Energy News Digest for September 7, 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

Texas Heat Pushes Electricity Use to New Monthly Record (Reuters)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/06/energy-utilities-texas-idINL2E8K69QH20120906

FERC Takes Aim at Deutsche Bank over California Power Market Manipulation (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/06/us-deutschebank-ferc-manipulation-idUSBRE8851CB20120906

Pacific Northwest Tribes Oppose Oregon’s Measure 81 Gillnetting Ban (Willamette Week, OR)

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29130-tribes_oppose_measure_81_gillnetting_ban.html

El Nino May Warm Up Western Washington Winter (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=733554

LED Light Bulbs Do Least Environmental Harm, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Says (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/09/led_light_bulbs_do_least_envir.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Texas Heat Pushes Electricity Use to New Monthly Record
• FERC Takes Aim at Deutsche Bank over California Power Market Manipulation
• Broken Ground Wire Caused Idaho Irrigation Ditch Deaths
• Port Angeles City Council OKs Purchase of New Electrical Transformer for Substation
• Cowlitz PUD Launches Outage Hot Line
• Chelan PUD Projects Focus on Reliable Service for Customers
• Port Angeles’ Taylor Street Telephone Poles Coming Down Next Week
• Video - Protecting the Environment While Protecting a Transmission Tower From...The Environment
• British Columbia Regulator Says Fracking Causes Minor Earthquakes
• What is the Role of Hydroelectric Power in the United States?
• Suing Entergy over Hurricane Isaac Response
• Pacific Northwest Tribes Oppose Oregon’s Measure 81 Gillnetting Ban
• Parasite Blamed for Killing Fish in Snake River
• Fish Bypass Delay at Priest Rapids Dam Won’t Impact Deadline
• Union River Estuary Restoration Begins
• Washington State Awarded $22 Million for Salmon Recovery
• Fight over Wild Wolves Reignited by Plan to Kill as Many as Four
• Thurston County, Washington State Work to Conserve Prairie Species
• Lake Erie: Dead Fish Turning Up By the Thousands on Northern Shoreline
• Merrimack Village Dam: The Impact of Removing a Dam in New Hampshire
• New Report Details Water Quality in Puget Sound
• Toxic Algae Blooms Spotted around Wells Dam Reservoir on Columbia River
• Port Townsend Gets $3 Million Washington State Loan for Water Project
• Washington State, Irrigators Sign Dungeness Water Pact
• For Farms in the West, Oil Wells Are Thirsty Rivals
• Kittitas County Wind Farm Lets You Bike, Hike or Hunt among Towering Turbines
• Off the Coast of Oregon, A Test of Wave Energy Prototype
• A New Big Solar Panel Farm in the Works in California
• Port Townsend Council Learns It Can Have One Air Monitor
• Breathing New Life into Old Wind Turbines
• Wind Energy Popular in Poll, But Few Sign Up at Utilities
• California’s Solar Energy Passes a Milestone
• European Union Conducting Anti-Dumping Probe into China Solar Panels
• LED Light Bulbs Do Least Environmental Harm, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Says
• Company Profits Unaffected by Climate Change Laws: Poll
• Port Townsend City Council Approves Buying Ten Thousand Reusable Shopping Bags for Community
• Portland Loo, A Public Toilet That Skips to the Head of Its Class
• Utilities Angling to Use Public Safety’s 700 MHz Broadband Spectrum
• Chasing the Elusive Dream of Rural Wireless Broadband
• Cable Company Promises $6K Refund after News 5 Report
• Washington State Auditor Candidate Denies Previous Allegations of Fraud, Theft
• El Nino May Warm Up Western Washington Winter
• Mysterious West Seattle Hum Could Be Fish – Seriously
• Blimps Away! Airships Get High-Tech Makeover

WORD OF THE DAY

Stem Winder • \stem-WĪND-der \ • Noun - 1: a stem-winding watch 2: one that is first-rate of its kind; especially: a stirring speech

With the two major political parties’ conventions in the rear view mirror - stem winding speeches shelved for the duration – time to don the hazmat suits for the evening TV watching and the accompanying partisan advertising.

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

Texas Heat Pushes Electricity Use to New Monthly Record (Reuters)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/06/energy-utilities-texas-idINL2E8K69QH20120906

FERC Takes Aim at Deutsche Bank over California Power Market Manipulation (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/06/us-deutschebank-ferc-manipulation-idUSBRE8851CB20120906

Broken Ground Wire Caused Idaho Irrigation Ditch Deaths (Associated Press)

http://www.ktvb.com/news/Broken-wire-caused-irrigation-ditch-deaths-168780776.html

Port Angeles City Council OKs Purchase of New Electrical Transformer for Substation (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120906/news/309069990/pa-council-oks-purchase-of-new-electrical-transformer

Cowlitz PUD Launches Outage Hot Line (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/1c381ab8-f87a-11e1-8745-0019bb2963f4.html

Chelan PUD Projects Focus on Reliable Service for Customers (North Central Washington TV)

http://www.ncwtv.com/pud-projects-focus-on-reliable-service-for-customers-4269/

Port Angeles’ Taylor Street Telephone Poles Coming Down Next Week – Delayed over late phone cable order (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120907/NEWS/309079985/taylor-street-utility-poles-coming-down-next-week

Video - Protecting the Environment While Protecting a Transmission Tower From...The Environment (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPANews/ArticleTemplate.cfm?ArticleId=article-20120906-01

British Columbia Regulator Says Fracking Causes Minor Earthquakes (Victoria Times Colonist, B-C)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/regulator+says+fracking+causes+minor+earthquakes/7205516/story.html

