The Energy News Digest: 02/10/12

Friday, February 10, 2012

Energy News Digest for February 10, 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

Lake Chelan Basin Runoff Forecast Predicts 100 Percent of Average (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

http://lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=5550

Suit Filed to Block Hatchery Salmon in Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120210/NEWS/120209988/suit-filed-to-block-hatchery-salmon-in-elwha-river

Clallam PUD Fears New Bonneville Power Administration Wind Policy Could Drive Up Local Power Rates (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/7653

Grays Harbor PUD Installing Wire that Even Thieves Won’t Want – Hopefully (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/pud-installing-wire-even-thieves-won%E2%80%99t-want-%E2%80%94-hopefully.html

Chelan PUD Almost Ready to Talk Fiber (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/chelan-pud-will-give-public-a-peek-at-fiber/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Clallam PUD Fears New Bonneville Power Administration Wind Policy Could Drive Up Local Power Rates
Grays Harbor PUD Installing Wire that Even Thieves Won’t Want – Hopefully
Editorial - Utilities (read Puget Sound Energy) Must Use Recent Storms to Be Ready for Next One
Bonneville Power Administration Admits Error in Tree Removal after Angry Bethany Residents Protest
BC Hydro Abandons Public Relations Firm Hiring
Texas Lawmakers Press Regulators to Explain How Electricity Reserves Have Suddenly Waned
Behind Nevada’s Victory over Washington at Nuclear Tug-Of-War
Nuclear Power vs. Natural Gas
Australia - Alcoa Seeks Extra Funds from Government to Offset Carbon Price Hit
North Carolina - Smart Grid Company Itron to Double Jobs Here
Suit Filed to Block Hatchery Salmon in Elwha River
Wild Salmon Are Not Holding Up, Study Finds
Canada – Court Says Government Must Protect Orca Habitat
Lexicon of Sustainability: Salmon Safe
Canada - Anti-Fish Farm Activist to be Sent Home (Deported) After Defamation Hearing
Lake Chelan Basin Runoff Forecast Predicts 100 Percent of Average
California - Enlarging Shasta Lake Feasible, US Report Says
Farm Power Investing Millions in Northwest Dairy Towns
Despite Uncertainty, Portland Keeps Wind Industry Bet
Op/Ed - Wind Energy is Clean, But Wind Energy Systems are Not
Ice Caps Not Shrinking as Much as Once Thought, New Data Show
A Carbon Allowance in Every Pot
Frozen Danube River is Costing Shippers Millions
Chelan PUD Almost Ready to Talk Fiber
Google Plans to Challenge Dropbox with Cloud-Sync Service: Report
Kodak to Stop Making Cameras
Nickels for Washington Secretary of State? Testing the Waters, Asking for $$$
US Supreme Court Asked to Undo Montana Campaign Money Ban
Mason County Deputy Shoots, Wounds Man Seen Stealing Wood
Mudslide on Highway 106 Update
Washington State’s Share of Mortgage Settlement: $648 Million
Multiple Thefts of Fire Sprinkler Parts in Olympia Endanger Safety
Nearly 200 Now Report Becoming Ill after Washington State Cheerleading Event

WORD OF THE DAY

Ameliorate • \uh-MEEL-yuh-rate\ • Verb - To make better or more tolerable

“Is there anything I can do to ameliorate your experience?” Cooed the woolen-shirt salesman to his uncomfortable customer. “Yes,” pleaded the writhing patron, “please sell me an extra-thick undershirt.”

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

Clallam PUD Fears New Bonneville Power Administration Wind Policy Could Drive Up Local Power Rates (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/7653

Grays Harbor PUD Installing Wire that Even Thieves Won’t Want – Hopefully (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/pud-installing-wire-even-thieves-won%E2%80%99t-want-%E2%80%94-hopefully.html

Editorial - Utilities (read Puget Sound Energy) Must Use Recent Storms to Be Ready for Next One (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/10/1984428/utilities-must-use-recent-storms.html

Bonneville Power Administration Admits Error in Tree Removal after Angry Bethany Residents Protest (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/north-of-26/index.ssf/2012/02/bpa_admits_error_in_tree_remov.html

BC Hydro Abandons Public Relations Firm Hiring (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Hydro+abandons+hiring/6132218/story.html

Texas Lawmakers Press Regulators to Explain How Electricity Reserves Have Suddenly Waned (Austin Statesman-American, TX)

http://www.statesman.com/business/lawmakers-press-regulators-to-explain-how-electricity-reserves-2164962.html

Behind Nevada’s Victory over Washington at Nuclear Tug-Of-War - The Obama administration & Senate Majority Leader have effectively killed Yucca Mountain, leaving Hanford holding the (leaking) nuclear waste (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2012/02/10/hanford/21912/Behind-Nevada-s-victory-over-Washington-at-nuclear-tug-of-war/

Nuclear Power vs. Natural Gas (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/natural-gas-vs-nuclear-power/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Australia - Alcoa Seeks Extra Funds from Government to Offset Carbon Price Hit (The Australian)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/alocoa-seeks-extra-funds-to-offset-carbon-price-hit/story-fn59niix-1226267242996

North Carolina - Smart Grid Company Itron to Double Jobs Here (Triangle Business Journal, NC)

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/print-edition/2012/02/10/smart-grid-company-to-double-jobs-here.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Suit Filed to Block Hatchery Salmon in Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120210/NEWS/120209988/suit-filed-to-block-hatchery-salmon-in-elwha-river

Wild Salmon Are Not Holding Up, Study Finds (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/hatcheries-vs-wild-salmon/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Canada – Court Says Government Must Protect Orca Habitat (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Government+must+protect+orca+habitat+court/6130598/story.html

Lexicon of Sustainability: Salmon Safe (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/sustainable-food/lexicon-of-sustainability-salmon-safe/

Canada - Anti-Fish Farm Activist to be Sent Home (Deported) After Defamation Hearing (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Anti+fish+farm+activist+sent+home+after+hearing/6130594/story.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lake Chelan Basin Runoff Forecast Predicts 100 Percent of Average (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

http://lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=5550

California - Enlarging Shasta Lake Feasible, US Report Says (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/09/MNAF1N4A4P.DTL

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Farm Power Investing Millions in Northwest Dairy Towns (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/02/farm-power-investing-millions-in.html

Despite Uncertainty, Portland Keeps Wind Industry Bet (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/02/despite-uncertainty-portland-keeps.html

Op/Ed - Wind Energy is Clean, But Wind Energy Systems are Not: Unreliability of turbines means they must be backed up by polluting energy sources (Baltimore Sun, MD)

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-02-09/news/bs-ed-clean-energy-20120209_1_offshore-wind-wind-turbines-wind-energy

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Ice Caps Not Shrinking as Much as Once Thought, New Data Show (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2012/0208/Ice-caps-not-shrinking-as-much-as-once-thought-new-data-show

A Carbon Allowance in Every Pot (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/a-carbon-allowance-in-every-pot/

Frozen Danube River is Costing Shippers Millions (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Frozen-River-Danube-costing-shippers-millions-3241262.php

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Chelan PUD Almost Ready to Talk Fiber (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/chelan-pud-will-give-public-a-peek-at-fiber/

Google Plans to Challenge Dropbox with Cloud-Sync Service: Report (Christian Science Monitor)