The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for July 2, 2012

Monday, July 2, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 2, 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

Summer Storms Leave 2 Million People without Electricity (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0702/Summer-storms-leave-2-million-people-without-power

Mason County PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 1,400 Harstine Island Customers (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1052

Bonneville Power Administration Delays Release of Southwest Washington Transmission Line Analysis (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/jun/29/bpa-delays-release-of-transmission-line-analysis/

Pacific Northwest's Top Federal Fisheries Cop Removed from Office (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018571362_noaacop01m.html

North Central Washington’s Public Utility Districts Balk at Backing NoaNet Expansion (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/jun/30/ncws-puds-balk-at-backing-noanet-expansion/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Summer Storms Leave 2 Million People without Electricity
Pepco, Dominion & Baltimore Gas & Electric Cite Severity of Storm in Explaining Long Recovery
Mason County PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 1,400 Harstine Island Customers
Power Restored to Harstine Island
Bonneville Power Administration Delays Release of Southwest Washington Transmission Line Analysis
Op/Ed – Montana Power Line Upgrade Would Boost State's Energy Economy
Coal Power Taking Back Seat to Hydroelectric & Wind Generators
Centralia City Light Switches to New Substation
Scammers Target Pacific Power's Spanish-Speaking Customers
Editorial - Good Audit: Asotin County PUD "Pitches Perfect Game"
Op/Ed – British Columbia: Electricity Needed to Fill Demand Gap
New York City - Con Ed Curtails Services After Talks Break Down
In Japan, First Reactor Is Restarted Since Quake
Editorial - The Dam Boom in the Amazon
U-S Energy Department Awards nLight $1 Million Grant
Pacific Northwest's Top Federal Fisheries Cop Removed from Office
Western Washington State Tribes Say Tribal Fishing Rights at Risk
Dividing the Catch: Controversial Quota System Results in Fewer Fish Being Discarded at Sea
Summer Raises Risk for Bacteria in Oysters
California - Environmentalists Fight Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s Bid to Extend Its National Park Service Lease at Point Reyes National Seashore
Groups Fight Development in Columbia Gorge
Hawaii’s Hoku Corporation Running Out of Cash, Considering Bankruptcy
Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Solar Developer at Odds
New York State Encouraging Big Renewables
Vestas 'No Comment' on Sale Speculation
Global Trial Shows LED Street Lighting Delivers Up To 85% Energy Savings
Climate Shift Creates Conditions for 'Super Fire' in Northern California
EPA Official Who Resigned Over ‘Crucify’ Comment Joins Sierra Club
Bag O’ Bacteria - You Could be Holding More than Groceries in that Reusable Shopping Bag
North Central Washington’s Public Utility Districts Balk at Backing NoaNet Expansion
Violent Storm Disrupts Amazon Data Center, Life in Internet Cloud
Leap Second Causes Internet Glitches
Cloud Leaves Some Tech Giants Seeking a Silver Lining
Copier Overcharges - Deal Will Return $4 Million to Washington State Agencies
Washington’s Secretary of State Hopefuls Have Different Visions for Post
Pacific Northwest Braces for 1.5 Million-Ton Onslaught of Tsunami Debris
Metal Thieves Black Out Regional Traffic Network
Mason County Being Sued over Garbage Contracts
City of Shelton to Hire Flooding Consultant
UPDATE: Car Crash at Mason County PUD 3 Building in Downtown Shelton
More Cities Scaling Back or Eliminating Fireworks Displays
AAA: Average Price of Gasoline in Washington $3.64

WORD OF THE DAY

Poltroon • \pawl-TROON\ • Noun - A spiritless coward: craven

Paltroon or maroon

Don’t get on Bugs Bunny’s list

There’s no way you’ll win

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

Summer Storms Leave 2 Million People without Electricity (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0702/Summer-storms-leave-2-million-people-without-power

Pepco, Dominion & Baltimore Gas & Electric Cite Severity of Storm in Explaining Long Recovery (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/pepco-dominion-and-bge-cite-severity-of-storm-in-explaining-long-recovery/2012/07/01/gJQAs3SxGW_story.html?wprss=rss_local

Mason County PUD 3 Restores Electricity to 1,400 Harstine Island Customers (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1052

Power Restored to Harstine Island (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/archives/6141

Bonneville Power Administration Delays Release of Southwest Washington Transmission Line Analysis (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/jun/29/bpa-delays-release-of-transmission-line-analysis/

Op/Ed – Montana Power Line Upgrade Would Boost State's Energy Economy (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/guest/guest-opinion-power-line-upgrade-would-boost-state-s-energy/article_0f51bfa5-d799-5242-8168-2fb5a8131a45.html

