The Energy News Digest: 04/05/12

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Energy News Digest for April 5, 2012

Energy News Digest for April 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

California Power Shortages a Concern with Nuke Plant Offline (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jBUVFCC3trr3dYCCfQQ0hsNcdWJA?docId=b7eec7074413457ebc92ca2da47b5593

Climate Change Could Cost Washington State $10 Billion a Year; State Crafting Response (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.kplu.org/post/climate-change-could-cost-wash-10-billion-year-state-crafting-response

Agency Not Protecting Klamath Chinook (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/04/04/45294.htm

Blown Away: Wind Power Growing Faster than Other Top Electricity Sources (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/wind-power/blown-away-wind-power-growing-faster-than-other-top-electricity-sources/

Parties Butt Heads at Washington State Capitol as End of 30-Day Special Session Nears (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/04/04/2095795/parties-butt-heads-at-capitol.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

California Power Shortages a Concern with Nuke Plant Offline
Feds Monitor South Carolina Nuclear Power Plant that Lost Power
Fire at Penly Nuclear Reactor in Northern France
US Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
Snohomish PUD’s Sultan Dam Honored by Energy Group
Arizona - ‘Tea Party’-Backed Bill to Halt Green Programs
Agency Not Protecting Klamath Chinook
The Economics of Salmon - Recovery Efforts Support Local Jobs & Businesses
Columbia River Gorge - Are Drano Lake Tribal Platforms Off-Limits?
City of Portland’s ‘Questionable’ Spending List Grows
Blown Away: Wind Power Growing Faster than Other Top Electricity Sources
Solar Investments - Watchdog Finds Solyndra Loan Was ‘Rushed’
Snohomish PUD Meeting to Mobilize Community to ‘Solarize Mukilteo’
Free Light Bulbs Part of Pierce County Energy Conservation Event
Climate Change Could Cost Washington State $10 Billion a Year; State Crafting Response
Ice Age Data Bolsters Links between Greenhouse Gas & Global Warming
The Brighter Side of Air Pollution
America’s Greenest Cities? Which Ones Beat Seattle
Electric or Hybrid - Payoff for Efficient Cars Takes Years
Who Knew? Upcycling the Dog Poo
Google’s Kansas City Fiber - Construction Update
Google Announces Expansion at Oklahoma Data Center
Parties Butt Heads at Washington State Capitol as End of 30-Day Special Session Nears
Washington State GOP Staffer Seeks $1.75 Million Settlement over Senator Pam Roach Decision
Washington State Senator Introduces Facebook Password Bill
Philadelphia Councilman: Tweet Contract Justified
New Charges Filed in Grays Harbor County Courthouse Shooting
US to Sink Ghost Ship Dislodged by Japanese Tsunami
Fowl Play: ‘Mystery Booms’ Solved in Sequim

WORD OF THE DAY

Incunabulum • \inn-kyuh-NAB-yuh-lumm\ • Noun - 1: a book printed before 1501 2: a work of art or of industry of an early period

“Golly,” exclaimed Joel to his fellow employees. “Look at all the incunabulum that we’ve uncovered during the relocation to our new operations center.” A treasure trove of ancient publications ranging from the “myths of public power” to action comic books (graphic novels) about how electricity works lay spread around the floor, surrounded by cases of beta-max video tapes about various and sundry utility issues.

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

California Power Shortages a Concern with Nuke Plant Offline (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jBUVFCC3trr3dYCCfQQ0hsNcdWJA?docId=b7eec7074413457ebc92ca2da47b5593

Feds Monitor South Carolina Nuclear Power Plant that Lost Power (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017915176_apusscnuclearplantoutage.html

Fire at Penly Nuclear Reactor in Northern France (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17630358

US Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/US-natural-gas-supplies-grew-last-week-3461493.php

Snohomish PUD’s Sultan Dam Honored by Energy Group - Youngs Creek dam chosen for having little to no effect on environment (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120405/NEWS01/702109897/-1/news01

