Monday, February 6, 2012

Energy News Digest for February 6, 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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Retail Fiber Authority for Public Utility Districts Dies in Olympia (Wenatchee World, WA)

Pacific Northwest Energy Storage Concepts Explored - Study looks at diverting excess underground, using it later (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Aging Pacific Northwest Dams Pose Challenge for Fish, Feds - Corps of Engineers Tests for Chemicals in Oil Used at Dams (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

Q&A: Why Was the Power Out for So Long During Recent Storm? “…PSE will propose a split of the cost between customers & utility investors…” (Olympian, WA)

Police: Josh Powell Set Fire That Killed Him & His Two Sons at Graham-Area Home (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Q&A: Why Was the Power Out for So Long During Recent Storm?
  • About 280 Crews Converged in South Sound to Help Amid Outage
  • Why Don’t We Bury Our Power Lines in the Pacific Northwest?
  •  Business
  • Canada - Ontario’s Power Glut Means Possible Nuclear Plant Shutdowns
  • Vancouver Island - Fumble! Balloons Cut Power to Some Saanich Residents during Super Bowl
  • President Announces Intent to Re-Nominate John Norris to FERC Commission
  • Aging Pacific Northwest Dams Pose Challenge for Fish, Feds
  • A Reservoir Drawdown to Stream Level Aiding Recovery of Willamette Spring Chinook Stock
  • Lead-Contaminated Soil Found at Elwha Dam Site
  • Filmmaker Captures Destruction of Elwha River Dam
  • Canadian Opposition to US Orca Tagging Gathers Pace
  • California - Celebrated Marin County Salmon Make Their Return
  • Taylor Shellfish Seeks to Establish Shelton-Area Mussel Farm
  • Winlock’s $12 Million Sewage Treatment Plant is Polluting the Cowlitz River
  • Pacific Northwest Energy Storage Concepts Explored
  • Oregon - PCC Rock Creek Partners with SolarWorld & SolarCity for Massive Solar-Power Project
  • Solar Projects Take Home of Hoover Dam Back to Future
  • Sacrificing the Desert to Save the Earth
  • Hawaiian Electric to Raise Rates Because of Solar Losses
  • Renewable Energy Costs are Starting to Come Down
  • Canada - Wind Power Sector Eager to Deliver on Promise
  • Wind Farms Can Actually Increase Climate Change by Raising Temperatures & Causing Downpours, Warn Academics
  • Awkward - Solar Energy Subsidies: Sticky Wicket for Tea Party Recipient?
  • City of Seattle Defends $20 Million Weatherization Program
  • Audit Shows California Slow to Spend Weatherization Funds
  • William Shore Pool in Port Angeles Moves Ahead With Major Electrical Revamp
  • China Bars Its Airlines From Paying EU Carbon Tax, Ratcheting Up Global Dispute
  • United Kingdom - Professor Slammed after Flying 20,000 Miles to Tahiti for Climate Change Lecture
  • Will Kitsap Industries Funded by ‘Green Jobs’ Grant Stay Green Financially?
  • Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing UN Plot
  • Electric Cars: ‘Plug-Ins’ Look for Spark in 2012
  • Retail Fiber Authority for Public Utility Districts Dies in Olympia
  • Google Starts Laying Fiber for Ultra-Fast Kansas City Broadband Network
  • Google Tests Next-Generation Devices that Could End Up in Kansas City
  • Washington State Patrol Radio Upgrade Questioned
  • Test Results for Fastest Wireless Networks in Seattle
  • Olympia’s Denny Heck Kicks Off Campaign, Says He’d Work for Jobs as Lawmaker
  • GOP Strategist Touts Washington State Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers as Possible VP Pick
  • Ninth Circuit Court Nomination Hits GOP Snag
  • Washington State Pension Changes Flounder
  • Congress Appears to Be Trying to Get Around Earmark Ban
  • Police: Josh Powell Set Fire That Killed Him & His Two Sons at Graham-Area Home
  • Shelton Man in Fair Condition after Collision that Killed Lacey Woman
  • Public Works: Franklin County Seeks Help for Troubled Department
  • Clallam Commissioner May Push for a Stand on Wild Olympics
  • Rising Costs of Gas Fuels Budget Issues for Governments
  • Washington State Lawmakers Looking to Make Oregonians Pay Sales Tax
  • Editorial - Prepare Now for Next Disaster
WORD OF THE DAY

Flaneur • \FLAW-nerr\ • Noun - An idle man-about-town

Flaneur; see Kato Kaelin (for appropriate cultural reference, here’s your key: http://www.freewebs.com/kato/)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Q&A: Why Was the Power Out for So Long During Recent Storm? “…PSE will propose a split of the cost between customers & utility investors…” (Olympian, WA)

