Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Energy News Digest for September 4, 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

Thurston County PUD Power Plans Would be Limited - None is as grand – or expensive – as Puget Sound Energy predicted in report (Olympian, WA)

Idaho - Three Electrocuted in Tragic Irrigation Ditch Accident (Idaho Falls Post Register)

Google’s Having Some Trouble Filling Up Its Kansas City Fiberhoods (GigaOM)

Drought Revives Ethanol Debate - Meat-Producing States Lobby to Remove from Fuel (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Woman Died in Hood Canal from Natural Causes, Not Drowning (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Thurston County PUD Power Plans Would be Limited
  • Puget Sound Energy Says Cost of Thurston County Utility Takeover Could Reach $1 Billion
  • Idaho - Three Electrocuted in Tragic Irrigation Ditch Accident
  • Port Angeles to Mull Transformer Purchase for Zapped Substation
  • Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increases to Help Low-Income
  • Utility Companies Plan Transmission Upgrades in Montana
  • Second Company Accused of California Electricity Shenanigans
  • Court Upholds FERC Power Tied to California Energy Crisis
  • Company Plans to Expand Natural Gas Pipeline in Cowlitz County
  • Northwest Natural Gas Seeks to Reduce Rates 8 to 9 Percent in November
  • Will Natural Gas Prices in North America Skyrocket by the End Of 2014?
  • Secretary Chu Again Invited to Testify on Memorandum Directives that Could Increase Electricity Rates for Over 40 Million Americans
  • Coal Export Plan Goes Right through Heart of Pacific Northwest
  • Illinois - ComEd Confirms Smart Meters Involved in 'Small Fires'
  • British Columbia Smart-Meter Opponents Given Deadline
  • Strategic Investments Revitalizing Federal Hydro System
  • Maryland – Nuclear Regulatory Commission Denies License for EDF's Calvert Cliffs Reactor
  • Axworthy Leads Avista’s Outreach to Customers, Organizations
  • Consumers Energy Asks for Customer Assistance after Record Number of Dog Attacks to Employees
  • Demolition of Washington's Condit Dam Nearing Completion
  • Washington State, Tulalips Join to Save Salmon
  • Drat, Drat: Orca Scat - Tracking a Subtle Scent, a Dog May Help Save the Whales
  • A Shady Deal Cools the Rogue River; Earns National Attention as Water Quality Model
  • Lacey Water Rates to Rise 37% over Next Five Years
  • New York's New Environmental 'Hero' - The Oyster
  • Oregon Project Aims to Harness the Power of Waves
  • Idaho Energy Tussle Makes International Ripples
  • Oregon's Largest Solar Array Under Construction
  • Snohomish PUD Hits 5 Million Mark for Energy-Saving Bulbs
  • Obama Signs Executive Order to Promote Energy Efficiency
  • Hayward Asks Residents to Weigh in on New LED Lights
  • Lost Paperwork Shreds LEED Goal for San Francisco Project
  • India - Games for Energy Conservation
  • Curtain Rises on California’s Planned Carbon Market
  • Tropical Fish Caught Off Oregon Coast
  • Drought Revives Ethanol Debate - Meat-Producing States Lobby to Remove from Fuel
  • Which Cities Are the Most Electric Car-Friendly?
  • Google’s Having Some Trouble Filling Up Its Kansas City Fiberhoods
  • Garbage in Garbage Out: Google Fiber Edition
  • Google Fiber Puts Kansas Schools in a Bind
  • FCC Has $185 Million in Unclaimed Broadband Funding
  • 90% of U-S Households with Computers Have Broadband
  • Now Anyone Can Have Massive Computing Power through Amazon.Com
  • Woman Died in Hood Canal from Natural Causes, Not Drowning
  • August Was Notably Dry In Seattle, Vancouver & Portland
  • Local Lumber Market Looking Up
  • Ridge Motorsports Park near Shelton is New on the Radar with Fast Crowd
  • Amway Breaks Ground for Quincy Facility
  • Voice Mail in Decline with Rise of Text, Loss of Patience
WORD OF THE DAY

Wend • \WEND\ • verb - To direct one's course: travel, proceed.

