The Energy News Digest: 02/22/12

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Energy News Digest for February 22, 2012

The energy news digest was communing with utility bigwigs in Olympia yesterday, halting the information fire hose that is the digest. It returns today with lots of interesting tidbits.

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

High Court Sides with Power Company over Montana Dams (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/22/high-court-sides-power-company-over-montana-dams/

Yakima Valley Experiences Different Kind of Wind Power - Hundreds of Valley residents lose electricity due to high winds Tuesday, but today could be even worse, with gusts up to 70 mph (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2012/02/21/valley-experiences-different-kind-of-wind-power

California - Coroner identifies men in murder-suicide outside Sacramento Municipal Utility District “…not SMUD employees but were among a group of people using facilities for a meeting…” (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/02/coroner-identifies-men-in-murder-suicide-outside-smud.html

Apple Buys Land from Oregon’s Crook County for New Data Center (Oregonian, Portland)

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

Climategate Sequel? Scientist Lies to Get Heartland Institute Documents (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0221/Climategate-sequel-Scientist-lies-to-get-Heartland-Institute-documents

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

High Court Sides with Power Company over Montana Dams
Yakima Valley Experiences Different Kind of Wind Power
California - Coroner identifies men in murder-suicide outside Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Eugene Water & Electric Board hears some dissent over rate rise
Generator Safety - Fire Causes $100,000 in Damage near Shelton
Hoku Reaches Agreement with Idaho Power Company
Avista, Kootenai Electric Cooperative Reach Short-Term Power Deal
Washington State Officials Shocked By Energy Secretary’s Hanford Remark
Federal Bankruptcy Judge Rules for Yellowstone Valley in Power Bill Dispute
Power Rates Up 7%; Nearly Double What British Columbia Wanted
Vancouver Island - Would-Be Copper Thieves Take Chainsaw to Live Power Pole
California - Copper Wire worth $460,000 Stolen from Fremont Street Lights
Idiot Thief Exploded Himself by Peeing on a Power Transformer
More than 100,000 Austin Energy Customers Hit by Billing Errors from $55 Million IBM System
Moody’s: Natural Gas to Remain in Excess Supply in 2012
Drawing the Line at Power Lines
Salmon Run Forecast Release Kicks Off the Annual Season-Setting Process
Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby Reveals Plenty of Hatchery Chinook in the Eastern Strait of Juan De Fuca
Oregon Senate Oks Bill Creating New Marine Reserves
Mason PUD 3, Port of Shelton, City of Shelton Awarded for Johns Prairie Water Main Efforts
Washington State Legislature Considers Changes to Geothermal Law
Idaho Lawmaker Pushes Wind Moratorium Bill
Biomass Bloviation - Pollution Concerns in Port Townsend Trigger Request for Second Air Monitor
Alaska - Biomass Could Ease Pressure on Hydropower
California - Shasta County Releases Third Environmental Report on Proposed Power Plant
Blast Furnace Waste Gas Could Be Considered Renewable Energy under Ohio Law
Vermont Won’t Make Renewable Energy Goals
Goodnight Sunshine - Germany is Cutting Solar-Power Subsidies Because They Are Expensive & Inefficient
Energy Efficiency: Where to Begin?
Climategate Sequel? Scientist Lies to Get Heartland Institute Documents
Mukilteo Family Explains Why They’re Using Solar to Cut Their Heating, Electric Bills
Clothesline Bans Void in 19 States
Apple Buys Land from Oregon’s Crook County for New Data Center
Sorry, America: Your Wireless Airwaves Are Full
Legislators Aim to Turn States into Broadband Backwaters
Hi, I Am a Big Dumb Fat Pipe & I Am Okay with That
Washington State Office Allegedly Granted a No-Bid Contract to Leader’s Friend
Gas Prices Defy Bounds of Supply, Demand
There Might be a Little Snow This Weekend - Flood & Avalanche Warnings Issued

WORD OF THE DAY

Duende • \doo-END-day\ • noun - The power to attract through personal magnetism & charm.

The high-powered car salesman prowled through the gleaming new cars on his sprawling lot, his duende was described as potent as the musk aftershave that legend decreed was purchased by the barrel, and secretly stored with the windshield wiper blades on the bowels of the auto shop. No customer would withstand either his personality, or his cologne…as one or the other led to the signing of a contract for escape…similar to a wolf chewing off its leg to get out of a trap.

