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
Energy Northwest Wins Nearly $49 Million Judgment over Spent Nuclear Fuel (Associated Press)
Kitsap County - Copper Thieves Leave Puget Sound Energy Substation Dark (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Work to Start This Summer on Extension of Kitsap PUD’s Fiber Optic Network (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Farm Tests Out Smart-Grid-Like Irrigation System – Simplot, Bonneville Power Administration, Local Utilities Running the Pilot (Associated Press)
Dangerous Heat Wave Forecast for Half the Country (USA Today)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Energy Northwest Wins Nearly $49 Million Judgment over Spent Nuclear Fuel
- Kitsap County - Copper Thieves Leave Puget Sound Energy Substation Dark
- Puget Sound Energy Goes Special Ops on Copper Thieves
- Washington State Steps in to Help Handle a Coal Port Proposal in Bellingham
- Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal Plans Reverse from Importing to Exporting Gas
- Montana – Bonneville Power Administration Work to Cause Brief Power Outages in Flathead County
- City of Vancouver & Bonneville Power Administration – Stormwater Fees
- Chelan PUD Crews Update Vintage Power Lin
- California - Pacific Gas & Electric, Feds Disagree on Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Fault Danger
- Massachusetts - State Seeks Delay in NStar, Northeast Utilities Merger
- Delaware - Electricity options dwindling in Delaware
- Hydromania Offers Hands-On Science Fun
- Salmon-Eating Sea Lions Targeted for Good Taste
- Sockeye Run Picks Up, Could be Fourth Largest Since 1980; Over 2,000 Snake River Fish Forecasted
- Bonneville Power Briefs Council on Projected Fish, Wildlife Project Spending for FY 2012
- Minnesota Government Shutdown Means State Muskie Record Stands
- Port Angeles Dioxin Level High, But Risk Not Great, Experts Say After Study by Ecology Department
- Federal Money to Pay for Grays Harbor Restoration
- Oregon - Prineville Looks to Ancient River for More Water
- Montana Crews Finish Pulling Oil from Exxon Pipeline
- Idaho Congressman’s Bill Would Speed Geothermal Exploration
- Oregon - Gresham Hasn’t Given Up on Bringing Thin-Film Solar Plant to Town
- Feds Revisit Program for Solar Development
- The Groupon for Solar Looks Nationwide
- Wind Power Fails to Sail in South Dakota
- Colorado - Family Continues High Country Hydropower Tradition
- Quest for Renewable Power Turns Back to Water
- Florida – Gainesville’s Biomass Plant: Is There No Turning Back Now?
- Forest Service to Fund Woody Biomass Energy Studies
- United Kingdom - Poultry Farmers Switch on to Green Energy
- NFL’s Washington Redskins Use Solar to Power Stadium, Protect Tailgaters
- Farm Tests Out Smart-Grid-Like Irrigation System
- Bonneville Power Administration Encourages Farmers to Get Water Efficient
- Kudos to GridMobility & Mason PUD 3 - Five Smart Grid Startups to Watch
- Wrapping the Cost of Energy Improvements into a Mortgage
- Light Bulb Wars: Where It All Began
- Editorial - Light-Bulb Standards Equal Energy Efficiency
- Columnist - Cutting Need for Energy by Using Less of It
- Lighting the Energy Hopes of the Grid-Less
- Work to Start This Summer on Extension of Kitsap PUD’s Fiber Optic Network
- Oregon - Sandy’s City-Run Internet Will Deliver High Speed at Low Costs
- Phone Hackers Stick Bellevue Business with $90,000 Bill
- Las Vegas: Home to Carrot Top & The ‘World’s Greenest’ Data Center?
- Pierce County Unions Forgo Pay Bumps to Help Budget Problems
- Rural Lawmakers Hold Tight to Power as States Change
- Cantwell Builds a Political Firewall - With Greenbacks
- Dangerous Heat Wave Forecast for Half the Country
- Police in San Francisco Kill Man Wanted for Death of Pregnant Seattle Teen
- First Wave Moves into Washington State Data Center Complex
- China Edges Out US as Top British Columbia Lumber Customer
- The Race Is On - Backers Hope Two Local Motorsports Parks Aren’t Too Many
- Washington State Litter Hotline Shut Down by Budget Cuts; Signs to Remain
- China’s Hypergrowth Fueled by Building Giant Cities No One Lives In
WORD OF THE DAY
Propitious • \pruh-PISH-us\ • Adjective - 1: favorably disposed: benevolent 2: being of good omen: auspicious 3: tending to favor: advantageous
The wizened, secretive hermit greedily rubbed his gnarled, wrinkled hands together in glee. His dissipation, caused by copious amounts of ‘RC Cola” and “Moon Pies” over the years had given him a corpulent, “Jabba-the-Hut” form. The only benefit of his condition was when the local “Jedi-Knight” gathering occurred at the community center. “How propitious.” he cackled, “using Jedi-mind tricks in reverse: You cannot resist feeding Jabba,” he practiced before the mirror.
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Energy Northwest Wins Nearly $49 Million Judgment over Spent Nuclear Fuel (Associated Press)
Kitsap County - Copper Thieves Leave Puget Sound Energy Substation Dark (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Puget Sound Energy Goes Special Ops on Copper Thieves (KING-TV, Seattle – Golly, this video surveillance looks familiar…)
Washington State Steps in to Help Handle a Coal Port Proposal in Bellingham (Crosscut Seattle)
Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal Plans Reverse from Importing to Exporting Gas (Oregonian, Portland)
Montana – Bonneville Power Administration Work to Cause Brief Power Outages in Flathead County (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)
City of Vancouver & Bonneville Power Administration – Stormwater Fees (Bonneville Power Administration)
Chelan PUD Crews Update Vintage Power Line (Wenatchee World, WA)
California - Pacific Gas & Electric, Feds Disagree on Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Fault Danger (SF Chronicle)
Massachusetts - State Seeks Delay in NStar, Northeast Utilities Merger - Months-long review could stall deal (Boston Globe, MA)
Delaware - Electricity options dwindling in Delaware (News Journal, New Castle, DE)
Hydromania Offers Hands-On Science Fun (East Oregonian, Pendleton)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Salmon-Eating Sea Lions Targeted for Good Taste (National Public Radio)
Sockeye Run Picks Up, Could be Fourth Largest Since 1980; Over 2,000 Snake River Fish Forecasted (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
Bonneville Power Briefs Council on Projected Fish, Wildlife Project Spending for FY 2012 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
Minnesota Government Shutdown Means State Muskie Record Stands (Associated Press)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Port Angeles Dioxin Level High, But Risk Not Great, Experts Say After Study by Ecology Department (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
Federal Money to Pay for Grays Harbor Restoration (Associated Press)
Oregon - Prineville Looks to Ancient River for More Water (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Montana Crews Finish Pulling Oil from Exxon Pipeline (Associated Press)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Idaho Congressman’s Bill Would Speed Geothermal Exploration (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
Oregon - Gresham Hasn’t Given Up on Bringing Thin-Film Solar Plant to Town (Oregonian, Portland)
Feds Revisit Program for Solar Development (Associated Press)
The Groupon for Solar Looks Nationwide (GigaOM)
Wind Power Fails to Sail in South Dakota - Puttering economy, cheap natural gas hinder faster growth (Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, SD)
Colorado - Family Continues High Country Hydropower Tradition (Pueblo Chieftain, CO)
Quest for Renewable Power Turns Back to Water (Associated Press)
Florida – Gainesville’s Biomass Plant: Is There No Turning Back Now? (Gainesville Sun, FL)
Forest Service to Fund Woody Biomass Energy Studies (Omaha World-Herald, NE)
United Kingdom - Poultry Farmers Switch on to Green Energy (Farmers’ Weekly)
NFL’s Washington Redskins Use Solar to Power Stadium, Protect Tailgaters (Reuters)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Farm Tests Out Smart-Grid-Like Irrigation System – Simplot, Bonneville Power Administration, Local Utilities Running the Pilot (Associated Press)
Bonneville Power Administration Encourages Farmers to Get Water Efficient - Installing new equipment could bring down usage dramatically (East Oregonian, Pendleton)
Kudos to GridMobility & Mason PUD 3 - Five Smart Grid Startups to Watch (GigaOM)
Wrapping the Cost of Energy Improvements into a Mortgage (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Light Bulb Wars: Where It All Began (Midwest Energy News)
Editorial - Light-Bulb Standards Equal Energy Efficiency (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Columnist - Cutting Need for Energy by Using Less of It (NY Times)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Lighting the Energy Hopes of the Grid-Less (NY Times)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Work to Start This Summer on Extension of Kitsap PUD’s Fiber Optic Network (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Oregon - Sandy’s City-Run Internet Will Deliver High Speed at Low Costs (Oregonian, Portland)
Phone Hackers Stick Bellevue Business with $90,000 Bill (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Las Vegas: Home to Carrot Top & The ‘World’s Greenest’ Data Center? (Gigaom)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Pierce County Unions Forgo Pay Bumps to Help Budget Problems (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
Rural Lawmakers Hold Tight to Power as States Change (Seattle Times)
Cantwell Builds a Political Firewall - With Greenbacks (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
GENERAL NEWS
Dangerous Heat Wave Forecast for Half the Country (USA Today)
Police in San Francisco Kill Man Wanted for Death of Pregnant Seattle Teen (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)
First Wave Moves into Washington State Data Center Complex - State’s $255 million building opens today (Olympian, WA)
China Edges Out US as Top British Columbia Lumber Customer - Smaller sawmills back in operation to meet the new demand (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
The Race Is On - Backers Hope Two Local Motorsports Parks Aren’t Too Many: Bremerton’s motorsports park proposal is in its infant stages, while a facility in nearby Shelton is already taking shape (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Washington State Litter Hotline Shut Down by Budget Cuts; Signs to Remain (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
China’s Hypergrowth Fueled by Building Giant Cities No One Lives in (Consumerist)
DIVERSIONS
Love Your Kids? They’re Safer Riding With Grandparents
Police in Midway, Georgia Order Lemonade Stand Closed
iPhone Survives Fall from Skydiver’s Pocket - Gadget Found Half-Mile Away on Top of Building
Detroit Follow-Up - Oak Park Woman Faces Dog Trouble After Veggie Case Is Dropped
SONG OF THE DAY
Hans Zimmer - Driving Miss Daisy Score
