Energy News Digest for April 2, 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

Federal Watchdog Criticizes Bonneville Power Administration’s Cyber Security (Oregonian, Portland)

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

Mega-Metal Thieves Strike Mossyrock Dam (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/04/mega-metal-thieves-strike-mossyrock-dam.html

Bonneville Power Administration Asked To Clarify Transmission Line Plans - Army Corps of Engineers seeks better justification for elimination of some routes (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/mar/28/bpa-asked-to-clarify-transmission-line-plans/

Cowlitz River Smelt Data Suggest Run May Be Rebounding (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/cowlitz-river-smelt-data-suggest-run-may-be-rebounding/article_12dad0f0-7a08-11e1-84f3-001a4bcf887a.html

Court Upholds Port Townsend Paper Company’s Biomass Project Permit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120329/NEWS/120329984/court-upholds-pt-paper-cos-biomass-project-permit

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Mega-Metal Thieves Strike Mossyrock Dam
• Bonneville Power Administration Asked To Clarify Transmission Line Plans
• Satsop Gas-Fired Power Plant Cited for Emissions in Yearly Test
• Bonneville Power Administration’s Pacific Northwest Oversupply Protocol Facing Fresh Protests at FERC
• Mason County PUD 3 Moving into New Johns Prairie Operations Center
• Mason County PUD 3 Commissioners Conduct Final Business Meeting at Cota Street Facility - April 2 is the Official first Day of Business at New Johns Prairie Operations Center
• 2012 Construction Surveys: Rushforth Construction
• Idaho Heyburn Raises Electrical Rates 8.6 Percent
• Orcas Power & Light Co-op’s Three Percent Rate Increase Begins with March Billing Island
• Mason County PUD 3 Considers Rate Increases
• Regulator to Fine Benton PUD for Alleged Grid Reliability Violation
• Oregon - Proposed Clatsop County PUD Removed from Strategic Plan
• Chelan PUD Investigates Alleged Aircraft Incident at Dam
• Powerful Water a Part of North Central Washington Dams
• Promoting Hydro - Say Yes to Hydro
• Proudly Isolated Texas Power Grid Reaches Out a Bit
• Surprise! US Thinks Nuclear Energy is a Good Idea
• California - Wire Thieves Wreak Darkness on Sacramento Streetlights
• More on Ramping Down Baseload Power & Ramping Up Storage
• Pepco Holdings Wins Industry Award for Power Restoration Effort Following Hurricane Irene
• Cowlitz River Smelt Data Suggest Run May Be Rebounding
• D.C. Judge Approves Sea Lion Litigators’ Request to Transfer Lethal Removal Case to Oregon Court
• British Columbia - A Coho Salmon’s Journey
• Bonneville Power Administration’s Fish Habitat Projects Showcased on Portland Cable Channels
• Wet, Wet Weather Finally Moves Snake River Basin Water Supply Forecast Above Average
• Expert Panel to Address Ocean Acidification
• Court Upholds Port Townsend Paper Company’s Biomass Project Permit
• In Tillamook: Turning (More) Cow Poop Into Power
• NStar to Pay Double the Cost of Conventional Energy for Cape Wind Power
• Study: Cape Wind Will Reduce Regional Electricity Prices by $7.2 Billion
• Report Details Climate Change, Extreme Weather Links
• Arctic Ribbon Seal Visits Aberdeen
• Only in Seattle: Solar Panels Installed in Pouring Rain
• Oregon Sustainability Center’s Funding & Leadership Fluctuates, Putting Project in Doubt
• Federal Watchdog Criticizes Bonneville Power Administration’s Cyber Security
• Apple Plans Nation’s Biggest Private Fuel Cell Energy Project at North Carolina Data Center
• Congressmen Norm Dicks & Adam Smith endorse Derek Kilmer
• Mason County Assault Victim Dies
• Belfair Water District Manager Fired; Court to Determine Severance
• Port of Shelton Holding Hearing on Forest Plan Tuesday
• Thieves Targeting Funeral Goers in Snohomish County

WORD OF THE DAY

Indolence • \INN-duh-lunts\ • Noun - Inclination to laziness: sloth.

“…I like the word ‘indolence’. It makes my laziness seem classy…” -- Bern Williams

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

Mega-Metal Thieves Strike Mossyrock Dam (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2012/04/mega-metal-thieves-strike-mossyrock-dam.html

Bonneville Power Administration Asked To Clarify Transmission Line Plans - Army Corps of Engineers seeks better justification for elimination of some routes (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/mar/28/bpa-asked-to-clarify-transmission-line-plans/

Satsop Gas-Fired Power Plant Cited for Emissions in Yearly Test (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/power-plant-cited-emissions-yearly-test.html

Bonneville Power Administration’s Pacific Northwest Oversupply Protocol Facing Fresh Protests at FERC (Platts)

http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/6112075

Mason County PUD 3 Moving into New Johns Prairie Operations Center (South Sound Business Examiner)

http://www.businessexaminer.com/blog/mason-county-pud-3-moving/

Mason County PUD 3 Commissioners Conduct Final Business Meeting at Cota Street Facility - April 2 is the Official first Day of Business at New Johns Prairie Operations Center (Mason County PUD No. 3, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=1009

2012 Construction Surveys: Rushforth Construction (Daily Journal of Commerce, Seattle)

http://www.djc.com/news/co/12039302.html

Idaho Heyburn Raises Electrical Rates 8.6 Percent (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/mini-cassia/heyburn-raises-electrical-rates/article_71778101-3e2d-5b7b-a598-77ef6f3d4f0e.html

