Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Energy News Digest for October 6, 2010


To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news and notices: https://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Oregon - Four Men Sentenced for Shooting down High Voltage BPA Power Lines near Lebanon (Lebanon Express, OR)

Reward Offered in Theft of Scrap Metal from Bonneville Power Substation in Pierce County (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Port Townsend Biomass Energy Project Elicits 200 Comments - more to come after second comment period ends Friday (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

For Those Near, the Miserable Hum of Clean Energy (NY Times)

House Fire Shuts Down Highway 3 Near Belfair (KING-TV, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Oregon - Four Men Sentenced for Shooting down High Voltage BPA Power Lines near Lebanon
·         Reward Offered in Theft of Scrap Metal from Bonneville Power Substation in Pierce County
·         Cash-Strapped Chelan County PUD Considers Rate Increase
·         A World of Opportunity - Hydro is high on the global agenda
·         Colorado - Xcel's Clean Air Plan Hits Snag
·         What's the Best Way to Promote Safer, Cleaner Energy?
·         Iran Denies Malware Connection to Nuclear Power Plant Delay
·         Five Tribes, Including Cowlitz & Makah Get NOAA Money for Imperiled Species
·         Editorial - It's a Bad Idea to Cut Back on Salmon Hatchery Production
·         US Department of Interior Denies Protection for California Fish Species
·         Study to Focus on Skokomish River Flooding
·         Flood Concerns Rise as Water Storage is Lowered Behind Willamette Valley Dams
·         Drought Means No Vegetable Garden for Klamath Basin Food Bank
·         Smart Water Meters Catch On in Iowa
·         Port Townsend Biomass Energy Project Elicits 200 Comments
·         Editorial - Forest Debris as 'Gold' - Unless the US Says No
·         Central Oregon - Benefits Flow from Canal Hydro Project
·         Tacoma Students Captivated By Solar Power Display
·         For Those Near, the Miserable Hum of Clean Energy
·         US Military Champions Green Energy
·         Expert Says Texas Is Getting Hotter Due to Global Warming
·         California Initiative A Test For National Climate Law
·         Toyota Shows Smart-Grid Technology for Its Plug-In Hybrid
·         An Electric Car Charging Station in Every Everett Garage?
·         Chelan County PUD - Faster Fiber Speeds and Rates Approved
·         Yahoo's Data Center Chief Draws Lessons from Century-Old Tech
·         Facebook Outage Hits Many Users - Twitter Use Skyrockets Amid Outage
·         Apple Challenges $625.5 Million Patent-Infringement Award
·         Internet Explorer Dips Back Below 60% Market Share
·         Port of Shelton Discontinues Workshop Meetings
·         Credit Cards Authorized for Thurston County Property Taxes
·         House Fire Shuts Down Highway 3 Near Belfair
·         Olympic National Forest to Begin Prescribed Burns
·         Community Colleges Learn Lessons in Doing More with Less
·         Loud Workplaces May Increase Heart Problems (Associated Press)

WORD OF THE DAY

Amok • \uh-MUCK\ • adverb - 1: in a murderously frenzied state 2a: in a violently raging manner b: in an undisciplined, uncontrolled, or faulty manner

Copy paper flew every direction, as the newly-minted copier repair technician ran amok in the cramped, dark and musty workroom. Every electrical outlet had been claimed by a cheap power strip, pigtailed to at least two others, jury-rigged to run a copier, fax machine, phone base station, microwave, coffee maker and (inexplicably) a rechargeable electric toothbrush.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Oregon - Four Men Sentenced for Shooting down High Voltage BPA Power Lines near Lebanon (Lebanon Express, OR)

Reward Offered in Theft of Scrap Metal from Bonneville Power Substation in Pierce County (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Cash-Strapped Chelan County PUD Considers Rate Increase (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

A World of Opportunity - Hydro is high on the global agenda as nations look to energize their economies, bring power to remote regions, and move toward clean, renewable generation. HRW looks at hydropower on each continent (Renewable Energy World)

Colorado - Xcel's Clean Air Plan Hits Snag (Denver Business Journal)

What's the Best Way to Promote Safer, Cleaner Energy? (Christian Science Monitor)

Iran Denies Malware Connection to Nuclear Power Plant Delay (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Five Tribes, Including Cowlitz & Makah Get NOAA Money for Imperiled Species (Associated Press)

Editorial - It's a Bad Idea to Cut Back on Salmon Hatchery Production (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

US Department of Interior Denies Protection for California Fish Species (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Study to Focus on Skokomish River Flooding - Sediment has been building for decades (Olympian, WA)

Flood Concerns Rise as Water Storage is Lowered Behind Willamette Valley Dams (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)

