Thursday, August 12, 2010

Energy News Digest for August 12, 2010

The News Digest will be wandering on strange beaches August 16-27. And on those beaches I see stones; strange stones…weird stones. Jasper, agates, sandstone, tumbled glass… (With all due respect to Groucho Marx’s “Strange Interlude”)

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

Violent Power Protests Break Out in Bangladesh (Zeenews)

Quebec, Vermont Sign Long-Term Hydro Deal - A boost to the Quebec government’s campaign to portray Quebec power as green & renewable in the lucrative US market (Montreal Gazette, Quebec)

BPA/Mason County PUD 3 Smart Grid Project Will Let Wind Farms “Talk” to Appliances: When the wind blows, water heaters fire up (Bonneville Power Administration)

Washington State Jobs Act Awards $17 Million for Energy Cost Savings in Public Schools (Governor’s Office)

Broadband Stimulus Funds Trimmed by $302 Million - As part of bill aimed at saving teachers’ jobs (Broadband Reports)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  • Violent Power Protests Break Out in Bangladesh
  • Reservoir Drawdown to Start for Boundary Dam Maintenance
  • Quebec, Vermont Sign Long-Term Hydro Deal
  • Snohomish PUD Website Offers More Tools, Better Service
  • Op/Ed – Alaska: Who owns Homer Electric Association?
  • TNA Merchant Projects, Inc. vs. FERC & BPA over Chehalis Power Generating, L.L.C.
  • Futuregen – Illinois Town Rejects Billion-Dollar Energy Project
  • Report Highlights Split Among Utilities on EPA’s ‘Transport’ Rule for Air Pollution
  • For the First Time since 1991 Some Sockeye Salmon Will Cross the Finish Line of Their 900-Mile Journey to Redfish Lake on Their Own
  • British Columbia Sockeye Run a Happy Fish Tale So Far
  • Lawsuit over Quilcene Hatchery Permit Settled
  • Coastal Salmon Fishing Still Moving Along at a Good Clip
  • Oregon-Washington Test Set for Alternative Fishing Gear
  • Rogue River Carves Its Way around Gold Ray Dam Ahead of Schedule
  • BPA/Mason County PUD 3 Smart Grid Project Will Let Wind Farms “Talk” to Appliances
  • Oregon Tries Foreclosure on Pronghorn Golf Resort Solar Project near Bend
  • Public Hearing on Proposed Cle Elum Solar Project
  • Solar Energy Payoff Jolts Customers into Action
  • Oregon - Iberdrola’s Biomass Move May Clear the Air
  • Ohio - FirstEnergy Corp. Gets Permission to Burn Biomass as Sustainable Energy Source
  • Two Vermont Communities Consider Small Wood Power Plant
  • North Carolina - Burning Trees Stretches the Meaning of “Renewable”
  • The Big Wind-Power Cover-Up
  • US Renewables Industry Wary of Government Pledges to Restore ‘Borrowed’ Billions
  • Piper Jaffray CleanTech fund spending $100 Million
  • Washington State Jobs Act Awards $17 Million for Energy Cost Savings in Public Schools
  • Kennewick Going Green, Saving Money
  • LED Bulb Edges Below $20
  • Wisconsin - Juneau Rejects Energy Grant
  • Carbon Pricing Called Key to Coal Pollution Plan
  • US Dept of Energy Awards $21.3 Million to Study Carbon Dioxide Underground Storage
  • Deutsche Bank Spurns US for Lack of Climate Investment
  • What Price Electricity? Detroit Area Utility Sets Monthly EV Recharge Rate
  • Broadband Stimulus Funds Trimmed by $302 Million - As part of bill aimed at saving teachers’ jobs
  • Hood Canal Communications Gets Grant to Expand Broadband
  • Spokane Cable Theft Cuts Services to Comcast Customers
  • 59% Don’t Know What Fiber to the Home Is
  • Many Americans Don’t Want Government to Push Fast Internet
  • Web Plan Is Dividing Companies
  • For Better or Worse, Google Is a Nation-State
  • Irony - Microsoft Suggests Chrome as Workaround for Hotmail Issues
  • Judge Says R-71 Signatures Will Remain Secret for Now
  • Study: Privatized Booze Sales Could Cost State $500 Million
  • Spokeswoman: State’s Booze Estimate a ‘Bogus Scare Tactic’
  • Washington State Removes 6,200 People from Health Care Coverage – Didn’t Qualify
  • Judge Critical of Lynnwood Mayor’s Treatment of Female Staff
  • Deputies Say Boy, 8, Shot Brother in Star Lake
  • Murder charged in Tenino slaying
  • Seismic Devices Added as Harmless Tremor Slides Under Olympic Peninsula
  • University of Idaho Worker Killed by Lightning Strike
  • And So It Goes - Washington State Attorney General Sues Makers of LCD Panels over Prices
  • Perseid Meteor Shower over Northwest Tonight
  • Whitman College Is State’s Tops, Says Forbes
  • Shelton Adds Ninth-Graders to 2010-11 Sports Teams
  • It’s Official: Mt. Rainier Is Still as Tall as We Thought

WORD OF THE DAY

Docile • \DOSS-ill\ • adjective - 1: easily taught 2: easily led or managed

Ambrose strode through his docile minions, pleased that for once he was in charge. The group in the stenographers’ pool parted like the ocean before the prow of a giant ship as he passed by. “This is great,” he pondered. “Once I replaced those troublesome employees with Shropshire sheep, complaints dropped off at once.” “Of course,” he mused, “These smelly ruminants get nothing done all day but fertilize the carpet.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Violent Power Protests Break Out in Bangladesh (Zeenews)

