Friday, December 21, 2012

Energy News Digest for December 21, 2012


Holiday Greetings from the Energy News Digest

As we near the end…of this year, I want to express my thanks to everyone who has commented on stories or made suggestions about how the news digest can better serve their needs. May your Christmas and New Year celebrations live up to the expectations inherent in the season.

BTW, the news digest will be enjoying hot buttered rum on Monday, and trying to dispose of wrapping paper in an ecologically sensitive way on Christmas. It will return, woozy and content on Wednesday morning.

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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Mason County PUD No. 1 Makes Strides in Electricity Restoration Push (Mason County PUD No. 1)

FERC Upholds Previous Wind Power Ruling, Asks BPA for Equitable Cost-Sharing Plan (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Editorial - Saving Columbia Basin Salmon Requires a Boost in the Northwest’s Focus & Ingenuity (Oregonian, Portland)

Wyden – Oregon’s U-S Senator Introduces Broadband Cap Bill (Broadband Reports)

Mason County - Winter Weather Advisory Dec. 21 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Mason County PUD 1 Makes Strides in Electricity Restoration Push (
  • Mason County PUD 3 Crews Restore Electricity for 65 Dewatto–Area Customers
  • Power Still Out for 2,000 Lake Wenatchee Area Customers as Trees Continue to Fall
  • Oregon Utility Commission Shrinks Pacificorp Rate Hike
  • 56 Avista Employees Approved for Buy-Out
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Customers Get Bill for Gas Rebuild
  • New Mexico State Regulators Halt Cooperative Rate Hikes, Call for Hearing
  • Long Island Power Authority Faces Commission
  • Ameren to Exit Power-Generation Business
  • How Utilities Can Turn Pilots into Partnerships
  • Editorial - Saving Columbia Basin Salmon Requires a Boost in the Northwest’s Focus & Ingenuity
  • Sand Building Up Bars at Elwha River Mouth
  • Boil-Water Advisory Issued in North Mason
  • EPA Arrests Longview Septic Business Owner Accused of Dumping Violations
  • FERC Upholds Previous Wind Power Ruling, Asks BPA for Equitable Cost-Sharing Plan
  • World Trade Organization Says Canada Green Energy Scheme Broke Trade Rules
  • Why It’s the End of the Line for Wind Power
  • The ‘Most Tested Light Bulb in History’
  • Why Renters Use More Electricity
  • Burbank Utility Saves the Walt Disney Co. $23,000
  • California Residential Utility Customers to See a ‘Climate Dividend’
  • 72 Percent of Bids at California’s Carbon Auction Came from One Company’s Mistake
  • Is Nuclear Power Necessary for Solving Climate Change?
  • Electric Cars, Plug-In Hybrids Gain Sales
  • Wyden – Oregon’s U-S Senator Introduces Broadband Cap Bill
  • ‘The Basement’: Subterranean Visit to Pittock Building Yields Mementos of Bygone Age
  • Homes for Hackers Experiments with ‘Fiber Tourism’
  • Washington Supreme Court: Legislature Failing at Education Funding
  • Democrats in Washington State Senate to Ask Lt. Governor to Help Shift Power to New Majority
  • Congressman-Elect Heck Wins Seat at House Budget Committee
  • Congressman-Elect Kilmer Earns House Armed Services Committee Appointment
  • Mason County - Winter Weather Advisory Dec. 21
  • Highway 101 in Hood Canal Area Reopened
  • Mason County Golf Course “Salish Cliffs” Named to Golfweek Top 10
  • A Helium Shortage Leads to Fewer Balloons in the Sky
  • Ad in New York Times Thanks Washington Voters for Drug Reform’s “Best Year Ever”

WORD OF THE DAY

Hagiography • \hagg-ee-AW-gruh-fee\ • noun - 1: biography of saints or venerated persons 2: idealizing or idolizing biography.

