Energy News Digest for March 28, 2012

Ed Note: The energy news digest is being tucked into a mover’s box today…where it will remain the next two days during its relocation to Mason County PUD 3’s new Johns Prairie operations center. It will return, possibly a bit mussed, on Monday, April 2.

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

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices: https://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Higher Wholesale Energy Costs & Renewable Energy Purchases Prompt Consideration of PUD 3 Electricity Rate Increase (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1004

British Columbia Pipe Break Spills 1.2M Gallons of Sewage into Columbia River (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/b.c._pipe_break_spills_1.2m_gallons_of_sewage_spills_into_columbia/

Seattle Company Tests Mini Hydroelectric Plants in Small Canals (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Testing-mini-hydro-electric-plants-in-small-canals-144405035.html

The Power of the Dammed: How Small Hydro Could Rescue America’s Dumb Dams (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/03/the-power-of-the-dammed-how-small-hydro-could-rescue-americas-dumb-dams?cmpid=rss

Storm Bringing More Mountain Snow in Washington State (Associated Press)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/28/storm-bringing-more-mountain-snow-washington/

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Higher Wholesale Energy Costs & Renewable Energy Purchases Prompt Consideration of PUD 3 Electricity Rate Increase
• Idaho Falls Power “North Loop” Lawsuit Moves to Federal Court
• Southern Montana Co-op Could Survive Bankruptcy
• After the Storm
• Rising Chinese Demand Could Mean Coal Export Boom for West Coast
• Layoffs: Grant to Help Former Workers at US Department of Energy’s Idaho Lab
• NBC2 Investigates: Stealing Electricity
• Alaska State Senate Committee Considering Energy Voucher Program
• Volcker Rule Could Raise Energy Prices, Study Says – Hinders Hedging for Risk
• For Klamath Tribes, Suckerfish Mean Renewed Life
• British Columbia Pipe Break Spills 1.2M Gallons of Sewage into Columbia River
• Storm Bringing More Mountain Snow in Washington State
• Bottled Water Foes Oppose Columbia River Nestle Plant in Oregon
• Seattle Company Tests Mini Hydroelectric Plants in Small Canals
• Legal Decision on Port Townsend Paper Mill Biomass Project Expected this Week
• Sierra Club, NRDC Sue Feds to Stop Big California Solar Power Project
• Brown Liquor & Solar Cells to Provide Sustainable Electricity
• Global Warming Close to Becoming Irreversible: Scientists
• Startups Invited to Launch Party for Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open
• When Defending Biofuels, Supporters Point to History
• The Ugly, Dog-Eat-Dog World of Data Center Startups
• FiOS-Deprived Cities Complain to FCC about Comcast Deal
• Metal & Wire Thieves Targeting Aberdeen Parks
• Static in Olympia over Wash. State Patrol Radio Upgrade

WORD OF THE DAY

Muss • \MUSS\ • Verb – To make untidy: disarrange

“I dare you to muss my hair,” announced the public information officer to the local reporter. “Especially since there’s no there…there.”

WEATHER

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

Higher Wholesale Energy Costs & Renewable Energy Purchases Prompt Consideration of PUD 3 Electricity Rate Increase (Mason County PUD 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1004

Idaho Falls Power “North Loop” Lawsuit Moves to Federal Court (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

http://www.localnews8.com/news/30765422/detail.html

Southern Montana Co-op Could Survive Bankruptcy (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120328/NEWS01/203280301/Southern-Montana-co-op-could-survive-bankruptcy

After the Storm (Cottage Grove Sentinel, OR)

http://www.cgsentinel.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=5368&page=72

Rising Chinese Demand Could Mean Coal Export Boom for West Coast (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/rising-chinese-demand-could-mean-coal-export-boom-for-west/article_3d2d744c-7874-11e1-a248-0019bb2963f4.html

Layoffs: Grant to Help Former Workers at US Department of Energy’s Idaho Lab (Tri-Cities Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/03/27/1881456/lay-offs-grant-to-help-former.html

NBC2 Investigates: Stealing Electricity (WBBH-TV, Fort Meyers, FL)

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/17269036/power-meter-pirates-increasing

