Monday, February 25, 2013

Energy News Digest for February 25, 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.

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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD (JUST BECAUSE I CAN)

Energy News Digest word cloud for February 25, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Drought Conditions Unlikely in Washington State This Year (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Traditionally Green Strategists Now Pushing Pacific Northwest Coal Ports (Seattle Times, WA)

Snohomish PUD’s Studies Support Proposed Mini-Dam on Skykomish River (Everett Herald, WA)

If Forecasts Are Right, The Columbia Will be Great for Salmon Fishing (Seattle Times, WA)

Microsoft’s Azure Service Breaks Down After Company Lets Online Security Certificate Expire (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Traditionally Green Strategists Now Pushing Pacific Northwest Coal Ports
  • Editorial: Demand Rebates for Victims of California Energy Scams
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Boosts Training after Electrocutions
  • FERC: Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project in California
  • The Ant, the Grasshopper & Electricity Prices in New England
  • Chesapeake Energy Sells Stake in Oklahoma Land to China’s Sinopec for $1.02 Billion
  • Sparks Fly in New Hampshire over Hydro-Quebec’s Northern Pass Power Line - Designed to bring hydropower to the Northwest U-S
  • Energy Secretary Chu to Return to Stanford
  • U-S Supreme Court Narrows Antitrust Exemptions for Local Government Entities
  • Touchstone Energy Cooperative Marks 15 Years
  • If Forecasts Are Right, The Columbia Will be Great for Salmon Fishing
  • Editorial - Thumbs Up to Federal Judge for Common-Sense Ruling on Sea Lions
  • Drought Conditions Unlikely in Washington State This Year
  • Montana Judge Strikes Down Significant Component of Proposed Tribal Water Rights Compact
  • Snohomish PUD’s Studies Support Proposed Mini-Dam on Skykomish River
  • Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm’s $30 Million in Tax Credits Will Be Reviewed by Oregon Energy Department
  • U-S Court Dismisses Chinese Firm’s Claims against Obama over Wind Farm
  • A New Hope in Energy Storage? Tests at Bonneville Power Administration’s Ross Complex could be key to solving Northwest power grid woes
  • Renewable Energy Law - Greens Versus the Poor: Washington State’s 2006 Initiative is Creating Problems That Will Burden Electricity Consumers
  • British Columbia - Work Continues on Huge Electrical Generation Plant at Harmac
  • Maryland, District of Columbia Utilities Pay Paper Mills Burning ‘Black Liquor’ for Alternative Fuel Credits
  • Washington State Installing LED Lights on Highway 101 Next Week
  • Shedding Light on the Types of Bulbs
  • Pennsylvania - Energy Audit Helpful Step in Improving Home’s Efficiency
  • California’s Second Carbon Permit Auction Beats Expectations
  • Congress Should Aim for Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Energy Bills That Address Other Topics, APPA Says
  • Flipping The Switch: What it Takes to Prioritize Electric Cars
  • NASA: A Nuclear Reactor to Replace Your Water Heater
  • Microsoft’s Azure Service Breaks Down After Company Lets Online Security Certificate Expire
  • Google expands free Wi-Fi in The Dalles
  • GM Bringing 4G Broadband to New Autos in 2014 with AT&T
  • Twitter Hackings Put Focus on Security for Brands
  • No Surprises on Deadline Day as Policy Bills Live & Die, but Senate Democrats Raise a Ruckus
  • Editorial - In Defense of Rogue Washington State Senators Rodney Tom & Tim Sheldon
  • Washington State Could Lose Millions if Feds Don’t Reach Budget Deal
  • Kate Upton & Ryan Gosling Explain the Sequester
  • Snohomish County Exec - Aaron Reardon’s Swift Rise Comes to an Abrupt End
  • Bell, California - Using the “Dumb” Defense: Mayor in Corruption Case is Uneducated
  • Six Leaking Tanks Are Hanford Nuke Site’s Latest Woe
  • Plundering of Timber Lucrative for Thieves, A Problem for Washington State
  • Quinault Indian Nation Suing Neighboring School Districts, Including Mary M. Knight, for Discrimination
  • Director of Democrats’ Campaign Group in Washington State under Investigation
  • Seattle Times to Begin Charging for Online Access

WORD OF THE DAY

Roseate • \ROZE-ee-ut\ • Adjective - 1: resembling a rose especially in having a pink color 2: overly optimistic: viewed favorably

Barbara smirked at the overoptimistic view of her companion regarding the energy savings from latest window installation. “The company promised I would save up to sixty percent off my electricity bill with these quintuple-paned windows,” the fresh-faced homeowner enthused. “Interesting that you would have such a roseate outlook on your $60,000 purchase,” Babs cooed, “Especially since you heat with natural gas.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Traditionally Green Strategists Now Pushing Pacific Northwest Coal Ports (Seattle Times, WA)

Editorial: Demand Rebates for Victims of California Energy Scams (Riverside Press-Enterprise, CA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Boosts Training after Electrocutions (SF Chronicle, CA)

FERC: Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project in California (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

The Ant, the Grasshopper & Electricity Prices in New England (NY Times)

Chesapeake Energy Sells Stake in Oklahoma Land to China’s Sinopec for $1.02 Billion (Associated Press)

Sparks Fly in New Hampshire over Hydro-Quebec’s Northern Pass Power Line - Designed to bring hydropower to the Northwest U-S (Toronto Star, Ontario)

Energy Secretary Chu to Return to Stanford (Associated Press)

U-S Supreme Court Narrows Antitrust Exemptions for Local Government Entities (GTH Energy & Natural Resources Law Blog)

Touchstone Energy Cooperative Marks 15 Years (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

If Forecasts Are Right, The Columbia Will be Great for Salmon Fishing (Seattle Times, WA)

Editorial - Thumbs Up to Federal Judge for Common-Sense Ruling on Sea Lions (Tri-City Herald, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Drought Conditions Unlikely in Washington State This Year (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Montana Judge Strikes Down Significant Component of Proposed Tribal Water Rights Compact (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Snohomish PUD’s Studies Support Proposed Mini-Dam on Skykomish River (Everett Herald, WA)

Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm’s $30 Million in Tax Credits Will Be Reviewed by Oregon Energy Department (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

U-S Court Dismisses Chinese Firm’s Claims against Obama over Wind Farm (Reuters)

A New Hope in Energy Storage? Tests at Bonneville Power Administration’s Ross Complex could be key to solving Northwest power grid woes (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Renewable Energy Law - Greens Versus the Poor: Washington State’s 2006 Initiative is Creating Problems That Will Burden Electricity Consumers (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

British Columbia - Work Continues on Huge Electrical Generation Plant at Harmac (Nanaimo Daily News, BC)

Maryland, District of Columbia Utilities Pay Paper Mills Burning ‘Black Liquor’ for Alternative Fuel Credits (Washington Post)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Washington State Installing LED Lights on Highway 101 Next Week (Olympian, WA)

Shedding Light on the Types of Bulbs (The Energy Collective)

Pennsylvania - Energy Audit Helpful Step in Improving Home’s Efficiency (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California’s Second Carbon Permit Auction Beats Expectations (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Congress Should Aim for Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Energy Bills That Address Other Topics, APPA Says (American Public Power Association)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Flipping The Switch: What it Takes to Prioritize Electric Cars (National Public Radio)

NASA: A Nuclear Reactor to Replace Your Water Heater (Forbes Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft’s Azure Service Breaks Down After Company Lets Online Security Certificate Expire (Associated Press)

Google expands free Wi-Fi in The Dalles (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

GM Bringing 4G Broadband to New Autos in 2014 with AT&T (Bloomberg News)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter Hackings Put Focus on Security for Brands (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

No Surprises on Deadline Day as Policy Bills Live & Die, but Senate Democrats Raise a Ruckus (Washington Wire, Olympia, WA)

Editorial - In Defense of Rogue Washington State Senators Rodney Tom & Tim Sheldon (Seattle Times, WA)

Washington State Could Lose Millions if Feds Don’t Reach Budget Deal (Seattle Times, WA)

Kate Upton & Ryan Gosling Explain the Sequester (Gawker – Very clever, but note the comment section may contain PG-13 language)

Snohomish County Exec - Aaron Reardon’s Swift Rise Comes to an Abrupt End (Seattle Times, WA)

Bell, California - Using the “Dumb” Defense: Mayor in Corruption Case is Uneducated (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Six Leaking Tanks Are Hanford Nuke Site’s Latest Woe (Associated Press)

Plundering of Timber Lucrative for Thieves, A Problem for Washington State (Seattle Times, WA)

Quinault Indian Nation Suing Neighboring School Districts, Including Mary M. Knight, for Discrimination (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Director of Democrats’ Campaign Group in Washington State under Investigation (Associated Press)

Seattle Times to Begin Charging for Online Access (KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Woman ‘Shot’ & Wounded as She Cooks a Snack after Bullets Left in Her OVEN Explode


California School District Sued over Yoga Program – “…the…classes are inherently religious, in violation of the separation between church & state…”

Fragments of Ancient Continent Buried under Indian Ocean

Dope Tests in Ice Fishing? No, Beer Doesn’t Count

SONG OF THE DAY