The Energy News Digest: 02/13/12

Monday, February 13, 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

Including Washington & Oregon - 11 States Suing EPA over Soot Rules (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/ny-leads-11-states-in-suing-epa-over-soot-rules/

Dead Orca Washes Ashore Near Long Beach (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/02/dead_orca_whale_washes_ashore.html

Douglas PUD Plans New Transmission Line (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/douglas-pud-plans-new-transmission-line/

Marysville Looks To Expand LED Streetlight Initiative (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120213/NEWS01/702139933/-1/news01

Washington State Budget Writers Get Good News with $200 Million Windfall (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017479249_budget11m.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Douglas PUD Plans New Transmission Line
Emerald People’s Utility District Supports Four Percent Rise in Utility Bills
Oregon – Central Lincoln PUD Lineman Injured in Workday Accident
Washington State Coal Railcars Proposal Draws Spirited Debate
Fruit Industry Leader, Former Chelan PUD Commissioner & State Legislator Bob Mcdougall Passes
Sun Setting on Sunset Falls? Snohomish PUD investigating Run of River Hydro
Smart Grid Show A& Tell - Seven Projects That Say 'Look at Me' – Includes BPA Transmission Pilot
Editorial - Bonneville Power Administration & Wind Power Producers - Happy to Pay Half the Subsidies
The Energy Assistance Program Received More Funds to Help Those in Need
South Carolina Electric Co-op Hit by Suspected Pot Ring
Lights Out for Some Coal Plants
Drillers Cut Natural Gas Production as Prices Drop
French Nuclear Reliance Seen Easing Price Hikes
Red Flag to Hackers - Iran Says Its Nuclear Facilities Immune to Cyber Attacks
Pacific Gas & Electric Warns of Valentine's Hazard: Metallic-Coated Balloons
Dead Orca Washes Ashore Near Long Beach
Banks Lake at Grand Coulee Nears Normal Water Level
California - Don't Expect a 'March Miracle' for Sierra Snowpack
Would You Drink Toilet Water?
Editorial - A needless shadow over Puget Sound cleanup efforts
California - Pacific Gas & Electric Has Record 300 Bids for Renewable Energy Projects
Washington State Senate Approves Legacy Biomass Bill
Energy: Birds Big Concern for Solar Project
Hawaiian Electric Says No Rate Increase for Solar Lost Revenue
Op/Ed – Ohio: Lake Erie Windmill Outlook is Anything But Breezy
Report: Solyndra Aside, Feds Stands to Lose Less than Expected in Energy Loans
Feds Hold Up Loan for Large California Solar-Energy Farm, First Solar Stock Plummets
Audit Shows Energy Loan Oversight is Needed
Video - UK Company Turns Electricity Bills into Windmills
Marysville Looks To Expand LED Streetlight Initiative
Lynnwood’s Rec Center Earns LEED Certification
Can Efficiency Counter a Loss of Nuclear Power?
Massachusetts - Energy-Savings Bug Bites Towns
Including Washington & Oregon - 11 States Suing EPA over Soot Rules
Study Reveals Complex Picture of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in King County
House Fit for a Green: Sustainable Home Construction Booms
Startups Tap Government Energy Research - Includes Umpqua Energy of Medford, OR
AT&T Customers Surprised by 'Unlimited Data' Limit
Clark County Congresswoman Herrera Beutler Hailed as Key GOP Messenger
Washington State Budget Writers Get Good News with $200 Million Windfall
Illness at Everett Cheerleading Event Traced to Norovirus
Residential Biomass - Olympia-Area's Dead Wood Being Put to Good Use
Why Can't Oregonians Pump Their Own Gas? Let Us Count the Reasons

WORD OF THE DAY

Vade Mecum • \vay-dee – MEE-kum\ • Noun - 1: a book for ready reference: manual 2: something regularly carried about by a person

Professor Henry Jones’ Diary could be considered among his vade mecum:

Professor Henry Jones: Well, he who finds the Grail must face the final challenge.

Indiana Jones: What final challenge?

Professor Henry Jones: Three devices of such lethal cunning.

Indiana Jones: Booby traps?

Professor Henry Jones: Oh, yes. But I found the clues that will safely take us through them in the Chronicles of St. Anselm.

Indiana Jones: [pleased] Well, what are they?

[annoyed]

Indiana Jones: Can't you remember?

Professor Henry Jones: I wrote them down in my diary so that I wouldn't “have” to remember.

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

Douglas PUD Plans New Transmission Line (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/douglas-pud-plans-new-transmission-line/

Emerald People’s Utility District Supports Four Percent Rise in Utility Bills (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27590045-41/utility-increase-percent-power-rate.html.csp

Oregon – Central Lincoln PUD Lineman Injured in Workday Accident (PDF File - Central Lincoln PUD, OR)

http://www.clpud.org/news/Lineman-injured-2-10-12.pdf

Washington State Coal Railcars Proposal Draws Spirited Debate (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/13/1988111/coal-railcars-proposal-draws-spirited.html

Fruit Industry Leader, Former Chelan PUD Commissioner & State Legislator Bob Mcdougall Passes (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/11/fruit-industry-leader-and-state-legislator-bob/

Sun Setting on Sunset Falls? Snohomish PUD investigating Run of River Hydro (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://earthfix.opb.org/energy/article/sun-setting-on-sunset-falls/

Smart Grid Show A& Tell - Seven Projects That Say 'Look at Me' – Includes BPA Transmission Pilot (AOL Energy)

http://energy.aol.com/2012/02/10/smart-grid-show-and-tell-seven-projects-that-say-look-at-me/

Editorial - Bonneville Power Administration & Wind Power Producers - Happy to Pay Half the Subsidies (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/happy-to-pay-half-the-subsidies/

The Energy Assistance Program Received More Funds to Help Those in Need (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/The-Energy-Assistance-Program-received-more-funds-to-help-those-in-need-139135334.html

South Carolina Electric Co-op Hit by Suspected Pot Ring (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/industry/crime/co-op-hit-by-suspected-pot-ring/39652

Lights Out for Some Coal Plants (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2012/02/12/lights-out-for-some-coal-plants/

Drillers Cut Natural Gas Production as Prices Drop (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017490349_apusgasdrillingprice.html

French Nuclear Reliance Seen Easing Price Hikes (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/france-power-idUSL5E8DC3Q120120213

Red Flag to Hackers - Iran Says Its Nuclear Facilities Immune to Cyber Attacks (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017496543_apirannuclear.html

Pacific Gas & Electric Warns of Valentine's Hazard: Metallic-Coated Balloons (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19951070

FISH & WILDLIFE

Dead Orca Washes Ashore Near Long Beach (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/02/dead_orca_whale_washes_ashore.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Banks Lake at Grand Coulee Nears Normal Water Level (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/12/banks-lake-nears-normal-water-level/

California - Don't Expect a 'March Miracle' for Sierra Snowpack (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/11/4255596/dont-expect-a-march-miracle-for.html

Would You Drink Toilet Water? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Green-Economics/2012/0211/Would-you-drink-toilet-water

Editorial - A needless shadow over Puget Sound cleanup efforts (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/12/2022875/a-needless-shadow-over-puget-sound.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Has Record 300 Bids for Renewable Energy Projects (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2012/02/13/pge-has-record-300-bids-renewable-energy.html

Washington State Senate Approves Legacy Biomass Bill (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3789

Energy: Birds Big Concern for Solar Project (The Press Enterprise, Riverside, CA)

http://www.pe.com/local-news/topics/topics-environment-headlines/20120211-energy-birds-big-concern-for-solar-project.ece

Hawaiian Electric Says No Rate Increase for Solar Lost Revenue (Pacific Business News, HI)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/blog/2012/02/hawaiian-electric-says-no-rate.html

Op/Ed – Ohio: Lake Erie Windmill Outlook is Anything But Breezy (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/02/lake_erie_windmill_outlook_is.html

Report: Solyndra Aside, Feds Stands to Lose Less than Expected in Energy Loans (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19939473

Feds Hold Up Loan for Large California Solar-Energy Farm, First Solar Stock Plummets (Reuters)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19937622

Audit Shows Energy Loan Oversight is Needed (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/11/science/earth/energy-dept-loan-program-needs-oversight-audit-finds.html?_r=1

Video - UK Company Turns Electricity Bills into Windmills (EcoTricity/YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ggg3C87UVCY

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Marysville Looks To Expand LED Streetlight Initiative (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120213/NEWS01/702139933/-1/news01

Lynnwood’s Rec Center Earns LEED Certification (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120213/NEWS01/702139929

Can Efficiency Counter a Loss of Nuclear Power? (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/can-efficiency-counter-a-loss-of-nuclear-power/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Massachusetts - Energy-Savings Bug Bites Towns (Boston Globe, MA)

http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-12/west/31045188_1_energy-efficiency-energy-manager-energy-savings

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Including Washington & Oregon - 11 States Suing EPA over Soot Rules (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/10/ny-leads-11-states-in-suing-epa-over-soot-rules/

Study Reveals Complex Picture of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in King County “…per-person sources of greenhouse gas emissions generated in King County are half the national average, thanks to abundant clean energy and the particular mix of industry in the region…” (Maple Valley Reporter, WA)

http://www.maplevalleyreporter.com/news/139189309.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State Senate Passes $100 Annual Electric Car Fee (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/State-Senate-passes-100-annual-electric-car-fee--139181589.html

Residents of Olympia, Washington Want Tiny Homes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/press-releases/article/Residents-of-Olympia-Washington-Want-Tiny-Homes-3272670.php

House Fit for a Green: Sustainable Home Construction Booms (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/green-home/house-fit-for-a-green-sustainable-home-construction-booms/

Startups Tap Government Energy Research - Includes Umpqua Energy of Medford, OR (Portfolio.com)

http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/capital/2012/02/10/startups-tap-government-energy-research-to-win-innovation-award

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT&T Customers Surprised by 'Unlimited Data' Limit (Associated Press)