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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Bonneville Power Administration Chief Will Explain Decision on Line - Washington officials ask why a route through Oregon
Fire Destroys Home Near Shelton Library (KMAS Radio, Shelton , WA
US Department of Energy Promotes Pumped Hydro as Option for Renewable Power Storage (NY Times)
Downed Wires, Snapped Poles? Utilities Get Ready for a Fierce Winter (Northwest Cable News Network)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Bonneville Power Administration Chief Will Explain Decision on Line
· Facebook’s Prineville Growth: A Matter of Power
· Alaska
· Montana - Ground Broken for Great Falls
· Downed Wires, Snapped Poles? Utilities Get Ready for a Fierce Winter
· US Department of Energy Promotes Pumped Hydro as Option for Renewable Power Storage
· Even as Dams Are Coming Down Some Want More Hydropower
· Copper Thefts in Tacoma
· Oklahoma
· NW Natural Files for Rate Decrease
· Fitch Rates Pend Oreille County
· Tacoma
· Northeast Utilities Plans to Buy Rival Nstar in 9.5 Billion Stock Deal
· Hackers Worm Their Way into Factories, Power Plants
· ve Wild Salmon
· Fraser River
· Canada
· Nothing Fishy About This Story: Hundreds of Coho Helping Feed Tillamook’s Hungry
· Signs Steelhead Trout Making California
· Study Details How Whales, and Whale Feces, Play Key Role in Ocean Productivity
· Recession Mustn’t Stop Restoration Projects, Gregoire Says
· New Tactic in California
· Seattle Artist Picked to Make Wenatchee
· Whatcom County
· Against the Wind? Tax Policy May be Hurting Wyoming Industry
· Audubon Society Steps In - Will Google Wind Power Project Harm Wildlife?
· Offshore Wind Farms Still on Distant Horizon
· Portland
· Financing Dearth Holds Solar Back in US
· Silicon Valley Retools Solar Race With China
· US to Investigate Chinese Subsidies to Alternative Energy Companies
· Neal Hot Springs Promises Oregon
· Tennessee Valley
· Biomass Report: Transition from Coal a Possibility
· Canada
· Pennsylvania
· Canada
· United Kingdom Axes Tidal-Power Plan, Saying Wind Energy Cheaper
· Incentives Available for Tacoma
· Temple Beth Or of Everett
· California
· Are Your Electric Rates High? Here’s the Good News
· 2010 Tied (So Far) for Warmest on Record
· Forests Soak Up Carbon, But for How Long?
· Why Climate Change Isn’t Much of a Campaign Issue
· 52 Percent of Americans Flunk Climate 101
· Greater Efficiency Seen as Vital to Climate Policy
· The Secret to Turning Consumers Green - It isn’t financial incentives
· The Greening of Olympia’s City Hall Roof - Beds of small plants will soak up rainwater
· The 100 Greenest Companies in America
· Environmental Protection Agency Wrestles With Fuel Mileage Ratings on Electric Cars
· Moses Lake Broadband Summit
· Broadband Speed Is the Tail Wagging the Policy Dog
· Wi-Fi Looks to Keep the Mobile Internet Dream Alive
· Firm Claims Broadband Slowdown Due to Wi-Fi Theft
· Google’s Long-Range Projects Appear to be Paying Off
· Europeans Cutting the Cord; Will Americans Follow?
· Microsoft Conspicuously Absent from New Social Media Map
· Washington : The Blue State
· Kittitas County Land-Use Regulations Go To State Supreme Court
· Parks Agency Nixes Free Speech Permits
· Judge Extends Deadline to OK $3.4 Billion Indian Settlement
· Fire Destroys Home Near Shelton
· Mountain Goat Suspected in Death of Olympic National Park Hiker
· Goat Examined as Part of Investigation of Goring
· Licensing Department Worker Arrested for Allegedly Selling Fake ID to Illegal Immigrants
· Weather Eye: Hold on for a Wet, Wild Winter
· Stormier Winter Weather in Store for Pacific Northwest, Forecasters Predict
· Woman Convicted in Seattle Ecoterror Case Goes Home
· State’s Wheat Farmers See Fruits of Good Harvest Year
· Washington Ranked Fifth-Best State for Business
· State Minimum Wage to Increase to $8.67 January 1
WORD OF THE DAY
Hie • \HYE\ • Verb - 1: to go quickly: hasten 2: to cause (oneself) to go quickly
“Free doughnuts in the break room!” Screamed the energetic engineer to his office-mates as he hiked up his baggy pants prior to his hie down the hallway. What he didn’t count on was that the glass door to the room hosting the toroidal pastry feast was locked. The thud was legend. Meanwhile, somewhere in a small bird hospital, a swallow with a neck brace smiled.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Power Administration Chief Will Explain Decision on Line - Washington officials ask why a route through Oregon was ruled out (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Facebook’s Prineville Growth: A Matter of Power - Wyden Urges BPA, Pacific Power to Upgrade Grid – Fast (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
Alaska Electric Co-Op Seeks Bankruptcy After Well Cost Overruns - Geothermal drilling intended as an alternative to diesel (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
Montana - Ground Broken for Great Falls Gas-Fired Power Plant (Associated Press)
Downed Wires, Snapped Poles? Utilities Get Ready for a Fierce Winter (Northwest Cable News Network)
US Department of Energy Promotes Pumped Hydro as Option for Renewable Power Storage (NY Times)
Even as Dams Are Coming Down Some Want More Hydropower (Oregon Public Btroadcasting)
Copper Thefts in Tacoma - Thieves Again Knock Out Power at Sports Fields (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Oklahoma - Copper Thieves Cause Power Outage (KFOR-TV. Oklahoma City, OK)
NW Natural Files for Rate Decrease (Portland Business Journal)
Fitch Rates Pend Oreille County PUD Revenue Bonds ‘A-’; Outlook Stable (Business Wire)
Tacoma Power Receives National Recognition for Customer Satisfaction & Value (Tacoma Public Utilities)
Northeast Utilities Plans to Buy Rival Nstar in 9.5 Billion Stock Deal (NY Times)
Hackers Worm Their Way into Factories, Power Plants (SF Chronicle)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Tests on the Columbia River Look for a Better Way to Save Wild Salmon, and Sustain Commercial, Sports Fishermen (Oregonian, Portland)
Fraser River System Revived by Biggest Sockeye Salmon Run in Nearly 100 Years (Globe & Mail, Canada)
Canada - Something Fishy: The Salmon Are Back (The National Post)
Nothing Fishy About This Story: Hundreds of Coho Helping Feed Tillamook’s Hungry (Oregonian, Portland)
Signs Steelhead Trout Making California Comeback (Associated Press)
Study Details How Whales, and Whale Feces, Play Key Role in Ocean Productivity (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Recession Mustn’t Stop Restoration Projects, Gregoire Says (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
New Tactic in California for Paying Pollution Bill (NY Times)
Seattle Artist Picked to Make Wenatchee Sewage Plant Redesign Appealing (Seattle Times)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Whatcom County Council Extends Ban on Large Wind Turbines (KGMI-Radio, Mt Vernon, WA – and a shout out to another former KMAS newsguy!)
