Friday, June 22, 2012

Energy News Digest for June 22, 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:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Natural Gas Exploration Fuels Hope in Grays Harbor County (KING-TV, Seattle)

FERC Proposes to Approve NERC’s Revised Definition for Bulk Electric System (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

Cowlitz PUD ‘Blackout’ Protest Has Little Obvious Impact (Longview Daily News, WA)

Simpson’s Tacoma Pulp Mill Seen as Environmental Model (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

AT&T May Be Ready to Begin Its Small Cell Push (GigaOM)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Natural Gas Exploration Fuels Hope in Grays Harbor County
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • FERC Proposes to Approve NERC’s Revised Definition for Bulk Electric System
  • Cowlitz PUD ‘Blackout’ Protest Has Little Obvious Impact
  • Op/Ed - Seattle City Light Rate Plan Provides Predictability, Accountability
  • Feds Float Missoula Substation to Move Wind Energy West
  • Business Gets Clarity on Oregon Governor’s Energy Plan
  • $7.5 Million Suit Filed Against Oregon Attorney General in Continuing Fallout from Energy Department Case
  • Construction of PUD 3’s Johns Prairie Operations Center in Less Than a Minute
  • 1950s, A Decade to Remember: The Door Opens for Public Power on the Columbia
  • Power Companies Ready for U-S Northeast Heat Wave
  • Busting the Myths Surrounding Hydropower & Keystone XL
  • Electricity? That’s in Aisle 5
  • $1.3 Million Utility Bill? Monthly Payment Stuns Texas Woman
  • Willapa Bay Oyster Grower Sounds Alarm, Starts Hatchery in Hawaii
  • California Environmentalists Seek Protection for Unfished Species
  • Simpson’s Tacoma Pulp Mill Seen as Environmental Model
  • Analysis: Solar Firms Seek New Financing as Subsidies Fade
  • Hydro Powers Latin America
  • Loans Available for Snohomish County Energy-Efficiency Improvements
  • Power of the iPad: Tablets Could Bring Down Electricity Consumption, Report Says
  • Dreaming Up Whole New Carbon Markets
  • U-S & Canada Clean Energy Talks Proceed
  • Interview with Richard Branson - ‘Climate Change is a Huge Opportunity’
  • Portland, Seattle, San Francisco Tied for Rank of Greenest Cities
  • British Columbia Government Classifies Some Natural Gas as ‘Clean’
  • Rise of Gadgets Doubles Costs of Lightning Damage
  • AT&T May Be Ready to Begin Its Small Cell Push
  • Twitter Outages Caused by a ‘Cascading Bug’
  • LinkedIn Sued for $5 Million for Security Breach
  • New Mexico – Federal Stimulus: Broadband Construction Starts in Taos
  • Where In the World Is My Data Center?
  • High Court Could Rule on Health Care Law Next Week
  • No Money for Washington State Agency Management Assessments
  • Microsoft, Yahoo Selling Your Info to Political Campaigns
  • Small Earthquake Off Harstine Island
  • Park Ranger Dies during Rescue on Mount Rainier
  • Wild Olympics - 126,554 Acres of Olympic Peninsula Would be Protected by New Bill
  • Sitting On A Billion, Regence Seeks Health Insurance Rate Hike
  • Voyager Approaches Edge of Solar System
  • College Football - BCS Changes: Why Now? Who Wins & Who Loses?
WORD OF THE DAY

Paraprosdokian • \pair-uh-pros-DOKE-ee-un\ • Noun - a phrase or sentence that leads us down the garden path to an unexpected ending. It sets us up to expect one thing but ends on a surprising semantic twist.

