Energy News Digest for December 6, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Covington Vault Fire Sends Electrical Surge through Entire Neighborhood (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vault-fire-sends-electrical-surge-through-entire-neighborhood-135093568.html

Editorial - Judge of the River: James Redden was more than a “salmon judge,” but his biggest legacy is the fight that he’s waged to force the government to recover wild fish (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/judge_of_the_river.html

California Takes Big Step toward Greenhouse Gas Limits (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/06/142942778/calif-takes-big-step-toward-greenhouse-gas-limits?ft=1&f=3

Frito-Lay Seeks $585,000 Break on City of Vancouver Water Bills (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/05/frito-lay-seeks-break-on-water-bills/

Customers Rate Seattle City Light Among Best Values in US (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=162222

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Covington Vault Fire Sends Electrical Surge through Entire Neighborhood
• Customers Rate Seattle City Light Among Best Values in US
• Settlement Results in Rate Reduction for Idaho Utility Customers
• Asotin County PUD Pays Off Bond Early
• Montana - Mid-Yellowstone Electric Lowers Rates
• Oregon Asks Feds to Revoke License for Coos Bay Liquefied Natural Gas Project
• Rat Causes Power Outage at Olympic High School
• Free Mason County PUD 3 Calendars for 2012 Now Available
• Alabama - Co-Op Line Worker Injured by High-Voltage Power Line
• California Energy Consultant Sues Sacramento City Unified for $1.5 Million in Unpaid Fees
• Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative to Delay Smart Meter Install
• How to Build a Better Electric Grid
• Tips for Safe Decorating
• Editorial - Judge of the River: James Redden Was More Than A “Salmon Judge”
• Frito-Lay Seeks $585,000 Break on City of Vancouver Water Bills
• Portland Faces Lawsuit over Water Utility Spending & Questionable Projects
• Critics Want Water Code Issues Addressed by 2012 Legislature
• Washington State Ecology Projects Criticized
• POWER Magazine Announces Renewable Top Plants - Includes Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project in Oregon
• Olympia City Council to Vote on Solar Panels
• Solar panels installed at Lake Stevens High School
• Alaska - Bernie Karl’s Biomass Electric Generator Nearly Ready To Go
• US Senator Bingaman to Float ‘Clean Energy Standard’ Early Next Year
• Grassley Pushes for Extension of Renewable Energy Tax Incentives
• Cleveland Company Sees Energy Potential in Great Lakes Waves
• Dutch Coastal Community that Has Been Home to Offshore Wind Farm Shares Lessons with West Michigan
• Wind Farm Project in Oklahoma Clashes with Land’s Other Energy Use
• Unlikely Bedfellows: Biomass & the Southeastern US
• Indian Country Welcomes Renewable Energy
• Op/Ed - Add Insulation & Other Energy Saving Measures for a Lower Bill
• Otter Tail Power Company Suggests Giving Gift of Energy Savings
• California Takes Big Step toward Greenhouse Gas Limits
• British Columbia - Why the Pacific Carbon Trust Draws Political Heat
• Back-Room Negotiations Begin on Climate Intentions
• Climate Models Yield Confidence Question
• Jefferson County International Airport to Go Green with Solar Power
• Ban Plastic Bags in Seattle? Fight Heats Up
• Montana - Missoula Defends Sustainability Group Membership; Critics Say Liberty at Risk
• Those Romantic Wood Stoves
• Taking the Tiny House Movement Tinier
• Clark County Cable TV Groups in Line for Grants
• Washington State Budget Director Urges State Cuts
• GOP’s Bill Finkbeiner to Run against Lt. Governor Brad Owen
• Jay Inslee Calls for Six Gubernatorial Debates with Rob McKenna
• Environmental Activist Gerry Pollet Tapped for Washington State House Seat
• Washington State Republicans: $490K for a Viaduct Museum?
• Reaction Mixed to Olympic Peninsula Wilderness Plan
• 166 Tacoma Police, Fire, City Employees Laid Off
• Washington State Paid $3.8 Million for Doctor Appointments that Never Happened
• Deck the Halls with Stolen Boughs
• Man’s Face Catches Fire during Routine Surgery

WORD OF THE DAY

Genuflect • \JEN-yuh-flekt\ • Verb - 1a: to bend the knee b: to touch the knee to the floor or ground especially in worship 2: to be servilely obedient or respectful.

