The Energy News Digest: 03/05/12

Monday, March 5, 2012

Energy News Digest for March 5, 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

Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

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

In Push to Reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum, Hesitancy over Languishing Aluminum Market (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/in_push_to_reopen_cfac_hesitancy_over_languishing_aluminum_market/26896/

Grant County PUD Fiber Expansion Continues in Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/tech/article_a8024d4c-6492-11e1-b507-0019bb2963f4.html

Oregon Governor’s New Ten Year Energy Plan Draft Floats Big Ideas to Reactivate Green Energy (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/kitzhaber_to_unveil_a_new_10-y.html

Fish Projections: Are Salmon Outsmarting Scientists? (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3860

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California
In Push to Reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum, Hesitancy over Languishing Aluminum Market
Seattle City Light Names Marketing Director
New York Nuclear - Surviving Without Indian Point: Is It Doable?
Vermont Board Sets Its Own Pace on Nuclear Power Plant’s Future
Gas Pipeline Safety - Pacific Gas & Electric Workers’ Warnings Likely to be Focus of Suits
Bad Address Delays City of Sacramento Water Bill for Years
TransAlta Profit Slips on Outages
Tennessee - Appliances on the Fritz: Residents Blame Co-op’s New Transmitter
Turning Water into Electricity, Students into Experts
Fish Projections: Are Salmon Outsmarting Scientists?
Fall Chinook Redds On Rise in Snake River
Northern Idaho’s Yellowdog Creek Restoration Example of Bringing Degraded Streams Back to Life
Pacific Northwest - Feds Seek Answer to Fish-Eating Bird
Drones Being Tested to Track Fish, Wildlife
$4 Billion Plan Proposed for Yakima Water Supplies
Washington State’s Governor: ‘Water Is the Lifeblood of Our State’
Weather Gives Needed Boost to Mt. Hood Snowpack
Fight in Olympia over Solutions for Toxic Runoff
Chelan Businesses Want Higher Lake for Tourism
Oregon Governor’s New Ten Year Energy Plan Draft Floats Big Ideas to Reactivate Green Energy
Wind Farming - Where Gusts Are a Must... And Hair Can Get Mussed
Saving Desert Tortoises a Costly Hurdle for Solar Projects
Brazil’s Sugarcane Electricity Faces Brownout on Cost
North Carolina - Waste-To-Electricity Push Lags
Bainbridge Energy Efficiency Program Credited for Jobs
Good Bead of Caulk Can Keep Home Heating Bills Down
Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Gas Works, Others Fight US New Furnace Efficiency Rule
Warm Winter Helped Fuel Tornado Outbreak
Outdoor Skating Rinks Threatened by Climate Change
All Scottish Coal Plants to Use Carbon Capture by 2025
GM Stops Building Slow-Selling Chevy Volts for Five Weeks
Now You Can Buy a Prefab IKEA House
Grant County PUD Fiber Expansion Continues in Moses Lake
Big Data Centers in Top Five US Construction Projects – Facebook’s Prineville Site Ranked Third
Cloud Computing to Generate 14 Million Jobs, According to Microsoft-Commissioned Study
Yahoo to Lay Off Thousands?
FCC Asks for Guidance on Whether, and When, to Cut Off Cellphone Service
With Norm Dicks’ Retirement, State Will Lose a Power Player
Who Might Take Norm Dicks’ Place in Congress?
Eye on Olympia: Overtime Likely for Washington State Legislative Session
Washington State House Passes Transportation Budget
Washington State Senate Honors Alcoa Wenatchee Works
Driver Arrested in Double Fatality in Olympia; Shelton Man Injured
Bigger than WPPSS - Judge Clears Way for Alabama County’s Bankruptcy
The Decline of the Paper Map in Washington State
Cut Trees an Issue in Sumner - City Councilman Suspected

WORD OF THE DAY

Jiggle • \JIGG-gull\ • Verb - To cause to move with quick little jerks or oscillating motions

“Darn this particle accelerator, why won’t it fire up?” groused the CERN engineer to the “Hank,” the long-suffering janitor. After acrobatically switching a quid of chewing tobacco from one cheek to the other, Hank calmly offered his sage advice, “well sonny, sometimes you just have to jiggle the plug.”

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

Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

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

In Push to Reopen Columbia Falls Aluminum, Hesitancy over Languishing Aluminum Market (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/in_push_to_reopen_cfac_hesitancy_over_languishing_aluminum_market/26896/

Seattle City Light Names Marketing Director (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017620607_move05.html

New York Nuclear - Surviving Without Indian Point: Is It Doable? (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/surviving-without-indian-point-is-it-doable/

Vermont Board Sets Its Own Pace on Nuclear Power Plant’s Future (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017646924_apusvermontyankee.html

Gas Pipeline Safety - Pacific Gas & Electric Workers’ Warnings Likely to be Focus of Suits (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/04/MNL41NEDT5.DTL

Bad Address Delays City of Sacramento Water Bill for Years (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/04/4309615/public-eye-bad-address-delays.html

TransAlta Profit Slips on Outages (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/transalta-profit-slips-on-outages/article2356404/

Tennessee - Appliances on the Fritz: Residents Blame Co-op’s New Transmitter (Knoxville News-Sentinel, TN)

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/04/appliances-on-the-fritz-residents-blame-co-ops/

Turning Water into Electricity, Students into Experts (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/03/turning-water-into-electricity-students-into-experts/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fish Projections: Are Salmon Outsmarting Scientists? (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3860

Fall Chinook Redds On Rise in Snake River – Including Tributaries between Lower Granite & Hells Canyon Dams (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2017664181_fall_chinook_redds_on_rise_in.html

Northern Idaho’s Yellowdog Creek Restoration Example of Bringing Degraded Streams Back to Life (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/417378.aspx

Pacific Northwest - Feds Seek Answer to Fish-Eating Bird (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/energy-environment/feds-seek-answer-to-fish-eating-bird/40564

Drones Being Tested to Track Fish, Wildlife (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/04/drones-being-tested-to-track-fish-wildlife/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

$4 Billion Plan Proposed for Yakima Water Supplies (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/02/4-billion-plan-proposed-for-yakima-water-supplies/

Washington State’s Governor: ‘Water Is the Lifeblood of Our State’ (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Governor-Water-is-the-lifeblood-of-our-state-141204973.html

Weather Gives Needed Boost to Mt. Hood Snowpack (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/weather-gives-needed-boost-mt-hood-snowpack/

Fight in Olympia over Solutions for Toxic Runoff (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Fight-in-Olympia-over-solutions-for-toxic-runoff--141355723.html

Chelan Businesses Want Higher Lake for Tourism (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/02/chelan-businesses-want-higher-lake-for-tourism/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Governor’s New Ten Year Energy Plan Draft Floats Big Ideas to Reactivate Green Energy (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/kitzhaber_to_unveil_a_new_10-y.html

Wind Farming - Where Gusts Are a Must... And Hair Can Get Mussed (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Where-gusts-are-a-must-and-hair-can-get-mussed

Saving Desert Tortoises a Costly Hurdle for Solar Projects (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar-tortoise-20120304,0,6145488.story

Brazil’s Sugarcane Electricity Faces Brownout on Cost (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/02/brazil-energy-cane-idUSL2E8E150220120302

North Carolina - Waste-To-Electricity Push Lags (Raleigh News & Observer, NC)

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/03/1900564/waste-to-electricity-push-lags.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bainbridge Energy Efficiency Program Credited for Jobs (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/2012/03/02/bainbridge-energy-efficiency-program-credited-for-jobs/

Good Bead of Caulk Can Keep Home Heating Bills Down (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120304/BIZ/703049960

Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Gas Works, Others Fight US New Furnace Efficiency Rule - The city-owned utility says some homeowners can’t afford the costly systems & will opt for cheaper electric or kerosene heaters (Philadelphia Inquirer, PA)

http://articles.philly.com/2012-03-04/business/31121645_1_efficiency-energy-department-new-rule

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Warm Winter Helped Fuel Tornado Outbreak (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/tornadoes/story/2012-03-05/warm-winter-tornado-outbreak/53364628/1?csp=34news

Outdoor Skating Rinks Threatened by Climate Change (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2012/03/05/outdoor-rinks-threatened.html

All Scottish Coal Plants to Use Carbon Capture by 2025 (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/05/scotland-energy-report-idUSL5E8E53LA20120305

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

GM Stops Building Slow-Selling Chevy Volts for Five Weeks (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/03/gm-stops-building-slow-selling-chevy-volts-for-5-weeks/1?csp=34money

Now You Can Buy a Prefab IKEA House (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/list/now-you-can-buy-a-prefab-ikea-house/