Energy News Digest for January 28, 2008

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.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

* Snow showers still in the forecast
* Company official confirms Idaho nuclear plant plans scuttled
* Whatcom County drops Alaska power project
* Montana – Powder River Basin eyed for new coal-to-gas plants
* Power pole struggle continues in Olympia
* British Columbia Hydro bills could jump 25 per cent over 3 years
* FPL Quarterly Profit Falls 16 Percent
* State senator out to kill electric deregulation in Pennsylvania
* Tri-City Herald Opinion – Easy answers elusive for salmon vs. sea lions
* Columbia, Snake Rivers Infested With Invasive Species
* Whale migration routes studied in preparation for wave energy
* 'We're not done yet': Water plant feted in mega-project to remove Elwha dams
* Water Well Debate Heats Up in Washington
* Great Lakes' Lower Water Levels Propel a Cascade of Hardships
* Port of Benton reaches pellet-energy deal
* Britain will need 12,500 wind farms to satisfy European Union targets
* Congress Conjures Up an Energy Deficit
* California – Renewable energy will have to hold for now
* British Columbia –Smart meter orders for B.C. Hydro in fast mode
* Clark PUD Energy Advisor – How much do you spend to power those black boxes?
* Colleges shine light on carbon output
* In Oregon and U.S., green groups are mostly white
* Value of U.S. House's Carbon Offsets Is Murky
* Waterville renaissance – Business is booming in this tiny plateau town Waterville
* Cisco to Sell Faster Switch for Flood of Remote Data
* Comcast to charge for bill payments when using live customer service representative
* Neighborhood copper wiring tempts thieves in Thurston County
* Thieves steal public art, sell the metal
* Sacagawea statue found at Bend scrap metal yard
* Neatherlin to Run Again in 35th District
* Yelm in the crosshairs – Disillusioned former students target Ramtha

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Solon • \SOE-lun\ • noun – 1: a wise and skillful lawgiver *2: a member of a legislative body

The solon with the impressive mane of white hair stood to speak in the assembled chamber that is the State Senate. On and on he droned about the minutia of taxes on fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, milk and dairy. The senator from Springfield was in a woozy haze from all this talk about food and taxes. After two hours of the onslaught, all he saw was a huge talking food pyramid with a white wig.

From Merriam-Webster – Solon was a particularly wise lawgiver in ancient Athens who was born in approximately 630 B.C. and lived until about 560 B.C. He was one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece, and he implemented a number of reforms in Athenian law. In English, his name has been used generically since at least 1625 to refer to any wise statesman. Contemporary American journalists, with whom the term is especially popular, have extended the meaning even further to include any member of a lawmaking body, wise or not. In fact, today the word is sometimes used ironically for a legislator who displays a marked lack of wisdom, rather than a profusion of it.

WEATHER

Snow showers still in the forecast (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_012708WX_KING_weather_sunday_SW.638d21e9.html

Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944

(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Company official confirms Idaho nuclear plant plans scuttled – An executive of a company looking to locate a nuclear energy plant in Idaho says it just didn't pencil out. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/340505.html

Whatcom County drops Alaska power project – However, Whatcom County PUD No. 1 interested in stepping forward as a partner (Bellingham Herald)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/302688.html

Montana – Powder River Basin eyed for new coal-to-gas plants (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1180563~Powder_River_Basin_eyed_for_new_coal_to_gas_plants.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Power pole struggle continues in Olympia – Despite local lawmakers' best efforts to crush a bill that could give telecommunications companies the upper hand in disputes with public utilities, the legislation is closer to becoming law. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/26/area_news/10077602.txt

British Columbia Hydro bills could jump 25 per cent over 3 years – Residential electricity costs could jump by hundreds of dollars annually by 2011, driven by a projected 25 per cent hike in rates and aggressive conservation measures, according to B.C. Hydro documents. (Victoria Times-Columnist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=753aafa9-8e0c-4fef-8aa3-3dbe2af5f4ff&k=27876

FPL Quarterly Profit Falls 16 Percent – The largest U.S. wind power company said it was hit by losses from trading in energy markets (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-fpl.html?ex=1359262800&en=4d5dc2ed5c38ead1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

State senator out to kill electric deregulation in Pennsylvania (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CignposnSUkg%7D38%7Dbfen%5Fv

