Energy News Digest for January 23, 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)

- Intalco Power Talks Stall with BPA
- Puget Sound Energy Talks 'Productive,' Jefferson PUD Leader Says
- Memo details (very creative) TVA editing of response to ash spill
- NY Times Editorial - Collapse of the Clean Coal Myth
- Massachusetts - Canal energy plant in hot water
- Baird Named Chairman of Energy and Environment Subcommittee
- Oregon Lawmakers Target Metal Theft
- Maryland - Environmental Integrity Project to Sue Mirant Over Power Plant Emissions
- Spring Salmon Allocation Battle: Oregon's Turn
- Flooded Hatchery Owners Hope for Federal Aid
- Study: Orcas Raising Their Voices to Talk Above Racket of Vessel Traffic
- Brothers to Pay $150,000 in Salmon and Sturgeon Fishing Fines
- Canada - Culverts, Bridges Disastrous For B.C. Fish: Study
- Study: Western Forests Dying At Increasing Rate
- Boise Region Grapples With Smog
- Arlington Sewage Plant a 'Showcase' Project
- California - Mandatory Water Rationing In Bay Area Forecast
- Lawmakers Okay Energy Tax Breaks In Obama Plan
- T. Boone Pickens: The U.S. Needs a 'Wind Bank'
- Economy Won't Halt B.C.'S Run-Of-River Hydroelectric Projects
- Biodiesel Congeals, School Buses Stall
- Report: Carbon Cap and Trade Policies Could Delay Investments by a Decade
- Washington Examiner Op/Ed - Energy Reality Soon to Intrude on Obama’s Enviros
- Environmental Issues Slide in Poll of Public’s Concerns
- Alberta Scientists to Track Greenhouse Gases from Space
- Canada - The Carbon-Credit Value Of Old-Growth Forests
- Worm Infects Millions of Computers Worldwide
- Seattle Tops Forbes List of 'Most Wired' Cities
- Hey NY Times: Broadband Coverage Gaps Are Not 'Hooey'
- Stimulus Bill Has $2.8B for Washington Projects
- $850M Headed Toward State in Stimulus Package
- Foggy Weather Moving Out Of Washington
- Gregoire Asks Obama to Declare Storm Disaster
- Belfair Fire That Killed Two Children in October 2008 Is Ruled Arson
- Soldier’s Electrocution in Iraq Was Negligent Homicide, Army Concludes
- Hard Times Are Good Times to Build, North Mason Schools Superintendent Says

These And Links to More Stories in Today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Prescient •\PRESH-ee-unt\ • noun - Foreknowledge of events: a: divine omniscience b: human anticipation of the course of events: foresight

“I told you that was going to happen,” Ambrose barked at his unfortunate wife. A tray of deep-fried chicken gizzards had cascaded on her head upon opening the refrigerator to retrieve a soft drink. His seemingly prescient statement was deemed less than mysterious when it was revealed that for the lack of space, the tray had been precariously balanced on the top of condiment and styrofoam containers. So instead of being prescient, it was merely inevitable.

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

Intalco Power Talks Stall with BPA (Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/765702.html

Puget Sound Energy Talks 'Productive,' Jefferson PUD Leader Says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090123/news/301239990

Memo details TVA editing of response to ash spill - The massive coal ash spill…wasn't so much "catastrophic" as it was a "sudden, accidental release." (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008663191_apfloodedneighborhoodpr.html?syndication=rss

NY Times Editorial - Collapse of the Clean Coal Myth
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/opinion/23fri3.html

Massachusetts - Canal energy plant in hot water - It could be considered superfluous as soon as June due to ongoing improvements to southeastern Massachusetts’ transmission system (Cape Cod Times)
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090121/NEWS11/90121024

Baird Named Chairman of Energy and Environment Subcommittee (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/23//area_news/doc497916f26127a276914120.txt

Oregon Lawmakers Target Metal Theft (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1809469~Oregon_lawmakers_target_metal_theft.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Maryland - Environmental Integrity Project to Sue Mirant Over Power Plant Emissions (Washington Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/01/19/daily70.html?ana=from_rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Salmon Allocation Battle: Oregon's Turn (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2009/01/spring_salmon_allocation_battl.html

Flooded Hatchery Owners Hope for Federal Aid (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18543589/detail.html

Study: Orcas Raising Their Voices to Talk Above Racket of Vessel Traffic (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008661197_orcas23m.html?syndication=rss

Brothers to Pay $150,000 in Salmon and Sturgeon Fishing Fines (Associated Press)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_or_fish_fines.html

Canada - Culverts, Bridges Disastrous For B.C. Fish: Study (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/story.html?id=1202850

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Study: Western Forests Dying At Increasing Rate (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1811032~Study__Western_forests_dying_at_increasing_rate.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Boise Region Grapples With Smog (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/us/23boise.html

Arlington Sewage Plant a 'Showcase' Project - Wastewater plant gets attention of national trade journal (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090123/NEWS01/701239831/-1/RSS02

California - Mandatory Water Rationing In Bay Area Forecast (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/23/MNRA15FELA.DTL&feed=rss.news

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Lawmakers Okay Energy Tax Breaks In Obama Plan (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKTRE50L7BC20090122

T. Boone Pickens: The U.S. Needs a 'Wind Bank' (C/Net News)
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/22/pickens.wind.bank/

Economy Won't Halt B.C.'S Run-Of-River Hydroelectric Projects (Straight.Com)
http://www.straight.com/article-197479/economy-wont-halt-runofriver-projects

Biodiesel Congeals, School Buses Stall (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/biodiesel-congeals-school-buses-stall/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Report: Carbon Cap and Trade Policies Could Delay Investments by a Decade (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=351235&C=BUSIN&dcmp=rss

Washington Examiner Op/Ed - Energy Reality Soon to Intrude on Obama’s Enviros
http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/columns/IrwinStelzer/Energy_reality_soon_to_intrude_on_Obamas_enviros_012309.html

Environmental Issues Slide in Poll of Public’s Concerns (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/science/earth/23warm.html?ref=us

Alberta Scientists to Track Greenhouse Gases from Space (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/Technology/story.html?id=1203112

Canada - The Carbon-Credit Value Of Old-Growth Forests - Climate initiative opens new source of long-term revenue for B.C. (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=457073aa-3f8e-49bc-8a71-3e0ecc5b8c6d&k=6617

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Worm Infects Millions of Computers Worldwide (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/internet/23worm.html

Seattle Tops Forbes List of 'Most Wired' Cities - Pushes Atlanta back to number two (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Seattle-Tops-Forbes-List-Of-Most-Wired-Cities-100403

Hey NY Times: Broadband Coverage Gaps Are Not 'Hooey' – See yesterday’s news digest for the NY Times story (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Hey-NY-Times-Broadband-Coverage-Gaps-Are-Not-Hooey-100382

GENERAL NEWS

Stimulus Bill Has $2.8B for Washington Projects (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/455168.html

$850M Headed Toward State in Stimulus Package (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/735403.html

Foggy Weather Moving Out Of Washington (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1810933~Foggy_weather_moving_out_of_Washington.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Gregoire Asks Obama to Declare Storm Disaster (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18541711/detail.html

Belfair Fire That Killed Two Children in October 2008 Is Ruled Arson (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jan/22/belfair-fire-that-killed-two-children-in-2008/?partner=RSS

Soldier’s Electrocution in Iraq Was Negligent Homicide, Army Concludes (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/washington/23electrocute.html

Hard Times Are Good Times to Build, North Mason Schools Superintendent Says (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jan/22/hard-times-a-good-time-to-build-north-mason-says/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

'Flying Car' Goes to Market
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/22/flying-car.html

Death by Politeness: How Brits on the Titanic Met Their Doom
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2009/jan/Death-by-Politeness-How-Brits-on-the-Titanic-Met-Their-Doom.html

Pa. Man Considered $175K Bank Error 'A Gift from God'
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18540475/detail.html

Actor Accidentally Uses Loaded Gun in Play - Bullet Grazes Actor's Ear, Understudy Fills Role
http://www.kirotv.com/entertainment/18527595/detail.html

Labrador Deemed Most Popular Pooch Again
http://www.kirotv.com/family/18532001/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

I Fall To Pieces – Patsy Cline
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuZTk1hdpMs