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: http://twitter.com/energydigest
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Wind Advisory in Effect (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Washington State Releases Initial Salmon Run Forecast; Coho, Pink Salmon Runs Look Good (Olympian, WA)
BC Hydro Warns of Deficits Up to $1 Billion without Rate Increases - Seeking average increases of 9.73-per-cent per year over the next three years (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Ponderay Newsprint Strike Stops Work at Plant - Union says company violates settlement (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Washington State House Passes Kittitas Solar Bill - Project to be eligible for double renewable energy credits (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· BC Hydro Warns of Deficits Up to $1 Billion without Rate
· Eugene Water & Electric Board Considers Electric Rate Increase
· Cities, Okanogan County at Odds over PUD Tax Money
· Washington State Man, Inland Power at Odds over Service Call for Cat
· California - Santa Cruz County Ground Zero for SmartMeter Opposition
· Utility Expert Blames Faulty Weld in California Pipeline Explosion That Killed 8
· Ninth Circuit - STATE OF OREGON V. FERC, 09-70269: Regarding Bradford
· Op/Ed – The Right Policy for Natural Gas
· Moses Lake Man Arrested for Selling Copper
· Washington State Releases Initial Salmon Run Forecast; Coho, Pink Salmon Runs Look Good
· Western Lawmakers, Governors Fight Wild Lands Proposal
· Idaho Tribe Probing Claim of Waste In Bison Hunt
· Why Local Chinese Officials Ordered One Town’s Residents to Use More Water
· Washington State House Passes Kittitas Solar
· Geothermal Work Tricky; Upfront Costs Slow Siting for Companies
· Alaska - Golden Valley Electric Association Hears Wind Power Proposals; Picks Its Own Plan
· A Billion Tons of Biomass a Viable Goal, But at High Price, New Research
· Oregon, Washington Ranked among Top 10 LEED States
· Reward for Conservation – Pacific Gas & Electric Clarifies Debit Cards: There’s No Catch
· Clean Air Act to Save $2 Trillion By 2020, EPA Report
· When Did We Discover Man-Made Climate Change?
· ‘Clean’ Fuel Made Some Vehicle Emissions Worse
· Federal Agency Targets Ethanol Subsidy as Unnecessary
· Wireless Towers Low on List of Threats to
· Frontier Takes over Our Internet Service, Slows It Waaaaay Down
· Amazon Threatens to Cut California Affiliates over Sales Taxes
· Measure Would Let Cities Add Street Maintenance to Utility Bills
· Washington Lawmakers Talking About NASCAR Track,
· Congress: Herrera Beutler Calls for 10 Percent Pay Cuts for Federal
· US Supreme Court Backs Westboro Baptist Church Funeral
· Wind Advisory in Effect
· Winds Reach 82 Mph at Radar Ridge
· January Job Creation Washington State’s Best In Three
· Shelton Port Commissioner’s Claim: Diabetic Issue Leads to
· Ponderay Newsprint Strike Stops Work at Plant
· New Owner Plans to Restart Kalama Glass Plant
WORD OF THE DAY
Enormity /ih-NORM uh-tee/ Noun - 1: an outrageous, improper, vicious, or immoral act 2: the quality or state of being immoderate, monstrous, or outrageous; especially: great wickedness 3: the quality or state of being huge: immensity 4: a quality of momentous importance or impact
Humming absently under his breath, Dilbert was ignorant of the enormity of the email he was so blithely sending. ‘You’re all doing your jobs really good,’ it began. But once it arrived at the company grammarian’s inbox, his life took an uncomfortable turn for the worse. The reply began: ‘I hope you are seated, and doing well….’
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
BC Hydro Warns of Deficits Up to $1 Billion without Rate Increases - Seeking average increases of 9.73-per-cent per year over the next three years (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Eugene Water & Electric Board Considers Electric Rate Increase (KVAL-TV - Eugene, OR)
Cities, Okanogan County at Odds over PUD Tax Money (Omak Chronicle, WA)
Washington State Man, Inland Power at Odds over Service Call for Cat (Associated Press)
California - Santa Cruz County Ground Zero for SmartMeter Opposition (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Utility Expert Blames Faulty Weld in California Pipeline Explosion That Killed 8 (NY Times)
Ninth Circuit - STATE OF OREGON V. FERC, 09-70269: Regarding Bradford Landing (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, SF)
Op/Ed – The Right Policy for Natural Gas (NY Times)
Moses Lake Man Arrested for Selling Copper (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/crime-fire/article_4df413d6-4372-11e0-bba9-001cc4c002e0.html
FISH & WILDLIFE
Washington State Releases Initial Salmon Run Forecast; Coho, Pink Salmon Runs Look Good (Olympian, WA)
Western Lawmakers, Governors Fight Wild Lands Proposal (Associated Press)
Idaho Tribe Probing Claim of Waste In Bison Hunt (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Why Local Chinese Officials Ordered One Town’s Residents to Use More Water (Christian Science Monitor)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Washington State House Passes Kittitas Solar Bill - Project to be eligible for double renewable energy credits (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
Geothermal Work Tricky; Upfront Costs Slow Siting for Companies (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Alaska - Golden Valley Electric Association Hears Wind Power Proposals; Picks Its Own Plan (Fairbanks News Miner, AK)
A Billion Tons of Biomass a Viable Goal, But at High Price, New Research Shows (Renewable Energy World)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Oregon, Washington Ranked among Top 10 LEED States (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA) States
Reward for Conservation – Pacific Gas & Electric Clarifies Debit Cards: There’s No Catch (SF Chronicle, CA)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Clean Air Act to Save $2 Trillion By 2020, EPA Report Says (Bloomberg News)
When Did We Discover Man-Made Climate Change? (The Guardian, UK)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
‘Clean’ Fuel Made Some Vehicle Emissions Worse, University of British Columbia Study Discovers (Vancouver Sun, BC)
Federal Agency Targets Ethanol Subsidy as Unnecessary (Des Moines Register, IA)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Wireless Towers Low on List of Threats to Children (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Frontier Takes over Our Internet Service, Slows It Waaaaay Down (Consumerist)
Amazon Threatens to Cut California Affiliates over Taxes (CNET News)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Measure Would Let Cities Add Street Maintenance to Utility Bills (Seattle Times, WA)
Washington Lawmakers Talking About NASCAR Track, Again (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Congress: Herrera Beutler Calls for 10 Percent Pay Cuts for Federal Officials (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
US Supreme Court Backs Westboro Baptist Church Funeral Protests (Oregonian, Portland, OR)
GENERAL NEWS
Wind Advisory in Effect (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Winds Reach 82 Mph at Radar Ridge (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)
January Job Creation Washington State’s Best In Three Years (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Shelton Port Commissioner’s Claim: Diabetic Issue Leads to DUI (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Ponderay Newsprint Strike Stops Work at Plant - Union says company violates settlement (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
New Owner Plans to Restart Kalama Glass Plant (Longview Daily News, WA)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
California Woman Survives 40-Mile Ride on Minivan Hood
Town Approves Plan to Shame Property Owners
Corrupt Town Helpfully Puts Corrupt Scheme Into Memo Form (Note: there may be PG-13 language in comments section)
We’re Number One - The Most Miserable Sports Cities
SONG OF THE DAY
Wildfire - Michael Martin Murphey
