The Energy News Digest: 11/22/11

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Energy News Digest for November 22, 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

Heavy Rain, Strong Winds Drench Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Heavy-rain-wind-pound-Western-Washington-134318683.html

Clark County's Biomass Plant Proposal for Vancouver Is Dead (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/21/countys-biomass-plant-proposal-dead/

Editorial - Lawmakers Must Stand Firm on Heating Aid (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/22/editorial-lawmakers-must-stand-firm-on-heating-aid/

Work Locker Never Searched - Investigators Set to Look at Items Stored at BPA Since Woman Disappeared in 1987 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/22/work-locker-never-searched/

Trout Unlimited Backs Out of Columbia-Snake Salmon Suit (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/21/rockybarker/trout_unlimited_backs_out_columbiasnake_salmon_suit

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Heavy Rain, Strong Winds Drench Western Washington
70 Mph Gust in Bellingham as Second Storm Blasts Region
Gusts Reach 97 Mph near Oregon Coastal Town
Mason County PUD 3 Outages from Overnight Storm Being Cleared Up
Grays Harbor Wind Storm Update - Power Restored
Editorial - Lawmakers Must Stand Firm on Heating Aid
Work Locker Never Searched - Investigators Set to Look at Items Stored at BPA Since Woman Disappeared in 1987
Power to Keep Flowing, Trustee to be Appointed for Southern Montana Electric Bankruptcy
US Department of Energy Review Raises Concerns about Hanford Plant
Tree Trimming near Haven Lake area - Project Begins November 28
Alaska Co-op Moves Underground
Massachusetts - Power Lines: To Bury, Or Not to Bury -- That's the Question
Alliant, MidAmerican in No Rush to Embrace Smart Meters
Are "Smart" Utility Meters to Blame for Customers’ Wi-Fi SNAFUs?
Massachusetts - Federal Agency Chastises Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Owner for Shutdown
Missouri - Burns Hospitalize Copper Theft Suspect
Southern California Edison Asks Customers to Take Ten Minutes to Stay Safe This Holiday Season
Trout Unlimited Backs Out of Columbia-Snake Salmon Suit
Giving Shad a 30-Year Chance
Replanting Begins In the Elwha Valley
Ecology Approves Money for Yakima County Nitrate Contamination
Clark County's Biomass Plant Proposal for Vancouver Is Dead
Op/Ed - Clean Energy Isn’t a Clean Process
China Bends to U.S. Complaint on Solar Panels but Plans Retaliation
Wind Turbine Suppliers Fear Loss of Tax Credits
Wind Turbine Gearbox Study Raises Reliability Hopes
United Kingdom - New Scots Coast Wind Farm to Be Biggest In the World
Are Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs Really Worth It?
Fresh Round of Hacked Climate Science Emails Leaked Online
On Our Radar: Made With the Wind
Bill Gates Calls for Massive Increase in Energy Research
Federal Online Piracy Proposal Could Affect Local Websites
US Senator Murray Laments Failure at End of Long Road
Deficit Super Committee Fails: Who's to Blame?
Washington State Governor Proposes Half-Cent Sales-Tax Increase
West Coast Lumber Exports Surge in 2011, Thanks Largely to China
Moses Lake Stakes 'Front-Runner' Claim for Boeing's New 737
On This Day: President Kennedy Assassinated

WORD OF THE DAY

Pizzicato • \pitts-sih-KAW-toe\ • Noun - A note or passage played by plucking strings.

The dancing mice in the orchestral score of “Three Blind Mice” will be represented by the sharp, pizzicato passages. (to be read in a soft, nasally, pretentious manner…)

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

THANKSGIVING STORMAGEDDON EDITION

Heavy Rain, Strong Winds Drench Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Heavy-rain-wind-pound-Western-Washington-134318683.html

70 Mph Gust in Bellingham as Second Storm Blasts Region (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Second-storm-blasts-region-with-heavy-rain-gusty-winds-134319338.html

Gusts Reach 97 Mph near Oregon Coastal Town (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/11/gusts_reach_97_mph_near_oregon.html

Mason County PUD 3 Outages from Overnight Storm Being Cleared Up (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=943

Grays Harbor Wind Storm Update - Power Restored (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3400

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Editorial - Lawmakers Must Stand Firm on Heating Aid (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/22/editorial-lawmakers-must-stand-firm-on-heating-aid/

Work Locker Never Searched - Investigators Set to Look at Items Stored at BPA Since Woman Disappeared in 1987 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/22/work-locker-never-searched/

Power to Keep Flowing, Trustee to be Appointed for Southern Montana Electric Bankruptcy (Associated Press)

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/3fdd8e0396de4a27943e65769a90274a/MT--SME-Bankruptcy/

US Department of Energy Review Raises Concerns about Hanford Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/11/21/1885913/energy-department-concerns-about.html

Tree Trimming near Haven Lake area - Project Begins November 28 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=942

Alaska Co-op Moves Underground (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/power-supply/transmission-distribution/alaska-co-op-moves-lines-underground/36596

Massachusetts - Power Lines: To Bury, Or Not to Bury -- That's the Question (Springfield Republican, MA)

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/power_outage_in_hampden.html

Alliant, MidAmerican in No Rush to Embrace Smart Meters (Business 380)

http://business380.com/2011/11/21/alliant-midamerican-in-no-rush-to-embrace-smart-meters/

Are "Smart" Utility Meters to Blame for Customers’ Wi-Fi SNAFUs? (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5861669/are-smart-utility-meters-to-blame-for-customers-wi+fi-snafus

Massachusetts - Federal Agency Chastises Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Owner for Shutdown (Quincy Patriot Ledger, MA)

http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x60135430/Federal-agency-reprimands-Pilgrim-nuclear-plant-owner-for-May-shutdown

Missouri - Burns Hospitalize Copper Theft Suspect - Two men charged after copper stolen from power substation (Springfield News-Leader, MO)

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20111122/NEWS12/111220348/copper-theft-brannen-cheek

Southern California Edison Asks Customers to Take Ten Minutes to Stay Safe This Holiday Season (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=161983

FISH & WILDLIFE

Trout Unlimited Backs Out of Columbia-Snake Salmon Suit (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/21/rockybarker/trout_unlimited_backs_out_columbiasnake_salmon_suit

Giving Shad a 30-Year Chance (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/giving-shad-a-30-year-chance/?partner=rss&emc=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Replanting Begins In the Elwha Valley (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/fieldnotes/2016817080_replanting_begin_in_the_elwha_valley.html

Ecology Approves Money for Yakima County Nitrate Contamination (Wenatchee World, WA – What a Terrible Headline: money to clean it up, or money to add to it?)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/nov/21/ecology-approves-money-for-nitrate-contamination/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clark County's Biomass Plant Proposal for Vancouver Is Dead (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/21/countys-biomass-plant-proposal-dead/

Op/Ed - Clean Energy Isn’t a Clean Process (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/nov/19/clean-energy-isnt-a-clean-process/

China Bends to U.S. Complaint on Solar Panels but Plans Retaliation (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/business/global/china-bends-to-us-complaint-on-solar-panels-but-also-plans-retaliation.html?_r=2

Wind Turbine Suppliers Fear Loss of Tax Credits (Crain’s Detroit Business)

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20111120/SUB01/311209966/wind-turbine-suppliers-fear-loss-of-tax-credits

Wind Turbine Gearbox Study Raises Reliability Hopes (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/11/wind-turbine-gearbox-study-raises-reliability-hopes