Drought Means No Vegetable Garden for Klamath Basin Food Bank (Associated Press)

Smart Water Meters Catch On in Iowa (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Townsend Biomass Energy Project Elicits 200 Comments - more to come after second comment period ends Friday (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Editorial - Forest Debris as 'Gold' - Unless the US Says No (Oregonian, Portland)

Central Oregon - Benefits Flow from Canal Hydro Project: Engineering Feat Propels Water Conservation & Green Power Cause (Cascade Business News, OR)

Tacoma Students Captivated By Solar Power Display (KING-TV, Seattle)

For Those Near, the Miserable Hum of Clean Energy (NY Times)

US Military Champions Green Energy (NY Times)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Expert Says Texas Is Getting Hotter Due to Global Warming (USA Today)

California Initiative A Test For National Climate Law (SF Chronicle)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Toyota Shows Smart-Grid Technology for Its Plug-In Hybrid (USA Today)

An Electric Car Charging Station in Every Everett Garage? (Everett Herald, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Chelan County PUD - Faster Fiber Speeds and Rates Approved (Wenatchee World, WA)

Yahoo's Data Center Chief Draws Lessons from Century-Old Tech (SF Chronicle)

Facebook Outage Hits Many Users - Twitter Use Skyrockets Amid Outage (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Apple Challenges $625.5 Million Patent-Infringement Award (Associated Press)

Internet Explorer Dips Back Below 60% Market Share (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Port of Shelton Discontinues Workshop Meetings (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Credit Cards Authorized for Thurston County Property Taxes (Olympian, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

House Fire Shuts Down Highway 3 Near Belfair (KING-TV, Seattle)

Olympic National Forest to Begin Prescribed Burns (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Community Colleges Learn Lessons in Doing More with Less (KING-TV, Seattle)

Loud Workplaces May Increase Heart Problems (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Perfume Protest: Teens Storm 'Toxic' Abercrombie & Fitch

Florida Man Denies Cocaine Found In Buttocks Is His

Disoriented 'Superhero' Arrested in Centralia

Getting Fired Is Bad; Setting Fire to Your Boss' Car Is, Well, Illegal For Starts

SONG OF THE DAY

The Silhouettes - Get a Job

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Energy News Digest for October 5, 2010

 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

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices: https://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Renewables Account for 11.14% of US Electricity Use - Largest single renewable energy source was biomass (including biofuels) which accounted for 50.66% of renewable energy production, followed by hydropower at 32.56% (Renewable Energy World)

First Phase of Street Lights Turned Off in Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

North Pacific ‘Overcrowded’ With Salmon as Population Soars (Globe & Mail)

Wind Farms to Bloom Across Eastern Oregon - Pentagon Drops Hold over Radar Issues (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

‘Take Winter by Storm’ Urges Preparations for Cold Weather (Seattle Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Renewables Account for 11.14% of US Electricity Use - hydropower at 32.56%
·         First Phase of Street Lights Turned Off in Shelton
·         Clallam PUD to hold hearings on budget, rate increase
·         New Mexico - PNM Ponders a (Small) Nuclear Future
·         Worldwide Pumped Storage Activity for Electricity Generation
·         Award for Tacoma Power Arborist
·         News Whiz - 79% Michigan Residents Want Electric Competition
·         North Pacific ‘Overcrowded’ With Salmon as Population Soars
·         Canada - The Short-Lived Invasion of the Salmon Snatchers
·         Editorial - More Time Needed to Consider Risks of ‘Super Salmon’
·         Study Will Examine Kitsap’s Water Supplies
·         How Much Pollution Falls Onto Puget Sound?
·         Washington State Urges Monitoring of Vancouver Waterfront Pollution by Alcoa
·         Hungary Sludge Flood from Alumina Plant Called ‘Ecological Disaster’
·         Wind Farms to Bloom Across Eastern Oregon
·         How Wind Turbines Affect Your (Very) Local Weather
·         Oregon Farmers Growing Biomass Crops for Energy
·         Would Tidal Turbines’ Electromagnetic Fields Affect Sea Life?
·         Everybody Loves Clean Energy, But No One Wants to Pay for It
·         Renewable Energies Push Up Electricity Prices in Germany
·         Bonneville Power Administration Tests Heat Pump Water Heaters in NW
·         Communication is the Key to Smart Homes
·         Are New LED Lightbulbs Worth Their Cost?
·         Puget Sound Water Levels - Next Step in Keeping Sea Out
·         University of Virginia Fight over Climate Documents Will Continue
·         Neanderthals’ Big Loss in Battle of the Elements
·         Here Comes the Sun: White House to Go Solar
·         General Electric Buys Company That Turns Waste Heat into Power
·         As Medical Waste Mounts, Hospitals Look for Ways to Go Green
·         Google Lines Up Internet TV Programming Partners
·         Marketers & Social Media: Cutting Through the Noise
·         $600,000 Shortfall in City of Shelton’s 2011 Budget
·         ‘Take Winter by Storm’ Urges Preparations for Cold Weather
·         Don’t Get Complacent About This Winter, Government Warns
·         New, $45 Million Tumwater Jail Sitting Empty

WORD OF THE DAY

Sigmoid • \SIG-moyd\ • adjective - 1a: curved like the letter C b: curved in two directions like the letter S 2: of, relating to, or being the sigmoid colon

The Skokomish River snaked across the flat, narrow valley over centuries, leaving barely visible evidence of its sigmoid bends and twists as it flowed into the wide, marshy delta on the lower bend of Hood Canal.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Renewables Account for 11.14% of US Electricity Use - Largest single renewable energy source was biomass (including biofuels) which accounted for 50.66% of renewable energy production, followed by hydropower at 32.56% (Renewable Energy World)

First Phase of Street Lights Turned Off in Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Clallam PUD to hold hearings on budget, rate increase (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

New Mexico - PNM Ponders a (Small) Nuclear Future (New Mexico Business Weekly)

Worldwide Pumped Storage Activity for Electricity Generation - The worldwide development & rehabilitation of pumped-storage projects reflects the health of clean, renewable power generation (Renewable Energy World)

Award for Tacoma Power Arborist (Tacoma Index, WA)

News Whiz - 79% Michigan Residents Want Electric Competition (Electric Energy Online)

FISH & WILDLIFE

North Pacific ‘Overcrowded’ With Salmon as Population Soars (Globe & Mail)

Canada - The Short-Lived Invasion of the Salmon Snatchers (Globe & Mail)

Editorial - More Time Needed to Consider Risks of ‘Super Salmon’ (Longview Daily News, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Study Will Examine Kitsap’s Water Supplies (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

How Much Pollution Falls Onto Puget Sound? (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Washington State Urges Monitoring of Vancouver Waterfront Pollution by Alcoa (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Hungary Sludge Flood from Alumina Plant Called ‘Ecological Disaster’ (USA Today)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind Farms to Bloom Across Eastern Oregon - Pentagon Drops Hold over Radar Issues (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

How Wind Turbines Affect Your (Very) Local Weather (Scientific American)

Oregon Farmers Growing Biomass Crops for Energy (Associated Press)

Would Tidal Turbines’ Electromagnetic Fields Affect Sea Life? Sequim Lab Wants to Know (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Everybody Loves Clean Energy, But No One Wants to Pay for It (NY Times)

Renewable Energies Push Up Electricity Prices in Germany - Electricity prices in Germany have gone up by over two percent in the first half of this year. Levies for renewable energies are increasingly contributing to the rise (DW World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bonneville Power Administration Tests Heat Pump Water Heaters in NW - Can Old Technology be Energy-Efficient (KYVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

Communication is the Key to Smart Homes (TCM Net)

Are New LED Lightbulbs Worth Their Cost? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Puget Sound Water Levels - Next Step in Keeping Sea Out: Olympia may decide on whether to study walls, barriers now or put it off (Olympian, WA)

University of Virginia Fight over Climate Documents Will Continue (Washington Post)

Neanderthals’ Big Loss in Battle of the Elements (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Here Comes the Sun: White House to Go Solar (Associated Press)

General Electric Buys Company That Turns Waste Heat into Power (CNET News)

As Medical Waste Mounts, Hospitals Look for Ways to Go Green; Legacy in Portland Finds One (Oregonian, Portland)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google Lines Up Internet TV Programming Partners - First Sets Due Out Later This Month (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Marketers & Social Media: Cutting Through the Noise (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

$600,000 Shortfall in City of Shelton’s 2011 Budget (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

‘Take Winter by Storm’ Urges Preparations for Cold Weather (Seattle Times)

Don’t Get Complacent About This Winter, Government Warns (KING-TV, Seattle)

New, $45 Million Tumwater Jail Sitting Empty (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

DIVERSIONS

1801 Navy Journal: Tobacco Smoke Saves Lives - Smoke, Brandy Credited With Saving Sailor

Whether You Press or Pour, Here’s How to Brew Good Coffee

Unhappy Meals - Fast-Food Freebie Ban Gets OK in San Francisco

Frito-Lay Sends Noisy, ‘Green’ SunChips Bag to the Dump

SONG OF THE DAY

Ali McGregor’s Jazz Cigarette – Oops, I Did It Again (Very Cool Jazz Cover)