Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Energy News Digest for May 24, 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.

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NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Struggles to Balance Hydropower & Wind Energy (Northwest Public Radio)

Editorial - Don’t Stick Ratepayers When Green Power Fails: Northwest wind farm operators want ratepayers to make up for the industry’s losses when oversupply curbs demand for wind power (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Washington State Wind Farm Permit OK’d in Whitman County (Associated Press)

Columbia to Reach Flood Stage Tuesday, Weather Service Says (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

City of Shelton to Turn Off Streetlights (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • City of Shelton to Turn Off Streetlights
  • City Of Baltimore Wants Green Streetlights, But Utility Blocks the Way
  • Montana – Energy Transmission Consortium, NorthWestern Surprised at Lawsuit
  • Alaska - New Energy Study Shows Local, State Usage Trends
  • Customers Outraged Over Nevada Energy Rate Hike
  • Op/Ed – Montana Southern Fails to Justify Power Rate Increases
  • Colorado Supreme Court Upholds $40M Jury Verdict against Qwest in Xcel Lineman’s Injury
  • Oklahoma Utilities Are Eager to Test Prepaid Electric Meters
  • Operator of Japan’s Damaged Nuclear Plant Says Fuel Rods in 2 More Reactors Mostly Melted
  • United Kingdom - Report Rejects Moratorium on Shale Gas Exploration
  • Fight over Canadian Oil Pipeline Moves to Congress
  • Bonneville Power Administration Struggles to Balance Hydropower & Wind Energy
  • Editorial - Don’t Stick Ratepayers When Green Power Fails
  • Wind Dispute Spills Over – Pacific Northwest Generation Curtailed
  • Wind Industry Demands NW Grid Overload Solution – Bashes BPA
  • Bonneville Power Administration Bashed at Wind Conference for Shutdown
  • Visitor Overlooks Would Allow Watching Elwha Dam Come Down, Restored Valley Grow
  • Bear Sightings Skyrocket in Kitsap
  • State Sues Wahkiakum County over Septic Sludge Ban
  • Washington State Wind Farm Permit OK’d in Whitman County
  • Wind Executive Warns of Natural Gas Competition
  • Fishing for Evidence: Identifying How Marine & Hydrokinetic Devices Affect Aquatic Environments
  • Work Starts on £60m Strathspey ‘Whisky’ Biomass Plant
  • Study: Smart Meter Impact Depends on Collective Use
  • Behavioral Nudges on Electric Bills Could Save Three Coal Plants Worth of Emissions
  • Climate Change Unlikely Factor in US Tornado Spree
  • Biofuel Push Stalls in ‘Car Crazy’ Germany
  • Lookin’ for a Carrier – City of Seattle Bringing Fiber-Optic Broadband to Pioneer Square
  • Yet Another Study Shows US Broadband Mediocre
  • Yahoo’s Giving Email Service Long-Promised Facelift
  • Google to Switch on World’s First Seawater-Cooled Data Center This Fall
  • Cisco Sued for Helping China Build Golden Internet Shield
  • Lady Gaga Album Sale Stalls Amazon Servers
  • Report: Social Tools Cost Millions in Workplace Disruptions
  • EU Effort Underway to Ban ‘Harmful’ Wi-Fi
  • OMG! Bracing To Tell the Kids About an Internet Outage
  • Creepy - Sonar Finds You the Most Relevant People in the Room
  • Will Washington State Lawmakers Work Past 30-Day Deadline?
  • Debt Limit Rift Could Stall Lawmakers in Olympia
  • Denny Heck Signals Possible Run for New 10th Congressional District
  • Kucinich, Losing District, Looks Very Far Afield
  • Repeat Deadly Storms ‘Unusual But Not Unknown’
  • Columbia to Reach Flood Stage Tuesday, Weather Service Says
  • Charge: Worker Stole $452K from Washington State Judges Group
  • Copper Falls on News of Slower China Manufacturing
  • Former KOMO Weathercaster Ray Ramsey Dies at 87

WORD OF THE DAY

Apocryphal • \uh-POCK-ruff-full\ • Adjective - 1: of doubtful authenticity: spurious

The end of the world
Hear my apocryphal tale
Oops, got the wrong date

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

City of Shelton to Turn Off Streetlights (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

City Of Baltimore Wants Green Streetlights, But Utility Blocks the Way - Loss of lucrative maintenance deal seems to be at issue (Baltimore Sun, MD)

