Thursday, February 28, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 28, 2013


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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THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 28, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Judge Rules Eyman Washington State Two-Thirds Tax Initiative Unconstitutional (Associated Press)

Grant PUD Celebrates 75th Year with Renewed Community Focus (Wenatchee World, WA)

U-S House Unanimous on McMorris Rodgers Hydropower Bill (Wenatchee World, WA)

Let’s Hear it for NoaNet - Rural Broadband Project Aims to Bridge ‘Digital Divide’: Federal stimulus funds are helping Columbia & Garfield counties modernize communication systems (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

SoloPower Confirms Layoffs as Company Restructures, Struggles Mount (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Grant PUD Celebrates 75th Year with Renewed Community Focus
  • U-S House Unanimous on McMorris Rodgers Hydropower Bill
  • Mason County PUD 3’s “K” Street Property Sold – Site of Former Warehouse, Operations
  • Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for February 26, 2013
  • Editorial - In Olympia, More Proposed Pension Creep
  • Outgoing Energy Secretary - A Pep Talk on Energy Innovation
  • Maryland Commission Orders Power Utilities to Improve
  • White House Official: Power Grid Upgrades Needed to Mitigate Extreme Weather
  • Japan to Begin Restarting Idled Nuclear Plants, Leader Says
  • TransAlta Generates Higher Fourth-Quarter Earnings on Acquisition, Lower Costs
  • Missouri - Volunteers Organize Dinner for Boone County Electric Linemen
  • Puget Sound Coho Salmon Hitch Ride to New Saltwater Home
  • Salmon-Minded Pesticide Study Can’t Pass Muster
  • Mason County Will Stay in Hood Canal Council
  • EPA Releases $305 Million Draft Clean Up Plan for Seattle’s Duwamish River
  • Work Underway on Fixing Elwha Water Treatment Plant
  • SoloPower Confirms Layoffs as Company Restructures, Struggles Mount
  • Falling Costs Could Mean a Bright Future for Solar Panels
  • Feds Must Still Defend Blocked Oregon Wind Farm
  • Lectures Take Fresh Look at Biomass
  • Massachusetts – Editorial: Solar Project Clouds Hatfield Neighborhood
  • New Lights Shine on Everett’s Art District
  • Could a Quiet Sun Cancel Global Warming?
  • Washington State Lawmakers Weigh Penalties for Blocking Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
  • Store Owners Say Plastic Bag Ban Causes More Shoplifting
  • Let’s Hear it for NoaNet - Rural Broadband Project Aims to Bridge ‘Digital Divide’
  • Broadband Subsidies Hammered on Hill - Republicans Square Off with NTIA’s Strickling over BTOP
  • Survey Finds Gap in Internet Access between Rich, Poor Students
  • iCloud Had a Big Hiccup this Morning, Several Services Still Experiencing Problems
  • Wireless Connections Creep into Everyday Things
  • Seriously, That’s Your Password?
  • A New Angle for Paper, Taking Its Place in a Wi-Fi Society
  • Washington State GOP Set to Block Higher Gasoline Tax
  • Why March First Isn’t Congress’s Last Chance to Amend ‘Sequester’ Cuts
  • Official Fined for Moonlighting on the Job; Washington State Senator Wants Her Fired
  • Judge Rules Eyman Washington State Two-Thirds Tax Initiative Unconstitutional
  • Inslee Demands Feds Clean Up Nuclear Waste from Leaking Hanford Tanks
  • Green Diamond Appealing Denial of Lake Nahwatzel Rezone
  • Hupp to Run for Shelton Port Commission Re-Election
  • City of McCleary Staff Signed Non-Disclosure Agreements on Property Sale
  • Oregon, Washington Teen Drivers Among Safest As U-S Traffic Deaths Spike
  • Lawyer Expects Seattle to Pay for His Fancy Dinners, Travel & Booze

WORD OF THE DAY

Expunge • \ix-SPUNJ\ • Verb - 1: to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion 2: to efface completely: destroy 3: to eliminate (as a memory) from one’s consciousness.

In a little known dispute from the creation of the musical “South Pacific,” Oscar Hammerstein II was known to have been unduly fascinated with words from the parliamentary procedure bible, “Robert’s Rules of Order.” So much so, that it generated a full blown, knock down drag out fight with Richard Rodgers over the song “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.” Oscar wanted it to read “Expunge that Man Right Outa My Life.” A black eye from the right fist of Richard decided the matter, and a classic song was rescued from procedural oversight.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Grant PUD Celebrates 75th Year with Renewed Community Focus (Wenatchee World, WA)

U-S House Unanimous on McMorris Rodgers Hydropower Bill (Wenatchee World, WA)

Mason County PUD 3’s “K” Street Property Sold – Site of Former Warehouse, Operations (Mason Web-TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for February 26, 2013 (Mason County PUD No. 3, Shelton, WA)

Editorial - In Olympia, More Proposed Pension Creep (Seattle Times, WA)

Outgoing Energy Secretary - A Pep Talk on Energy Innovation (NY Times)

Maryland Commission Orders Power Utilities to Improve (Bloomberg Businessweek)

White House Official: Power Grid Upgrades Needed to Mitigate Extreme Weather (The Hill, Washington, DC)

Japan to Begin Restarting Idled Nuclear Plants, Leader Says (NY Times)

TransAlta Generates Higher Fourth-Quarter Earnings on Acquisition, Lower Costs (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Missouri - Volunteers Organize Dinner for Boone County Electric Linemen (The Columia Missourian, MO)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Puget Sound Coho Salmon Hitch Ride to New Saltwater Home (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Salmon-Minded Pesticide Study Can’t Pass Muster (Courthouse News Service)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County Will Stay in Hood Canal Council (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

EPA Releases $305 Million Draft Clean Up Plan for Seattle’s Duwamish River (Northwest Public Radio)

Work Underway on Fixing Elwha Water Treatment Plant (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

SoloPower Confirms Layoffs as Company Restructures, Struggles Mount (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Falling Costs Could Mean a Bright Future for Solar Panels - Even in sun-starved Western Washington, photovoltaics can pay for themselves in seven years (Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, WA)

Feds Must Still Defend Blocked Oregon Wind Farm (Courthouse News Service)

Lectures Take Fresh Look at Biomass (Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR)

Massachusetts – Editorial: Solar Project Clouds Hatfield Neighborhood (Daily Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, MA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

New Lights Shine on Everett’s Art District (Everett Herald, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Could a Quiet Sun Cancel Global Warming? (Washington Post)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State Lawmakers Weigh Penalties for Blocking Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (Olympian, WA)

Store Owners Say Plastic Bag Ban Causes More Shoplifting (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Let’s Hear it for NoaNet - Rural Broadband Project Aims to Bridge ‘Digital Divide’: Federal stimulus funds are helping Columbia & Garfield counties modernize communication systems (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)

Broadband Subsidies Hammered on Hill - Republicans Square Off with NTIA’s Strickling over BTOP (Broadcasting & Cable)

Survey Finds Gap in Internet Access between Rich, Poor Students (Washington Post)

iCloud Had a Big Hiccup this Morning, Several Services Still Experiencing Problems (GigaOM)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Wireless Connections Creep into Everyday Things (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Seriously, That’s Your Password? (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

A New Angle for Paper, Taking Its Place in a Wi-Fi Society (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State GOP Set to Block Higher Gasoline Tax (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Why March First Isn’t Congress’s Last Chance to Amend ‘Sequester’ Cuts (Christian Science Monitor)

Official Fined for Moonlighting on the Job; Washington State Senator Wants Her Fired (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Judge Rules Eyman Washington State Two-Thirds Tax Initiative Unconstitutional (Associated Press)

Link to Tax Vote Ruling (Washington State Supreme Court)

Inslee Demands Feds Clean Up Nuclear Waste from Leaking Hanford Tanks (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Green Diamond Appealing Denial of Lake Nahwatzel Rezone (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Hupp to Run for Shelton Port Commission Re-Election (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

City of McCleary Staff Signed Non-Disclosure Agreements on Property Sale (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Oregon, Washington Teen Drivers Among Safest As U-S Traffic Deaths Spike (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Lawyer Expects Seattle to Pay for His Fancy Dinners, Travel & Booze (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Van Cliburn, Famed Pianist, Dies at 78

Hawaiians Have Highest Well-Being Rating for 4th Year

Dog Won’t Face Charges for Shooting Its Master

Student Hides in Locker, Stunned by Thief She Catches

SONG OF THE DAY

Van Cliburn - Rachmaninoff Prelude No.5 in D major