Energy News Digest for June 29, 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.

The news digest is also available at the following web site:

http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/

HOT SHOTS – TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Says Wind Power Cutbacks at Seven Percent (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/06/28/1704655/bpa-says-wind-power-cutbacks-at.html

Nebraska - A Long Road Ahead for a Flooded Reactor (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/a-long-road-ahead-for-a-flooded-reactor/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Scientists: Remove Dams - Free-Flowing’ River Crucial to Fish, Society Says (Idaho Mountain Express, Sun Valley, ID)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005137320

Washington State Official Says Water a Serious Concern (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015451912_apwawashingtonwater.html

Future of Federal Solar Programs in Doubt (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2011-06-28-solar-energy-congress_n.htm?csp=34money

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Bonneville Power Administration Says Wind Power Cutbacks at Seven Percent
• Most Pacific Northwest Wind Energy Continues Uninterrupted
• Tillamook PUD Rates to Rise by Five Percent
• Mason County PUD 3 Personnel Conducting System Survey Through September
• Montana - Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Approves $300 Million Limit for Power Plant on Split Vote
• Nebraska - A Long Road Ahead for a Flooded Reactor
• New York - Cuomo Takes Tough Stance on Nuclear Reactors
• US Senator Calls for Probe of Nuke Evacuation Plans
• Lawmakers Seek Inquiry of Natural Gas Industry
• Xcel Found Not Guilty in Power Plant Deaths
• Vermont Utility to Discuss Competing Acquisition Offer
• Feds Running a High-Voltage Gravy Train for Power Transmission
• Scientists: Remove Dams - Free-Flowing’ River Crucial to Fish, Society Says
• New Interior Assistant Secretary Nomination Has History of Supporting Dam Removal
• Lower Columbia Picking Up Steam for Summer Chinook and Sockeye
• Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Levels Improved This Past Week
• Feds: Fungus May be Threatening Two Bats' Survival
• Washington State Official Says Water a Serious Concern
• Oregon - Urine-Tainted Mount Tabor Reservoir Emptied; Cleaning to Follow
• Talk Focuses on South Sound Septic-To-Sewer Change
• Georgia: Ruling on Water Favors Atlanta
• Future of Federal Solar Programs in Doubt
• Vestas Study: Intel, Whole Foods Among Clean Energy Leaders
• Texas - Aspen Power Official Says Company Looking to Flip the Biomass Power Plant Switch by Late July
• Simplot Receives Energy Star Award
• Global Warming Continues as Greenhouse Gas Grows
• Court Rules California’s Cap-And-Trade Program Can Advance
• What Is Carbon Capture?
• United Nations Names Endangered Sites
• Olympic Peninsula is a United Nations Heritage Site
• Phone Book Company Loses Court Fight Against Seattle
• Greening of the Prairie -- Not Your Father's Kansas Anymore
• Sabey to Build New Data Center in Virginia
• Microsoft Office 365 debuts, gets slammed by Google
• Google Unveils Latest Social Networking Feat
• FCC Report Dodges Answers on Wireless Industry Competition
• Satellite Broadband Still Promising to Someday Suck Less –
• News Corp. to Sell Struggling Social Network Site MySpace
• Inslee Pulls in $110,000 in First Days of Washington State Gubernatorial Campaign
• Washington State Governor Gregoire's Chief of Staff Leaving
• Washington Secretary of State Reed to Retire at the End of ’12, Urges Civility in Politics
• Mercer Island to Pay $90,000 for Withholding Records
• Metal thefts back on the rise again in Washington
• Fed Sits On a Billion Unwanted Dollar Coins
• Special Report: A Little House of Secrets on the Great Plains

WORD OF THE DAY

Amanuensis • \uh-man-yuh-WENTS-sis\ • Noun - One employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript

“I’ve been suffering from an irritating amanuensis every day,” moaned the new judge to his grizzled, yet distracted mentor. “Maybe you should put some ointment on it and it will eventually go away.” A week later, the court reporter issued her resignation to HR.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

