Thursday, August 2, 2012

Energy News Digest for August 2, 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

PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 6,400 Customers – Curious (and now deceased) Raccoon the Cause of Outage (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Chinook Salmon Season to Open on Wenatchee River, Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee (Wenatchee World, WA)

Quinault Indian Nation Gets Grant for Biomass Energy Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

U-S Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Early 2012 Lowest Since 1992 (Energy Information Administration)

Washington State Tries to Lease Out Over-Size Data Center (Olympian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 6,400 Customers – Curious (and now deceased) Raccoon the Cause of Outage
  • U-S Congressman Doc Hastings Introduces Bill to Protect & Promote Clean, Renewable Hydropower
  • Judge Denies Grant PUD Effort to Force Out-of-Court Settlement with Crescent Bar Islanders
  • Itron 2nd-Quarter Profit Beats on Strong Margins, Shares Up
  • Bearing Down - Court of Contempt: FERC & the Demise of Judicial Decorum
  • Worst India Electrical Outage Highlights 60 Years of Missed Targets
  • Upgrading the Grid by Going Underground
  • Regulators Hire Ex-Prosecutor to Probe Duke Energy Deal
  • Texas Spot Power Prices Surge Nearly $200 on Intense Heat, Soaring Demand
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • Chinook Salmon Season to Open on Wenatchee River, Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee
  • Yakama Nation Study Fishing for Answers about Steelhead Population
  • Op/Ed - Oregon Gill-Netting Ban Would Hurt Commercial Fishing, Won’t Save Fish
  • Radical Environmentalists Push to Destroy Dams to Reopen Salmon Spawning Habitat
  • Potentially Lethal Toxins Found in Local Shellfish
  • Kitsap County Planners Face Geoduck Controversy
  • Lost Northern Fur Seal Shows Up on Hawaii Beach
  • Washington State Announces New Rain Runoff Requirements
  • Oregon - Bill Could Seal Crooked River Water Deal: would primarily free up water for data center development
  • EPA, Landowners in Dispute over Portland Harbor Clean-Up
  • Willamette Falls Goes Dry for Annual Maintenance
  • Quinault Indian Nation Gets Grant for Biomass Energy Project
  • Group Releases Draft of Biomass Strategy for Oregon
  • Presidential Politics Puts Wind Energy Credit on the Block
  • Colorado Democrat Makes Case for Idaho Wind Industry
  • The Green Future Arrives In California As Utilities Hit 20% Renewable Energy Target
  • Need For Speed: California’s Clean Power Build Out
  • Stiff Breeze Batters German Wind Energy Sector
  • Idaho - Conservation in Court: McKinstry & Blaine County School District Split in First Court Battle
  • U-S Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Early 2012 Lowest Since 1992
  • Drought Dilemma - Half of U-S Counties Now Considered Disaster Areas
  • Business & Government Start Preparing for Climate Impacts
  • New Mexico - Taos Community Solar Garden Lets Customers Buy Panels
  • Here’s your Indulgence - BMW to Offer Renewable Energy Certificates
  • Washington State Tries to Lease Out Over-Size Data Center
  • Facebook Discloses Power Use in Prineville & Across the Company, Wins Praise from Greenpeace
  • Facebook Says 23 Percent of Data-Center Power is Green
  • Google to Expand Its Finnish Data Center
  • Bring On the Broadband with Private/Public Partnerships
  • New Broadband Customers Help Comcast Earnings
  • Cybersecurity Bill Fails in the U-S Senate
  • Yahoo Sued After Disclosure of User Names, Stolen Passwords
  • State Legislatures Anticipate High Turnover of Staffs
  • Shelton Teen in Amber Alert Found Safe, Admits She Wasn’t Abducted
  • Four Injured in Car vs. Motorcycle Crash North of Shelton
  • New Quake Threat Off the Pacific Northwest Coast
  • Hot, Sunny Weekend Forecast for Washington State
  • Mason General Hospital - New Surgery Wing Opens for Patients
  • Striking Drivers Back on the Job - Garbage Collection Resumes Ahead of Waste Management Vote
  • The Evergreen State College in Olympia Named a ‘Best Buy’
WORD OF THE DAY

Tonsorial • \tawn-SORE-ee-ul\ • Adjective - Of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber

Tad considered himself a jack of all trades at his local electrical utility. There was not an endeavor he was unwilling to try…and in some cases fail miserably. His most disastrous effort included dull office scissors and an unfortunate tonsorial exercise involving his manager’s usually finely styled hair. Fortunately, the group “Locks of Love” was the unsuspecting beneficiary of the aftermath.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 6,400 Customers – Curious (and now deceased) Raccoon the Cause of Outage (Mason County PUD No. 3)