“There had better be some cheese at the end of this trip,” grumbled the new information technology employee. Dispatched to remove a virus from the computer of the company’s “Download King,” the wayfaring tech worker had to wend his way through the cubicle wasteland of the second floor to reach is destination. Just in case, he left a trail of RFID chips scattered along the way to guide him back to the safety of his IT office.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Thurston County PUD Power Plans Would be Limited - None is as grand – or expensive – as Puget Sound Energy predicted in report (Olympian, WA)

Puget Sound Energy Says Cost of Thurston County Utility Takeover Could Reach $1 Billion (Olympian, WA)

Idaho - Three Electrocuted in Tragic Irrigation Ditch Accident (Idaho Falls Post Register)

Port Angeles to Mull Transformer Purchase for Zapped Substation (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Puget Sound Energy Proposes Rate Increases to Help Low-Income (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Utility Companies Plan Transmission Upgrades in Montana (KAJ-TV, Missoula, MT)

Second Company Accused of California Electricity Shenanigans (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Court Upholds FERC Power Tied to California Energy Crisis (Reuters)

Company Plans to Expand Natural Gas Pipeline in Cowlitz County (Longview Daily News, WA)

Northwest Natural Gas Seeks to Reduce Rates 8 to 9 Percent in November (Oregonian, Portland)

Will Natural Gas Prices in North America Skyrocket by the End Of 2014? (The Energy Collective)

Secretary Chu Again Invited to Testify on Memorandum Directives that Could Increase Electricity Rates for Over 40 Million Americans (Natural Resources Committee, U-S House of Representatives)

Coal Export Plan Goes Right through Heart of Pacific Northwest (U-S News & World Report)

Illinois - ComEd Confirms Smart Meters Involved in 'Small Fires' (Chicago Tribune, IL)

British Columbia Smart-Meter Opponents Given Deadline - Group has 30 days to narrow its claims for rights case to go ahead (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Strategic Investments Revitalizing Federal Hydro System (Bonneville Power Administration)

Maryland – Nuclear Regulatory Commission Denies License for EDF's Calvert Cliffs Reactor (Electric Light & Power)

Axworthy Leads Avista’s Outreach to Customers, Organizations (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Consumers Energy Asks for Customer Assistance after Record Number of Dog Attacks to Employees (Electric Energy Online)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Demolition of Washington's Condit Dam Nearing Completion (Northwest Public Radio)

Washington State, Tulalips Join to Save Salmon - A new joint agreement sets goals for management of hatchery Chinook in an attempt to rebuild the numbers of fish (Everett Herald, WA)

Drat, Drat: Orca Scat - Tracking a Subtle Scent, a Dog May Help Save the Whales (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

A Shady Deal Cools the Rogue River; Earns National Attention as Water Quality Model (Oregonian, Portland)

Lacey Water Rates to Rise 37% over Next Five Years (Olympian, WA)

New York's New Environmental 'Hero' - The Oyster (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Project Aims to Harness the Power of Waves (NY Times)

Idaho Energy Tussle Makes International Ripples (Associated Press)

Oregon's Largest Solar Array Under Construction (Sustainable Business Oregon)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Snohomish PUD Hits 5 Million Mark for Energy-Saving Bulbs (Lake Stevens Journal, WA)

Obama Signs Executive Order to Promote Energy Efficiency (Electric Light & Power)

Hayward Asks Residents to Weigh in on New LED Lights (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Lost Paperwork Shreds LEED Goal for San Francisco Project (San Francisco Business Times)

India - Games for Energy Conservation: Many video games are encouraging energy conservation in both virtual and real world (Financial Chronicle, India)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Curtain Rises on California’s Planned Carbon Market (Grist Online)

Tropical Fish Caught Off Oregon Coast (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Drought Revives Ethanol Debate - Meat-Producing States Lobby to Remove from Fuel (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Which Cities Are the Most Electric Car-Friendly? (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google’s Having Some Trouble Filling Up Its Kansas City Fiberhoods (GigaOM)

Garbage in Garbage Out: Google Fiber Edition (GigaOM)

Google Fiber Puts Kansas Schools in a Bind (Talking Points Memo)

FCC Has $185 Million in Unclaimed Broadband Funding - After AT&T, Verizon Turn Back on DSL Users (Broadband Reports)

90% of U-S Households with Computers Have Broadband (GigaOM)

Now Anyone Can Have Massive Computing Power through Amazon.Com (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

GENERAL NEWS

Woman Died in Hood Canal from Natural Causes, Not Drowning (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

August Was Notably Dry In Seattle, Vancouver & Portland (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Local Lumber Market Looking Up (Longview Daily News, WA)

Ridge Motorsports Park near Shelton is New on the Radar with Fast Crowd (Seattle Times)

Amway Breaks Ground for Quincy Facility (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Voice Mail in Decline with Rise of Text, Loss of Patience (USA Today)

DIVERSIONS

Drunk Man Cuts Power on Farm, Kills 70,000 Chickens

Four Generations of Family Sky-Dive over Shelton

Garfield High Grad Wins Internet Cat Video Film Festival

Police Investigate Massive Maple Syrup Theft

SONG OF THE DAY

Sarah Vaughan - Moonlight In Vermont