Energy News Digest for March 23, 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

Co-ops Question Power Marketing Administration Shakeup Plan (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/energy-environment/co-ops-question-pma-shakeup-plan/41836

Federal Judge Approves Killing Sea Lions at Bonneville Dam, But Legal Challenge Continues (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/03/federal_judge_approves_killing.html

Canadian Sports Fishers Reject Restrictions on Chinook - Models used to justify cuts derided as ‘jiggery-pokery’ (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Sports+fishers+reject+restrictions+chinook/6347755/story.html

Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project - First Call Jewel Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/first-call-jewel-named-20112012-contractor-of-the-year-by-the-nw-ductless-heat-pump-project-2012-03-23

Green Jobs Report Casts Light on Sector’s Role in US Economy (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/green-jobs-report-casts-light-on-sectors-role-in-us-economy/2012/03/22/gIQAJVV4TS_story.html?wprss=rss_economy

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Co-ops Question Power Marketing Administration Shakeup Plan
• Lewis County PUD Rate Hike Looms
• Thurston PUD Eyes New Electric Utility
• Vermont - Investigation Continues into Lineman’s Death
• California - Dark Nuclear Plant Could Mean Power Generators on Barges This Summer
• Dozens Arrested in Vermont Nuclear Plant Protest
• Grant PUD Paid $250,000 in Settlement Agreement
• Winds, Rain & Rotting Roots Make Old Trees Unstable
• Oklahoma – American Electric Power Officials: Snapped Power Poles Nothing to Worry About
• EPA Chief: No Date Yet for Power Plant Carbon Rules
• Not All Energy Is Fungible - And It Matters
• FirstEnergy Introduces Redesigned Customer Bill
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative - Clean Shaven for a Good Cause
• Federal Judge Approves Killing Sea Lions at Bonneville Dam, But Legal Challenge Continues
• Canadian Sports Fishers Reject Restrictions on Chinook
• Grant County PUD Seeks White River Hatchery Project Fixes
• Thousands of Pounds of Illegal Geoduck Shipments Seized at Sea-Tac
• Seal Pups ‘Hang Four’ on Surfboard in Puget Sound
• Oregon Coast: Whale Watch Week Begins Saturday
• Vermont - Push for Green Energy Means Bigger Electric Bills
• Ohio Governor’s Nod to ‘Cogeneration’ Has Critics Concerned about Wind, Solar
• One Giant, Offshore Wind Turbine Can Provide Power for 6,000 People
• Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project - First Call Jewel Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year
• Apps, Anyone? Managing Your Energy Consumption
• Study: Consumers Interested in Home Energy Management, Smart Appliances
• Do You Believe in Climate Change?
• Green Jobs Report Casts Light on Sector’s Role in US Economy
• LEED - Green Features Attract Tenants & Developers
• Bainbridge Project Promoting Green, Affordable Housing Gets More Time
• Hundreds Expected at GREEN Student Congress in Olympia
• Electric Cars Risk Losing Green Sheen in Japan
• CenturyLink Lays Off 177 More Washington Employees
• T-Mobile Cutting 1,900 Jobs Nationwide
• A List of Cities Losing T-Mobile Call Centers
• Government Sues AT&T over Internet Calls
• Absent Lawmakers Collecting Per Diem Pay for Special Session
• No Detail Is Too Small to Get Attention from New Tacoma City Manager Who Writes a Memo about How to Write Memos
• Facebook Warns Employers Not to Demand Passwords
• Man Caught With Second Wife on Facebook Pleads Not Guilty to Bigamy
• Central Washington School District Will Pay Teacher $430,000 to Resign
• Exxon Valdez Bound for Scrap Heap in India

WORD OF THE DAY

Catercorner • \KAT-ee-kor-ner\ • adverb or adjective - In a diagonal or oblique position: kitty-corner

Although the direct route to the catercornered coffee shop from the office is to walk from the southwest corner of the intersection to the northeast corner, Fred had a desk drawer full of jaywalking tickets to prove it was frowned upon by the local constabulary.

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

Co-ops Question Power Marketing Administration Shakeup Plan (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/public-policy-watch/energy-environment/co-ops-question-pma-shakeup-plan/41836

Lewis County PUD Rate Hike Looms (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/03/lewis-county-pud-rate-hike-looms-kela.html

Thurston PUD Eyes New Electric Utility (Daily Journal of Commerce)

http://www.djc.com/news/bu/12039186.html?cgi=yes

Vermont - Investigation Continues into Lineman’s Death (Burlington Free Press, VT)

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120322/NEWS02/120322026/Investigation-continues-into-lineman-s-death-

California - Dark Nuclear Plant Could Mean Power Generators on Barges This Summer (Associated Press)

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/oceanside/energy-dark-nuclear-plant-could-mean-power-generators-on-barges/article_1e924e98-b92e-5b35-a0a9-72ab1e97efa7.html

Dozens Arrested in Vermont Nuclear Plant Protest (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017820097_apusvermontyankee.html

Grant PUD Paid $250,000 in Settlement Agreement - Concerns Crescent Bar legal representation (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/politics/article_d0c5b866-7376-11e1-9988-001871e3ce6c.html

Winds, Rain & Rotting Roots Make Old Trees Unstable (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/winds-rain-and-rotting-roots-make-old-trees-unstable/

Oklahoma – American Electric Power Officials: Snapped Power Poles Nothing to Worry About (Tulsa World, OK)

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20120323_16_A13_CUTLIN390398

EPA Chief: No Date Yet for Power Plant Carbon Rules (The Hill, Washington, DC)

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/217609-epa-chief-no-date-yet-for-power-plant-carbon-rules

