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.
THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER
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the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Seattle City Light’s Top Money Man Bids Adieu -
Amidst a contentious round of rate-setting & strategic planning, the
utility’s respected chief financial officer takes another job (Crosscut
Seattle)
A Huge Waste of Energy - Half of Washington’s
Energy Goes Up in Smoke; Mostly Transportation (Sightline)
Hoku
Flirts With Losing Idaho Electric Power, Nasdaq Listing (Pacific Business
Journal, HI)
Washington
State Completes Weatherization & Energy Efficiency Projects (Olympian, WA)
Washington State Governor to Bypass Attorney
General, Seek Ruling on Tax Voting (KING-TV, Seattle)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Seattle City Light’s Top Money Man Bids Adieu
- A Huge Waste of Energy - Half of Washington’s Energy Goes Up in Smoke; Mostly Transportation
- BC Hydro Hit in $35,000 Underground Copper-Wire Heist
- Alcoa to Permanently Close Idled Aluminum Smelter in Tennessee, Trim a Texas Operation
- Alaska - Fitch Affirms Chugach Electric Association ‘A-’ Rating; Outlook Revised to Positive
- Power Generation at Missouri River Dams Rebounds
- Federal Regulators Say Ohio Nuclear Reactor Safe Despite Not Knowing Cause of Concrete Cracks
- Michigan - Entergy’s Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Offline for Maintenance
- Cross State Air Pollution Rule Stayed In Court Ruling: Policy Community Divided
- Be Sure That Call from the Electric Company Isn’t a Scam
- Pennsylvania - Peco Planning Winter Tree Trimming to Avoid Outages
- California Marine Biologist Who Runs Popular Whale-Watching Tour Accused of Feeding Killer Whale
- Snowy Owls That Gained Fame as Harry Potter’s Companion Migrating to US from Arctic Habitat
- California Reservoir Rental - Water from Yosemite is Still Cheap, For Now
- Hoku Flirts With Losing Idaho Electric Power, Nasdaq Listing
- Idaho Power Wants Utilities Commission to Intervene in Potential Trash-To-Energy Sale
- Henry Red Cloud: A Solar Warrior for Native America
- Washington State Completes Weatherization & Energy Efficiency Projects
- Dairy Farm Audits Reduce Energy Costs 10% to 35%
- 19,000 Rebates Paid in Tennessee for Energy Appliances
- New Year’s Resolution: Monitor Your Electricity Usage!
- California Appeals Judge’s Low-Carbon Fuels Ruling
- Carbon Dioxide Super-Scrubber? Potential Good News in Global Warming Fight
- Retreat of Sea Ice Fuels Spike in Seal Deaths, Study Finds
- Report: Clean Tech Investments Surged in 2011
- Olympic Medical Center Gets Federal Grant for Education, Telemedicine Link
- NOAA Moves to Cloud-Based Email
- Washington State Governor to Bypass Attorney General, Seek Ruling on Tax Voting
- Washington State Sen. Prentice Won’t Seek Re-Election
- SW Washington Coastal County Prepares for Tsunami Debris
- Wild Olympic Peninsula Debate Hits Legislative Sendoff
- Washington State Outpost Draws Those Hungry for Slap of Sea Spray
WORD OF THE DAY
Incommunicado • \inn-kuh-myoon-nu-KAH-doe\ • Adverb/Adjective
- Without means of communication: in a situation or state not allowing
communication
“No cell phone coverage on this side of the
peninsula means I’m incommunicado in Cabo,” chucked Amos.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Seattle City Light’s Top Money Man Bids Adieu - Amidst
a contentious round of rate-setting & strategic planning, the utility’s
respected chief financial officer takes another job (Crosscut Seattle)
A Huge Waste of Energy - Half of Washington’s Energy
Goes Up in Smoke; Mostly Transportation (Sightline)
BC Hydro Hit in $35,000 Underground Copper-Wire
Heist (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Alcoa to Permanently Close Idled Aluminum Smelter in
Tennessee, Trim a Texas Operation “…Aluminum prices have fallen by about
one-fourth since April…Alcoa has faced higher energy & raw-material costs…”
(Associated Press)
Alaska - Fitch Affirms Chugach Electric Association
‘A-’ Rating; Outlook Revised to Positive (MarketWatch)
Power Generation at Missouri River Dams Rebounds (Associated
Press)
Federal Regulators Say Ohio Nuclear Reactor Safe
Despite Not Knowing Cause of Concrete Cracks (Associated Press)
Michigan - Entergy’s Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
Offline for Maintenance (Associated Press)
Cross State Air Pollution Rule Stayed In Court
Ruling: Policy Community Divided (AOL News)
Be Sure That Call from the Electric Company Isn’t a
Scam (Consumerist)
Pennsylvania - Peco Planning Winter Tree Trimming to
Avoid Outages (Philadelphia Business Journal)
FISH & WILDLIFE
California Marine Biologist Who Runs Popular
Whale-Watching Tour Accused of Feeding Killer Whale (Associated Press)
Snowy Owls That Gained Fame as Harry Potter’s Companion
Migrating to US from Arctic Habitat (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
California
Reservoir Rental - Water from Yosemite is Still Cheap, For Now (NY Times)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Hoku
Flirts With Losing Idaho Electric Power, Nasdaq Listing (Pacific Business
Journal, HI)
Idaho
Power Wants Utilities Commission to Intervene in Potential Trash-To-Energy Sale
(Renewables Biz)
Henry
Red Cloud: A Solar Warrior for Native America (Christian
Science Monitor)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Washington
State Completes Weatherization & Energy Efficiency Projects (Olympian, WA)
Dairy Farm Audits Reduce Energy Costs 10% to 35%
(Ag Web)
19,000 Rebates Paid in Tennessee for Energy
Appliances (Associated Press)
New Year’s Resolution: Monitor Your Electricity
Usage! (The Energy Collective)
http://theenergycollective.com/petertroast/73659/new-years-resolution-monitor-your-electricity-usage
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
California
Appeals Judge’s Low-Carbon Fuels Ruling (Associated Press)
Carbon
Dioxide Super-Scrubber? Potential Good News in Global Warming Fight (Christian Science Monitor)
Retreat
of Sea Ice Fuels Spike in Seal Deaths, Study Finds (Vancouver Sun, BC)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Report:
Clean Tech Investments Surged in 2011 (USA Today)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Olympic Medical Center Gets Federal Grant for
Education, Telemedicine Link (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
NOAA Moves to Cloud-Based Email (Washington
Business Journal, DC)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/fedbiz_daily/2012/01/noaa-moves-to-cloud-based-email.html
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington State Governor to Bypass Attorney
General, Seek Ruling on Tax Voting (KING-TV, Seattle)
Washington State Sen. Prentice Won’t Seek Re-Election
(Seattle Times)
GENERAL NEWS
SW Washington Coastal County Prepares for Tsunami
Debris (Associated Press)
Wild Olympic Peninsula Debate Hits Legislative
Sendoff (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
Washington State Outpost Draws Those Hungry for
Slap of Sea Spray (NY Times)
DIVERSIONS
When Apple Orchards Become Personal Power Plants
Police: Man Used Skeleton to Cheat HOV Lane
Five Jedi Mind Tricks for Managers in the New Year
HS Basketball Video Shows Power of Social Media (To
be honest, I’ve called BB for radio for 27 years & have seen many fouls –
flagrant & otherwise – much harder & egregious than those depicted
here)
SONG OF THE DAY
Pat
Benetar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot