Friday, August 12, 2011
Energy News Digest for August 12, 2011
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.
PROGRAMMING NOTE:
The energy news digest will be sweating out temperatures in the upper 90’s in the SW US August 15-26. It will return August 29. Hopefully, not worse for the wear.
THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER
Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Pacific NW Power Group: Gas Glut to Cut Electricity Prices (Associated Press)
Departure of La Niña Likely Means Less Snow (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Forecasters Issue Dire Warning on Washington State Economy (Associated Press)
High Levels of Biotoxin Found in Washington State Shellfish (Associated Press)
Washington State Rep. Fred Finn: I Won’t Seek Third Term in 2012 (Olympian, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Pacific NW Power Group: Gas Glut to Cut Electricity Prices
- Wyoming - Bonneville Power Administration Will Raise Rates for Lower Valley Energy
- BC Hydro to Cut Proposed Rate Increase Following Government Review
- Tennessee Valley Authority Loses $240 Million in Fiscal Third Quarter
- Electricity Restored to Nearly 400 Mason Lake Area Mason County PUD 3 Customers after Morning Outage
- Balloons Cause West Kelso Power Outage
- Dump Truck Takes Down Utility Lines near Wapato
- Avista Dam Work Begins In Spokane
- Coal Export Talk Continues in Grays Harbor
- Can Little Old Washington Influence the Price of Coal to China?
- Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for August 9, 2011
- Alabama Leads the Nation in Theft of Copper Telephone Cable, AT&T Says
- New Rules & Old Plants May Strain Summer Energy Supplies
- Colorado - Boulder’s Bold Move to Condemn Xcel
- Illinois - Electrical Cooperatives: An Alternative to ComEd?
- Pennsylvania - Seneca Nation of Indians Permitted for Kinzua Dam
- ‘Fracking’: Did Energy Department Report Clear Up Controversy?
- Op/Ed - Judge Still Riding Feds to Restore Dwindling Columbia River Salmon
- Editorial - The Salmon Deserve Better
- A Safer (Fish) Passage
- Bonneville Bear - Trap Set for Unwanted Fish Hatchery Visitor
- USDA Hopeful to Save Greater Sage-Grouse
- Oregon Environmental Groups Say New “Conservation Fund” Misnamed
- High Levels of Biotoxin Found in Washington State Shellfish
- Hearing Set for Simpson Lumber Company’s Air Quality Permit for Shelton Waterfront
- Solar Power a Harder Sell in Seattle
- Solar Revenue to Shrink as Price Drops Outpace Growth
- BC Hydro Rejects Proposed Elk Falls Bio-Energy Project
- Biomass Bonanza – Michigan: Tree Debris from Calhoun County Heads to Flint to Help Power Area
- Duke Energy Can Count Trees as ‘Biomass’
- Netherlands NIMBY - Germany & The Netherlands Bicker Over Wind Turbines
- Why Internet Companies Are Abandoning Home Energy Plans
- Once-Scorned Light Bulbs Are Advancing
- Pump Carbon Dioxide Into the Earth to Create Electricity? Berkeley Lab is on It
- Nature’s Weed Eaters - Chelan PUD Using Goats to Clean Up Rocky Reach
- FBI Looking Into Allegation by Verizon of Sabotage
- Google Accuses Microsoft of Revealing ‘Highly Confidential Source Code’
- Washington State Rep. Fred Finn: I Won’t Seek Third Term in 2012
- Who’s Who on Congress’s Debt ‘Super Committee’
- Forecasters Issue Dire Warning on Washington State Economy
- Departure of La Niña Likely Means Less Snow
- Thieves Targeting Storm Drains in Thurston County
- KREM Video Shows Bomb Suspect Harpham Walking in MLK Parade
- More Native American Remains Found in Oak Harbor; Count Rises to 11
- The Machine That Changed the World, the IBM PC, Turns 30 This Week
WORD OF THE DAY
Parsimonious • \par-suh-MOAN-ee-uss\ • Adjective - Exhibiting or marked by parsimony; especially: frugal to the point of stinginess
Parsimonious: see Jack Benny
Benny’s most notable gag:
A crook corners him and demands “Your Money or Your Life?”
After a long pause, the impatient crook demands an answer.
An annoyed Benny responds, “I’m thinking about it!”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Pacific NW Power Group: Gas Glut to Cut Electricity Prices (Associated Press)
Wyoming - Bonneville Power Administration Will Raise Rates for Lower Valley Energy (Jackson Hole News & Guide, WY)
BC Hydro to Cut Proposed Rate Increase Following Government Review (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Tennessee Valley Authority Loses $240 Million in Fiscal Third Quarter (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)
Electricity Restored to Nearly 400 Mason Lake Area Mason County PUD 3 Customers after Morning Outage (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Balloons Cause West Kelso Power Outage (Longview Daily News, WA)
Dump Truck Takes Down Utility Lines near Wapato (Associated Press)
Avista Dam Work Begins In Spokane (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Coal Export Talk Continues in Grays Harbor (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
Can Little Old Washington Influence the Price of Coal to China? (Crosscut Seattle)
Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for August 9, 2011 (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Alabama Leads the Nation in Theft of Copper Telephone Cable, AT&T Says (Associated Press)
Google Search for “Electrocution Copper,” via Broadband Reports
New Rules & Old Plants May Strain Summer Energy Supplies (NY Times)
Colorado - Boulder’s Bold Move to Condemn Xcel (EnergyBiz Insider)
Illinois - Electrical Cooperatives: An Alternative to ComEd? (Highland Park Patch, IL)
Pennsylvania - Seneca Nation of Indians Permitted for Kinzua Dam (Buffalo Business First, NY)
‘Fracking’: Did Energy Department Report Clear Up Controversy? (Christian Science Monitor)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Op/Ed - Judge Still Riding Feds to Restore Dwindling Columbia River Salmon (Seattle Times)
Editorial - The Salmon Deserve Better (NY Times)
A Safer (Fish) Passage - The Pacific Northwest Laboratory has been researching spillway induced injury in fish (Water Power Magazine)
Bonneville Bear - Trap Set for Unwanted Fish Hatchery Visitor (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
USDA Hopeful to Save Greater Sage-Grouse (NW Public Radio)
Oregon Environmental Groups Say New “Conservation Fund” Misnamed (NW Public Radio)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
High Levels of Biotoxin Found in Washington State Shellfish (Associated Press)
Hearing Set for Simpson Lumber Company’s Air Quality Permit for Shelton Waterfront (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Solar Power a Harder Sell in Seattle (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Solar Revenue to Shrink as Price Drops Outpace Growth (Reuters)
BC Hydro Rejects Proposed Elk Falls Bio-Energy Project (Campbell River Island Courier, BC)
Biomass Bonanza – Michigan: Tree Debris from Calhoun County Heads to Flint to Help Power Area (Flint Journal, MI)
Duke Energy Can Count Trees as ‘Biomass’ (Charlotte News Observer, NC)
Netherlands NIMBY - Germany & The Netherlands Bicker Over Wind Turbines (Dutch News)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Why Internet Companies Are Abandoning Home Energy Plans (Gigaom)
Once-Scorned Light Bulbs Are Advancing (NY Times)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Pump Carbon Dioxide Into the Earth to Create Electricity? Berkeley Lab is on It (ZD-Net)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Nature’s Weed Eaters - Chelan PUD Using Goats to Clean Up Rocky Reach (Wenatchee World, WA)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FBI Looking Into Allegation by Verizon of Sabotage (Associated Press)
Google Accuses Microsoft of Revealing ‘Highly Confidential Source Code’ (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington State Rep. Fred Finn: I Won’t Seek Third Term in 2012 (Olympian, WA)
Who’s Who on Congress’s Debt ‘Super Committee’ (Christian Science Monitor)
GENERAL NEWS
Forecasters Issue Dire Warning on Washington State Economy (Associated Press)
Departure of La Niña Likely Means Less Snow (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Thieves Targeting Storm Drains in Thurston County (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
KREM Video Shows Bomb Suspect Harpham Walking in MLK Parade (NW Cable News Network)
More Native American Remains Found in Oak Harbor; Count Rises to 11 (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
The Machine That Changed the World, the IBM PC, Turns 30 This Week (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
DIVERSIONS
These Eco-Friendly Flip-Flops Will Only Cost You $18,000 (But you still can’t wear them to work)
Woman Banned from Buying Too Much Abercrombie & Fitch
Taco Bell Worker Arrested for Handcuffing Himself to Woman He Wanted to Date
Virginia County Removes Sherlock Holmes from School List
SONG OF THE DAY
Janis Joplin - Ball & Chain
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Energy News Digest for August 11, 2011
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.
