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
Governor’s
Office Shies Away from Energy-Initiative Battle - Legislature May Not Give Up
So Easily (Washington Wire)
Boeing Shuttering Wichita Plant, Sending Tanker
Work Here (Seattle Times)
California Clean Air Rules Could ‘Wipe Out’ BC
Hydro’s Export Revenue - Carbon cap-and-trade regulations will boost cost to
B.C. consumers: economist (Vancouver Sun, BC)
Washington State Republicans Push to Oust Newly
Appointed Wildlife Commissioner (Wenatchee World, WA)
Habitat for Humanity Goes Green & Saves New
Residents Some Green (USA Today)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- California Clean Air Rules Could ‘Wipe Out’ BC Hydro’s Export Revenue
- BC Hydro Cuts Costs by Giving Up Luxury Canucks’ Suite
- Richland City Council Considers 5.1 Percent Electric Rate Increase
- Idaho Solar Plant Gets Power Bill Reprieve, For Now
- Privacy Alarm at ‘Smart’ Electric Meters
- Tennessee Valley Authority Seeks Help Fighting Copper Theft
- Ohio Quake Linked to Fracking Wastewater Well
- Connecticut - State Utility Regulators Expected to Reverse Decision & Review Proposed Nu-Nstar Merger
- North Carolina - Progress Energy & Duke Energy Plan New Merger Filing This Month
- Washington State Republicans Push to Oust Newly Appointed Wildlife Commissioner
- Idaho Family Claims Bonneville Power Damaged Wildlife Habitat with Access Road
- California - Salmon Rebound in Sacramento Valley
- 20 Tons of Herring Wash Up on Norway Coast
- Northeast Oregon Snowpack Off to Sluggish Start
- California - Sierra Snow Survey Finds Hardly Any
- Last Sewer-Outflow Pollution Worth $1 Billion to Stop?
- Governor’s Office Shies Away from Energy-Initiative Battle - Legislature May Not Give Up So Easily
- Oregon Community Wind Finds Seattle Renewable Energy Credit Market
- Franklin County Canal Hydroelectric Project near Mesa Gets Planners’ OK
- Is Wind Power Holding Electricity Costs Down?
- Who Will Pay for Renewable Energy?
- Editorial - Excess Wind: Keep Those Subsidies Flowing
- US Forest Service OKs 15-Turbine Vermont Wind Project
- What’s Up with Google & Biomass Power?
- Storehouses for Solar Energy Can Step In When the Sun Goes Down
- Tidal Energy Turbine Set Up In the Sea
- Habitat for Humanity Goes Green & Saves New Residents Some Green
- Op/Ed - Snohomish PUD a Leader in Pacific Northwest Energy Efficiency
- Edison Would’ve Loved New Light Bulb Law
- Top Ten Winter Energy Saving Tips
- Climate Change Means Regional Opportunity
- Retreat of Glaciers Makes Some Climbs Tougher
- Honda Hybrid Lawsuit: Are New Mileage Labels Misleading?
- Ohio-Based Broadband Stimulus Projects Delayed by Fiber Cable Shortages
- Teachers Resist High-Tech Push in Idaho Schools
- Now Hovering Above Us All: ‘The Cloud’
- Yahoo Names PayPal’s Thompson as CEO
- Washington State Redistricting Puts Less of Kitsap in the 35th Legislative District
- Boeing Shuttering Wichita Plant, Sending Tanker Work Here
- End of Ethanol Subsidy Could Raise Gas Prices for 2012
- Port Of Shelton Assigns Commissioner Duties
- City of Port Angeles Finance Director Placed on Leave over Leave Payouts
- Mistaken Calls to 9-1-1 on Rise across North Olympic Peninsula
WORD OF THE DAY
Echelon • \ESH-un-lawn\ • Noun - 1: a step like arrangement 2a: one of a
series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity b: the
individuals at such a level
Nat was well known for his creative methods of avoiding the tough
decisions. His trademark line “that’s above my pay-grade, I’ll pass it to the
upper echelons,” had eventually been reduced to a well-worn piece of cardboard
with the number “1” written in permanent marker. At the merest hint of impending
responsibility it flipped up as if it were a hand fan in a blast furnace
factory.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
California Clean Air Rules Could ‘Wipe Out’ BC Hydro’s
Export Revenue - Carbon cap-and-trade regulations will boost cost to B.C.
consumers: economist (Vancouver Sun, BC)
BC Hydro Cuts Costs by Giving Up Luxury Canucks’ Suite
(Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Richland City Council Considers 5.1 Percent Electric
Rate Increase (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
Idaho Solar Plant Gets Power Bill Reprieve, For Now
(Associated Press)
Privacy Alarm at ‘Smart’ Electric Meters (Courthouse
News Service)
Tennessee Valley Authority Seeks Help Fighting
Copper Theft (Electric Co-op Today)
Ohio Quake Linked to Fracking Wastewater Well (USA
Today)
Connecticut - State Utility Regulators Expected to
Reverse Decision & Review Proposed Nu-Nstar Merger (Hartford Courant, CT)
North Carolina - Progress Energy & Duke Energy Plan
New Merger Filing This Month (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Washington State Republicans Push to Oust Newly
Appointed Wildlife Commissioner (Wenatchee World, WA)
Idaho Family Claims Bonneville Power Damaged
Wildlife Habitat with Access Road (Courthouse News Service)
California - Salmon Rebound in Sacramento Valley (Sacramento Bee, CA)
20 Tons of Herring Wash Up on Norway Coast
(Yahoo! News)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Northeast Oregon Snowpack Off to Sluggish Start
(Baker City Herald, OR)
California
- Sierra Snow Survey Finds Hardly Any (SF Chronicle)
Last
Sewer-Outflow Pollution Worth $1 Billion to Stop? (Seattle Times)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Governor’s
Office Shies Away from Energy-Initiative Battle - Legislature May Not Give Up
So Easily (Washington Wire)
Oregon
Community Wind Finds Seattle Renewable Energy Credit Market (Earth Techling)
Franklin
County Canal Hydroelectric Project near Mesa Gets Planners’ OK (News Tribune,
Tacoma, WA)
Is
Wind Power Holding Electricity Costs Down? (REVE)
Who
Will Pay for Renewable Energy? “…the 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour tax credit for
wind projects makes it cost-efficient for its customers…renewables depend on
public policy support to stay price-competitive…” (Energybiz Insider)
Editorial
- Excess Wind: Keep Those Subsidies Flowing (Wenatchee World, WA)
US
Forest Service OKs 15-Turbine Vermont Wind Project (Associated Press)
What’s
Up with Google & Biomass Power? (GigaOM)
Storehouses
for Solar Energy Can Step In When the Sun Goes Down (NY Times)
Tidal
Energy Turbine Set Up In the Sea (The Independent, UK)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tidal-energy-turbine-set-up-in-the-sea-6281625.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tidal-energy-turbine-set-up-in-the-sea-6281625.html
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Habitat for Humanity Goes Green & Saves New
Residents Some Green (USA Today)
Op/Ed - Snohomish PUD a Leader in Pacific Northwest
Energy Efficiency (Everett Herald, WA)
Edison Would’ve Loved New Light Bulb Law (Cable
News Network)
Top Ten Winter Energy Saving Tips (Province of
Ontario)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate
Change Means Regional Opportunity (Sustainable
Business Oregon)
Retreat
of Glaciers Makes Some Climbs Tougher (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/business/global/retreat-of-glaciers-makes-some-climbs-tougher.html
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Honda Hybrid Lawsuit: Are New Mileage Labels
Misleading? (Christian Science Monitor)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Ohio-Based Broadband Stimulus Projects Delayed by
Fiber Cable Shortages (Fierce Telecom)
Teachers Resist High-Tech Push in Idaho Schools (NY
Times)
Now Hovering Above Us All: ‘The Cloud’ (National
Public Radio)
Yahoo Names PayPal’s Thompson as CEO (Reuters)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington State Redistricting Puts Less of Kitsap in
the 35th Legislative District (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton,
WA)
GENERAL NEWS
Boeing Shuttering Wichita Plant, Sending Tanker
Work Here (Seattle Times)
End of Ethanol Subsidy Could Raise Gas Prices for
2012 (USA Today)
Port Of Shelton Assigns Commissioner Duties (KMAS Radio,
Shelton, WA)
City of Port Angeles Finance Director Placed on
Leave over Leave Payouts (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
Mistaken Calls to 9-1-1 on Rise across North
Olympic Peninsula (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
DIVERSIONS
Cat Survives Two Euthanasia Attempts at Utah Shelter
Volkswagen Agrees to Curb Company E-Mail in Off
Hours
Polish Art Student Hangs Own Painting in Museum
Is Frankincense Doomed? Trees that produce the
substance are in serious decline due to over-harvesting & other
environmental factors
SONG OF THE DAY
Apollo
100 - Joy