Energy News Digest for February 27, 20123

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.

Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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http://twitter.com/energydigest

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 5, 2013

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/02/energy-news-digest-word-cloud-for_27.html

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Climate Change May Dry Up Important U-S Reservoirs (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/josephromm/191396/study-climate-change-may-dry-important-us-reservoirs-lake-powell-and-lake-mead

Benton PUD to Postpone April Rate Increase (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/02/27/2290886/benton-pud-electric-rates-will.html

Mason County PUD 3 Releases Harstine Island Cable Video (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/9331

Klamath County Votes to Withdraw from Water Restoration Agreement (Associated Press)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/news/sevendays/29503033-47/agreement-klamath-county-voted-board.html.csp

Geothermal Energy Development Picking Up Steam (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/geothermal-energy-development-picking-up-steam/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Benton PUD to Postpone April Rate Increase
• Mason County PUD 3 Releases Harstine Island Cable Video
• See Full Harstine Cable Video Here
• Cold Spell Leads to Steep Cowlitz PUD Bills for January
• Oregon - Residents Surprised When Bonneville Power Administration Shows Up to Cut Down Trees
• Spring Ahead! Snohomish PUD Reminds You to Plan for Outdoor Projects
• At $1.2 Billion - Pacific Gas & Electric to Upgrade San Francisco Power Grid
• Suit Challenges FERC Authority to Fine Other Federal Agencies for Reliability Violations
• California Girds for Electricity Woes - Increased Reliance on Wind, Solar Power Means Power Production Fluctuates
• Arizona Still a Nuclear State with Palo Verde Pumping Out Power
• Peabody Energy Says U-S Regulators Investigating Illinois Power-Plant Project
• Grant PUD Moves Forward with Building Salmon Hatchery
• Klamath County Votes to Withdraw from Water Restoration Agreement
• Montana - Flathead Lake is Now Eight Feet from Full Pool
• Geothermal Energy Development Picking Up Steam
• Big Savings for Going Solar with Franklin County PUD
• Colorado - Boulder Steps Closer to Creating Clean Energy-based Municipal Utility
• First Solar’s New World Record for Solar Cell Efficiency & Why It’s Important
• Hawaii Electric Issues RFP to Jump-Start Renewables on Oahu
• Bills Target Renewable Energy Standards in Three States
• Surplus Wind Power Could Cost Ontario Ratepayers Up to $200 Million
• Wireless Power Monitor Snitches to Your Smartphone about Your Energy Waste
• Climate Change May Dry Up Important U-S Reservoirs
• Fiber Cable Subcontractor in Deadly Kansas City Blast Lacked Permit
• Canada - Telus to Acquire Electronic Medical Records Provider, Bring More Doctors Online
• New Type of Grassroots Organizing
• Stabenow to Head Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy
• Washington State Admits Costly Mistakes on 520 Bridge
• Boeing, SPEEA Contract Dispute near Resolution
• More Work to be Done on Long-Delayed Update to Mason County Shoreline Plan
• Mason County Firefighters to Climb Columbia Tower

WORD OF THE DAY

Reprobate • \REP-roe-bayt\ • Transitive Verb - 1: to condemn strongly as unworthy, unacceptable, or evil 2: to foreordain to damnation 3: to refuse to accept: reject

“Rooster you reprobate,” shrilled Miss Hannigan at her no-good younger brother.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Benton PUD to Postpone April Rate Increase (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/02/27/2290886/benton-pud-electric-rates-will.html

Mason County PUD 3 Releases Harstine Island Cable Video (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/9331

See Full Harstine Cable Video Here (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a14rthvwkzo

Cold Spell Leads to Steep Cowlitz PUD Bills for January (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/cold-spell-leads-to-steep-pud-bills-for-january/article_9d72cd58-807e-11e2-adf7-001a4bcf887a.html

Oregon - Residents Surprised When Bonneville Power Administration Shows Up to Cut Down Trees (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Residents-surprised-when-BPA-shows-up-to-cut-down-trees-193454801.html

Spring Ahead! Snohomish PUD Reminds You to Plan for Outdoor Projects (South Everett Beacon, WA)

http://south-everett.villagesoup.com/p/spring-ahead-pud-reminds-you-to-plan-for-outdoor-projects/967976

At $1.2 Billion - Pacific Gas & Electric to Upgrade San Francisco Power Grid (SF Chronicle, CA)

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/PG-amp-E-to-upgrade-S-F-power-grid-4311145.php

Suit Challenges FERC Authority to Fine Other Federal Agencies for Reliability Violations (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=208624&issueID=26962

California Girds for Electricity Woes - Increased Reliance on Wind, Solar Power Means Power Production Fluctuates (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323699704578328581251122150.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Arizona Still a Nuclear State with Palo Verde Pumping Out Power (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/business/2013/02/arizona-still-a-nuclear-state-with.html

Peabody Energy Says U-S Regulators Investigating Illinois Power-Plant Project (Associated Press)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/peabody-energy-says-us-regulators-investigating-power-plant-project-1.80993

FISH & WILDLIFE

Grant PUD Moves Forward with Building Salmon Hatchery (iFiber News, Ephrata, WA)

http://www.ifiberone.com/news/grantcounty/article_81b369e2-807e-11e2-b734-0019bb30f31a.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Klamath County Votes to Withdraw from Water Restoration Agreement (Associated Press)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/news/sevendays/29503033-47/agreement-klamath-county-voted-board.html.csp

Montana - Flathead Lake is Now Eight Feet from Full Pool (Big Fork Eagle, MT)

http://www.flatheadnewsgroup.com/bigforkeagle/news/local/article_c84cc13e-806d-11e2-b05e-0019bb2963f4.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Geothermal Energy Development Picking Up Steam (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://www.opb.org/news/article/geothermal-energy-development-picking-up-steam/

Big Savings for Going Solar with Franklin County PUD (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/21392091/big-savings-for-going-solar

Colorado - Boulder Steps Closer to Creating Clean Energy-based Municipal Utility (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/02/boulder-steps-closer-to-creating-clean-energy-based-municipal-utility?cmpid=rss

First Solar’s New World Record for Solar Cell Efficiency & Why It’s Important (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2013/02/26/first-solars-new-world-record-for-solar-cell-efficiency-and-why-its-important/

Hawaii Electric Issues RFP to Jump-Start Renewables on Oahu (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

http://www.energynaturalresourceslaw.com/2013/02/hawaii-electric-issues-rfp-to-jump-start-renewables-on-oahu.html

Bills Target Renewable Energy Standards in Three States (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2013/02/27/bills-target-renewable-energy-standards-in-three-states/

Surplus Wind Power Could Cost Ontario Ratepayers Up to $200 Million (Toronto Star, Ontario)

http://www.thestar.com/business/2013/02/26/surplus_wind_power_could_cost_ontario_ratepayers_up_to_200_million_ieso.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Wireless Power Monitor Snitches to Your Smartphone about Your Energy Waste (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5987291/wireless-power-monitor-snitches-to-your-smartphone-about-your-energy-waste

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change May Dry Up Important U-S Reservoirs (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/josephromm/191396/study-climate-change-may-dry-important-us-reservoirs-lake-powell-and-lake-mead

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Fiber Cable Subcontractor in Deadly Kansas City Blast Lacked Permit (Associated Press)

http://www.hdnews.net/Story/k2188-BC-US-KansasCity-PlazaF-2ndLd-Writethru-02-25-0787

Canada - Telus to Acquire Electronic Medical Records Provider, Bring More Doctors Online (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/telus-to-acquire-electronic-medical-records-provider-bring-more-doctors-online-1.80953

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

New Type of Grassroots Organizing (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/annual-meeting-articles-2013/special-features-2013/new-type-of-grassroots-organizing/53260

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Stabenow to Head Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=208644&issueID=26962

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Admits Costly Mistakes on 520 Bridge (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020439320_520pontoonscostsxml.html

Boeing, SPEEA Contract Dispute near Resolution (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020438864_boeingspeeaxml.html

More Work to be Done on Long-Delayed Update to Mason County Shoreline Plan (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/feb/25/more-work-to-be-done-on-long-delayed-update-to/

Mason County Firefighters to Climb Columbia Tower (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/9324#.US0Uy8bK6Gs.gmail

DIVERSIONS

Burmese Pythons Prove Elusive Prey in Florida Challenge

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/feb/26/burmese-pythons-prove-elusive-prey-in-challenge/

Pig Saves Goat - Really Cute, but Totally Faked

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/arts/television/pig-rescues-goat-and-the-video-is-really-cute-but-totally-faked.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

What the White House Looks Like Completely Gutted

http://mashable.com/2013/02/26/white-house-remodel-photos/

Man Arrested after Calling 911 Nine Times Trying to Order a Cheeseburger

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/man-arrested-calling-911-nine-times-trying-order-002943552.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain – Fly Me Off the Handel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTIv8hP-UIA