Wilbur stood, like a marble statue, before the gates of Graceland. Like the other pilgrims, he physically had to fight off an unconscious urge to genuflect before the elaborately decorated iron gates.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Covington Vault Fire Sends Electrical Surge through Entire Neighborhood (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vault-fire-sends-electrical-surge-through-entire-neighborhood-135093568.html

Customers Rate Seattle City Light Among Best Values in US (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=162222

Settlement Results in Rate Reduction for Idaho Utility Customers (Renew Grid – Public Utilities are expecting a nice Christmas card for this….)

http://www.renewgridmag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.7665

Asotin County PUD Pays Off Bond Early (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

http://lmtribune.com/northwest/article_8dadb247-0c64-5611-b152-3c7fed3c7fa9.html

Montana - Mid-Yellowstone Electric Lowers Rates (Billings Examiner, MT)
http://www.examiner.com/economy-in-billings/mid-yellowstone-electric-lowers-rates

Oregon Asks Feds to Revoke License for Coos Bay Liquefied Natural Gas Project (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/12/oregon_asks_feds_to_revoke_lic.html

Rat Causes Power Outage at Olympic High School (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/dec/05/rat-causes-power-outage-at-olympic-high-school/

Free Mason County PUD 3 Calendars for 2012 Now Available (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=951

Alabama - Co-Op Line Worker Injured by High-Voltage Power Line (Cullman Times, AL)
http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/x1760885018/Co-op-line-worker-injured-by-high-voltage-power-line

California Energy Consultant Sues Sacramento City Unified for $1.5 Million in Unpaid Fees (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/05/4099687/energy-consultant-sues-sac-city.html

Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative to Delay Smart Meter Install (The Garden island, Kaua’I, HI)

http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/article_1ca74406-1fd6-11e1-b59d-001871e3ce6c.html

How to Build a Better Electric Grid (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/how-to-build-a-better-electric-grid/

Tips for Safe Decorating (Stewart Houston Times, TN)
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20111206/STEWART01/112060314

FISH & WILDLIFE

Editorial - Judge of the River: James Redden was more than a “salmon judge,” but his biggest legacy is the fight that he’s waged to force the government to recover wild fish (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/judge_of_the_river.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Frito-Lay Seeks $585,000 Break on City of Vancouver Water Bills (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/05/frito-lay-seeks-break-on-water-bills/

Portland Faces Lawsuit over Water Utility Spending & Questionable Projects (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/12/portland_faces_lawsuit_over_ut.html

Critics want water code issues addressed by 2012 Legislature (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/12/04/critics-want-water-code-issues-addressed-by-2012-legislature

Washington State Ecology Projects Criticized (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/16194719/ecology-projects-criticized

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

POWER Magazine Announces Renewable Top Plants - Includes Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project in Oregon (Owners: Portland General Electric & the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon) (Your Industry News Magazine)

http://www.yourindustrynews.com/power+magazine+announces+renewable+top+plants_71577.html

Olympia City Council to Vote on Solar Panels (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/06/1902929/council-to-vote-on-solar-panels.html

Solar panels installed at Lake Stevens High School (Lake Stevens Journal, WA)

http://www.lakestevensjournal.com/news/article.exm/2011-12-05_solar_panels_installed_at_lake_stevens_high_school_

Alaska - Bernie Karl’s Biomass Electric Generator Nearly Ready To Go (Anchorage News Miner, AK)

http://newsminer.com/pages/full_story/push?blog-entry-Bernie+Karl-s+biomass+electric+generator+nearly+ready+to+go%20&id=16661833&instance=blogs_editors_desk

US Senator Bingaman to Float ‘Clean Energy Standard’ Early Next Year (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/196273-bingaman-to-float-clean-energy-standard-early-next-year

Grassley Pushes for Extension of Renewable Energy Tax Incentives (Radio Iowa)

http://www.radioiowa.com/2011/12/06/grassley-pushes-for-extension-of-renewable-energy-tax-incentives/