Bonneville Power Administration Says Wind Power Cutbacks at Seven Percent (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/06/28/1704655/bpa-says-wind-power-cutbacks-at.html

Most Pacific Northwest Wind Energy Continues Uninterrupted (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/1125971/

Tillamook PUD Rates to Rise by Five Percent (Tillamook Headlight Herald, OR)

http://www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/article_75166bd8-a1d4-11e0-ae7f-001cc4c002e0.html

Mason County PUD 3 Personnel Conducting System Survey Through September (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=881

Montana - Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission Approves $300 Million Limit for Power Plant on Split Vote (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_774d07ce-a1b9-11e0-9bbc-001cc4c002e0.html

Nebraska - A Long Road Ahead for a Flooded Reactor (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/a-long-road-ahead-for-a-flooded-reactor/?partner=rss&emc=rss

New York - Cuomo Takes Tough Stance on Nuclear Reactors (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/nyregion/cuomo-emphasizes-aim-to-close-indian-point-plant.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

US Senator Calls for Probe of Nuke Evacuation Plans (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2015450021_apusagingnukesreaction.html

Lawmakers Seek Inquiry of Natural Gas Industry (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/us/politics/29naturalgas.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Xcel Found Not Guilty in Power Plant Deaths (Denver Business Journal, CO)

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/06/28/xcel-found-not-guilty-in-power-plant.html

Vermont Utility to Discuss Competing Acquisition Offer (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Vt-Utility-to-discuss-competing-acquisition-offer-1442811.php

Feds Running a High-Voltage Gravy Train for Power Transmission (Grist Online)

http://www.grist.org/energy-policy/2011-06-27-feds-running-a-high-voltage-gravy-train-for-power-transmission

FISH & WILDLIFE

Scientists: Remove Dams - Free-Flowing’ River Crucial to Fish, Society Says (Idaho Mountain Express, Sun Valley, ID)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005137320

New Interior Assistant Secretary Nomination Has History of Supporting Dam Removal (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14993900/new

Lower Columbia Picking Up Steam for Summer Chinook and Sockeye (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2015452799_lower_columbia_picking_up_stea.html

Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Levels Improved This Past Week (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2015452126_northern_pikeminnow_reward_cat_1.html

Feds: Fungus May be Threatening Two Bats' Survival (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2015449406_apusbatfungusendangeredspecies.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Official Says Water a Serious Concern (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015451912_apwawashingtonwater.html

Oregon - Urine-Tainted Mount Tabor Reservoir Emptied; Cleaning to Follow (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/06/mount_tabor_reservoir_finally.html

Talk Focuses on South Sound Septic-To-Sewer Change (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/06/28/1704840/talk-focuses-on-south-sound-septic.html

Georgia: Ruling on Water Favors Atlanta (Associated Press)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/us/29brfs-RULINGONWATE_BRF.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Future of Federal Solar Programs in Doubt (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2011-06-28-solar-energy-congress_n.htm?csp=34money

Vestas study: Intel, Whole Foods among clean energy leaders (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/06/vestas-study-intel-whole-foods-among.html

Texas - Aspen Power Official Says Company Looking to Flip the Biomass Power Plant Switch by Late July (Lufkin Daily News, TX)

http://lufkindailynews.com/business/article_426a4b0a-a18e-11e0-a079-001cc4c002e0.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Simplot Receives Energy Star Award (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/article_827289e0-9ea7-11e0-8f26-001cc4c03286.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global Warming Continues as Greenhouse Gas Grows (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Global-warming-continues-as-greenhouse-gas-grows-1444029.php

Court Rules California’s Cap-And-Trade Program Can Advance (Grist Online)

http://www.grist.org/climate-policy/2011-06-27-court-rules-californias-cap-and-trade-program-can-advance

What Is Carbon Capture? (Mother Nature Network)

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/what-is-carbon-capture

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

United Nations Names Endangered Sites (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015448812_apeufranceunesco.html

Olympic Peninsula is a United Nations Heritage Site (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/151

Phone Book Company Loses Court Fight Against Seattle (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/124686019.html

Greening of the Prairie -- Not Your Father's Kansas Anymore (Huffington Post)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rocky-kistner/greening-of-the-prairie-n_b_886447.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Sabey to Build New Data Center in Virginia (Columbia Basin Bulletin, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/article_ebdee932-9dbc-11e0-a3fd-001cc4c002e0.html

Microsoft Office 365 debuts, gets slammed by Google (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/faster-forward/post/microsoft-office-365-debuts-gets-slammed-by-google/2011/06/28/AGQdt5oH_blog.html

Google Unveils Latest Social Networking Feat (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/28/national/a122121D92.DTL

FCC Report Dodges Answers on Wireless Industry Competition (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/fcc-report-dodges-answers-on-wireless-industry-competition/2011/06/27/AGZoSAoH_blog.html

Satellite Broadband Still Promising to Someday Suck Less - Companies Hope New Satellite Can Let Them Compete with DSL (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Satellite-Broadband-Still-Promising-to-Someday-Suck-Less-114932

News Corp. to Sell Struggling Social Network Site MySpace (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/06/news_corp_to_sell_struggling_s.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Inslee Pulls in $110,000 in First Days of Washington State Gubernatorial Campaign (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/06/28/inslee-pulls-in-110000-in-first-days-of-campaign/

Washington State Governor Gregoire's Chief of Staff Leaving (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2015452152_gregoires_chief_of_staff_leavi.html

Washington Secretary of State Reed to Retire at the End of ’12, Urges Civility in Politics (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/06/28/reed-to-retire-at-the-end-of-12-urges-civility-in-politics/

GENERAL NEWS

Mercer Island to Pay $90,000 for Withholding Records (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/06/28/1704674/mercer-island-to-pay-90k-for-withholding.html

Metal thefts back on the rise again in Washington (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Rising-metal-prices-cause-rise-in-thefts-124673849.html

Fed Sits On a Billion Unwanted Dollar Coins (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/28/137480126/fed-sits-on-billions-of-unwanted-dollar-coins?ft=1&f=2

Special Report: A Little House of Secrets on the Great Plains (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/28/us-usa-shell-companies-idUSTRE75R20Z20110628

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Study: Women Dig Dudes Driving Hot Cars

http://news.yahoo.com/study-women-dig-dudes-driving-hot-cars-155010062.html

Boeing Rights a Wrong: The Flight Attendant Button

http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-rights-wrong-flight-attendant-button-154809661.html

Chef Catches Flak for Treated Tap Water

http://news.yahoo.com/chef-catches-flak-treated-tap-water-164036184.html

Iran Plans To Send Monkey Into Space

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-plans-send-monkey-space-161233486.html

SONG OF THE DAY

ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn2-b_opVTo

Energy News Digest for June 28, 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:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Pacific Northwest Hydro Supplies Near Record Highs (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/27/utilities-usnorthwest-hydropower-idUSN1E75Q1AL20110627

Populations Around US Nuclear Plants Soar (Associated Press)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-27-Nuclear-plants-population-evacuation_n.htm?csp=34news

Data Center Central - High-Tech ‘Crops’ Growing Fast in Quincy (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=9033

100 Jobs Leaving Kennewick as Clean-Tech Company Infinia Moves Headquarters (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/124626334.html