Against the Wind? Tax Policy May be Hurting Wyoming Industry (Billings Gazette, MT)
Audubon Society Steps In - Will Google Wind Power Project Harm Wildlife? Depends on Location (ABC News)
Offshore Wind Farms Still on Distant Horizon (National Public Radio)
Portland Solar Manufacturer Adding 50 Jobs (Oregonian, Portland)
Financing Dearth Holds Solar Back in US (NY Times)
Silicon Valley Retools Solar Race With China (Seattle Times)
US to Investigate Chinese Subsidies to Alternative Energy Companies (Washington Post)
Neal Hot Springs Promises Oregon Commercial Geothermal Power (Renewable Energy World)
Tennessee Valley Authority Looks at Biomass as Alternative - Greener energy source may drive old coal facilities (Knoxville News Sentinel, TN)
Biomass Report: Transition from Coal a Possibility (Iowa Independent)
Canada - A Chippy Go-Ahead for Biomass Power (Chronicle Herald, Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Pennsylvania - Group Looks to Local Law to Fight Proposed Tire-Burning Energy Plant (Poten & Partners)
Canada – Trash to Energy: Bidders Line Up to Build Metro Biofuel Plant (British Columbia Local)
United Kingdom Axes Tidal-Power Plan, Saying Wind Energy Cheaper (Bloomberg News)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Incentives Available for Tacoma, Pierce County Energy-Efficient Home Upgrades (Tacoma Daily Index)
Temple Beth Or of Everett Powered Up - The Reform Jewish synagogue’s congregation embraces energy conservation (Everett Herald, WA)
California’s Hospitality Industry Could Provide Renewable Energy Storage “…Bonneville Power Administration…4.3 million water heaters that can store 2,600 megawatt-hours by allowing the storage temperature to vary by five degrees are to be used in this way to store energy to feed back to the grid on demand…” (Clean Technica)
Are Your Electric Rates High? Here’s the Good News (Renewable Energy World)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
2010 Tied (So Far) for Warmest on Record (NY Times)
Forests Soak Up Carbon, But for How Long? (Daily Climate)
Why Climate Change Isn’t Much of a Campaign Issue (Christian Science Monitor)
52 Percent of Americans Flunk Climate 101 (NY Times)
Greater Efficiency Seen as Vital to Climate Policy (Gannett Washington Bureau)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
The Secret to Turning Consumers Green - It isn’t financial incentives. It isn’t more information. It’s guilt (Wall Street Journal)
The Greening of Olympia’s City Hall Roof - Beds of small plants will soak up rainwater (Olympian, WA)
The 100 Greenest Companies in America (Newsweek Magazine)
Green Rankings: US Companies (Newsweek Magazine)
Environmental Protection Agency Wrestles With Fuel Mileage Ratings on Electric Cars (USA Today)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Moses Lake Broadband Summit - Panelists Play Up High-Speed Internet Benefits (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Broadband Speed Is the Tail Wagging the Policy Dog (GigaOM)
Wi-Fi Looks to Keep the Mobile Internet Dream Alive (GigaOM)
Firm Claims Broadband Slowdown Due to Wi-Fi Theft - With wealthier homes more likely to freeload off of Wi-Fi (Broadband Reports)
Google’s Long-Range Projects Appear to be Paying Off (Washington Post)
Europeans Cutting the Cord; Will Americans Follow? (GigaOM)
Microsoft Conspicuously Absent from New Social Media Map (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington: The Blue State That Goes Red? (National Public Radio)
Kittitas County Land-Use Regulations Go To State Supreme Court (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
Parks Agency Nixes Free Speech Permits (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Judge Extends Deadline to OK $3.4 Billion Indian Settlement (Associated Press)
GENERAL NEWS
Fire Destroys Home Near Shelton Library (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Mountain Goat Suspected in Death of Olympic National Park Hiker (Associated Press)
Goat Examined as Part of Investigation of Goring (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Licensing Department Worker Arrested for Allegedly Selling Fake ID to Illegal Immigrants (Associated Press)
Weather Eye: Hold on for a wet, wild winter (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Stormier Winter Weather in Store for Pacific Northwest, Forecasters Predict (Oregonian, Portland)
Woman Convicted in Seattle Ecoterror Case Goes Home (Associated Press)
State’s Wheat Farmers See Fruits of Good Harvest Year (Associated Press)
Washington Ranked Fifth-Best State for Business (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
State Minimum Wage to Increase to $8.67 January 1 (Associated Press)
DIVERSIONS
Piglet Seized to Recover Woman’s Debt – And a Chicken for Health Care?
Woman Stabs Classmate in Anger-Management Class
Touch-Screen Bacteria Like Sharing Spit
The Woolly Worm & Winter Forecasting
SONG OF THE DAY
The Mills Brothers - Glow Worm
