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
Special Weather Statement - Mix of Rain & Snow
Showers Possible Across Lowlands of
Western Washington through Saturday Morning
(National Weather Service Seattle)
Connecticut Utility CEO Out amid Post-Storm
Criticism (Associated Press)
Salmon Groups Ask Redden To Push Columbia River
Settlement Talks (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
Oregon
- Developers Drop Plans for Two Wind Farms on Steens Mountain Slopes (Oregonian, Portland)
Facebook’s Prineville Data Center Earns LEED Gold
(Sustainable Business Oregon)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Connecticut Utility CEO Out Amid Post-Storm Criticism (
- Southern Montana Electric Seats Beartooth Member; Rescinds Rate Hike
- EPA Rules Could Shut 13,000 Megawatts of Midwest Coal Plants
- From Edison’s Trunk, Direct Current Gets another Look
- France Needs to Upgrade All Nuclear Reactors
- Utility Reform Eluding Japan after Nuclear Plant Disaster
- Aging Dams Threatened by Climate Change
- US Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
- Metal Theft Threatens Co-ops, Crooks
- Mayor’s Last-Ditch Effort to Save Detroit Would Privatize 88,000 Streetlights
- The Chimera of Customer Satisfaction in the Utility Secto
- Salmon Groups Ask Redden To Push Columbia River Settlement Talks
- With Condit Dam Breached, Cabin Owners nearby Facing Winter without Water, They Worry
- Oregon - Developers Drop Plans for Two Wind Farms on Steens Mountain Slopes
- Grays Harbor PUD Responds to Radar Ridge Decision
- Wind Farm Effort’s End Blamed on Agency - Fish & Wildlife Says Investors Didn’t Understand Process
- Clallam PUD Loses $300,000 in Cancellation of Wind Farm Project
- Washington Wind Farm Canceled Due To Seabird
- Dutch Fall Out of Love with Windmills
- Meanwhile, Wind Industry Sees Big Gains – Will it Last?
- Investment Continues to Flow into Marine Energy: Siemens & OpenHydro Ride the Tide
- Congressional Panel Hears Defense of Loan to Solyndra
- Wal-Mart’s Progress on Renewables Has Been Very Slow
- NEEA Updates Northern Climate Specification for Heat Pump Water Heaters
- Americans Waking Up to Light Bulb Changeover
- Space Heaters Popular, But Come with Tradeoff
- Report: Climate Change Worsens Extreme Weather Events
- Science Panel: Get Ready for Extreme Weather
- Do Alaska’s Little Lemmings Play Special Role in Climate Change?
- GridMobility among Honorees - Cleantech Open Announces Winners
- Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Launches Expanded $1M Grant Program
- Environmentalists Ask Seattle to Ban Plastic Bags
- Cooking-Oil Supply Nears ‘Critically Low’ Level
- Facebook’s Prineville Data Center Earns LEED Gold
- Fighting Cancer at 100 Gigabits per Second
- SOPA Fight over ‘Internet Censorship’ Attracts Yahoo, Google
- Norway Hit by Major Data-Theft Attack
- Sacramento Heating Company’s Website Turns Steamy
- Internet Insecurity: The 25 Worst Passwords of 2011
- Washington State Faces Nearly $1.4 Billion Deficit in Latest Forecast
- Congressional Supercommittee Appears Unlikely To Reach Federal Debt Agreement
- Op/Ed - The Federal Tax Exemption on Municipal Bonds is Worth Keeping
- Special Weather Statement - Mix of Rain & Snow Showers Possible Across Lowlands of
- Western Washington
- Western Washington Mountains Get Heavy Snowfall; Ski Areas to Open
- Washington Jobless Rate Falls to Nine Percent
- Olympia McDonald’s Worker Arrested in Credit Card Case
- Police Make Arrest in Stolen Church Bell Case
- 4-H: WSU Budget Cuts Leave 4-H Clubs in Decline
WORD OF THE DAY
Chimera • \KIE-mirr-uh\ • Noun - 1a capitalized: a
fire-breathing she-monster in Greek mythology having a lion’s head, a goat’s
body, and a serpent’s tail b: an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous
parts 2: an illusion or fabrication of the mind; especially: an unrealizable
dream 3: an individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic
constitution
Chimera: see the pro-I-937 section of the 2006
Washington State voter’s pamphlet – “…Initiative 937 Saves Energy & Saves
Us Money: I-937 gives us cheaper,
renewable alternatives like wind and solar…”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Connecticut Utility CEO Out amid Post-Storm
Criticism (Associated Press)
Southern Montana Electric Seats Beartooth Member;
Rescinds Rate Hike (Billings Gazette, MT)
EPA Rules Could Shut 13,000 Megawatts of Midwest Coal
Plants (Reuters)
From Edison’s Trunk, Direct Current Gets another
Look (NY Times)
France Needs to Upgrade All Nuclear Reactors (Reuters)
Utility Reform Eluding Japan after Nuclear Plant
Disaster (NY Times)
Aging Dams Threatened by Climate Change (The Downey
