Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Energy News Digest for August 15, 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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Western Washington as Temps to Climb into 90s (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Winds Ease, Firefighters Attack Taylor Bridge Wildfire near Cle Elum (KING-TV, Seattle)

Facebook Plans Third, Smaller Oregon Data Center (Associated Press)

Wind Accounts for 10.5 Percent of Electricity Generated in Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

‘Save Our Dams’ Rally Planned August 15 in Pasco (Tri-City Herald, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Taylor Bridge Fire near Cle Elum Leads to Kittitas PUD Power Outages
  • ‘Save Our Dams’ Rally Planned August 15 in Pasco
  • RailAmerica Drops Pursuit of Coal Terminal for Grays Harbor
  • Seattle City Light Seeks Rate Hike
  • For New Nuclear Chief, Concerns over Plant Safety
  • A Nuclear Regulator’s Wish List
  • Germans Confront the Costs of a Nuclear-Free Future
  • Could Minneapolis Get Cleaner Energy With a Utility Takeover?
  • What Utilities Want From the Soft Grid
  • Oregon Moving Ahead With Phase-Out of Gillnetting
  • Fish vs. Farms on the Skagit Delta - Aggressive assertions of tribal water rights are threatening to imperil the crops of a fertile region
  • Baker Lake Sockeye Fishery Fun Time for the Kids
  • Conservation Groups Ask Obama to Keep Western Population of Northwest’s Gray Wolves on Endangered Species List
  • Clean Water Act’s Next Role Could Play out on Pacific Northwest Logging Roads
  • WSDOT to Address Chehalis River Flooding Near I-5
  • Many Well Users Find Their Faucets Are Running Dry
  • New Toilet Technology after 150 Years of Waste
  • Wind Accounts for 10.5 Percent of Electricity Generated in Oregon
  • SolarWorld Shares Slump as Questions about Survival Swirl
  • Vestas Makes Layoff Round in Colorado Citing Slowdown
  • New Mexico - Regulators Approve Showing Renewable Energy Costs on Electric Bills
  • Power Link to Bring Mexican Wind into California Gets Local OK
  • Renewable Energy Corp. ASA to File for Insolvency of Norway Solar Wafer Unit
  • $400,000 Grant Will Upgrade Lighting at Three Major Western Washington Transit Centers
  • No More Glaciers? Imagine That - Eight years until “Glacier National Park” is just “National Park”
  • No Room for Parking at Many New Portland Apartment Projects
  • UC Davis Ranked as ‘Coolest School’ for Sustainability
  • Facebook Plans Third, Smaller Oregon Data Center
  • FCC Report: Broadband Health Care Networks Improve Quality of Care for Rural Americans, Reduce Costs & Help Save Lives
  • Utah Broadband - Orem Representatives Debate UTOPIA Issue
  • Iowa - Broadband Providers Brace for New Rules
  • Texas - School discounts for broadband questioned during telecom hearing
  • Verizon Details Errors in Derecho, Calls Response to 911 Outages ‘Insufficient’
  • FCC: Expanded Basic Cable TV Rates Climbed 5.4% in 2010
  • Need a New Data Center? Here’s a Shopping Guide
  • Utility’s Backing of Convention Tests Obama Fund-Raising Pledge
  • Obama, Romney Campaigns Shift to Debate over Energy
  • Where Did “Getting on a Soapbox” Come From?
  • Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Western Washington as Temps to Climb into 90s
  • Winds Ease, Firefighters Attack Taylor Bridge Wildfire near Cle Elum
  • Cle Elum Wildfire Began at Highway Construction Site
  • Mason County Fire Fighters Heading to Eastern Washington
  • Smoke from Cle Elum Wildfire Expected to Reach Seattle by Week’s End
  • 2012 Gas Prices Head for Record
  • Olympia-Area Gasoline Costs Up; Relief May Come After Labor Day
  • New Washington State Forever Stamp
WORD OF THE DAY

Palisade • \pal-uh-SAYD\ • Noun - 1: a fence of stakes especially for defense b: a long strong stake pointed at the top & set close with others as a defense 2: a line of bold cliffs

Thundering surf; pillars of white, foamy seawater pounded the rocky palisades off the storm-wracked Oregon coast. Occasionally, a daredevil seagull would shoot through the showering torrents, trying to snatch small fish or other tasty debris that had been churned up from the depths of the ocean. (great, now I’m all wet…)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Taylor Bridge Fire near Cle Elum Leads to Kittitas PUD Power Outages (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

‘Save Our Dams’ Rally Planned August 15 in Pasco (Tri-City Herald, WA)

