Energy News Digest for February 3, 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

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

Great Expectations Await Spring Chinook Fishery on Columbia (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/03/great-expectations-await-spring-chinook-fishery/

As Sea Lion Populations Grow, Conflicts Increase (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120203/NEWS01/702029790

Injured Cowlitz PUD Lineman Improving (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/b1a6fb04-4e0d-11e1-b3e9-001871e3ce6c.html

How the Sierra Club Took Millions from the Natural Gas Industry; and Why They Stopped (TIME Magazine)

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2012/02/02/exclusive-how-the-sierra-club-took-millions-from-the-natural-gas-industry-and-why-they-stopped/

Kittitas County PUD Can Read Meters from the Sky (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/news/kittitas-county-pud-can-read-meters-from-the-sky/article_c5c817e0-4de4-11e1-838c-0019bb2963f4.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Injured Cowlitz PUD Lineman Improving
• Firefighters Forced Out of Burning Northwest Portland Home after Metal Piece of Roof Hits Power Line & ‘Energizes’ House
• Feds: ‘Unusual’ Wear on New Tubes at California Nuke Plant
• Spokane Utility Pole Installation Angers Neighbors
• Kittitas County PUD Can Read Meters from the Sky
• How the Sierra Club Took Millions from the Natural Gas Industry; and Why They Stopped
• First Energy Gets Boost from Closing Coal Plants
• Mild Weather Impacts Tennessee Valley Authority’s First Quarter 2012 Results
• Great Expectations Await Spring Chinook Fishery on Columbia
• As Sea Lion Populations Grow, Conflicts Increase
• Smarting Over Cod Shortages, Fishermen Blame Seals
• Judge Rejects Challenge on Western US Sage Grouse Listing
• Don’t Feed the Whales - Biologist Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Charges
• Washington State Backs Off Plan to Fine Fisherman for Two-Ounce Oil Spill
• California Water Wars Renewed
• Cheap Natural Gas Jumbles Energy Markets, Stirs Fears it Could Inhibit Renewables
• Poo-Power - Dairies Capitalize on Cow Manure
• Hawaiian Electric Disappointed by State Suspension of Solar Hot Water Program
• British Energy & Climate Change Minister Quits after Criminal Charges
• Glacier Thief Arrested in Chile
• More Small Businesses Tracking Their Carbon Footprint
• Net-Zero Energy Building to Become $1.3 Trillion Market
• Going Green: View My World-Class Collection of Hotel Towel Cards
• Social Media & Email Are More Addictive than Alcohol & Cigarettes
• Where to Watch the 2012 Super Bowl Live Online
• Reichert Won’t Challenge Cantwell for Washington State’s US Senate Seat
• In Post-Earmark Era, Small Cities Step Up Lobbying to Fight for Federal Grants
• Ballot Challenge is Certain for Washington State’s Gay-Marriage Bill
• Franklin County Official Jailed in Fraud Case
• Tons of Storm Debris Filling Pierce County’s Dumps
• Belfair, Bremerton Men Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Selling Firearms
• January Unemployment Drops To 8.3 Percent after Hiring Burst
• Plans for Green Mountain, Tahuya State Forests Almost Done
• Komen Foundation Reverses Decision to Cut Planned Parenthood Funding

WORD OF THE DAY

Intrinsic • \inn-TRINN-zick\ • Adjective - 1a: belonging to the essential nature or constitution of a thing b: being or relating to a semiconductor in which the concentration of charge carriers is characteristic of the material itself instead of the content of any impurities it contains 2a: originating or due to causes within a body, organ, or part b: originating & included wholly within an organ or part

The sentimental value of the one dollar bill taped to the ship’s wall near the antiquated cash register far exceeded the intrinsic value of the crumpled bit of paper. “It was the first dollar I made at this store…and possibly the last” proclaimed the kilted owner of the “Horace’s Haggis Hut.”