Patriot, CA)
US Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week (Associated
Press)
Metal Theft Threatens Co-ops, Crooks (Electric
Co-op Today)
Mayor’s Last-Ditch Effort to Save Detroit Would
Privatize 88,000 Streetlights (Christian Science Monitor)
The Chimera of Customer Satisfaction in the Utility
Sector: EcoPinion Consumer Survey Points to Nuances & Need for Alternative
Customer Metrics (Electric Energy Online)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Salmon Groups Ask Redden To Push Columbia River Settlement
Talks (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
With
Condit Dam Breached, Cabin Owners nearby Facing Winter without Water, They
Worry (Oregonian, Portland)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Oregon
- Developers Drop Plans for Two Wind Farms on Steens Mountain Slopes (Oregonian, Portland)
Grays
Harbor PUD Responds to Radar Ridge Decision (KBKW Radio,
Aberdeen, WA)
Wind
Farm Effort’s End Blamed on Agency - Fish & Wildlife Says Investors Didn’t
Understand Process (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Clallam PUD Loses $300,000 in Cancellation of Wind
Farm Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Washington Wind Farm Canceled Due To Seabird (KMAS Radio,
Shelton, WA)
Dutch
Fall Out of Love with Windmills (Financial Post, Canada)
Meanwhile,
Wind Industry Sees Big Gains – Will it Last? (Renewable Energy World)
Investment
Continues to Flow into Marine Energy: Siemens & OpenHydro Ride the Tide (Renewable
Energy World)
Congressional
Panel Hears Defense of Loan to Solyndra (NY Times)
Wal-Mart’s Progress on Renewables Has Been Very
Slow “…Because wind & solar power generally cost more…Wal-Mart can’t or won’t
buy clean energy on a scale that matters…” (Grist Online)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
NEEA Updates Northern Climate Specification for
Heat Pump Water Heaters (PR Newswire)
Americans Waking Up to Light Bulb Changeover (NY
Times)
Space Heaters Popular, But Come with Tradeoff (Canton
Republic, OH)
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x1944401231/Space-heaters-popular-but-come-with-tradeoff
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x1944401231/Space-heaters-popular-but-come-with-tradeoff
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Report:
Climate Change Worsens Extreme Weather Events (USA
Today)
Science
Panel: Get Ready for Extreme Weather (Associated Press)
Do
Alaska’s Little Lemmings Play Special Role in Climate Change? (Alaska Dispatch)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
GridMobility
among Honorees - Cleantech Open Announces Winners (GigaOM)
Oregon
Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Launches Expanded $1M Grant
Program (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Environmentalists Ask Seattle to Ban Plastic Bags (Seattle
Times)
Cooking-Oil Supply Nears ‘Critically Low’ Level (Bloomberg
News)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Facebook’s Prineville Data Center Earns LEED Gold (Sustainable
Business Oregon)
Fighting Cancer at 100 Gigabits Per Second (GigaOM)
SOPA Fight over ‘Internet Censorship’ Attracts Yahoo,
Google (Christian Science Monitor)
Norway Hit by Major Data-Theft Attack (Associated
Press)
Sacramento Heating Company’s Website Turns Steamy (Sacramento
Bee, CA)
Internet Insecurity: The 25 Worst Passwords of 2011
(AOL Daily Finance)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington State Faces Nearly $1.4 Billion Deficit in
Latest Forecast (Associated Press)
Congressional Supercommittee Appears Unlikely To
Reach Federal Debt Agreement (Washington Post)
Op/Ed - The Federal Tax Exemption on Municipal
Bonds is Worth Keeping (Seattle Times)
GENERAL NEWS
Special Weather Statement - Mix of Rain & Snow
Showers Possible Across Lowlands of
Western Washington through Saturday Morning (National
Weather Service Seattle)
Western Washington Mountains Get Heavy Snowfall;
Ski Areas to Open (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)
Washington Jobless Rate Falls to Nine Percent (Associated
Press)
Olympia McDonald’s Worker Arrested In Credit Card
Case (Olympian, WA)
Police Make Arrest in Stolen Church Bell Case (KOMO-TV,
Seattle)
4-H: WSU Budget Cuts Leave 4-H Clubs in Decline (Tri-City Herald, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Airline Makes Stranded Passengers Pay for Fuel
Nude Hiking in Alps is a No-No
John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Peace Poster Sells for
$154,000
Tribe Takes on ‘Twilight’ Silliness: We ‘Do Not
Turn into Wolves’
SONG OF THE DAY
The
Ballad of John & Yoko - The Beatles (see poster above at about 1:35)
