Friday, June 3, 2011

Energy News Digest for June 3, 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:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Northwest Wind Integration Steering Committee Reconvenes - Group will discuss the future of wind energy in the Northwest (Bonneville Power Administration)

Washington State Gives Green Light to Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion – Under the proposal, the mill’s total air pollution emissions would likely drop (Longview Daily News, WA)

Washington State Congressman Doc Hastings Blasts Feds for Ending Yucca Project (Wenatchee World, WA)

FCC Broadband Map Takes Additional Heat - $300 Million ‘Map to Nowhere’ (Broadband Reports)

Hunter Acquitted of Criminal Negligence in Death of Mason County Brush Picker (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Washington State Congressman Doc Hastings Blasts Feds for Ending Yucca Project
  • California - Diablo Canyon Decision Postponed to Allow Seismic Study
  • US May Seek More Comment on Nuclear Reactor Design
  • German Nuclear Shutdown Will Damage European Economy
  • Pacific Northwest Wind Integration Steering Committee Reconvenes
  • Gaelectric Welcomes Bonneville Power Administration 2010 Network Open Season Decision on Network Upgrades
  • Editorial - Grid Needs Fixing
  • British Columbia Utilities Scrambling as Copper Prices Attract Thieves
  • Mason County PUD 3 Urges its Customers to Help their Neighbors through Project Share
  • Coal-For-China Debate Burns Its Way into Bellingham’s Mayor Race
  • Manitoba Hydro Signs $4-Billion Deal to Send Power to Minnesota
  • Canadian Hydroelectricity - 100 Years at Horseshoe a Victory for the People Behind the Power
  • AT&T Thinks You Should Just Take That Tree Off High-Tension Line Yourself
  • Spring Chinook Open on Reservation Reach
  • Sturgeon Decline in the Pacific Northwest Part of a Larger North American Trend
  • Hype Busters - Copper River Salmon Like Columbia Springers, Only More Expensive
  • Twanoh Terrace Water Outage Scheduled by Mason County PUD 1
  • China’s Three Gorges Dam Is Said to Hurt Areas Downstream
  • Chemicals in Farm Runoff Rattle States on the Mississippi
  • Washington State Gives Green Light to Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion
  • Idaho - Wind Energy Jobs May be Around the Corner, But Competition is Still Fierce
  • Vermont Utility to Start Work in August on $150 Million Wind Project
  • China - Chill Wind Blowing for Turbine Industry
  • Changes in Wind Power Safety Regulations Could Rock the Industry
  • Solar-Power Incentives Get Results but Are Rare
  • Spanish Solar Power Firm Wins Federal Loan Guarantee
  • House Panel Clears Fiscal 2012 Energy, Water Spending Bill; Programs for Renewables Take a Hit
  • Bainbridge Island Tries Peer Pressure to Save Energy
  • Bulb in, Bulb Out
  • California Carbon Dioxide Market Delay Seen Up to 12 Months
  • California Likely to “Suffer Most,” from Climate Change Pollution Says Study
  • Australia - Baby Steps on Carbon Tax for a Fragile Government
  • Can I Sue My Neighbor Under Nuisance Law for Contributing to Climate Change?
  • As Stimulus Funding Ends, Experts Weigh Law’s Impact on ‘Green Economy’
  • Oregon Legislature Says No to Idling Commercial Trucks
  • 50 MPG? Ford Bringing Three-Cylinder Engines to US
  • Shelton Resident Paul Stamets Presents Mushrooms to Save the World
  • Gunderson Unveils Portland Green Roof Pilot Project
  • Vats of Steamin’ Goo - States Consider: Is It Legal to Dissolve Bodies?
  • FCC Broadband Map Takes Additional Heat
  • Understanding the Universal Service Fund
  • Cloud Computing Remains Out of Reach for Most Government Agencies
  • Study: Web Users Worry About Snooping Businesses
  • Can Apple Make the Cloud Work for Consumers?
  • Netflix Ranks Best ISPs for Video Streaming
  • Governments Are Still Trying to Kill, Replace or Undo the Internet
  • Take Control of Your Inbox: Nine Ways to Sort Email
  • Mason County Candidate Filing Begins June 6
  • Gregoire: ‘A’ for Lawmakers
  • Washington State Lawmakers Give Mostly Positive Reviews of 2011 Session
  • Rural Legislators’ Power Ebbs as Populations Shift
  • Hunter Acquitted of Criminal Negligence in Death of Mason County Brush Picker
  • Temperatures in 70s Forecast for Washington State
  • Floods Feared as Snow Melts & Dam Reservoirs Fill Up
  • Wet Weather Likely to Delay Northwest Fire Season
  • Former Evergreen State College Professor Fined Nearly $120,000 for Foreign Study Program
  • No Jail Likely For Thieving Seattle Mailman
  • Washington Has Highest Vaccine Opt-Out Rate in Country
  • Shrinking Work Force Mystifies Economists

WORD OF THE DAY

An “oldie but goodie” from 2006:

Toroidal • \tor-OYD-ul\ • adjective: of, relating to, or shaped like a torus or toroid: doughnut-shaped

Frederic could not understand the lack of business at his new bakery. In a town renowned for its love of doughnuts, no one was interested in visiting his aptly, but unfortunately named, “Frederic’s Toroidal Pastry Shack”.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State Congressman Doc Hastings Blasts Feds for Ending Yucca Project (Wenatchee World, WA)

California - Diablo Canyon Decision Postponed to Allow Seismic Study (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

US May Seek More Comment on Nuclear Reactor Design (Reuters)

German Nuclear Shutdown Will Damage European Economy - Germany recently announced plans to end its nuclear energy by 2022. The move could drive up electricity prices & coal use (Christian Science Monitor)