Alaska State Senate Committee Considering Energy Voucher Program (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/27/2085266/senate-committee-considering-energy.html

Volcker Rule Could Raise Energy Prices, Study Says – Hinders Hedging Risk (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/28/us-financial-regulation-volcker-idUSBRE82R04I20120328

FISH & WILDLIFE

For Klamath Tribes, Suckerfish Mean Renewed Life (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://earthfix.opb.org/flora-and-fauna/article/for-klamath-tribes-suckerfish-mean-renewed-life

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

British Columbia Pipe Break Spills 1.2M Gallons of Sewage into Columbia River (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/b.c._pipe_break_spills_1.2m_gallons_of_sewage_spills_into_columbia/

Storm Bringing More Mountain Snow in Washington State (Associated Press)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/28/storm-bringing-more-mountain-snow-washington/

Bottled Water Foes Oppose Columbia River Nestle Plant in Oregon (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/usatoday/article/38907837

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Seattle Company Tests Mini Hydroelectric Plants in Small Canals (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Testing-mini-hydro-electric-plants-in-small-canals-144405035.html

The Power of the Dammed: How Small Hydro Could Rescue America’s Dumb Dams (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/03/the-power-of-the-dammed-how-small-hydro-could-rescue-americas-dumb-dams?cmpid=rss

Legal Decision on Port Townsend Paper Mill Biomass Project Expected this Week (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=31168

Sierra Club, NRDC Sue Feds to Stop Big California Solar Power Project (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/03/27/sierra-club-nrdc-sue-feds-to-stop-big-california-solar-power-project/

Brown Liquor & Solar Cells to Provide Sustainable Electricity (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/03/brown-liquor-and-solar-cells-to-provide-sustainable-electricity

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global Warming Close to Becoming Irreversible: Scientists (Reuters)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/03/27/us-climate-thresholds-idUKBRE82Q18720120327

BARREL ‘O GREEN POTPOURRI

Startups Invited to Launch Party for Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/2012/03/27/startups-invited-to-launch-party-for-pacific-northwest-cleantech-open/

When Defending Biofuels, Supporters Point to History (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidferris/2012/03/27/when-defending-biofuels-supporters-point-to-history/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Ugly, Dog-Eat-Dog World of Data Center Startups (Gigaom)

http://gigaom.com/cloud/insiemi/

FiOS-Deprived Cities Complain to FCC about Comcast Deal - Though It’s Unclear They Were Ever Going to Get FiOS (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FiOSLess-Cities-Complain-to-FCC-About-Comcast-Deal-118998

GENERAL NEWS

Metal & Wire Thieves Targeting Aberdeen Parks (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Thieves-targeting-Aberdeen-parks--144471605.html

Static in Olympia over Wash. State Patrol Radio Upgrade (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/static_in_olympia_over_wash._state_patrol_radio_upgrade/

DIVERSIONS

Eight-Year-Old Tennessee Boy Solves Multi-State Crime Spree

http://www.q13fox.com/news/ktla-eight-year-old-crime-solver,0,4816618.story

Lorax Statue Stolen from Dr Seuss’ La Jolla Garden

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/mar/27/lorax-statue-stolen-from-geisels-la-jolla-garden/

Errant Text Message Leads to Arrest of a Wanted Man

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Errant-text-message-leads-to-the-arrest-of-a-wanted-man-144534555.html

Caffeine Might Turn Workers Into Slackers

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=652729

SONG OF THE DAY

Nat King Cole - You’re The Cream In My Coffee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJqGJyP8LM

Energy News Digest for March 27, 2012

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

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices: http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Oregon - Power is Back On in Lane County (KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR)

http://kezi.com/news/local/242518

Canada - BC Hydro Pulls Smart Meters for Testing (Globe & Mail)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017846161_elwhareveg28m.html

EPA to Reduce New Power Plants’ Carbon Pollution (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2017845908_apuspowerplantsgreenhousegases.html

Fuel Demand Not Cut By Alternative Energy - A University of Oregon researcher concludes that energy demand rises when more sources become available (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27802365-41/energy-fossil-fuels-york-alternative.html.csp

Prison Overcrowding Affects Guards, Too (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/26912-prison-overcrowding-affects-guards-too

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Oregon - Power is Back On in Lane County
• Canada - BC Hydro Pulls Smart Meters for Testing
• EPA to Reduce New Power Plants’ Carbon Pollution
• Copper Theft Insurance Claims Soar
• Bonneville Power Administration Seeking Proposals for Its 2013 Research Portfolio
• Inland Power & Light Selects Chad Jensen to be New CEO
• Brewer to Seek Second Term on Grant PUD Commission
• Oregon Governor Taps Margi Hoffmann as Energy Adviser
• Natural Gas Prices Fall Again on Supply Concerns
• STUDY: Texas Lost $7.7 Billion, Forfeited 8,600 Jobs from Declining Natural Gas Use
• California ISO Approves Transmission Plan for Power Grid Reliability
• To Junk or Not To Junk? What Coal Plants & Ancient Subarus Have in Common
• Man Giving Nature a Helping Hand in Laying a New Elwha Carpet
• Battle Over Building in Puget Sound Flood Plains
• Metal Foundries Twisting In Breeze over Wind Tax Credit
• Breaking Down the Costs of Wind Turbine Components
• Maryland - In Flurry of Activity in Annapolis, Wind Power Bill Advances
• Communities Dive In: Local Planning for Energy Efficiency
• Fuel Demand Not Cut By Alternative Energy
• Does The Prius Actually Save Gas? A Closer Look at the ‘Rebound Effect’
• Global Warming Could Explode ‘Compost Bombs’ All Over the Planet
• Whose Data Centers Are More Efficient? Facebook’s Or Google’s?
• State Auditors Finds Oregon State Data Center Secure, Stable, Makes Recommendations
• The Good & Bad of Niche Broadband Networks
• Money, Mountains & Maps Block Broadband Coverage
• CenturyLink to Close Three Call Centers, Move 240 Workers
• Western State Lawmakers Push to Take Over Millions of Federal Acres
• Prison Overcrowding Affects Guards, Too
• Fraud Investigation Forces More Franklin County Workers Off the Job
• Study: Health Insurers Charge Idaho Women Hundreds More than Men

WORD OF THE DAY

Multitudinous \mul-tuh-TOO-duh-nus\ Adjective - 1: including a multitude of individuals 2: existing in a great multitude 3: existing in or consisting of innumerable elements or aspects

Ah yes, separating the wheat from the chaff in the daily perusal of multitudinous news sources to produce the energy news digest.

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

Oregon - Power is Back On in Lane County (KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR)

http://kezi.com/news/local/242518

Canada - BC Hydro Pulls Smart Meters for Testing (Globe & Mail)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017846161_elwhareveg28m.html

EPA to Reduce New Power Plants’ Carbon Pollution (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2017845908_apuspowerplantsgreenhousegases.html

Copper Theft Insurance Claims Soar (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/industry/crime/copper-theft-insurance-claims-soar/41914

Bonneville Power Administration Seeking Proposals for Its 2013 Research Portfolio (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPANews/ArticleTemplate.cfm?ArticleId=article-20120326-01

Inland Power & Light Selects Chad Jensen to be New CEO (NWPPA E-News)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/03/inland-power-and-light-selects-chad.html

Brewer to Seek Second Term on Grant PUD Commission (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/26/brewer-to-seek-second-term-on-grant-pud-commission/

Oregon Governor Taps Margi Hoffmann as Energy Adviser (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/03/gov-kitzhaber-taps-hoffmann-as-energy.html

Natural Gas Prices Fall Again on Supply Concerns (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Natural-gas-prices-fall-again-on-supply-concerns-3437601.php

STUDY: Texas Lost $7.7 Billion, Forfeited 8,600 Jobs from Declining Natural Gas Use (PR NewsWire)

http://www.tickertech.com/cgi/?a=news&ticker=a&w=&story=201203201203260930PR_NEWS_USPR_____DA76024

California ISO Approves Transmission Plan for Power Grid Reliability (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2012/03/27/california-iso-power-grid-transmission.html