Reservoir Drawdown to Start for Boundary Dam Maintenance (Electric Energy Online)

Quebec, Vermont Sign Long-Term Hydro Deal - A boost to the Quebec government’s campaign to portray Quebec power as green & renewable in the lucrative US market (Montreal Gazette, Quebec)

Snohomish PUD Website Offers More Tools, Better Service (Edmonds Beacon, WA)

Op/Ed – Alaska: Who owns Homer Electric Association? (Homer Tribune, AK)

TNA Merchant Projects, Inc. vs. FERC & BPA over Chehalis Power Generating, L.L.C., petitions for review of two orders - United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit (Leagle)

Futuregen – Illinois Town Rejects Billion-Dollar Energy Project (SF Chronicle)

Report Highlights Split Among Utilities on EPA’s ‘Transport’ Rule for Air Pollution (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

For the First Time since 1991 Some Sockeye Salmon Will Cross the Finish Line of Their 900-Mile Journey to Redfish Lake on Their Own (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

British Columbia Sockeye Run a Happy Fish Tale So Far (BC Local News)

Lawsuit over Quilcene Hatchery Permit Settled (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Coastal Salmon Fishing Still Moving Along at a Good Clip (Seattle Times)

Oregon-Washington Test Set for Alternative Fishing Gear (Associated Press)

Rogue River Carves Its Way around Gold Ray Dam Ahead of Schedule (Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE ENERGY

BPA/Mason County PUD 3 Smart Grid Project Will Let Wind Farms “Talk” to Appliances: When the wind blows, water heaters fire up (Bonneville Power Administration)

Oregon Tries Foreclosure on Pronghorn Golf Resort Solar Project near Bend (Associated Press)

Public Hearing on Proposed Cle Elum Solar Project (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Solar Energy Payoff Jolts Customers into Action (Mukilteo Beacon, WA)

Oregon - Iberdrola’s Biomass Move May Clear the Air (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Ohio - FirstEnergy Corp. Gets Permission to Burn Biomass as Sustainable Energy Source “...swept aside arguments from environmentalists & a wind industry trade group that burning trees to make power is not sustainable…” (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

Two Vermont Communities Consider Small Wood Power Plant (Burlington Free Press, VT)

North Carolina - Burning Trees Stretches the Meaning of “Renewable” (Indy Week)

The Big Wind-Power Cover-Up (Investors’ Business Daily)

US Renewables Industry Wary of Government Pledges to Restore ‘Borrowed’ Billions (Solve Climate)

Piper Jaffray CleanTech fund spending $100 Million (Sustainable Business Oregon)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Washington State Jobs Act Awards $17 Million for Energy Cost Savings in Public Schools (Governor’s Office)

Link to the award list (PDF File):

Kennewick Going Green, Saving Money (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

LED Bulb Edges Below $20 (NY Times)

Wisconsin - Juneau Rejects Energy Grant “…the cost of compliance appeared to outweigh the benefits of the grant…” (Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, WI)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Pricing Called Key to Coal Pollution Plan (Associated Press)

US Dept of Energy Awards $21.3 Million to Study Carbon Dioxide Underground Storage (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Deutsche Bank Spurns US for Lack of Climate Investment (Reuters)

What Price Electricity? Detroit Area Utility Sets Monthly EV Recharge Rate (Motor Trend)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Stimulus Funds Trimmed by $302 Million - As part of bill aimed at saving teachers’ jobs (Broadband Reports)

Hood Canal Communications Gets Grant to Expand Broadband (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Spokane Cable Theft Cuts Services to Comcast Customers (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

59% Don’t Know What Fiber to the Home Is - Fiber users most satisfied, says group that sells fiber (Broadband Reports)

Many Americans Don’t Want Government to Push Fast Internet (Reuters)

Web Plan Is Dividing Companies (NY Times)

For Better or Worse, Google Is a Nation-State (GigaOM)

Irony - Microsoft Suggests Chrome as Workaround for Hotmail Issues (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Judge Says R-71 Signatures Will Remain Secret for Now (KING-TV, Seattle)

Study: Privatized Booze Sales Could Cost State $500 Million (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Spokeswoman: State’s Booze Estimate a ‘Bogus Scare Tactic’ (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Washington State Removes 6,200 People from Health Care Coverage – Didn’t Qualify (Associated Press)

Judge Critical of Lynnwood Mayor’s Treatment of Female Staff - Don Gough verbally attacks & demeans female subordinates, judge writes (Everett Herald, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Deputies Say Boy, 8, Shot Brother in Star Lake (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Murder charged in Tenino slaying (Olympian, WA – Note: warning about case details may be disturbing)

Seismic Devices Added as Harmless Tremor Slides Under Olympic Peninsula (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

University of Idaho Worker Killed by Lightning Strike (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

And So It Goes - Washington State Attorney General Sues Makers of LCD Panels over Prices (Associated Press)

Perseid Meteor Shower over Northwest Tonight (Northwest Cable News)

Whitman College Is State’s Tops, Says Forbes (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Shelton Adds Ninth-Graders to 2010-11 Sports Teams (Olympian, WA)

It’s Official: Mt. Rainier Is Still as Tall as We Thought (Seattle Times)

DIVERSIONS

New Zealand - Teen Pageant Winner Loses Crown after Dyeing Hair Brown

Paris Hilton Sued for $35M for Wearing Wrong Hair

The Beer Popsicle

Industry Body Wants Proctor & Gamble to Change Bear Ads over Toilet Paper Claims

SONG OF THE DAY

Phil Harris – The Bare Necessities