Coal Power Taking Back Seat to Hydroelectric & Wind Generators (Helena Independent Record, MT)

http://helenair.com/business/local/coal-power-taking-back-seat-to-hydroelectric-and-wind-generators/article_3e699856-c340-11e1-bb42-001a4bcf887a.html

Centralia City Light Switches to New Substation (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/07/centralia-city-light-switches-to-new.html

Scammers Target Pacific Power's Spanish-Speaking Customers (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/window-shop/index.ssf/2012/06/scammers_target_pacific_powers.html

Editorial - Good Audit: Asotin County PUD "Pitches Perfect Game" (Lewistown Tribune, ID)

http://lmtribune.com/blogs/tribune_tattler/article_1d3f1a58-c218-11e1-a07b-0019bb30f31a.html

Op/Ed – British Columbia: Electricity Needed to Fill Demand Gap (Nanaimo Bulletin)

http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/opinion/letters/160900805.html

New York City - Con Ed Curtails Services After Talks Break Down (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/nyregion/con-ed-curtails-services-after-talks-break-down.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

In Japan, First Reactor Is Restarted Since Quake (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/world/asia/japan-restarts-a-nuclear-reactor.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Editorial - The Dam Boom in the Amazon (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/opinion/sunday/the-dam-boom-in-the-amazon.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

U-S Energy Department Awards nLight $1 Million Grant (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/jun/29/us-energy-department-awards-nlight-1m-grant/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Northwest's Top Federal Fisheries Cop Removed from Office (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018571362_noaacop01m.html

Western Washington State Tribes Say Tribal Fishing Rights at Risk (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018575368_apwatribaltreatyrights2ndldwritethru.html

Dividing the Catch: Controversial Quota System Results in Fewer Fish Being Discarded at Sea (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018571418_trawler01m.html

Summer Raises Risk for Bacteria in Oysters (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4306

California - Environmentalists Fight Drakes Bay Oyster Company’s Bid to Extend Its National Park Service Lease at Point Reyes National Seashore (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/30/4600935/eopf-ojpf-sepofj-seopjp-foe-fposej.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Groups Fight Development in Columbia Gorge (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/06/29/47930.htm

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Hawaii’s Hoku Corporation Running Out of Cash, Considering Bankruptcy (Pacific Business Journal, HI)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2012/06/29/hawaiis-hoku-corp-running-out-of.html

Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Solar Developer at Odds (Fierce Energy)

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/idaho-puc-solar-developer-odds/2012-06-29

New York State Encouraging Big Renewables (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/06/new-york-state-encouraging-big-renewables?cmpid=rss

Vestas 'No Comment' on Sale Speculation (Wind Power Monthly)

http://www.windpowermonthly.com/news/1139039/Vestas-no-comment-sale-speculation/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Global Trial Shows LED Street Lighting Delivers Up To 85% Energy Savings “...High capital cost and a dearth of effective financing approaches continue to be barriers to market maturity…” (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/justingerdes/2012/06/30/global-trial-shows-led-street-lighting-delivers-up-to-85-energy-savings/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Shift Creates Conditions for 'Super Fire' in Northern California (Modesto Bee, CA)

http://www.modbee.com/2012/06/30/2265309/climate-shift-creates-conditions.html

EPA Official Who Resigned Over ‘Crucify’ Comment Joins Sierra Club (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/e-p-a-official-who-resigned-over-crucify-comment-joins-sierra-club/?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Plastic-Bag Ban Catches Some Seattle Shoppers by Surprise (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018578859_plasticbags02m.html

Bag O’ Bacteria - You Could be Holding More than Groceries in that Reusable Shopping Bag (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=700800

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

North Central Washington’s Public Utility Districts Balk at Backing NoaNet Expansion (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/jun/30/ncws-puds-balk-at-backing-noanet-expansion/

Violent Storm Disrupts Amazon Data Center, Life in Internet Cloud - The interruption has underlined how businesses and consumers are increasingly exposed to unforeseen risks and disruptions as they embrace life in the Internet cloud (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018578812_summerstorms02.html

Leap Second Causes Internet Glitches (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/07/leap-second-causes-internet-glitches/1?csp=34news

Cloud Leaves Some Tech Giants Seeking a Silver Lining (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/technology/cloud-leaves-some-tech-giants-seeking-a-silver-lining.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Copier Overcharges - Deal Will Return $4 Million to Washington State Agencies (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/07/02/2160896/deal-will-return-4-million-to.html

Washington’s Secretary of State Hopefuls Have Different Visions for Post (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/07/01/2201548/secretary-of-state-hopefuls-have.html

GENERAL NEWS

Pacific Northwest Braces for 1.5 Million-Ton Onslaught of Tsunami Debris (KOMO-TV, Seattle)