Cleveland Company Sees Energy Potential in Great Lakes Waves (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2011/12/06/cleveland-company-sees-energy-potential-in-great-lakes-waves/

Dutch Coastal Community that Has Been Home to Offshore Wind Farm Shares Lessons with West Michigan (Muskegon Chronicle, MI)

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2011/12/dutch_coastal_community_that_h.html

Wind Farm Project in Oklahoma Clashes with Land’s Other Energy Use (St Louis Dispatch, MO)

http://www.stltoday.com/wind-farm-project-in-oklahoma-clashes-with-land-s-other/article_73a8e41f-a811-5006-b321-cc4d765acf26.html

Unlikely Bedfellows: Biomass & the Southeastern US (AOL News)

http://energy.aol.com/2011/12/01/unlikely-bedfellows-biomass-and-the-southeastern-us/

Indian Country Welcomes Renewable Energy (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57335065-54/indian-country-welcomes-renewable-energy/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Op/Ed - Add Insulation & Other Energy Saving Measures for a Lower Bill (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/opinion/guest-column-add-insulation-and-other-energy-saving-measures-for/article_89118d60-1dfe-11e1-85ae-0019bb2963f4.html

Otter Tail Power Company Suggests Giving Gift of Energy Savings (Echo Press, Alexandria, MN)

http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/90041/group/News/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Takes Big Step toward Greenhouse Gas Limits (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/06/142942778/calif-takes-big-step-toward-greenhouse-gas-limits?ft=1&f=3

British Columbia - Why the Pacific Carbon Trust Draws Political Heat (Tyee, BC)

http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/12/05/CarbonTrustDrawsHeat/

Back-Room Negotiations Begin on Climate Intentions (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Back-room-negotiations-begin-on-climate-intentions-2344855.php

Climate Models Yield Confidence Question (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16049028

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Jefferson County International Airport to Go Green with Solar Power for Runway Lights, Navigational Beacon (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20111206/news/312069995/jefferson-county-international-airport-to-go-green-with-solar-power

Ban Plastic Bags in Seattle? Fight Heats Up (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016936592_plasticbags05m.html

Montana - Missoula Defends Sustainability Group Membership; Critics Say Liberty at Risk (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/city-says-sustainability-membership-helps-save-energy-critics-say-property/article_8a73034a-1efe-11e1-b987-001871e3ce6c.html

Those Romantic Wood Stoves (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/those-romantic-wood-stoves/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Taking the Tiny House Movement Tinier (NY Times)

http://tinyurl.com/838bm3p

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Clark County Cable TV Groups in Line for Grants (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/05/cable-tv-groups-in-line-for-grants/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Budget Director Urges State Cuts (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/dec/06/agency-head-urges-state-budget-cuts/

GOP’s Bill Finkbeiner to Run against Lt. Governor Brad Owen (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/05/1902418/gops-bill-finkbeiner-to-run-against.html

Jay Inslee Calls for Six Gubernatorial Debates with Rob McKenna (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20111206/news01/712069942/-1/rss02

Environmental Activist Gerry Pollet Tapped for Washington State House Seat (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016942924_pollet06m.html

Washington State Republicans: $490K for a Viaduct Museum? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/12/05/republicans-490k-for-a-viaduct-museum/

GENERAL NEWS

Reaction Mixed to Olympic Peninsula Wilderness Plan (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/19528-reaction-mixed-to-wilderness-plan

166 Tacoma Police, Fire, City Employees Laid Off (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/City-of-Tacoma-sending-out-layoff-notices-today-135040083.html

Washington State Paid $3.8 Million for Doctor Appointments that Never Happened (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/State-paid-nearly-4-mill-to-doctors-for-appointments-that-never-happened--135044293.html

Deck the Halls with Stolen Boughs (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/deck-the-halls-with-stolen-boughs/article_b3721e92-1ee1-11e1-9cdd-001871e3ce6c.html

Man’s Face Catches Fire during Routine Surgery (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/06/1902936/mans-face-catches-fire-during.html

DIVERSIONS

Diamond Ring Dropped in Spokane Red Kettle

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016944475_apwaredkettlesurprises.html

