data to Sell Solar
  • Texas - Expensive Wood Waste Power Plant to Push Up Austin Electric Bills
  • Congressmen Probe FAA’s Cape Wind Approval
  • Renewable Energy Corporation Reports Improved Margins, Heavy Loss in 2Q 2012
  • Power Play: Can Utilities Turn Energy Efficiency Into Fun & Games?
  • Report: Efficient Homes Are Key to Strong Housing Market
  • Climate Savers Merges With Green Grid
  • Native Americans Seek Plan to Respond to Climate Changes They Say Affect Their Way of Life
  • Dumping Iron in the Ocean Could Slow Global Warming, Say Scientists
  • Probe Into Leak of Climate Change Emails Is Closed
  • When Is Green Not Green Enough? Dispute Swirls Around Two Seattle Projects
  • Sustainability Brings BPA Highest Award in Federal Electronics Challenge
  • Chelan PUD Appeals Federal Court Ruling in Telecom Managers’ Lawsuit
  • FCC Says Broadband Providers Getting Close to Advertised Speeds
  • AT&T Wins Ruling on U-Verse Street Boxes in San Francisco
  • Facebook Comes to OSCON to Promote Open Data Center Design
  • This Data Center Is Protected by a Fortress of Defense
  • Mason County Ballots for Primary Election in Mail
  • Four Candidates in 35th District Call Education, Jobs Priorities
  • Olympia Spending $100K to Fix Downtown Parking Problems
  • Controversial Mayor of Pacific Arrested by Own Police Force
  • Stabbing & Robbery at Shelton Burger King
  • 12 Dead in ‘Dark Knight’ Colorado Theater Shooting
  • Thunderstorms, Severe Weather Possible in Puget Sound Area
  • Microsoft Posts First Quarterly Loss as It Writes Down ‘07 Acquisition
  • British Columbia Claims ‘Total Victory’ In Softwood Dispute with U-S
WORD OF THE DAY

Ponderous • \PAWN-duh-russ\ • Adjective - 1: of very great weight 2: unwieldy or clumsy because of weight & size 3: oppressively or unpleasantly dull: lifeless

“Weekend at Bernies”
Hauling a ponderous weight
Bad script, bad movie

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Federal Plan to Update Grids for Cleaner Energy May Mean Power Rates Double (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120719/NEWS01/207190301/Federal-plan-update-grids-cleaner-energy-may-mean-power-rates-double

Op/Ed - Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Think Feds Are Overstepping (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Eugene Water & Electric Board: Power, Water Rate Increases Needed (KVAL TV, Eugene, OR)
http://www.kval.com/news/consumertips/New-budget-woes--EWEB-rate-hikes--162965626.html

Sinkhole Discovered in Centralia City Light’s Yelm Canal (Nisqually Valley News, Yelm, WA)

Grant County PUD - Ninth Turbine Going in at Wanapum Dam (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

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

Op/Ed - Thurston Voters Will Pick a Power Provider (Olympian, WA)

Oregon - Coal Export Critics Pressure Gov. John Kitzhaber to Delay Permit Approvals (Oregonian, Portland)

Feds: California Nuclear Plant Didn’t Mislead Regulators (Christian Science Monitor)

How to Expand Nuclear Power without Attracting (Too Much) Attention (Washington Post)

New York City - At Con Ed, the Managers Are Tasked With Repairs (NY Times)

In the Southeast, a Struggle for the Future of Utilities (The Energy Collective)

Talking leadership with Jon Wellinghoff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Washington Post)

Texas - Power Struggle: Local Woman Uses Gun to Stop Worker from Installing Smart Meter (KHOU-TV, Houston, TX)

FISH & WILDLIFE

What Is Killing Baby Birds on the Oregon Coast? (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Lake Washington Sockeye Counts Waning, But Still Well on Its Way to Being a Good Return (Seattle Times)

Solo Sockeye - Lonesome Larry Hits 20-Year Anniversary (Northwest Public Radio)

Discovery of Deadly Salmon Virus in Freshwater Fish Puts Pressure on British Columbia to Conduct Wider Study (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

PacifiCorp Not Done Having Blast at Condit Dam Site - Utility requests OK to use dynamite to ease dam’s removal (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Study Suggests Multi-Pronged Solutions to Chehalis River Flooding (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Tolerable Risk vs. Terrible Catastrophe: Dams & the Big One (Oregon Public Broad casting)

Dabob Bay - Washington State Governor Praises Hood Canal Mitigation Program (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

New Director Aims to Shore Up Puget Sound Agency (Northwest Public Radio)

America’s Big Drought: Time to Rethink Water Conservation (Christian Science Monitor)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Report: SolarWorld CEO Forgoes Pay Until Profits Return (Portland Business Journal, OR)

California - Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One Project Vandalized (Solar Feeds)

Using Electricity Rate Data to Sell Solar (GigaOM)

Texas - Expensive Wood Waste Power Plant to Push Up Austin Electric Bills (Austin American-Statesman, TX)

Congressmen Probe FAA’s Cape Wind Approval (Boston Herald, MA)
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20220717congressmen_probe_faas_cape_wind_approval/

Renewable Energy Corporation Reports Improved Margins, Heavy Loss in 2Q 2012 (Solar Server)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Power Play: Can Utilities Turn Energy Efficiency Into Fun & Games? (Grist Online)

Report: Efficient Homes Are Key to Strong Housing Market (The Energy Collective)

Climate Savers Merges With Green Grid (Sustainable Business Oregon)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Native Americans Seek Plan to Respond to Climate Changes They Say Affect Their Way of Life (Associated Press)

Dumping Iron in the Ocean Could Slow Global Warming, Say Scientists (Christian Science Monitor)


BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

When Is Green Not Green Enough? Dispute Swirls Around Two Seattle Projects (Seattle Times)

Sustainability Brings BPA Highest Award in Federal Electronics Challenge (Bonneville Power Administration)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Chelan PUD Appeals Federal Court Ruling in Telecom Managers’ Lawsuit (Wenatchee World, WA)

FCC Says Broadband Providers Getting Close to Advertised Speeds (PC World)

AT&T Wins Ruling on U-Verse Street Boxes in San Francisco (San Francisco Business Times, CA)

Facebook Comes to OSCON to Promote Open Data Center Design (Oregonian, Portland)

This Data Center Is Protected by a Fortress of Defense (Gizmodo)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Ballots for Primary Election in Mail (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Four Candidates in 35th District Call Education, Jobs Priorities (Olympian, WA)

Olympia Spending $100K to Fix Downtown Parking Problems (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Controversial Mayor of Pacific Arrested by Own Police Force (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

Stabbing & Robbery at Shelton Burger King (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

12 Dead in ‘Dark Knight’ Colorado Theater Shooting (USA Today)

Thunderstorms, Severe Weather Possible in Puget Sound Area (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Microsoft Posts First Quarterly Loss as It Writes Down ‘07 Acquisition (Seattle Times)

British Columbia Claims ‘Total Victory’ In Softwood Dispute with U-S (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

DIVERSIONS

Georgia Woman Calls 911 to Complain About Mug Shot; Gets Arrested Again

‘Goat Man’ Spotted in Mountains of Northern Utah

Water-Only Café Opens to Flood of Criticism in New York City

More Than 1,000 Turtles Slowly Escape Captivity

SONG OF THE DAY

Foghat - Slow Ride