Energy News Digest for January 28, 2009

The energy news digest was back in school Monday and Tuesday learning how to manipulate images in PhotoShop. It returns today as the “Puppet Master” – Marionettes, bow down before me! Thunderbirds are GO!

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)

- Sen. Murray Adds BPA Borrowing Capacity to Stimulus Bill
- Committee to recommend against municipal utility district
- Chelan PUD Chief: Surcharge Will Be Last Resort
- News Release - Avista Requests Recovery for Costs in Washington and Idaho
- Colville Tribes Starting Electric Company
- Critics Want To Pull Plug on 'Big Extension Cord' Through Eastern Oregon
- Obama Asks To Fix Electric Grid
- Western Governors Sense Chance for Electric Grid Work
- South Dakota: E.P.A. Objects to Coal-Powered Plant
- TVA Spill Unleashes Flood of Questions
- Energy Prices Should Flatten In 2009
- Energetic Decoupling - Waxman Puts Utility Decoupling in the Stimulus
- Trouble with Power Bill? There Is Help
- Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Overturns LNG Terminal Approval
- New Policies for Salmon Fishing on the Columbia River
- System Tracks Pacific Salmon's Progress
- Killer Whales: The Allure of the Search
- Mason County Working to Rein in Cost of Belfair Sewer Project
- Group Forms to Save Olympia’s Artesian Well
- No Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project Wind Farm This Year
- Oregon - First Wind Drops Wasco County Project
- Navy, Snohomish County PUD both hunt for power from tides
- Washington Times Op/Ed - Wind beneath our wings?
- Indiana Renewable Energy Supporters Try Again
- Top Arizona Regulator: Hike Renewable Energy Mandate To 25 Percen
- Energy Costs Generating Light-Bulb Solutions
- Recycle Compact Fluorescent Lights — Carefully
- Handling a Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb
- How To Reduce Your Energy Bills/Energy Conservation Begins At Home
- Chattanoogan Op/Ed - TVA Should Not Compromise On Energy Efficiency
- Europe Wants U.S. To Join Carbon Trading Market
- China Dams Reveal Flaws In Climate-Change Weapon
- Warming Trends Alter Conservation
- A Better Shade of Green: Cap & Trade and energy options
- Businesses Question Grant PUD Dark Fiber Decision
- Idaho Governor Helps Launch Technology Corridor
- House Votes No on DTV Bill
- Internet Audience Tops 1 Billion
- Maybe Yahoo Was Destined to Flounder
- Boeing to Cut 10,000 Jobs This Year
- State expects federal aid up to $4 billion ($850 million…no wait, $2 billion…no, I’ve got it - $4 billion!)
- Mudslides Trigger Call For Clear-Cut Answers

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Espiègle • \es-PYEGL\ • adjective - Frolicsome, roguish

“Just what I needed this morning,” sighed the portly bank examiner. “A teller with a sense of humor!” The teller’s espiegle attitude to the annual audit of procedures would soon end in tragedy, as the origami gallery of $100 bills across her workspace was revealed to have been, in reality, funds skimmed from the “Bedford Falls Savings and Loan” account.

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

SEN. MURRAY ADDS BPA BORROWING CAPACITY TO STIMULUS BILL - U.S. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, said today that she has included $3.25 billion in additional borrowing authority for the Bonneville Power Administration in the Senate American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The increased borrowing authority will assist BPA in funding critical infrastructure projects to allow new renewable resources to come online, including 4,700 megawatts of wind energy and to directly create an estimated 20,000 green jobs, including construction jobs. (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

Committee to recommend against municipal utility district (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090125/news/301259993

Chelan PUD Chief: Surcharge Will Be Last Resort (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090127/NEWS04/701279919

News Release - Avista Requests Recovery for Costs in Washington and Idaho (PR Newswire)
http://sev.prnewswire.com/utilities/20090123/SF6216723012009-1.html

Colville Tribes Starting Electric Company (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090124/NEWS04/701249924/1001/rss1001

Critics Want To Pull Plug on 'Big Extension Cord' Through Eastern Oregon (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/critics_blast_proposed_eastern.html

Obama Asks To Fix Electric Grid (Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/24/obama-gives-more-details-stimulus/

Western Governors Sense Chance for Electric Grid Work (Associated Press)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wy_western_transmission.html

South Dakota: E.P.A. Objects to Coal-Powered Plant (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/us/24brfs-EPAOBJECTSTO_BRF.html

TVA Spill Unleashes Flood of Questions - Dike Rupture Climaxed Tough Year For Agency (The Tennessean, TN)
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090125/GREEN02/901250402

Energy Prices Should Flatten In 2009 - Continued focus on efficiency could keep costs in check, create economic activity and jobs (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090122/BIZ/701229905/-1/BIZ

Energetic Decoupling - Waxman Puts Utility Decoupling in the Stimulus: The single most important policy change needed to promote broad-based, California-style energy efficiency is to "decouple" utility profits from sales (Grist Online)
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/1/23/145247/093

Trouble with Power Bill? There Is Help (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090126/NEWS01/701269926&news01ad=1

Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Overturns LNG Terminal Approval (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/01/board_overturns_lng_terminal_a.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

New Policies for Salmon Fishing on the Columbia River (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28812950/

System Tracks Pacific Salmon's Progress (KGO-TV, San Francisco)
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=6591928

Killer Whales: The Allure of the Search (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99834201&ft=1&f=10

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County Working to Rein in Cost of Belfair Sewer Project (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jan/25/county-working-to-rein-in-cost-of-belfair-sewer/?partner=RSS

Group Forms to Save Olympia’s Artesian Well – Thurston PUD May Help (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/736939.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY

No Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project Wind Farm This Year - extra time is needed interconnection agreement with the Bonneville Power Administration. (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)
http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2009/01/24/news/doc497a64257246c260169237.txt

Oregon - First Wind Drops Wasco County Project (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/01/19/daily64.html?ana=from_rss

Navy, Snohomish County PUD both hunt for power from tides (Everett Herald)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20090125/NEWS01/701259902

Washington Times Op/Ed - Wind beneath our wings?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/25/wind-beneath-our-wings/

Indiana Renewable Energy Supporters Try Again (Chicago Tribune)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-xgr-renewableener,0,7282789.story

Top Arizona Regulator: Hike Renewable Energy Mandate To 25 Percent - 15 percent by 2025 is too low (Arizona Daily Sun)
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/01/25/news/20090125_front_189645.txt

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Costs Generating Light-Bulb Solutions (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/24/AR2009012401598.html?nav=rss_email/components

Recycle Compact Fluorescent Lights — Carefully (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090124/NEWS04/701249984

Handling a Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090124/NEWS04/701249982/1025/rss1025

How To Reduce Your Energy Bills/Energy Conservation Begins At Home (Low Carbon Economy)
http://www.lowcarboneconomy.com/community_content/_tips_did_you_know/4099

Chattanoogan Op/Ed - TVA Should Not Compromise On Energy Efficiency
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_143297.asp

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Europe Wants U.S. To Join Carbon Trading Market (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/business/worldbusiness/24greenhouse.html

China Dams Reveal Flaws In Climate-Change Weapon (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11550757?nclick_check=1

Warming Trends Alter Conservation - Experts Think Old Paradigm of Fixed Boundaries Will Not Work as Sea Levels Rise (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/24/AR2009012401728.html?wprss=rss_business

NY Times Op/Ed - A Better Shade of Green: Cap & Trade and energy options
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/opinion/24leonard.html?_r=1&em

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Businesses Question Grant PUD Dark Fiber Decision - Staff Working On Rate Schedule (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses, Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/01/27/news/doc497f4bbbe7d42916633354.txt

Idaho Governor Helps Launch Technology Corridor (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/738198.html

House Votes No on DTV Bill - Shutdown Would Have Been Delayed Until June (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/digital-tv/18583035/detail.html?treets=sea&tml=sea_natlbreak&ts=T&tmi=sea_natlbreak_1_12090101282009

Internet Audience Tops 1 Billion (Wichita Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2009/01/19/daily47.html?ana=from_rss

Maybe Yahoo Was Destined to Flounder (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/24/maybe-yahoo-was-destined-to-flounder/

GENERAL NEWS

Boeing to Cut 10,000 Jobs This Year (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18584690/detail.html?treets=sea&tml=sea_break&ts=T&tmi=sea_break_1_10260101282009

State expects federal aid up to $4 billion - Stimulus package under consideration could ease Olympia’s budget problems and pump billions into state and local construction projects (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/608677.html

Mudslides Trigger Call For Clear-Cut Answers (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008674714_glenomaslides27m.html

DIVERSIONS

Officials: Flaming Squirrel Sparked Wildfire
http://www.kirotv.com/weather/18541790/detail.html

NJ Residents: 'It Was Raining' Dead Birds - Mysterious Bird Deaths Caused By State Culling Efforts
http://www.kirotv.com/health/18571754/detail.html

Goat Detained Over Armed Robbery
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE50M4XT20090123?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Winning Coach Canned After 100-0 Blowout
http://www.kirotv.com/sports/18561824/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Will O' the Wisp - Miles Davis, from “Sketches of Spain” (1960)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz7-617UaYc