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.
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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Western Washington
as Temps to Climb into 90s (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Winds Ease, Firefighters Attack Taylor Bridge
Wildfire near Cle Elum (KING-TV, Seattle)
Facebook Plans Third, Smaller Oregon Data Center
(Associated Press)
Wind
Accounts for 10.5 Percent of Electricity Generated in Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)
‘Save Our Dams’ Rally Planned August 15 in Pasco (Tri-City Herald, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Taylor Bridge Fire near Cle Elum Leads to Kittitas PUD Power Outages
- ‘Save Our Dams’ Rally Planned August 15 in Pasco
- RailAmerica Drops Pursuit of Coal Terminal for Grays Harbor
- Seattle City Light Seeks Rate Hike
- For New Nuclear Chief, Concerns over Plant Safety
- A Nuclear Regulator’s Wish List
- Germans Confront the Costs of a Nuclear-Free Future
- Could Minneapolis Get Cleaner Energy With a Utility Takeover?
- What Utilities Want From the Soft Grid
- Oregon Moving Ahead With Phase-Out of Gillnetting
- Fish vs. Farms on the Skagit Delta - Aggressive assertions of tribal water rights are threatening to imperil the crops of a fertile region
- Baker Lake Sockeye Fishery Fun Time for the Kids
- Conservation Groups Ask Obama to Keep Western Population of Northwest’s Gray Wolves on Endangered Species List
- Clean Water Act’s Next Role Could Play out on Pacific Northwest Logging Roads
- WSDOT to Address Chehalis River Flooding Near I-5
- Many Well Users Find Their Faucets Are Running Dry
- New Toilet Technology after 150 Years of Waste
- Wind Accounts for 10.5 Percent of Electricity Generated in Oregon
- SolarWorld Shares Slump as Questions about Survival Swirl
- Vestas Makes Layoff Round in Colorado Citing Slowdown
- New Mexico - Regulators Approve Showing Renewable Energy Costs on Electric Bills
- Power Link to Bring Mexican Wind into California Gets Local OK
- Renewable Energy Corp. ASA to File for Insolvency of Norway Solar Wafer Unit
- $400,000 Grant Will Upgrade Lighting at Three Major Western Washington Transit Centers
- No More Glaciers? Imagine That - Eight years until “Glacier National Park” is just “National Park”
- No Room for Parking at Many New Portland Apartment Projects
- UC Davis Ranked as ‘Coolest School’ for Sustainability
- Facebook Plans Third, Smaller Oregon Data Center
- FCC Report: Broadband Health Care Networks Improve Quality of Care for Rural Americans, Reduce Costs & Help Save Lives
- Utah Broadband - Orem Representatives Debate UTOPIA Issue
- Iowa - Broadband Providers Brace for New Rules
- Texas - School discounts for broadband questioned during telecom hearing
- Verizon Details Errors in Derecho, Calls Response to 911 Outages ‘Insufficient’
- FCC: Expanded Basic Cable TV Rates Climbed 5.4% in 2010
- Need a New Data Center? Here’s a Shopping Guide
- Utility’s Backing of Convention Tests Obama Fund-Raising Pledge
- Obama, Romney Campaigns Shift to Debate over Energy
- Where Did “Getting on a Soapbox” Come From?
- Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Western Washington as Temps to Climb into 90s
- Winds Ease, Firefighters Attack Taylor Bridge Wildfire near Cle Elum
- Cle Elum Wildfire Began at Highway Construction Site
- Mason County Fire Fighters Heading to Eastern Washington
- Smoke from Cle Elum Wildfire Expected to Reach Seattle by Week’s End
- 2012 Gas Prices Head for Record
- Olympia-Area Gasoline Costs Up; Relief May Come After Labor Day
- New Washington State Forever Stamp
WORD OF THE DAY
Palisade
• \pal-uh-SAYD\ • Noun - 1: a fence of stakes especially for defense b: a long
strong stake pointed at the top & set close with others as a defense 2: a
line of bold cliffs
Thundering
surf; pillars of white, foamy seawater pounded the rocky palisades off the
storm-wracked Oregon coast. Occasionally, a daredevil seagull would shoot
through the showering torrents, trying to snatch small fish or other tasty
debris that had been churned up from the depths of the ocean. (great, now I’m
all wet…)
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Taylor Bridge Fire near Cle Elum Leads to Kittitas
PUD Power Outages (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)
‘Save Our Dams’ Rally Planned August 15 in Pasco (Tri-City Herald, WA)
RailAmerica Drops Pursuit of Coal Terminal for
Grays Harbor (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)
Seattle City Light Seeks Rate Hike “…residential
rates will go up 6.8 percent in 2013…the largest commercial energy users will
actually see their rates go down by 4.1 percent…” (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
For New Nuclear Chief, Concerns over Plant Safety
(NY Times)
A Nuclear Regulator’s Wish List (NY Times)
Germans Confront the Costs of a Nuclear-Free Future
(National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/14/158760520/germans-confront-the-costs-of-a-nuclear-free-future?ft=1&f=2
Could Minneapolis Get Cleaner Energy With a Utility
Takeover? (Renewable Energy World)
What Utilities Want From the Soft Grid - Four
utilities (including Seattle City Light) discuss their smart grid data
analytics & integration challenges (Green Tech Media)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Oregon Moving Ahead With Phase-Out of Gillnetting
(Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Fish vs. Farms on the Skagit Delta - Aggressive
assertions of tribal water rights are threatening to imperil the crops of a
fertile region (Seattle Weekly, WA)
Baker Lake Sockeye Fishery Fun Time for the Kids (Seattle Times)
Conservation Groups Ask Obama to Keep Western
Population of Northwest’s Gray Wolves on Endangered Species List (Oregonian, Portland)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Clean
Water Act’s Next Role Could Play out on Pacific Northwest Logging Roads (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
WSDOT
to Address Chehalis River Flooding Near I-5 (KBKW Radio,
Aberdeen, WA)
Many
Well Users Find Their Faucets Are Running Dry (Associated Press)
New
Toilet Technology after 150 Years of Waste (Seattle Times)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind
Accounts for 10.5 Percent of Electricity Generated in Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)
Report
Cited Above - 2011 Wind Technologies Market Report - Data is actually estimated
as of the end of 2011 (U-S Department of Energy)
SolarWorld
Shares Slump as Questions about Survival Swirl (Oregonian,
Portland)
Vestas
Makes Layoff Round in Colorado Citing Slowdown (Sustainable
Business Oregon)
New
Mexico - Regulators Approve Showing Renewable Energy Costs on Electric Bills
(Santa Fe New Mexican, NM)
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/081512PNMrenewable
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/081512PNMrenewable
Power
Link to Bring Mexican Wind into California Gets Local OK (Recharge)
Renewable Energy Corp. ASA to File for Insolvency
of Norway Solar Wafer Unit (Renewable Energy World)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
$400,000 Grant Will Upgrade Lighting at Three Major
Western Washington Transit Centers (South Sound Business Examiner)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
No
More Glaciers? Imagine That - Eight years until “Glacier National Park” is just
“National Park” (Seattle Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
No
Room for Parking at Many New Portland Apartment Projects (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
UC
Davis Ranked as ‘Coolest School’ for Sustainability (Sacramento Business
Journal, CA)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Facebook Plans Third, Smaller Oregon Data Center (Associated
Press)
FCC Report: Broadband Health Care Networks Improve
Quality of Care for Rural Americans, Reduce Costs & Help Save Lives
(Federal Communications Commission)
Utah Broadband - Orem Representatives Debate UTOPIA
Issue (Daily Herald, Provo, UT)
Iowa - Broadband Providers Brace for New Rules
(Spencer Daily Reporter, IA)
Texas - School discounts for broadband questioned
during telecom hearing (KVUE-TV, Austin, TX)
Verizon Details Errors in Derecho, Calls Response
to 911 Outages ‘Insufficient’ (Washington Post)
FCC: Expanded Basic Cable TV Rates Climbed 5.4% in
2010 - Monthly Prices Higher in ‘Competitive’ Markets, According to Commission
Survey (MultiChannel)
http://www.multichannel.com/article/488495-FCC_Expanded_Basic_Cable_TV_Rates_Climbed_5_4_In_2010.php
Need a New Data Center? Here’s a Shopping Guide (GigaOM)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Utility’s Backing of Convention Tests Obama
Fund-Raising Pledge (NY Times)
Obama, Romney Campaigns Shift to Debate over Energy
(Washington Post)
Where Did “Getting on a Soapbox” Come From?
(Wikipedia)
GENERAL NEWS
Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Western Washington as
Temps to Climb into 90s (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Winds Ease, Firefighters Attack Taylor Bridge
Wildfire near Cle Elum (KING-TV, Seattle)
Cle Elum Wildfire Began at Highway Construction
Site - WSDOT contractor could be liable for millions (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma,
WA)
Mason County Fire Fighters Heading to Eastern
Washington (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)
Smoke from Cle Elum Wildfire Expected to Reach
Seattle by Week’s End (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
2012 Gas Prices Head for Record (USA Today)
Olympia-Area Gasoline Costs Up; Relief May Come
After Labor Day (Olympian, WA)
New Washington State Forever Stamp (Associated
Press)
DIVERSIONS
Spokesman
for Washington State Pot Group Fired at News Conference
Wonder
Dog Places Pups in Fire Truck after Carrying Them Out of Burning House One by
One
Mountain Dew’s ‘Dub the Dew’ Online Poll Goes
Horribly Wrong
High
School Student Asks Yahoo! Answers for Help with Book Report, Gets Chewed Out
by Book’s Author
SONG OF THE DAY
Sly
& The Family Stone – Underdog