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

High Court Sides with Power Company over Montana Dams (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/22/high-court-sides-power-company-over-montana-dams/

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2012/02/21/valley-experiences-different-kind-of-wind-power

http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/02/coroner-identifies-men-in-murder-suicide-outside-smud.html

Eugene Water & Electric Board hears some dissent over rate rise (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/27650121-41/increase-board-eweb-percent-rate.html.csp

Generator Safety - Fire Causes $100,000 in Damage near Shelton (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/21/1999326/fire-causes-100000-in-damage-near.html

Hoku Reaches Agreement with Idaho Power Company (Pacific Business News, HI)
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2012/02/17/hoku-reaches-agreement-with-idaho.html

Avista, Kootenai Electric Cooperative Reach Short-Term Power Deal (Coeur d’Alene Press, ID)

http://www.cdapress.com/news/business/article_549a20c8-057c-5294-8f2b-e06ee5988b3a.html

Washington State Officials Shocked By Energy Secretary’s Hanford Remark (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

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

Federal Bankruptcy Judge Rules for Yellowstone Valley in Power Bill Dispute (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/judge-rules-for-yellowstone-valley-in-power-bill-dispute/article_f857e872-2075-5904-94e9-414c42becb38.html

Power Rates Up 7%; Nearly Double What British Columbia Wanted (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Power+rates+nearly+double+what+wanted/6174697/story.html

Vancouver Island - Would-Be Copper Thieves Take Chainsaw to Live Power Pole (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Would+copper+thieves+take+chainsaw+live+power+pole/6170345/story.html

California - Copper Wire worth $460,000 Stolen from Fremont Street Lights (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19995406

Idiot Thief Exploded Himself by Peeing on a Power Transformer (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5886555/idiot-thief-exploded-himself-by-peeing-on-a-power-transformer

More than 100,000 Austin Energy Customers Hit by Billing Errors from $55 Million IBM System (Austin Statesman-American, TX)

http://www.statesman.com/news/statesman-investigates/more-than-100-000-austin-energy-customers-hit-2185031.html

Moody’s: Natural Gas to Remain in Excess Supply in 2012 (Dallas Business Journal, TX)

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2012/02/20/moodys-natural-gas-to-remain-in.html

Drawing the Line at Power Lines (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/sunday-review/drawing-the-line-at-power-lines.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Run Forecast Release Kicks Off the Annual Season-Setting Process (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/19/2032735/salmon-run-forecast-release-kicks.html

Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby Reveals Plenty of Hatchery Chinook in the Eastern Strait of Juan De Fuca (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2017562464_final_olympic_peninsula_salmon.html

Oregon Senate Oks Bill Creating New Marine Reserves (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017563145_aporxgrmarinereserves3rdldwritethru.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason PUD 3, Port of Shelton, City of Shelton Awarded for Johns Prairie Water Main Efforts (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=986

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State Legislature Considers Changes to Geothermal Law (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/02/washington-state-legislature-considers-changes-to-geothermal-law?cmpid=rss

Idaho Lawmaker Pushes Wind Moratorium Bill (Idaho Public Radio)
http://earthfix.boisestatepublicradio.org/energy/article/idaho-lawmaker-pushes-wind-moratorium-bill/

Biomass Bloviation - Pollution Concerns in Port Townsend Trigger Request for Second Air Monitor (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120221/news/302219994/pollution-concerns-in-port-townsend-trigger-request-for-second-air

Alaska - Biomass Could Ease Pressure on Hydropower - Imported wood pellets compete with diesel fuel, even after the cost of importation to Alaska (Juneau Empire, AK)

http://juneauempire.com/local/2012-02-22/biomass-could-ease-pressure-ses-hydro

California - Shasta County Releases Third Environmental Report on Proposed Power Plant: New report calls facility ‘carbon neutral’ (Redding Record Searchlight, CA)

http://www.redding.com/news/2012/feb/18/shasta-county-releases-third-environmental-on/

Blast Furnace Waste Gas Could Be Considered Renewable Energy under Ohio Law (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/02/blast_furnace_waste_gas_could.html

Vermont Won’t Make Renewable Energy Goals (Bennington Banner, VT)

http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_20014851

Goodnight Sunshine - Germany is Cutting Solar-Power Subsidies Because They Are Expensive & Inefficient (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/project_syndicate/2012/02/why_germany_is_phasing_out_its_solar_power_subsidies_.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency: Where to Begin? (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2012/02/22/energy-efficiency-where-to-begin/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climategate Sequel? Scientist Lies to Get Heartland Institute Documents (Christian Science Monitor)