“Write a book about me that leaves out the ‘naughty bits,’” extolled Stalin to his trembling biographer. “I guess I’m gonna have to pad this hagiography with LOTS of pictures,” the mousy, bespectacled ghost writer murmured to himself. “Otherwise this will be one thin volume.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Mason County PUD No. 1 Makes Strides in Electricity Restoration Push (Mason County PUD No. 1)

Mason County PUD 3 Crews Restore Electricity for 65 Dewatto–Area Customers (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Power Still Out for 2,000 Lake Wenatchee Area Customers as Trees Continue to Fall (Wenatchee World, WA)

Oregon Utility Commission Shrinks Pacificorp Rate Hike (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

56 Avista Employees Approved for Buy-Out (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Customers Get Bill for Gas Rebuild (SF Chronicle)

New Mexico State Regulators Halt Cooperative Rate Hikes, Call for Hearing (Taos News, NM)

Long Island Power Authority Faces Commission (National Public Radio)

Ameren to Exit Power-Generation Business (Chicago Business Journal, IL)
http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2012/12/20/ameren-to-exit-power-generation.html

How Utilities Can Turn Pilots into Partnerships (Christian Science Monitor)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Editorial - Saving Columbia Basin Salmon Requires a Boost in the Northwest’s Focus & Ingenuity (Oregonian, Portland)

Sand Building Up Bars at Elwha River Mouth (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Boil-Water Advisory Issued in North Mason (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

EPA Arrests Longview Septic Business Owner Accused of Dumping Violations (Longview Daily News, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

FERC Upholds Previous Wind Power Ruling, Asks BPA for Equitable Cost-Sharing Plan (Sustainable Business Oregon)

World Trade Organization Says Canada Green Energy Scheme Broke Trade Rules (Reuters)

Why It’s the End of the Line for Wind Power (Forbes Magazine)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

The ‘Most Tested Light Bulb in History’ (Northwest Public Radio)

Why Renters Use More Electricity (NY Times)

Burbank Utility Saves the Walt Disney Co. $23,000 (American Public Power Association)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Residential Utility Customers to See a ‘Climate Dividend’ (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

72 Percent of Bids at California’s Carbon Auction Came from One Company’s Mistake (Grist Online)

Is Nuclear Power Necessary for Solving Climate Change? (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/dec/21/nuclear-power-necessary-climate-change

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Cars, Plug-In Hybrids Gain Sales (SF Chronicle)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wyden – Oregon’s U-S Senator Introduces Broadband Cap Bill (Broadband Reports)

‘The Basement’: Subterranean Visit to Pittock Building Yields Mementos of Bygone Age (Oregonian, Portland)

Homes for Hackers Experiments with ‘Fiber Tourism’ (Kansas City Business Journal, MO)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Supreme Court: Legislature Failing at Education Funding (Associated Press)

Democrats In Washington State Senate to Ask Lt. Governor to Help Shift Power to New Majority (Olympian, WA)

Congressman-Elect Heck Wins Seat at House Budget Committee (Olympian, WA)

Congressman-Elect Kilmer Earns House Armed Services Committee Appointment (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County - Winter Weather Advisory Dec. 21 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Highway 101 in Hood Canal Area Reopened (Associated Press)

Mason County Golf Course “Salish Cliffs” Named to Golfweek Top 10 (South Sound Business Examiner)

A Helium Shortage Leads to Fewer Balloons in the Sky (NY Times)

Ad in New York Times Thanks Washington Voters for Drug Reform’s “Best Year Ever” (Seattle Times)

DIVERSIONS

One-Third of Pacific Northwesterners Believe in Bigfoot

Teacher Inherits $7 Million in Gold Coins from Reclusive Cousin

The Real Brothers Grimm Were Stranger than Fiction

NASA Once Planned to Feed Astronauts Emergency Fruitcake

SONG OF THE DAY

Brenda White - Christmas in the Northwest

Charlotte Church & Josh Groban - The Prayer