Pacific Northwest Wind Integration Steering Committee Reconvenes - Group will discuss the future of wind energy in the Northwest (Bonneville Power Administration)

Gaelectric Welcomes Bonneville Power Administration 2010 Network Open Season Decision on Network Upgrades (PR Newswire…The excitement is palpable in this news release)

Editorial - Grid Needs Fixing (Baker City Herald, OR)

British Columbia Utilities Scrambling as Copper Prices Attract Thieves - Telus, BC Hydro urging provincial regulation to deter wire thefts (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Mason County PUD 3 Urges its Customers to Help their Neighbors through Project Share (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Coal-For-China Debate Burns Its Way into Bellingham’s Mayor Race (Crosscut Seattle)

Manitoba Hydro Signs $4-Billion Deal to Send Power to Minnesota - will require the construction of some new hydro generation (Daily Commercial News)

Canadian Hydroelectricity - 100 Years at Horseshoe a Victory for thePeople Behind the Power (Canmore Leader, Alberta)

Information on Horseshoe Plant (TransAlta)

AT&T Thinks You Should Just Take That Tree Off High-Tension Line Yourself (Consumerist)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Chinook Open on Reservation Reach (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Sturgeon Decline in the Pacific Northwest Part of a Larger North American Trend (Northwest Public Radio)

Hype Busters - Copper River Salmon Like Columbia Springers, Only More Expensive (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Twanoh Terrace Water Outage Scheduled by Mason County PUD 1 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

China’s Three Gorges Dam Is Said to Hurt Areas Downstream (NY Times)

Chemicals in Farm Runoff Rattle States on the Mississippi (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State Gives Green Light to Longview Fibre’s Biomass Expansion – Under the proposal, the mill’s total air pollution emissions would likely drop (Longview Daily News, WA)

Idaho - Wind Energy Jobs May be Around the Corner, But Competition is Still Fierce (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

Vermont Utility to Start Work in August on $150 Million Wind Project (Bloomberg News)

China - Chill Wind Blowing for Turbine Industry (People’s Daily Online, Comrade)

Changes in Wind Power Safety Regulations Could Rock the Industry (Renewable Energy World)

Solar-Power Incentives Get Results but Are Rare (NY Times)

Spanish Solar Power Firm Wins Federal Loan Guarantee (Bloomberg News)

House Panel Clears Fiscal 2012 Energy, Water Spending Bill; Programs for Renewables Take a Hit (NY Times)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bainbridge Island Tries Peer Pressure to Save Energy (KUOW Radio, Seattle, WA)

Bulb in, Bulb Out (NY Times)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Carbon Dioxide Market Delay Seen Up to 12 Months (Reuters)

California Likely to “Suffer Most,” from Climate Change Pollution Says Study (KQED Radio, San Francisco, CA)

Australia - Baby Steps on Carbon Tax for a Fragile Government (Sydney Morning Herald, AUS)

Can I Sue My Neighbor Under Nuisance Law for Contributing to Climate Change? - The Supreme Court’s AEP vs. Connecticut: a case of “what will Kennedy decide”? (Lexology)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

As Stimulus Funding Ends, Experts Weigh Law’s Impact on ‘Green Economy’ (NY Times)

Oregon Legislature Says No to Idling Commercial Trucks (Oregonian, Portland)

50 MPG? Ford Bringing Three-Cylinder Engines to US (USA Today)

Shelton Resident Paul Stamets Presents Mushrooms to Save the World (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Gunderson Unveils Portland Green Roof Pilot Project (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Vats of Steamin’ Goo - States Consider: Is It Legal to Dissolve Bodies? (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Broadband Map Takes Additional Heat - $300 Million ‘Map to Nowhere’ (Broadband Reports)

Understanding the Universal Service Fund - And the Constant Efforts to Try & Reform It (Broadband Reports)

Cloud Computing Remains Out of Reach for Most Government Agencies (Government Technology)

Study: Web Users Worry About Snooping Businesses (Associated Press)

Can Apple Make the Cloud Work for Consumers? (GigaOM)

Netflix Ranks Best ISPs for Video Streaming - Charter & Comcast Hot, Clearwire & Frontier Very Much Not (Broadband Reports)

Governments Are Still Trying to Kill, Replace or Undo the Internet (GigaOM)

Take Control of Your Inbox: Nine Ways to Sort Email (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Candidate Filing Begins June 6 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Gregoire: ‘A’ for Lawmakers - In Vancouver, upbeat governor praises them for rising to challenge during tough session (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Washington State Lawmakers Give Mostly Positive Reviews of 2011 Session (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Rural Legislators’ Power Ebbs as Populations Shift (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Hunter Acquitted of Criminal Negligence in Death of Mason County Brush Picker (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Temperatures in 70s Forecast for Washington State (Associated Press)

Floods Feared as Snow Melts & Dam Reservoirs Fill Up (Associated Press)

Wet Weather Likely to Delay Northwest Fire Season (Seattle Times, WA)

Former Evergreen State College Professor Fined Nearly $120,000 for Foreign Study Program (Olympian, WA)

No Jail Likely for Thieving Seattle Mailman (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

Washington Has Highest Vaccine Opt-Out Rate in Country (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

Shrinking Work Force Mystifies Economists (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Hey! It’s National Doughnut Day! (Hurray for everybody’s favorite toroidal pastry)

Medical Marijuana Superstore Opens

Teenager Sells Kidney for iPad2

Duck Starts Family in Aisle of Home Depot - Employees Caring for Duck as She Warms Her Eggs

SONG OF THE DAY

Jim Stafford - Wildwood Weed