Thursday, June 6, 2013

Energy News Digest for June 6, 2013

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENERGY NEWS DIGEST

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST TWITTER FEED

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

THE NEWS DIGEST WORD CLOUD

Energy News Digest Word Cloud for June 6, 2013

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Sierra Club Sues over Coal Dust from Uncovered Trains in Columbia River Gorge (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Obama to Seek More Internet Aid for Schools & Libraries (NY Times)

California Officials Outraged at Transfers of PUC Attorneys Investigating Deadly San Bruno Blast (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Colorado’s Governor Signs Controversial Rural Renewable-Energy Bill “…The bill also allows rural cooperatives to add a monthly surcharge, up to 2 percent…to help pay for projects needed to meet the goal…” (Denver Business Journal, CO)

NEEA, Utilities & Northwest Builders Test the Market with New Homes Pilot (Herald Online)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • California Officials Outraged at Transfers of PUC Attorneys Investigating Deadly San Bruno Blast
  • Feds Back California on JPMorgan Energy Trades
  • APPA, TAPS Back Extension of Effective Date of Bulk Electric System Definition, with Clarification
  • U-S Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • Minnesota - Charges Brought In Theft of Electricity
  • Where Does Texas Rank in Power Outages?
  • Rare Willamette Valley Salmon & Steelhead Habitat Protected
  • Birds Spread Nuclear Waste
  • Thrifty Thurston Tours Taylor Shellfish Farms
  • Sierra Club Sues over Coal Dust from Uncovered Trains in Columbia River Gorge
  • Portland Reservoir Plan Ignites New PUD Fight
  • Colorado’s Governor Signs Controversial Rural Renewable-Energy Bill
  • Tidal Energy Could Be Next Big Wave
  • National Renewable Energy Lab Names Top 10 Utilities for Renewable Energy
  • NEEA, Utilities & Northwest Builders Test the Market with New Homes Pilot
  • Start-Up to Connect Home Appliances
  • Isn’t It a Pain When Your Beer Fridge Knocks out the Entire Neighborhood’s Cell Network?
  • United Kingdom - Climate Change: Let’s Bury the Carbon Dioxide Problem
  • EPA Biofuel Rule: Energy Solution or Economic Burden?
  • Low-Cost Leases Electrify Plug-In Car Sales on West Coast
  • Mount Hood Community College Uses Solar Picnic Tables as Chargers
  • Obama to Seek More Internet Aid for Schools & Libraries
  • NTIA: There Are Rural/Urban Broadband Subdivides
  • Comcast’s Top Lobbyist Pens Editorial to Remind Americans That US Broadband Service Is Awesome
  • Months after Sandy Tore Up Fire Island, Verizon’s Fix Gets Stormy Reception
  • AT&T LTE Hits another 22 Markets - Expands Coverage in another Ten Markets
  • Wireless to Surpass Home Broadband Spending This Year
  • Hashtags in Bathrooms? CMT Displays #CMTawards above Toilets
  • Washington State Government Shutdown? Inslee Concedes the Possibility
  • Couldn’t Happen without Dams & Locks - Tall Ships Making Stop in Port of Pasco on June 8-16
  • 69 Years Ago Today, the Allies Launched Massive Normandy Invasion on D-Day
  • One Dead, One Injured in SW Mason County Motorcycle Crash
  • Report: Gov’t Secretly Collecting Millions of Phone Records in U-S
  • Washington State Courts Ignored Expert’s Warning that Computer System Was at Risk
  • Douglas County Arrests Could Put a Dent in Metal Theft Plague, Sheriff Says
  • U-S Security Agency Scraps Plan to Allow Small Knives on Planes
  • Genetically Altered Wheat in Oregon Comes as No Surprise
  • Average Gas Mileage of New Cars Hits Record High

WORD OF THE DAY

Orotund • \ORE-uh-tund\ • Adjective - 1: marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound: sonorous 2: pompous, bombastic.