Orcas Power & Light Co-op’s Three Percent Rate Increase Begins with March Billing Island Sounder, Eastsound, WA)

http://www.islandssounder.com/news/144656565.html

Mason County PUD 3 Considers Rate Increases (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3974

Regulator to Fine Benton PUD for Alleged Grid Reliability Violation (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/03/30/1885118/regulator-to-levy-fine-against.html

Oregon - Proposed Clatsop County PUD Removed from Strategic Plan (Coast River Business Journal, Astoria, WA)

http://www.crbizjournal.com/news/article_7a8c2fbe-79e0-11e1-ae8b-0019bb2963f4.html

Obsolete NE Washington Dam One Step Closer to Removal (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/northeastern_washingtons_mill_pond_dam_one_step_closer_to_removal/

Chelan PUD Investigates Alleged Aircraft Incident at Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/30/chelan-pud-investigates-aircraft-incident-dam/

Powerful Water a Part of North Central Washington Dams (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://m.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/mar/30/powerful-water/

Promoting Hydro - Say Yes to Hydro. (Power Engineering)

http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/03/29/promoting-hydro-say-yes-to-hydro.html

Proudly Isolated Texas Power Grid Reaches Out a Bit (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/business/energy-environment/proudly-independent-texas-power-grid-reaches-out-a-bit.html?_r=1

Surprise! US Thinks Nuclear Energy is a Good Idea (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/dan-yurman/80683/surprise-us-thinks-nuclear-energy-good-idea

California - Wire Thieves Wreak Darkness on Sacramento Streetlights (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/02/4383496/wire-thieves-wreak-darkness-on.html

More on Ramping Down Baseload Power & Ramping Up Storage “…Germany…has decided that baseload power is not compatible with a system based on renewable energy…” (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/energy-policy/more-on-ramping-down-baseload-power-and-ramping-up-storage/

Pepco Holdings Wins Industry Award for Power Restoration Effort Following Hurricane Irene (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=164164

FISH & WILDLIFE

Cowlitz River Smelt Data Suggest Run May Be Rebounding (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/cowlitz-river-smelt-data-suggest-run-may-be-rebounding/article_12dad0f0-7a08-11e1-84f3-001a4bcf887a.html

D.C. Judge Approves Sea Lion Litigators’ Request to Transfer Lethal Removal Case to Oregon Court (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/418602.aspx

British Columbia - A Coho Salmon’s Journey (NY Times)

http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/a-coho-salmons-journey/?partner=rss

Bonneville Power Administration’s Fish Habitat Projects Showcased on Portland Cable Channels (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/BPANews/ArticleTemplate.cfm?ArticleId=article-20120328-01

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Wet, Wet Weather Finally Moves Snake River Basin Water Supply Forecast Above Average (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/418601.aspx

Expert Panel to Address Ocean Acidification (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/mar/29/expert-panel-to-address-ocean-acidification/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Court Upholds Port Townsend Paper Company’s Biomass Project Permit (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120329/NEWS/120329984/court-upholds-pt-paper-cos-biomass-project-permit

In Tillamook: Turning (More) Cow Poop Into Power (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://earthfix.opb.org/energy/article/in-tillamook-turning-more-cow-poop-into-power/

NStar to Pay Double the Cost of Conventional Energy for Cape Wind Power (Boston Globe, MA)

http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2012/03/nstar-pay-double-the-cost-conventional-energy-for-cape-wind-power/2KJm2MV1bpfG8UzKFC8OCK/index.html

Study: Cape Wind Will Reduce Regional Electricity Prices by $7.2 Billion (CNBC)

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46909821

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Report Details Climate Change, Extreme Weather Links (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

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

Arctic Ribbon Seal Visits Aberdeen (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Arctic-ribbon-seal-visits-Aberdeen--145142725.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Only in Seattle: Solar Panels Installed in Pouring Rain (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Only-in-Seattle-Solar-panels-installed-in-pouring-rain-145001195.html

Oregon Sustainability Center’s Funding & Leadership Fluctuates, Putting Project in Doubt (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/03/oregon_sustainability_centers.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Federal Watchdog Criticizes Bonneville Power Administration’s Cyber Security (Oregonian, Portland)

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

Apple Plans Nation’s Biggest Private Fuel Cell Energy Project at North Carolina Data Center (Charlotte News & Observer, NC)

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/31/1969051/apple-plans-nations-biggest-private.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Congressmen Norm Dicks & Adam Smith endorse Derek Kilmer (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

http://kpbj.com/business_weekly/2012-04-02/congressmen_norm_dicks_and_adam_smith_endorse_derek_kilmer

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Assault Victim Dies (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3995

Belfair Water District Manager Fired; Court to Determine Severance (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/mar/30/belfair-water-district-manager-fired-court-to/

Port of Shelton Holding Hearing on Forest Plan Tuesday (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

http://masonwebtv.com/?p=4047

Thieves Targeting Funeral Goers in Snohomish County (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=654086

DIVERSIONS

Dad Makes 12-Year-Old Son Hold ‘I’m A Thief’ Sign on Street Corner

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/dad-makes-12-old-son-hold-m-thief-194449726.html

Man Says He Was Saved from Mountain Lion by Bear

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/man-saved-mountain-lion-bear-says-151626879.html

Bacon Coffin Can Be Yours for $2,999.99

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/bacon-coffin-yours-2-999-99-221017262.html

For Sale in Singapore: $200,000 Bottle Of Whisky

http://news.yahoo.com/sale-singapore-200-000-bottle-whisky-055005109.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Chicago – Beginnings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivU8RKJbklQ