To Junk or Not To Junk? What Coal Plants & Ancient Subarus Have in Common (Sightline Daily)

http://daily.sightline.org/2012/03/26/to-junk-or-not-to-junk/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Man Giving Nature a Helping Hand in Laying a New Elwha Carpet (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017846161_elwhareveg28m.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Battle Over Building in Puget Sound Flood Plains (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/27/battle-over-building-in-puget-sound-flood-plains/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Metal Foundries Twisting In Breeze over Wind Tax Credit (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2012/03/27/foundries-twisting-in-breeze-over-wind-tax-credit/

Breaking Down the Costs of Wind Turbine Components (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2012/03/27/breaking-down-the-costs-of-wind-turbine-components/

Maryland - In Flurry of Activity in Annapolis, Wind Power Bill Advances (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/in-flurry-of-activity-in-annapolis-wind-power-bill-advances/2012/03/26/gIQAbMAycS_story.html?wprss=rss_local

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Communities Dive In: Local Planning for Energy Efficiency (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/aceee/80591/communities-dive-local-planning-energy-efficiency

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Fuel Demand Not Cut By Alternative Energy - A University of Oregon researcher concludes that energy demand rises when more sources become available (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27802365-41/energy-fossil-fuels-york-alternative.html.csp

Does The Prius Actually Save Gas? A Closer Look at the ‘Rebound Effect’ (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/does-the-prius-actually-save-gas-a-closer-look-at-the-rebound-effect/2012/03/26/gIQAJQZVcS_blog.html?wprss=rss_economy

Global Warming Could Explode ‘Compost Bombs’ All Over the Planet (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/list/global-warming-could-explode-compost-bombs-all-over-the-planet/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Whose Data Centers Are More Efficient? Facebook’s Or Google’s? (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/cloud/whose-data-centers-are-more-efficient-facebooks-or-googles

State Auditors Finds Oregon State Data Center Secure, Stable, Makes Recommendations (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/03/state_auditors_finds_oregon_st.html

The Good & Bad of Niche Broadband Networks (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/broadband/the-good-and-bad-of-niche-broadband-networks

Money, Mountains & Maps Block Broadband Coverage (Innovation Trail, NY)

http://www.innovationtrail.org/post/money-mountains-and-maps-block-broadband-coverage

CenturyLink to Close Three Call Centers, Move 240 Workers (Orlando Business Journal, FL)

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/morning_call/2012/03/centurylink-to-close-three-call.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Western State Lawmakers Push to Take Over Millions of Federal Acres (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-26/states-rights-federal-land/53786490/1?csp=34news

GENERAL NEWS

Prison Overcrowding Affects Guards, Too (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/26912-prison-overcrowding-affects-guards-too

Fraud Investigation Forces More Franklin County Workers Off the Job (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Fraud-investigation-forces-more-Franklin-County-workers-off-the-job-144298065.html

Study: Health Insurers Charge Idaho Women Hundreds More than Men - Oregon & Washington have banned gender rating in health insurance (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/study_health_insurers_charge_idaho_women_hundreds_more_than_men/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER DIVERSIONS

Victoria Police Called in for Dire Wind-Chime Complaint

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Victoria+police+called+dire+wind+chime+complaint/6361036/story.html

Storage Firm Sold Her Andy Warhol Art, Woman Says

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/03/27/45046.htm

Paul Allen Victim of Identity Theft

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=652006

Ohio: Century-Old Light Bulb from Site Still Works

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/03/27/1881147/ohio-century-old-light-bulb-from.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l5fthffiE

Energy News Digest for March 26, 2012

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

Oregon - Apple Starts Small with Prineville Data Center; Amazon Doubles Up in Morrow County (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2012/03/apple_starts_small_with_prinev.html

Jefferson PUD counting down to electrical power switch (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120325/news/303259987/jefferson-pud-counting-down-to-electrical-power-switch

Oregon Supreme Court Certifies Ballot Titles for Banning Non-Indian Commercial Gill Netting (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/418330.aspx

Ruling Expected Wednesday on Port Townsend Biomass Power Plant Appeal (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120325/news/303259994/ruling-expected-on-port-townsend-biomass-appeal

