Thursday, August 11, 2011

Energy News Digest for August 11, 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

PROGRAMMING NOTE:

The energy news digest will be visiting the brick-oven-hot SW US August 15-26. It will return, gratefully to the humidity and cool breezes of the Pacific NW on August 29. Hydration…much Hydration.

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Run Opens Thursday - Between 1.5 & seven million sockeye salmon are expected (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

August 25 – Mason County PUD 3: Large Planned Outage Shelton-Matlock Road Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Bonneville Power Administration & Partners Strengthen Energy Connection to California, Southwest (Bonneville Power Administration)

Most Wired Hospitals of 2011 – Mason General Hospital on the List Again (Hospital & Health Magazine)

Congressional Deficit Panel Completed with House Democrats (USA Today)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Bonneville Power Administration & Partners Strengthen Energy Connection to California, Southwest 
  • Trashed East Missoula US Forest Service Land Prompts Response – Transmission Security a Concern
  • Chamber of Commerce Calls for Support of BPA Power Sales to Columbia Falls Aluminum Company
  • August 25 – Mason County PUD 3: Large Planned Outage Shelton-Matlock Road Area
  • Grays Harbor County Commissioners Review Redistricting Plan
  • Canada-New England Transmission Project Delayed
  • US Natural Gas Supplies Grow Less than Expected
  • US Department of Energy Panel Seeks Stiffer Rules for Drilling of Natural Gas Wells
  • Washington State University Gets $500,000 for Nuclear Research
  • German Nuclear Shutdown Forces E.ON to Cut 11,000 Staff
  • Air-Conditioner Crimes Strike Particularly Hard in Summer Heat
  • Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Run Opens Thursday
  • Editorial - Ruling on Salmon Proposal Disappointing, Inconclusive
  • Op/Ed - Faulty Columbia Basin Salmon Plan Bad for Salmon & Jobs
  • Pacific NW Businesses to Obama: More Salmon = More Jobs
  • Largemouth Bass Estimated to be 19 Years Old Caught by 10-Year-Old Boy in Western Montana
  • Hood Canal - Twanoh State Park Reopened for Swimming
  • US Army Corps of Engineers Run Tests on Washington State’s Howard Hanson Dam
  • Texas’ Record Electricity Demand Creates Battling Headlines about Wind Power
  • Too Much of a Good Thing - Wind Influx Means Northwest Has Plenty of Power with Nowhere to Go 
  • Editorial - Wind Power
  • Washington State Carbon Tax: New Model & Analysis
  • Does an 89-Square-Foot House Make Sense for Vancouver?
  • Most Wired Hospitals of 2011 – Mason General Hospital on the List Again
  • $10 Internet Service: Do You Qualify?
  • Cloud Computing Shines on Portland Startups AppFog & Cedexis
  • Future of Cloud Computing … More Clouds. Seriously
  • Congressional Deficit Panel Completed with House Democrats
  • US Senator Patty Murray: All Is on Table in Debt Super Committee
  • Federal Finances - Is the ‘Supercommittee’ Headed for Deadlock?
  • Standard & Poor’s, Others Lobby Government While Rating Its Credit
  • Standard & Poor’s Controversy Fuels Demands for Ratings Reforms
  • Heart Attack Caused Fatal North Mason County Auto Crash
  • New Contract for Belfair Water District Manager
  • Bend Soldier Back Home Amid Foreclosure Furor
  • University of Washington Football Coach Sarkasian Top-Paid Washington State Employee
  • Chelan County Assessor Gets the Boot
  • Othello, Washington - All the Town’s a Stage Where the Bard’s Works Inspire Street Names
  • Small Move for Shelton’s KOOL FM

WORD OF THE DAY

Circumspect • \SIR-kum-spekt\ • Adjective - Careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences: prudent

