Thursday, November 3, 2011

Energy News Digest for November 3, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Portland General Electric Reports Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results (MarketWatch)

Talk of New Snohomish PUD Dam on Skykomish River Above Sunset Falls Resisted (Everett Herald, WA)

Study: Oregon Biomass Tax Credit Led to $12M in Economic Activity (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Nisqually Tribe Closes Coho Fishery Early After Weak Run (Olympian, WA)

Six Arrested & Pepper Spray Deployed in Occupy Seattle Protests (KING-TV, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Portland General Electric Reports Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results
  • Talk of New Snohomish PUD Dam on Skykomish River Above Sunset Falls Resisted
  • Port Angeles Council Oks $8-Per-Month Utility Rate Increase
  • BC Hydro Can’t Post a Loss, Chief Says
  • Pacific Gas & Electric Reveals $400 Million Spending Plan to Improve Operations, Customer Service
  • 1 Million Still Without Electricity in Storm-Battered Northeast
  • Northeast US Politicians Fired Up over Outages
  • Preparing for Emergencies
  • Colorado - Xcel’s Feeling No Love in Boulder, But Lights Will Stay On
  • Texas Drought Endangers Power Projects
  • Duke Energy Posts 30 Percent Drop in Third Quarter Profit
  • Prepaid Electric Meters Worry Iowa Consumer Groups
  • US Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week
  • United Kingdom - Fracking ‘Probable’ Cause of Lancashire Quakes
  • Nisqually Tribe Closes Coho Fishery Early After Weak Run
  • Vancouver Island - Thousands of Salmon Arrive in Goldstream
  • After Condit Dam Breaching - Officials Warn River Is Dangerous
  • The Grand Experiment: A Seattle Times talk on Elwha Restoration
  • Cantwell Wants Plan for Floating Japan Debris
  • Hood Canal Award Winners Named
  • Study: Oregon Biomass Tax Credit Led to $12M in Economic Activity
  • Vancouver Biomass Protesters Brave the Cold
  • Idaho Congressman Labrador Wants to Ax Green Energy Incentives
  • Pacific Northwest States in Top Ten for Wind Power
  • Facebook to Use Solar Power for Electricity, Water
  • Solar Array Latest Addition to Farm
  • Massachusetts - Evergreen Solar Asset Auction Cleared to Go Forward
  • A Trade War with China Will Decimate US Solar
  • The Mysterious Link Between Bats & Wind Turbines
  • Canada - Calgary Residents Outraged About School’s Wind Turbine Plans
  • Wind Turbine 2.0 Works Harder Without Making You Hear All About It
  • Puget Sound Energy’s Fridgeasaurus Selects Three Winners in Efficient Appliance Sweepstakes
  • EPA’s Biggest (Energy) Loser? Florida College’s Garage Wins
  • Nest’s Smart Thermostat Sold Out Until 2012
  • Researchers Say Climate Change Is Changing Pacific Northwest Forest Structure as Well
  • North Dakota Sues Minnesota over Next Generation Anti-Global Warming Law
  • Mexico Pleads for US, China Agreement on Climate
  • All-Electric Ford Focus Goes on Sale in Seattle
  • Halloween’s Pumpkins Turned into Power for Homes
  • From Poop to Plastic? New Innovations in BioPlastics
  • Sheep Lawn Mowers, & Other Go-Getters
  • Senate May Be Nearing Vote on Net Neutrality
  • Op/Ed - A Co-op Role in Rural Broadband
  • Amazon Now Sees a Profit in Becoming Tax Collector
  • Apple Concedes Problem with iPhone 4S Battery
  • The End of an Era: Internet Explorer Drops Below 50% of Web Usage
  • Clipper Employee Commits an E-Mail Gaffe
  • Poll: How Long Is Too Long to Use Starbucks WiFi?
  • Washington State Senator Pridemore to Run for State Auditor’s Post
  • Arizona Justice Tapped for 9th Circuit Vacancy
  • Six Arrested & Pepper Spray Deployed in Occupy Seattle Protests
  • Researchers: La NiƱa ‘Pretty Friendly’ to Pacific Northwest Interests
  • British Columbia to Clamp Down on Metal Theft by Making it Harder to Sell
  • Oregon, Washington Drivers Among the Nation’s Safest, Study Finds

WORD OF THE DAY

Ruction • \RUCK-shun\ • Noun – 1: noisy fight 2: disturbance, uproar

Occupy Wall Street
The ruction and angst prevail
Penthouse view of tents

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Portland General Electric Reports Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results (MarketWatch)

Talk of New Snohomish PUD Dam on Skykomish River Above Sunset Falls Resisted (Everett Herald, WA)