One of our employees provided me with a funny list of paraprosdokian phrases. Here are a few (View a longer list here: http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/06/paraprosdokian.html):

“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing—after they have tried everything else.” (Winston Churchill)
“I had a wonderful evening—but this wasn’t it.” (Groucho Marx)
“Philadelphia, wonderful town, spent a week there one night.” (W-C Fields)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Natural Gas Exploration Fuels Hope in Grays Harbor County (KING-TV, Seattle)

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week (Associated Press)

FERC Proposes to Approve NERC’s Revised Definition for Bulk Electric System (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

Cowlitz PUD ‘Blackout’ Protest Has Little Obvious Impact (Longview Daily News, WA)

Op/Ed - Seattle City Light Rate Plan Provides Predictability, Accountability (Seattle Times)

Feds Float Missoula Substation to Move Wind Energy West (Missoula Independent, MT)

Business Gets Clarity on Oregon Governor’s Energy Plan (Sustainable Business Oregon)

$7.5 Million Suit Filed Against Oregon Attorney General in Continuing Fallout from Energy Department Case (Oregonian, Portland)

Construction of PUD 3’s Johns Prairie Operations Center in Less Than a Minute (Mason County PUD No. 3)

1950s, A Decade to Remember: The Door Opens for Public Power on the Columbia (Wenatchee World, WA)

Power Companies Ready for U-S Northeast Heat Wave (Reuters)

Busting the Myths Surrounding Hydropower & Keystone XL (US News & World Report)

Electricity? That’s in Aisle 5 - Utilities team up with retailers to sell energy products directly to consumers (Wall Street Journal)

$1.3 Million Utility Bill? Monthly Payment Stuns Texas Woman (Christian Science Monitor)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Willapa Bay Oyster Grower Sounds Alarm, Starts Hatchery in Hawaii (Seattle Times)

California Environmentalists Seek Protection for Unfished Species (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Simpson’s Tacoma Pulp Mill Seen as Environmental Model (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Analysis: Solar Firms Seek New Financing as Subsidies Fade (Reuters)

Hydro Powers Latin America (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Loans Available for Snohomish County Energy-Efficiency Improvements (Everett Herald, WA)

Power of the iPad: Tablets Could Bring Down Electricity Consumption, Report Says (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Dreaming Up Whole New Carbon Markets (NY Times)

U-S & Canada Clean Energy Talks Proceed (Electric Light & Power)

Interview with Richard Branson - ‘Climate Change is a Huge Opportunity’ (Spiegel Online International)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Portland, Seattle, San Francisco Tied for Rank of Greenest Cities (Oregonian, Portland)

British Columbia Government Classifies Some Natural Gas as ‘Clean’ (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Rise of Gadgets Doubles Costs of Lightning Damage (Reuters)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT&T May Be Ready to Begin Its Small Cell Push (GigaOM)

Twitter Outages Caused by a ‘Cascading Bug’ (GigaOM)

LinkedIn Sued for $5 Million for Security Breach (Los Angeles Times, CA)

New Mexico – Federal Stimulus: Broadband Construction Starts in Taos (Taos News, NM)

Where In the World Is My Data Center? (Gigaom)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

High Court Could Rule on Health Care Law Next Week - The wait is almost over for the Supreme Court’s verdict on President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. (Associated Press)

No Money for Washington State Agency Management Assessments (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Microsoft, Yahoo Selling Your Info to Political Campaigns (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

Small Earthquake Off Harstine Island (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Park Ranger Dies during Rescue on Mount Rainier (Northwest Cable News Network)

Wild Olympics - 126,554 Acres of Olympic Peninsula Would be Protected by New Bill (Seattle Times)

Sitting On A Billion, Regence Seeks Health Insurance Rate Hike (Associated Press)

Voyager Approaches Edge of Solar System (USA Today)

College Football - BCS Changes: Why Now? Who Wins & Who Loses? (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

U-S Olympic Committee Apologizes to Knitters, But Knitters Will Not Be Appeased (Note: Comment section may contain PG-13 or greater language)

Why Noisy Coffee Shops Are Good for You

Inmates to Test New Locks at Atlanta Jail

Debbe Ebben, Beauty Queen Who Shaved Head, Wins Miss Alaska Title

SONG OF THE DAY

Elmer Bernstein - The Great Escape, Main Title/Theme