Spring Storms Pad Olympic Mountain Snowpack (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120326/NEWS/303269995/spring-storms-pad-olympic-snowpack

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Jefferson PUD counting down to electrical power switch
• Op/Ed – Help is Available for Utility Bills
• Port of Coos Bay Wants to Flip from Importing to Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas
• EarthFix Conversations: Coal Coming Through a Community near You?
• Douglas PUD to Get New Mapping System
• Power Supply at Issue with California Plants Offline
• Americans Split on Energy vs. Environment Trade-Off
• Banding Together to Get Cheaper Electricity
• Spain to Hike Power Rates, Cut Renewable Energy Subsidies
• Why Germany is Phasing out Nuclear Power
• Oregon Supreme Court Certifies Ballot Titles for Banning Non-Indian Commercial Gill Netting
• Canada - Chinook Recovery Must Trump Fisheries,
• Spring Storms Pad Olympic Mountain Snowpack
• Snohomish County PUD’s Annual Snowpack Survey Finds More Water for Summer
• Lack of Federal Funding Stalling Chehalis Flood Studies
• Agency Funding, Columbia Basin Aquifers Drying Up
• Oregon - Columbia County Rancher Gets $300,000 Fine for Water Pollution
• Portland Environmental Consulting Firms Staff Up
• Ruling Expected Wednesday on Port Townsend Biomass Power Plant Appeal
• Idaho Alternative Energy Contracts Put on Hold
• Maine - Neighbors Win Court Round Over Wind Farm Noise
• New Federal Wind Power Guidelines Are for the Birds
• Hydropower’s Devices Beyond Dams
• Grants Spur Tennessee Farms to Try Solar Energy
• Massachusetts Students Invested in School’s Solar Energy
• Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project – Washington State
• Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project – Oregon
• Op/Ed - A Window on Energy Efficiency
• Study: Global Temperatures Could Rise Five Degrees by 2050
• Washington State Bonds Will Build Facilities for Aviation Biofuels
• Agreement Reached on Electric Vehicle Charging Network in California
• Portland among the “Greenest” Cities in the World
• GM Will Give Owners of Plug-In Volt New Electric Cord
• Dude, Your Next House Could Be Made of Pot
• Oregon - Apple Starts Small with Prineville Data Center; Amazon Doubles Up in Morrow County
• Oregon Data Center Popularity Has Communities Scrambling
• Top Secret Visa Data Center Banks on Security, Even Has Moat (
• Call Centers Scale Back - Is Clearwire a Bellwether for Customer Service?
• Web Address Controversy Deepens after US Warning
• We Need a Broadband-To-Work Program
• Western Washington University, Former Admissions Director Karen Copetas Agree To Exit, Salary, Benefits Deal
• Port of Pasco Scrutinizes Its Vendors to Ensure That They Are Legit
• Pressure Building at Jam-Packed State Prisons – It All Begins at WCC near Shelton
• Body of Shelton Man, 31, Found in Mason County’s Lake Limerick
• Grant County Sheriff, Deputies Nab Alleged Metal Thieves
• Cowlitz County - Wildlife Camera Leads Deputies to Suspected Metal Thief
• Belfair Water District Commissioners Explains Manager Contract Fuss
• Tacoma Woman, 63, Who Stole from Employer Given 16 Years
• Japanese Tsunami Ghost Ship Drifts Closer to British Columbia Coast
• Girl’s Voice Mails Gone After T-Mobile Promotion
• Data Point to Earthquakes Causing Mysterious Wisconsin Booms

WORD OF THE DAY

Hebdomadal • \hebb-DAH-muh-dull\ • Adjective - Occurring, appearing, or done every week: weekly

The hebdomadal county commission meetings began to grind on newsman Barty Abernathy’s soul. Although he knew the weekly ritual was required by law, much of the proceedings were padded by the review of each voucher, payroll payments, and contractual minutiae until what could have been a fifteen minute process drug on for at least two hours.

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

Jefferson PUD counting down to electrical power switch (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120325/news/303259987/jefferson-pud-counting-down-to-electrical-power-switch

Op/Ed – Help is Available for Utility Bills (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/25/helps-available-for-utility-bills/

Port of Coos Bay Wants to Flip from Importing to Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/03/port_of_coos_bay_wants_to_flip.html

EarthFix Conversations: Coal Coming Through a Community near You? (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://earthfix.opb.org/energy/article/earthfix-conversations-coal-coming-through-a-commu/

Douglas PUD to Get New Mapping System (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/23/douglas-pud-to-get-new-mapping-system/

Power Supply at Issue with California Plants Offline (CBS News)

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57403194/power-supply-at-issue-with-calif-plants-offline/

Americans Split on Energy vs. Environment Trade-Off (Gallup)

http://www.gallup.com/poll/153404/Americans-Split-Energy-Environment-Trade-Off.aspx

Banding Together to Get Cheaper Electricity (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/when-it-comes-to-energy-prices-small-businesses-nonprofits-find-theres-power-in-numbers/2012/03/23/gIQA8n6RaS_story.html

Spain to Hike Power Rates, Cut Renewable Energy Subsidies (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/24/spain-energy-idUSL6E8EO02R20120324

Why Germany is Phasing out Nuclear Power (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/renewable-energy/why-germany-is-phasing-out-nuclear-power/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon Supreme Court Certifies Ballot Titles for Banning Non-Indian Commercial Gill Netting (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/418330.aspx

Canada - Chinook Recovery Must Trump Fisheries, Conservationists Say (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Chinook+recovery+must+trump+fisheries+conservationists/6353999/story.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Spring Storms Pad Olympic Mountain Snowpack (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120326/NEWS/303269995/spring-storms-pad-olympic-snowpack

Snohomish County PUD’s Annual Snowpack Survey Finds More Water for Summer (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120326/NEWS01/703269931/-1/news01

Lack of Federal Funding Stalling Chehalis Flood Studies (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/lack-federal-funding-stalling-chehalis-flood-studies.html

Agency Funding, Columbia Basin Aquifers Drying Up (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/agriculture/article_cbab20da-743b-11e1-a52a-001871e3ce6c.html

Oregon - Columbia County Rancher Gets $300,000 Fine for Water Pollution; Ordered to Shut Down Cattle Operation (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/03/columbia_county_rancher_gets_3.html

Portland Environmental Consulting Firms Staff Up (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2012/03/portland-environmental-consulting.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Ruling Expected Wednesday on Port Townsend Biomass Power Plant Appeal (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120325/news/303259994/ruling-expected-on-port-townsend-biomass-appeal

Idaho Alternative Energy Contracts Put on Hold (Idaho Press-Tribune, Nampa, ID)

http://www.idahopress.com/news/state/idaho-alternative-energy-contracts-put-on-hold/article_b95d9339-0121-59d7-b8f8-dde90430e27f.html

Maine - Neighbors Win Court Round Over Wind Farm Noise (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/neighbors-win-court-round-over-wind-farm-noise/?partner=rss&emc=rss

New Federal Wind Power Guidelines Are for the Birds (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2017823218_apuswindpowerbirds.html

Hydropower’s Devices Beyond Dams (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/03/hydropowers-devices-beyond-dams

Grants Spur Tennessee Farms to Try Solar Energy - Without government help, most projects still unaffordable (The Tennessean, Nashville)

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120325/NEWS01/303200059/Grants-spur-Tennessee-farms-to-try-solar-energy

Massachusetts Students Invested in School’s Solar Energy (Boston Globe, MA)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2012/03/25/norwell_middle_school_students_abuzz_about_solar_power/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project – Washington State: Advanced Energy Management Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year (BusinessWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/advanced-energy-management-named-20112012-contractor-of-the-year-by-the-nw-ductless-heat-pump-project-2012-03-23

Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project – Oregon: Automatic Heat Service & Installation Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/automatic-heat-service-installation-named-20112012-contractor-of-the-year-by-the-nw-ductless-heat-pump-project-2012-03-23

Op/Ed - A Window on Energy Efficiency: Properly maintained traditional windows can be efficient for hundreds of years (Financial Times of London, UK)

