Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Energy News Digest for September 13, 2011

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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THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Canada - Sockeye Salmon Coming Back to the Okanagan (Kelowna Capital News, BC)

Op/Ed - No Need to Rethink Salmon Plan That Pays Healthy Returns (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Cross-Strait Power Cable Project Still In Works (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Mason General Named Most Wired – Amazing What a Little Fiber in Your Diet Will Do (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Selling Wind Energy Project to Gain Stimulus Funds (Sacramento Bee, CA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Cross-Strait Power Cable Project Still In Works
  • Closure of Boardman Coal Fired Power Plant Will Help Clear Columbia Gorge Air
  • Seven Regional Aluminum Plants Gone
  • Same Song, Different Arena - South Carolina Alcoa Plant to Close without Lower Power Rate
  • Errant Critter Blamed for Centralia Outage
  • Disaster Plan Helps Your Family, Home Weather a Storm
  • Nuclear Power Plant Owner & State of Vermont Square Off at Trial over Plant’s Future
  • Nuclear Regulatory Commission Staff: Reassess Earthquake Risk at Nuke Plants
  • US Nuclear Energy Agency’s Safety Plan Irks Germany, Others
  • How Dead Is Yucca Mountain?
  • Texas - Dallas Electric Company Closing Two Power Plant Units & Cutting 500 Jobs
  • California Legislature Drops Surcharge for Energy Research
  • Editorial - New Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Needs to Focus on Fixing Utility, Not Profits
  • Illinois Governor Vetoes Bill to Raise Illinois Electric Rates To Modernize Power Grid
  • Canada - Sockeye Salmon Coming Back to the Okanagan
  • Op/Ed - No Need to Rethink Salmon Plan That Pays Healthy Returns
  • Note Source Material - Snake River Salmon Climb Almost 7,000 Ft
  • Engineered Salmon Still a Distant Reality
  • The Elwha Dams, Part 3 - Fisheries, Dams Linked in 1980s
  • Snowy Plovers Show Encouraging Signs of Recovery along Oregon Coast
  • California - Record Fish Numbers Caught in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Pumps
  • Growing Jelly Fish Invasion in Puget Sound
  • Seattle - We’re Conserving, But Water Rates May Climb
  • US Senator Lisa Murkowski to Co-Chair Oceans Caucus – Cantwell, Murray, Wyden also on Panel
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District Selling Wind Energy Project to Gain Stimulus Funds
  • California - Solar Plans on Altamont Pass Raise Land Use Issue
  • Oregon - Ocean Power Technologies, Lockheed Martin Collaborate on Wave Power
  • New Grid-Friendly Car Charger is Used for Wind Energy
  • Report: To Use More Wind Energy, Add Electric Cars
  • Renewable Energy Corp Sees Rival Solar Producers Liquidated in Market ‘Shake Up’
  • SoloPower Discloses $9.6 Million Investment Round
  • Canada - Misunderstandings Surround Green Energy Project
  • Google Approves - Hog Waste Producing Electricity, Carbon Offsets
  • Babcock & Wilcox Gets $205M to Build, Run New Hampshire Biomass Plant
  • High Winds Lead United Kingdom to Halt Turbines for Third Night
  • Op/Ed - Renewable Energy: Too Cheap to Meter?
  • It’s Time for a Renovation Revolution
  • What Makes Consumers Care About the Smart Grid?
  • Cheers, Howls for Australia’s Carbon Tax Bill
  • Giant Red Crabs Invade the Antarctic Abyss
  • Study: Switching from Diesel to Natural Gas Could Save Washington State Ferries Millions
  • Water-Filled Plastic Bottles in Roof Can Replace Light Bulbs During Day
  • Mason General Hospital Named Most Wired – Amazing What a Little Fiber in Your Diet Will Do
  • Feds Spur Ultrafast Broadband App Development
  • Cool Finnish Weather the New Hotness for Data Centers
  • How Many Pages Are on the Internet?
  • Costly Gadget Lets You Get Email Anywhere
  • State Auditor Brian Sonntag to Step Down After 20 Years
  • Seattle Approves Paid Sick-Leave Requirement
  • U.S. Spending Billions on Rural Jobs, but Impact Is Uncertain
  • Weather, Geography Slow Olympic National Forest Wildfire Near Brinnon
  • Mobile Home, Vehicles Hit By Grand Mound Brush Fire near I-5
  • Officials Warn About Unhealthy Eastern Washington Air from Fire
  • Tacoma Teachers Hit the Picket Lines
  • Students Sweat It Out after Metal Thieves Strike
  • Rubber-Stamped DUI’s: Police Sergeant Retires
  • Oregon - Stuck Truck Helps Hermiston Police Catch Would-be Metal Thieves
  • Seven Things You Should Do to Maintain Your Home Before Fall

WORD OF THE DAY

Solace • \SAWL-luss\ • Noun - 1: alleviation of grief or anxiety 2: a source of relief or consolation

A long-time Seattle Mariner’s fan is subtly different from a fan who jumped on the bandwagon in the mid- 90’s. The elder fan can always find solace that he HOPES the Mariners will eventually be winners…but if not, “meh.” The newer fan lives and dies on the hope they will return at some point to the “glory days” of Lou Pinella. I would posit that the long term fan does not suffer from high blood pressure or stress as much as the latter.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Cross-Strait Power Cable Project Still In Works (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Closure of Boardman Coal Fired Power Plant Will Help Clear Columbia Gorge Air (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Seven Regional Aluminum Plants Gone (Hungry Horse News, MT)