World’s Most Expensive Accident? Eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, and Two Mercedes

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1205/World-s-most-expensive-accident-Eight-Ferraris-a-Lamborghini-and-two-Mercedes-video

Old Kalakala Ferry Up for Sale – For Just $1

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/12/06/old-kalakala-ferry-up-for-sale-for-just-1/

Biologists Monitor Crocodiles at Nuclear Plant

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Biologists-monitor-crocodiles-at-nuclear-plant-2347352.php

SONG OF THE DAY

Gerry & The Pacemakers - Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08083BNaYcA

Energy News Digest for December 5, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Seattle City Light Told to Get Leaner as Rates Rise (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016927802_citylight04m.html

Audit: Tacoma Possibly Overbilled City Utilities by More Than $1 Million (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/03/1931213/audit-tacoma-possibly-overbilled.html

SolarWorld Wins Round 1 of Its Case against China, Faces More Hurdles to Get Tariffs (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/12/solarworld_wins_round_1_of_its.html#cmpid=19359053

Apple Eyes Prineville Site for Large Data Center (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/12/apple_eyes_prineville_site_for.html

Despite Dry Weather, La Niña Winter Coming (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016910765_weather02m.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Seattle City Light Told to Get Leaner as Rates Rise
• Audit: Tacoma Possibly Overbilled City Utilities by More Than $1 Million
• Seattle Utilities Workers Fired for Fixing Their Bills
• Lawmakers, Bonneville Power Administration Grapple With Energy Oversupply
• Bonneville Power Administration Has Analysis of Line Options
• Transmission Line Planning Game: The Home Version
• Washington Public Facility (sic) Districts Meet in Pasco, Talk Cutting Costs
• Former Southern Montana Electric Manager Blames Bankruptcy on Board Dissent, Great Falls
• Franklin PUD Commissioners to Discuss Boundaries
• Texas Could Face Rolling Blackouts Next Year, Reports Say
• Ten Years Later, Insiders Press A Different View of Enron
• United Kingdom - Energy Giants Under New Pressure To Cut Bills As Wholesale Costs Tumble
• A Few Extra Dollars Can Help Others Stay Warm
• Southern California Edison Reminds Customers to Stay Safe - Tampering with Electric Meters is Dangerous
• New Hampshire - Utilities Want More Freedom to Trim Line Rights-Of-Way
• Activists Invade Nuclear Plant Site in France
• Official Tests Find No Evidence of Salmon Virus
• Editorial - Something Fishy About Canada’s Response to Salmon Virus
• Idaho Water Coalition Likes Redden’s Replacement in Salmon-Dam Case
• Annual Avian Predation Report: Estuary Terns, Cormorants Consume 15-20 Percent Wild, Hatchery Smolts
• Mason County Considers Moving More Quickly on Next Phase of Belfair Sewer
• Clark Public Utilities Considers Ten Percent Water Rate Hike
• SolarWorld Wins Round 1 of Its Case against China, Faces More Hurdles to Get Tariffs
• Renewable Energy: US Probe ‘Protectionism,’ China Says
• Editorial - Endangered Bird’s Plight Tables Wind Farm; Demand May Bring It Back
• Eastern Oregon Commissioners Approve 33-Turbine Wind Farm over Objections from Environmentalists
• University of Montana Scraps Biomass Heating Plant
• Power Up: Boeing Flips Switch On South Carolina Solar Array
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District Awarded $227K for Energy Storage Project
• Watch Your Energy - New monitoring gadgets may help reduce utility bills
• Carbon Emissions Show Biggest Jump Ever Recorded
• Nissan Labels Dirty Power Claims ‘BS’
• Electric Wars: Chevrolt Volt Outsells Nissan Leaf
• Street Lights of the Future Will be Powered by the Sun & Wind
• Apple Eyes Prineville Site for Large Data Center
• Oregon - Facebook Hires Salem Lobbyist to Take Up Tax Dispute with the State
• Universal Broadband Service Gets a Bump
• Verizon to Pay $3.6 Billion for Wireless Access
• Cable Companies to Resell Verizon Wireless Service
• Despite Dry Weather, La Niña Winter Coming
• High Pressure System Sets Records in Pacific Northwest
• Cuts to First-Class Mail to Slow Delivery in 2012
• Washington State Patrol Thinks It Can Replace Its Radio System for $12M Less
• Simpson Lumber Company Laying Off 19 at Tacoma Sawmill
• Mason County Utilities Chief Gets New Job
• Mason County Christmas Tree Lighting

WORD OF THE DAY

Whirling Dervish • \HWER-ling DERR-vish\ • Noun - A dervish whose actions include ecstatic dancing and whirling. A Dervish is an ascetic Muslim monk; a member of an order noted for devotional exercises involving bodily movements

The pulsating rhythm of the dance band reverberated throughout the old music hall, sending the teeny boppers into a frenzy. One couple in particular was in the throes of a dance that they called the “Whirling Dervish,” which resulted in an unfortunate collision with another couple dancing the “Mashed Potato.” The resulting dance became the “Whipped Potato.”

“I’ll tell ya’. These kids and their rock & roll music and fast cars…bah!”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Seattle City Light Told to Get Leaner as Rates Rise (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016927802_citylight04m.html

Audit: Tacoma Possibly Overbilled City Utilities by More Than $1 Million (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/03/1931213/audit-tacoma-possibly-overbilled.html

Seattle Utilities Workers Fired for Fixing Their Bills (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016920807_billfixing03m.html

Lawmakers, Bonneville Power Administration Grapple With Energy Oversupply - Legislative panel hears concerns about shutting off turbines (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/01/lawmakers-bpa-grapple-with-energy-oversupply/

Bonneville Power Administration Has Analysis of Line Options - Data are released months before a formal report (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/03/bpa-has-analysis-of-line-options/

Transmission Line Planning Game: The Home Version (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2011/12/01/transmission-line-planning-game-the-home-version/

Washington Public Facility (sic) Districts Meet in Pasco, Talk Cutting Costs (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndo.com/story/16169602/washington-public-facility-districts-meet-in-pasco-talk-cutting-costs

Former Southern Montana Electric Manager Blames Bankruptcy on Board Dissent, Great Falls (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/former-southern-manager-said-bankruptcy-could-have-been-avoided/article_09308bcb-8823-59e3-9cef-d7d994a2f302.html

Franklin PUD Commissioners to Discuss Boundaries (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/12/01/1737543/pud-commissioners-to-discuss-boundaries.html

Texas Could Face Rolling Blackouts Next Year, Reports Say (Austin American-Statesman, TX)
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/texas-could-face-rolling-blackouts-next-year-reports-2007710.html

Ten Years Later, Insiders Press A Different View of Enron (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/story/2011-12-03/enron-10-years-later/51592092/1?csp=34money

United Kingdom - Energy Giants Under New Pressure To Cut Bills As Wholesale Costs Tumble

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/04/energy-giants-under-new-pressure-to-cut-bills-as-wholesale-costs-tumble-115875-23608319/

A Few Extra Dollars Can Help Others Stay Warm - PUDs, feds help with heat bills. So can you (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/dec/03/a-few-extra-dollars-can-help-others-stay-warm/

Southern California Edison Reminds Customers to Stay Safe - Tampering with Electric Meters is Dangerous (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=162192

New Hampshire - Utilities Want More Freedom to Trim Line Rights-Of-Way (New Hampshire Union Leader)

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111202/NEWS02/712029971

Activists Invade Nuclear Plant Site in France (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Activists-invade-nuclear-plant-site-in-France-2344799.php

FISH & WILDLIFE

Official Tests Find No Evidence of Salmon Virus (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Official+tests+find+evidence+salmon+virus/5807157/story.html

Editorial - Something Fishy About Canada’s Response to Salmon Virus (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/05/1932888/something-fishy-about-canadas.html

Idaho Water Coalition Likes Redden’s Replacement in Salmon-Dam Case (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/12/01/rockybarker/idaho_water_coalition_likes_reddens_replacement_salmondam_case

Annual Avian Predation Report: Estuary Terns, Cormorants Consume 15-20 Percent Wild, Hatchery Smolts (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/414471.aspx

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County Considers Moving More Quickly on Next Phase of Belfair Sewer (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/nov/30/mason-county-considers-moving-more-quickly-on-of/

Clark Public Utilities Considers Ten Percent Water Rate Hike (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/04/utility-mulls-10-water-rate-hike/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

SolarWorld Wins Round 1 of Its Case against China, Faces More Hurdles to Get Tariffs (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/12/solarworld_wins_round_1_of_its.html#cmpid=19359053

Renewable Energy: US Probe ‘Protectionism,’ China Says (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1203/Renewable-energy-US-probe-protectionism-China-says

Editorial - Endangered Bird’s Plight Tables Wind Farm; Demand May Bring It Back (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/opinion/endangered-bird-s-plight-tables-wind-farm-demand-may-bring/article_34df1a5c-1c8a-11e1-be62-001871e3ce6c.html

Eastern Oregon Commissioners Approve 33-Turbine Wind Farm over Objections from Environmentalists (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/12/eastern_oregon_commissioners_a.html

University of Montana Scraps Biomass Heating Plant - Apologizes for ‘Eco-Terrorism’ Remark (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/um-scraps-biomass-heating-plant-apologizes-for-eco-terrorism-remark/article_8862e060-1d29-11e1-b5f9-0019bb2963f4.html

Power Up: Boeing Flips Switch On South Carolina Solar Array (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016915942_apscboeingsolar.html

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Awarded $227K for Energy Storage Project (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/12/01/smud-awarded-227k-for-energy-project.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Watch Your Energy - New monitoring gadgets may help reduce utility bills (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204443404577052314024514498.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Emissions Show Biggest Jump Ever Recorded (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/science/earth/record-jump-in-emissions-in-2010-study-finds.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Nissan Labels Dirty Power Claims ‘BS’ (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/nissan-labels-dirty-power-claims-bullshit-20111205-1odzz.html

Electric Wars: Chevrolt Volt Outsells Nissan Leaf (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/12/electric-wars-chevrolt-volt-outsells-nissan-leaf-last-month/1?csp=34money

Street Lights of the Future Will be Powered by the Sun & Wind (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5864614/street-lights-of-the-future-will-be-powered-by-the-sun-and-wind

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Apple Eyes Prineville Site for Large Data Center (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/12/apple_eyes_prineville_site_for.html

Oregon - Facebook Hires Salem Lobbyist to Take Up Tax Dispute with the State (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2011/12/facebook_hires_salem_lobbyist.html

Universal Broadband Service Gets a Bump (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/12/01/41882.htm

Verizon to Pay $3.6 Billion for Wireless Access (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/03/BUT61M7A9J.DTL

Cable Companies to Resell Verizon Wireless Service (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/02/1898782/cable-companies-to-resell-verizon.html

GENERAL NEWS

Despite Dry Weather, La Niña Winter Coming (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016910765_weather02m.html

High Pressure System Sets Records in Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/high_pressure_system_sets_records_in_northwest/

Cuts to First-Class Mail to Slow Delivery in 2012 (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2016932440_apuspostalproblems.html

Washington State Patrol Thinks It Can Replace Its Radio System For $12M Less (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/03/1931228/state-patrol-says-it-can-replace.html

Simpson Lumber Company Laying Off 19 at Tacoma Sawmill (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/business/2011/12/01/simpson-laying-off-19-at-tacoma-sawmill/

Mason County Utilities Chief Gets New Job (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/nov/30/mason-county-utilities-chief-gets-new-job/

Mason County Christmas Tree Lighting (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/19443-christmas-tree-lighting-

DIVERSIONS

Police Say Former Portland Loss-Prevention Officer Caught on Cameras Stealing from Stores throughout Metro Area

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/12/police_say_portland_loss-preve.html

Onalaska Theft Victim Finds Stolen Lawnmower Online

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Theft-victim-finds-stolen-lawnmower-online-134917293.html

McDonald’s Toy Sale Skirts New ‘Happy Meals’ Restrictions

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-mcdonalds-toy-sale-skirts-new-happy-meals-restrictions-20111130,0,1203570.story

White Coke Cans: Fans See Red

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19460715

SONG OF THE DAY

Judy Garland - Get Happy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U-rBZREQMw