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
EPA Unveils 'Historic' Air Pollution Rules. Can
Power Industry Cope? (Christian Science Monitor)
Environmental Groups Sue US over Flood Management
- Concerns over Fish & Wildlife (Associated Press)
Oregon - Initial Ocean Zoning Maps Hem in Wave
Energy Developers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Federal Stimulus - Wireless Internet for Whole
City, Port Angeles City Council Decides (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles,
WA)
Christmas Could Be Turning Point in Washington
State Weather (Associated Press)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- EPA Unveils 'Historic' Air Pollution Rules. Can Power Industry Cope?
- What the EPA’s New Rules on Coal-Plant Toxics Mean for the Pacific Northwest
- New EPA Rule on Coal Plant Pollution Adds Uncertainty to Future of Portland General Electric's Boardman Plant
- Feds Seeks Contractors for Emergency Gate Work at 980-MW McNary Dam
- Kittitas County PUD to Fix Issues without Outside Auditor
- Idaho Power Finishes Meter Upgrades
- Maryland - Pepco fined $1 million by Public Service Commission: Days after Asking for Rate Hike
- Massachusetts Governor Hits NStar on Outages - New demand could zap Northeast Utilities merger
- Federal Regulators Approve Nuclear Reactor Design for First New Plant in a Generation
- US Natural Gas Supplies Shrank Last Week
- Environmental Groups Sue US over Flood Management - Concerns over Fish & Wildlife
- Avista - Trucking Trout to Their Native Streams
- Arsenic-Laced Dirt Carted Off as Crews Replace Yards in North Everett
- LOTT Buys Olympia Brewery Land for Future Treatment Plant
- Oregon - Corps Estimates at Least $3.5 Million Needed to Repair Parts of Willamette Falls Locks
- Oregon - Initial Ocean Zoning Maps Hem in Wave Energy Developers
- Wind Developer Get Reprieve for Eastern Idaho Projects
- Minnesota Wind Turbine Project Prompts Federal Subsidy Battle
- California - Public Schools are Finding Learning Opportunities
- Maryland’s Chicken Poop: So Powerful it Can Electrify a Prison
- Save Energy, Unplug the Beer Fridge
- US Aids British Probe of Hacked Climate-Scientist Emails
- Carbon Emission Fees for Flights Upheld
- Seattle Building Solar Picnic Shelters With Your Donations
- Federal Stimulus - Wireless Internet for Whole City, Port Angeles City Council Decides
- More Than 1,000 Federal Data Center Closures Planned by 2015
- This Norwegian Data Center Is Built in a Cave and Cooled by Fjords
- Amazon Finalizes Deal to Open Two Centers in Tennessee
- Microsoft Pulling Out of Consumer Electronics Show after 2012 Event
- Rhapsody Tops 1 Million Subscribers in US
- China Hack of Chamber of Commerce Highlights ‘Spear-Phishing’ Dangers
- No Drama This Year over Holiday Displays Near Washington State Capitol Campus
- Christmas Could Be Turning Point in Washington State Weather
- Winter Solstice: Time to Celebrate Brighter Days Ahead
- King Tides Return to Western Washington
- Business Burglaries Plague Belfair; Detectives Net Suspect
- GEICO Overcharged 25,000 Customers, Gets Fined
- Astronomers Say Earth May Have Two Moons Right Now
WORD OF THE DAY
Pied–à–terre • \pee-yay-deh-TERR\ • Noun - A
temporary or second lodging
“Excuse me, did you just say what I thought you
said?” snorted the power supply manager of the New York resort community to the
itinerant energy analyst. “Of course not,” came the short response. “I just
said that you had so many customers with a vacation home, a ‘pied–à–terre,’ that
a larger daily charge would help make up for their lower consumption. What did
you think I said, something naughty?”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
EPA Unveils 'Historic' Air Pollution Rules. Can Power
Industry Cope? (Christian Science Monitor)
What the EPA’s New Rules on Coal-Plant Toxics Mean
for the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