Same Song, Different Arena - South Carolina Alcoa Plant to Close without Lower Power Rate (Steel Guru)

Errant Critter Blamed for Centralia Outage (KELA Radio Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/common/more.php?m=15&r=3&item_id=140

Disaster Plan Helps Your Family, Home Weather a Storm (Seattle Times)

Nuclear Power Plant Owner & State of Vermont Square Off at Trial over Plant’s Future (Associated Press)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Staff: Reassess Earthquake Risk at Nuke Plants (Associated Press)

US Nuclear Energy Agency’s Safety Plan Irks Germany, Others (Associated Press)

How Dead Is Yucca Mountain? (NY Times)

Texas - Dallas Electric Company Closing Two Power Plant Units & Cutting 500 Jobs (CBS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX)

California Legislature Drops Surcharge for Energy Research (Associated Press)

Editorial - New Pacific Gas & Electric CEO Needs to Focus on Fixing Utility, Not Profits (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Illinois Governor Vetoes Bill to Raise Illinois Electric Rates To Modernize Power Grid (Chicago Tribune, IL)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Canada - Sockeye Salmon Coming Back to the Okanagan (Kelowna Capital News, BC)

Op/Ed - No Need to Rethink Salmon Plan That Pays Healthy Returns (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Note Source Material - Snake River Salmon Climb Almost 7,000 Ft (National Geographic Magazine)

Engineered Salmon Still a Distant Reality (Associated Press)

The Elwha Dams, Part 3 - Fisheries, Dams Linked in 1980s (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Snowy Plovers Show Encouraging Signs of Recovery along Oregon Coast (Oregonian, Portland)

California - Record Fish Numbers Caught in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Pumps (Associated Press)

Growing Jelly Fish Invasion in Puget Sound (KING-TV, Seattle)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Seattle - We’re Conserving, But Water Rates May Climb (Seattle Times)

US Senator Lisa Murkowski to Co-Chair Oceans Caucus – Cantwell, Murray, Wyden also on Panel (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Selling Wind Energy Project to Gain Stimulus Funds (Sacramento Bee, CA)

California - Solar Plans on Altamont Pass Raise Land Use Issue (SF Chronicle)

Oregon - Ocean Power Technologies, Lockheed Martin Collaborate on Wave Power (Electric Light & Power)

New Grid-Friendly Car Charger is Used for Wind Energy (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Report: To Use More Wind Energy, Add Electric Cars (Oregon Public Radio)

Renewable Energy Corp Sees Rival Solar Producers Liquidated in Market ‘Shake Up’ (Bloomberg News)

SoloPower Discloses $9.6 Million Investment Round (Oregonian, Portland)

Canada - Misunderstandings Surround Green Energy Project (Merritt Herald, BC)

Google Approves - Hog Waste Producing Electricity, Carbon Offsets (Electric Energy Online)

Babcock & Wilcox Gets $205M to Build, Run New Hampshire Biomass Plant (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

High Winds Lead United Kingdom to Halt Turbines for Third Night (Reuters)

Op/Ed - Renewable Energy: Too Cheap to Meter? (Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

It’s Time for a Renovation Revolution (Sustainable Business Oregon)

What Makes Consumers Care About the Smart Grid? (Green Tech Media)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Cheers, Howls for Australia’s Carbon Tax Bill (AFP)

Giant Red Crabs Invade the Antarctic Abyss (New Scientist)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Study: Switching from Diesel to Natural Gas Could Save Washington State Ferries Millions (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Water-Filled Plastic Bottles in Roof Can Replace Light Bulbs During Day (Consumerist)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Mason General Hospital Named Most Wired – Amazing What a Little Fiber in Your Diet Will Do (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Feds Spur Ultrafast Broadband App Development (Information Week)

Cool Finnish Weather the New Hotness for Data Centers (GigaOM)

How Many Pages Are on the Internet? (Cable News Network)

Costly Gadget Lets You Get Email Anywhere (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

State Auditor Brian Sonntag to Step Down After 20 Years (Seattle Times)

Seattle Approves Paid Sick-Leave Requirement (Seattle Times)

U.S. Spending Billions on Rural Jobs, but Impact Is Uncertain (NY Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Weather, Geography Slow Olympic National Forest Wildfire Near Brinnon (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Mobile home, vehicles hit by Grand Mound brush fire Near I-5 (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Officials Warn About Unhealthy Eastern Washington Air from Fire (Associated Press)

Tacoma Teachers Hit the Picket Lines (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Students Sweat It Out after Metal Thieves Strike (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

Rubber-Stamped DUI’s: Police Sergeant Retires (Seattle Times)

Oregon - Stuck Truck Helps Hermiston Police Catch Would-be Metal Thieves (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Seven Things You Should Do to Maintain Your Home Before Fall (Everett Herald, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Restaurant Sues Over ‘Carcass Removal’ Listing

Miniskirt Ban at San Jose School Also Applies to Cheerleader Uniforms

Boise Man Detains Would-Be Thief, Sitting on Him

Harvest Moon: Why Does the Moon Look So Big?

SONG OF THE DAY

Laurel & Hardy - Shine on Harvest Moon

The White Stripes - Shine on Harvest Moon