About 280 Crews Converged in South Sound to Help Amid Outage (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Why Don’t We Bury Our Power Lines in the Pacific Northwest? (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Natural Gas - Calpine’s Sutter Energy Center Struggles to Find Business (The Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, CA)

Canada - Ontario’s Power Glut Means Possible Nuclear Plant Shutdowns (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Vancouver Island - Fumble! Balloons Cut Power to Some Saanich Residents during Super Bowl (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

President Announces Intent to Re-Nominate John Norris to FERC Commission (FERC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Aging Pacific Northwest Dams Pose Challenge for Fish, Feds - Corps of Engineers Tests for Chemicals in Oil Used at Dams (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

A Reservoir Drawdown to Stream Level Aiding Recovery of Willamette Spring Chinook Stock (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Lead-Contaminated Soil Found at Elwha Dam Site (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Filmmaker Captures Destruction of Elwha River Dam (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Canadian Opposition to US Orca Tagging Gathers Pace (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

California - Celebrated Marin County Salmon Make Their Return (SF Chronicle)

Taylor Shellfish Seeks to Establish Shelton-Area Mussel Farm (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Winlock’s $12 Million Sewage Treatment Plant is Polluting the Cowlitz River (Longview Daily News, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Pacific Northwest Energy Storage Concepts Explored - Study looks at diverting excess underground, using it later (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Oregon - PCC Rock Creek Partners with SolarWorld & SolarCity for Massive Solar-Power Project (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar Projects Take Home of Hoover Dam Back to Future (Las Vega Review-Journal, NV)

Sacrificing the Desert to Save the Earth - Environmentalists are torn over the high cost of breaking reliance on fossil fuels (Los Angeles Times, CA)

Hawaiian Electric to Raise Rates Because of Solar Losses (Pacific Business News, HI)

Renewable Energy Costs are Starting to Come Down (SF Chronicle)

Canada - Wind Power Sector Eager to Deliver on Promise: Green energy proponents poised to bring more electricity to BC grid (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Wind Farms Can Actually Increase Climate Change by Raising Temperatures & Causing Downpours, Warn Academics (The Daily Mail, UK)

Awkward - Solar Energy Subsidies: Sticky Wicket for Tea Party Recipient? (Christian Science Monitor)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

City of Seattle Defends $20 Million Weatherization Program (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Audit Shows California Slow to Spend Weatherization Funds (SF Chronicle)

William Shore Pool in Port Angeles Moves Ahead With Major Electrical Revamp (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

China Bars Its Airlines From Paying EU Carbon Tax, Ratcheting Up Global Dispute (Washington Post)

United Kingdom - Professor Slammed after Flying 20,000 Miles to Tahiti for Climate Change Lecture “…(his) fuel-burning flights mean his carbon footprint is so big it would take 95 acres of trees a year to absorb it all…” (Daily Mirror, United Kingdom)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Will Kitsap Industries Funded by ‘Green Jobs’ Grant Stay Green Financially? (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing UN Plot (NY Times)

Electric Cars: ‘Plug-Ins’ Look for Spark in 2012 (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Retail Fiber Authority for Public Utility Districts Dies in Olympia (Wenatchee World, WA)

Google Starts Laying Fiber for Ultra-Fast Kansas City Broadband Network (Kansas City Business Journal)

Google Tests Next-Generation Devices that Could End Up in Kansas City (Kansas City Business Journal)

Washington State Patrol Radio Upgrade Questioned - Audit says new network pushed by feds may never be completed (Olympian, WA)

Test Results for Fastest Wireless Networks in Seattle (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Olympia’s Denny Heck Kicks Off Campaign, Says He’d Work for Jobs as Lawmaker (Olympian, WA)

GOP Strategist Touts Washington State Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers as Possible VP Pick (Seattle Times)

Ninth Circuit Court Nomination Hits GOP Snag (SF Chronicle)

Washington State Pension Changes Flounder - ‘Plan 3’: Retired workers worried about fallout (Olympian, WA)

Congress Appears to Be Trying to Get Around Earmark Ban (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Police: Josh Powell Set Fire That Killed Him & His Two Sons at Graham-Area Home (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Shelton Man in Fair Condition after Collision that Killed Lacey Woman (Olympian, WA)

Public Works: Franklin County Seeks Help for Troubled Department (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Clallam Commissioner May Push for a Stand on Wild Olympics (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

Rising Costs of Gas Fuels Budget Issues for Governments (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Washington State Lawmakers Looking to Make Oregonians Pay Sales Tax (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Editorial - Prepare Now for Next Disaster (Olympian, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Clint Eastwood in Top Six Super Bowl 2012 Car Commercials

Report: Simpson Dolls Join Barbie on Iran’s Ban List

Ohio Woman Having Stroke Helped Despite Dialing Wrong Number

New Scented Jeans Smell Like Raspberries When Scratched

SONG OF THE DAY

David Dundas - Jeans On