The Energy News Digest: 02/17/12

Friday, February 17, 2012

Energy News Digest for February 17, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Congress Deals Major Blow to Wind Power Industry (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120217/BIZ/702179895

Energy Complaints Rise to Top of Washington State Consumer Complaint List (South Sound Business Examiner)

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/energy-complaints-rise-to-top

The FBI Might Cut Off the Internet for Millions of People on March 8^th (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5885716/the-fbi-might-cut-off-the-internet-for-millions-of-people-on-march-8th

Supreme Court Sides with Landowners on Mason Conservation District Fee (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/16/1993061/supreme-court-sides-with-landowners.html

Winter Storm Moving Through Washington (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/17/1994056/winter-storm-moving-through-washington.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Energy Complaints Rise to Top of Washington State Consumer Complaint List
Monsanto Takes On Idaho Utilities in Disclosure Fight
Energy Secretary Says Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Schedule Might Slip
BC Hydro Bills to Jump by Seven Per Cent This April
Bonneville Power Administration’s Bethany Tree-Cutting Damage Expected to Cost Thousands of Dollars to Replace
Groups to File Suit to Block Georgia Nuclear Plant
Sam Houston Electric Coop Automates Outage Response
Ruling Halts Grant PUD White River Fish Plan - Utility Studying Option to Appeal
Cowlitz River Smelt Run Brings Gulls Galore to Lexington Church
Groups Consider Program to Bolster Klamath Basin Coho Growth
Congressional Panel Seeks More Tree Cutting on Public Land
Bainbridge Council Revives Water Utility Debate
Bill Dispute Could Leave Suncadia Resort near Cle Elum without Running Water
Op/Ed - Welcome to Puget Sound, Mr. President: Environmental Work in Progress
Congress Deals Major Blow to Wind Power Industry
Congress’s Failure to Renew Tax Credit for Wind Production Has Ramifications for Oregon
California - New Push to Replace 255 Windmills with 50 Faster Turbines
Club for Growth Criticizes Congressional Solyndra Critic Upton
Lack of Power Lines Prevents New Offshore Wind Farms in Germany
United Kingdom - Analysis: Pumped Storage is Vital Part of Scotland’s Renewables Futur
Obama Bypasses Congress Again on Climate Change
Microsoft Takes Flak for Donating Software to Think Tank Skeptical of Climate Change
City Grids May Not be Ready for Electric Cars
The FBI Might Cut Off the Internet for Millions of People on March 8^th
White Space Broadband Dodges a Bullet - Compromise Language Keeps FCC Authority Intact
Congress to Sell Public Airwaves to Pay Benefits
Clearwire Says it May Need to Raise More Money
March Madness Games No Longer Free Online for All
Post Office Closings May Increase Rural Isolation, Economic Disparity
Supreme Court Sides with Landowners on Mason Conservation District Fee
Winter Storm Moving Through Washington
Get Ready for Steady Climb in Gas Prices
Army Accuses Private of $630K in Equipment Theft
Occupy Tacoma Encampment’s Power is Out, Probably for Good
Flu Season Off to Latest Start in Decades
Mild Winter May Help Boost the Economy
‘Piggyback Bandit’ Banned from High School Sports
Teen Is First Female to Win Iowa State Wrestling Match

WORD OF THE DAY

Neophilia • \nee-uh-FILL-lee-uh\ • Noun - Love of or enthusiasm for what is new or novel

Neophilia

See the line at Apple store

So sad, no bathrooms

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

Energy Complaints Rise to Top of Washington State Consumer Complaint List (South Sound Business Examiner)

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/energy-complaints-rise-to-top

Monsanto Takes On Idaho Utilities in Disclosure Fight (Idaho Press Tribune, Nampa)

http://www.idahopress.com/news/state/monsanto-takes-on-utilities-in-disclosure-fight/article_332f4518-593b-11e1-b762-001871e3ce6c.html

Energy Secretary Says Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Schedule Might Slip (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/energy_secretary_says_hanford_plant_schedule_might_slip/

BC Hydro Bills to Jump by Seven Per Cent This April (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Hydro+bills+jump+seven+cent+this+April/6169598/story.html

Bonneville Power Administration’s Bethany Tree-Cutting Damage Expected to Cost Thousands of Dollars to Replace (Oregonian, Portland)

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

Groups to File Suit to Block Georgia Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2017522917_apusnuclearpower.html

Sam Houston Electric Coop Automates Outage Response (Fierce Energy)

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/coop-automates-outage-response/2012-02-16

FISH & WILDLIFE

Ruling Halts Grant PUD White River Fish Plan - Utility Studying Option to Appeal (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/16/ruling-halts-white-river-fish-plan-grant-pud/

Cowlitz River Smelt Run Brings Gulls Galore to Lexington Church (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/smelt-run-brings-gulls-galore-to-lexington-church/article_55d57df6-590b-11e1-a88f-0019bb2963f4.html

Groups Consider Program to Bolster Klamath Basin Coho Growth (Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA)

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/news/x1717085577/Groups-consider-program-to-bolster-coho-growth

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Congressional Panel Seeks More Tree Cutting on Public Land (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017527372_aportimberpaymentsstates1stldwritethru.html

Bainbridge Council Revives Water Utility Debate (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/16/bainbridge-council-revives-water-utility-debate/

Bill Dispute Could Leave Suncadia Resort near Cle Elum without Running Water (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Bill-dispute-could-leave-Suncadia-resort-without-running-water-139487908.html

Op/Ed - Welcome to Puget Sound, Mr. President: Environmental Work in Progress

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2017527171_lance17.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Congress Deals Major Blow to Wind Power Industry (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120217/BIZ/702179895

Congress’s Failure to Renew Tax Credit for Wind Production Has Ramifications for Oregon (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/02/congresss_failure_to_renew_tax.html

California - New Push to Replace 255 Windmills with 50 Faster Turbines (KTVU-TV, San Jose, CA)

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/new-push-make-hundreds-idle-wind-turbines-operatio/nH7CT/

Club for Growth Criticizes Congressional Solyndra Critic Upton (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/02/club-for-growth-criticizes-upton-solyndra/1?csp=34news

Lack of Power Lines Prevents New Offshore Wind Farms in Germany (Oye Times)

http://www.oyetimes.com/news/104-europe/18160-lack-of-power-lines-prevents-new-offshore-wind-farms-in-germany

United Kingdom - Analysis: Pumped Storage is Vital Part of Scotland’s Renewables Future (The Scotsman, UK)
http://www.scotsman.com/news/analysis_pumped_storage_is_vital_part_of_scotland_s_renewables_future_1_2122524

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Obama Bypasses Congress Again on Climate Change (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2012/02/obama-bypasses-congress-on-climate-change/1?csp=34money

Microsoft Takes Flak for Donating Software to Think Tank Skeptical of Climate Change (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2017522350_microsoft_takes_flak_for_donating_software_to_thin.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

City Grids May Not be Ready for Electric Cars - The Nation’s Grid Is Ready: Your neighborhood’s power supply might be another story (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-201202160942usnewsusnwr201202150215electricfeb16,0,272456.story

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The FBI Might Cut Off the Internet for Millions of People on March 8^th (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5885716/the-fbi-might-cut-off-the-internet-for-millions-of-people-on-march-8th

White Space Broadband Dodges a Bullet - Compromise Language Keeps FCC Authority Intact (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/White-Space-Broadband-Dodges-a-Bullet-118414

Congress to Sell Public Airwaves to Pay Benefits (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/business/media/congress-to-sell-public-airwaves-to-pay-benefits.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Clearwire Says it May Need to Raise More Money (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Clearwire-says-it-may-need-to-raise-more-money-3338771.php

March Madness Games No Longer Free Online for All (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-02-16/march-madness-streaming/53122166/1?csp=34tech