Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Energy News Digest for August 10, 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

Energy Northwest Chooses New CEO (Associated Press)

Fitch: Pacific Northwest Public Power Utilities Face Unique Credit Risks (Earth Times)

Dry Conditions Prompt Avista Power-Line Changes (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Verizon, Google: Allow ISPs to Charge More for Premium Services (USA Today)

Plane Carrying Ex-Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Crashes; Five Dead (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Energy Northwest Chooses New CEO
·         Fitch: Pacific Northwest Public Power Utilities Face Unique Credit Risks
·         Dry Conditions Prompt Avista Power-Line Changes
·         City of Shelton to Turn Off Some Streetlights
·         McKenna is Actually Snubbing the Right in Goldmark Case
·         Vashon Eco-Saboteur Charged With Propositioning 13-Year-Old – Man had previously lost arm trying to sabotage an Orcas Power & Light substation
·         Indiana Counselor `Deeply Concerned' About Duke Coal Gasification Plant
·         Maryland – Governor O'Malley Calls for Review of Power Outages
·         Russian Wildfires Approach Nuclear Plants
·         In Crackdown on Energy Use, China to Shut 2,000 Factories
·         Nearly 200 Gigawatts of US Energy is Wasted
·         US Considers Curbs on Columbia Hatcheries
·         "Salmon Safe" Wines Catching On In the Northwest
·         Studies Seek to Find What Makes Poisonous Plankton Tick
·         Oregon - Scientists Attempt To Mimic Nature at Portland's Smith and Bybee Lakes
·         $1.1 Billion California Water Bond Delayed Until 2012
·         Sierra Pacific Wants Bigger Biomass Power Plant in Northern California
·         California - Modesto Irrigation District Wood-Burning Plant Debated
·         The Average Size of Wind Power Projects Resumed its Upward Trend
·         Small Hydro Renaissance
·         Canada Has Big Geothermal Potential, Industry Says
·         Solar Industry Pleads Obama to Help Restore Loan Guarantees
·         Window Solar Thin-Film with Over 20% Efficiency Potential
·         Insurance Companies Find There Is Money to Be Made in Green Technology
·         State Energy Code - Cost to Consumers, Business Key to Delay of New Energy Regulations
·         Editorial – St Peter Hospital Leads Way In Saving Energy
·         Russian Fires Prompt Kremlin to Abruptly Embrace Climate Change
·         New Rebates Available On More Appliances through Cash for Appliances Washington
·         Post-Copenhagen Quest for Global Warming Accord Stuck In Reverse
·         Greener Buses Hitting Olympia Area Streets
·         Editorial - Plug-Ins for Cars: Vancouver Joins Electric-Car Parade
·         Yeah, Solar And Wind Power Are Nice. But You Need The Grid To Get Off The Grid
·         Verizon, Google: Allow ISPs to Charge More for Premium Services
·         Google, Verizon CEOs Announce Pact for No Wireless Net Neutrality Rules
·         Web Plan from Google and Verizon Is Criticized
·         Google and Verizon’s Net Neutrality Compromise is Pretty Weak
·         Could A Solar Storm Send Us Back To The Stone Age?
·         Editorial - FCC Needs To Get Tough On Network Neutrality
·         Murray Introduces Bill to Expand Broadband Internet Access to Underserved Washington
·         Facebook Takes Different Oregon Approach Than Google
·         State Audit Finds Overcharges for Office Supplies
·         Lynnwood Council Wants Mayor's Resignation
·         Wash Supreme Court Bans Former Pierce County Judge
·         Plane Carrying Ex-Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Crashes; Five Dead
·         Weyerhaeuser Sells Company Railroads
·         Capital Land Trust Preserves Twin Rivers Ranch North of Shelton
·         Tumwater Teen Hacker Sentenced For Crashing Comcast
·         Organizer of Needle and Crack Pipe Exchange Defends Program

WORD OF THE DAY

Wildcatter • \WYLDE-katt-er\ • noun - 1: one that drills wells in the hope of finding oil in territory not known to be an oil field *2: one that promotes unsafe and unreliable enterprises; especially: one that sells stocks in such enterprises

George felt great about his new purchase…that is until the oily wildcatter left the room. The 2,000 shares of stock that George though was IBM stock at a bargain basement price of two dollars each turned out to be IPM stock, with the “P” cleverly formatted to almost look like a “B”.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Energy Northwest Chooses New CEO (Associated Press)

Fitch: Pacific Northwest Public Power Utilities Face Unique Credit Risks (Earth Times)

