Monday, October 15, 2012

Energy News Digest for October 15, 2012 - The PUD Pinata Edition



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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Renewable Energy: U-S Takes New Tack with ‘Solar Energy Zones’ (Christian Science Monitor)

Documents Sought from Obama Administration Regarding Chu Memo that Could Raise Energy Prices on 40 Million Americans (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

Salmon Spawners Make Way past Former White Salmon River Dam Site for First Time in Nearly 100 Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Hunt for Water in Eastern Oregon Has Farmers Scrambling to Tap Columbia River (Oregonian, Portland)

Pend Oreille PUD - As Broadband Goes Rural, It Meets the Need for Speed (Laser Focus World)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  • Documents Sought from Obama Administration Regarding Chu Memo that Could Raise Energy Prices on 40 Million Americans
  • Port Angeles City Council to Consider Utility Rate Hikes Tuesday
  • City of Wenatchee to Appeal Chelan PUD Suit over Tax Collections
  • Grand Coulee Dam Laser Lights: Out with the Old, In With the New
  • How Far has Smart Grid Come?
  • Editorial - Too Many Questions to Empower Thurston County PUD
  • Editorial - More reliable study needed on Thurston Public Power Initiative
  • Editorial - No Guarantee on Thurston Public Power Rates
  • Editorial - Thurston PUD Legal Questions Unanswered
  • Editorial - Confidence in Thurston County PUD?
  • Editorial - Could Thurston Stay Green?
  • Salmon Spawners Make Way past Former White Salmon River Dam Site for First Time in Nearly 100 Years
  • Fishing in a Different Current - Crew Uses Electro-Boat to Study Fish above Rocky Reach Dam
  • Help Save the Hanford Reach Salmon
  • Hunt for Water in Eastern Oregon Has Farmers Scrambling to Tap Columbia River
  • California - Proposition F Seeks Plan to Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
  • Renewable Energy: U-S Takes New Tack with ‘Solar Energy Zones’
  • Solar Developer Sued over Idaho Project
  • Poll: Idahoans Blow Cold on Wind
  • Op/Ed - DeFazio-Backed Bill Brings Balance to Energy Development
  • New Rule Could Lead to More Wind Energy Curtailment in Midwest
  • Nevada Co-op Solar Program Praised
  • Residential Solar Prices Falling, But Can the Trend Last?
  • Churches Send Jolt of Energy to Michigan Renewables Plan
  • German Tax to Finance Renewable Energy Skyrockets
  • How to Cut Home Energy Bills without Sacrificing Comfort or Lifestyle
  • Out on a Limb for Energy Efficiency
  • A Grand Experiment to Rein in Climate Change
  • California Greenhouse Gas Rules Face Major Court Test
  • James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Films Run on Clean Energy
  • Pend Oreille PUD - As Broadband Goes Rural, It Meets the Need for Speed
  • New Hampshire - Fairpoint Sues Berlin over Pole Tax
  • Former Washington Legislator Sid Snyder Dead at 86
  • More Stormy Weather Expected Monday Afternoon
  • Forecasters Predict Dry Winter Ahead
  • Hackers Steal More than $450,000 from City of Burlington
  • City of Shelton Considering Closing Sixth Street Park
  • California - For Dollars’ Worth of Copper Farmers Out Thousands
  • Seattle Hotel Sidewalk Ad Campaign Backfires

WORD OF THE DAY

Garniture • \GARR-nit-churr\ • Noun - 1: embellishment, trimming 2: a set of decorative objects (as vases, urns, or clocks)

The ticking of the grandfather clock in the gloomy parlor made it seem spookier than it was. The red velvet wallpaper, lamps with their wicks lowered to a feeble glow, silk handkerchiefs draped seductively over their shades. “This garniture is directly from the ‘Miss Kitty” school of décor,” mused the dusty cowhand to himself, his spurs jangling across the creaky wooden floor as he made his way to the low divan, where the hostess impatiently waited, the weathered copy of “Wuthering Heights” gripped in her hands.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Documents Sought from Obama Administration Regarding Chu Memo that Could Raise Energy Prices on 40 Million Americans (U-S House Natural Resources Committee)

Port Angeles City Council to Consider Utility Rate Hikes Tuesday (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

City of Wenatchee to Appeal Chelan PUD Suit over Tax Collections (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Grand Coulee Dam Laser Lights: Out with the Old, In With the New (Wenatchee World, WA)

How Far has Smart Grid Come? (Electric Light & Power)

THE SIX STANZA THURSTON PUBLIC POWER EDITORIAL MASHUP (As if one editorial statement wasn’t enough)

Editorial - Too Many Questions to Empower Thurston County PUD (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - More reliable study needed on Thurston Public Power Initiative (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - No Guarantee on Thurston Public Power Rates (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Thurston PUD Legal Questions Unanswered (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Confidence in Thurston County PUD? (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Could Thurston Stay Green? (Olympian, WA)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Spawners Make Way past Former White Salmon River Dam Site for First Time in Nearly 100 Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Fishing in a Different Current - Crew Uses Electro-Boat to Study Fish above Rocky Reach Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

Help Save the Hanford Reach Salmon (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Hunt for Water in Eastern Oregon Has Farmers Scrambling to Tap Columbia River (Oregonian, Portland)

California - Proposition F Seeks Plan to Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (SF Chronicle, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Renewable Energy: U-S Takes New Tack with ‘Solar Energy Zones’ (Christian Science Monitor)

Solar Developer Sued over Idaho Project (Associated Press)

Poll: Idahoans Blow Cold on Wind (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Op/Ed - DeFazio-Backed Bill Brings Balance to Energy Development (Eugene Register Guard, OR)

New Rule Could Lead to More Wind Energy Curtailment in Midwest (North America Wind Power)

Nevada Co-op Solar Program Praised (Electric Co-op Today)

Residential Solar Prices Falling, But Can the Trend Last? (New Mexico Business Journal)

Churches Send Jolt of Energy to Michigan Renewables Plan (Climate Central)

German Tax to Finance Renewable Energy Skyrockets (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

How to Cut Home Energy Bills without Sacrificing Comfort or Lifestyle (Associated Press)

Out on a Limb for Energy Efficiency (Electric Co-op Today)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

A Grand Experiment to Rein in Climate Change (NY Times)

California Greenhouse Gas Rules Face Major Court Test (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Films Run on Clean Energy (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pend Oreille PUD - As Broadband Goes Rural, It Meets the Need for Speed (Laser Focus World)

New Hampshire - Fairpoint Sues Berlin over Pole Tax (Berlin Daily Sun, NH)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Former Washington Legislator Sid Snyder Dead at 86 (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

More Stormy Weather Expected Monday Afternoon (KING-TV, Seattle)

Forecasters Predict Dry Winter Ahead (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Hackers Steal More than $450,000 from City of Burlington (KING-TV, Seattle)

City of Shelton Considering Closing Sixth Street Park (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

California - For Dollars’ Worth of Copper Farmers Out Thousands (Associated Press)

Seattle Hotel Sidewalk Ad Campaign Backfires (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

DIVERSIONS

Felix Baumgartner Breaks the Sound Barrier - Sponsored By Red Bull

Obscenely Rich People Can Raise Obscenely Rich Chickens in this $100,000 Coop

Giant Eyeball Mystery Solved: Experts Say It Belonged to Swordfish

Husband Discovers Deadly Skin Cancer after Shaving His Head in Support of His Wife Going through Chemotherapy

SONG OF THE DAY

The Byrds - Eight Miles High