Thursday, August 16, 2012

Energy News Digest for August 16, 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

PROGRAMMING NOTE

The energy news digest will be on hiatus August 20-31 as it examines a certain west coast venue for tsunami debris; then visits a lake in a certain north central region of a western state for a final bake of the summer. The ND will return September 4, rested and relaxed. There may be some tweets of big energy items if they catch the ND’s interest.

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Major Puget Sound Energy Power Line Damaged in Cle Elum’s Taylor Bridge Fire  (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

U-S House Natural Resources Committee Meeting in Pasco Draws Demonstrators (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Midwestern Drought, Election Year Politics Add to Pressure on Ethanol (Christian Science Monitor)
Apple Has 'Green' Plans for Prineville Data Center (Associated Press)

Appeal Filed over Enloe Water Permit for Hydroelectric Dam Project (Methow Valley News, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Major Puget Sound Energy Power Line Damaged in Cle Elum’s Taylor Bridge Fire 
  • U-S House Natural Resources Committee Meeting in Pasco Draws Demonstrators
  • Video from Pasco’s Save Our Dams Rally
  • Hastings’ Hydro Bill Will Protect & Promote Hydropower Dams
  • Legislation Protects & Promotes Northwest Hydropower
  • Appeal Filed over Enloe Water Permit for Hydroelectric Dam Project
  • Alaska Utility, Native Corporation Propose Idea to Cut Rural Energy Costs
  • How Electricity Empowered Rural Alaska Politics
  • David Kennedy, Stanford University Historian, To Speak on 75th Anniversary of BPA
  • Editorial - Halt to Nuclear Licenses Certain to be Short-Lived
  • Pepco to Washington, D-C: Hands Off Our Compensation
  • Oregon Governor Seeks Columbia River Salmon Solution
  • Murray, Dicks Visiting Shelton Today as Part of Proposed Wild Olympics Legislation
  • Tribes, Biologists Work to Halt Slide of Lampreys
  • Case Could Hamstring Washington State’s Control of Runoff Pollution
  • California - Yuba River Hydroelectric Plan Called Threat to Fish
  • Oregon’s Bull Run Powerhouse: History Looking for a Future
  • Wind Energy Tax Credit: More Hot Air or Key Job Creator
  • The Rise - And Possible Fall - Of U-S Wind Power
  • Op/Ed - Clean Energy Law Drives Innovation, Creates Jobs, Attracts
  • Keeping the Lights on in New York State
  • Renewable Energy Corporation Showcasing New Products and Tailored Customer Programs at Solar Power International
  • Midwestern Drought, Election Year Politics Add to Pressure on Ethanol
  • Apple Has 'Green' Plans for Prineville Data Center
  • Dish Network Said to Plan Nationwide Satellite Broadband
  • August 21 - NoaNet Conducting Major Upgrade & Maintenance Work on Its Data Transmission System
  • Could a Hurricane Take Down the Internet
  • Google Buys Newspaper Ad to Show Why Newspaper Ads Don’t Work
  • A Break in Uphill Battle with Kittitas County’s Taylor Bridge
  • Fire-Prone Areas: To Build or Not to Build
  • King/Pierce County Smog to Hit Unhealthy Levels by Weekend
  • Mason County Senior Center Extends Shelton Hours During High
  • List of cooling centers in Western Washington
  • Littlerock-Area Man Shot Dead Had Been Behaving Erratically
  • Washington State Jobs, Employment Numbers Contradict
WORD OF THE DAY

Maquette • \mah-KETT\ • Noun - A usually small preliminary model (as of a sculpture or a building)

The fresh faced intern at the famed architectural firm of Hunga Dunga, Hunga Dunga & Hunga Dunga was delighting attendees at the unveiling of the design of the multi-million dollar headquarters of the international marketing firm. The source of amusement was a young Macaque monkey that was jumping from person to person, looking through various hairdos for nits. Unfortunately for the short-lived career of the intern, he had been tasked with acquiring an intricately designed maquette of the building for the unveiling…not a monkey with a strikingly similar name.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Major Puget Sound Energy Power Line Damaged in Cle Elum’s Taylor Bridge Fire  (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

U-S House Natural Resources Committee Meeting in Pasco Draws Demonstrators (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Video from Pasco’s Save Our Dams Rally (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Hastings’ Hydro Bill Will Protect & Promote Hydropower Dams - Witnesses Provide Laundry List of Hydropower Benefits for Jobs, Economy and Environment (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

Legislation Protects & Promotes Northwest Hydropower (Northwest River Partners)

Appeal Filed over Enloe Water Permit for Hydroelectric Dam Project (Methow Valley News, WA)

Alaska Utility, Native Corporation Propose Idea to Cut Rural Energy Costs (Raleigh News & Observer, NC)

How Electricity Empowered Rural Alaska Politics (Alaska Dispatch)

David Kennedy, Stanford University Historian, To Speak on 75th Anniversary of BPA (Oregonian, Portland)

Editorial - Halt to Nuclear Licenses Certain to be Short-Lived (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Pepco to Washington, D-C: Hands Off Our Compensation - Call to tie Pepco management’s compensation to the reliability of the company’s power system (Washington Business Journal, D-C)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Governor Seeks Columbia River Salmon Solution (Associated Press)

Murray, Dicks Visiting Shelton Today as Part of Proposed Wild Olympics Legislation (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Tribes, Biologists Work to Halt Slide of Lampreys (Everett Herald, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Case Could Hamstring Washington State’s Control of Runoff Pollution (Northwest Public Radio)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California - Yuba River Hydroelectric Plan Called Threat to Fish (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Oregon’s Bull Run Powerhouse: History Looking for a Future (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Wind Energy Tax Credit: More Hot Air or Key Job Creator? (U-S News & World Report)

The Rise - And Possible Fall - Of U-S Wind Power (Washington Post)

Op/Ed - Clean Energy Law Drives Innovation, Creates Jobs, Attracts Investments (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Keeping the Lights on in New York State (Huffington Post)

Renewable Energy Corporation Showcasing New Products and Tailored Customer Programs at Solar Power International (MarketWatch)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Midwestern Drought, Election Year Politics Add to Pressure on Ethanol (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Apple Has 'Green' Plans for Prineville Data Center (Associated Press)

Dish Network Said to Plan Nationwide Satellite Broadband (Bloomberg News)

August 21 - NoaNet Conducting Major Upgrade & Maintenance Work on Its Data Transmission System (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Could a Hurricane Take Down the Internet? (Mashable)

Google Buys Newspaper Ad to Show Why Newspaper Ads Don’t Work (Mashable)

GENERAL NEWS

A Break in Uphill Battle with Kittitas County’s Taylor Bridge Fire (Seattle Times, WA)

Fire-Prone Areas: To Build or Not to Build (Seattle Times, WA)

King/Pierce County Smog to Hit Unhealthy Levels by Weekend (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Mason County Senior Center Extends Shelton Hours During High Heat (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

List of cooling centers in Western Washington (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Littlerock-Area Man Shot Dead Had Been Behaving Erratically (Olympian, WA)

Washington State Jobs, Employment Numbers Contradict (Northwest Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS

Group: Scrabble Player Caught Cheating at U-S Event

The Physics of How Animals Shake Themselves Dry

Google Wants to Know Why Washington is so Rainy & Liberal

SONG OF THE DAY

KC & The Sunshine Band - Shake Your Booty