PROGRAMMING NOTE:
The energy news digest will be visiting the brick-oven-hot SW US August 15-26. It will return, gratefully to the humidity and cool breezes of the Pacific NW on August 29. Hydration…much Hydration.
THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER
Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Run Opens Thursday - Between 1.5 & seven million sockeye salmon are expected (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
August 25 – Mason County PUD 3: Large Planned Outage Shelton-Matlock Road Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Bonneville Power Administration & Partners Strengthen Energy Connection to California, Southwest (Bonneville Power Administration)
Most Wired Hospitals of 2011 – Mason General Hospital on the List Again (Hospital & Health Magazine)
Congressional Deficit Panel Completed with House Democrats (USA Today)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Bonneville Power Administration & Partners Strengthen Energy Connection to California, Southwest
- Trashed East Missoula US Forest Service Land Prompts Response – Transmission Security a Concern
- Chamber of Commerce Calls for Support of BPA Power Sales to Columbia Falls Aluminum Company
- August 25 – Mason County PUD 3: Large Planned Outage Shelton-Matlock Road Area
- Grays Harbor County Commissioners Review Redistricting Plan
- Canada-New England Transmission Project Delayed
- US Natural Gas Supplies Grow Less than Expected
- US Department of Energy Panel Seeks Stiffer Rules for Drilling of Natural Gas Wells
- Washington State University Gets $500,000 for Nuclear Research
- German Nuclear Shutdown Forces E.ON to Cut 11,000 Staff
- Air-Conditioner Crimes Strike Particularly Hard in Summer Heat
- Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Run Opens Thursday
- Editorial - Ruling on Salmon Proposal Disappointing, Inconclusive
- Op/Ed - Faulty Columbia Basin Salmon Plan Bad for Salmon & Jobs
- Pacific NW Businesses to Obama: More Salmon = More Jobs
- Largemouth Bass Estimated to be 19 Years Old Caught by 10-Year-Old Boy in Western Montana
- Hood Canal - Twanoh State Park Reopened for Swimming
- US Army Corps of Engineers Run Tests on Washington State’s Howard Hanson Dam
- Texas’ Record Electricity Demand Creates Battling Headlines about Wind Power
- Too Much of a Good Thing - Wind Influx Means Northwest Has Plenty of Power with Nowhere to Go
- Editorial - Wind Power
- Washington State Carbon Tax: New Model & Analysis
- Does an 89-Square-Foot House Make Sense for Vancouver?
- Most Wired Hospitals of 2011 – Mason General Hospital on the List Again
- $10 Internet Service: Do You Qualify?
- Cloud Computing Shines on Portland Startups AppFog & Cedexis
- Future of Cloud Computing … More Clouds. Seriously
- Congressional Deficit Panel Completed with House Democrats
- US Senator Patty Murray: All Is on Table in Debt Super Committee
- Federal Finances - Is the ‘Supercommittee’ Headed for Deadlock?