Arizona - ‘Tea Party’-Backed Bill to Halt Green Programs - Claims green policies are connected to United Nations “Agenda 21,” an attempt to implement a one-world order (Arizona Republic, AZ)

http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/03/30/20120330arizona-tea-party-backed-bill-halt-green-programs.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Agency Not Protecting Klamath Chinook (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/04/04/45294.htm

The Economics of Salmon - Recovery Efforts Support Local Jobs & Businesses (Methow Valley News, Twisp, WA)

http://www.methowvalleynews.com/story.php?id=7674

Columbia River Gorge - Are Drano Lake Tribal Platforms Off-Limits? (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/04/are-drano-lake-tribal-platforms-limits/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

City of Portland’s ‘Questionable’ Spending List Grows - Group says it will push for water, sewer rate reimbursements (Portland Tribune, OR)

http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=133358359637422500

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Blown Away: Wind Power Growing Faster than Other Top Electricity Sources (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/wind-power/blown-away-wind-power-growing-faster-than-other-top-electricity-sources/

Solar Investments - Watchdog Finds Solyndra Loan Was ‘Rushed’ (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20328947/watchdog-finds-solar-energy-loan-was-rushed

Snohomish PUD Meeting to Mobilize Community to ‘Solarize Mukilteo’ (Mukilteo Beacon, WA)

http://mukilteobeacon.villagesoup.com/news/story/pud-meeting-to-mobilize-community-to-solarize-mukilteo/804756

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Free Light Bulbs Part of Pierce County Energy Conservation Event (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/street/2012/04/04/free-light-bulbs-part-of-energy-conservation-event/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change Could Cost Washington State $10 Billion a Year; State Crafting Response (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.kplu.org/post/climate-change-could-cost-wash-10-billion-year-state-crafting-response

Ice Age Data Bolsters Links between Greenhouse Gas & Global Warming (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017906317_apussciiceagewarming.html

The Brighter Side of Air Pollution (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

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

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

America’s Greenest Cities? Which Ones Beat Seattle (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2012/04/04/americas-greenest-cities-which-ones-beat-seattle/

Electric or Hybrid - Payoff for Efficient Cars Takes Years (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/business/energy-environment/for-hybrid-and-electric-cars-to-pay-off-owners-must-wait.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Who Knew? Upcycling the Dog Poo (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/who-knew-upcycling-the-dog-poo/?partner=rss&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google’s Kansas City Fiber - Construction Update (Google)

http://googlefiberblog.blogspot.com/

Google Announces Expansion at Oklahoma Data Center (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Google-announces-expansion-at-Okla-data-center-3459007.php

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Parties Butt Heads at Washington State Capitol as End of 30-Day Special Session Nears (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/04/04/2095795/parties-butt-heads-at-capitol.html

Washington State GOP Staffer Seeks $1.75 Million Settlement over Senator Pam Roach Decision (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017906943_roach05m.html

Washington State Senator Introduces Facebook Password Bill (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017910745_apwajobapplicationsfacebook1stldwritethru.html

Philadelphia Councilman: Tweet Contract Justified - Outside contractor hired for $28,800 to send Twitter & Facebook updates on his behalf (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Philly-councilman-Tweet-contract-justified-3458101.php

GENERAL NEWS

New Charges Filed in Grays Harbor County Courthouse Shooting (KING

http://www.king5.com/news/local/New-charges-filed-in-Grays-Harbor-County-courthouse-shooting--146230005.html

US to Sink Ghost Ship Dislodged by Japanese Tsunami (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017915232_apustsunamighostship.html

Fowl Play: ‘Mystery Booms’ Solved in Sequim (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120405/NEWS/304059991/fowl-play-8216-mystery-booms-solved-in-sequim

DIVERSIONS

Sheriff’s Captain Accused of Freeing Inmate for Golf Outing

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/04/sheriffs-captain-accused-of-freeing-inmate-for-golf-outing/1?csp=34news

Dog Eats Tickets to Masters Golf Tournament