Energy News Digest for December 14, 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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Governor Weighing Changes to Washington State Clean-Energy Law (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/14/1913334/gov-weighing-changes-to-wash-clean.html

Puget Sound Energy Accused of Charging Improper Fee (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Regulators-accuse-PSE-of-improper-fee-charges-135593863.html

Environmental Group Sues to Protect West Coast 'Forage Fish' (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/environmental-group-sues-protect-forage-fish/

Washington State House Makes Budget Progress (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/14/1944501/house-makes-budget-progress.html

Washington State Jobless Rate Drops to 8.7 Percent (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017012949_jobs15.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Puget Sound Energy Accused of Charging Improper Fee
• Cowlitz PUD Commissioners Approve 2012 Budget – Includes 18 Percent Rate Increase
• Oregon - Power Purchase Costs Fuel Springfield Utility Board Rate Hike
• Coal Controversy - Bellingham Group Sues Shipping Terminal Company over Clean-Water
• Pacific Gas & Electric Assumes Civil Liability For San Bruno Pipeline Blast
• Arizona - Residents Concerned about Proposed Power Line Project
• Feds Move Closer to Approving New Nuclear Reactor Design
• Small Reactors Could Figure Into US Energy Future
• Fight among Nation's Top Nuclear Regulators Gets Airing Before Congress
• Add Quakes to Rumblings Over Natural Gas Rush
• Oklahoma – Seismologist says Fracking Is not the Cause of Earthquakes
• Holiday Decorating Injuries Up, As Gov’t Agency Urges Safety Stringing Lights, Burning Candles
• Environmental Group Sues to Protect West Coast 'Forage Fish'
• Environmental Groups Say Fed Flood Insurance Promotes Coastal Development & Harms Big Fish
• Canadian Fish Health Regulations Called Inadequate
• Washington State Agency Targeting Northern Pike in Columbia River Basin
• Canada - Scientists, Land Professionals Protest BC Hydro's Plan to Close Wildlife Offices
• Saving the Unloved Chum Salmon
• Eagle-Watching Season on Upper Skagit River
• Disasters Doom Texas Oyster Crop
• Thousands of Birds Make Crash Landing in Utah
• Clark Public Utilities Raises Water Rates by 14 Percent
• Inevitable, or in Limbo? A Dam for the Mekong
• Governor Weighing Changes to Washington State Clean-Energy Law
• Big North Carolina Wind Project a 'No Go' for Now
• The Battle to Extend Wind Incentives
• Production Tax Credit in Limbo
• First Solar Cuts 2011 Financial Estimates
• Energy Efficiency - A Season for Savings
• Prosser Plant Creating Biofuel from Grass, Mustard
• Op/Ed - Why Electric Cars Are Inefficient Polluters
• Wave Cable Gets Sequim Franchise
• Google Fiber Sticks to Vague Schedule
• Verizon Upgrades Network for a 100 Gig World
• Minnesota Winters Are a Selling Point for Data Centers
• Utah Company Wraps Up $1 Billion Case against Microsoft
• Washington State House Makes Budget Progress
• Darcy Burner: The Far Afield Washington State Congressional Candidate
• Washington State Jobless Rate Drops to 8.7 Percent
• A Cellphone Ban for Drivers? Don't Count On It in Washington State
• New Shelton Race Track Holds Fundraiser
• Lake Cushman Campground to Re-Open
• Aloha Man Admits to Attacking His Neighbor for Trimming Shade Trees
• Feds to Phase Out Dollar Coins, Biden Says

WORD OF THE DAY

Kibosh • \KYE-bosh\ • Noun - Something that serves as a check or stop

“When the rotors spin, the cash rolls in,” mused the investment banker as he idly twirled his gold watch at the end of the sparkling diamond fob. The potential loss of his tax credits was nothing more than a shadowy, unimportant thought in his perfectly coiffed head. He knew that his high-priced “K-Street” lobbying firm would put the kibosh on any efforts to kill his newly-found investment windfall.

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

Puget Sound Energy Accused of Charging Improper Fee (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Regulators-accuse-PSE-of-improper-fee-charges-135593863.html

Cowlitz PUD Commissioners Approve 2012 Budget – Includes 18 Percent Rate Increase (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/pud-commissioners-approve-budget/article_d272b234-25fd-11e1-827e-0019bb2963f4.html

Oregon - Power Purchase Costs Fuel Springfield Utility Board Rate Hike: The BPA and corroding water pipes force SUB to increase its electric and water budgets (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27313365-41/sub-budget-percent-power-million.html.csp

Coal Controversy - Bellingham Group Sues Shipping Terminal Company over Clean-Water (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/13/1912293/bellingham-group-sues-company.html

Pacific Gas & Electric Assumes Civil Liability For San Bruno Pipeline Blast - Says it will compensate victims (Associated Press)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/pgande-assumes-civil-liability-for-san-bruno-blast-will-compensate-victims/2011/12/13/gIQAwzmbsO_story.html

Arizona - Residents Concerned about Proposed Power Line Project (KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ)

http://www.kold.com/story/16310073/residents-concerned-about-proposed-new-power-line-project

Feds Move Closer to Approving New Nuclear Reactor Design (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/14/national/a092353S76.DTL

Small Reactors Could Figure Into US Energy Future (Phys.Org)

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-12-small-reactors-figure-energy-future.html

Fight among Nation's Top Nuclear Regulators Gets Airing Before Congress (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/1214/Fight-among-nation-s-top-nuclear-regulators-gets-airing-before-Congress

Add Quakes to Rumblings Over Natural Gas Rush (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/some-blame-hydraulic-fracturing-for-earthquake-epidemic.html?_r=2&src=dayp

Oklahoma – Seismologist says Fracking Is not the Cause of Earthquakes (Tulsa World, OK)

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111214_11_A1_CUTLIN152192

Holiday Decorating Injuries Up, As Gov’t Agency Urges Safety Stringing Lights, Burning Candles (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/holiday-decorating-injuries-up-as-govt-agency-urges-safety-stringing-lights-burning-candles/2011/12/13/gIQA23XxrO_story.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Environmental Group Sues to Protect West Coast 'Forage Fish' (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/environmental-group-sues-protect-forage-fish/

Environmental Groups Say Fed Flood Insurance Promotes Coastal Development & Harms Big Fish (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/12/13/42190.htm

Canadian Fish Health Regulations Called Inadequate - Ex-government biologist questions federal assurances on salmon virus (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Fish+health+regulations+called+inadequate/5849560/story.html

Washington State Agency Targeting Northern Pike in Columbia River Basin (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/13/1912298/state-agency-targeting-northern.html

Canada - Scientists, Land Professionals Protest BC Hydro's Plan to Close Wildlife Offices (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Scientists+land+professionals+protest+Hydro+plan+close+wildlife+offices/5814952/story.html

Saving the Unloved Chum Salmon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org//article/saving-unloved-chum-salmon/

Eagle-Watching Season on Upper Skagit River (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017004690_apwaeaglewatching1stldwritethru.html

Disasters Doom Texas Oyster Crop (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-13/algae-threatens-texas-oyster-season/51889730/1?csp=34news

Thousands of Birds Make Crash Landing in Utah (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/14/1913101/thousands-of-birds-make-crash.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clark Public Utilities Raises Water Rates by 14 Percent (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/13/clark-public-utilities-raises-water-rates-14-perce/

Inevitable, or in Limbo? A Dam for the Mekong (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/inevitable-or-in-limbo-a-dam-for-the-mekong/?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Governor Weighing Changes to Washington State Clean-Energy Law (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/12/14/1913334/gov-weighing-changes-to-wash-clean.html

Big North Carolina Wind Project a 'No Go' for Now (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/power_city/2011/12/big-nc-wind-project-a-no-go-for-now.html

The Battle to Extend Wind Incentives (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/geoffrey-styles/72110/battle-extend-wind-incentives

Production Tax Credit in Limbo (EnergyBiz Insider)

http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/305686808/53616c7465645f5fd221a627c2a14e0fafd086ccdd87bea81c8b55ad42451a34e444366c6a819480

First Solar Cuts 2011 Financial Estimates (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017009451_apusfirstsolaroutlook.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency - A Season for Savings (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/efficiency-conservation/energy-efficiency/holiday-season-energy-savings-led-lights/36957

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Prosser Plant Creating Biofuel from Grass, Mustard (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/dec/13/prosser-plant-creating-biofuel-from-grass-mustard/

Op/Ed - Why Electric Cars Are Inefficient Polluters (Shore News, NJ)

http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/politics/19232-why-electric-cars-are-inefficient-polluters.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wave Cable Gets Sequim Franchise (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20111214/news/312149991/wave-cable-gets-sequim-franchise

Google Fiber Sticks to Vague Schedule (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Fiber-Sticks-to-Vague-Schedule-117423

Verizon Upgrades Network for a 100 Gig World (Gigaom)

http://gigaom.com/broadband/verizon-upgrades-network-for-a-100-gig-world/

Minnesota Winters Are a Selling Point for Data Centers (Minneapolis-St Paul Business Journal, MN)
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/morning_roundup/2011/12/minnesota-winters-are-a-selling-point.html

Utah Company Wraps Up $1 Billion Case against Microsoft (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017004730_apusantitrustlawsuitmicrosoft.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State House Makes Budget Progress (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/14/1944501/house-makes-budget-progress.html

Darcy Burner: The Far Afield Washington State Congressional Candidate (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/12/12/darcy-burner-the-far-afield-candidate/

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Jobless Rate Drops to 8.7 Percent (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017012949_jobs15.html

A Cellphone Ban for Drivers? Don't Count On It in Washington State (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017008888_cellphone14m.html

New Shelton Race Track Holds Fundraiser (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/20053-track-holds-fundraiser

Lake Cushman Campground to Re-Open (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/19968-lake-cushman-campground-to-re-open

Aloha Man Admits to Attacking His Neighbor for Trimming Shade Trees (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/aloha/index.ssf/2011/12/aloha_man_admits_to_attacking.html

Feds to Phase Out Dollar Coins, Biden Says (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-12-13/dollar-coins/51885500/1?csp=34news

DIVERSIONS

A Pet in the One Percent: Woman Leaves $13 Million to Her Cat

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/13/a-pet-in-the-one-percent-woman-leaves-13-million-to-her-cat/

Man Fakes Heart Attack after Getting Pulled Over

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Man-fakes-heart-attack-after-getting-pulled-over-135333163.html

Laura Nyro's Lasting, Eclectic Musical Legacy

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/10/143499121/laura-nyros-lasting-eclectic-musical-legacy?ft=1&f=7

Soda or Pop? How Washington State Talks About Soft Drinks

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/12/09/soda-or-pop-how-washington-talks-about-soft-drinks/

SONG OF THE DAY

Laura Nyro - Stoned Soul Picnic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwSNbC9zK-w