U-S Congressman Doc Hastings Introduces Bill to Protect & Promote Clean, Renewable Hydropower (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

Judge Denies Grant PUD Effort to Force Out-of-Court Settlement with Crescent Bar Islanders (Wenatchee World, WA)

Itron 2nd-Quarter Profit Beats on Strong Margins, Shares Up (Reuters)

Bearing Down - Court of Contempt: FERC & the Demise of Judicial Decorum (Courtesy of “Clearing Up,” Ben Tansey)

Worst India Electrical Outage Highlights 60 Years of Missed Targets (Bloomberg News)

Upgrading the Grid by Going Underground (Forbes Magazine)

Regulators Hire Ex-Prosecutor to Probe Duke Energy Deal (Associated Press)

Texas Spot Power Prices Surge Nearly $200 on Intense Heat, Soaring Demand (SNL Financial)

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Chinook Salmon Season to Open on Wenatchee River, Sockeye on Lake Wenatchee (Wenatchee World, WA)

Yakama Nation Study Fishing for Answers about Steelhead Population (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Op/Ed - Oregon Gill-Netting Ban Would Hurt Commercial Fishing, Won’t Save Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

Radical Environmentalists Push to Destroy Dams to Reopen Salmon Spawning Habitat (Human Events)

Potentially Lethal Toxins Found in Local Shellfish (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Kitsap County Planners Face Geoduck Controversy (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Lost Northern Fur Seal Shows Up on Hawaii Beach (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Announces New Rain Runoff Requirements (Associated Press)

Oregon - Bill Could Seal Crooked River Water Deal: would primarily free up water for data center development (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

EPA, Landowners in Dispute over Portland Harbor Clean-Up (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Willamette Falls Goes Dry for Annual Maintenance (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Quinault Indian Nation Gets Grant for Biomass Energy Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Group Releases Draft of Biomass Strategy for Oregon (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Presidential Politics Puts Wind Energy Credit on the Block (NY Times)

Colorado Democrat Makes Case for Idaho Wind Industry (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

The Green Future Arrives In California As Utilities Hit 20% Renewable Energy Target (Forbes Magazine)

Need For Speed: California’s Clean Power Build Out (GigaOM)

Stiff Breeze Batters German Wind Energy Sector (Deutsch Welle)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Idaho - Conservation in Court: McKinstry & Blaine County School District Split in First Court Battle (Idaho Mountain Express & Guide, Sun Valley, ID)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U-S Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Early 2012 Lowest Since 1992 (Energy Information Administration)

Drought Dilemma - Half of U-S Counties Now Considered Disaster Areas (Associated Press)

Business & Government Start Preparing for Climate Impacts (The Energy Collective)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

New Mexico - Taos Community Solar Garden Lets Customers Buy Panels (Santa Fe New Mexican)

Here’s your Indulgence - BMW to Offer Renewable Energy Certificates (The Green Car, UK – Go forth & pollute no more…)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Tries to Lease Out Over-Size Data Center (Olympian, WA)

Facebook Discloses Power Use in Prineville & Across the Company, Wins Praise from Greenpeace (Oregonian, Portland)

Facebook Says 23 Percent of Data-Center Power is Green (Bloomberg News)

Google to Expand Its Finnish Data Center (Associated Press)

Bring On the Broadband with Private/Public Partnerships (Forbes Magazine)

New Broadband Customers Help Comcast Earnings (NY Times)

Cybersecurity Bill Fails in the U-S Senate (Washington Post)

Yahoo Sued After Disclosure of User Names, Stolen Passwords (Bloomberg News)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

State Legislatures Anticipate High Turnover of Staffs (USA Today)

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Teen in Amber Alert Found Safe, Admits She Wasn’t Abducted (KING-TV, Seattle)

Four Injured in Car vs. Motorcycle Crash North of Shelton (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

New Quake Threat Off the Pacific Northwest Coast (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Hot, Sunny Weekend Forecast for Washington State (Associated Press)

Mason General Hospital - New Surgery Wing Opens for Patients (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Striking Drivers Back on the Job - Garbage Collection Resumes Ahead of Waste Management Vote (KING-TV, Seattle)

The Evergreen State College in Olympia Named a ‘Best Buy’ (South Sound Business Examiner)

DIVERSIONS

Ukulele Used As Weapon During Roommate Fight

The Who Fans Trade In 1979 Tickets 33 Years Later

Marmite Reward for New Zealand’s Olympic Medalists

Hitler’s Nephew Begged FDR to Allow Him to Enlist to Fight Uncle, Letter Shows

SONG OF THE DAY

The Who - Love Reign O’er Me (from the Quadrophenia album)

Jack Johnson - Rocky Raccoon (cover - too easy)