Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Energy News Digest for September 25, 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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Dirty Clouds: Data Centers Waste Billions of Watts of Electricity (Christian Science Monitor)

State of Maryland May Prohibit Utilities from Charging Fee during First 24-Hours after Major Storm - Fee allowed BGE to take in about $600,000 during June ‘derecho’ (Baltimore Sun, MD)

Oregon - Solar Power Startup to Get Subsidy: Smart Move or Another Solyndra? (Christian Science Monitor)

Conservationists Want More Water in Klamath for Migrating Birds (Northwest Public Radio)

Local Governments Try to Cut Costs Via Efficiency (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • State of Maryland May Prohibit Utilities from Charging Fee during First 24-Hours after Major Storm
  • FERC Proposes ‘Death Penalty’ for JP Morgan for Allegedly Misleading Investigation
  • Thurston PUD in Washington State Considers Expanding into Electricity
  • Fitch rates Pend Oreille Public Utility District ‘A-’
  • California - Two Suspected Copper Thieves Arrested Near Novato Pacific Gas & Electric Plant
  • Maryland - Stalled Pepco Contract Raises Specter of a Strike
  • Wisconsin - Rising Electricity Rates Revive Deregulation Debate
  • Editorial - Cheap Texas Electricity Isn’t Always a Good Thing
  • Teaching Teachers about Energy
  • Conservationists Want More Water in Klamath for Migrating Birds
  • Oregon Governor Kitzhaber’s New Salmon & Bonneville Power Administration Plan
  • Zombees - Bee Parasite Found Here, And It Really is Scary
  • Asian Carp Policy: Is It Keeping Obama & Romney Up at Night?
  • Opposition Boiling Over Plan for Anacortes Water Bottling Plant
  • Portland Looks at Raising Sewer Rates on Restaurants over Disposal of Fats & Greases
  • Oregon - Solar Power Startup to Get Subsidy: Smart Move or Another Solyndra?
  • California - Sebastopol May Require Solar Arrays on New Businesses
  • Renewable Energy in California: What Has Policy Brought Us?
  • Are the U-S & Europe Headed for a Trade War Over Airline Carbon Fees?
  • End of the Road for Common-Law Climate Claims?
  • Dirty Clouds: Data Centers Waste Billions of Watts of Electricity
  • Microsoft’s Energy Practices in Quincy Under Fire
  • NYT’s Data Center Power Reports like Taking a Time Machine Back to 2006
  • Inspired by Google, Chicago Pursues Gigabit Broadband
  • Some Companies Delete Off-Hours Emails
  • Barnes & Noble to Introduce Nook Video Service
  • Local Governments Try to Cut Costs Via Efficiency
  • Mason County Courthouse Evacuated Monday Due To Bomb Threat
  • Clark County Construction Company Notified of Possible Liability from Taylor Bridge Fire near Ellensburg
  • Auction of Two Parcels in Belfair to Benefit Charitable Trust
  • Seahawks Stun Packers on Controversial Final Play
  • Packers Vs. Seahawks: Will This Call End the NFL Referee Lockout?
  • Getting Ready for the Storms of the North Pacific
WORD OF THE DAY

Hypothecate • \high-POTH-uh-kayt\ • Verb - To make an assumption for the sake of argument: hypothesize

The candidates had circled each other like fighters in the octagon…looking for any verbal advantage possible. Crandall was starting to crack mentally; his opponent had asked him to consider a change of mind on sewer funding. “Let’s hypothecate what you would look like with a red clown nose,” Crandall shouted, unaware that his internal voice had bypassed all restraint to become a sentient entity…and a harsh, croaking external voice that raised the biggest laugh of the debate night. Unfortunately, it also doomed his fledgling campaign to become a footnote in local political lore.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

State of Maryland May Prohibit Utilities from Charging Fee during First 24-Hours after Major Storm - Fee allowed BGE to take in about $600,000 during June ‘derecho’ (Baltimore Sun, MD)

FERC Proposes ‘Death Penalty’ for JP Morgan for Allegedly Misleading Investigation (American Public Power Association)

Thurston PUD in Washington State Considers Expanding into Electricity (American Public Power Association)

Fitch rates Pend Oreille Public Utility District ‘A-’ (Reuters)

California - Two Suspected Copper Thieves Arrested Near Novato Pacific Gas & Electric Plant (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Maryland - Stalled Pepco Contract Raises Specter of a Strike (Washington Post)

Wisconsin - Rising Electricity Rates Revive Deregulation Debate (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)

Editorial - Cheap Texas Electricity Isn’t Always a Good Thing – Ed. Note: Texas residential retail is about 11 cents per kilowatt hour (Dallas Morning News, TX)

Teaching Teachers about Energy (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Conservationists Want More Water in Klamath for Migrating Birds (Northwest Public Radio)

Oregon Governor Kitzhaber’s New Salmon & Bonneville Power Administration Plan (Natural Resources Report)

Zombees - Bee Parasite Found Here, And It Really is Scary (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Asian Carp Policy: Is It Keeping Obama & Romney Up at Night? (Christian Science Monitor)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Opposition Boiling Over Plan for Anacortes Water Bottling Plant (KING-TV, Seattle)

Portland Looks at Raising Sewer Rates on Restaurants over Disposal of Fats & Greases (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon - Solar Power Startup to Get Subsidy: Smart Move or Another Solyndra? (Christian Science Monitor)

California - Sebastopol May Require Solar Arrays on New Businesses (Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, CA)

Renewable Energy in California: What Has Policy Brought Us? (Huffington Post)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Are the U-S & Europe Headed for a Trade War Over Airline Carbon Fees? (Washington Post)

End of the Road for Common-Law Climate Claims? Ninth Circuit Rejects Climate-Based Damages Claim (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Dirty Clouds: Data Centers Waste Billions of Watts of Electricity (Christian Science Monitor)

Microsoft’s Energy Practices in Quincy Under Fire (Data Center Knowledge)

NYT’s Data Center Power Reports like Taking a Time Machine Back to 2006 (GigaOM)

Inspired by Google, Chicago Pursues Gigabit Broadband (GigaOM)

Some Companies Delete Off-Hours Emails (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

Barnes & Noble to Introduce Nook Video Service (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Local Governments Try to Cut Costs Via Efficiency (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Courthouse Evacuated Monday Due To Bomb Threat (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Public Assistance Requested To Help Find Missing Shelton Man (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Clark County Construction Company Notified of Possible Liability from Taylor Bridge Fire near Ellensburg (Oregonian, Portland)

Auction of Two Parcels in Belfair to Benefit Charitable Trust (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Seahawks Stun Packers on Controversial Final Play (KING-TV, Seattle)

Packers Vs. Seahawks: Will This Call End the NFL Referee Lockout? (Christian Science Monitor)

Getting Ready for the Storms of the North Pacific (NY Times)

DIVERSIONS

Where to Move If You’re Young & Don’t Want to Live In Portland

Imelda Marcos Shoe Collection Now Worthless, Says Philippines Government

LI youth baseball coach spent $50G on ‘revenge’ kids team

Onions on McDonald’s Burger Send Gresham Man into a “McFury,” Gresham Police Say

SONG OF THE DAY

Joe South – Walk a Mile in My Shoes