The rollers of crashing music washed over Frederick’s dinner guests in orotund waves, its throbbing resonance causing wine glasses to hum to the vibrations of the Wagnerian opera his stereo system was blasting into the enclosed dining space of his small apartment. Conversation was impossible, as was hearing after exposure to the eardrum bursting concert.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

California Officials Outraged at Transfers of PUC Attorneys Investigating Deadly San Bruno Blast (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Feds Back California on JPMorgan Energy Trades (Sacramento Bee, CA)

APPA, TAPS Back Extension of Effective Date of Bulk Electric System Definition, with Clarification (American Public Power Association)

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

Minnesota - Charges Brought In Theft of Electricity (New Ulm Journal, MN)

Where Does Texas Rank in Power Outages? (Dallas Business Journal, TX)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Rare Willamette Valley Salmon & Steelhead Habitat Protected (Albany Tribune, OR)

Birds Spread Nuclear Waste (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Thrifty Thurston Tours Taylor Shellfish Farms (Thurston Talk, Olympia, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Sierra Club Sues over Coal Dust from Uncovered Trains in Columbia River Gorge (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

Portland Reservoir Plan Ignites New PUD Fight (Portland Tribune, OR)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Colorado’s Governor Signs Controversial Rural Renewable-Energy Bill “…The bill also allows rural cooperatives to add a monthly surcharge, up to 2 percent…to help pay for projects needed to meet the goal…” (Denver Business Journal, CO)

Tidal Energy Could Be Next Big Wave (Forbes Magazine)

National Renewable Energy Lab Names Top 10 Utilities for Renewable Energy (Electric Light & Power)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

NEEA, Utilities & Northwest Builders Test the Market with New Homes Pilot (Herald Online)

Start-Up to Connect Home Appliances (NY Times)

Isn’t It a Pain When Your Beer Fridge Knocks out the Entire Neighborhood’s Cell Network? (Consumerist)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

United Kingdom - Climate Change: Let’s Bury the Carbon Dioxide Problem (The Guardian, UK)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

EPA Biofuel Rule: Energy Solution or Economic Burden? (Christian Science Monitor)

Low-Cost Leases Electrify Plug-In Car Sales on West Coast (Northwest Public Radio)

Mount Hood Community College Uses Solar Picnic Tables as Chargers (KGW TV, Portland, OR)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Obama to Seek More Internet Aid for Schools & Libraries (NY Times)

NTIA: There Are Rural/Urban Broadband Subdivides (MultiChannel)

Comcast’s Top Lobbyist Pens Editorial to Remind Americans That US Broadband Service Is Awesome (TechDirt)

Months after Sandy Tore Up Fire Island, Verizon’s Fix Gets Stormy Reception (New York Business Journal, NY)

AT&T LTE Hits another 22 Markets - Expands Coverage in another Ten Markets (Broadband Reports)

Wireless to Surpass Home Broadband Spending This Year - Which Of Course Should Surprise Nobody (Broadband Reports)

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Hashtags in Bathrooms? CMT Displays #CMTawards above Toilets (Mashable)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Government Shutdown? Inslee Concedes the Possibility (Crosscut Seattle)

Couldn’t Happen without Dams & Locks - Tall Ships Making Stop in Port of Pasco on June 8-16 (Tri-City Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

69 Years Ago Today, the Allies Launched Massive Normandy Invasion on D-Day (U-S News & World Report)

One Dead, One Injured in SW Mason County Motorcycle Crash (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

Report: Gov’t Secretly Collecting Millions of Phone Records in U-S (Associated Press)

Washington State Courts Ignored Expert’s Warning that Computer System Was at Risk (KING-TV, Seattle, WA)

Douglas County Arrests Could Put a Dent in Metal Theft Plague, Sheriff Says (Wenatchee World, WA)

U-S Security Agency Scraps Plan to Allow Small Knives on Planes (Reuters)

Genetically Altered Wheat in Oregon Comes as No Surprise (NY Times)

Average Gas Mileage of New Cars Hits Record High (Christian Science Monitor)

DIVERSIONS

Key Peninsula 8th Graders Send Egg to Edge of Space, Passing over Yakima

Reefer for Rover? Vet Recommends Marijuana for Sick Pets

Secret Man Caves Found in EPA Warehouse

29 Valedictorians? That’s a Lot of Speeches

SONG OF THE DAY

The Longest Day Soundtrack
(The first four drum beats -  dot-dot-dot-dash - represent Morse Code for “V”, for Victory…also meant to reflect the beginning of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

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.


Note that as some newspapers migrate to a “paywall” system of access, some articles may not be available without forking over some cold hard credit card cash. However, some sites will allow a certain number of story accesses per month before holding out their hand. Sorry if this is an inconvenience.