Monday, July 16, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 16, 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

Overworked Feds Slow Relicensing of Douglas PUD’s Wells Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

Big Sockeye Salmon Numbers on Columbia (Wenatchee World, WA)

Tacoma Click Official: CenturyLink Sales Agent Still Lying About Closure (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Olympic Peninsula Tribes Host National Climate Change Conference (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Proposal Streamlines Retrofitting of Non-Generating Dams (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Overworked Feds Slow Relicensing of Douglas PUD’s Wells Dam
  • Douglas PUD to Issue Bonds for Upgrades, Refinancing
  • Bonneville Dam Prepares 75th Anniversary Celebration of Roosevelt Dedication
  • Proposal Streamlines Retrofitting of Non-Generating Dams
  • Clark Public Utilities Earns Fifth Satisfaction Award
  • J.D. Power and Associates Ranking on Overall Utility Satisfaction
  • Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for July 10, 2012
  • Bremerton City Council to Decide Whether Fourth Businesses Must Pay for Moving Power Lines
  • Op/Ed - Beyond Reason: Apparently, The Battle for Clean Energy Can be a Very Dirty Business
  • Pacific Northwest Electricity Demand Increases 1.2 Percent Per Year over Last Two Years
  • Pepco Grilled over Washington, D-C June Outages
  • New York - Con Ed Reinstates Locked Out Workers' Health Insurance
  • Nationwide Utility Payment Scam Hurts Thousands
  • New Details about Problems at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant
  • Nuclear Waste Issue Searing American Landscape
  • Editorial - Texas: Don't Turn to State for Energy Fairness
  • Big Sockeye Salmon Numbers on Columbia
  • Editorial – Sockeye Salmon, the Record
  • Kalispell Tribe of Indians Joins Federal Agencies to Protect Bull Trout & Other Species
  • Lamprey Harvest Underway at Willamette Falls by Tribes of the Columbia River Basin
  • Elwha Dams: Before & After, An Aerial Photo Essay
  • Kitsap County Shellfish Harvest Closure
  • Lake Chelan Water Level Meets Target Elevation
  • Belfair Water District to Study ‘Haphazard’ Rate Structure
  • Editorial - Why The Hysteria Over Restoring Hetch Hetchy?
  • Should Grays Harbor Paper Mill Not Reopen, Grays Harbor PUD Could Be on the Hook for Some Cleanup Costs
  • Hoku Corp. Decides to Terminate Its Nasdaq Listing Voluntarily
  • California Group Appeals Cogeneration Plant Permit; Sierra Pacific's Burn Plan Contested
  • Op/Ed - Using Biomass to Generate Jobs in Oregon Forests
  • California Hits Solar Power Milestone
  • GoSolarSF Rebate Backers Fight Fund Cuts
  • Energy, Jobs Topics at July 17 Luncheon Event in Port Townsend
  • U.S. Fares Poorly in Efficiency Rankings
  • ACEEE Study: States That Spend on Energy-Efficiency May Be Good Bets (
  • Olympic Peninsula Tribes Host National Climate Change Conference
  • Cap and Trade Resurrected? Some States Awaken to Its Economic Benefits
  • De-hazing the Lazy Days of Summer
  • Survey: Americans Rank Last In Green Lifestyles, Don't Feel Guilty
  • Apple Returns to Environmental Ratings List
  • Tacoma Click Official: CenturyLink Sales Agent Still Lying About Closure
  • Zhone Technologies Awarded Extensive Broadband Project with Pend Oreille County Public Utility District
  • Court Upholds FCC Broadband Subsidy
  • West Virginia Officials Defend Stimulus Broadband Spending
  • Who’s Afraid of Google Fiber? Time Warner for Starters
  • That’s a Wrap: The Four-Part Series on North Carolina’s Mega Data Centers
  • MSNBC.Com Breakup Gives Microsoft More Freedom Online
  • GOP's Didier Jumps In to Challenge Washington State Lands Commissioner Goldmark
  • Former Washington State Senator Cheryl Pflug Lashes Out at Naming of Rossi as Temporary Successor
  • About $6 a Signature to Get Charter Schools on State Ballot
  • Political Feuds, Denial Drove San Bernardino to Bankruptcy
  • Washington Corrections Center Officer Fatally Stabbed in Hoquiam
  • Sister of Lakewood Cop Killer Released from Prison
  • Thieves in Puyallup Are Stealing Air Conditioners
  • Are Solar Storms Hazardous? It Depends on How Fast They Move
  • Pours For Prostates at Shelton Business to Feature Westport Winery
  • Badge of Honor: Belfair Brothers Get 262 Scout Awards Combined
WORD OF THE DAY

Tussle • \TUSS-sull\ • Noun - 1: a physical contest or struggle: scuffle 2: an intense argument, controversy, or struggle

Graduates get mad
Tussle over a tassel
Flip it left, or right?

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Overworked Feds Slow Relicensing of Douglas PUD’s Wells Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

Douglas PUD to Issue Bonds for Upgrades, Refinancing (Wenatchee World, WA)

Bonneville Dam Prepares 75th Anniversary Celebration of Roosevelt Dedication (Oregonian, Portland)

Proposal Streamlines Retrofitting of Non-Generating Dams (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Clark Public Utilities Earns Fifth Satisfaction Award (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

J.D. Power and Associates Ranking on Overall Utility Satisfaction - Clark Public Utilities ranks highest among midsize utility companies in the West region for a fifth consecutive year, followed by Seattle City Light and Colorado Springs Utilities (MarketWatch)

Mason County PUD 3 Commission Report for July 10, 2012 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Bremerton City Council to Decide Whether Fourth Businesses Must Pay for Moving Power Lines (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Op/Ed - Beyond Reason: Apparently, The Battle for Clean Energy Can be a Very Dirty Business (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Pacific Northwest Electricity Demand Increases 1.2 Percent Per Year over Last Two Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Pepco Grilled over Washington, D-C June Outages - Thousands were left without power after derecho (WRC-TV, Washington, D-C)

New York - Con Ed Reinstates Locked Out Workers' Health Insurance (Associated Press)

Nationwide Utility Payment Scam Hurts Thousands (USA Today)

New Details about Problems at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Nuclear Waste Issue Searing American Landscape (Forbes Magazine)

Editorial - Texas: Don't Turn to State for Energy Fairness (Austin Statesman-American, TX)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Big Sockeye Salmon Numbers on Columbia (Wenatchee World, WA)

Editorial – Sockeye Salmon, the Record (Wenatchee World, WA)

Kalispell Tribe of Indians Joins Federal Agencies to Protect Bull Trout & Other Species (Bonneville Power Administration)

Lamprey Harvest Underway at Willamette Falls by Tribes of the Columbia River Basin (Oregonian, Portland)

Elwha Dams: Before & After, An Aerial Photo Essay (Seattle Times)

Kitsap County Shellfish Harvest Closure (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lake Chelan Water Level Meets Target Elevation (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

Belfair Water District to Study ‘Haphazard’ Rate Structure (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Editorial - Why The Hysteria Over Restoring Hetch Hetchy? (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Should Grays Harbor Paper Mill Not Reopen, Grays Harbor PUD Could Be on the Hook for Some Cleanup Costs (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Hoku Corp. Decides to Terminate Its Nasdaq Listing Voluntarily (Pacific Business News, HI)

California Group Appeals Cogeneration Plant Permit; Sierra Pacific's Burn Plan Contested (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA)

Op/Ed - Using Biomass to Generate Jobs in Oregon Forests (Oregonian, Portland)

California Hits Solar Power Milestone (The Energy Collective)

GoSolarSF Rebate Backers Fight Fund Cuts (SF Chronicle, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy, Jobs Topics at July 17 Luncheon Event in Port Townsend (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

U.S. Fares Poorly in Efficiency Rankings (NY Times)

ACEEE Study: States That Spend on Energy-Efficiency May Be Good Bets (Area Development Online – Reports are in PDF form, linked under story introduction)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Olympic Peninsula Tribes Host National Climate Change Conference (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Cap and Trade Resurrected? Some States Awaken to Its Economic Benefits (Insaide Climate News)

De-hazing the Lazy Days of Summer (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Survey: Americans Rank Last In Green Lifestyles, Don't Feel Guilty (Forbes Magazine)

Apple Returns to Environmental Ratings List (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tacoma Click Official: CenturyLink Sales Agent Still Lying About Closure (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Zhone Technologies Awarded Extensive Broadband Project with Pend Oreille County Public Utility District (MarketWatch)

Court Upholds FCC Broadband Subsidy (Courthouse News Service)

West Virginia Officials Defend Stimulus Broadband Spending (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Who’s Afraid of Google Fiber? Time Warner for Starters (GigaOM)

That’s a Wrap: The Four-Part Series on North Carolina’s Mega Data Centers (GigaOM)

MSNBC.Com Breakup Gives Microsoft More Freedom Online (Seattle Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

GOP's Didier Jumps In to Challenge Washington State Lands Commissioner Goldmark (Associated Press)

Former Washington State Senator Cheryl Pflug Lashes Out at Naming of Rossi as Temporary Successor (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

About $6 a Signature to Get Charter Schools on State Ballot (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

Political Feuds, Denial Drove San Bernardino to Bankruptcy (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington Corrections Center Officer Fatally Stabbed in Hoquiam (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Sister of Lakewood Cop Killer Released from Prison (Associated Press)

Thieves in Puyallup Are Stealing Air Conditioners (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Are Solar Storms Hazardous? It Depends on How Fast They Move (Christian Science Monitor)

Pours For Prostates at Shelton Business to Feature Westport Winery (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Badge of Honor: Belfair Brothers Get 262 Scout Awards Combined (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Coffee that Will Raise the Dead - Newest Starbucks Store Could be Weirdest Ever

‘Your Land,’ and Woody Guthrie’s, Preserved

Chinese Kitten Stows Away on LA-Bound Freighter

Elvis DNA Used on Mice

SONG OF THE DAY

Ink Spots - The Java Jive

Manhattan Transfer – Java Jive