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.
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Ecology's Change in Haze Plan Targets TransAlta
Pollution (Seattle Times)
AP Impact: EPA Rules Threaten Older Power Plants
(Associated Press)
New Codes Aim to Cut Energy Use (NY Times)
Fisher Communications Completes Sale of Fisher
Plaza (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
Thinning Oregon Forests Develops Spotted Owl
Habitat, Chases Away Flying Squirrels -- The Owls' Chief Prey (Oregonian, Portland)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Ecology's Change in Haze Plan Targets TransAlta Pollution
- AP Impact: EPA Rules Threaten Older Power Plants
- How AP Estimated Power Plant Closures Due to EPA
- Washington State Commission Approves Avista Rate Increases
- Wyoming, California, Arizona - Duke Energy Venture Plans $3.5 Billion Transmission Line
- Mason County PUD No. 1 - Overnight Power Outage Tonight
- Missing Man's Body Found by PUD Employee in Klickitat County
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Operator Earns $8.5M in Performance Pay
- Pacific Northwest Power Traders Use Web for Deals
- Feds on the Hunt for Possible Yucca Mountain Replacement
- Op/Ed – Decoupling: Updating Rates Key to Energy Efficiency
- 35 Cents per kWh - Oahu Electric Rates Hit another Record High
- Brazil Judge Allows Dam Construction to Continue
- Thinning Oregon Forests Develops Spotted Owl Habitat, Chases Away Flying Squirrels -- The Owls' Chief Prey
- Elwha Dam Demolition to Resume as Fish Window Closes Early
- Eagles at Lake Coeur d'Alene in Record Numbers
- Yeah, We've Heard this Before: Big Salmon Run Predicted for 2012
- How to Catch, Store, And Use Rainwater
- EPA Selects Four Pacific Northwest Groups for Environmental Justice Grants
- Oregon - Biomass Tax Credit Created $12M in Economic Activity
- Attorneys Make Arguments in Umatilla County Wind Power Appeal
- Minnesota - Wind Farm Tensions Flare over Eagle Study: Developers Say Opponents Baiting Eagles with Animal Carcasses
- California - Editorial: Failed Windmill Plan another Sign of Lack of Commitment to Green Energy in Marin
- Alaska - Biomass Generators Set to Run in Fairbanks
- Op/Ed - Rethink Renewable Energy Mandates
- United Kingdom - Money-Spinning Wind Turbines Blow Nothing but an Ill Wind for Residents
- New Codes Aim to Cut Energy Use
- Despite Delay, the 100-Watt Bulb Is on Its Way Out
- Breweries Warm Up to Solar Thermal Heating
- Geothermal Heat Pumps Generate Savings
- $62 Million Oregon Sustainability Center Steeped in Uncertainty
- Stevens Pass One of the Greenest Ski Areas
- Fisher Communications Completes Sale of Fisher Plaza
- Do Build Your Own Data Centers Make Sense Anymore?
- O'Brien: FCC Chair Making Progress to Bridge the Digital Divide
- FCC Wants Input on New Universal Service Rule
- Another Microsoft Antitrust Trial after Utah Jury Deadlock?
- 'Disgruntled Employee' Disrupts DSLExtreme Service
- In US, Many More Dreading than Anticipating 2012 Campaign - Seven in 10 say they can't wait for the campaign to be over
- Redistricting Panel Redraws Western Washington Maps
- Washington State Governor's Race Seems All Locked Up
- Filed a Complaint Online About Tacoma Worker? It Might Have Vanished
- Times: Seattle Cartoonist David Horsey Joins L.A. Times
- Olympia Could Have Driest December in 63 Years
- Unimpressed Skiers Ask: Where's the Spectacular La Nina Snow?