Dry Conditions Prompt Avista Power-Line Changes (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

City of Shelton to Turn Off Some Streetlights (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

McKenna is Actually Snubbing the Right in Goldmark Case (Publicola)

Vashon Eco-Saboteur Charged With Propositioning 13-Year-Old – Man had previously lost arm trying to sabotage an Orcas Power & Light substation (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Indiana Counselor `Deeply Concerned' About Duke Coal Gasification Plant (Associated Press)

Maryland – Governor O'Malley Calls for Review of Power Outages (Associated Press)

Russian Wildfires Approach Nuclear Plants (Wired UK)

In Crackdown on Energy Use, China to Shut 2,000 Factories (NY Times)

Nearly 200 Gigawatts of US Energy is Wasted (Clean Technica)

FISH & WILDLIFE

US Considers Curbs on Columbia Hatcheries (Wenatchee World, WA)

"Salmon Safe" Wines Catching On In the Northwest (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Studies Seek to Find What Makes Poisonous Plankton Tick (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Oregon - Scientists Attempt To Mimic Nature at Portland's Smith and Bybee Lakes (Oregonian, Portland)

$1.1 Billion California Water Bond Delayed Until 2012 (Sacramento Bee, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Sierra Pacific Wants Bigger Biomass Power Plant in Northern California (Redding Record-Searchlight, CA)

California - Modesto Irrigation District Wood-Burning Plant Debated: would burn wood from the region's orchards to make electricity (Modesto Bee, CA)

The Average Size of Wind Power Projects Resumed its Upward Trend (REVE)

Small Hydro Renaissance (Water Power Magazine)

Canada Has Big Geothermal Potential, Industry Says - Some 5,000 MW of potential power exists to be tapped (Reuters)

Solar Industry Pleads Obama to Help Restore Loan Guarantees (The Hill)

Window Solar Thin-Film with Over 20% Efficiency Potential (Renewable Energy Focus)

Insurance Companies Find There Is Money to Be Made in Green Technology (NY Times)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

State Energy Code - Cost to Consumers, Business Key to Delay of New Energy Regulations (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Editorial – St Peter Hospital leads way in saving energy (Olympian, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Russian Fires Prompt Kremlin to Abruptly Embrace Climate Change (Christian Science Monitor)

New Rebates Available On More Appliances through Cash for Appliances Washington (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Post-Copenhagen Quest for Global Warming Accord Stuck In Reverse (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Greener Buses Hitting Olympia Area Streets - Intercity Transit: Federal money facilitates purchase (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Plug-Ins for Cars: Vancouver Joins Electric-Car Parade with Commitment to Charging Stations (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Yeah, Solar And Wind Power Are Nice. But You Need The Grid To Get Off The Grid (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Verizon, Google: Allow ISPs to Charge More for Premium Services (USA Today)

Google, Verizon CEOs Announce Pact for No Wireless Net Neutrality Rules - Some Paid Prioritization (Washington Post)

Web Plan from Google and Verizon Is Criticized (NY Times)

Google and Verizon’s Net Neutrality Compromise is Pretty Weak (GigaOM)

Could A Solar Storm Send Us Back To The Stone Age? (Christian Science Monitor)

Editorial - FCC Needs To Get Tough On Network Neutrality (SF Chronicle)

Murray Introduces Bill to Expand Broadband Internet Access to Underserved Washington State Communities (US Senator Patty Murray)

Facebook Takes Different Oregon Approach Than Google (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

State Audit Finds Overcharges for Office Supplies - GA questions report that says Office Depot deal not monitored well enough (Olympian, WA)

Lynnwood Council Wants Mayor's Resignation – Anger management & sensitivity training recommended (KING-TV, Seattle)

Wash Supreme Court Bans Former Pierce County Judge (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Plane Carrying Ex-Alaska Senator Ted Stevens Crashes; Five Dead (Associated Press)

Weyerhaeuser Sells Company Railroads (Associated Press)

Capital Land Trust Preserves Twin Rivers Ranch North of Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Tumwater Teen Hacker Sentenced For Crashing Comcast (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Organizer of Needle and Crack Pipe Exchange Defends Program (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

BATS IN THE BELFRY - DIVERSIONS

Oregon Girl A Success In Second Lemonade Stand Try

Churchgoers, Strippers Protest One Another In Coshocton County

Oregon Residents Report Glow-In-The Dark Shrimp

SONG OF THE DAY

Three Dog Night - 'Til The World Ends