Thursday, August 9, 2012

Energy News Digest for August 9, 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

U-S House Committee to Visit Pasco to Hear About Dam, Hydropower Legislation (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

$60 Million Upgrade to Cut Longview Paper Plant’s Energy Use by 6 Percent (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Idaho Power Defends Proposal to Curtail Wind in Times of Low Demand (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Geothermal Energy Industry Stalls in California, Officials Tell Sacramento Summit (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Wave Broadband Acquired by Equity Firms - deal termed a refinancing with no impact on customers (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • U-S House Committee to Visit Pasco to Hear About Dam, Hydropower Legislation
  • Avista Corp Posts $18.2 Million Profit in Second Quarter
  • Dump Truck Joy Ride Left Colville Residents in Dark
  • The Devil Went Down to Georgia, & the Power Went Down in East Grays Harbor County
  • Mason County PUD 3 Power Outage: McLane Cove & Murray Rd. Areas
  • Why All the Recent Power Failures at Lairds Corner Substation?
  • Lake Cushman Planned Power Outage Thursday Night – Friday Morning
  • Tacoma Power Celebrates 100th Anniversary of LaGrande Powerhouse Friday
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • New York – Op/Ed: The High Cost of Closing Indian Point
  • Florida - Thief Stole Electricity, But Progress Energy Won’t Give Customer a Break
  • Con Edison Cuts Voltage in Many Manhattan Areas
  • Vancouver Island Virus Confirmed, Salmon Farms to Cull Fish
  • Yellow-Hued Salmon Are Not a New Phenomenon
  • Hurry-Up Victoria, B-C Sewage Project Has Politicians Worried
  • Willamette Valley Pollution Riles Environmentalists
  • Columbia River Gorge - Cascade Locks Mayor Supports Nestle Bottling Plant
  • Idaho Power Defends Proposal to Curtail Wind in Times of Low Demand
  • Geothermal Energy Industry Stalls in California, Officials Tell Sacramento Summit
  • Wind Credit Moving Through Congress, But Future Remains Uncertain
  • In Iowa, Romney Leaves a Stance on Wind Power Unsaid
  • Wind Power Co. Announces Closures Day after Senator Reid’s Clean Energy Summit
  • $60 Million Upgrade to Cut Longview Paper Plant’s Energy Use by 6 Percent
  • ComEd Launches Data Center Energy Efficiency Program
  • What Soap & the Smart Grid Have in Common
  • Profits on Carbon Credits Drive Output of a Harmful Gas
  • Local Food is Trendy, But is it Really More Eco-Friendly?
  • Wave Broadband Acquired by Equity Firms
  • Average U-S Broadband Connection Now 6.7 Mbps
  • Pennsylvania - Massive Comcast Cable Service Theft Operation Busted
  • Across the Planet, Broadband is Getting Faster & Faster
  • Will Stephen Colbert Mess Up Mitt Romney’s VP Rollout?
  • Mason County Sheriff’s Searching for Most Wanted Suspect
  • Mason Area Fair & Future of the Fairgrounds Discussed at Port of Shelton Meeting
  • Body Found on Mount Rainier Was Missing Camper from January Snowstorms
  • Copper Wire Thieves Threaten Federal Way Soccer Tournament
  • Hottest July Ever in U-S, But What About the Pacific Northwest?
  • ‘Sunshine’ Group Rates Government Websites – Overall, Washington State got a B+
  • Arizona, Tennessee Top States with High Sales Tax, Washington State is Fourth - Oregon Ties for No. 47
  • “Sovereign Citizen” Car Plate Leads to Spokane Standoff
WORD OF THE DAY

Weald • \WEELD\ • Noun - 1: a heavily wooded area: forest 2: a wild or uncultivated usually upland region.

The deeper Alrond, mighty elf-prince, wound his way into the “Weald of the Wolf Friend, Axel of Darberg,” the quieter the dark forest became. The heavy duff on the floor of the “Barnframe Forest Hold” silenced each footstep until the silence seemed louder than the thundering waterfall at the “Crossing of Deemer’s Deep,” where the bejeweled mermaids of Falstar made their home.

