Thursday, May 24, 2012

Energy News Digest for May 24, 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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Intalco Smelter near Ferndale Gets Short-Term Power Contract Extension from Bonneville Power Administration (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Gas Prices Could Jump 35 Cents by Sunday in Washington, Oregon (Northwest Cable News Network)

Chelan County PUD Commissioners Take Next Steps to Stabilize Fiber Finances (North Central Washington TV)

Rural Phone Subsidy Calculation to Change (Courthouse News Service)

Steens Mountain: A Green vs. Green Debate - Wind Power Issues Swirl across the Vast Wilderness (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Intalco Smelter near Ferndale Gets Short-Term Power Contract Extension from Bonneville Power Administration
  • Pacific Northwest Nuclear Power Plant Gets New 20-Year License
  • Fitch Rates Grant County PUD’s Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project Bonds ‘AA’; Outlook Stable
  • Low Price of Natural Gas Means Credits for Oregon Ratepayers
  • City Of Portland Receives $20.9 Million from Portland General Electric
  • Mason County PUD 3 Dedication for Johns Prairie Operations Center
  • Mason County PUD 1 Commissioner Elected President of State Association
  • Mason County PUD 3 Employees Meet with Customers at the May 18 Shelton Business Expo
  • Jailed Enron’s Skilling Seeks New Trial, Cites New Evidence
  • British Columbia Government Sidelines Utilities Regulator to Lower Power Rate Increases
  • California Nuke Trouble Could Prompt Rule Review
  • Obama to Promote Energy Plan in Iowa
  • Colorado - PUC Attorneys: Boulder May Need Second Utility Vote
  • FERC Upholds, Clarifies Grid Rule
  • Threatened Chum Salmon Run on Lewis River Gets New Recruits
  • Endangered Pygmy Rabbits Really Catch On to Breeding Program
  • Japanese Tsunami Debris: Lots of Flotsam by October, Ocean Expert Warns
  • Clark Public Utilities Opens Offensive against Knotweed
  • Glen Canyon Dam’s Flow Limit Loosened to Feed Grand Canyon
  • Steens Mountain: A Green vs. Green Debate - Wind Power Issues Swirl across the Vast Wilderness
  • Saving Birds & Bucks: Wind States Its Case
  • Photovoltaic Projects Sell Energy to Sacramento Municipal Utility District
  • Editorial - California PUC Should Approve Solar Proposal to Create Jobs, Help Environment
  • Op/Ed - Cap-And-Trade Will Encourage Move to Clean Energy
  • Editorial - How Wind Energy is Sucking the Life Out of Our Bat Population
  • Beijing Accuses US of Trade Violations in Energy Sector
  • Behind the Scenes at an LED Lighting Lab
  • Hair on Fire Theatre - 150,000 More US Heat Deaths Projected by 2100
  • Solar Plane Begins First Transcontinental Flight
  • Chelan County PUD Commissioners Take Next Steps to Stabilize Fiber Finances
  • Rural Phone Subsidy Calculation to Change
  • Ohio Start-Up to Bring Gigabit Broadband to Six US Communities
  • Five Cable Giants Partner on Wi-Fi
  • Google Chrome Becomes Most Used Web Browser
  • Lawsuits Pile Up over Facebook IPO
  • Yahoo Seeks to Shake Up Search, Web Browsing
  • The Growing Epidemic of Web Page Bloat
  • In Congress, Talking Like a 12th-Grade Student Makes You a Brainiac
  • Gas Prices Could Jump 35 Cents by Sunday in Washington, Oregon
  • World’s Most Expensive Gas: Top 10 Countries
  • Belfair Liquor Store Last to Close Locally
  • One Week without a Liquor Store? For Some Washington Communities; Yes
  • Two Ex-Hopelink Workers Accused in $100,000 Bus-Pass Theft
  • Two Oregon Tribes Call State’s Native American Mascot Ban Disappointing
WORD OF THE DAY

Damask • \DAM-usk\ • Noun - 1: a firm lustrous fabric (as of linen, cotton, silk, or rayon) made with flat patterns in a satin weave on a plain-woven ground on jacquard looms 2: hard elastic steel ornamented with wavy patterns and used especially for sword blades; also : the characteristic markings of this steel 3: a grayish red

“I think plain old silk-screening would have worked just fine,” groused the corn fed NFL interior lineman to the pencil-necked equipment manager. “Don’t get me wrong, I like damask for our uniforms, it’s kinda classy, but it just doesn’t seem practical.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Intalco Smelter near Ferndale Gets Short-Term Power Contract Extension from Bonneville Power Administration (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Pacific Northwest Nuclear Power Plant Gets New 20-Year License (Associated Press)

Fitch Rates Grant County PUD’s Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project Bonds ‘AA’; Outlook Stable (Yahoo! Finance)

Low Price of Natural Gas Means Credits for Oregon Ratepayers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

City Of Portland Receives $20.9 Million from Portland General Electric (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Mason County PUD 3 Dedication for Johns Prairie Operations Center (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County PUD 1 Commissioner Elected President of State Association (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Mason County PUD 3 Employees Meet with Customers at the May 18 Shelton Business Expo (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Jailed Enron’s Skilling Seeks New Trial, Cites New Evidence (Reuters)

British Columbia Government Sidelines Utilities Regulator to Lower Power Rate Increases (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

California Nuke Trouble Could Prompt Rule Review (Associated Press)

Obama to Promote Energy Plan in Iowa (Associated Press)

Colorado - PUC Attorneys: Boulder May Need Second Utility Vote (Boulder Daily Camera, CO)

FERC Upholds, Clarifies Grid Rule (Electric Co-op Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Threatened Chum Salmon Run on Lewis River Gets New Recruits (Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife)

Endangered Pygmy Rabbits Really Catch On to Breeding Program (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Japanese Tsunami Debris: Lots of Flotsam by October, Ocean Expert Warns (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Clark Public Utilities Opens Offensive against Knotweed (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Glen Canyon Dam’s Flow Limit Loosened to Feed Grand Canyon (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Steens Mountain: A Green vs. Green Debate - Wind Power Issues Swirl across the Vast Wilderness (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

Saving Birds & Bucks: Wind States Its Case (Renewable Energy World)

Photovoltaic Projects Sell Energy to Sacramento Municipal Utility District (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Editorial - California PUC Should Approve Solar Proposal to Create Jobs, Help Environment (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Op/Ed - Cap-And-Trade Will Encourage Move to Clean Energy (SF Chronicle)

Editorial - How Wind Energy is Sucking the Life Out of Our Bat Population (Philadelphia Weekly, PA)

Beijing Accuses US of Trade Violations in Energy Sector (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Behind the Scenes at an LED Lighting Lab (GigaOM)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Hair on Fire Theatre - 150,000 More US Heat Deaths Projected by 2100 (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Solar Plane Begins First Transcontinental Flight (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Chelan County PUD Commissioners Take Next Steps to Stabilize Fiber Finances (North Central Washington TV)

Rural Phone Subsidy Calculation to Change (Courthouse News Service)

Ohio Start-Up to Bring Gigabit Broadband to Six US Communities (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Five Cable Giants Partner on Wi-Fi (USA Today)

Google Chrome Becomes Most Used Web Browser (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Lawsuits Pile Up over Facebook IPO (San Francisco Business Times)

Yahoo Seeks to Shake Up Search, Web Browsing (Associated Press)

The Growing Epidemic of Web Page Bloat (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

In Congress, Talking Like a 12th-Grade Student Makes You a Brainiac (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Gas Prices Could Jump 35 Cents by Sunday in Washington, Oregon (Northwest Cable News Network)

World’s Most Expensive Gas: Top 10 Countries (Christian Science Monitor)

Belfair Liquor Store Last to Close Locally (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

One Week without a Liquor Store? For Some Washington Communities; Yes (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Two Ex-Hopelink Workers Accused in $100,000 Bus-Pass Theft (Seattle Times)

Two Oregon Tribes Call State’s Native American Mascot Ban Disappointing (Oregonian, Portland)

DIVERSIONS

Insult to Injury - ‘Thank You Seattle’ Thunder Shirt Backlash Boosts Sales

Stephen Colbert’s Children’s Book Tops the Bestseller List

Lego Theft: Silicon Valley Exec Accused of Stealing $30,000 Worth of Toys

RIP, ‘Mr.Oreo’: Man Who Invented Oreo Filling Dies at 76

SONG OF THE DAY

Stealers Wheel - Stuck in the Middle with You