- States’ Sales-Tax Deduction to Expire for 2012
- Way Too Much Crackdown for a Few Days of Bad Air
- Kalakala Sold For $1 to Person Who Will Return Ferry 'To Her Full Glory'
- “Valiantly Clinging to Death” N. Korean dictator Kim Jong Il dead at 69
WORD OF THE DAY
Raillery • \RAYL-uh-ree\ • Noun - 1: good-natured
ridicule: banter 2: jest
“Oh sure,” whined Jack Frost. “It’s all good fun
until someone gets hurt.” The raillery at the “All Seasons” ball had gone
astray, as the Indian Summer folks started chasing Jack throwing errant rays of
sunshine…their sunbeams impaling themselves on his back until he looked like a
shining porcupine with mange.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Ecology's Change in Haze Plan Targets TransAlta
Pollution (Seattle Times)
AP Impact: EPA Rules Threaten Older Power Plants
(Associated Press)
How AP Estimated Power Plant Closures Due to EPA
(Associated Press)
Washington State Commission Approves Avista Rate
Increases (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Wyoming, California, Arizona - Duke Energy Venture
Plans $3.5 Billion Transmission Line (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)
Mason County PUD No. 1 - Overnight Power Outage
Tonight (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Missing Man's Body Found by PUD Employee in
Klickitat County (Associated Press)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Operator
Earns $8.5M in Performance Pay (Associated Press)
Pacific Northwest Power Traders Use Web for Deals
(Electric Co-op Today)
Feds on the Hunt for Possible Yucca Mountain
Replacement (USA Today)
Op/Ed – Decoupling: Updating Rates Key to Energy
Efficiency (Arizona Republic, Phoenix)
35 Cents per kWh - Oahu Electric Rates Hit another
Record High (Pacific Business News)
Brazil Judge Allows Dam Construction to Continue
(Associated Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Thinning Oregon Forests Develops Spotted Owl
Habitat, Chases Away Flying Squirrels -- The Owls' Chief Prey (Oregonian, Portland)
Elwha Dam Demolition to Resume as Fish Window
Closes Early (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Eagles at Lake Coeur d'Alene in Record Numbers
(Associated Press)
Yeah, We've Heard this Before: Big Salmon Run
Predicted for 2012 (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
How
to Catch, Store, And Use Rainwater (Sunset Magazine)
EPA
Selects Four Pacific Northwest Groups for Environmental Justice Grants (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Oregon
- Biomass Tax Credit Created $12M in Economic Activity (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Attorneys Make Arguments in Umatilla County Wind
Power Appeal (East Oregonian, Pendleton)
Minnesota
- Wind Farm Tensions Flare over Eagle Study: Developers Say Opponents Baiting
Eagles with Animal Carcasses (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)
California
- Editorial: Failed Windmill Plan another Sign of Lack of Commitment to Green
Energy in Marin (Marin Independent Journal, CA – We want renewable energy, and
we dare you to build it!)
Alaska
- Biomass Generators Set to Run in Fairbanks (Juneau Empire, AK)
Op/Ed
- Rethink Renewable Energy Mandates (Politico)
United
Kingdom - Money-Spinning Wind Turbines Blow Nothing but an Ill Wind for
Residents ((The Sunday telegraph, UK)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
New Codes Aim to Cut Energy Use (NY Times)
Despite Delay, the 100-Watt Bulb Is on Its Way Out
(NY Times)
Breweries Warm Up to Solar Thermal Heating (Puget
Sound Business Journal, WA)
Geothermal Heat Pumps Generate Savings (Imperial
Valley News, Yuma, AZ)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
$62
Million Oregon Sustainability Center Steeped in Uncertainty (Oregonian, Portland)
Stevens
Pass One of the Greenest Ski Areas (KIRO
Broadcasting, Seattle)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Fisher Communications Completes Sale of Fisher
Plaza (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
Do Build Your Own Data Centers Make Sense Anymore?
(GigaOM)
O'Brien: FCC Chair Making Progress to Bridge the
Digital Divide (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
FCC Wants Input on New Universal Service Rule
(Courthouse News Service)
Another Microsoft Antitrust Trial after Utah Jury
Deadlock? (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
'Disgruntled Employee' Disrupts DSLExtreme Service
- All Customers Being Told to Change Passwords (Broadband Reports)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
In US, Many More Dreading than Anticipating 2012
Campaign - Seven in 10 say they can't wait for the campaign to be over (Gallup)
Redistricting Panel Redraws Western Washington Maps
(Associated Press)
Washington State Governor's Race Seems All Locked
Up (Seattle Times)
Filed a Complaint Online About Tacoma Worker? It
Might Have Vanished (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Times: Seattle Cartoonist David Horsey Joins L.A.
Times (KING-TV, Seattle)
GENERAL NEWS
Olympia Could Have Driest December in 63 Years (Olympian, WA)
Unimpressed Skiers Ask: Where's the Spectacular La
Nina Snow? (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
States’ Sales-Tax Deduction to Expire for 2012
(Seattle Times)
Way Too Much Crackdown for a Few Days of Bad Air (News
Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
Kalakala Sold For $1 to Person Who Will Return
Ferry 'To Her Full Glory' (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
“Valiantly Clinging to Death” N. Korean dictator
Kim Jong Il dead at 69 (Associated Press)
DIVERSIONS
Scientist Wants to Make Snowflake Formation
Crystal-Clear
'Whatever' Wins Crown for Most Annoying
Conversation Stopper
Seahawks Photographer Gets Single Shot to Capture
Most Memorable Moment
Cars Powered With Coke and Mentos Battle for
Mileage Supremacy
SONG OF THE DAY
Brenda
White - Christmas in the Northwest