RailAmerica Drops Pursuit of Coal Terminal for Grays Harbor (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Seattle City Light Seeks Rate Hike “…residential rates will go up 6.8 percent in 2013…the largest commercial energy users will actually see their rates go down by 4.1 percent…” (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

For New Nuclear Chief, Concerns over Plant Safety (NY Times)

A Nuclear Regulator’s Wish List (NY Times)

Germans Confront the Costs of a Nuclear-Free Future (National Public Radio)

Could Minneapolis Get Cleaner Energy With a Utility Takeover? (Renewable Energy World)

What Utilities Want From the Soft Grid - Four utilities (including Seattle City Light) discuss their smart grid data analytics & integration challenges (Green Tech Media)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Moving Ahead With Phase-Out of Gillnetting (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Fish vs. Farms on the Skagit Delta - Aggressive assertions of tribal water rights are threatening to imperil the crops of a fertile region (Seattle Weekly, WA)

Baker Lake Sockeye Fishery Fun Time for the Kids (Seattle Times)

Conservation Groups Ask Obama to Keep Western Population of Northwest’s Gray Wolves on Endangered Species List (Oregonian, Portland)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clean Water Act’s Next Role Could Play out on Pacific Northwest Logging Roads (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WSDOT to Address Chehalis River Flooding Near I-5 (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Many Well Users Find Their Faucets Are Running Dry (Associated Press)

New Toilet Technology after 150 Years of Waste (Seattle Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind Accounts for 10.5 Percent of Electricity Generated in Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

Report Cited Above - 2011 Wind Technologies Market Report - Data is actually estimated as of the end of 2011 (U-S Department of Energy)

SolarWorld Shares Slump as Questions about Survival Swirl (Oregonian, Portland)

Vestas Makes Layoff Round in Colorado Citing Slowdown (Sustainable Business Oregon)

New Mexico - Regulators Approve Showing Renewable Energy Costs on Electric Bills (Santa Fe New Mexican, NM)
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/081512PNMrenewable

Power Link to Bring Mexican Wind into California Gets Local OK (Recharge)

Renewable Energy Corp. ASA to File for Insolvency of Norway Solar Wafer Unit (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

$400,000 Grant Will Upgrade Lighting at Three Major Western Washington Transit Centers (South Sound Business Examiner)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

No More Glaciers? Imagine That - Eight years until “Glacier National Park” is just “National Park” (Seattle Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

No Room for Parking at Many New Portland Apartment Projects (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

UC Davis Ranked as ‘Coolest School’ for Sustainability (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Facebook Plans Third, Smaller Oregon Data Center (Associated Press)

FCC Report: Broadband Health Care Networks Improve Quality of Care for Rural Americans, Reduce Costs & Help Save Lives (Federal Communications Commission)

Utah Broadband - Orem Representatives Debate UTOPIA Issue (Daily Herald, Provo, UT)

Iowa - Broadband Providers Brace for New Rules (Spencer Daily Reporter, IA)

Texas - School discounts for broadband questioned during telecom hearing (KVUE-TV, Austin, TX)

Verizon Details Errors in Derecho, Calls Response to 911 Outages ‘Insufficient’ (Washington Post)

FCC: Expanded Basic Cable TV Rates Climbed 5.4% in 2010 - Monthly Prices Higher in ‘Competitive’ Markets, According to Commission Survey (MultiChannel)

Need a New Data Center? Here’s a Shopping Guide (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Utility’s Backing of Convention Tests Obama Fund-Raising Pledge (NY Times)

Obama, Romney Campaigns Shift to Debate over Energy (Washington Post)

Where Did “Getting on a Soapbox” Come From? (Wikipedia)

GENERAL NEWS

Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Western Washington as Temps to Climb into 90s (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Winds Ease, Firefighters Attack Taylor Bridge Wildfire near Cle Elum (KING-TV, Seattle)

Cle Elum Wildfire Began at Highway Construction Site - WSDOT contractor could be liable for millions (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

Mason County Fire Fighters Heading to Eastern Washington (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Smoke from Cle Elum Wildfire Expected to Reach Seattle by Week’s End (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

2012 Gas Prices Head for Record (USA Today)

Olympia-Area Gasoline Costs Up; Relief May Come After Labor Day (Olympian, WA)

New Washington State Forever Stamp (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Spokesman for Washington State Pot Group Fired at News Conference

Wonder Dog Places Pups in Fire Truck after Carrying Them Out of Burning House One by One

Mountain Dew’s ‘Dub the Dew’ Online Poll Goes Horribly Wrong

High School Student Asks Yahoo! Answers for Help with Book Report, Gets Chewed Out by Book’s Author

SONG OF THE DAY

Sly & The Family Stone – Underdog