- Standard & Poor’s, Others Lobby Government While Rating Its Credit
- Standard & Poor’s Controversy Fuels Demands for Ratings Reforms
- Heart Attack Caused Fatal North Mason County Auto Crash
- New Contract for Belfair Water District Manager
- Bend Soldier Back Home Amid Foreclosure Furor
- University of Washington Football Coach Sarkasian Top-Paid Washington State Employee
- Chelan County Assessor Gets the Boot
- Othello, Washington - All the Town’s a Stage Where the Bard’s Works Inspire Street Names
- Small Move for Shelton’s KOOL FM
WORD OF THE DAY
Circumspect • \SIR-kum-spekt\ • Adjective - Careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences: prudent
Bertie didn’t have “Tourette’s Syndrome,” even though his co-workers had their suspicions. His tendency to blurt out, honestly, whatever he was thinking at the moment was referred to in the cubicle farm as “belch in church” moments. “Ya gotta be more circumspect in how you talk to people,” his supervisor pleaded during the annual performance review. “Who told you that?” barked Bert. “That spy in the mailroom?”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Power Administration & Partners Strengthen Energy Connection to California, Southwest (Bonneville Power Administration)
Trashed East Missoula US Forest Service Land Prompts Response – Transmission Security a Concern (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
Chamber Of Commerce Calls for Support of BPA Power Sales to Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (Hungry Horse News, MT)
August 25 – Mason County PUD 3: Large Planned Outage Shelton-Matlock Road Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Grays Harbor County Commissioners Review Redistricting Plan (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
Canada-New England Transmission Project Delayed (Electric Light & Power)
US Natural Gas Supplies Grow Less than Expected (Associated Press)
US Department of Energy Panel Seeks Stiffer Rules for Drilling of Natural Gas Wells (NY Times)
Washington State University Gets $500,000 for Nuclear Research (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
German Nuclear Shutdown Forces E.ON to Cut 11,000 Staff (The Guardian, UK)
Air-Conditioner Crimes Strike Particularly Hard in Summer Heat (NY Times)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Run Opens Thursday - Between 1.5 & seven million sockeye salmon are expected (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Editorial - Ruling on Salmon Proposal Disappointing, Inconclusive (Tri-City Herald, WA)
Op/Ed - Faulty Columbia Basin Salmon Plan Bad for Salmon & Jobs (Juneau Empire, AK)
Pacific NW Businesses to Obama: More Salmon = More Jobs (Public News Service)
Largemouth Bass Estimated to be 19 Years Old Caught by 10-Year-Old Boy in Western Montana (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Hood Canal - Twanoh State Park Reopened for Swimming (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
US Army Corps of Engineers Run Tests on Washington State’s Howard Hanson Dam (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Texas’ Record Electricity Demand Creates Battling Headlines about Wind Power (The Energy Collective)
Too Much of a Good Thing - Wind Influx Means Northwest Has Plenty of Power with Nowhere to Go (The Source Weekly, Bend, OR)
Editorial - Wind Power (Pueblo Chieftain, CO)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Washington State Carbon Tax: New Model & Analysis - How a BC-style carbon tax would work (Sightline Daily)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Does an 89-Square-Foot House Make Sense for Vancouver? (Vancouver Sun, BC)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Most Wired Hospitals of 2011 – Mason General Hospital on the List Again (Hospital & Health Magazine)
$10 Internet Service: Do You Qualify? (Christian Science Monitor)
Cloud Computing Shines on Portland Startups AppFog & Cedexis (Oregonian, Portland)
Future of Cloud Computing … More Clouds. Seriously (Gigaom)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Congressional Deficit Panel Completed with House Democrats (USA Today)
US Senator Patty Murray: All Is on Table in Debt Super Committee (Associated Press)
Federal Finances - Is the ‘Supercommittee’ Headed for Deadlock? (Washington Post)
Standard & Poor’s, Others Lobby Government While Rating Its Credit (Washington Post)
Standard & Poor’s Controversy Fuels Demands for Ratings Reforms (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/11/us-financial-regulation-creditraters-idUSTRE77A03S20110811
GENERAL NEWS
Heart Attack Caused Fatal North Mason County Auto Crash (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
New Contract for Belfair Water District Manager (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Bend Soldier Back Home Amid Foreclosure Furor - Hours Earlier, Bank Auctions Family’s Home on Courthouse Steps (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)
University of Washington Football Coach Sarkasian Top-Paid Washington State Employee (Seattle Times)
Chelan County Assessor Gets the Boot (Seattle Times)
Othello, Washington - All the Town’s a Stage Where the Bard’s Works Inspire Street Names (NY Times)
Small Move for Shelton’s KOOL FM (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Creative Eviction Methods - Scorpions on the Loose in Shenzhen
Texting Driver Bulldozes Through Yards, Car, House
Parallel-Parker Breaks Record, Then Loses It
Pssst! Does Starbucks Have a Secret Menu?
SONG OF THE DAY
Dave Brubeck Quartet - I Get a Kick Out of You
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