Inslee Announces Run for Washington State Governor, With a Jobs-&-Business Theme (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015439209_inslee28m.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Pacific Northwest Hydro Supplies Near Record Highs
• Pumping Up the ‘Arms’ - Workers Strengthen Spillgates at Rocky Reach Dam
• Montana - Southern Montana Electric Co-Op’s Gregori Fires Back at Critic of Electricity Deals
• Smart Meters Tap British Columbia’s Growing Need for Power
• Populations Around US Nuclear Plants Soar
• Eight of Ten Residents near US Nuclear Power Plants Favor Use of Nuclear Energy
• Natural Gas: Shale Firms’ Balance Sheets Raise ‘Red Flags’
• Tech Mavens Hail Transformer for Electrical Smart Grids
• Editorial - State Of Illinois Cautious on Smart Grid
• Michigan - Sturgis Hydroelectric Dam Marks 100 Years of Operation with Dam Days
• Con Ed May Continue With Sept. 11 Claims over Destroyed New York Substation
• Utilities Facing up to Social Media
• Pacific Northwest Spotted Owl Recovery Plan Due By End of Week
• Odd visitors in local waters a deep mystery
• New Mason County Nature Preserve
• Timber Industry Advocates Speak Against “Wild Olympics” Campaign
• 100 Jobs Leaving Kennewick as Clean-Tech Company Infinia Moves Headquarters
• Golden Valley Electric Association Approves Alaska’s Largest Wind Project for Healy Area
• Idaho Utility to Buy Energy from Small Montana Hydro Project
• Pythagoras Solar Windows & Energy Breakthrough
• Solar-Panel Raw Material Plunges to Six-Year Low, Helping Trina
• How Expensive Is Solar Energy?
• Sales of Wind Turbines for Home Use are Going Strong
• Study: Wind Turbines May Cool; But They Could Inhibit Crops’ Growth
• Ohio - Wind Turbine Starts Up in Euclid above Lincoln Electric Company
• United Kingdom - Government Grants Funds for Two Wave Power Projects
• Oregon - Seeing the Light; Modern Fluorescents Expected to Save Business $57,000 a Year
• Canadian Scientists Discover New Clues to Rapid Arctic Ice Melt
• Will We Adapt to Climate Change?
• Sustainability Center at Portland State University Raises Financial Concerns
• Editorial - Aviation Biofuel Plans Could Be a Boon for the Pacific Northwest
• Solar Generator Splits Water to Make Hydrogen
• Want to Be a Clean Energy Entrepreneur? Here’s a Crash Course
• Data Center Central - High-Tech ‘Crops’ Growing Fast in Quincy
• BendBroad Beats Facebook to Coal-Free Green Data Center
• Microsoft’s Office 365 Software Hits the Cloud
• FCC Competition Report Says Nothing with a Lot of Data
• Tech Security Spending to Rise in Wake of Attacks
• Google Sees 500,000 Android Devices Activated Every Day
• In Brave New Technoworld, Companies are Judging the Online You
• Inslee Announces Run for Washington State Governor, With a Jobs-&-Business Theme
• Poll Gives Inslee Slight Lead over McKenna in Washington State Gubernatorial Race
• Inslee: Mr. Jobs. McKenna: Mr. Schools. Huh?
• Ethics Inquiries Trail Washington State Corrections Leader
• Mason County to Change Pursuit Policy after Deputy Shoots Deputy
• Family: Man Shot for Mocking Co-Worker’s Rapture Beliefs
• Fireworks Stands Open for Business around Puget Sound
• Washington State Supreme Court Hearing School Case
• Washington Tourism Department Closes Thursday – Indefinitely
• Tahuya Peninsula - Officials Seek Recreation Connections
• Experts Predict Economic Upswing -- But It Won’t Make Much Difference
• That Latest Sign of an Economic Recovery: Shoplifting is Back

WORD OF THE DAY

Hyperborean • \high-per-BORE-ee-un\ • Adjective - 1: of or relating to an extreme northern region: frozen 2: of or relating to any of the arctic peoples

The mythical, annual visit of an oddly garbed hyperborean dweller never ceased to capture the imagination of Fred’s children. Even as they aged, their belief in Santa Claus never waned.

