Friday, July 27, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 27, 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

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Governor Hails Expansion of (public) Broadband Internet Access in Rural Mid-Columbia (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Cancer Battle Forces Grant PUD Commissioner to Resign (Wenatchee World, WA)

Two Dead, Over 100,000 without Power after Fierce Northeast U-S Storms (Reuters)

First Idaho Sockeye of 2012 Arrives at Sawtooth Trap (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Southern Oregon Man Sentenced to Jail Time for Illegal Rainwater Reservoirs (Northwest Public Radio)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Cancer Battle Forces Grant PUD Commissioner to Resign
  • Two Dead, Over 100,000 without Power after Fierce Northeast U-S Storms
  • Locked-Out New York City Power Workers Charge Utility with Safety Risks
  • Power Outages Often Spur Questions around Burying Power Lines
  • Businesses Want More Coal in Washington, Neighbors Not So Sure
  • Natural Gas Utilities Expect Continued Low Prices
  • Former Franklin PUD Manager - Ryckman Named to Port of Pasco Commission
  • Op/Ed - Dam! What’s The Price of Alaska Hydro?
  • First Idaho Sockeye of 2012 Arrives at Sawtooth Trap
  • Northern Pikeminnow Columbia River Reward Program Catches Increase this Past Week
  • Bird Monitoring Drones on Oregon Coast Scuttled for Lack of Permit
  • New-Found Shellfish Toxin Raises Concerns
  • WDFW Seeks Input on Pocket Gophers
  • Southern Oregon Man Sentenced to Jail Time for Illegal Rainwater Reservoirs
  • Silt from Elwha River Dam Removal Doesn’t Hang Around, Say Scientists
  • Great Peninsula Conservancy Adds Two New Board Members, Including a Mason County Resident
  • Idaho - Energy Company Files $30 Million Tort Claim against Ada County
  • Utility-Backed Study: Michigan Energy Mandate Would Cost $10 Billion
  • Areva’s Renewables Cash Flow Positive as Nuclear Gets Greener
  • Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Exceeds Savings Targets for 2011
  • How Summer Thunderstorms Could be Punching New Holes in the Ozone Layer
  • Peninsula College Offers Courses on Hybrid-Electric Vehicles
  • How Secure Are Green Jobs?
  • Washington State Governor Hails Expansion of Broadband Internet Access in Rural Mid-Columbia
  • Washington State Governor Gregoire Celebrates State Broadband Expansion
  • Gov. Gregoire’s Statement on Completion of Broadband Expansion Projects
  • Canadian Telecom Company Plans Data Center in Bend
  • Data Center Blamed in Twitter Outage
  • Google Fiber: $70 a Month for Speeds 100 Times Faster than Broadband
  • Google Fiber: What Is It & Should You Get It?
  • Google Fiber’s Website - A Different Kind of Internet
  • Mason Area Fair & Rodeo Friday, Saturday & Sunday
  • Paddle to Squaxin this Weekend
  • Grapeview Water & Arts Festival this Weekend
  • Replacement Drivers Called In as King/Snohomish Counties’ Garbage Strike Reaches Third Day
  • Midwest Drought Diminishes Mighty Mississippi, Puts Heat on Congress
  • When Disaster Strikes, Twitter Might Save Us
WORD OF THE DAY

Esoteric • \ess-uh-TARE-ick\ • Adjective - 1a: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone b: requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group; broadly: difficult to understand 2a: limited to a small circle b: private, confidential 3: of special, rare, or unusual interest

Although not entirely unusual, the sopranino ukulele is among the esoteric members of the uke family. A smaller ukulele than normal; who would want one of those? (ME!)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Cancer Battle Forces Grant PUD Commissioner to Resign (Wenatchee World, WA)

Two Dead, Over 100,000 without Power after Fierce Northeast U-S Storms (Reuters)

Locked-Out New York City Power Workers Charge Utility with Safety Risks (Reuters)

Power Outages Often Spur Questions around Burying Power Lines (Energy Information Administration)

Businesses Want More Coal in Washington, Neighbors Not So Sure (KING-TV, Seattle)

Natural Gas Utilities Expect Continued Low Prices (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Former Franklin PUD Manager - Ryckman Named to Port of Pasco Commission (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Op/Ed - Dam! What’s The Price of Alaska Hydro? (Anchorage Press, AK)

FISH & WILDLIFE

First Idaho Sockeye of 2012 Arrives at Sawtooth Trap (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Northern Pikeminnow Columbia River Reward Program Catches Increase this Past Week (Seattle Times)

Bird Monitoring Drones on Oregon Coast Scuttled for Lack of Permit (Oregonian, Portland)

New-Found Shellfish Toxin Raises Concerns (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

WDFW Seeks Input on Pocket Gophers (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Southern Oregon Man Sentenced to Jail Time for Illegal Rainwater Reservoirs (Northwest Public Radio)

Silt from Elwha River Dam Removal Doesn’t Hang Around, Say Scientists (KING-TV, Seattle)

Great Peninsula Conservancy Adds Two New Board Members, Including a Mason County Resident (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho - Energy Company Files $30 Million Tort Claim against Ada County (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Utility-Backed Study: Michigan Energy Mandate Would Cost $10 Billion (The Detroit News, MI)

Areva’s Renewables Cash Flow Positive as Nuclear Gets Greener (Platts)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Exceeds Savings Targets for 2011 - Annual report highlights regional efforts to fill energy efficiency pipeline (MarketWatch)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

How Summer Thunderstorms Could be Punching New Holes in the Ozone Layer (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Peninsula College Offers Courses on Hybrid-Electric Vehicles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

How Secure Are Green Jobs? (The Energy Collective)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Governor Hails Expansion of Broadband Internet Access in Rural Mid-Columbia (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Washington State Governor Gregoire Celebrates State Broadband Expansion (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Gov. Gregoire’s statement on completion of broadband expansion projects (Washington State Governor’s Office)

Canadian Telecom Company Plans Data Center in Bend (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Data Center Blamed in Twitter Outage (Reuters)

Google Fiber: $70 a Month for Speeds 100 Times Faster than Broadband (Christian Science Monitor)

Google Fiber: What Is It & Should You Get It? (Christian Science Monitor)

Google Fiber’s Website - A Different Kind of Internet (Google)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason Area Fair & Rodeo Friday, Saturday & Sunday (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Paddle to Squaxin this Weekend (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Grapeview Water & Arts Festival this Weekend (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Replacement Drivers Called In as King/Snohomish Counties’ Garbage Strike Reaches Third Day (KING-TV, Seattle)

Midwest Drought Diminishes Mighty Mississippi, Puts Heat on Congress (Reuters)

When Disaster Strikes, Twitter Might Save Us (Grist Online)

DIVERSIONS

New Jersey Troopers Face Charges in 100-Mph Caravan Escort

Exploding Termites: Aging Termites Become Suicide Bombers

Woman Accidentally Bakes Family’s Entire Life Savings after Husband Hides it in the Oven

Happy (hic) National Scotch Day

SONG OF THE DAY

Paul Simon - Take Me to the Mardi Gras