Energy News Digest for January 16, 2009

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)

- BPA Finalizes Amendment to Alcoa/Whatcom County PUD Power Sales Agreement
- Puget Energy's Buyout Now On the Fast Track
- FERC Reaffirms Approval of Bradwood Landing Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal
- Seattle Mayor Replaces Utilities Director
- Alaska Sells Clean Coal Power Plant to Golden Valley Electric Co-Op
- Olympic Peninsula Tribes to Receive Compensation for Sockeye Runs
- Oregon Joins Lawsuit against Feds on Endangered Species
- Daily Astorian Editorial - Unwelcome Species Hitching a Ride
- Weather Bashes Washington Hatcheries
- Texas Drought Worsens, Cattle Dying
- For Wind Turbine Manufacturers, the Layoffs Begin
- 'Green' Energy Plan in Obama Stimulus May Be Losing Steam
- Feds: Cape Wind Farm OK for Environment
- BPA What Kind Of Green Power Can You Generate?
- Product Placement - Wind Turbines Installed for Inauguration Day
- Tips for Buying and Using Portable Electric Space Heaters
- Oregon - Ashlanders Challenged To Lose 5,000 Pounds in Low-Carbon Diet
- Industry, Environmentalists Gang Up On Climate
- Paper Details Sites on Mars with Plumes of Methane
- FCC Chairman Martin to Step down Next Week
- More Details on Obama $6 Billion Broadband Plan
- California - Economic Crisis Stalls Palo Alto Fiber Project
- Wireless Carriers Caution of Blockages Tuesday
- Suspect Arrested In Shelton Armed Robbery
- U.S. Senate Releases Second Portion of Bailout Fund
- Gregoire: Building to Revive Economy
- PBJ Poll: Focus On Jobs
- Seattle P-I Columnist - Plan for Worst from Mother Nature

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Shtick • \SH-TICK\ • noun - 1: a usually comic or repetitious performance or routine: bit 2: one's special trait, interest, or activity

“Oh No!” exclaimed Wanda to her lunch companion. “Here comes Gino. He may be the most untalented person in the graphics art department, but his one shtick is the most annoying thing you can imagine.” “It can’t be that bad,” her companion suggested. At that very moment, Gino unleashed his talent on the unsuspecting diners: a falsetto rendition of “Stairway to Heaven”.

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

BPA Finalizes Amendment to Alcoa/Whatcom County PUD Power Sales Agreement (Bonneville Power Administration - Links to PDF File)
http://www.bpa.gov/power/pl/regionaldialogue/implementation/documents/2009/DSI/2009-01-09_AlocaLetter.pdf

Here’s The 19 Page Agreement (Bonneville Power Administration - Links to PDF File)
http://www.bpa.gov/power/pl/regionaldialogue/implementation/documents/2009/DSI/2009-01-09_DSI-Amendment_afterImplementationTeam_blackline.pdf

Puget Energy's Buyout Now On the Fast Track (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008636299_pugetenergy16.html?syndication=rss

FERC Reaffirms Approval of Bradwood Landing Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/16//area_news/doc496ff2cf5901f857967648.txt

Seattle Mayor Replaces Utilities Director (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008635405_webutilities16m.html?syndication=rss

Alaska Sells Clean Coal Power Plant to Golden Valley Electric Co-Op; Plant to Restart (Platts)
http://www.platts.com/Coal/News/8289010.xml?sub=Coal&p=Coal/News&

FISH & WILDLIFE

Three North Olympic Peninsula Tribes to Receive Compensation for Sockeye Runs (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090116/news/301169994

Oregon Joins Lawsuit against Feds on Endangered Species (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/01/oregon_joins_lawsuit_against_f.html

Daily Astorian Editorial - Unwelcome Species Hitching a Ride: The EPA needs to take action to clean up our waterways
http://www.dailyastorian.com/Main.asp?SectionID=23&ArticleID=57501

Weather Bashes Washington Hatcheries (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4046-weather-bashes-washington-hatcheries/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Texas Drought Worsens, Cattle Dying (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008635488_apfarmscenedyingcattle.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE ENERGY

For Wind Turbine Manufacturers, the Layoffs Begin (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/for-wind-turbine-manufacturers-the-layoffs-begin/

'Green' Energy Plan in Obama Stimulus May Be Losing Steam (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-energy-stimulus16-2009jan16,0,922149.story

Feds: Cape Wind Farm OK for Environment (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008636270_apcapewind.html?syndication=rss

News Release - BPA Asks The Region, What Kind Of Green Power Can You Generate? (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/249018/

Product Placement - Wind Turbines Installed For Inauguration Day (Washington Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/01/12/daily105.html?ana=from_rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Minnesota - Otter Tail Power Company Offers Tips for Buying And Using Portable Electric Space Heaters (Perham Enterprise-Bulletin, MI)
http://www.perhameb.com/articles/index.cfm?id=10872&section=news

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Oregon - Ashlanders Challenged To Lose 5,000 Pounds in Low-Carbon Diet (Ashland Daily Tidings, OR)
http://www.dailytidings.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090115/NEWS02/901150315/-1/NEWS01

Industry, Environmentalists Gang Up On Climate (San Francisco)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/16/BUPV15BBN9.DTL&feed=rss.business

Paper Details Sites on Mars with Plumes of Methane - The big unanswered question is what belched? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/science/space/16mars.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Chairman Martin to Step down Next Week (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011503853.html?wprss=rss_technology

More Details On Obama $6 Billion Broadband Plan - RUS, NTIA will each get $2.8 billion for grants/loans (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/More-Details-On-Obama-6-Billion-Broadband-Plan-100274

California - Economic Crisis Stalls Palo Alto Fiber Project: 'Fiber to the Premises' consortium seeks new investors after earlier funding sources blow away (Palo Alto Online, CA)
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=10769

Wireless Carriers Caution of Blockages Tuesday (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99450244&ft=1&f=3

GENERAL NEWS

Suspect Arrested In Shelton Armed Robbery (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6101/reftab/1632/t/SUSPECT-ARRESTED-IN-SHELTON-ARMED-ROBBERY/Default.aspx

U.S. Senate Releases Second Portion of Bailout Fund (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/us/politics/16stimulus.html

Gregoire: Building to Revive Economy (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008634902_govstimulus16m.html?syndication=rss

PBJ Poll: Focus On Jobs (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/01/12/daily62.html?ana=from_rss

Seattle P-I Columnist - Plan for Worst from Mother Nature
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/396298_Joel16.html?source=rss

DIVERSIONS

Gun Goes Off In Utah Restroom, Shatters Toilet
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18488344/detail.html

Police: Man Posed As Female Veterinarian
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18487335/detail.html

Shortwave Radio Still Packs an Audible Thrill
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE50D6JF20090114?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology