Friday, December 14, 2012

Energy News Digest for December 14, 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

Seattle Coal-Export Hearing Packed, Mostly by Opponents (Seattle Times)

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner Tom Casey’s Farewell Message — “Choose to Fight” (Aberdeen World, WA)

Federal Government Funds $4 Million Wind Project Off Coos Bay (Coos Bay World, OR)

Seattle Announces Fiber Partner, Broadband Test Project (Seattle Times)

Port Angeles’ Citywide Wi-Fi Ahead of Schedule (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  • Seattle Coal-Export Hearing Packed, Mostly by Opponents
  • Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner Tom Casey’s Farewell Message — “Choose to Fight”
  • BLM Makes Changes to Idaho Power Line after Tribes Balk
  • Clatskanie Ethanol Plant Will Serve As Temporary Crude Oil Exporter
  • California – Pacific Gas & Electric Says Workers Lied About Inspections
  • Church Copper Theft Attempt Ends Painfully for Suspect in NW Harris County Church
  • Push On to Protect Northeast U-S Electricity Grid from Floods
  • Citing Poor Storm Response, State Regulators Hit Massachusetts Utilities with Nearly $25 Million in Penalties
  • FERC Chairman Cites Slowing Load Growth, Smart Grid, Distributed Generation as ‘Disruptive’
  • Electricity Industry Restructuring Has Hurt the Economy, Review by CFA & APPA Finds
  • Upper Columbia River Spring Chinook Run Lowest in Six Years
  • Editorial - Advantage Sports Fishermen
  • Editorial - Pocket Gopher: Small Critter, Big Issue
  • Will the West Ever Solve Its Water Woes?
  • Reservoirs Can Make Local Flooding Worse, Says Study
  • California Sees Unusually High ‘King Tides’
  • Federal Government Funds $4 Million Wind Project Off Coos Bay
  • U-S Department of Energy to Underwrite Seven Wind Projects
  • As Deadline for Saving Wind Industry Nears, Wind Advocates Fold
  • Not Easy to Find Room for Ocean Energy
  • At $96 per MWh - Oregon Geothermal Pumping Power
  • REC Silicon Donation Boosts Big Bend Community College Computer Program
  • Drop This Underwater Turbine in Any River for Free Continuous Power
  • Idaho - Micron to Curtail LED Lighting Program
  • Energy Utility Tennessee Valley Authority Launches EnergySavvy Program
  • Landmark Climate Change Report Leaked Online
  • Tough Times for U-S Winter Tourism if Climate Change Goes Unaddressed
  • Energy Report Puts Colorado First in LEED Ranking
  • Seattle Announces Fiber Partner, Broadband Test Project
  • Seattle Is the Latest City to Go Around ISPs to Get a Gigabit Network
  • Port Angeles’ Citywide Wi-Fi Ahead of Schedule
  • Investigation Begins Into West Virginia’s Broadband
  • Google’s Schmidt Says Google Fiber a ‘Real Business’ for the Company
  • U-S Leads Western Snub of United Nations Telecommunications Treaty
  • Derek Kilmer Names Congressional Staff
  • State Representative-Elect Drew MacEwen Named to House Committees
  • Brief Window of Dryness Before an Active Weather Weekend
  • Obama Won’t Go After Washington over Marijuana
  • Construction Companies Deny Starting Taylor Bridge Fire near Ellensburg
  • Belfair, Tahuya Fire Districts Look at Forming Regional Fire Authority
  • Mason County Non-Profit Group Awarded Education Grant
  • Noisy Glaciers Are an Annoyance to Scientists Studying Mt. Rainier
  • Five Ways to Recover Faster from ‘The Big One’

WORD OF THE DAY

Turophile • \TURR-uh-file\ • Noun - A connoisseur of cheese: a cheese fancier

Brandy is an epicure of the highest order. Her one shortfall (which she readily admits her dismal failing) is how to determine what’s a good cheese…or a waste of mastication. “I really can’t tell,” she admitted in a widely distributed TV news interview with famed turophile Bandy McSquirrel, “if a limburger or sharp cheddar smells like good cheese, stinky feet, or bad meat. So going on a wine and cheese pairing with me is not a very good idea.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Seattle Coal-Export Hearing Packed, Mostly by Opponents (Seattle Times)

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner Tom Casey’s Farewell Message — “Choose to Fight” (Aberdeen World, WA)

BLM Makes Changes to Idaho Power Line after Tribes Balk (Associated Press)

Clatskanie Ethanol Plant Will Serve As Temporary Crude Oil Exporter (Longview Daily News, WA)

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Says Workers Lied About Inspections (SF Chronicle)

Church Copper Theft Attempt Ends Painfully for Suspect in NW Harris County Church (KTRK-TV, Houston, TX)

Push On to Protect Northeast U-S Electricity Grid from Floods (Associated Press)

Citing Poor Storm Response, State Regulators Hit Massachusetts Utilities with Nearly $25 Million in Penalties (American Public Power Association)

FERC Chairman Cites Slowing Load Growth, Smart Grid, Distributed Generation as ‘Disruptive’ (SNL Financial)

Electricity Industry Restructuring Has Hurt the Economy, Review by CFA & APPA Finds (American Public Power Association)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Upper Columbia River Spring Chinook Run Lowest in Six Years (The Missoulian, MT)

Editorial - Advantage Sports Fishermen (Longview Daily News, WA)

Editorial - Pocket Gopher: Small Critter, Big Issue (Olympian, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Will the West Ever Solve Its Water Woes? (Washington Post)

Reservoirs Can Make Local Flooding Worse, Says Study (British Broadcasting Corporation)

California Sees Unusually High ‘King Tides’ (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Federal Government Funds $4 Million Wind Project Off Coos Bay (Coos Bay World, OR)

U-S Department of Energy to Underwrite Seven Wind Projects (NY Times)

As Deadline for Saving Wind Industry Nears, Wind Advocates Fold (Grist Online)

Not Easy to Find Room for Ocean Energy (Northwest Public Radio)

At $96 per MWh - Oregon Geothermal Pumping Power (ReNews)

REC Silicon Donation Boosts Big Bend Community College Computer Program (Columbia Basin Bulletin, Moses Lake, WA)

Drop This Underwater Turbine in Any River for Free Continuous Power (Gizmodo)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Idaho - Micron to Curtail LED Lighting Program (Associated Press)

Energy Utility Tennessee Valley Authority Launches EnergySavvy Program (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Landmark Climate Change Report Leaked Online (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/dec/14/ipcc-climate-change-report-leaked-online

Tough Times for U-S Winter Tourism if Climate Change Goes Unaddressed (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, WA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Energy Report Puts Colorado First in LEED Ranking (Denver Business Journal, CO)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Seattle Announces Fiber Partner, Broadband Test Project (Seattle Times)

Seattle Is the Latest City to Go Around ISPs to Get a Gigabit Network (GigaOM)

Port Angeles’ Citywide Wi-Fi Ahead of Schedule (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Investigation Begins Into West Virginia’s Broadband Incompetence - Overpriced Routers, Overpaid Consultants, Verizon’s Fingerprints (Broadband Reports)

Google’s Schmidt Says Google Fiber a ‘Real Business’ for the Company (Washington Post)

U-S Leads Western Snub of United Nations Telecommunications Treaty (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Derek Kilmer Names Congressional Staff (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

State Representative-Elect Drew MacEwen Named to House Committees (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Brief Window of Dryness Before an Active Weather Weekend (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

Obama Won’t Go After Washington over Marijuana (KING-TV, Seattle)

Construction Companies Deny Starting Taylor Bridge Fire near Ellensburg (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Belfair, Tahuya Fire Districts Look at Forming Regional Fire Authority (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Mason County Non-Profit Group Awarded Education Grant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Noisy Glaciers Are an Annoyance to Scientists Studying Mt. Rainier (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Five Ways to Recover Faster from ‘The Big One’ (Northwest Public Radio)

DIVERSIONS

The Wienermobile Rolls into South Sound (well the region, anyway)

Oregon Zoo Beaver Waves to Young Visitor

Huge DNA Code of the Christmas Tree Being Revealed (Associated Press)

Whoa: Physicists Testing to See if Universe Is a Computer Simulation

SONG OF THE DAY

Matrix Reloaded Soundtrack - Furious Angels