Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 25, 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

TransAlta, Puget Sound Energy Sign Power Purchase Agreement (Electric Light & Power)

Richland Electric Rate Payers to Face Steep Bill Increase (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD OK’s $1 Million Warrant for City of Montesano (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Report: Oregon Should Get Ten Percent of Its Power from Solar (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Evergreen State in a Less than Green Mood this Election Cycle (E&E Publishing)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • TransAlta, Puget Sound Energy Sign Power Purchase Agreement
  • Richland Electric Rate Payers to Face Steep Bill Increase
  • Grays Harbor PUD OK’s $1 Million Warrant for City of Montesano
  • Douglas County PUD Confirms Outstanding Credit Rating
  • No Contest for Five Central Washington PUD Seats
  • Bonneville Power Administration Lends a Hand to Storm-Ravaged Midwest
  • Bellingham May Hold Advisory Vote on Coal Trains
  • Pepco Says Improvements May Not Be Sustainable After Maryland Rate Hike Decision
  • Utilities, Customers at Odds over Downed Trees
  • Tennessee Valley Authority Considering Fuel Made from Nuclear Weapons to Power Local Plants
  • Summer Heat Pushes Natural Gas Prices to Year’s High
  • Op/Ed - Will Drought Cause the Next Blackout?
  • Editorial - Preserving Fish Populations No Cheap Venture
  • Mason County Hosting Monday Ribbon-Cutting for Belfair Wastewater Facility
  • Report: Oregon Should Get Ten Percent of Its Power from Solar
  • SolarWorld Files Anti-Dumping Complaint in European Union
  • U-S Creates 17 Zones for ‘Faster’ Solar-Farm Development
  • Biomass Plant the Reason - Sequim City Council to Again Ask Agency for Air Monitor
  • Agencies Buying Energy Credits to Meet Renewable Energy Mandates
  • After Much Trial & Error, We’re Finally Generating Power from the Ocean
  • Local Utility Companies Test Energy Storage Device
  • Audit Finds Fraud in Florida Energy Grant Program
  • Six Ways to Save on Home Energy in the Heat of Summer
  • Sudden Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Baffles Scientists
  • Solar-Powered Plane Comes Home after 4,000-Mile Odyssey
  • Google Fills Kansas City with Fiber, Congratulates Itself
  • Social Media Is Now a $16.9 Billion Business
  • AT&T, Verizon Decline Connect America Subsidies
  • Evergreen State in a Less than Green Mood this Election Cycle
  • Jobless Rates Lower in South Puget Sound in June
  • Washington State Transportation Chief - Deteriorating Roads Could Lead to More Freak Accidents
  • Shelton Teacher Wins National Award
  • Mason County Forest Festival Royalty Wins at Lakefair
  • Eastern Washington Tree to Adorn Capitol Lawn for Christmas 2013
  • Sign Wavers Shake Up Business
WORD OF THE DAY

Anthophilous • \ann-THAW-full-luss\ • Adjective - Feeding upon or living among flowers

Browsing deer descend
Anthophilious creatures
Gardeners shed tears

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

TransAlta, Puget Sound Energy Sign Power Purchase Agreement (Electric Light & Power)

Richland Electric Rate Payers to Face Steep Bill Increase (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD OK’s $1 Million Warrant for City of Montesano (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Douglas County PUD Confirms Outstanding Credit Rating (North Central Washington TV)
http://www.ncwtv.com/douglas-county-pud-confirms-outstanding-credit-rating-3733/

No Contest for Five Central Washington PUD Seats (Wenatchee World, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration Lends a Hand to Storm-Ravaged Midwest (Bonneville Power Administration)

Bellingham May Hold Advisory Vote on Coal Trains (Associated Press)

Pepco Says Improvements May Not Be Sustainable After Maryland Rate Hike Decision (Washington Post)

Utilities, Customers at Odds over Downed Trees (National Public Radio)

Tennessee Valley Authority Considering Fuel Made from Nuclear Weapons to Power Local Plants (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)

Summer Heat Pushes Natural Gas Prices to Year’s High (Houston Business Journal, TX)

Op/Ed - Will Drought Cause the Next Blackout? (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Editorial - Preserving Fish Populations No Cheap Venture (Longview Daily News, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County Hosting Monday Ribbon-Cutting for Belfair Wastewater Facility (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Report: Oregon Should Get Ten Percent of Its Power from Solar (Sustainable Business Oregon)

SolarWorld Files Anti-Dumping Complaint in European Union (Reuters)

U-S Creates 17 Zones for ‘Faster’ Solar-Farm Development (Bloomberg News)

Biomass Plant the Reason - Sequim City Council to Again Ask Agency for Air Monitor (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Agencies Buying Energy Credits to Meet Renewable Energy Mandates (Federal Times)

After Much Trial & Error, We’re Finally Generating Power from the Ocean (Grist Online)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Local Utility Companies Test Energy Storage Device (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Audit Finds Fraud in Florida Energy Grant Program (Associated Press)

Six Ways to Save on Home Energy in the Heat of Summer (U-S News & World Report)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Sudden Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Baffles Scientists (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Solar-Powered Plane Comes Home after 4,000-Mile Odyssey (MSNBC)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Fills Kansas City with Fiber, Congratulates Itself (All Things D)

Social Media Is Now a $16.9 Billion Business (Mashable)

AT&T, Verizon Decline Connect America Subsidies - As Their Interest in DSL & Rural Markets Disappears Entirely (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Evergreen State in a Less than Green Mood this Election Cycle (E&E Publishing)

GENERAL NEWS

Jobless Rates Lower in South Puget Sound in June (South Sound Business Examiner)

Washington State Transportation Chief - Deteriorating Roads Could Lead to More Freak Accidents (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Shelton Teacher Wins National Award (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Forest Festival Royalty Wins at Lakefair (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Eastern Washington Tree to Adorn Capitol Lawn for Christmas 2013 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)


DIVERSIONS

Women Forget the “Take the Baby with You” Part of Their Wal-Mart Shoplifting Plan

Concrete Watches Might Even Outlive Your Timex

Almost Everyone Doesn’t Trust the Internet

Plane Towing Marriage Proposal Crashes in Rhode Island, Pilot Ok

SONG OF THE DAY

Laura Nyro - Wedding Bell Blues

The 5th Dimension - Wedding Bell Blues