Energy News Digest for January 4, 2013

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

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Secret U-S Cybersecurity Program to Protect Power Grid Confirmed (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2013/0103/Secret-US-cybersecurity-program-to-protect-power-grid-confirmed

Wind-Energy Tax Extension Could Mean Bigger Payday for Port of Longview (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/wind-energy-tax-extension-could-mean-bigger-payday-for-port/article_4ad2eca8-560e-11e2-a8ba-001a4bcf887a.html

Tacoma’s Click! Network: No Progress in Talks with KOMO (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2013/01/02/click-no-progress-in-talks-with-komo/

UPDATE at 10:19 PM – Electricity Restored to Nearly 2,000 Lake Cushman Mason County PUD 3 Customers (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1171

New Greater Grays Harbor Energy Program Encourages Efficiency (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4982

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Secret U-S Cybersecurity Program to Protect Power Grid Confirmed
• Electricity Restored to Nearly 2,000 Lake Cushman Mason County PUD 3 Customers
• Concrete Truck Knocks Out Power in Hoquaim
• December Wind Storm Costs Richland Half a Million Dollars
• Clark/Cowlitz Transmission Line Meetings Start January 10
• BPA to Meet With Public for Feedback on Proposed Rebuild of 71-Year-Old Coulee Dam Transmission Line
• Fitch Affirms Chugach Electric Association, Alaska's 'A-' Rating; Outlook Positive
• Tillamook PUD Offers Community Grants
• What Is the Right Power Solution for British Columbia’s LNG Industry?
• 'Fiscal Cliff' Bill Spares Municipal Bonds, For Now
• Ohio – American Electric Power Begins Notifying Employees about Job Eliminations
• New Mexico - PNM Lands FERC Approval for Wholesale Rate Increase
• Babcock & Wilcox Sees Korea, China as Small Reactor Competitors
• U-S Natural Gas Supplies Shrank Last Week
• Tiny Bunnies Making Strong Recovery in the Wild
• Rare River Otter Returns to San Francisco - A Sign of Progress?
• Nisqually River Closes to Anglers Sunday
• Oregon - Milwaukie Filmmakers Urge Removal of Kellogg Dam in 'Un-Dam It!'
• Wind-Energy Tax Extension Could Mean Bigger Payday for Port of Longview
• Wind Industry Secures Tax Credit, But Damage May Be Done
• Budget Deal Provides Tax Breaks tor Green Energy
• Study Suggests Wind Turbines' Low-Frequency Noise Could Cause Health Woes
• New Greater Grays Harbor Energy Program Encourages Efficiency
• El Niño's Link to Climate Change Unclear, U-S Study Shows
• Solar Hot Water Heaters Helping Homes Stay Green
• Tacoma’s Click! Network: No Progress in Talks with KOMO
• Comcast Will Require Basic Cable Subscribers to Go Digital
• Where’s the Money for Telcos? Mobile Broadband & Cloud, Says Ovum
• UK Teenagers without the Internet are 'Educationally Disadvantaged'
• Google Ducks Antitrust Punishments
• We Are Losing the War Against Email
• Washington State Governor-Elect Inslee Announces Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant as Policy, Legislative Aide
• Starting Over: Washington State's Newcomers Go to Work in Congress
• Kilmer Named Assistant Whip for 113th Congress
• New 10th District Congressman Heck Opens Local Office in Lacey, WA
• Only Three of the 79 New Congress Members Don't Have Twitter Accounts
• Washington State May Do Away with the Gas Tax, But Motorists Still Would Pay
• Biologists Try to Clean Invasive Species Off Tsunami Dock
• Scrap Metal Thief Arrested in Satsop
• Farm Bill Extension Leaves Out Many in Pacific Northwest
• Actor Patrick Dempsey Wins Bid to Buy Tully's
• What’s in a Name? Express Checkout Lanes Are Actually (Gasp!) a Waste of Time

WORD OF THE DAY

Fracas • \FRAKE-uss\ • Noun - A noisy quarrel: brawl

The ornate hall where the national tiddlywinks championships was to have been held that cold, bitter day in January was in shambles. The secretive “Greasy Thumb McGee” doping scandal had leaked to the press overnight in a secretive, dark underground parking garage. The resulting fracas at the opening ceremonies sent fans and participants screaming towards the exit. The only injury was to McGee, who sprained his steroid-enhanced thumb as he tried jabbing it into the eye of his rival, Ben “The Crooked Index” Bartholomew.

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

Secret U-S Cybersecurity Program to Protect Power Grid Confirmed (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2013/0103/Secret-US-cybersecurity-program-to-protect-power-grid-confirmed

Electricity Restored to Nearly 2,000 Lake Cushman Mason County PUD 3 Customers (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=1171

Concrete Truck Knocks Out Power in Hoquaim (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/cement-truck-knocks-out-power-hoquaim.html

December Wind Storm Costs Richland Half a Million Dollars (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/December-wind-storm-costs-Richland-half-a-million-185612262.html

Clark/Cowlitz Transmission Line Meetings Start January 10 (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jan/03/transmission-line-meetings-start-jan-10-camas/

BPA to Meet With Public for Feedback on Proposed Rebuild of 71-Year-Old Coulee Dam Transmission Line (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://energynewsfeed.blogspot.com/2013/01/bpa-to-meet-with-public-for-feedback-on.html

Fitch Affirms Chugach Electric Association, Alaska's 'A-' Rating; Outlook Positive (Fort Mill Times, SC)

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/01/03/2414784/fitch-affirms-chugach-electric.html

Tillamook PUD Offers Community Grants (Tillamook Headlight Herald, OR)

http://www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/article_07caef28-55f5-11e2-9843-0019bb2963f4.html

What Is the Right Power Solution for British Columbia’s LNG Industry? (Vancouver Sun, B-C)

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/What+right+power+solution+province+industry/7773069/story.html

'Fiscal Cliff' Bill Spares Municipal Bonds, For Now (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=201995&issueID=26924

Ohio – American Electric Power Begins Notifying Employees about Job Eliminations (Columbus Business Journal, OH)

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/01/aep-begins-notifying-employees-about.html

New Mexico - PNM Lands FERC Approval for Wholesale Rate Increase (New Mexico Business Weekly)

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/blog/morning-edition/2013/01/pnm-lands-ferc-approval-for-wholesale.html

Babcock & Wilcox Sees Korea, China as Small Reactor Competitors (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/power_city/2013/01/babcock-wilcox-sees-korea-china-as.html

U-S Natural Gas Supplies Shrank Last Week (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/US-natural-gas-supplies-shrank-last-week-4167520.php

FISH & WILDLIFE

Tiny Bunnies Making Strong Recovery in the Wild (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2013/jan/03/tiny-bunnies-making-strong-recovery-in-the-wild/

Rare River Otter Returns to San Francisco - A Sign of Progress? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0104/Rare-river-otter-returns-to-San-Francisco-a-sign-of-progress

Nisqually River Closes to Anglers Sunday (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2013/01/04/2373210/nisqually-river-closes-to-anglers.html

Oregon - Milwaukie Filmmakers Urge Removal of Kellogg Dam in 'Un-Dam It!' (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/milwaukie/index.ssf/2013/01/milwaukie_filmmakers_urge_remo.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind-Energy Tax Extension Could Mean Bigger Payday for Port of Longview (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/wind-energy-tax-extension-could-mean-bigger-payday-for-port/article_4ad2eca8-560e-11e2-a8ba-001a4bcf887a.html

Wind Industry Secures Tax Credit, But Damage May Be Done (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/03/168553495/wind-industry-secures-tax-credit-but-damage-may-be-done?ft=1&f=2

Budget Deal Provides Tax Breaks tor Green Energy (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/04/168590135/budget-deal-provides-tax-brakes-for-green-energy?ft=1&f=3

Study Suggests Wind Turbines' Low-Frequency Noise Could Cause Health Woes (Wisconsin State Journal)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/study-suggests-wind-turbines-low-frequency-noise-could-cause-health/article_835ba89e-5609-11e2-8b02-001a4bcf887a.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

New Greater Grays Harbor Energy Program Encourages Efficiency (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4982

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

El Niño's Link to Climate Change Unclear, U-S Study Shows (GMA News, Australia)

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/288820/scitech/science/el-nino-s-link-to-climate-change-unclear-us-study-shows

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Solar Hot Water Heaters Helping Homes Stay Green (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/20498897/solar-hot-water-heaters-helping-homes-stay-green

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tacoma’s Click! Network: No Progress in Talks with KOMO (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2013/01/02/click-no-progress-in-talks-with-komo/

Comcast Will Require Basic Cable Subscribers to Go Digital (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2013/01/comcast_will_require_basic_cab.html

Where’s the Money for Telcos? Mobile Broadband & Cloud, Says Ovum (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/mobile/wheres-the-money-for-telcos-mobile-broadband-and-cloud-says-ovum/

UK Teenagers without the Internet are 'Educationally Disadvantaged' (University of Oxford, UK)

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2012/121222.html

Google Ducks Antitrust Punishments (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/techchron/2013/01/03/google-ducks-antitrust-punishments/

We Are Losing the War Against Email (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/01/03/war-against-email/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Governor-Elect Inslee Announces Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant as Policy, Legislative Aide (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2013/01/03/inslee-announces-ecology-director-ted-sturdevant-as-policy-legislative-aide/

Starting Over: Washington State's Newcomers Go to Work in Congress (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/01/03/2422905/starting-over-washington-states.html

Kilmer Named Assistant Whip for 113th Congress (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4978

New 10th District Congressman Heck Opens Local Office in Lacey, WA (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2013/01/03/2372608/new-10th-district-rep-heck-opens.html

Only Three of the 79 New Congress Members Don't Have Twitter Accounts (Mashable)

http://mashable.com/2013/01/03/new-congress-twitter/

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State May Do Away with the Gas Tax, But Motorists Still Would Pay (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/01/03/state-may-do-away-with-the-gas-tax.html

Biologists Try to Clean Invasive Species Off Tsunami Dock (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/biologists-try-clean-invasive-species-tsunami-dock

Scrap Metal Thief Arrested in Satsop (KXRO Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kxro.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/scrap-metal-thief-arrested-in-satsop/

Farm Bill Extension Leaves Out Many in Pacific Northwest (Northwest Public Radio)

http://nwpr.org/post/farm-bill-extension-leaves-out-many-northwest

Actor Patrick Dempsey Wins Bid to Buy Tully's (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/Actor-Patrick-Dempsey-wins-bid-to-buy-Tully-s-4164933.php

What’s in a Name? Express Checkout Lanes Are Actually (Gasp!) a Waste of Time (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2013/01/03/whats-in-a-name-express-checkout-lanes-are-actually-gasp-a-waste-of-time/

DIVERSIONS

Clemson Student's Turtle Project Takes Dark Twist

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/12/27/4507782/clemson-students-turtle-project.html

Oregon 1-Point Safety: Kansas State Blocks Ducks' Extra Point Attempt but Gives Up Unlikely Point

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/oregon-one-point-safety-kansas-state-fiesta_n_2406675.html

Oregon Teen Charged After 'Drivin Drunk' Facebook Post

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Ore-teen-charged-after-Drivin-drunk-Facebook-post-185605732.html

Iceland Teen Fights Government to Approve Her Name

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/2013/0103/Iceland-teen-fights-government-to-approve-her-name

SONG OF THE DAY

Electric Light Orchestra – Rockaria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tJNABQnqBo