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

Pacific Northwest Hydro Supplies Near Record Highs (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/27/utilities-usnorthwest-hydropower-idUSN1E75Q1AL20110627

Pumping Up the ‘Arms’ - Workers Strengthen Spillgates at Rocky Reach Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jun/25/pumping-up-the-arms-workers-strengthen-spillgates/

Montana - Southern Montana Electric Co-Op’s Gregori Fires Back at Critic of Electricity Deals (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110628/NEWS01/106280304/SME-co-op-s-Gregori-fires-back-critic-electricity-deals

Smart Meters Tap British Columbia’s Growing Need for Power (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Smart+meters+growing+need+power/5008055/story.html

Populations Around US Nuclear Plants Soar (Associated Press)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-27-Nuclear-plants-population-evacuation_n.htm?csp=34news

Eight of Ten Residents near US Nuclear Power Plants Favor Use of Nuclear Energy (PR Newswire)

http://finance.sfgate.com/hearst.sfgate/news/read?GUID=18829557

Natural Gas: Shale Firms’ Balance Sheets Raise ‘Red Flags’ (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2011/0628/Natural-gas-Shale-firms-balance-sheets-raise-red-flags

Tech Mavens Hail Transformer for Electrical Smart Grids (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/26/3726261/tech-mavens-hail-transformer-for.html

Editorial - State Of Illinois Cautious on Smart Grid (St Louis Post- Dispatch, MO)

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/article_986c9b64-2fa8-5cd9-b6e7-f6c998fcb6f9.html

Michigan - Sturgis Hydroelectric Dam Marks 100 Years of Operation with Dam Days Celebration (Kalamazoo Gazette, MI – Yikes! Pay no attention to the color of the water coming through the spillway gates…)

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/06/sturgis_hydroelectric_dam_mark.html

Con Ed May Continue With Sept. 11 Claims over Destroyed New York Substation (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/06/27/37723.htm

Utilities Facing up to Social Media (EnergyBiz Insider)

http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/257989260/53616c7465645f5f740d4d4a29e997d53e5c742b9dd19f56e270bb747d5db5a7a6388e38a6503270

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Northwest Spotted Owl Recovery Plan Due By End of Week (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jun/27/nw-spotted-owl-recovery-plan-due-by-end-of-week/

Odd visitors in local waters a deep mystery (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015444562_creatures28m.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

New Mason County Nature Preserve (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/9522-new-nature-preserve

Timber Industry Advocates Speak Against “Wild Olympics” Campaign (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/7006

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

100 Jobs Leaving Kennewick as Clean-Tech Company Infinia Moves Headquarters (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/124626334.html

Golden Valley Electric Association Approves Alaska’s Largest Wind Project for Healy Area (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK)

http://mobile.newsminer.com/bookmark/14496191-GVEA-approves-Alaska-s-largest-wind-project-for-Healy-area

Idaho Utility to Buy Energy from Small Montana Hydro Project (Brighter Energy)

http://www.brighterenergy.org/24234/news/marine-hydro/idaho-utility-to-buy-energy-from-montana-hydro-project/

Clark Canyon Dam, Dillion Montana

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Clark_Canyon_Dam

Pythagoras Solar Windows & Energy Breakthrough (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/25/BUHP1K2FGD.DTL&type=tech

Solar-Panel Raw Material Plunges to Six-Year Low, Helping Trina (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/06/16/bloomberg1376-LMTYNA0D9L3801-6SQ0CU5TT27NNH40DIG0RUBGVE.DTL

How Expensive Is Solar Energy? (Motley Fool)

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/06/27/how-expensive-is-solar-energy.aspx

Sales of Wind Turbines for Home Use are Going Strong (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2011-06-27-wind-power-turbines-energy-electricity_n.htm?csp=34news

Study: Wind Turbines May Cool; But They Could Inhibit Crops’ Growth (Abilene Reporter-News, TX)

http://www.reporternews.com/news/2011/jun/26/study-wind-turbines-may-cool/

Ohio - Wind Turbine Starts Up in Euclid above Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/06/wind_turnbine_starts_up_in_euc.html

United Kingdom - Government Grants Funds for Two Wave Power Projects (Reuters)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/06/27/uk-britain-wave-funding-idUKTRE75Q6VJ20110627

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon - Seeing the Light; Modern Fluorescents Expected to Save Business $57,000 a Year (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/updates/26402997-55/lights-true-value-hansen-utility.html.csp

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Canadian Scientists Discover New Clues to Rapid Arctic Ice Melt (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/canadian-scientists-discover-new-clues-to-rapid-arctic-ice-melt/article2078461/

