Energy News Digest for December 17, 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)

- 2009 Budget approved by Mason County PUD No. 3
- Chelan PUD’s lean $329 million budget passes
- Grays Harbor County PUD OK’s $115 Mllion ’09 budget
- Mason County PUD No. 3 Farewell - Retirement Reception for John Whalen Held
- Chelan County PUD bids farewell to Janssen
- Record Cold Sets Record Energy Use For Puget Sound
- Records Topple For Power Use Amid Frigid Cold At Chelan, Douglas And Grant County PUD’s
- Montana - Electricity Co-Ops' Feud Sparks Lawsuit
- Colorado - Lights Out? State Faces Energy Crisis By 2025
- Here’s a gift idea: Light and heat through winter
- Declining Energy Prices Extend To Electricity
- Texas - Rules Revised, But Power Rate Hikes Still May Sneak By
- Pennsylvania - Utility Shutoffs Increase This Year
- Florida - After disgruntled Employee Damages Nuke Plant - FP&L ordered to refund $6.2M
- North Carolina - Duke seeks to alter Cliffside Coal Plant permit
- Washington State Faces Critical Task In Appointing New DFW Director
- Washington State Ramps up Columbia River Alcoa Cleanup
- Montana - Proposal Would Help City of Missoula Use Clean Energy
- EPA sponsors green-building contest
- Study Says Wind, Water and Sun Beat Biofuels, Nuclear and Coal for Energy Generation
- U.S. Carbon Output Slower Than Thought by 2030
- Microsoft Issuing Emergency Fix for Browser Flaw
- Frigid temperatures won't end soon
- Home Burns In Burbank After Family Tries Thawing Pipes With Heater
- Interest Rate Near Zero - Bold Fed move prompts other cuts
- Obama picks Vilsack, Salazar for Cabinet
- Allyn Recycling Bins to be Removed

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Kickshaw • \KICK-shaw\ • noun - 1: a fancy dish *2: a showy trifle

The Minnesota potluck was a new experience for the fresh-faced immigrant from San Marino. Exotic casseroles and jello-based kickshaws tempted his palate. But for good or ill, it was the fragrant, prominently displayed fish dish that drew his attention.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

2009 Budget approved by Mason County PUD No. 3 (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=488

Chelan PUD’s lean $329 million budget passes (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20081216/NEWS04/712169974

Grays Harbor County PUD OK’s $115 Mllion ’09 budget (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/12/16/local_news/05news.txt

Mason County PUD No. 3 Farewell - Retirement Reception for John Whalen Held (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/5830/reftab/1896/t/RETIREMENT-RECEPTION-FOR-JOHN-WHALEN-HELD/Default.aspx

Chelan County PUD bids farewell to Janssen (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20081216/NEWS04/712169984/1001/rss1001

Record Cold Sets Record Energy Use For Puget Sound (KCPQ-TV, Seattle)
http://www.q13fox.com/pages/landing/?blockID=164118&feedID=144

Records Topple For Power Use Amid Frigid Cold At Chelan, Douglas And Grant County PUD’s (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20081216/NEWS04/712179986

Montana - Electricity Co-Ops' Feud Sparks Lawsuit (Billings Gazette, MT)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/12/16/news/state/26-coop.txt

Colorado - Lights Out? State Faces Energy Crisis By 2025 (The Journal Advocate, Sterling, CO)
http://www.journal-advocate.com/news/2008/dec/16/lights-out-state-faces-energy-crisis-2025/

Here’s a gift idea: Light and heat through winter (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/columnists/merryman/story/569870.html

Declining Energy Prices Extend To Electricity - After years of steep increases, costs to build power plants and transmission lines have started to fall, (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-12-16-energy-prices-electricity_N.htm

Texas - Rules Revised, But Power Rate Hikes Still May Sneak By (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6168648.html

Pennsylvania - Utility Shutoffs Increase This Year (KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, PA)
http://kdka.com/consumer/public.utility.commission.2.889121.html

Florida - After disgruntled Employee Damages Nuke Plant - FP&L ordered to refund $6.2M (Jacksonville Business Journal, FL)
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/12/15/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

North Carolina - Duke seeks to alter Cliffside Coal Plant permit (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2008/12/15/daily33.html?ana=from_rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State Faces Critical Task In Appointing New DFW Director (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/700530.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Ramps up Columbia River Alcoa Cleanup - Effort hits milestone, with bulk of pollutants removed from river (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20081217/NEWS02/712179978

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Montana - Proposal Would Help City of Missoula Use Clean Energy (The Missoulian, MT)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/12/16/news/local/znews04.txt

EPA sponsors green-building contest (San Francisco Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2008/12/15/daily43.html?ana=from_rss

Study Says Wind, Water and Sun Beat Biofuels, Nuclear and Coal for Energy Generation (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=54292&src=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U.S. Carbon Output Slower Than Thought by 2030 (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4BG4HW20081217

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft Issuing Emergency Fix For Browser Flaw (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/technology/18294505/detail.html

GENERAL NEWS

Frigid temperatures won't end soon (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008524740_weather16m.html

Home Burns In Burbank After Family Tries Thawing Pipes With Heater (KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9535488

Interest Rate Near Zero - Bold Fed move prompts other cuts (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B70ME20081217?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly

Obama picks Vilsack, Salazar for Cabinet (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama

Allyn Recycling Bins to be Removed (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/dec/16/allyn-recycling-bins-be-removed/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Santa Delivers Gifts, Gets Parking Ticket
http://www.kirotv.com/holidays/18298098/detail.html

McDonald's Robbery Suspect Gets Laughed At - Cashier Didn't Realize Man Was Trying To Rob Store
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18299017/detail.html

The Customer is Always Right? Baker: No Birthday Cake for Adolf Hitler - Cake Request for 3-Year-Old Hitler Namesake Denied
http://www.kirotv.com/family/18296646/detail.html