Monday, August 11, 2008

Energy News Digest for August 11, 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)

- Get Mason County PUD No. 3 statements electronically
- Mason County PUD No. 1 Holding Workshop, Regular Meeting & Rate Hearing
- Portland General Electric gives analysts optimistic view of earnings, future growth
- Avista to trim Idaho price hikes
- CANADA – B.C. Hydro tiered rate plan a jolt for Islanders
- UNITED KINGDOM – Telegraph Op/Ed – Future of UK's energy supply is dark indeed
- OREGON – Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal Opponents Sue Energy Commission Over Mailing List
- Windfall tax lets Alaska rake in billions from Big Oil
- Everett Herald Op/Ed – Next president to face tough energy choices
- Comparing McCain, Obama energy plans
- Nuclear Power – Tennessee Valley Authority looks to expand base of power production
- MICHIGAN – Lower electricity sales cited in energy-reform debate
- TEXAS – Governor's council urges Texas to stick with deregulated power market
- Hartford Courant Editorial – Market Only Fueled Power Prices
- Sockeye aplenty in Lake Wenatchee means quick limits
- IDAHO – Don't equate strong sockeye return with recovery
- Early Alaska salmon harvest below forecast
- Signs point to monster return for California salmon
- Colville Tribes to explain net fishing project to test different methods to live-capture and release summer Chinook salmon
- Hearing will focus on plan to kill unwanted fish in ponds near Moses Lake
- Oregon's Diamond Lake gets another fish threat
- Companies promote sustainable seafood
- Time for Oregon to cash in Columbia water?
- New Washington State rules on stormwater ordered
- Inadequate policing puts state's water quality in jeopardy
- Enterprise fund no-no – Brightwater sewage plant payments illegal, lawsuit claims
- A Tall, Cool Drink of ... Sewage? Consider re-use of water
- Lake Powell's level highest in 6 years
- Studying Great Salt Lake’s High Mercury Levels
- CALIFORINIA – Monterey desalination plant approved
- Wind power turbines whip up health fears
- CALIFORNIA – Proposal to harness wind power off Mendocino coast worries fishing industry
- ALASKA – Power struggle – City of St Paul & power producer can’t reach agreement on wind power output
- MONTANA – Flathead County discovers power of trash
- Idaho Power to buy energy from dairy
- Big-box retail stores make use of the roof with solar
- GEORGIA – Green energy a tough sell
- FLORIDA – Mandates on the use of renewable energy would have a profound impact on the environment
- Ethanol cuts Idaho fuel tax revenue
- The Daily News Editorial – Rush to ethanol is doing more harm than good
- Detroit Free Press Op/Ed – Renewable Energy Law
- MICHIGAN – Residents say waste-to-energy plan stinks
- Port of Sacramento energized by cargo for wind farm
- Exec: 'Hybrids may not be all that special,' Nissan to focus on electric
- MONTANA – Going back to basics to save on energy
- Wyoming launches energy conservation program
- The Columbia Journalism Review's Division over Dissent – Is global warming now beyond debate?
- Quincy moves forward, data centers may not
- Portland’s Wi-Fi is dead; antennas live on
- San Francisco Case Shows Vulnerability Of Data Networks
- Internet security patch flawed
- VIRGINIA – Fiber ads not all that they seem?
- CALIFORNIA – AT&T utility-box plan hits a snag
- Weaving a Tighter Web 2.0
- Hard-Wired – The advantages of a land-line telephone in a mobile world
- Boeing may not re-bid for tanker contract
- Online Petition Asking Mason County To Rezone Property For Washington Renaissance Faire
- Four from GOP, 3 Democrats try for seats in 35th District
- Drug dealers buy vineyards to hide pot
- Hullabaloo over Hempfest – Intercity Transit bus ad featuring marijuana leaf upsets some

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Divagate • \DYE-vuh-gayt\ • verb – To wander or stray from a course or subject: diverge, digress

Professor Dalgleish’s class was at a loss. What began as a lecture on obscure coins of the Roman Empire had somehow divagated into a romping cabaret-like show featuring dancing girls and sideshow barkers shouting unintelligible patter that seemed to be centered on the professor’s prized collection of old Washington State tax tokens. Surreal would be an understatement.

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

Get Mason County PUD No. 3 statements electronically (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/765/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Mason County PUD No. 1 Holding Workshop, Regular Meeting & Rate Hearing Tuesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/768/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Portland General Electric gives analysts optimistic view of earnings, future growth (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1218160526323390.xml&coll=7

Avista to trim Idaho price hikes (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/537680.html

CANADA – B.C. Hydro tiered rate plan a jolt for Islanders – Watchdogs say Vancouver Island faces steep leap in electricity costs by 2010 (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=e3ffd618-a479-4328-980d-efdb861da9a6

UNITED KINGDOM – Telegraph Op/Ed – Future of UK's energy supply is dark indeed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/08/10/do1007.xml

OREGON – Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal Opponents Sue Energy Commission Over Mailing List (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2786-lng-opponents-sue-energy-commission-over-mailing-list/

Windfall tax lets Alaska rake in billions from Big Oil – While others candidates debate the wisdom of a windfall tax on oil companies, Alaska has already imposed one, hauling in billions of dollars in new revenue for the state treasury (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008103325_alaskatax07.html

Everett Herald Op/Ed – Next president to face tough energy choices
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080809/BIZ/975462124/-1/rss03

Comparing McCain, Obama energy plans (The Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080809/ap_on_el_pr/energy_next_president_highlights_1

Nuclear Power – Tennessee Valley Authority looks to expand base of power production (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkqokmnmSSljt%3EEvbfen%5Fv

MICHIGAN – Lower electricity sales cited in energy-reform debate (Crain’s Detroit Business)
http://crainsdetroit.com/article/20080811/SUB/808110356/1069

TEXAS – Governor's council urges Texas to stick with deregulated power market (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkqohgmnRSljt%3EEvbfen%5Fv

Hartford Courant Editorial – Market Only Fueled Power Prices “…Connecticut's electric bills are still too high…” (Connecticut)
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-electric0810.artaug10,0,22143.story

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sockeye aplenty in Lake Wenatchee means quick limits (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1358/story/269505.html

IDAHO – Don't equate strong sockeye return with recovery – The fish have survived 2 near extinctions and now are on track for the largest run in years, but they aren't sustainable yet (The Idaho Statesman, Boise ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/465449.html

Early Alaska salmon harvest below forecast (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/26830024.html

Signs point to monster return for California salmon “…Scientists blamed the fall of salmon stocks primarily on a lack of marine food production…” (The San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/09/SP1B127626.DTL

Colville Tribes to explain net fishing project to test different methods to live-capture and release summer Chinook salmon (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/NEWS04/237381795/1025/rss1025

Hearing will focus on plan to kill unwanted fish in 40 small ponds near Moses Lake (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080809/NEWS04/857914840/1025/rss1025

Oregon's Diamond Lake gets another fish threat (The Associated Press, via examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1531085~Oregon_s_Diamond_Lake_gets_another_fish_threat.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Companies promote sustainable seafood – Californians have seen salmon fishing shut down this summer because of dwindling runs of king salmon. But California's salmon industry isn't the only fishery in crisis (The San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/10/BUSR11UVMT.DTL&feed=rss.business

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Time for Oregon to cash in Columbia water? Either the Northwest sells or the thirsty Southwest starts moving here; so now what? (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218263105159940.xml&coll=7

New rules on stormwater ordered – Developers building everything from homes to shopping centers could soon be forced to take extensive steps to control runoff (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008101883_stormwater09m0.html

Inadequate policing puts state's water quality in jeopardy – Fees now fund less than half of staff necessary to monitor pollution (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374396_ecology11.html?source=rss

Enterprise fund no-no – Brightwater payments illegal, lawsuit claims – Two water and sewer districts claim that King County broke the law by using sewer-rate proceeds for non-sewer purposes (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008101888_sewerrate09m.html?syndication=rss

A Tall, Cool Drink of ... Sewage? Consider re-use of water: “Toilet to the Tap” (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/magazine/10wastewater-t.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Lake Powell's level highest in 6 years – A sign that the Colorado River is recovering from one of the worst dry spells ever (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008104842_ndig11.html?syndication=rss

Studying Great Salt Lake’s High Mercury Levels (The Associated Press, via the NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/science/earth/10saltlake.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

CALIFORINIA – Monterey desalination plant approved (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1529385~Monterey_desalination_plant_approved.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind whips up health fears – Hundreds of giant turbines in the Oregon desert will bring power, but residents nearby raise concerns about health effects and an end to their quiet way of life (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218250522129010.xml&coll=7

CALIFORNIA – Proposal to harness wind power off Mendocino coast worries fishing industry (The Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1146712.html

ALASKA – Power struggle – City of St Paul & power producer can’t reach agreement on wind power output (The Associated Press, via Anchorage Daily News, AK)
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/489190.html

MONTANA – Flathead County discovers power of trash – Flathead Electric Co-op and Flathead County have forged a partnership to turn a potent greenhouse gas produced at a local landfill into electricity. (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080810/NEWS01/808100310

Idaho Power to buy energy from dairy (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/538825.html

Big-box retail stores make use of the roof with solar (The NY T98mes, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/440806.html

GEORGIA – Green energy a tough sell – Georgia Power charges nearly highest rates in country for green (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA)
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/08/10/green_energy_georgia.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

FLORIDA – Mandates on the use of renewable energy would have a profound impact on the environment, but at what cost? (The Miami Herald, FL)
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/environment/economics/story/634419.html

Ethanol cuts Idaho fuel tax revenue – More blended fuel is being sold, and the alcohol portion isn't subject to the state's gas tax (The Associated Press, via the Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/462287.html

The Daily News Editorial – Rush to ethanol is doing more harm than good (Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/11/editorial/doc489f1c8179120816208751.txt

Detroit Free Press Op/Ed – Renewable Energy Law – Will lawmakers' fears cost state new energy policy? Bills could lure business, create jobs in Michigan (Michigan)
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080810/COL06/808100458

MICHIGAN – Residents say waste-to-energy plan stinks – The idea sounded novel: Convert the droppings from more than a million turkeys into enough energy to power a feed plant (The Grand Rapids Press, MI)
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-43/121834895531850.xml&coll=6

Port of Sacramento energized by cargo for wind farm (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/1143675.html

Exec: 'Hybrids may not be all that special,' Nissan to focus on electric (The Associated Press, via the San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10138494?source=rss

CONSERVATION

MONTANA – Going back to basics to save on energy – Some residents have found a way to battle bulging energy costs by abandoning their modern gizmos and going back to basics (The Missoulian, MT)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/08/11/news/local/news04.txt

Wyoming launches energy conservation program (Casper Tribune, WY)
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2008/08/09/ap-state-wy/d92esta80.txt

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

The Columbia Journalism Review's Division over Dissent – Is global warming now beyond debate? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2197130/?from=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Quincy moves forward, data centers may not (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/NEWS04/987453366

Portland’s Wi-Fi is dead; antennas live on – City worries that taxpayers could get stuck with the bill for removal (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/121824871892410.xml&coll=7

San Francisco Case Shows Vulnerability Of Data Networks – Arrest Spurs Other Cities to Boost Security (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/10/AR2008081001802.html?nav=rss_nation

Internet security patch flawed (The New York Times, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/374261_hacking09.html

VIRGINIA – Fiber ads not all that they seem? How much fiber-optic cable do you really need? (The Freelance Star, Fredericksburg, VA)
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/082008/08092008/401405

CALIFORNIA – AT&T utility-box plan hits a snag- the company withdrew its application to place 850 large utility boxes housing fiber-optic technology on sidewalks throughout San Francisco (The Examiner)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1529889~Utility_box_plan_hits_a_snag.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Weaving a Tighter Web 2.0 (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/09/AR2008080900141.html?nav=rss_technology

Hard-Wired – The advantages of a land-line telephone in a mobile world (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2197160/?from=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Boeing may not re-bid for tanker contract (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/26832099.html

Online Petition Asking Mason County To Rezone Property For Washington Renaissance Faire (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/760/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Four from GOP, 3 Democrats try for seats in 35th District (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/537013.html

Drug dealers buy vineyards to hide pot (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008100792_apwapotfarmers.html?syndication=rss

Hullabaloo over Hempfest – Intercity Transit bus ad featuring marijuana leaf upsets some (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/537617.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Roadshow: Crazy stunts motorists pull
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10148704?source=rss

Gravity, erosion rob Utah park of popular arch
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/10/arch.collapse.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

Spanish shopkeeper finds Homer Simpson euro
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080808/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_homersimpson_euro_spain;_ylt=AnS1Qv.8JcUtM0I0ujZkBNXtiBIF

Grandma arrested for driving with child on roof
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_fe_st/odd_child_car_ride;_ylt=ArFCnwlRltayhdAK0Ruc1XTtiBIF