Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Energy News Digest for October 19, 2010

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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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Nebraska - Explosion Rocks MidAmerican Energy Plant (Sioux City Journal, SD)

Lake Mead Hits Record Low Level (NY Times)

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Approve New Residential Rate Structure (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Lewis Count PUD Rates Hold Steady, Residential Loan Program Revived (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Study Up During Winter Weather Awareness Week (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  • Nebraska - Explosion Rocks MidAmerican Energy Plant
  • Natural Gas Disaster - San Bruno Blast Victims Get Buyout Offer from Pacific Gas & Electric
  • Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Approve New Residential Rate Structure
  • Lewis Count PUD Rates Hold Steady, Residential Loan Program Revived
  • October 21 – Mason County PUD No. 3 Has Planned Power Outage for Harstine Island Area
  • Small Hydro Holds Promise for Oregon
  • California - $33 Million in Energy Stimulus Funds Put in Jeopardy
  • Former EPA Chief Whitman Wants Place for Nuclear
  • Renewed Tennessee Valley Authority Projects Could Spark Business for Areva, B&W
  • Pennsylvania - Energy Companies Getting Ready to Go After Peco Customers
  • Ohio - Hot Weather Helps American Electric Power Company's 3Q Profit Rise 25 Percent
  • British Telecom BT Takes Copper Theft Fight to Next Level
  • Editorial - A Kink in Bonneville Power Administration's Willamette River Plan
  • Five Great Lakes States Make Final Pitch to Close Locks To Carp
  • Lake Mead Hits Record Low Level
  • Sewage Problem in Seattle Neighborhood Polluting Lake Washington
  • (Rate) Increase(s) Part of Shelton's Water Rate Restructuring
  • Duwamish River Cleanup Could Cost More Than $1 Billion
  • More Join in Court Fight over Port Angeles Fluoride
  • Olympia’s Capitol Lake Snail Seclusion Successful
  • (Bio)Mass Confusion - High costs & environmental concerns have pushed biomass power to the sidelines in the US
  • Wind Turbine Manufacturer Vestas Using Potentially Harmful Chemicals
  • Wind Turbines Should be Painted Purple to Deter Bats, Scientists Claim
  • Mega-Loads: Wind Turbine Superloads Are Spectacular
  • Editorial - As Renewable Energy Kicks In: Get Ready to Pay More for Power. A Lot More
  • Fluor Sees United Kingdom Wind Project Delays Hitting Third Quarter Results
  • Energy-Efficient Homes, Courtesy of Federal Tax Credit
  • California - If Proposition 23 Passes, Will Other Greenhouse-Gas Laws Fall?
  • Ozone Shrinkage Shows Beauty in Co-Operation
  • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Releases Air Quality Plan
  • In Kansas, Climate Skeptics Embrace Cleaner Energy
  • Another Downside to Biomass - Out-Of-State Firewood Could Carry Invasive Species
  • Your Barbecue Could Kill You This Winter
  • Dassie (Rock Hyrax) Dung the Key to Climate Shift
  • Chelan County PUD Posts Fiber Optic Locations
  • Internet Users to Exceed 2 Billion This Year
  • Microsoft Puts Office in the Cloud, Calling It Office 365
  • Verizon Scraps $3.50 Fee to Simply Pay FiOS Bill
  • E-Mail’s Alive & Well Despite Reports to Contrary
  • Etiquette Schools Thriving in Emoticon Era
  • Congressional Races - Heck-Herrera Race Takes Spending Title
  • Study Up During Winter Weather Awareness Week
  • Goat That Gored Hiker in Olympic Mountains Known as Aggressive
  • Judge Upholds $12.7 Million Award For Injured Seattle Firefighter
  • Former Washington State Fish & Wildlife Worker Fined
  • Thieving Home Depot Employee Sentenced
  • Boeing Raises Health-Plan Costs for Most Nonunion Workers – Except in SC
  • Tacoma Pot Providers Vow to Fight City Shutdown
  • Tacoma’s Secret Tunnels: Fact or Fiction?

WORD OF THE DAY

Paramour • \PAH-ruh-moor\ • noun - Secret lover; or, simply a lover

The king’s paramour idly spun her gaily-colored parasol between her hands. Sitting on a cold stone bench outside the palace, shadowed from all onlookers by towering hedges of dark green yew, Wallis Simpson pondered what affect her love with the British regent would have on the future of the monarchy and the English Empire.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS



Nebraska - Explosion Rocks MidAmerican Energy Plant (Sioux City Journal, SD)

Natural Gas Disaster - San Bruno Blast Victims Get Buyout Offer from Pacific Gas & Electric (SF Chronicle)

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioners Approve New Residential Rate Structure (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Lewis Count PUD Rates Hold Steady, Residential Loan Program Revived (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

October 21 – Mason County PUD No. 3 Has Planned Power Outage for Harstine Island Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Small Hydro Holds Promise for Oregon (Sustainable Business Oregon)

California - $33 Million in Energy Stimulus Funds Put in Jeopardy (SF Chronicle)

Former EPA Chief Whitman Wants Place for Nuclear (Associated Press)

Renewed Tennessee Valley Authority Projects Could Spark Business for Areva, B&W (Poten & Partners)

Pennsylvania - Energy Companies Getting Ready to Go After Peco Customers (Philadelphia Inquirer, PA)

Ohio - Hot Weather Helps American Electric Power Company's 3Q Profit Rise 25 Percent (Associated Press)

British Telecom BT Takes Copper Theft Fight to Next Level - DNA-laced smartwater traps make copper theft harder (Broadband Reports)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Editorial - A Kink in Bonneville Power Administration's Willamette River Plan (Oregonian, Portland)

Five Great Lakes States Make Final Pitch to Close Locks To Carp (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lake Mead Hits Record Low Level (NY Times)

Sewage Problem in Seattle Neighborhood Polluting Lake Washington (KING TV, Seattle)

(Rate) Increase(s) Part of Shelton's Water Rate Restructuring (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Duwamish River Cleanup Could Cost More Than $1 Billion (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

More Join in Court Fight over Port Angeles Fluoride (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Olympia’s Capitol Lake Snail Seclusion Successful - Efforts to halt invasive mud snail's spread from Capitol Lake to other areas seems to be working (Olympian, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

(Bio)Mass Confusion - High costs & environmental concerns have pushed biomass power to the sidelines in the US (Wall Street Journal)

Wind Turbine Manufacturer Vestas Using Potentially Harmful Chemicals - Records show Windsor plant has been cited for violations (The Coloradan, Fort Collins, CO)

Wind Turbines Should be Painted Purple to Deter Bats, Scientists Claim (The Telegraph, UK)

Mega-Loads: Wind Turbine Superloads Are Spectacular (Truck News)

Editorial - As Renewable Energy Kicks In: Get Ready to Pay More for Power. A Lot More (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Fluor Sees United Kingdom Wind Project Delays Hitting Third Quarter Results (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy-Efficient Homes, Courtesy of Federal Tax Credit - An expiring tax credit is pushing homeowners to boost energy efficiency (Christian Science Monitor)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California - If Proposition 23 Passes, Will Other Greenhouse-Gas Laws Fall? (Christian Science Monitor)

Ozone Shrinkage Shows Beauty in Co-Operation (Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Releases Air Quality Plan (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

In Kansas, Climate Skeptics Embrace Cleaner Energy (NY T Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Another Downside to Biomass - Out-Of-State Firewood Could Carry Invasive Species (Oregon Public Broadcasting)



Dassie (Rock Hyrax) Dung the Key to Climate Shift (Weekend Post, South Africa)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Chelan County PUD Posts Fiber Optic Locations (Wenatchee World, WA)

Internet Users to Exceed 2 Billion This Year (Reuters)

Microsoft Puts Office in the Cloud, Calling It Office 365 (Seattle Times)

Verizon Scraps $3.50 Fee to Simply Pay FiOS Bill (Broadband Reports)

E-Mail’s Alive & Well Despite Reports to Contrary (Seattle Times)

Etiquette Schools Thriving in Emoticon Era (SF Chronicle)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Congressional Races - Heck-Herrera Race Takes Spending Title: Contributions pass record $5 million in 3rd Dist. Campaign (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Study Up During Winter Weather Awareness Week (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Goat That Gored Hiker in Olympic Mountains Known as Aggressive (Associated Press)

Judge Upholds $12.7 Million Award For Injured Seattle Firefighter - Video touted by city didn't show extent of his injuries, judge says (Seattle Times)

Former Washington State Fish & Wildlife Worker Fined (Associated Press)

Thieving Home Depot Employee Sentenced (Seattle Post Intelligencer) http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/225273.asp

Boeing Raises Health-Plan Costs for Most Nonunion Workers - changes won't affect nonunion employees in Charleston, SSC (Seattle Times)

Tacoma Pot Providers Vow to Fight City Shutdown - City orders 8 dispensaries to close; dispute is over wording in state law (Olympian, WA)

Tacoma’s Secret Tunnels: Fact or Fiction? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)


DIVERSIONS

Professors: Send Colonists to Mars with No Return Ticket (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Seattle Best City to Trick-Or-Treat; Portland Ranked Third

Halloween Display on Tieton Upsetting Neighbors

Woman caught throwing cat into trash pleads guilty

SONG OF THE DAY

David Bowie - Life on Mars

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - Life on Mars