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/233e95fc-71da-11e1-8497-00144feab49a.html#axzz1pz1N1fKQ

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study: Global Temperatures Could Rise Five Degrees by 2050 (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2012/03/climate-change-global-warming-temperature-rise-model-predict/1#.T3CZU_Umx8E

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State Bonds Will Build Facilities for Aviation Biofuels (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/24/state-bonds-will-build-facilities-for-aviation/

Agreement Reached on Electric Vehicle Charging Network in California (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/23/4361814/agreement-reached-on-electric.html

Portland among the “Greenest” Cities in the World (Construction Digital, Pages 92-93)

http://www.constructiondigital.com/magazines/10519

GM Will Give Owners of Plug-In Volt New Electric Cord (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/03/gm-will-give-owners-of-plug-in-volt-new-electric-cord/1?csp=34money

Dude, Your Next House Could Be Made of Pot (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/list/your-next-house-could-be-made-of-pot/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Oregon - Apple Starts Small with Prineville Data Center; Amazon Doubles Up in Morrow County (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2012/03/apple_starts_small_with_prinev.html

Oregon Data Center Popularity Has Communities Scrambling (Associated Press)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120326/NEWS0107/203260335/1009/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

Top Secret Visa Data Center Banks on Security; Even Has Moat (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-03-25/visa-data-center/53774904/1?csp=34tech

Call Centers Scale Back - Is Clearwire a Bellwether for Customer Service? (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017827616_brier26.html

Web Address Controversy Deepens after US Warning (Reuters)

http://news.yahoo.com/address-controversy-deepens-u-warning-164551261.html

We Need a Broadband-To-Work Program (Gigaom)

http://gigaom.com/broadband/we-need-a-broadband-to-work-program/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Western Washington University, Former Admissions Director Karen Copetas Agree To Exit, Salary, Benefits Deal (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/03/22/2449397/wwu-former-admissions-director.html

Port of Pasco Scrutinizes Its Vendors to Ensure That They Are Legit (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/03/25/2452706/port-of-pasco-scrutinizes-its.html

GENERAL NEWS

Pressure Building at Jam-Packed State Prisons – It All Begins at WCC near Shelton (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017840364_prisonovercrowding26m.html

Body of Shelton Man, 31, Found in Mason County’s Lake Limerick (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/03/25/2044383/body-of-shelton-man-31-found-at.html

Grant County Sheriff, Deputies Nab Alleged Metal Thieves (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/crime-fire/article_8e5a3aea-743b-11e1-b3a7-001871e3ce6c.html

Cowlitz County - Wildlife Camera Leads Deputies to Suspected Metal Thief (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/wildlife-camera-leads-deputies-to-suspected-metal-thief/article_776a8a14-7554-11e1-a18b-001871e3ce6c.html

Belfair Water District Commissioners Explains Manager Contract Fuss (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/26871-pope-explains-tipton-bwd-contract

Tacoma Woman, 63, Who Stole from Employer Given 16 Years (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/23/2080020/tacoma-woman-63-who-stole-from.html

Japanese Tsunami Ghost Ship Drifts Closer to British Columbia Coast (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Japanese+tsunami+ghost+ship+drifts+closer+coast/6357036/story.html

Girl’s Voice Mails Gone After T-Mobile Promotion (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017827422_apusdeaddaughtervoicemails1stldwritethru.html

Data Point to Earthquakes Causing Mysterious Wisconsin Booms (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-22/wisconsin-mystery-booms-seismologists/53699024/1?csp=34news

DIVERSIONS

State Laws Crimp Booming Growth in Home Beer Brewing

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-03-25/home-brew-beer-state-laws/53706772/1?csp=34money

Colorado - Aggressive Parents Force Egg Hunt Cancellation

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017841133_apusnoeasteregghunt.html

London’s ‘Big Ben’ Tower Could be Renamed for Queen’s Jubilee

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/26/londons-big-ben-tower-could-be-renamed-for-queens-jubilee/

Connecticut Man Accidentally Dials 911 While Stealing

http://news.yahoo.com/conn-man-accidentally-dials-911-while-stealing-153852326.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Beatles - I Am the Walrus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkNsQPFhivY