The Energy News Digest

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Energy News Digest for April 18, 2012

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

Grand Coulee Dam’s Aging Generators Getting Big Upgrades (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018003631_couleedam18.html

Puget Sound Energy Customers May See Price Hike to Pay for January Storm Damage (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/PSE-customers-to-see-price-hike-to-pay-for-storm-damage-147840715.html

Pend Oreille PUD Announces New General Manager (Pend Oreille PUD, Newport, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/04/pend-oreille-pud-announces-new-general.html

Agency Says Eastern Steller Sea Lions Recovering (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018008615_apusstellersealions.html

Report: Wind Company Vestas Eyed by Chinese Rival (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/report-wind-company-eyed-chinese-rival/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Grand Coulee Dam’s Aging Generators Getting Big Upgrades
Puget Sound Energy Customers May See Price Hike to Pay for January Storm Damage
Pend Oreille PUD Announces New General Manager
Power Plant Issues: Neighbors Sue Idaho County to Block Nuclear Energy Plant
‘Smart’ Meters Crossroads
Oregon - Where Clean Energy Abounds, a Push to Ship Coal
EPA Wants Full Review of Oregon Coal Export Project
California - Burglar Electrocuted When Trying To Steal Copper Wire, Deputies
Florida - Electrical Accident Leaves Suwannee Valley Electric Co-Op Employee Hospitalized
Hydroelectric Power Seen Expanding 15% from Upgrading US Dams
Agency Says Eastern Steller Sea Lions Recovering
Bigger Salmon Runs, More Places to Fish Bolster Springer Fans
Idaho Salmon Season Opening; Chinook Fashionably Late
ODFW to Begin Hazing Cormorants on Oregon Coast
Clark Public Utilities to host Earth Day EcoFair
Mason County Denies Code Change for Connecting to Belfair Sewer
Report: Wind Company Vestas Eyed by Chinese Rival
Utility Exec to Feds: Save Our Wind Energy Tax Break, Or Else
Clean-Energy Subsidies Are Vanishing. What Should Replace Them?
Refundable Federal Tax Credit Could Remove Barrier to Community Wind
America Could Power a City on All the Small-Scale Hydroelectric Power We’re Not Harvesting
Get Energy Conservation Tips at Snohomish PUD’s Earth Day Event
Apple Contests Greenpeace’s Coal-fired Data Center Claims
Verizon to Auction Spectrum Worth Billions
Washington State Unemployment Rate Stays Flat at 8.3 Percent
South Kitsap, Mason County Fire Levies Passing Handily
Chelan, Douglas Voters Approve Arena Bailout Plan

WORD OF THE DAY

Bedizen• \bih-DYE-zun\ • verb - To dress or adorn gaudily

To bedizen one’s self = Beau Brummel, Lady Gaga, a child with unmatched “Geranimals”

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

Grand Coulee Dam’s Aging Generators Getting Big Upgrades (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018003631_couleedam18.html

Puget Sound Energy Customers May See Price Hike to Pay for January Storm Damage (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/PSE-customers-to-see-price-hike-to-pay-for-storm-damage-147840715.html

Pend Oreille PUD Announces New General Manager (Pend Oreille PUD, Newport, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/04/pend-oreille-pud-announces-new-general.html

Power Plant Issues: Neighbors Sue Idaho County to Block Nuclear Energy Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/04/17/1907011/power-plant-issues-neighbors-sue.html

‘Smart’ Meters Crossroads - Eugene Water & Electric Board is on the cusp of key decisions about overhauling how it measures consumption (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://special.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27908710-41/eweb-smart-meters-customers-meter.html.csp

Oregon - Where Clean Energy Abounds, a Push to Ship Coal (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/us/boardman-ore-considers-a-future-in-coal.html

EPA Wants Full Review of Oregon Coal Export Project (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018002571_coalexports18.html

California - Burglar Electrocuted When Trying To Steal Copper Wire, Deputies Say (San Bernardino Sun, CA)

http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20407988/man-killed-while-cutting-fontana-power-line#ixzz1sJ6HzQv2

Florida - Electrical Accident Leaves Suwannee Valley Electric Co-Op Employee Hospitalized (Suwannee Democrat, FL)

http://suwanneedemocrat.com/local/x1224386336/Electrical-accident-leaves-SVEC-employee-hospitalized

Hydroelectric Power Seen Expanding 15% from Upgrading US Dams (Bloomberg)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-17/hydroelectric-power-seen-expanding-15-from-upgrading-u-s-dams.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Agency Says Eastern Steller Sea Lions Recovering (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018008615_apusstellersealions.html

Bigger Salmon Runs, More Places to Fish Bolster Springer Fans (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://special.registerguard.com/web/sportsoutdoors/27862770-41/fish-salmon-willamette-chinook-fork.html.csp

Idaho Salmon Season Opening; Chinook Fashionably Late (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2012/apr/17/idaho-salmon-season-opening-chinook-fashionably-late/

ODFW to begin hazing cormorants on Oregon coast (KCBY-TV, North Bend, OR)

http://www.kcby.com/news/local/ODFW-to-begin-hazing-cormorants-on-Oregon-coast-147782675.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clark Public Utilities to host Earth Day EcoFair (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/18/clark-public-utilities-host-earth-day-ecofair/

Mason County Denies Code Change for Connecting to Belfair Sewer; Directs Staff to Create New Proposal (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/?p=4482

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Report: Wind Company Vestas Eyed by Chinese Rival (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/report-wind-company-eyed-chinese-rival/

Utility Exec to Feds: Save Our Wind Energy Tax Break, Or Else (Fortune Magazine)

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/04/17/windpower-tax-breaks/

Clean-Energy Subsidies Are Vanishing. What Should Replace Them? (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/clean-energy-subsidies-are-vanishing-what-should-replace-them/2012/04/18/gIQApCUYQT_blog.html

Refundable Federal Tax Credit Could Remove Barrier to Community Wind (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/04/refundable-federal-tax-credit-could-remove-barrier-to-community-wind?cmpid=rss

America Could Power a City on All the Small-Scale Hydroelectric Power We’re Not Harvesting (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/list/america-could-power-a-city-on-all-the-small-scale-hydroelectric-power-were-not-harvesting/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Get Energy Conservation Tips at Snohomish PUD’s Earth Day Event (Snohomish County Business Journal, Everett, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120418/SCBJ22/304189996/1014/BIZ06

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Apple Contests Greenpeace’s Coal-fired Data Center Claims (PC World Business)

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/253995/apple_contests_greenpeaces_coalfired_data_center_claims.html

Verizon to Auction Spectrum Worth Billions (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2018007915_apusverizonwirelessspectrumsale.html

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Unemployment Rate Stays Flat at 8.3 Percent (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018008278_apwawashjobless1stldwritethru.html

South Kitsap, Mason County Fire Levies Passing Handily (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/apr/17/south-kitsap-mason-county-fire-levies-passing/

Chelan, Douglas Voters Approve Arena Bailout Plan (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018007824_apwaarenadebtbailout.html

DIVERSIONS

Strike Could Kill Off Twinkies, Ding Dongs

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-strike-could-kill-of-twinkies-ding-dongs-20120417,0,2578906.story

Man Protests Airport Security – Naked (and it ain’t pretty…)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/KATU-147866735.html

Forest Service in Quandary about Colorado Frozen Cows

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FROZEN_COWS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

What Color Is Your Space Needle? For the 50th anniversary, the Needle is going classic orange

http://crosscut.com/2012/04/18/mossback/22231/What-color-is-your-Space-Needle-/

SONG OF THE DAY

Chicago - I’m a Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fpJSYkRbxg

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Energy News Digest for April 17, 2012

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

Supreme Court Rejects Ex-Enron CEO Skilling's Second Appeal (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2012-04-16/skilling-enron-ceo-supreme-court-appeal/54309270/1?csp=34money

Gorst, Belfair Transportation Projects Get Top Priority – Top Two: Belfair Bypass & Highway 3-Johns Prairie Road Intersection (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/apr/16/gorst-belfair-transportation-projects-get-top/

Amazon, Microsoft Low on Greenpeace Clean-Energy 'Cloud' Index “…Quincy is a good place to go…They have access to electricity that's renewably powered, from hydroelectricity” (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017997234_greenpeace18.html

Apple Promises “Dozens” of Prineville Jobs When Data Center Opens, Hundreds of Construction Jobs in the Interim (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2012/04/apple_promises_dozens_of_prine.html

At Sixty Dollars - New Energy-Efficient Light Bulb Goes on Sale Sunday (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-04-16/philips-light-bulb/54321662/1?csp=34money

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Supreme Court Rejects Ex-Enron CEO Skilling's Second Appeal
Eugene Water & Electric Board Commissioners to Discuss Smart Meters
Bonneville Power Administration Looks Back at 75 Years
Army Corps Getting Ready for 'Big Water' in Northwest
NW Natural Gas Eyes $4 Million Credit for Washington State Customers
Grays Harbor PUD Honored Nationally as "Reliable Public Power Provider"
Chelan County PUD’s Janney Accepts Six-Year Contract
Bonneville Power Administration Electrical Engineers Head Back To College
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative Celebrates 75 Years, May 5
Smith Seeks Reelection to Chelan PUD Commission
Pacific Power Utility Bill Struggles: "They Got Irate & Threatened Me"
Southern Montana Electric Co-op's Interim Manager Fired
US Has a Natural Gas Problem: Too Much of It
Oregon Salmon Ballot Measure Nets $250,000 Contribution
Canada - Salmon Virus Claim Disputed
City of Shelton Gets Favorable Settlement for Satellite Sewer Plant Damage
First Solar Lays Off 2,000 as Europe Demand Wanes
Vermonters Fight Mountaintop Wind Farm
Wind’s ‘Modular’ Advantage over Power Plants
At Sixty Dollars - New Energy-Efficient Light Bulb Goes on Sale Sunday
Rebates to Cut Price of $60 LED Bulb
Cascade Energy Partners with Puget Sound Energy to Offer Industrial Electricity Savings
Amazon, Microsoft Low on Greenpeace Clean-Energy 'Cloud' Index
Greenpeace Slams Apple Despite Its Clean Power Data Center Plans
Apple Promises “Dozens” of Prineville Jobs When Data Center Opens
Chelan County PUD Commissioners Unanimously Approve Fiber Plan
Companies Try to Reserve Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Work, Not Play
The Strange New World Washington State’s First Congressional District
Washington State Dems to Kucinich: Get Lost
Gorst, Belfair Transportation Projects Get Top Priority
Facebook Fugitive Caught in Port Angeles
Accused Funeral Burglars Arrested in Snohomish County
Washington State Workers Leaving Liquor Stores before Handoff
Audit Finds Eatonville Uses Donations for Operating Expenses

WORD OF THE DAY

Nebbish • \NEBB-bish\ • Noun - A timid, meek, or ineffectual person

Bronson was a “cipher” in the company’s employee directory; so unremarkable was he that his image did not register on the digital camera during the “photo day.” As the nebbish of the office pool, his image in the directory was one of those “missing image” pictures you see on Facebook or in unfinished web profiles on obscure web forums about niche creatures from “Dungeons & Dragons.”

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

Supreme Court Rejects Ex-Enron CEO Skilling's Second Appeal (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2012-04-16/skilling-enron-ceo-supreme-court-appeal/54309270/1?csp=34money

Eugene Water & Electric Board Commissioners to Discuss Smart Meters - The utility is on the cusp of key decisions about overhauling how it measures consumption (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27908710-41/eweb-smart-meters-customers-meter.html.csp

Bonneville Power Administration Looks Back at 75 Years - Administrator discusses history, mission at annual forum (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/apr/17/agency-looks-back-at-75-years/

Army Corps Getting Ready for 'Big Water' in Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

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

NW Natural Gas Eyes $4 Million Credit for Washington State Customers (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/16/NW-natural-eyes-credit-for-washington-customers/

Grays Harbor PUD Honored Nationally as "Reliable Public Power Provider" (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4057

Chelan County PUD’s Janney Accepts Six-Year Contract (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/apr/16/puds-janney-accepts-6-year-contract/

Bonneville Power Administration Electrical Engineers Head Back To College - This Time to Teach (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPANews/ArticleTemplate.cfm?ArticleId=article-20120416-01

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative Celebrates 75 Years, May 5 (Islands Sounder, Eastsound, WA)

http://www.islandssounder.com/lifestyle/147664315.html

Smith Seeks Reelection to Chelan PUD Commission (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://www.kpq.com/04-17-12-Smith-Seeks-Reelection-to-Chelan-PUD-Comm/12860424

Pacific Power Utility Bill Struggles: "They Got Irate & Threatened Me" (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/home/related/Utility-bill-struggles-They-got-irate--threatened-me-147681985.html

Southern Montana Electric Co-op's Interim Manager Fired (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120417/NEWS01/204170302/Southern-Montana-s-interim-manager-fired

US Has a Natural Gas Problem: Too Much of It (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/17/150766635/u-s-has-a-natural-gas-problem-too-much-of-it?ft=1&f=3

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Salmon Ballot Measure Nets $250,000 Contribution (Willamette Week, OR)

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-28502-salmon_ballot_measur.html

Canada - Salmon Virus Claim Disputed: Fish farm and government officials reject industry foe's findings (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Salmon+virus+claim+disputed/6469099/story.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

City of Shelton Gets Favorable Settlement for Satellite Sewer Plant Damage (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/?p=4452

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

First Solar Lays Off 2,000 as Europe Demand Wanes (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/First-Solar-lays-off-2-000-as-Europe-demand-wanes-3487937.php

Vermonters Fight Mountaintop Wind Farm (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/04/17/45676.htm

Wind’s ‘Modular’ Advantage over Power Plants (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2012/04/17/winds-modular-advantage-over-power-plants/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

At Sixty Dollars - New Energy-Efficient Light Bulb Goes on Sale Sunday (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-04-16/philips-light-bulb/54321662/1?csp=34money

Rebates to Cut Price of $60 LED Bulb (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Rebates-to-cut-price-of-60-LED-bulb-3486101.php

Cascade Energy Partners with Puget Sound Energy to Offer Industrial Electricity Savings (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cascade-energy-partners-with-puget-sound-energy-to-offer-industrial-electricity-savings-2012-04-17

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Amazon, Microsoft Low on Greenpeace Clean-Energy 'Cloud' Index “…Quincy is a good place to go…They have access to electricity that's renewably powered, from hydroelectricity” (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017997234_greenpeace18.html

Greenpeace Slams Apple Despite Its Clean Power Data Center Plans (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/greenpeace-slams-apple-despite-its-clean-power-data-center-plans/

Apple Promises “Dozens” of Prineville Jobs When Data Center Opens, Hundreds of Construction Jobs in the Interim (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2012/04/apple_promises_dozens_of_prine.html

Chelan County PUD Commissioners Unanimously Approve Fiber Plan (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/apr/16/pud-commissioners-unanimously-approve-fiber-plan/

Companies Try to Reserve Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Work, Not Play (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-04-16/company-employee-broadband/54325232/1?csp=34tech

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

The Strange New World Washington State’s First Congressional District (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2012/04/17/congress/22223/The-strange-new-world-of-the-1st-Congressional-District/

Washington State Dems to Kucinich: Get Lost (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/04/16/state-dems-to-kucinich-get-lost/

GENERAL NEWS

Gorst, Belfair Transportation Projects Get Top Priority – Top Two: Belfair Bypass & Highway 3-Johns Prairie Road Intersection (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/apr/16/gorst-belfair-transportation-projects-get-top/

Facebook Fugitive Caught in Port Angeles (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Facebook-fugitive-Travis-Nicolaysen-caught-in-Port-Angeles-147676285.html

Accused Funeral Burglars Arrested in Snohomish County (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=662742

Washington State Workers Leaving Liquor Stores before Handoff (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017992166_apwaliquorstorejobs.html

Audit Finds Eatonville Uses Donations for Operating Expenses (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017999448_apwaeatonvilleaudit.html

DIVERSIONS

iSmell? Fragrance Mimics Scent of New MacBook

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2012/04/ismell-fragrance-mimics-scent-of-new-macbook/1?csp=34tech