Will We Adapt to Climate Change? As natural resources become scarcer & their prices rise higher, some companies will profit from catering to the desperate (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Green-Economics/2011/0627/Will-we-adapt-to-climate-change

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Sustainability Center at Portland State University Raises Financial Concerns, Oregon Lawmakers Say (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/06/sustainability_center_at_psu_r.html

Editorial - Aviation Biofuel Plans Could Be a Boon for the Pacific Northwest (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/27/1722152/aviation-biofuel-plans-could-be.html

Solar Generator Splits Water to Make Hydrogen (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20071530-54/solar-generator-splits-water-to-make-hydrogen/

Want to Be a Clean Energy Entrepreneur? Here’s a Crash Course (Austin Business Journal, TX)

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/chatter/2011/06/want-be-a-clean-energy-entrepreneur.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data Center Central - High-Tech ‘Crops’ Growing Fast in Quincy (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=9033

BendBroad Beats Facebook to Coal-Free Green Data Center (Sustainable Business Oregon -  the Solution is “Indulgences”)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/06/bendbroad-beats-facebook-to-coal-free.html

Microsoft’s Office 365 Software Hits the Cloud (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2011-06-27-microsoft-office_n.htm?csp=34money

FCC Competition Report Says Nothing with a Lot of Data (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/broadband/fcc-competition-report-says-nothing-with-a-lot-of-data/

Tech Security Spending to Rise in Wake of Attacks (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-06-27-corporate-security_n.htm?csp=34tech

Google Sees 500,000 Android Devices Activated Every Day (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/mobile/andy-rubin-android-activating-500000-devices-a-day/

In Brave New Technoworld, Companies are Judging the Online You (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2015427747_ratinginfluence26.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Inslee Announces Run for Washington State Governor, With a Jobs-&-Business Theme (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015439209_inslee28m.html

Poll Gives Inslee Slight Lead over McKenna in Washington State Gubernatorial Race (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/poll-Inslee-slight-lead-over-McKenna--124604369.html

Inslee: Mr. Jobs. McKenna: Mr. Schools. Huh? (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/blog/crosscut/20387/Inslee:-Mr.-Jobs.-McKenna:-Mr.-Schools.-Huh-/

Ethics Inquiries Trail Washington State Corrections Leader - Reprimanded once before for mixing work, private life (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/06/28/1703719/ethics-inquiries-trail-doc-leader.html

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County to Change Pursuit Policy after Deputy Shoots Deputy (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/124625934.html

Family: Man Shot for Mocking Co-Worker’s Rapture Beliefs (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/124645219.html

Fireworks Stands Open for Business around Puget Sound (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Fireworks-stands-open-for-business-124644389.html

Washington State Supreme Court Hearing School Case (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/06/28/1704080/washington-supreme-court-hearing.html

Washington Tourism Department Closes Thursday - Indefinitely (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/28376262/detail.html

Tahuya Peninsula - Officials Seek Recreation Connections (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jun/27/officials-seek-recreation-connections/

Experts Predict Economic Upswing -- But It Won’t Make Much Difference (Associated Press)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110628/biz/706289967/-1/rss03

That Latest Sign of an Economic Recovery: Shoplifting is Back (Chicago Tribune)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-that-latest-sign-of-an-economic-recovery-shoplifting-is-back-20110627,0,6898196.story

DIVERSIONS

If Pi Day Wasn’t Enough, It’s Now ‘Tau Day’

http://www.kirotv.com/technology/28379231/detail.html

Apartment Combats Dog Poo with DNA Testing - Residents Must Provide DNA Sample for Apartment Database

http://www.kirotv.com/family/28370006/detail.html

Why pay $217,800 for an old Volkswagen bus?

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/06/why-pay-217800-for-an-old-volkwagen-bus/1?csp=34money

162 Coffee-Shop Stops in 162 Hours? No Problem

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jun/28/162-coffee-stops-in-162-hours-no-problem/

SONG OF THE DAY

OMG! You must see this:

Fredde Gredde - Killer Queen (Cover)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o57xEVHrYvE