The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for July 9, 2012

Monday, July 9, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 9, 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:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Backers of Thurston County Public Power Submit 15,000 Signatures - Verification will take several days; another group urges voters to deny support (Olympian WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/07/07/2166448/backers-of-public-power-submit.html

Grays Harbor PUD Poised to Sell Turbine to Paper Mill Investors (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/pud-poised-sell-turbine-paper-mill-investors.html

Broadband Effort on Whidbey & Camano Islands Hits the Wall (Whidbey News-Times, Coupeville, WA)

http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/161616915.html

Editorial - Farewell, NoaNet (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/jul/07/farewell-noanet/

Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Increased This Past Week (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2018619822_northern_pikeminnow_reward_cat_14.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Backers of Thurston County Public Power Submit 15,000 Signatures
Editorial - Columbia River Treaty Is Key for the Entire Region
FERC Accepting Comments on Proposed Kalama Natural Gas Pipeline
Kite Knocks Out Power in Spokane Valley
Chelan County Annual Report - John Janney: Studying the Community to Learn about the Needs
Three Short-Listed for Vancouver Island Generating-Station Job
Energy Market Manipulation? Judge Orders JPMorgan to Explain Withholding Emails
Trees, Above-Ground Wires Biggest Culprits in Mid-Atlantic Power Outages
Little Girl, Tired Of West Virginia Power Outage: ‘You Need To Come & Fix It’
Opinion - Storm Coverage: The Washington Post Didn’t Pass the Test
Natural Gas Sets Record by Matching Coal’s Output
The Direct Costs of Energy - Hydro & Nuclear Best, Solar Still Lagging
North Carolina Official Probes Utility Merger after CEO Change
Editorial - Electric Merger Jolts Customers While Conscience Outage Hits Duke Energy
Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Increased This Past Week
Remember That Fishing Moratorium on the Elwha River?
Logging Companies Join Suit over Marbled Murrelet Habitat in Oregon Forests
Tennessee - Fishy Situation: Thousands of Fish Die from Excessive Heat
Washington State Governor Names New Leader for Puget Sound Restoration
Elwha River Restoration - Park Officials: Don’t Take Objects from Undammed Lakes
California - Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir?
Grays Harbor PUD Poised to Sell Turbine to Paper Mill Investors
Michigan Voters May See Renewable Energy Mandate on Ballot
United Kingdom - Wind Farm Scrapped over Fears for Birds
Kitsap County Shoots for 30-Percent Energy Savings
Record Heat, Derecho Storm; Does Global Warming Get Blame?
Glacier National Park the Backdrop for Climate Lessons
U-S Drivers Slow to Embrace All-Electric Vehicles
Broadband Effort on Whidbey & Camano Islands Hits the Wall
Editorial - Farewell, NoaNet
Broadband Speeds Outpacing Demand
A Visual Guide to Undersea Cables & Their $5.5 Billion Price Tag
A Northwest Pipeline to Silicon Valley
U-S Senator Maria Cantwell Faces Tough Race Despite Funds
Pennsylvania - Scranton’s Public Workers now Paid Minimum Wage
Officials: Chelan Wildfire Human Caused
Internet Providers Bracing for Calls about Malware
Good News in Mason & Kitsap County Home Sales
Banking On Repeat of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
Longtime KGY Play-By-Play Broadcaster Dick Nichols Turns Off His Mic

WORD OF THE DAY

Hydromancy • \HYE-druh-man-see\ • Divination by the appearance or motion of liquids

The tall, handsome PUD dam operator strode to the control panels and eased himself into the cushioned desk chair, prepared for another shift of controlling the mighty flow of water through the churning turbines at the hydroelectric plant. Little would his co-workers know that his mild-mannered appearance disguised a double life. Not only did he practice hydromancy in a practical sense during the day (generating electricity to power television sets, radios, cellphones, and many other devices), but at night he was the feared crime fighter known as the “Hydromancer,” bending water to his will to capture the most heinous scofflaws.