Bertie didn’t have “Tourette’s Syndrome,” even though his co-workers had their suspicions. His tendency to blurt out, honestly, whatever he was thinking at the moment was referred to in the cubicle farm as “belch in church” moments. “Ya gotta be more circumspect in how you talk to people,” his supervisor pleaded during the annual performance review. “Who told you that?” barked Bert. “That spy in the mailroom?”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration & Partners Strengthen Energy Connection to California, Southwest (Bonneville Power Administration)

Trashed East Missoula US Forest Service Land Prompts Response – Transmission Security a Concern (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

Chamber Of Commerce Calls for Support of BPA Power Sales to Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (Hungry Horse News, MT)

August 25 – Mason County PUD 3: Large Planned Outage Shelton-Matlock Road Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Grays Harbor County Commissioners Review Redistricting Plan (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Canada-New England Transmission Project Delayed (Electric Light & Power)

US Natural Gas Supplies Grow Less than Expected (Associated Press)

US Department of Energy Panel Seeks Stiffer Rules for Drilling of Natural Gas Wells (NY Times)

Washington State University Gets $500,000 for Nuclear Research (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

German Nuclear Shutdown Forces E.ON to Cut 11,000 Staff (The Guardian, UK)

Air-Conditioner Crimes Strike Particularly Hard in Summer Heat (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Run Opens Thursday - Between 1.5 & seven million sockeye salmon are expected (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Editorial - Ruling on Salmon Proposal Disappointing, Inconclusive (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Op/Ed - Faulty Columbia Basin Salmon Plan Bad for Salmon & Jobs (Juneau Empire, AK)

Pacific NW Businesses to Obama: More Salmon = More Jobs (Public News Service)

Largemouth Bass Estimated to be 19 Years Old Caught by 10-Year-Old Boy in Western Montana (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Hood Canal - Twanoh State Park Reopened for Swimming (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

US Army Corps of Engineers Run Tests on Washington State’s Howard Hanson Dam (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Texas’ Record Electricity Demand Creates Battling Headlines about Wind Power (The Energy Collective)

Too Much of a Good Thing - Wind Influx Means Northwest Has Plenty of Power with Nowhere to Go (The Source Weekly, Bend, OR)

Editorial - Wind Power (Pueblo Chieftain, CO)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Carbon Tax: New Model & Analysis - How a BC-style carbon tax would work (Sightline Daily)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Does an 89-Square-Foot House Make Sense for Vancouver? (Vancouver Sun, BC)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Most Wired Hospitals of 2011 – Mason General Hospital on the List Again (Hospital & Health Magazine)

$10 Internet Service: Do You Qualify? (Christian Science Monitor)

Cloud Computing Shines on Portland Startups AppFog & Cedexis (Oregonian, Portland)

Future of Cloud Computing … More Clouds. Seriously (Gigaom)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Congressional Deficit Panel Completed with House Democrats (USA Today)

US Senator Patty Murray: All Is on Table in Debt Super Committee (Associated Press)

Federal Finances - Is the ‘Supercommittee’ Headed for Deadlock? (Washington Post)

Standard & Poor’s, Others Lobby Government While Rating Its Credit (Washington Post)

Standard & Poor’s Controversy Fuels Demands for Ratings Reforms (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Heart Attack Caused Fatal North Mason County Auto Crash (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

New Contract for Belfair Water District Manager (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Bend Soldier Back Home Amid Foreclosure Furor - Hours Earlier, Bank Auctions Family’s Home on Courthouse Steps (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

University of Washington Football Coach Sarkasian Top-Paid Washington State Employee (Seattle Times)

Chelan County Assessor Gets the Boot (Seattle Times)

Othello, Washington - All the Town’s a Stage Where the Bard’s Works Inspire Street Names (NY Times)

Small Move for Shelton’s KOOL FM (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Creative Eviction Methods - Scorpions on the Loose in Shenzhen

Texting Driver Bulldozes Through Yards, Car, House

Parallel-Parker Breaks Record, Then Loses It

Pssst! Does Starbucks Have a Secret Menu?

SONG OF THE DAY

Dave Brubeck Quartet - I Get a Kick Out of You