Port Angeles Council Oks $8-Per-Month Utility Rate Increase (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

BC Hydro Can’t Post a Loss, Chief Says (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Pacific Gas & Electric Reveals $400 Million Spending Plan to Improve Operations, Customer Service (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

1 Million Still Without Electricity in Storm-Battered Northeast (USA Today)

Northeast US Politicians Fired Up over Outages “…utility critics said the damage was worse because the cash-strapped National Grid has almost completely stopped cutting back the trees that grow close to power lines…” (Boston Herald, MA)

Preparing for Emergencies (Fox News)

Colorado - Xcel’s Feeling No Love in Boulder, But Lights Will Stay On (Denver Business Journal, CO)

Texas Drought Endangers Power Projects (Associated Press)

Duke Energy Posts 30 Percent Drop in Third Quarter Profit (Associated Press)

Prepaid Electric Meters Worry Iowa Consumer Groups (KGRC-TV, Cedar Rapids, IA)

US Natural Gas Supplies Grew Last Week (Associated Press)

United Kingdom - Fracking ‘Probable’ Cause of Lancashire Quakes (The Guardian, UK)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Nisqually Tribe Closes Coho Fishery Early After Weak Run (Olympian, WA)

Vancouver Island - Thousands of Salmon Arrive in Goldstream (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

After Condit Dam Breaching - Officials Warn River Is Dangerous (Wenatchee World, WA)

The Grand Experiment: A Seattle Times talk on Elwha Restoration (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Cantwell Wants Plan for Floating Japan Debris (Seattle Times)

Hood Canal Award Winners Named (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Study: Oregon Biomass Tax Credit Led to $12M in Economic Activity (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Vancouver Biomass Protesters Brave the Cold (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Idaho Congressman Labrador Wants to Ax Green Energy Incentives (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Pacific Northwest States in Top Ten for Wind Power (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Facebook to Use Solar Power for Electricity, Water (SF Chronicle)

Solar Array Latest Addition to Farm (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Massachusetts - Evergreen Solar Asset Auction Cleared to Go Forward (Boston Business Journal, MA)

A Trade War with China Will Decimate US Solar (The Energy Collective)

The Mysterious Link Between Bats & Wind Turbines (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

Canada - Calgary Residents Outraged About School’s Wind Turbine Plans (Canada.Com)

Wind Turbine 2.0 Works Harder Without Making You Hear All About It (Gizmodo)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Puget Sound Energy’s Fridgeasaurus Selects Three Winners in Efficient Appliance Sweepstakes (BusinessWire)

EPA’s Biggest (Energy) Loser? Florida College’s Garage Wins (USA Today)

Nest’s Smart Thermostat Sold Out Until 2012 (GigaOM)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Researchers Say Climate Change Is Changing Pacific Northwest Forest Structure as Well (Oregonian, Portland)

North Dakota Sues Minnesota over Next Generation Anti-Global Warming Law (Bloomberg News)

Mexico Pleads for US, China Agreement on Climate (Reuters)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

All-Electric Ford Focus Goes on Sale in Seattle (Seattle Times)

Halloween’s Pumpkins Turned into Power for Homes (USA Today)

From Poop to Plastic? New Innovations in BioPlastics (The Energy Collective)

Sheep Lawn Mowers, & Other Go-Getters (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Senate May Be Nearing Vote on Net Neutrality (Washington Post)

Op/Ed - A Co-op Role in Rural Broadband (Electric Co-Op Today)

Amazon Now Sees a Profit in Becoming Tax Collector (Seattle Times)

Apple Concedes Problem with iPhone 4S Battery (USA Today)

The End of an Era: Internet Explorer Drops Below 50% of Web Usage (Ars Technica)

Clipper Employee Commits an E-Mail Gaffe (SF Chronicle)

Poll: How Long Is Too Long to Use Starbucks WiFi?

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Senator Pridemore to Run for State Auditor’s Post (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Arizona Justice Tapped for 9th Circuit Vacancy (Courthouse News Service)

GENERAL NEWS

Six Arrested & Pepper Spray Deployed in Occupy Seattle Protests (KING-TV, Seattle)

Researchers: La NiƱa ‘Pretty Friendly’ to Pacific Northwest Interests (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

British Columbia to Clamp Down on Metal Theft by Making it Harder to Sell (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Oregon, Washington Drivers Among the Nation’s Safest, Study Finds (Oregonian, Portland)

DIVERSIONS

iPad 2 Gets an $8 Million Cretaceous Makeover with Dino Bones, Diamonds & Gold

Bill Gates More Powerful Than Pope, Forbes Says

Self-Styled Superhero Phoenix Jones Loses His Job

SONG OF THE DAY

Joan Baez - Diamonds & Rust