Energy News Digest for January 6, 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)

- Montana - Baucus, Tester Press BPA to Renegotiate Aluminum Energy Prices
- Murray: Where have the bailout dollars gone?
- Georgia Coal Plant Project Threatened By Partnership Breakup
- Approval of Puget Sound Energy takeover by foreign interests the wrong decision
- Congdon Named President of Chelan PUD Board
- Utility cutoffs fuel carbon monoxide poisonings
- Michigan - Utility Companies Told To Pay Up For Outage Costs
- China’s Power Surge Ends, for Now
- GridWise report: 280,000 new jobs tied to smart grid deployment
- Belfair Salmon Center Finishes Land Acquisition for Its New Digs
- Bush to Protect Three Areas in Pacific
- Montana’s Got Wind, Needs Power Lines
- The Beauty Of The Backyard Turbine
- Arizona Star Editorial - Solar Panels Are a Good Idea If Affordable
- Obama's Plan Would Double Renewable Energy Production in the U.S.
- California Study Shows Shade Trees Reduce Summertime Electricity Use
- Tossing iron powder into ocean to fight global warming
- Climate Change versus Global Warming
- Seeking Alpha - Broadband: Why Government Investment Is Justified Now
- Comcast Can Now Slow Bandwidth Hogs Across Its Network
- SkyWi President Says Qwest Cost His Firm Customers
- Feds start waiting list for DTV converter box coupons
- Heavy rain forecast for Western Washington
- Mason County Flood Watch In Effect Through Friday Afternoon
- Lewis County Declares Storm Emergency
- Bear Captured In the Island Lake/Shelton Springs Road Area
- Leader of Manke Lumber Embezzlement Scheme Pleads Guilty
- Washington State Employee Hiring Freeze Lifted
- Do Continuing Earthquakes in Yellowstone Signal Monumental Destruction?
- Poll: Seattle Residents Not Thrilled With Mayor

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Frieze • \FREEZ\ • noun - 1: the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice 2: a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture) *3: a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze

Lady Emma strolled expectantly towards the house of her next door neighbor, an infamous collector of H.R. Pufnstuff memorabilia. What she did not expect was the frieze that encircled the entire front door, depicting the “Many Moods of Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo”. Lady Emma thought the exotic carvings were a bit excessive, especially since “Witchiepoo” had only one mood: evil.

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

Montana - Baucus, Tester Press BPA to Renegotiate Energy Prices with Columbia Falls Aluminum Company: Energy Prices a Key Part of Shutdown Decision (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/baucus_tester_press_bpa_to_renegotiate_energy_pries_with_cfac/7526/

Murray: Where have the bailout dollars gone? “…she wants $5 billion from the package to rebuild the Bonneville Power Administration…” (KEPR-TV, Pasco, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/37127849.html

Georgia Coal Plant Project Threatened By Partnership Breakup (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/01/05/daily22.html?ana=from_rss

Seattle Times Editorial - Approval of Puget Sound Energy takeover by foreign interests the wrong decision
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008592860_edit06wutc.html

Congdon Named President of Chelan PUD Board (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090105/NEWS04/701069996/1001/rss1001

Utility cutoffs fuel carbon monoxide poisonings - Desperate families are turning to dangerous heat sources, experts say (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28508809/

Michigan - Utility Companies Told To Pay Up For Outage Costs: Municipalities' fees for fire, police help unfair; they say (Detroit Free Press, MI)
http://www.freep.com/article/20090102/NEWS05/901020370/-1/Ferndale

China’s Power Surge Ends, for Now (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/chinas-power-surge-ends-for-now/

GridWise report: 280,000 new jobs tied to smart grid deployment (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=349411&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Belfair Salmon Center Finishes Land Acquisition for Its New Digs (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jan/05/belfair-salmon-center-finishes-property/?partner=RSS

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Bush to Protect Three Areas in Pacific (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010501181.html?nav=rss_email%2Fcomponents

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Montana’s Got Wind, Needs Power Lines - But environmentalists worry that an expanded grid will help carry more dirty power (Christian Science Monitor)
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/12/29/montana%e2%80%99s-got-wind-needs-power-lines/

The Beauty Of The Backyard Turbine - Industrial-scale installations aren't the only source of wind energy for Canadian homes and businesses (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090106.wwindside06/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090106.wwindside06

Arizona Star Editorial - Solar Panels Are a Good Idea If Affordable: Push for renewable energy shouldn't jeopardize other programs
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/274554

Obama's Plan Would Double Renewable Energy Production in the U.S. (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=54428&src=rss

California Study Shows Shade Trees Reduce Summertime Electricity Use (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090105150831.htm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Tossing iron powder into ocean to fight global warming (Times of India)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Tossing_iron_powder_into_ocean_to_fight_global_warming/articleshow/3943779.cms

Climate Change versus Global Warming (Muncie Star Press, IN)
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090106/GREEN03/90106013

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Seeking Alpha - Broadband: Why Government Investment Is Justified Now
http://seekingalpha.com/article/112991-broadband-why-government-investment-is-justified-now

Comcast Can Now Slow Bandwidth Hogs Across Its Network (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/05/comcast-can-now-slow-bandwidth-hogs-across-its-network/

SkyWi President Says Qwest Cost His Firm Customers (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/05/financial/f151629S97.DTL&feed=rss.business

Feds start waiting list for DTV converter box coupons (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11373316

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy rain forecast for Western Washington (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9623070

Mason County Flood Watch In Effect Through Friday Afternoon (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6011/reftab/1632/t/FLOOD-WATCH-IN-EFFECT-THROUGH-FRIDAY-AFTERNOON/Default.aspx

Lewis County Declares Storm Emergency (The Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/717733.html

Bear Captured In the Island Lake/Shelton Springs Road Area (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6009/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Leader of Manke Lumber Embezzlement Scheme Pleads Guilty (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/585821.html

Washington State Employee Hiring Freeze Lifted (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008595313_webhiringfreeze06m.html?syndication=rss

Alert the Discovery Channel! Do Continuing Earthquakes in Yellowstone Signal Monumental Destruction? (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/2009/jan/Do-Continuing-Earthquakes-in-Yellowstone-Signal-Monumental-Destruction.html

Poll: Seattle Residents Not Thrilled With Mayor (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_010509WAB_seattle_mayor_city_survey_TP.4086bf02.html

DIVERSIONS

Another Hearing Sought In $54 million Missing Pants Case
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008595208_ap54millionpants.html?syndication=rss

Police Foil German Children's Dash to Africa
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE50444120090105?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Fabulous Fib Is Named Wisconsin Club's Top Lie Of 2008
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_fe_st/odd_top_liars;_ylt=AgOZoR_oLSax4SQOIqAtG_3tiBIF

6-Year-Old Misses Bus, Takes Family Car, Crashes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_re_us/odd_boy_driver;_ylt=Aqm1zpIC2bjvAisKATiP3xTtiBIF