Montana – Energy Transmission Consortium, NorthWestern Surprised at Lawsuit (Helena Independent-Record, MT)

Alaska - New Energy Study Shows Local, State Usage Trends (Juneau Empire, AK)

Customers Outraged Over Nevada Energy Rate Hike (KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV)

Op/Ed – Montana Southern Fails to Justify Power Rate Increases (Billings Gazette)

Colorado Supreme Court Upholds $40M Jury Verdict against Qwest in Xcel Lineman’s Injury (Denver Business Journal, CO)

Oklahoma Utilities Are Eager to Test Prepaid Electric Meters (Oklahoman, Oklahoma City)

Operator of Japan’s Damaged Nuclear Plant Says Fuel Rods in 2 More Reactors Mostly Melted (Associated Press)

United Kingdom - Report Rejects Moratorium on Shale Gas Exploration (The Guardian, UK)

Fight over Canadian Oil Pipeline Moves to Congress (Associated Press)

ROLL ON COLUMBIA vs. A MIGHTY WIND

Bonneville Power Administration Struggles to Balance Hydropower & Wind Energy (Northwest Public Radio)

Editorial - Don’t Stick Ratepayers When Green Power Fails: Northwest wind farm operators want ratepayers to make up for the industry’s losses when oversupply curbs demand for wind power (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Wind Dispute Spills Over – Pacific Northwest Generation Curtailed (Renewables Biz)

Wind Industry Demands NW Grid Overload Solution – Bashes BPA (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Bashed at Wind Conference for Shutdown (Sustainable Business Oregon)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Visitor Overlooks Would Allow Watching Elwha Dam Come Down, Restored Valley Grow Up (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Bear Sightings Skyrocket in Kitsap (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

State Sues Wahkiakum County over Septic Sludge Ban (Longview Daily News, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State Wind Farm Permit OK’d in Whitman County (Associated Press)

Wind Executive Warns of Natural Gas Competition (Des Moines Register, IA)

Fishing for Evidence: Identifying How Marine & Hydrokinetic Devices Affect Aquatic Environments (Renewable Energy World)

Work Starts on £60m Strathspey ‘Whisky’ Biomass Plant (British Broadcasting Corporation, UK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Study: Smart Meter Impact Depends on Collective Use (CNET News)

Behavioral Nudges on Electric Bills Could Save Three Coal Plants Worth of Emissions (Grist Online)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change Unlikely Factor in US Tornado Spree (Forbes Magazine)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Biofuel Push Stalls in ‘Car Crazy’ Germany (National Public Radio)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Lookin’ for a Carrier – City of Seattle Bringing Fiber-Optic Broadband to Pioneer Square (Seattle Times)

Yet Another Study Shows US Broadband Mediocre (Broadband Reports)

Yahoo’s Giving Email Service Long-Promised Facelift (Associated Press)

Google to Switch on World’s First Seawater-Cooled Data Center This Fall (GigaOM)

Cisco Sued for Helping China Build Golden Internet Shield (Associated Press)

Lady Gaga Album Sale Stalls Amazon Servers (NY Times)

Report: Social Tools Cost Millions in Workplace Disruptions (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, CA)

EU Effort Underway to Ban ‘Harmful’ Wi-Fi (Broadband Reports)

Omg! Bracing To Tell the Kids About an Internet Outage (Seattle Times)

Creepy - Sonar Finds You the Most Relevant People in the Room (Tech Crunch)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Will Washington State Lawmakers Work Past 30-Day Deadline? (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Debt Limit Rift Could Stall Lawmakers in Olympia (Associated Press)

Denny Heck Signals Possible Run for New 10th Congressional District (Seattle Times)

Kucinich, Losing District, Looks Very Far Afield (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Repeat Deadly Storms ‘Unusual But Not Unknown’ (Associated Press)

Columbia to Reach Flood Stage Tuesday, Weather Service Says (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Charge: Worker Stole $452K from Washington State Judges Group (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Copper Falls on News of Slower China Manufacturing (Associated Press)

Former KOMO Weathercaster Ray Ramsey Dies at 87 (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

Another Study Reveals Portland’s Hipness

Snohomish Students Illustrate National Debt – In Pennies

Dilbert lets users become part of the comic strip

Radio Host Says Rapture Actually Coming in October

SONG OF THE DAY

Louis Prima - Pennies from Heaven

Vernel Bagneris - Pennies from Heaven