Friday, September 21, 2012

Energy News Digest for September 21, 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 Watchdog Says JPMorgan Unit May Have Broken California Power Market Rules (Reuters)

Feds: Idaho Power Must Buy Wind Power - Utility Wanted to Limit Use During Low Demand (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Review of Science Lets People Off the Hook for Hood Canal Fish Kills (Seattle Times)

Seattle City Council Exempts Smaller Buildings from Energy-Efficiency Reporting Program (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Alarming Trend: State Wildfires Continue to Grow; 160 Homes Evacuated (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • U-S Watchdog Says JPMorgan Unit May Have Broken California Power Market Rules
  • Feds Threaten to Suspend JPMorgan’s Right to Sell Electricity in California
  • Council Backs 10 Percent Rate Increase for Seattle City Light
  • Avista Rate Increase Proposal Decried as Too High
  • Montana Company to Mothball Coal-Fired Plant in 2015
  • High Winds, Rain Hit Alaska Co-ops
  • Update - Kamilche Point: Mason County PUD 3 Restoration of Electricity Expected by Noon Today
  • Lewis County PUD, Washington State to Conduct Dam Study
  • Oregon Trail Electric Co-op Contends ‘Smart Meters’ Good For Co-op, Customers
  • Japan, Under Pressure, Backs Off Goal to Phase Out Nuclear Power by 2040
  • Op/Ed - New York: No Cheap or Easy Way to Replace Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant
  • U-S Electricity Ignores Scarce Water Costs; Report Finds
  • Ohio Aluminum Company Wants Deeper Electric Rate Cut
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • Review of Science Lets People Off the Hook for Hood Canal Fish Kills
  • Spawning Salmon Return to the Yakima River
  • Condit Dam Removal on White Salmon River Complete
  • Vancouver Island Dam Removal Could End Salmon Run, Critics Say
  • Oregon Fish & Wildlife Struggles to Preserve Sandy River’s Wild Salmon & Hatchery Fish
  • Congressman Norm Dicks Named to Salmon Hall of Fame
  • Shelton Creek Dredging to Close City Streets
  • Thurston County Sewer Utility to Raise Rates Three Percent
  • Columbia River: Great River of the West - Photo Essay
  • Beyond Big Dams: Turning to Grass-Roots Solutions on Water
  • Feds: Idaho Power Must Buy Wind Power - Utility Wanted to Limit Use During Low Demand
  • Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Power Industry Is Withering
  • Wind Whack: Siemens Cutting 615 U-S Workers
  • SoloPower to Cut Ribbon on Portland Solar Manufacturing Plant Next Week
  • New Wave Energy Test Site Will Go Off Reedsport or Newport
  • Taxpayers, Ratepayers Will Fund California Solar Plants
  • Northwest Renewable RFPs: Seattle City Light Issues RFP for Renewable Resources
  • Japan – U-S Smart Grid Project Now Live in New Mexico
  • Seattle City Council Exempts Smaller Buildings from Energy-Efficiency Reporting Program
  • Faux Boutique Demonstrates LED Use for Small, Midsize Businesses
  • Umbra’s Second Helpings: Unplug Your Vampire Appliances
  • Arctic Sea Ice Melts to All-Time Record Low
  • Businesses Plead for Changes to California’s New Cap-And-Trade Market
  • How Would a Carbon Tax Work? Let’s Ask British Columbia
  • 60% of Rural Users Get 3 Mbps or Less - And it’s Not Getting Better Anytime Soon
  • Op/Ed – FCC: Chairman: The Need for Speed
  • Google Fiber TV Bets on Blistering Broadband
  • Will Microsoft’s Data Centers be Backed Up by Bloom Fuel Cells?
  • Washington State’s High Court to Hear Governor’s Executive Privilege Case
  • Alarming Trend: State Wildfires Continue to Grow; 160 Homes Evacuated
  • Firefighters Prepare for Potential Washington State Lightning Storms
  • No Significant Rain in Forecast as Pacific Northwest Dry Spell Continues
  • Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Meeting for Shelton Hills Development
WORD OF THE DAY

Orphic • \ORR-fick\ • Adjective - 1: of or relating to Orpheus or the rites or doctrines ascribed to him 2: of, relating to, being, or resembling an oracle: oracular, mystic 3: fascinating, entrancing

“Dude, your mom’s brownies are absolutely the BEST,” enthused the slacker student to his straight-laced roommate. With each bite, the orphic quality of the baked goods seemed to become more elevated. (I guess where you can see this feeble attempt at drug humor is going. Feel free to use your imagination to envision the effects of the next few helpings of these most excellent brownies.)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

U-S Watchdog Says JPMorgan Unit May Have Broken California Power Market Rules (Reuters)

Feds Threaten to Suspend JPMorgan’s Right to Sell Electricity in California (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Council Backs 10 Percent Rate Increase for Seattle City Light - Long in the works, increases over the next two years will address rising distribution costs, which affect households more than large-scale electricity users in business & industry (Seattle Times)

Avista Rate Increase Proposal Decried as Too High – Washington State challenges utility’s latest rate hike request (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Montana Company to Mothball Coal-Fired Plant in 2015 (Associated Press)

High Winds, Rain Hit Alaska Co-ops (Electric Co-op Today)

Update - Kamilche Point: Mason County PUD 3 Restoration of Electricity Expected by Noon Today (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Lewis County PUD, Washington State to Conduct Dam Study (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Oregon Trail Electric Co-op Contends ‘Smart Meters’ Good For Co-op, Customers (Baker City Herald, OR)

Japan, Under Pressure, Backs Off Goal to Phase Out Nuclear Power by 2040 (NY Times)

Op/Ed - New York: No Cheap or Easy Way to Replace Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (New York Newsday)

U-S Electricity Ignores Scarce Water Costs; Report Finds (Bloomberg News)\

Ohio Aluminum Company Wants Deeper Electric Rate Cut (Associated Press)

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

FISH & WILDLIFE

Review of Science Lets People Off the Hook for Hood Canal Fish Kills (Seattle Times)

Spawning Salmon Return to the Yakima River “…The end result will be sockeye runs of around 200,000 per year, which could make the Yakima sockeye run go from zero to the largest in the lower 48…” (American Rivers)

Condit Dam Removal on White Salmon River Complete (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Vancouver Island Dam Removal Could End Salmon Run, Critics Say (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Oregon Fish & Wildlife Struggles to Preserve Sandy River’s Wild Salmon & Hatchery Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

Congressman Norm Dicks Named to Salmon Hall of Fame (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Shelton Creek Dredging to Close City Streets (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Thurston County Sewer Utility to Raise Rates Three Percent (Olympian, WA)

Columbia River: Great River of the West - Photo Essay (Oregonian, Portland)

Beyond Big Dams: Turning to Grass-Roots Solutions on Water (Christian Science Monitor)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Feds: Idaho Power Must Buy Wind Power - Utility Wanted to Limit Use During Low Demand (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Power Industry Is Withering (NY Times)

Wind Whack: Siemens Cutting 615 U-S Workers (The Energy Collective)

SoloPower to Cut Ribbon on Portland Solar Manufacturing Plant Next Week (Sustainable Business Oregon)

New Wave Energy Test Site Will Go Off Reedsport or Newport (Oregonian, Portland)

Taxpayers, Ratepayers Will Fund California Solar Plants (Christian Science Monitor)

Northwest Renewable RFPs: Seattle City Light Issues RFP for Renewable Resources, Portland General’s is Due Soon (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Japan – U-S Smart Grid Project Now Live in New Mexico (GigaOM)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle City Council Exempts Smaller Buildings from Energy-Efficiency Reporting Program (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Faux Boutique Demonstrates LED Use for Small, Midsize Businesses (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

Umbra’s Second Helpings: Unplug Your Vampire Appliances (Grist Online)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Arctic Sea Ice Melts to All-Time Record Low (Associated Press)

Businesses Plead for Changes to California’s New Cap-And-Trade Market (Sacramento Bee, CA)

How Would a Carbon Tax Work? Let’s Ask British Columbia (Washington Post)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

60% of Rural Users Get 3 Mbps or Less - And it’s Not Getting Better Anytime Soon (Broadband Reports)

Op/Ed – FCC: Chairman: The Need for Speed (TechCrunch)

Google Fiber TV Bets on Blistering Broadband (TVTechnology)

Will Microsoft’s Data Centers be Backed Up by Bloom Fuel Cells? (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State’s High Court to Hear Governor’s Executive Privilege Case (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Alarming Trend: State Wildfires Continue to Grow; 160 Homes Evacuated (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Firefighters Prepare for Potential Washington State Lightning Storms (Associated Press)

No Significant Rain in Forecast as Pacific Northwest Dry Spell Continues (Associated Press)

Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Meeting for Shelton Hills Development (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Sixteen Amish Convicted of Hate Crimes in Beard Cutting Attacks

Miracle Dog ‘Missy’ Adopted By Rescuer, Former Owner Anthony Ortolani Gets Death Threats

British Soldier Unexpectedly Gives Birth While Deployed in Afghanistan

Hero Pig Saves Baby Goat from Drowning

SONG OF THE DAY

Babe - End Credits Music