The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for April 30, 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

Energy News Digest for April 30, 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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Irony Alert: Wind Farms Could Cause Warming - The atmospheric turbulence caused by large wind farms could cause local temperature increases, a new study indicates (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0430/Irony-alert-Wind-farms-could-cause-warming

Intalco Needs New Bonneville Power Administration Energy Deal Soon (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/04/27/2499547/intalco-needs-new-bpa-power-deal.html

Power Marketing Administration Changes Criticized in Congress (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/energy-environment/pma-changes-criticized-in-congress/43251

The Big Muddy: Sediment Plume Pours Out of Newly Freed Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120429/news/304299982/the-big-muddy-sediment-plume-pours-out-of-newly-freed-elwha-river

Pay your PUD Bill - Cable Television Service Disconnected in Forks; About 120 Customers Affected (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120429/NEWS/304299992/cable-television-service-disconnected-in-forks-about-120-customers

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Intalco Needs New Bonneville Power Administration Energy Deal Soon
Power Marketing Administration Changes Criticized in Congress
US Senators Baucus, Tester Press Energy Department for Local Input, Affordable Energy
Idaho Power's Annual Power Cost Adjustment is Proposed 5.1 Percent Increase
Substation Fire Causes Power Outage in Heisson
Utilities Face ‘Age of the Consumer’
Op/Ed - Renewable Northwest Project: Clean Energy Best for State
Sign Up for Mason County PUD 3′s Budget Billing in May
Bergren Seeks Reelection to Chelan PUD Board
Pacific Gas & Electric SmartMeter Opt-Out Deadline is May 1
American Electric Power Disputes Study Linking Plants to 3,200 Deaths
Cheap Natural Gas Drives down Coal Industry
The Secret Energy Drain on Cities: Streetlights
The Main Attraction: Meet a Lineman
The Big Muddy: Sediment Plume Pours Out of Newly Freed Elwha River
“I Think We Need to Take Those Dams Down” - Judge Redden’s Interview Comments Stir Reaction
Editorial - Dam Debate Obscures Other Ways to Help Fish
Columbia River Gorge Hatcheries Release 10 Million Plus Smolts Past Week
Pikeminnow Reward Program Kicks Off May 1 in Columbia River Region
Top 100 Bass Lakes by Bassmaster Magazine, Includes Two from Washington State – Columbia River, Lake Sammamish
Effort Begins to Restore Whitebark Pine in Montana, Neighboring States
Irony Alert: Wind Farms Could Cause Warming
California - Protests Over Valley Solar Projects Called a Ploy
Grant Money Helps Idaho Dairy Tap into Solar Power
United Kingdom - Major Environmental Groups Seriously Compromised by Wind Developers’ Cash
United Kingdom, Denmark Study Power Cable to Swap Wind Energy
Energy Storage: Costly But Key to Power Production
Utility Websites Plug Users into Savings
Pay your PUD Bill - Cable Television Service Disconnected in Forks; About 120 Customers Affected
The United States of Broadband: Location Matters
Google Fiber's Fast Internet Worries Hollywood
$300 Million Investment - Microsoft Buys into Barnes & Noble's Nook
Report: Apple Legally Sidesteps Billions in Taxes
Washington State Tax Breaks to Benefit Data Centers, Food Processors
Think Arizona is Bad for Immigrants? Try Our Olympic Peninsula
Since Gov. Locke Froze Purchase of SUVs, State Has Actually Bought More of Them
Police Look for Killer of 24-Year-Old in Lacey
AAA: Washington Gas Price $4.08
Unmanned Drones Are Patrolling Washington Border
Brinnon Man Pulled Gun During Fight at Little League Game, Deputies Say
Sequim Store Manager Saves Grandmother from Wire Scam

WORD OF THE DAY

Spiel • \SPEEL\ • Noun – A voluble line of often extravagant talk: a speech delivered especially to sell or promote something

The canny power supply manager smirked under his beard as the “Whole House Capacitor” salesmen spun his story in an intricate spiel that included the promise of saving hundreds of dollars on a home’s energy bill. “But if a customer’s average bill is about $90, where would they be saving hundreds,” queried the quick-witted utility employee.

