Monday, July 23, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 23, 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

Alaskans Wonder Where the King Salmon Have Gone (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Geothermal Energy Project a Bust after Drilling Hits Bedrock (Everett Herald, WA)

Union Resident Drowns Friday in Hood Canal (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Op/Ed - Mason County PUD 1 & PUD 3 Oppose Washington, DC Tinkering with Pacific Northwest Energy System (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Union Resident Drowns Friday in Hood Canal (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Op/Ed - Mason County PUD 1 & PUD 3 Oppose Washington, DC Tinkering with Pacific Northwest Energy System
  • Editorial - Montanans Can't Be Guinea Pigs for Energy Plans
  • The Future of the Grid: Why Modernizing our Nation's Aging Grid is Critical
  • Editorial - Hydropower: Tapping Our Local Energy
  • Maryland - PSC Rejects Most of Pepco Rate Increase Request - Cites the company's history of substandard performance
  • Hot Weather=Hot Profits - American Electric Power Profit Rises for Second Quarter
  • Texas Struggles to Keep Up with Power Demand
  • Electric Bill Prepay Eases Summer Bill Shock
  • We're Headed to $8 Natural Gas
  • U-S Utilities May Return to Coal as Natural Gas Prices Rise
  • Pedernales Co-op Loses Bid to Collect $250,000 from Insurer over Thefts by Former General Manager
  • NRG Energy to Buy GenOn in $1.7 Billion Stock Deal
  • Improper Installation? - Judge Nixes Lawsuit over Soldier's Electrocution in Iraq
  • Alaskans Wonder Where the King Salmon Have Gone
  • 2011 Avian Predation Report: Cormorants Consume 20 Million Salmonids, Terns Take 4.8 Million
  • Skeptical Idaho Ranchers Mark Salmon Project's 20th Year
  • Idaho, Tribe Break Ground on New Sockeye Hatchery
  • Klamath River - Tea Party Blocks Pact to Restore a West Coast River
  • Twelve-Foot Sturgeon Caught near Chilliwack Weighed 1,100 Pounds
  • Solution for Plight of Columbia River Basin Irrigators May be Near
  • Snohomish PUD Geothermal Energy Project a Bust after Drilling Hits Bedrock
  • Washington State Board Forgives Portion of Alternative Energy Loan to Grays Harbor PUD
  • Maine Company Leading Way as Tidal Energy Comes of Age
  • Five Smart Energy Projects with Big Potential
  • Bremerton’s Distributed Energy Management: Cleantech Open 2012 Semifinalist
  • Washington State, Environmentalists Clash over Cutting Refineries' Greenhouse Gases
  • Op/Ed - Why We Need a National Carbon Fee & Dividend
  • Widespread Drought Is Likely to Worsen
  • The Greenest Commercial Building on Earth Rises in Seattle
  • 'Green' Home Brings in Nine Percent More Green, California Study Finds
  • Report Highlights Clean Energy Might of Small Cities
  • California is Nation's Key Player in Electric Vehicle Sales & Development
  • Faraday Cage? Wi-Fi Lawsuit against Portland Public Schools Dismissed by Federal Judge
  • Complacent Telcos Deliver Americans Third Rate Broadband Service at High Prices
  • Low Income Residents Want to Share Google Fiber - But Google Turns Down Proposal
  • Crowded Field Seeks to Oust Washington State’s Lt. Gov. Owen
  • Washington State’s Sixth District House Seat: Candidates Reveal Strategies for Finding Consensus
  • Embattled Pacific Mayor: 'It's Mutiny. It's Mutiny.'
  • Hidden California State Parks Funds Spark Outrage
  • Union Resident Drowns Friday in Hood Canal
  • NCAA Fines Penn State $60 Million, Strips Victories
  • Chief Joseph War Shirt Auctions for $877,500
  • Fight over Grays Harbor County Superior Court Security Has Cost $277,000
  • We’re All Clowns Today - Obituary: "J.P. Patches," Seattle's Beloved TV Clown
WORD OF THE DAY

Welkin • \WELL-kin\ • Noun - 1a: the vault of the sky: firmament b: heaven 2: the upper atmosphere

“Your praises will reach the welkin for sure, my lord,” whined the simpering jester to his imposing, whiskered king. “Foregoing hosiery in the hot weather will surely catch on with the gentry.” “Forsooth, get ready for a hairy summer,” the jester murmured to himself.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Op/Ed - Mason County PUD 1 & PUD 3 Oppose Washington, DC Tinkering with Pacific Northwest Energy System (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Editorial - Montanans Can't Be Guinea Pigs for Energy Plans (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

The Future of the Grid: Why Modernizing our Nation's Aging Grid is Critical (Natural Resources Defense Council)

Editorial - Hydropower: Tapping Our Local Energy (Baker City Herald, OR)

Maryland - PSC Rejects Most of Pepco Rate Increase Request - Cites the company's history of substandard performance (WTOP Radio, Washington, DC)
http://www.wtop.com/46/2952841/PSC-rejects-most-of-Pepco-rate-increase

Hot Weather=Hot Profits - American Electric Power Profit Rises for Second Quarter (Bloomberg News)

Texas Struggles to Keep Up with Power Demand (KEYE-TV, Austin, TX)

Electric Bill Prepay Eases Summer Bill Shock (Electric Co-op Today)

We're Headed to $8 Natural Gas (Forbes Magazine)

U-S Utilities May Return to Coal as Natural Gas Prices Rise (CNBC)

Pedernales Co-op Loses Bid to Collect $250,000 from Insurer over Thefts by Former General Manager (Austin American-Statesman, TX)

NRG Energy to Buy GenOn in $1.7 Billion Stock Deal (Associated Press)

Improper Installation? - Judge Nixes Lawsuit over Soldier's Electrocution in Iraq (Courthouse News Service)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Alaskans Wonder Where the King Salmon Have Gone (Associated Press)

2011 Avian Predation Report: Cormorants Consume 20 Million Salmonids, Terns Take 4.8 Million (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Skeptical Idaho Ranchers Mark Salmon Project's 20th Year (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Idaho, Tribe Break Ground on New Sockeye Hatchery (Associated Press)

Klamath River - Tea Party Blocks Pact to Restore a West Coast River (NY Times)

Twelve-Foot Sturgeon Caught near Chilliwack Weighed 1,100 Pounds (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Solution for Plight of Columbia River Basin Irrigators May be Near (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Snohomish PUD Geothermal Energy Project a Bust after Drilling Hits Bedrock (Everett Herald, WA)

Washington State Board Forgives Portion of Alternative Energy Loan to Grays Harbor PUD (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Maine Company Leading Way as Tidal Energy Comes of Age (Portland Press-Herald, ME)

Five Smart Energy Projects with Big Potential (GigaOM)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bremerton’s Distributed Energy Management: Cleantech Open 2012 Semifinalist (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State, Environmentalists Clash over Cutting Refineries' Greenhouse Gases (Seattle Times)

Op/Ed - Why We Need a National Carbon Fee & Dividend (Seattle Times)

Widespread Drought Is Likely to Worsen (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

The Greenest Commercial Building on Earth Rises in Seattle (Crosscut Seattle)

'Green' Home Brings in Nine Percent More Green, California Study Finds (Seattle Times)

Report Highlights Clean Energy Might of Small Cities (Sustainable Business Oregon)

California is Nation's Key Player in Electric Vehicle Sales & Development (Sacramento Bee, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Faraday Cage? Wi-Fi Lawsuit against Portland Public Schools Dismissed by Federal Judge (Oregonian, Portland)

Complacent Telcos Deliver Americans Third Rate Broadband Service at High Prices (Forbes Magazine)

Low Income Residents Want to Share Google Fiber - But Google Turns Down Proposal (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Crowded Field Seeks to Oust Washington State’s Lt. Gov. Owen (Associated Press)

Washington State’s Sixth District House Seat: Candidates Reveal Strategies for Finding Consensus (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Embattled Pacific Mayor: 'It's Mutiny. It's Mutiny.' (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Hidden California State Parks Funds Spark Outrage (Sacramento Bee, CA)

GENERAL NEWS

Union Resident Drowns Friday in Hood Canal (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NCAA Fines Penn State $60 Million, Strips Victories (Associated Press)

Chief Joseph War Shirt Auctions for $877,500 (Associated Press)

Fight over Grays Harbor County Superior Court Security Has Cost $277,000 (Associated Press)

We’re All Clowns Today - Obituary: "J.P. Patches," Seattle's Beloved TV Clown (Seattle Times)

DIVERSIONS

Space Smells Like Seared Steak, Hot Metal, Astronauts Report

Tony Robbins Event Leaves 21 Burned after They Walk on Hot Coals

New Corporate Bonding Tactic: Juice Cleanse - Because nothing says 'team spirit' like subsisting on 1,200 calories!

Mom Hacks into School Computer System, Changes Her Kids’ Grades

SONG OF THE DAY

Brook Adams – Walkin’ on Water