Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Energy News Digest for October 2, 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

Idaho Study - Hatchery Salmon Spawned in Wild Spawning Grounds without Damaging Wild Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon’s U-S Senator, Ron Wyden Leads Chinese Solar Company Crack Down (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Governor Orders Washington State Offices to Reduce Energy Use (Olympian, Wa)

Officials Mull Seismic Tests near California Nuclear Power Plant (Associated Press)

CenturyLink Workers in 13 States Authorize Strike – Including Washington State & Oregon (Associated Press)
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2012/10/01/biz/centurylink-workers-in-13-states-authorize-strike.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Officials Mull Seismic Tests near California Nuclear Power Plant
  • Monday Power Outage Affected Eastern Clallam County
  • Thurston PUD Commission - One Candidate Backs Public Power
  • Montana - City of Great Falls Ponders Next Move in Power Mess
  • Florida - Vero Beach Moves Forward With Plan to Sell Its Municipal Utility to Florida Power & Light
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Finds Smart Grid Boosts Customer Service
  • Utilities’ Reluctance to Raise Electric Rates is a Credit Risk in Today’s Economy, Say Managers at Moody’s & Fitch
  • If He Starts Nodding Off, Try Another Million Volts
  • Idaho Study - Hatchery Salmon Spawned in Wild Spawning Grounds without Damaging Wild Fish
  • Marbled Murrelet on Endangered Species List 20 Years, But Still Declining
  • Oxygen-Starved Fish to Shrink Significantly Due to Global Warming
  • Texas Fishing Contests Lure Competitors & Fraud
  • Clean Air Agency Pushes Wood Stove Upgrades
  • U-S Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Roadless Rule
  • Oregon’s U-S Senator, Ron Wyden Leads Chinese Solar Company Crack Down
  • For Biomass Power Plant - Public Hearing on Nippon Cooling Tower Postponed
  • San Francisco Supervisors Override Mayor on Renewable Energy Plan
  • Wind to Make Denmark Reliant on Power Imports, Lobby Says
  • Governor Orders Washington State Offices to Reduce Energy Use
  • LEED Rating System for Green Building Grows into Global Phenomenon
  • Geothermal Heat Pumps are Renewable & Our Most Efficient HVAC Technology
  • Next-Gen Nest Thermostat Gets Even Cooler & Smarter
  • Columbia Basin Climate Change Study Highlights Impact & Adaptation
  • Op/Ed - ‘Green Banks’: The Answer to Clean Energy’s Subsidy Woes?
  • CenturyLink Workers in 13 States Authorize Strike – Including Washington State & Oregon
  • City of Seattle to Lease Excess Fiber Optic Cable Capacity
  • Internet Service Providers Want Perks Google’s Getting in Kansas City - But Google Fiber Wouldn’t Exist If They Hadn’t Failed
  • Ubiquitous Wi-Fi - Connectivity as a Given
  • Cable Companies Cap Data Use for Revenue
  • Google Leapfrogs Microsoft in Market Value
  • Engineers’ Union Rejects Boeing’s Offer by 96 Percent
  • Puget Sound Sets a Dry Weather Record
  • Experts See Signs of El NiƱo, but a Weak One
  • Pacific Northwest Smoke Makes Air in Some Areas Worse Than L.A.
  • Man Says He Shot Himself in Head Fishing
WORD OF THE DAY

Fourth estate • \FORTH ih-STAYT\ • Noun - The public press

Word Origin via Merriam-Webster - It might be news to you that the term “fourth estate” has been around for centuries. In Europe, going back to medieval times, the people who participated in the political life of a country were generally divided into three classes or “estates.” In England they were the three groups with representation in Parliament, namely, the nobility, the clergy, and the common people. Some other group, like the mob or the public press, that had an unofficial but often great influence on public affairs, was called the “fourth estate.” In the 19th century, “fourth estate” came to refer exclusively to the press, and now it’s applied to all branches of the news media.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Officials Mull Seismic Tests near California Nuclear Power Plant (Associated Press)

Monday Power Outage Affected Eastern Clallam County (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Thurston PUD Commission - One Candidate Backs Public Power: Both waiting, to some extent, for more data (Olympian, WA)

Montana - City of Great Falls Ponders Next Move in Power Mess (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Florida - Vero Beach Moves Forward With Plan to Sell Its Municipal Utility to Florida Power & Light (American Public Power Association)

Pacific Gas & Electric Finds Smart Grid Boosts Customer Service (Electric Light & Power)

Utilities’ Reluctance to Raise Electric Rates is a Credit Risk in Today’s Economy, Say Managers at Moody’s & Fitch (American Public Power Association)

If He Starts Nodding Off, Try Another Million Volts (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Study - Hatchery Salmon Spawned in Wild Spawning Grounds without Damaging Wild Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

Marbled Murrelet on Endangered Species List 20 Years, But Still Declining (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Oxygen-Starved Fish to Shrink Significantly Due to Global Warming (Christian Science Monitor)

Texas Fishing Contests Lure Competitors & Fraud (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clean Air Agency Pushes Wood Stove Upgrades (Vancouver Columbian, Wa)

U-S Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Roadless Rule (Associated Press)

A Startup’s Bid to Use Data to Cut Water Use (Forbes Magazine)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon’s U-S Senator, Ron Wyden Leads Chinese Solar Company Crack Down (Sustainable Business Oregon)

For Biomass Power Plant - Public Hearing on Nippon Cooling Tower Postponed (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

San Francisco Supervisors Override Mayor on Renewable Energy Plan (SF Chronicle, CA)

Wind to Make Denmark Reliant on Power Imports, Lobby Says (Bloomberg Businessweek)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Governor Orders Washington State Offices to Reduce Energy Use (Olympian, Wa)

LEED Rating System for Green Building Grows into Global Phenomenon (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Geothermal Heat Pumps are Renewable & Our Most Efficient HVAC Technology (Renewable Energy World)

Next-Gen Nest Thermostat Gets Even Cooler & Smarter (Mashable)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Columbia Basin Climate Change Study Highlights Impact & Adaptation (Revelstoke Times Review, B-C)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Op/Ed - ‘Green Banks’: The Answer to Clean Energy’s Subsidy Woes? (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CenturyLink Workers in 13 States Authorize Strike – Including Washington State & Oregon (Associated Press)
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2012/10/01/biz/centurylink-workers-in-13-states-authorize-strike.html

City of Seattle to Lease Excess Fiber Optic Cable Capacity (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

Internet Service Providers Want Perks Google’s Getting in Kansas City - But Google Fiber Wouldn’t Exist If They Hadn’t Failed (Broadband Reports)

Ubiquitous Wi-Fi - Connectivity as a Given (NY Times)

Cable Companies Cap Data Use for Revenue (USA Today)

Google Leapfrogs Microsoft in Market Value (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Engineers’ Union Rejects Boeing’s Offer by 96 Percent (Everett Herald, WA)

Puget Sound Sets a Dry Weather Record (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

Experts See Signs of El NiƱo, but a Weak One (NY Times)

Pacific Northwest Smoke Makes Air in Some Areas Worse Than L.A. (Northwest Public Radio)

Man Says He Shot Himself in Head Fishing (KING-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

Bizarre Bagel Head Look Sweeping Japan

Beer Man: Oyster-Brewed Pearl Necklace Wears Well

Bacon ‘Shortage’ May Be Hogwash, but Prices Headed Up

Teen Picked as a Joke for Homecoming Gets Last Laugh

SONG OF THE DAY

Bay City Rollers - Give a Little Love