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Tri-City Herald Opinion – Easy answers elusive for salmon vs. sea lions: The days appear to be numbered for a few salmon-poaching sea lions who use the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River as their own all-you-can-eat buffet.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/opinions/v-rss/story/9595192p-9506738c.html

Columbia, Snake Rivers Infested With Invasive Species (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3517

Whale migration routes studied in preparation for wave energy (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/14482992.html

'We're not done yet': Water plant feted in mega-project to remove Elwha dams (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080127/NEWS/801270302

Water Well Debate Heats Up in Washington (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3515

Great Lakes' Lower Water Levels Propel a Cascade of Hardships (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/26/AR2008012601748.html?wpisrc=rss_nation

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port of Benton reaches pellet-energy deal – The Port of Benton has made a deal with an Oregon pellet maker and a Western Washington company to turn local agricultural waste into pellets and create energy for the area's power grid. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/v-rss/story/9593239p-9504731c.html

Britain will need 12,500 wind farms to satisfy European Union targets (The Independent, United Kingdom)
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/britain-will-need-12500-wind-farms-to-satisfy-eu-targets-773145.html

Congress Conjures Up an Energy Deficit – Let's understand a simple fact. You cannot squeeze any more energy out of a gallon of gasoline than already exists. If you mix it with an additive which itself provides less energy, what you get is less energy. (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1656

California – Renewable energy will have to hold for now. Bear Valley Electric Service will have to wait on plans to use wastewater to make electricity (Big Bear Grizzly)
http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2008/01/28/news/latest_news/tbbarwa.txt

CONSERVATION

British Columbia –Smart meter orders for B.C. Hydro in fast mode. Those smart meters the provincial government promised everyone last year appear to be in hurry-up mode. (Victoria Times-Columnist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=19117278-6319-44a7-b04f-1a77e84535df&k=35687

Clark PUD Energy Advisor – How much do you spend to power those black boxes? (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/lifeHome/lifeHomeNews/2008/01/01272008_How-much-do-you-spend-to-power-those-black-boxes.cfm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Colleges shine light on carbon output – Evergreen, South Puget Sound, Saint Martin's, Centralia College join nationwide campaign (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/340731.html

In Oregon and U.S., green groups are mostly white – Environmental leadership across the nation has little diversity, which two Portlanders work to change (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1201325108143650.xml&coll=7

Washington Post Editorial – A European Climate Plan: An intriguing approach that meshes well with bills on Capitol Hill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/27/AR2008012701591.html?nav=rss_opinions

Value of U.S. House's Carbon Offsets Is Murky – Some Question Effectiveness of $89,000 Purchase to Balance Out Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/27/AR2008012702400.html?nav=rss_email/components

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Waterville renaissance – Business is booming in this tiny plateau town Waterville renaissance. “…Fast Internet service via the Douglas County PUD's fiber-optic network keeps them connected to the big-city worlds they left behind…” (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/NEWS04/539371083/1002

Cisco to Sell Faster Switch for Flood of Remote Data (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/technology/28cisco.html?_r=1&ex=1359262800&en=767ad8b614258f99&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Comcast to charge for bill payments when using live customer service representative (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1201314319142580.xml&coll=7

GENERAL NEWS

Neighborhood copper wiring tempts thieves in Thurston County (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/339170.html

Thieves steal public art, sell the metal – High metal prices make statues attractive to thieves seeking quick cash (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080128/NEWS01/362877302/-1/RSS01

Sacagawea statue found at Bend scrap metal yard (The Oregonian)
http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/01/sacagawea_statue_found_at_bend.html

Neatherlin to Run Again in 35th District (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jan/25/neatherlin-to-run-again-in-35th-district/

Yelm in the crosshairs – Disillusioned former students target Ramtha; Critics claim they were ‘brainwashed’ (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/339950.html

DIVERSIONS

For some, State of the Union rife with drinking opportunities – Young policy wonks will take a shot whenever Bush says 'nuclear'
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8098947?source=rss&nclick_check=1

Dude! How great are those new Bud Light ads?
http://www.slate.com/id/2182846/fr/rss/

Where's the rest of my mouse? (Understatement of the year: “…Understandably, he lost his appetite…”)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2844777120080128?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews