Energy News Digest for September 12, 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)

- Seattle Times Op/Ed – Puget Sound Energy change of ownership will benefit the region
- High-voltage shock kills, then revives contract lineman for PGE
- CANADA – Electricity shortage may choke B.C.'s gas patch
- Lower Natural Gas Prices – Xcel proposes lowering electricity rates
- U.S. Senate leader says consensus building on energy
- NEW YORK – Enron Lite: Schumer seeks energy trading investigation
- UNITED KINGDOM – Government admits fuel assistance may lead to increased bills
- OREGON – Wyden energy bill includes county payment extension
- The Changing Utility Workforce and the Evolution of Utility Design
- Consistency is key to great utility customer service
- Oregon State Police investigating waste of fish found in Columbia River net
- Columbia River steelhead, salmon make healthy fall run
- Skagit fishery expands for Coho/Chum
- Idaho has hopes for land sale to Forest Service
- Lewis County to Launch Water Study in Upper Chehalis Basin
- “Wild & Scenic” Rivers Pump Oregon's Economy
- Chesapeake Bay Pollution – Maryland Gets Tough on Chicken Farmers
- Europe Lowers Goals for Biofuel Use
- Thin Film Solar Companies Raise Hundreds of Millions in Funding
- Explosive Growth Reshuffles Top 10 Solar Ranking
- Are we screwing in the wrong bulbs?
- Energy Star has lost some luster
- Buyers of low-fuel cars get a sales tax exemption
- CANADA – Oops! 18,000 told to return $100 climate checks
- CALIFORNIA – San Francisco Still Recovering from Rogue IT Administrator
- Truly Ubiquitous Broadband is Getting Closer
- Without Wi-Fi, mini-computers not as magical
- Comcast Catches a Break In FCC Throttling Fight
- Former Intel worker charged in theft of secret files
- Airline Broadband Fuels Debate Over In-Flight Viewing of “Inappropriate Content”
- Brinnon couple dies in head-on collision on U.S. Highway 101
- Port Of Shelton Celebrates 60th Birthday With Autumn Fest
- Ex-Boeing Worker Admits Cutting Wires On Chinook Helicopter
- 4-day work week seen as '21st century' schedule
- Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle move up on Milken’s ‘best cities’ list
- While Ramtha looks on – Tearful testimony wraps up: Knight-Weaver trial

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Appellation • \ap-uh-LAY-shun\ • noun – *1: an identifying name or title: designation 2: the act of calling by a name 3: a geographical name used to identify wine

“Good Grief,” moaned Ramona. “Here goes that boring appellation bit from Bill Saluga.”

Ray J. Johnson (“You can call me Ray, or your can call me Jay!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_J._Johnson

WEATHER

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

Seattle Times Op/Ed – Puget Sound Energy change of ownership will benefit the region
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008174258_ayersop12.html

High-voltage shock kills, then revives contract lineman for Portland General Electric (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/28263494.html

CANADA – Electricity shortage may choke B.C.'s gas patch (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=f28c6a9b-bfe3-402c-b3b3-4e257417dd74

Lower Natural Gas Prices – Xcel proposes lowering electricity rates (Denver Business Journal, CO)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/09/08/daily49.html?ana=from_rss

U.S. Senate leader says consensus building on energy (Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5imPz0z6szykAL-CAKZDEZOAiDREgD9358C500

NEW YORK – Enron Lite: Schumer seeks energy trading investigation – Asks FERC to press for an investigation into electricity trading activities that may have cost New York consumers millions of dollars (Syracuse Post-Standard, NY)
http://www.syracuse.com/business/index.ssf?/base/business-13/1221209769287170.xml&coll=1

UNITED KINGDOM – Government admits fuel assistance may lead to increased bills – The government admitted on Friday that it is unable to stop energy companies passing on the cost of its fuel assistance package to customers (Agence France-Presse)
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hXaoc6oLOsr9NAZ102CiOMxw9rfQ

OREGON – Wyden energy bill includes county payment extension (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/09/08/daily41.html?ana=from_rss

Energy Pulse Commentary – The Changing Utility Workforce and the Evolution of Utility Design
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1825

Consistency is key to great utility customer service (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=339397&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon State Police investigating waste of fish found in Columbia River net (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
http://www.katu.com/news/local/28265414.html

Columbia River steelhead, salmon make healthy fall run – “Some people are going to say that we have turned a corner … and if these numbers keep up, maybe we have,” official says (Hood River News, OR)
http://www.hoodrivernews.com/News%20stories/2008/073_news_3.htm

Skagit fishery expands for Coho/Chum (Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/huntingandfishing/story/547955.html

Idaho has hopes for land sale to Forest Service – “…Money…would also come from a still-unspecified settlement with the BPA to mitigate federal dam impacts on Idaho wildlife habitat…” (The Associated Press)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/09/12/ap5417738.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lewis County to Launch Water Study in Upper Chehalis Basin – Bacteria in Wells: State-Funded Investigation to Explore Solutions for Flooded Area (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/rss/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1221157123&archive=

“Wild & Scenic” Rivers Pump Oregon's Economy (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4299

Chesapeake Bay Pollution – Maryland Gets Tough on Chicken Farmers – Quest to Help Bay Would Stringently Control Manure (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103841.html?nav=rss_business

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Europe Lowers Goals for Biofuel Use (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/business/worldbusiness/12biofuels.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Thin Film Solar Companies Raise Hundreds of Millions in Funding (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/another-thin-film-solar-company-rakes-in-venture-capital/?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Explosive Growth Reshuffles Top 10 Solar Ranking (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=53559&src=rss

CONSERVATION

Are we screwing in the wrong bulbs? Despite what we’re told, research on mercury poses an awkward question (Portland Tribune, OR)
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=122090777173654500

Energy Star has lost some luster – The program saves energy but hasn't kept up with the times (Consumer Reports)
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/resource-center/energy-star-has-lost-some-luster/overview/energy-star-ov.htm

Buyers of low-fuel cars get a sales tax exemption – Hybrids, others must do at least 40 highway miles per gallon (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/378818_greencar12.html?source=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

CANADA – Oops! 18,000 told to return $100 climate checks – $1.8 million of B.C.'s climate action dividend sent to 'residents' who weren't eligible (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=9132a1e8-36f3-4cf7-b5b0-1423dff89bc9&k=61957

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

CALIFORNIA – San Francisco Still Recovering from Rogue IT Administrator – City still trying to find his mystery router (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/San-Fran-Still-Recovering-From-Rogue-IT-Admin-97646

Truly Ubiquitous Broadband is Getting Closer (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/09/11/truly-ubiquitous-broadband-is-getting-closer/

Without Wi-Fi, mini-computers not as magical (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1146965220080911?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Comcast Catches a Break In FCC Throttling Fight – FCC appeal will be heard in D.C. Circuit Court (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Catches-a-Break-In-FCC-Throttling-Fight-97658

Former Intel worker charged in theft of secret files (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10040251-83.html?tag=nl.e703

Airline Broadband Fuels Debate Over In-Flight Viewing of “Inappropriate Content” (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Airline-Broadband-Fuels-InFlight-Porn-Debate-97661

GENERAL NEWS

Brinnon couple dies in head-on collision on U.S. Highway 101 (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080912/NEWS/809120309

Port Of Shelton Celebrates 60th Birthday With Autumn Fest (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/5014/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Ex-Boeing Worker Admits Cutting Wires On Chinook Helicopter (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/17452549/detail.html

4-day work week seen as '21st century' schedule – Change may affect culture more than taxpayers' bottom line (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/582697.html

Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle move up on Milken’s ‘best cities’ list (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/09/08/daily27.html?ana=from_rss

While Ramtha looks on – Tearful testimony wraps up: Knight-Weaver trial (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008175111_webjzknight12m.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Verizon Worker Charged in 5,000 Illicit Phone Calls – Tapped into customers’ telephone lines
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1550660/verizon_worker_charged_in_5000_illicit_sex_calls/

$54 Million 'Pants' Lawsuit Headed Back to Court
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0908/552285.html

Lost cat returned home after nine years
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSKUA05610520080910?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Hallucinogenic chocolates doom Berlin sweet shop
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSLC48222220080912?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Follow-Up File: Police find source of dead animals found in Dublin High lockers
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_10441764?source=rss