Friday, October 17, 2008

Energy News Digest for October 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)

- Still subject to public comment but… Alcoa Signs Power MOU with Bonneville Power Administration
- Energy council discusses power in Missoula
- Incumbents try to fend off challengers in dual Grant PUD races
- News Release – BPA administrator receives prestigious presidential award
- Canada – Gas Pipeline Bombed Again
- Canada – Greens say no to big dam plan for British Columbia’s Peace River
- FERC: Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher's statement on wholesale competition in regions with organized markets
- Exelon CEO gives 5 energy imperatives for next U.S. president
- Skokomish River – New Bridge Rises Above Floodwaters, Salmon Habitat
- Court says Seattle’s water ratepayers are owed millions
- Restoring Great Lakes becomes a campaign issue
- Wind energy projects face a global shortage of turbines
- Europe Shows U.S. Wind Industry How It's Done
- In downturn, solar industry sees bright days ahead
- Geothermal cranks up the heat – But do these systems make sense in the Pacific Northwest?
- California – Spare-air ban on winter indoor wood burning
- Wash. biodiesel goals get boost from big oil
- FERC asserts jurisdiction over Outer Continental Shelf Hydroelectric Projects
- Tesla Says It Will Lay Off Employees and Delay Its All-Electric Sedan until 2011
- University of Tennessee turns to conservation in effort to cut utility bills
- Where do Oregon’s greenhouse gases come from?
- Congressional Research Service – Potential Offset Supply in a Cap-and-Trade Program
- Are Carbon Offsets a Laughing Matter?
- 2008: The Year Broadband Over Powerline Died
- Wyoming – Construction comes along for City of Powell telecom project
- Utah – UTOPIA, Veracity Communications strengthen relationship
- Washington State says last season’s storms had $75M impact on Transportation
- Credit Crisis May Affect Municipal Bonds
- Five Billion Dollars Worth – A Relieved California Finds Lenders in Credit Markets
- AIG agrees to cut golden parachute, trim spending
- Some Cities Will Be Safer in a Recession – Seattle in the top 20

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Uvula • \YOU-view-lah\ • noun – That little fleshy lobe that hangs down in the back of the mouth.

Gary Larson Cartoon: (Medical Test) “For extra credit, name that thing that hangs down in the back of the mouth”

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

Still subject to public comment but… Alcoa Signs Power MOU with Bonneville Power Administration (Alcoa)
http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/821314

Energy council discusses power in Missoula (KPAX, Missoula, MT)
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9192468

Incumbents try to fend off challengers in dual Grant PUD races (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081017/NEWS04/710172145

News Release – BPA administrator receives prestigious presidential award (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/232751

Canada – Gas Pipeline Bombed Again (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/world/americas/17briefs-GASPIPELINEB_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Canada – Greens say no to big dam plan for British Columbia’s Peace River (Tyee Online, BC)
http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Environment/2008/10/16/DamPlan/

FERC: Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher's statement on wholesale competition in regions with organized markets (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/statements-speeches/kelliher/2008/10-16-08-kelliher-E-1.asp

Exelon CEO gives 5 energy imperatives for next U.S. president (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=342703&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Skokomish River – New Bridge Rises Above Floodwaters, Salmon Habitat (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/oct/16/new-bridge-rises-above-floodwaters-salmon/?partner=RSS

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Court says Seattle’s water ratepayers are owed millions – Customers before '05 wrongly charged to maintain fire hydrants (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/383700_rates17.html?source=rss

Restoring Great Lakes becomes a campaign issue (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008277557_apcandidatesgreatlakes.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind energy projects face a global shortage of turbines – More projects mean higher demand for equipment (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=e599f85f-7cf9-4d6e-802c-1650e66bf5c8

Europe Shows U.S. Wind Industry How It's Done (The Street)
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10442749/1/europe-shows-us-wind-industry-how-its-done.html?puc=googlefi&cm_ven=GOOGLEFI&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

In downturn, solar industry sees bright days ahead (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10066974-54.html?tag=nl.e703

Geothermal cranks up the heat – But do these systems make sense in the Pacific Northwest? (Portland Tribune, OR)
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=122402301324974900

California – Spare-air ban on winter indoor wood burning – This winter, for the first time, Bay Area residents won't be able to burn wood in fireplaces and stoves (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/17/BAFO139AR9.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

Wash. biodiesel goals get boost from big oil (Associated Press)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=96583

FERC asserts jurisdiction over Outer Continental Shelf Hydroelectric Projects (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-4/10-16-08-H-2.asp

Tesla Says It Will Lay Off Employees and Delay Its All-Electric Sedan until 2011 (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/technology/start-ups/16tesla.html?_r=3&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

CONSERVATION

University of Tennessee turns to conservation in effort to cut utility bills (The Tennessean, Nashville)
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081017/NEWS04/810170392

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Where do Oregon’s greenhouse gases come from? (Portland Tribune, OR)
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=122402318558217800

Congressional Research Service – Potential Offset Supply in a Cap-and-Trade Program
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34705

Are Carbon Offsets a Laughing Matter? (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/are-carbon-offsets-a-laughing-matter/?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

2008: The Year Broadband Over Powerline Died (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/2008-The-Year-Broadband-Over-Powerline-Died-98477

Wyoming – Construction comes along for City of Powell telecom project - and on budget (Billings Gazette, MT)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/10/10/news/wyoming/21-telcom.txt

Utah – UTOPIA, Veracity Communications strengthen relationship (Lightwave)
http://lw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&SubSection=Display&PUBLICATION_ID=13&ARTICLE_ID=342316&dcmp=LWDENL_ARCH

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State says last season’s storms had $75M impact on Transportation (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/10/13/daily24.html?ana=from_rss

Credit Crisis May Affect Municipal Bonds (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95816721&ft=1&f=3

Five Billion Dollars Worth – A Relieved California Finds Lenders in Credit Markets (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/17calif.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

AIG agrees to cut golden parachute, trim spending (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008275815_apaigcuomo.html?syndication=rss

Some Cities Will Be Safer in a Recession – Seattle in the top 20 (Businessweek)
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/oct2008/bw20081014_006902.htm

DIVERSIONS

Sheriff: California Family Cremated Mom, Kept Benefits
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17729053/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

Drinking mom asks daughter, 9, to drive
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE49F96N20081016?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Worker finds grave markers paving Michigan walkway
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/17/national/a065034D44.DTL&feed=rss.business

Doctors warn of rash from mobile phone use
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101600930.html?nav=rss_technology