What is the Role of Hydroelectric Power in the United States? (Alaska Business Monthly)

http://www.akbizmag.com/Alaska-Business-Monthly/September-2012/What-is-the-role-of-hydroelectric-power-in-the-United-States/

Suing Entergy over Hurricane Isaac Response (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/09/06/49978.htm

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Northwest Tribes Oppose Oregon’s Measure 81 Gillnetting Ban (Willamette Week, OR)

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29130-tribes_oppose_measure_81_gillnetting_ban.html

Parasite Blamed for Killing Fish in Snake River (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/sep/06/parasite-blamed-killing-fish-snake-river/

Fish Bypass Delay at Priest Rapids Dam Won’t Impact Deadline (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_dfc47986-f78f-11e1-ad02-0019bb2963f4.html

Union River Estuary Restoration Begins (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/sep/06/union-river-estuary-restoration-begins/

Washington State Awarded $22 Million for Salmon Recovery (South Sound Business Examiner)

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/September-2012/State-awarded-22M-for-salmon-recovery/index.php

Fight over Wild Wolves Reignited by Plan to Kill as Many as Four (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019088062_wolves07m.html

Thurston County, Washington State Work to Conserve Prairie Species (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/09/07/2240754/county-state-work-to-conserve.html

Lake Erie: Dead Fish Turning Up By the Thousands on Northern Shoreline (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0906/Lake-Erie-Dead-fish-turning-up-by-the-thousands-on-northern-shoreline

Merrimack Village Dam: The Impact of Removing a Dam in New Hampshire (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/09/merrimack-village-dam-results-of-removing-a-dam-in-new-hampshire?cmpid=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

New Report Details Water Quality in Puget Sound (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/new-report-details-water-quality-puget-sound

Toxic Algae Blooms Spotted around Wells Dam Reservoir on Columbia River (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/sep/06/toxic-algae-blooms-spotted-around-wells-dam/

Port Townsend Gets $3 Million Washington State Loan for Water Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120907/news/309079986/port-townsend-gets-3-million-state-loan-for-water-project

Washington State, Irrigators Sign Dungeness Water Pact (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/8122

For Farms in the West, Oil Wells Are Thirsty Rivals (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/us/struggle-for-water-in-colorado-with-rise-in-fracking.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0moc.semityn.www

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Kittitas County Wind Farm Lets You Bike, Hike or Hunt among Towering Turbines (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.com/html/outdoors/2019076703_odwildhorse09.html

Off the Coast of Oregon, A Test of Wave Energy Prototype (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/09/off_the_coast_of_oregon_a_test.html

A New Big Solar Panel Farm in the Works in California (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/a-new-big-solar-panel-farm-in-the-works-in-california/

Port Townsend Council Learns It Can Have One Air Monitor (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120906/news/309069988/port-townsend-council-learns-it-can-have-1-air-monitor

Breathing New Life into Old Wind Turbines (Wind Power Monthly)

http://www.windpowermonthly.com/news/rss/1148629/Breathing-new-life-old-wind-turbines/

Wind Energy Popular in Poll, But Few Sign Up at Utilities (Tulsa World, OK)

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=49&articleid=20120907_49_E1_CUTLIN813427

California’s Solar Energy Passes a Milestone (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/07/4796127/californias-solar-energy-passes.html

European Union Conducting Anti-Dumping Probe into China Solar Panels (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2019078336_apeueuchinasolar.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LED Light Bulbs Do Least Environmental Harm, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Says (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/09/led_light_bulbs_do_least_envir.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Company Profits Unaffected by Climate Change Laws: Poll (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-07/company-profits-unaffected-by-climate-change-laws-poll.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Port Townsend City Council Approves Buying Ten Thousand Reusable Shopping Bags for Community (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120906/NEWS/309069987/port-townsend-city-council-approves-buying-10000-reusable-shopping

Portland Loo, A Public Toilet That Skips to the Head of Its Class (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-08-29-portland-loo-20120829,0,104499.story

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Utilities Angling to Use Public Safety’s 700 MHz Broadband Spectrum (Fierce Broadband Wireless)

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/utilities-angling-use-public-safetys-700-mhz-broadband-spectrum/2012-09-05

Chasing the Elusive Dream of Rural Wireless Broadband (Fierce Broadband Wireless)

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/chasing-elusive-dream-rural-wireless-broadband/2012-09-06

Cable Company Promises $6K Refund after News 5 Report (WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL)

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2012/sep/04/cable-company-promises-6k-refund-after-news-5-repo-ar-4478663/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Auditor Candidate Denies Previous Allegations of Fraud, Theft (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/wash-state-auditor-candidate-denies-previous-allegations-fraud-theft

GENERAL NEWS

El Nino May Warm Up Western Washington Winter (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=733554

Mysterious West Seattle Hum Could Be Fish – Seriously (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/168858276.html

Blimps Away! Airships Get High-Tech Makeover (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/sep/06/airships-get-high-tech-makeover/

DIVERSIONS

What a Loophole - NY Court Weighs if Lap Dance is Tax-Exempt Art

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/sep/06/ny-court-weighs-if-lap-dance-is-tax-exempt-art/

Too Much? Mom Potty Trains Kids in Restaurant

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=733286

To Help Tell Quadruplets Apart, Mother Shaves Numbers on Their Heads

http://gawker.com/5941338/to-help-tell-quadruplets-apart-mother-shaves-numbers-on-their-heads

Plane Full of Passengers Probably Not Amused by Buddy Prank That Turned Their Flight Around

http://consumerist.com/2012/09/plane-full-of-passengers-probably-not-amused-by-prank-that-turned-their-flight-around.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg - Twins Theme/Intimidation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtnDRutx6Sg