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

Backers of Thurston County Public Power Submit 15,000 Signatures - Verification will take several days; another group urges voters to deny support (Olympian WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/07/07/2166448/backers-of-public-power-submit.html

Editorial - Columbia River Treaty Is Key for the Entire Region (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jul/08/editorial-columbia-river-treaty-is-key-for-the/

FERC Accepting Comments on Proposed Kalama Natural Gas Pipeline (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/ferc-accepting-comments-on-proposed-kalama-pipeline/article_c1d2d266-c7b4-11e1-b297-0019bb2963f4.html

Kite Knocks Out Power in Spokane Valley (KHQ TV, Spokane, WA)

http://www.khq.com/story/18972438/power-outage-in-spokane-valley

Chelan County Annual Report - John Janney: Studying the Community to Learn about the Needs (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/jul/07/studying-the-community-to-learn-about-the-needs/

Three Short-Listed for Vancouver Island Generating-Station Job - New figures show construction in good health (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Three+short+listed+generating+station/6899330/story.html

Energy Market Manipulation? Judge Orders JPMorgan to Explain Withholding Emails (Reuters)

http://www.cnbc.com/id/48091690

Trees, Above-Ground Wires Biggest Culprits in Mid-Atlantic Power Outages (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-07-07/power-grid/56067560/1?csp=34money

Little Girl, Tired Of West Virginia Power Outage: ‘You Need To Come & Fix It’ (Huffington Post)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/08/little-girl-writes-letter-west-virginia-power-outage_n_1654838.html

Opinion - Storm Coverage: The Washington Post Didn’t Pass the Test (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-posts-storm-coverage-didnt-pass-the-test/2012/07/06/gJQA96KfSW_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions

Natural Gas Sets Record by Matching Coal’s Output (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2012/07/natural-gas-sets-record-in-equaling-coals-electric-output/1?csp=34money

The Direct Costs of Energy - Hydro & Nuclear Best, Solar Still Lagging (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2012/07/08/the-direct-costs-of-energy-hydronuclear-best-solar-still-lagging/

North Carolina Official Probes Utility Merger after CEO Change (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/NC-official-probes-utility-merger-after-CEO-change-3689312.php

Editorial - Electric Merger Jolts Customers While Conscience Outage Hits Duke Energy (Charlotte News & Observer, NC)

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/09/2186864/electric-merger-jolts-customers.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Increased This Past Week (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2018619822_northern_pikeminnow_reward_cat_14.html

Remember That Fishing Moratorium on the Elwha River? (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/fieldnotes/2018642610_remember_that_fishing_moratorium_on_the_elwha.html

Logging Companies Join Suit over Marbled Murrelet Habitat in Oregon Forests (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/07/logging_companies_join_suit_ov.html

Tennessee - Fishy Situation: Thousands of Fish Die from Excessive Heat (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/07/stinky-situation-thousands-of-fish-die-from-excessive-heat/1?csp=34news

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Governor Names New Leader for Puget Sound Restoration (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/jul/06/governor-names-new-leader-for-puget-sound/

Elwha River Restoration - Park Officials: Don’t Take Objects from Undammed Lakes (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Officials-Dont-take-objects-from-undammed-lakes-161678515.html

California - Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir? San Francisco Voters May Get the Chance in November to Start the Process (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_21033628

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor PUD Poised to Sell Turbine to Paper Mill Investors (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/pud-poised-sell-turbine-paper-mill-investors.html

Michigan Voters May See Renewable Energy Mandate on Ballot (The Detroit News, MI)

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120707/POLITICS01/207070318

United Kingdom - Wind Farm Scrapped over Fears for Birds: Docking Shoal scheme shelved & £10m wasted on the £1.5bn wind power project (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/06/wind-farm-scrapped-fear-birds

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Kitsap County Shoots for 30-Percent Energy Savings (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/jul/06/county-shoots-for-30-percent-energy-savings/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Record Heat, Derecho Storm; Does Global Warming Get Blame? (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/story/2012-07-06/climate-change-warm-weather/56081038/1?csp=34tech

Glacier National Park the Backdrop for Climate Lessons (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_a21c1c74-c7ce-11e1-ac8f-0019bb2963f4.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

U-S Drivers Slow to Embrace All-Electric Vehicles (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2012-07-08/us-electric-car-sales/56100660/1?csp=34money