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

Injured Cowlitz PUD Lineman Improving (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/b1a6fb04-4e0d-11e1-b3e9-001871e3ce6c.html

Firefighters Forced Out of Burning Northwest Portland Home after Metal Piece of Roof Hits Power Line & ‘Energizes’ House (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/02/firefighters_forced_out_of_bur.html

Feds: ‘Unusual’ Wear on New Tubes at California Nuke Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/02/01/national/a144157S80.DTL

Spokane Utility Pole Installation Angers Neighbors (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/02/pole-installation-angers-neighbors/

Kittitas County PUD Can Read Meters from the Sky (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)

http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/news/kittitas-county-pud-can-read-meters-from-the-sky/article_c5c817e0-4de4-11e1-838c-0019bb2963f4.html

How the Sierra Club Took Millions from the Natural Gas Industry; and Why They Stopped (TIME Magazine)

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2012/02/02/exclusive-how-the-sierra-club-took-millions-from-the-natural-gas-industry-and-why-they-stopped/

First Energy Gets Boost from Closing Coal Plants (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/First-Energy-gets-boost-from-closing-coal-plants-2968946.php

Mild Weather Impacts Tennessee Valley Authority’s First Quarter 2012 Results (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mild-weather-impacts-tvas-first-quarter-2012-results-2012-02-03

FISH & WILDLIFE

Great Expectations Await Spring Chinook Fishery on Columbia (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/03/great-expectations-await-spring-chinook-fishery/

As Sea Lion Populations Grow, Conflicts Increase (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120203/NEWS01/702029790

Smarting Over Cod Shortages, Fishermen Blame Seals (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/smarting-over-cod-shortages-fishermen-blame-seals/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Judge Rejects Challenge on Western US Sage Grouse Listing (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017413552_apwysagegrouse.html

Don’t Feed the Whales - Biologist Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Charges (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_19880471

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Backs Off Plan to Fine Fisherman for Two-Ounce Oil Spill (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017403790_knut03.html

California Water Wars Renewed (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/02/02/43593.htm

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cheap Natural Gas Jumbles Energy Markets, Stirs Fears it Could Inhibit Renewables (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/cheap-natural-gas-jumbles-energy-markets-stirs-fears-it-could-inhibit-renewables/2012/01/08/gIQApLr5hQ_story.html?wprss=rss_business

Poo-Power - Dairies Capitalize on Cow Manure (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/03/dairies-capitalize-on-cow-manure/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Hawaiian Electric Disappointed by State Suspension of Solar Hot Water Program (Pacific Business News, HI)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/blog/morning_call/2012/02/hawaiian-electric-disappointed-by-puc.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

British Energy & Climate Change Minister Quits after Criminal Charges (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/02/03/world/europe/AP-EU-Britain-Minister-Charged.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Glacier Thief Arrested in Chile - Police hold man on suspicion of stealing five tons of ice from a glacier in Patagonia to sell as designer ice cubes for cocktails (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/01/glacier-thief-arrested-ice-cubes

More Small Businesses Tracking Their Carbon Footprint (Pittsburgh Business Times, PA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/energy/2012/02/more-small-businesses-tracking-their.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Net-Zero Energy Building to Become $1.3 Trillion Market (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/02/net-zero-energy-building-to-become.html

Going Green: View My World-Class Collection of Hotel Towel Cards (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0203/Going-green-View-my-world-class-collection-of-hotel-towel-cards

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Social Media & Email Are More Addictive than Alcohol & Cigarettes (Gizmodo)

http://gizmodo.com/5881941/social-media-and-email-are-more-addictive-than-alcohol-and-cigarettes

Where to Watch the 2012 Super Bowl Live Online (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/video/super-bowl-xlvi-live-stream-mobile-ads-twitter/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Reichert Won’t Challenge Cantwell for Washington State’s US Senate Seat (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2017408556_reichert_wont_challenge_cantwe.html

In Post-Earmark Era, Small Cities Step Up Lobbying to Fight for Federal Grants (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/us/in-the-post-earmarks-era-small-cities-struggle-for-federal-grants.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Ballot Challenge is Certain for Washington State’s Gay-Marriage Bill (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/02/1974529/ballot-challenge-certain-for-wa.html

Franklin County Official Jailed in Fraud Case (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/02/03/1812012/franklin-county-official-jailed.html

Tons of Storm Debris Filling Pierce County’s Dumps (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/03/2010534/tons-of-storm-debris-filling-countys.html

Belfair, Bremerton Men Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Selling Firearms (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/02/belfair-bremerton-men-sentenced-to-prison-for/

January Unemployment Drops To 8.3 Percent after Hiring Burst (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Unemployment-drops-to-8-3-pct-after-hiring-burst-2986413.php

Plans for Green Mountain, Tahuya State Forests Almost Done (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/02/plans-for-green-mountain-tahuya-state-forests/

Komen Foundation Reverses Decision to Cut Planned Parenthood Funding (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=621908

DIVERSIONS

Do You Use Your Mobile Phone in the Bathroom?

http://consumerist.com/2012/02/do-you-use-your-mobile-phone-in-the-bathroom.html

Oregon Mailman Who Made Doo-Doo Delivery Back on Same Route

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Ore-mailman-who-went-doo-138591689.html

Crikey! Deputies Capture Wallaby on the Run in Gig Harbor

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Crickey-Deputies-capture-wallaby-on-the-run-in-Gig-Harbor-138597434.html

Sheep-Herding Swedish Bunny Becomes Online Hit

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/02/03/international/i041253S76.DTL

SONG OF THE DAY

Jethro Tull - Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGz_g1i7KU8

Energy News Digest for February 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

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

Cowlitz PUD Lineman Seriously Injured by Falling Utility Pole (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/cowlitz-pud-lineman-seriously-injured-by-falling-utility-pole/article_50223b1e-4d36-11e1-8d73-0019bb2963f4.html

Puget Sound Energy Customers to Pay for Storm & More (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/PSE-Customers-to-pay-for-storm-and-more-138547439.html

Washington State Bills Would Tweak Renewable Energy Initiative Law (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/bills-would-tweak-renewable-energy-initiative-law.html

Seattle's Green Jobs Program Still a Bust (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=621118

'Discover Ductless' Campaign Encouraged Homeowners to try Efficient Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/discover-ductless-campaign-encouraged-homeowners-to-try-efficient-ductless-heating-and-cooling-systems-2012-02-02

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Cowlitz PUD Lineman Seriously Injured by Falling Utility Pole
• Puget Sound Energy Customers to Pay for Storm & More
• California - Unsafe Poles Contributed to Windstorm Outages
• Editorial - Modest Snohomish PUD Rate Increase is Justified
• Oregon - People’s Utility District for Clatsop?
• What would a PUD cost?
• How to Form a PUD in Ten Steps
• Montana - Beartooth Electric Co-Op Manager Resigns
• California Regulators OK SmartMeter refusal - For a Price
• North Carolina - In Wake of Boy's Death, Duke Energy Stresses Safety Warnings
• Xcel Concerned Warm Winter Will Limit Profits
• Yakima Basin Water Report Issued, Costing a Cool $2.6 Million
• All Quiet at Mason County’s Belfair Water District
• Portland Seeks Delay to Complete All Reservoir Projects by 2026
• South Puget Sounders Get Creative, Harvest Rain
• Why We Should All be Drinking Toilet Water
• Washington State Bills Would Tweak Renewable Energy Initiative Law
• Iberdrola Renewables Agrees to Keep North American Headquarters in Portland at Least Seven Years for $1,155,000
• Sun Stroke: SoCal Edison & the Battle over Solar Power
• Halt to Wisconsin Energy Program Defended
• Bill Would Kill Ohio’s Renewable Energy Law
• Mid-Atlantic Wind Farms Take Step Forward
• Why Google Invests in Clean Energy
• 'Discover Ductless' Campaign Encouraged Homeowners to try Efficient Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems
• Campaign Uses Humor to Get Homeowners to Go Ductless
• Pacific Northwest Industrial Energy Program Surpasses Expectations
• Three States - California, New York and Washington - to Require Insurers to Disclose Climate-Change Response Plans
• Seattle's Green Jobs Program Still a Bust
• Seattle Program to Create 2,000 Green Jobs? Not Likely
• Snohomish County Green-Job Training Put on Hold after Program Produces Few Jobs
• Port Angeles Electric Vehicle Class for First Responders Fills Up
• Broadband Speeds in State Pick Up Pace
• Google's Plans for Kansas City Prompt Sale of Local Internet Company
• Will Clean Power & Microgrids Be the Future of Data Centers?
• Historic Senate Vote Clears Way for Gay Marriage in Washington State
• Mason County Customers Plugging in to Belfair Sewer
• Environmental Groups Propose Plan to Replace Federal Forest Payments to Oregon Counties
• Faulty Dishwashers, Fridges & Dryers Causing Fires, Says Consumer Reports

WORD OF THE DAY

Stiction • \STICK-shun\ • Noun - The force required to cause one body in contact with another to begin to move

“Gosh this guy is a load,” grumbled Wilt as he backed towards the basket slowly pushing his weighty defender into the key. “Stiction be darned,” he grunted, executing a textbook drop step move for his tenths field goal of the night; “this guy is hard to move.”

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

Cowlitz PUD Lineman Seriously Injured by Falling Utility Pole (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/cowlitz-pud-lineman-seriously-injured-by-falling-utility-pole/article_50223b1e-4d36-11e1-8d73-0019bb2963f4.html

Puget Sound Energy Customers to Pay for Storm & More (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/PSE-Customers-to-pay-for-storm-and-more-138547439.html

California - Unsafe Poles Contributed to Windstorm Outages (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017403214_apuscaliforniawindstorm.html

Editorial - Modest Snohomish PUD Rate Increase is Justified (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120202/OPINION01/702029955

Oregon - People’s Utility District for Clatsop? (Coast River Business Journal, Astoria, OR)

http://www.crbizjournal.com/news/article_3afa1662-4dae-11e1-9ff8-001871e3ce6c.html

What would a PUD cost? (Coast River Business Journal, Astoria, OR)

http://www.crbizjournal.com/news/article_754ff22a-4dca-11e1-ae00-001871e3ce6c.html

How to Form a PUD in Ten Steps (Coast River Business Journal, Astoria, OR)

http://www.crbizjournal.com/news/article_43a5fd28-4dac-11e1-a09d-001871e3ce6c.html

Montana - Beartooth Electric Co-Op Manager Resigns (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/beartooth-co-op-manager-resigns/article_a70736aa-ca1e-5d06-bc7a-b6dcced1854b.html

California Regulators OK SmartMeter refusal - For a Price (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/01/MNFV1N1STD.DTL

North Carolina - In Wake of Boy's Death, Duke Energy Stresses Safety Warnings (Raleigh News & Observer, NC)

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/02/1823988/in-wake-of-boys-death-duke-energy.html

Xcel Concerned Warm Winter Will Limit Profits (Minneapolis-St Paul Business Journal, MN)

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2012/02/02/xcel-q4-earnings.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Yakima Basin Water Report Issued, Costing a Cool $2.6 Million (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/New-Yakima-Basin-water-report-issued-costing-a-cool-26-million-138574169.html

All Quiet at Mason County’s Belfair Water District (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/01/all-quiet-at-belfairs-water-district/

Portland Seeks Delay to Complete All Reservoir Projects by 2026 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/02/portland_seeks_delay_to_comple.html

South Puget Sounders Get Creative, Harvest Rain - With ever more rain, South Sounders are getting creative in how to deal with our wettest asset (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2012/02/01/1972164/missing-headline-for-01rainyards1.html

Why We Should All be Drinking Toilet Water (Grist Online)

http://grist.org/list/why-we-should-all-be-drinking-toilet-water/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State Bills Would Tweak Renewable Energy Initiative Law (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/sections/news/local/bills-would-tweak-renewable-energy-initiative-law.html

Iberdrola Renewables Agrees to Keep North American Headquarters in Portland at Least Seven Years for $1,155,000 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/02/post_70.html

Sun Stroke: SoCal Edison & the Battle over Solar Power (KCET-TV, Los Angeles, CA)

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/the_back_forty/commentary/golden-green/sun-stroke-socal-edison-and-the-battle-over-solar-power.html

Halt to Wisconsin Energy Program Defended (Associated Press)

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120202/GPG0101/202020569

Bill Would Kill Ohio’s Renewable Energy Law (Columbus Dispatch, OH)

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/02/02/bill-would-kill-ohios-renewable-energy-law.html

Mid-Atlantic Wind Farms Take Step Forward (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017403629_apusoffshorewind.html

Why Google Invests in Clean Energy (The Energy Collective)

http://theenergycollective.com/marcgunther/75629/why-google-invests-clean-energy

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

'Discover Ductless' Campaign Encouraged Homeowners to try Efficient Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems (MarketWatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/discover-ductless-campaign-encouraged-homeowners-to-try-efficient-ductless-heating-and-cooling-systems-2012-02-02

Campaign Uses Humor to Get Homeowners to Go Ductless (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/2012/02/02/campaign-used-humor-to-get-homeowners-to-go-ductless/

Pacific Northwest Industrial Energy Program Surpasses Expectations (Environmental Leader)

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/02/industrial-energy-program-surpasses-expectations/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Three States - California, New York and Washington - to Require Insurers to Disclose Climate-Change Response Plans (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/business/energy-environment/three-states-tell-insurers-to-disclose-responses-to-climate-change.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Seattle's Green Jobs Program Still a Bust (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=621118

Seattle Program to Create 2,000 Green Jobs? Not Likely (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-program-to-create-2-000-green-jobs-Not-2936580.php

Snohomish County Green-Job Training Put on Hold after Program Produces Few Jobs (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120202/BIZ/702029905

Port Angeles Electric Vehicle Class for First Responders Fills Up (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120202/news/302029992/electric-vehicle-class-for-first-responders-fills-up

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Speeds in State Pick Up Pace (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017398357_brier02.html

Google's Plans for Kansas City Prompt Sale of Local Internet Company (Kansas City Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2012/02/01/googles-plans-for-kansas-city-prompt.html

Will Clean Power & Microgrids Be the Future of Data Centers? (Gigaom)

http://gigaom.com/cleantech/will-clean-power-and-microgrids-be-the-future-of-data-centers/

GENERAL NEWS

Historic Senate Vote Clears Way for Gay Marriage in Washington State (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017398387_gaymarriage02m.html

Mason County Customers Plugging in to Belfair Sewer (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/01/customers-plugging-in-to-belfair-sewer/

Environmental Groups Propose Plan to Replace Federal Forest Payments to Oregon Counties (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/02/environmental_groups_propose_p.html

Faulty Dishwashers, Fridges & Dryers Causing Fires, Says Consumer Reports (Northwest Cable News Network)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Home-appliance-fires-caused-by-products-themselves-says-report-138568354.html

DIVERSIONS

Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-punxsutawney-phil-predicts-six-more-weeks-of-winter-20120202,0,2858081.story

TV Station Using Puppets to Re-Enact Ohio Trial

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57362765/tv-station-using-puppets-to-re-enact-ohio-trial/

Woman Wins Small-Claims Suit over Honda Hybrid MPG

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Woman-wins-small-claims-suit-over-Honda-hybrid-mpg-2926944.php

Cardboard Cut Out Ayatollah Khomeini “Inspects” Iranian Military (This has GOT to be an “Onion” parody!)

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/cardboard-cut-ayatollah-khomeini-inspects-iranian-military-155653919.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Michael Bublé- Paper Doll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYUUBgn3ptg