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

Intalco Needs New Bonneville Power Administration Energy Deal Soon (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/04/27/2499547/intalco-needs-new-bpa-power-deal.html

Power Marketing Administration Changes Criticized in Congress (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/energy-environment/pma-changes-criticized-in-congress/43251

US Senators Baucus, Tester Press Energy Department For Local Input, Affordable Energy - Call on Energy Secretary to Provide Certainty for Montana’s Electric Cooperatives (Political News.ME)
http://politicalnews.me/?id=13773&keys=ENERGY-CHU-IMPLEMENT-UPGRADES

Idaho Power's Annual Power Cost Adjustment is Proposed 5.1 Percent Increase (Power Engineering)

http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/04/28/idaho-power-s-annual-power-cost-adjustment-is-proposed-5-1-percent-increase.html

Substation Fire Causes Power Outage in Heisson (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/27/substation-fire-causes-power-outage-in-heisson/

Utilities Face ‘Age of the Consumer’ - UL official: Changes ahead for electric’s use, generation (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/27/utilities-face-age-of-the-consumer/

Op/Ed - Renewable Northwest Project: Clean Energy Best for State (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/apr/29/clean-energy-best-for-state/

http://masonwebtv.com/?p=4887

Bergren Seeks Reelection to Chelan PUD Board (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/apr/30/bergren-seeks-reelection-to-chelan-pud-board/

Pacific Gas & Electric SmartMeter Opt-Out Deadline is May 1 (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/28/BUHI1O944E.DTL

American Electric Power Disputes Study Linking Plants to 3,200 Deaths (Associated Press)

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2012/04/28/aep_disputes_study_linking_plants_to_3200_deaths/

Cheap Natural Gas Drives down Coal Industry (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/30/BUTO1O9PM3.DTL

The Secret Energy Drain on Cities: Streetlights (The Atlantic Magazine)

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2012/04/secret-energy-drain-cities-streetlights/1856/

The Main Attraction: Meet a Lineman - It’s a question facing many electric cooperatives: How to get younger members to go to the annual meeting (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/editors-pick/getting-young-members-to-annual-meeting/43244

FISH & WILDLIFE

The Big Muddy: Sediment Plume Pours Out of Newly Freed Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120429/news/304299982/the-big-muddy-sediment-plume-pours-out-of-newly-freed-elwha-river

“I Think We Need to Take Those Dams Down” - Judge Redden’s Interview Comments Stir Reaction (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/419993.aspx

Editorial - Dam Debate Obscures Other Ways to Help Fish (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2012/apr/28/editorial-dam-debate-obscures-other-ways-to-help/

Columbia River Gorge Hatcheries Release 10 Million Plus Smolts Past Week; More Transferred for Recovery Programs (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/419989.aspx

Pikeminnow Reward Program Kicks Off May 1 in Columbia River Region (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2018093637_pikeminnow_reward_program_kick.html

Top 100 Bass Lakes by Bassmaster Magazine, Includes Two from Washington State – Columbia River, Lake Sammamish (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2018100604__editors_of_bassmaster_magazin.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Effort Begins to Restore Whitebark Pine in Montana, Neighboring States (Associated Press)

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/effort-begins-to-restore-whitebark-pine-in-montana-neighboring-states/article_9969df78-923e-11e1-9ccc-001a4bcf887a.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Irony Alert: Wind Farms Could Cause Warming - The atmospheric turbulence caused by large wind farms could cause local temperature increases, a new study indicates (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0430/Irony-alert-Wind-farms-could-cause-warming

California - Protests Over Valley Solar Projects Called a Ploy (Fresno Bee, CA)

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/04/29/2818166/protests-over-valley-solar-projects.html

Grant Money Helps Idaho Dairy Tap into Solar Power (Associated Press)

http://www.ktvb.com/news/South-central-Idaho-dairy-opts-for-solar-power-149427695.html

United Kingdom - Major Environmental Groups Seriously Compromised by Wind Developers’ Cash (For Argyll, UK)

http://forargyll.com/2012/04/major-environmental-groups-seriously-compromised-by-wind-developers-cash/

United Kingdom, Denmark Study Power Cable to Swap Wind Energy (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/britain-denmark-electricity-idUSL5E8FU46S20120430

Energy Storage: Costly But Key to Power Production (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2012/04/29/energy-storage-costly-but-key-to-power-production/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY