Friday, July 9, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 9, 2010

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Says Power Supply Should be Fine (Tri-City Herald, WA)

World on Track for Warmest Year on Record in 2010, U.S. Scientist Says

Idaho Falls Must Hold Vote before Renewing Contract to Buy Electricity (Associated Press)

Wood-Fired Power Plant - Mason County Commission NOT Holding Health Forum on ADAGE (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Richland breaks ground on solar power test project (Olympian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration Says Power Supply Should be Fine
·         Seattle Heats Up: No Sweat, Says City Light
·         4,200 South Mason Customers Have Electricity Restored (
·         Idaho Falls Must Hold Vote before Renewing Contract to Buy Electricity
·         Bonneville Power Administration Sets up Website to Monitor Power Consumption
·         Utilities Face the Decision Point of Big Shifts -- to Gas, Renewables & Efficiency
·         Editorial - Nuclear Regulatory Commission Seems Tainted on Yucca Mountain Decision
·         Backers of Palomar Gas Pipeline Say Project Is in Limbo
·         Obama Wants Billions More in Energy Tax Credits
·         Texas Dereg - Rule on Switching Power Providers Prompts Clash
·         24 Employees Laid Off at Alcoa Plant in Arkansas
·         AREVA Pursues Clean Energy Park Project in New Brunswick
·         Shellfish Toxin Found at Lethal Levels in Whatcom County
·         Kittitas County Seeks Water Permit Guidance
·         Smog Advisory Continues in Portland
·         California - Central Coast Growers, Environmentalists Spar over Proposed Water Quality Rules
·         Op/Ed - Public & Private: Restoring a Montana Spring Creek
·         Wood-Fired Power Plant - Mason County Commission NOT Holding Health Forum on ADAGE
·         Biomass Projects in Oregon Awarded $3 Million
·         Wood - Is Our Favorite Renewable Energy Source a Disaster?
·         Richland Breaks Ground On Solar Power Test Project
·         Massachusetts Attorney General Seeks Cape Wind’s Profit Estimates
·         Pickens Stops Plans for Wind Farm in Texas
·         Sacramento Municipal Utility District Signs 20-Year Deal for 60 Megawatts of Solar Power
·         North Carolina - Environmental Group Says Solar Power Costs Less than Nuclear
·         Why Renewable Energy Is at an Impasse
·         Going Green Doesn’t Work
·         Pennsylvania - Walking Tour of Wallenpaupack Dam
·         Editorial - Public Buildings Are Setting High ‘Green’ Standards in Olympia
·         World on Track for Warmest Year on Record in 2010, U.S. Scientist Says
·         Battle over California Climate Law Will Have National Ripple Effect
·         Sea Otters worth $700 Million in Carbon Credits
·         Sky’s the Limit for Kite Power
·         Spokane Ball Club Switches to Green Power
·         Oh Look, a Swamp Cooler - Beat the Heat with Your Green Homemade Air Conditioner
·         Dressing Down for the Heat - Might We Do as the Romans Do?
·         Bill to Ban San Francisco Pet Sales (Except for Fish) Aimed at Pet Owners?
·         Intuit Becoming An Online Services Company – Focuses on Quincy Operations
·         By the Numbers: Nearly Half a Billion Broadband Subscribers Worldwide
·         Internet Service Providers May Rage, But Uncle Sam Supports City-Owned Internet
·         Washington State Treasurer Says Standard & Poor’s Wrongly ‘Destroying’ State’s Fiscal Reputation
·         Senate Transportation Committee Chairwoman Seeks Nalley Valley Viaduct Query
·         Record Heat Throws High 90’s at Us - Cooler temperatures expected into the weekend
·         Body of Missing Boater Found in Mason County, Identified
·         Arson Suspected - Police Targeted in Fire at New Olympia City Hall
·         Greenpeace Founder Dies
·         East Grays Harbor County - Plans for New Mark Reed Hospital Unveiled
·         Get Facts Before Digging Viaduct Tunnel - You Dig?
·         Dissension over Ending Saturday Mail Delivery
·         Belfair Farmers Market: Where Family Traditions Are Made

WORD OF THE DAY

Struthious • \STROO-thee-us\ • adjective - Of or relating to the ostriches & related birds

“Digging a big hole in the ground underneath Seattle,” brayed the struthious tunnel supporter. “What could go wrong? Brightwater notwithstanding,” he uttered in sotto voce.

Did you know? “Struthious” can be scientific and literal, or it can be figurative with the meaning “ostrich-like,” as in our example sentence. The extended use suggests a tendency to bury one’s head in the sand like an ostrich. But do ostriches really do this? No -- the bird’s habit of lying down and flattening its neck and head against the ground to escape detection gave rise to the misconception. The word “struthious” has been fully visible in English since the 18th century. “Ostrich” is much older. Anglo-French speakers created “ostriz” from Vulgar Latin “avis struthio” (“ostrich bird”); Middle English speakers made it “ostrich” in the 13th century. Scientists seeking a genus word for ostriches turned back to Latin, choosing “struthio.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Says Power Supply Should be Fine (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Seattle Heats Up: No Sweat, Says City Light (Puget Sound Business Journal)

4,200 South Mason Customers Have Electricity Restored (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Idaho Falls Must Hold Vote before Renewing Contract to Buy Electricity (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Sets up Website to Monitor Power Consumption (Portland Business Journal)

Utilities Face the Decision Point of Big Shifts -- to Gas, Renewables & Efficiency “…120 coal-fired power plant projects were canceled over the last decade because of environmental & financing issues…” (NY Times)

Editorial - Nuclear Regulatory Commission Seems Tainted on Yucca Mountain Decision (Seattle Times)

Backers of Palomar Gas Pipeline Say Project Is in Limbo (Oregonian, Portland)

Obama Wants Billions More in Energy Tax Credits (Washington Post)

Texas Dereg - Rule on Switching Power Providers Prompts Clash: Consumers with unpaid bills would be barred from switching (Houston Chronicle, TX)

24 Employees Laid Off at Alcoa Plant in Arkansas (KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR)

AREVA Pursues Clean Energy Park Project in New Brunswick (Energy Online)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Shellfish Toxin Found at Lethal Levels in Whatcom County (KING-TV, Seattle)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kittitas County Seeks Water Permit Guidance (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Smog Advisory Continues in Portland (NW Cable News)

California - Central Coast Growers, Environmentalists Spar over Proposed Water Quality Rules (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Op/Ed - Public & Private: Restoring a Montana Spring Creek (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wood-Fired Power Plant - Mason County Commission NOT Holding Health Forum on ADAGE (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Biomass Projects in Oregon Awarded $3 Million (Daily Journal of Commerce, Oregon)

Wood - Is Our Favorite Renewable Energy Source a Disaster? (The New Republic)

Richland Breaks Ground On Solar Power Test Project (Olympian, WA)

Massachusetts Attorney General Seeks Cape Wind’s Profit Estimates (Boston Globe, MA)

Pickens Stops Plans for Wind Farm in Texas (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Signs 20-Year Deal for 60 Megawatts of Solar Power (Sacramento Business Journal)

North Carolina - Environmental Group Says Solar Power Costs Less than Nuclear (News & Observer, Raleigh, NC)

Why Renewable Energy Is at an Impasse (Minyanville)

Going Green Doesn’t Work (Front Page Magazine - Check out the photo…Yikes!)

Pennsylvania - Walking Tour of Wallenpaupack Dam “…learn about how the lake was created & how it produces clean, renewable energy…” (Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Editorial - Public Buildings Are Setting High ‘Green’ Standards in Olympia (Olympian, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

World on Track for Warmest Year on Record in 2010, U.S. Scientist Says (Bloomberg)

Battle over California Climate Law Will Have National Ripple Effect (Solve Climate)

Sea Otters worth $700 Million in Carbon Credits (New Scientist)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Sky’s the Limit for Kite Power (Tech News Daily)

Spokane Ball Club Switches to Green Power (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Oh Look, a Swamp Cooler - Beat the Heat with Your Green Homemade Air Conditioner (EcoFriend)

Dressing Down for the Heat - Might We Do as the Romans Do? (NY Times)

Bill to Ban San Francisco Pet Sales (Except for Fish) Aimed at Pet Owners? (SF Chronicle)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Intuit Becoming an Online Services Company “…The company also is making its data centers more efficient, in part by shutting down smaller offices & concentrating more of its operations in a…facility that it built in Quincy, Wash…” (SF Chronicle)

By the Numbers: Nearly Half a Billion Broadband Subscribers Worldwide (GigaOM)

Internet Service Providers May Rage, But Uncle Sam Supports City-Owned Internet (Ars Technica)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Treasurer Says Standard & Poor’s Wrongly ‘Destroying’ State’s Fiscal Reputation (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Senate Transportation Committee Chairwoman Seeks Nalley Valley Viaduct Query (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Record Heat Throws High 90’s at Us - Cooler temperatures expected into the weekend (Olympian, WA)

Body of Missing Boater Found in Mason County, Identified (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Arson Suspected - Police Targeted in Fire at New Olympia City Hall (Olympian, WA)

Greenpeace Founder Dies (Courthouse News Service)

East Grays Harbor County - Plans for New Mark Reed Hospital Unveiled (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Get Facts Before Digging Viaduct Tunnel - You Dig? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Dissension over Ending Saturday Mail Delivery (Associated Press)

Belfair Farmers Market: Where Family Traditions Are Made (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Man Holds His Mom Hostage for Not Ironing

Now Playing on Twitter: the LeBron James Unintentional Comedy Festival

Colbert Teams Up With UFW over Immigration - ‘Colbert Report’ Host Challenges Unemployed to Take Farm Jobs

Cat Burglar Takes Shine to Washing-Line Underwear

SONG OF THE DAY

Grateful Dead - Maggie’s Farm

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 8, 2010

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Heat Streak Peaking in Washington (Associated Press)

Body Found in Area Where Boater Ws Reported Missing in Mason County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Washington State PUD Association’s Relevance Questioned (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Group Files Suit over Pacific Northwest Power Plan & Salmon (iStock Analyst)

Yakima Valley Water Supply Will be Normal After All (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Washington State PUD Association’s Relevance Questioned
·         Puget Sound Energy Plans Upgrade to Gorst-Area Substation
·         Thanks to Hydropower - Ground Broken for BMW Parts Plant at Moses Lake
·         AREVA Gets $2 Billion Loan Guarantee for Idaho Enrichment Plant
·         Janney Will be Interim Chelan PUD Boss
·         Central Lincoln PUD Lineman Gets a Jolt from Contest
·         New Commander for Walla Walla Army Corps of Engineers
·         Get Out! Dam’s Heritage Center Honors Wanapum History
·         North Carolina’s 400 Year Old ‘Mother Grapevine’ Sprayed With Weed Killer; Dominion Power Says ‘Sorry’
·         Group Files Suit over Pacific Northwest Power Plan & Salmon
·         Sockeye Streaming Up Columbia at Record Pace - Count of 353,000 & growing tops 1947 mark
·         Confederated Colville Tribes & NRCS Welcome Spring Salmon
·         Determined Cowlitz River Sockeye Salmon Returns to Hatchery Three Times
·         California - $80 Million Pacific Gas & Electric Battle Creek Dam Removal Begins
·         Yakima Valley Water Supply Will be Normal After All
·         Flows KO Kayaks in Chelan Gorge
·         Solar Industry Powers Up Slowly in Washington
·         Raising the Bar on Biomass
·         United Kingdom - Waitrose Looks to Open First Biomass-Powered Store in Isle of Wight
·         Editorial - Subsidies Are Non-Renewable
·         Think Twice: Why Wind Power Mandates Are Wrong for the Northwest
·         Recurrent Sells Solar Energy to Sacramento
·         South Carolina - Rally against Chicken Litter Energy Plant Planned for Thursday in Lavonia
·         King County Plan: Cut Energy Use in Buildings by Ten Percent
·         US Department of Energy Lags in Saving Energy
·         Global Heat Wave Hits US, Reignites Climate Change Debate
·         Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Rise 3.2% This Year, EIA Projects
·         Congressional Budget Office Says Climate Bill Would Cut Deficit by $19 Billion
·         A Flush of Funding for Carbon Capture
·         Bold Public-Private Venture Aims to Make Portland an ‘Icon of Sustainability’
·         Not American Enough for Biofuel Funding?
·         Solar-Powered Plane Flies for 26 Hours
·         The Parking Lot as Solar Grove
·         Service Planned to Mourn Geese Euthanized in Bend
·         AT&T Network Glitch Limits iPhone 4 Upload Speeds
·         Monday Furlough for Many Washington State Agencies
·         Lawmaker Says ‘Stick It to Seattle’ Tunnel Provision ‘is Real’
·         Northwest Congressman Appears Teflon Despite Ethics Questions
·         Body Found in Area Where Boater Ws Reported Missing in Mason County
·         Heat Streak Peaking in Washington
·         Mason County under Heat Advisory from National Weather Service
·         High Temps Could Create Smog in Washington
·         Surveyors Taking New Measure of Mount Rainier
·         Over Stalled Hawaiian Garbage - Suit Filed Against Trash Shipping Company
·         Workers Busy at Olympia City Hall Site

WORD OF THE DAY

Pensive • \PENT-sive\ • adjective - 1: musingly or dreamily thoughtful 2: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness

Darlene sat at her desk, her pensive expression looking to the entire world as if she was trying to solve a “dark matter” problem for her upcoming physics treatise. Unknown to her admiring observers was that her dreamy expression was hiding the fact that she had just finished her “New York Times” crossword puzzle in record time.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State PUD Association’s Relevance Questioned (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Puget Sound Energy Plans Upgrade to Gorst-Area Substation (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Ground Broken for BMW Parts Plant at Moses Lake “…drawn to central Washington…by cheap & sustainable hydropower…” (Associated Press)

AREVA Gets $2 Billion Loan Guarantee for Idaho Enrichment Plant (Nuclear Street)

Janney Will be Interim Chelan PUD Boss (Wenatchee World, WA)

Central Lincoln PUD Lineman Gets a Jolt from Contest (Newport News Times, OR)

New Commander for Walla Walla Army Corps of Engineers (Associated Press)

Get Out! Dam’s Heritage Center Honors Wanapum History (Wenatchee World, WA)

North Carolina’s 400 Year Old ‘Mother Grapevine’ Sprayed With Weed Killer; Dominion Power Says ‘Sorry’ (WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Group Files Suit over Pacific Northwest Power Plan & Salmon (iStock Analyst)

Sockeye Streaming Up Columbia at Record Pace - Count of 353,000 & growing tops 1947 mark (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Confederated Colville Tribes & NRCS Welcome Spring Salmon (Indian Country Today)

Determined Cowlitz River Sockeye Salmon Returns to Hatchery Three Times (Seattle Times)

California - $80 Million Pacific Gas & Electric Battle Creek Dam Removal Begins (Redding Record Searchlight, CA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Yakima Valley Water Supply Will be Normal After All (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Flows KO Kayaks in Chelan Gorge (Wenatchee World, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Industry Powers Up Slowly in Washington (Seattle Times)

Raising the Bar on Biomass (NY Times)

United Kingdom - Waitrose Looks to Open First Biomass-Powered Store in Isle of Wight (Green Wise)

Editorial - Subsidies Are Non-Renewable (The Shelby Star, NC)

Think Twice: Why Wind Power Mandates Are Wrong for the Northwest (National Center for Policy Analysis)

Recurrent Sells Solar Energy to Sacramento (SF Chronicle)

South Carolina - Rally against Chicken Litter Energy Plant Planned for Thursday in Lavonia (Independent Mail, Anderson, SC)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

King County Plan: Cut Energy Use in Buildings by Ten Percent (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

US Department of Energy Lags in Saving Energy (NY Times)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global Heat Wave Hits US, Reignites Climate Change Debate (Christian Science Monitor)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Rise 3.2% This Year, EIA Projects (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Congressional Budget Office Says Climate Bill Would Cut Deficit by $19 Billion – Money to come from sale of carbon credits in so-called a cap-and-trade plan (Associated Press)

A Flush of Funding for Carbon Capture (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Bold Public-Private Venture Aims to Make Portland an ‘Icon of Sustainability’ (NY Times – Now, about that coal plant…)

Not American Enough for Biofuel Funding? (Courthouse News Service)

Solar-Powered Plane Flies for 26 Hours

The Parking Lot as Solar Grove

Service Planned to Mourn Geese Euthanized in Bend (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AT&T Network Glitch Limits iPhone 4 Upload Speeds (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Monday Furlough for Many Washington State Agencies (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Lawmaker Says ‘Stick It to Seattle’ Tunnel Provision ‘is Real’ (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Northwest Congressman Appears Teflon Despite Ethics Questions (NW Public Radio)

GENERAL NEWS

Body Found in Area Where Boater Ws Reported Missing in Mason County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Heat Streak Peaking in Washington (Associated Press)

Mason County under Heat Advisory from National Weather Service (Mason County PUD No. 3)

High Temps Could Create Smog in Washington (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Surveyors Taking New Measure of Mount Rainier (Associated Press)

Over Stalled Hawaiian Garbage - Suit Filed Against Trash Shipping Company (Associated Press)

Workers Busy at Olympia City Hall Site - Crews work on surrounding roads (Olympian, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Official Iranian Haircut List: No Mullets, Ponytails, or Spikes

Bulls Thundering Through Pamplona for Annual Fiesta

Man Arrested After Lawnmower Ride on Highway

Egypt Unveils Discovery of 4,300-Year-Old Tombs

SONG OF THE DAY

Haircut 100 - Love Plus One (THESE guys haircuts would most likely be illegal in Iran!)