New EPA Rule on Coal Plant Pollution Adds
Uncertainty to Future of Portland General Electric's Boardman Plant (Oregonian,
Portland)
Feds Seeks Contractors for Emergency Gate Work at
980-MW McNary Dam (HydroWorld)
Kittitas County PUD to Fix Issues without Outside
Auditor (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)
Idaho Power Finishes Meter Upgrades (Twin Falls Times-News,
ID)
Maryland - Pepco fined $1 million by Public Service
Commission: Days after Asking for Rate Hike (WJLA-TV, Washington, DC)
Massachusetts Governor Hits NStar on Outages - New
demand could zap Northeast Utilities merger (Boston Herald, MA)
Federal Regulators Approve Nuclear Reactor Design for
First New Plant in a Generation (Washington Post)
US Natural Gas Supplies Shrank Last Week (Associated
Press)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Environmental Groups Sue US over Flood Management
- Concerns over Fish & Wildlife (Associated Press)
Avista - Trucking Trout to Their Native Streams (NY
Times)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Arsenic-Laced
Dirt Carted Off as Crews Replace Yards in North Everett (Everett Herald, WA)
LOTT
Buys Olympia Brewery Land for Future Treatment Plant (Olympian, WA)
Oregon
- Corps Estimates at Least $3.5 Million Needed to Repair Parts of Willamette
Falls Locks, But Other Problems Could Prevent Reopening (Oregonian, Portland)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Oregon
- Initial Ocean Zoning Maps Hem in Wave Energy Developers (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
Wind Developer Get Reprieve for Eastern Idaho Projects
(Idaho Statesman, Boise)
Minnesota
Wind Turbine Project Prompts Federal Subsidy Battle (Scripps News Service)
California
- Public Schools are Finding Learning Opportunities (Monterrey County Weekly,
CA)
Maryland’s
Chicken Poop: So Powerful it Can Electrify a Prison (Washington Post)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Save Energy, Unplug the Beer Fridge (Sydney Morning
Herald, Australia)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
US
Aids British Probe of Hacked Climate-Scientist Emails (Seattle Times)
Carbon
Emission Fees for Flights Upheld (NY Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Seattle
Building Solar Picnic Shelters With Your Donations (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Federal Stimulus - Wireless Internet for Whole
City, Port Angeles City Council Decides (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles,
WA)
More Than 1,000 Federal Data Center Closures
Planned by 2015 (Washington Business Journal, DC)
This Norwegian Data Center Is Built in a Cave and
Cooled by Fjords (Gizmodo)
Amazon Finalizes Deal to Open Two Centers in Tennessee
(Associated Press)
Microsoft Pulling Out of Consumer Electronics Show after
2012 Event (Washington Post)
Rhapsody Tops 1 Million Subscribers in US (Associated
Press)
China Hack of Chamber of Commerce Highlights
‘Spear-Phishing’ Dangers (Washington Post)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
No Drama This Year over Holiday Displays Near Washington
State Capitol Campus (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
Christmas Could Be Turning Point in Washington
State Weather (Associated Press)
Winter Solstice: Time to Celebrate Brighter Days
Ahead (Christian Science Monitor)
King Tides Return to Western Washington (KING-TV,
Seattle)
Business Burglaries Plague Belfair; Detectives Net
Suspect (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
GEICO Overcharged 25,000 Customers, Gets Fined (Associated
Press)
Astronomers Say Earth May Have Two Moons Right Now
- A big one and a tiny one (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
DIVERSIONS
NORAD Santa Trackers Stand by for Another Big Day
Margarine
Still Missing After Stolen Truck Found
Mistletoe
Gets the Kiss-Off
Plump
Passengers Prompt Change on Washington Ferries
SONG OF THE DAY
Bette
Midler - On a Slow Boat to China