(Man, I am horrible at fan fiction)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

U-S House Committee to Visit Pasco to Hear About Dam, Hydropower Legislation (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Avista Corp Posts $18.2 Million Profit in Second Quarter (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Dump Truck Joy Ride Left Colville Residents in Dark (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA – And yes, alcohol was involved)

The Devil Went Down to Georgia, & the Power Went Down in East Grays Harbor County (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Power Outage: McLane Cove & Murray Rd. Areas (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA – restored at 8:20 PM)

Why All the Recent Power Failures at Lairds Corner Substation? (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Lake Cushman Planned Power Outage Thursday Night – Friday Morning (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Tacoma Power Celebrates 100th Anniversary of LaGrande Powerhouse Friday (American Public Power Association)

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

New York – Op/Ed: The High Cost of Closing Indian Point (New York Post)

Florida - Thief Stole Electricity, But Progress Energy Won’t Give Customer a Break (Tampa Bay Times, FL)

Con Edison Cuts Voltage in Many Manhattan Areas (Reuters)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Vancouver Island Virus Confirmed, Salmon Farms to Cull Fish (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Yellow-Hued Salmon Are Not a New Phenomenon (Everett Herald, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Hurry-Up Victoria, B-C Sewage Project Has Politicians Worried (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Willamette Valley Pollution Riles Environmentalists (Northwest Public Radio)

Columbia River Gorge - Cascade Locks Mayor Supports Nestle Bottling Plant (Sustainable Business Oregon)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Power Defends Proposal to Curtail Wind in Times of Low Demand (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Geothermal Energy Industry Stalls in California, Officials Tell Sacramento Summit (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Wind Credit Moving Through Congress, But Future Remains Uncertain (Houston Business Journal, TX)

In Iowa, Romney Leaves a Stance on Wind Power Unsaid (NY Times)

Wind Power Co. Announces Closures Day after Senator Reid’s Clean Energy Summit (Forbes Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

$60 Million Upgrade to Cut Longview Paper Plant’s Energy Use by 6 Percent (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

ComEd Launches Data Center Energy Efficiency Program (Sacramento Bee, CA)

What Soap & the Smart Grid Have in Common (GigaOM)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Profits on Carbon Credits Drive Output of a Harmful Gas (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Local Food is Trendy, But is it Really More Eco-Friendly? (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wave Broadband Acquired by Equity Firms - deal termed a refinancing with no impact on customers (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Average U-S Broadband Connection Now 6.7 Mbps (Broadband Reports)

Pennsylvania - Massive Comcast Cable Service Theft Operation Busted (Broadband Reports)

Across the Planet, Broadband is Getting Faster & Faster (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Will Stephen Colbert Mess Up Mitt Romney’s VP Rollout? (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Sheriff’s Searching for Most Wanted Suspect (Olympian, WA)

Mason Area Fair & Future of the Fairgrounds Discussed at Port of Shelton Meeting (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Body Found on Mount Rainier Was Missing Camper from January Snowstorms (Associated Press)

Copper Wire Thieves Threaten Federal Way Soccer Tournament (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Hottest July Ever in U-S, But What About the Pacific Northwest? (Northwest Cable News Network)

‘Sunshine’ Group Rates Government Websites – Overall, Washington State got a B+ (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Arizona, Tennessee Top States with High Sales Tax, Washington State is Fourth - Oregon Ties for No. 47 (Oregonian, Portland)

“Sovereign Citizen” Car Plate Leads to Spokane Standoff (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

D-C Man Orders TV, Gets Assault Rifle Instead

Wisconsin Boy, 17, Is the Fastest Texter in America

Revenge of the iCloud - Suspected Thieves Swipe iPod, Wallet, Then Take Photos of Themselves

Raccoons Gone Wild Near North Seattle Community College

SONG OF THE DAY

Rolling Stones-You Can’t Always Get What You Want