Not All Energy Is Fungible - And It Matters (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/skutnik/80091/not-all-energy-fungible-and-it-matters

FirstEnergy Introduces Redesigned Customer Bill - New Environmentally Friendly Design Includes Less Pages; Enhanced Features for Managing Account Online (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=164094

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - Clean Shaven for a Good Cause (Electric Co-op Today)

http://www.ect.coop/newsmakers/local-initiatives/north-dakota-electric-co-op-fundraiser/41853

FISH & WILDLIFE

Federal Judge Approves Killing Sea Lions at Bonneville Dam, But Legal Challenge Continues (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/03/federal_judge_approves_killing.html

Canadian Sports Fishers Reject Restrictions on Chinook - Models used to justify cuts derided as ‘jiggery-pokery’ (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Sports+fishers+reject+restrictions+chinook/6347755/story.html

Grant County PUD Seeks White River Hatchery Project Fixes (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_36de78bc-743b-11e1-9df2-001871e3ce6c.html

Thousands of Pounds of Illegal Geoduck Shipments Seized at Sea-Tac (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Geoduck-143907516.html

Seal Pups ‘Hang Four’ on Surfboard in Puget Sound (KCPQ-TV, Seattle/Tacoma, WA)

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-seal-pups-hang-four-on-surfboard-in-puget-sound-20120322,0,3123821.story

Oregon Coast: Whale Watch Week Begins Saturday (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/03/23/1876366/oregon-coast-whale-watch-week.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Vermont - Push for Green Energy Means Bigger Electric Bills (WCAX-TV, Burlington, VT)

http://www.wcax.com/story/17233580/push-for-green-energy-means-bigger-electric-bills

Ohio Governor’s Nod to ‘Cogeneration’ Has Critics Concerned about Wind, Solar (Columbus Business First, OH)
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/03/23/will-kasich-plan-shift-energy-effort.html

One Giant, Offshore Wind Turbine Can Provide Power for 6,000 People – When it’s running that is (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/list/one-giant-offshore-wind-turbine-can-provide-power-for-6000-people/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Northwest Ductless Heat Pump Project - First Call Jewel Named 2011/2012 Contractor of the Year (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/first-call-jewel-named-20112012-contractor-of-the-year-by-the-nw-ductless-heat-pump-project-2012-03-23

Apps, Anyone? Managing Your Energy Consumption (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/apps-anyone-managing-your-energy-consumption/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Study: Consumers Interested in Home Energy Management, Smart Appliances (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display.articles.electric-light-power.customer-service.2012.March.Study__Consumers_interested_in_home_energy_management__smart_appliances.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Do You Believe in Climate Change? - That’s not a question you should be asking – it’s a matter of empirical evidence, not belief (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/23/climate-change-believe-in-it

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Jobs Report Casts Light on Sector’s Role in US Economy (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/green-jobs-report-casts-light-on-sectors-role-in-us-economy/2012/03/22/gIQAJVV4TS_story.html?wprss=rss_economy

LEED - Green Features Attract Tenants & Developers (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/22/BU6T1NO9MC.DTL

Bainbridge Project Promoting Green, Affordable Housing Gets More Time (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/mar/22/two-more-years-granted-to-bainbridge-project/

Hundreds Expected at GREEN Student Congress in Olympia (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/03/22/2040985/hundreds-expected-at-green-student.html

Electric Cars Risk Losing Green Sheen in Japan (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/03/23/financial/f000740D67.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CenturyLink Lays Off 177 More Washington Employees (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017818988_centurylink23.html

T-Mobile Cutting 1,900 Jobs Nationwide (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017818773_apustmobilejobcuts1stldwritethru.html

A List of Cities Losing T-Mobile Call Centers (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/03/22/financial/f151204D43.DTL

Government Sues AT&T over Internet Calls (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Gov-t-sues-AT-T-over-Internet-calls-3427061.php

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Absent Lawmakers Collecting Per Diem Pay for Special Session (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Absent-lawmakers-collecting--143910836.html

No Detail Is Too Small to Get Attention from New Tacoma City Manager Who Writes a Memo about How to Write Memos (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2012/03/22/no-detail-is-too-small-to-get-attention-from-new-tacoma-city-manager-who-writes-a-memo-about-how-to-write-memos/

GENERAL NEWS

Facebook Warns Employers Not to Demand Passwords (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017822933_apustecjobapplicantsfacebook.html

Man Caught With Second Wife on Facebook Pleads Not Guilty to Bigamy (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=650215

Central Washington School District Will Pay Teacher $430,000 to Resign (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/03/22/2040725/waterville-schools-to-pay-teacher.html

Exxon Valdez Bound for Scrap Heap in India (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0323/Exxon-Valdez-bound-for-scrap-heap-in-India

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Politics Puts Etch a Sketch Back in the Picture

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/22/politics-puts-etch-sketch-back-picture/

Cat Survives 19-Story Fall by Gliding Like a Flying Squirrel

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/22/cat-survives-19-story-fall-by-gliding-like-a-flying-squirrel/

The No. 1 place you’re most likely to lose your phone is…

http://cnnmoneytech.tumblr.com/post/19731806616/the-no-1-place-youre-most-likely-to-lose-your-phone

Photos: Seattle’s Giant ‘Angry Birds’ Slingshot

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2012/03/photos-seattles-giant-angry-birds-slingshot/1?csp=34tech

SONG OF THE DAY

Plectrum Banjo Solo - “Rhapsody in Blue”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTYEaGGMEKU

Marvin Falcon – “Rhapsody in Blue” on the Ukulele

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNbghTiPHnw

Fantasia 2000 Disney – “Rhapsody in Blue”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnKkGRLISQ4