Energy News Digest for February 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)

- State Senator Pridemore Targets Centralia Coal Plant’s Tax Credits
- Puget Wind Power May Go South
- Oregonian Op/Ed - Bonneville: Powering Up the Northwest Economy
- We should be thankful that Bobby Jindal does not run the BPA
- Cuts at power companies raise red flags about reliability
- Peggy Fowler calls it quits after 35 years at Portland General Electric
- Oregon Appeals Court Allows Taller Power Poles
- Oregon State University Professor: Nuclear Power Has Bright Future
- California Power Company Denied On Clean Power Study
- Colorado Governor, Others Ask Obama to Support 'Clean Coal' Technologies
- Getting Data on Your Electricity Consumption
- Virginia - Electric Sticker Shock
- Seattle P-I Editorial - Washington Century: Salmon – Snake Dam Removal
- Idaho Statesman Columnist - Barker: Salmon Judge Sets Stage for Settlement
- Rare Sea Otter Sighted On Oregon Coast
- Resident Orcas on Verge Of Collapse
- Jefferson PUD Eyes Port Townsend City Water
- Seattle Times Editorial - Seattle Water Customers Pay Their Own Rebate
- Drought to Cut off Federal Water to California Farms
- Next Up: A National Renewable Portfolio Standard?
- Energy Stimulus May Power Port of Vancouver
- Home Solar Firms See Wave of Mergers
- Texas Home Power Producers Not Assured Of Payment for Generating Excess Electricity
- Seattle Times Columnist - Reality Check on Plug-In Cars
- Electric Cars Still Years Away From Paying Off
- Snohomish County PUD Offers 10 Easy Energy Savers for Businesses
- Cap-And-Invest Approach Good for Environment and Economy
- Greenhouse Gas Plan Could Raise Kentucky Electric Bills
- British Fight Climate Change with Fish And Chips
- Internet Domain Names Grow To 177M
- New Bill Would Require Wi-Fi Hotspot Owners Retain Data
- Minnesota - North St. Paul Caught In Middle of Fiber Optic Fight
- Internet Taking Piece of Cable TV Business
- Web Fails To Access a Screen in Our Lives: TVs
- Allyn Standoff, Fire Leaves Man Dead, Woman Critical
- Mileage Tax Idea Gains Steam
- Mason County Still Building, Despite Economy
- Ex-FAA Worker Accused of Stealing Plane, Yacht
- Daughter Fills Father's 16th District Seat

These And Links To More Stories In Today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Pleonasm • \PLEE-uh-naz-um\ • noun - 1: the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense: redundancy 2: an instance or example of pleonasm

Join the competition for the most exemplary, fantastic, and mind-blowing pleonasm you can come up with. Anymore, “it was a dark and stormy night” seems tame when compared to some of the entries in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.
http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

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

State Senator Pridemore Targets Centralia Coal Plant’s Tax Credits (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
Http://Columbian.Com/Apps/Pbcs.Dll/Article?AID=/20090222/NEWS02/702229714/

Puget Wind Power May Go South - PSE Has Agreed To Sell Virtually All The Green Power Produced By Its Wind Farms For The Next Two Years To Southern California Edison (Seattle Times)
Http://Seattletimes.Nwsource.Com/Html/Businesstechnology/2008771283_Sundaybuzz22.Html?Syndication=Rss

Oregonian Op/Ed - Bonneville: Powering Up the Northwest Economy
Http://Www.Oregonlive.Com/Opinion/Index.Ssf/2009/02/Bonneville_Powering_Up_The_Nor.Html

Columbian Columnist - Leery in Louisiana; timid in Texas - All Northwesterners should be thankful that Bobby Jindal does not run the Bonneville Power Administration…
http://www.columbian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090222/OPINION03/702229724

Cuts at power companies raise red flags about reliability (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2009-02-22-utility-cuts_N.htm

Peggy Fowler calls it quits after 35 years at Portland General Electric (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/02/23/story5.html?ana=from_rss

Oregon Appeals Court Allows Taller Power Poles (Examiner.Com)
Http://Www.Examiner.Com/A-1863921~Oregon_Appeals_Court_Allows_Taller_Power_Poles.Html?Cid=Rss-Oregon_Headlines

Oregon State University Professor: Nuclear Power Has Bright Future (Examiner.Com)
Http://Www.Examiner.Com/A-1865341~OSU_Professor__Nuclear_Power_Has_Bright_Future.Html?Cid=Rss-Oregon_Headlines

California Power Company Denied On Clean Power Study (Reuters – Similar To Kalama Power Project)
Http://Uk.Reuters.Com/Article/Behindthescenes/Iduktre51k0mt20090221

Colorado Governor, Others Ask Obama to Support 'Clean Coal' Technologies (Denver Business Journal)
Http://Www.Bizjournals.Com/Denver/Stories/2009/02/16/Daily69.Html

Getting Data on Your Electricity Consumption (SF Chronicle)
Http://Www.Sfgate.Com/Cgi-Bin/Article.Cgi?F=/C/A/2009/02/22/BU2B161PBG.DTL&Feed=Rss.Business

Virginia - Electric Sticker Shock (Tricities.Com)
Http://Www.Tricities.Com/Tri/News/Local/Article/Electric_Sticker_Shock/20721/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Seattle Post Intelligencer Editorial - Washington Century: Salmon – Snake Dam Removal
Http://Seattlepi.Nwsource.Com/Opinion/400916_Salmoned.Html

Idaho Statesman Columnist - Barker: Salmon Judge Sets Stage for Settlement
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/676678.html

Rare Sea Otter Sighted On Oregon Coast (KING-TV, Seattle)
Http://Www.Nwcn.Com/Topstories/Stories/NW_022009ORB-Sea-Otter-Ks.36108de7.Html

Resident Orcas On Verge Of Collapse “…Treating Them Like A Financial Resource — With Tourist-Filled Boats Chasing After Them — We Run The Risk Of Consuming Them Down To The Last One…” (Seattle Times)
Http://Seattletimes.Nwsource.Com/Html/Opinion/2008767685_Opinc22anderson.Html?Syndication=Rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Jefferson PUD Eyes Port Townsend City Water (Peninsula Daily News)
Http://Www.Peninsuladailynews.Com/Article/20090221/News/302219996

Seattle Times Editorial - Seattle Water Customers Pay Their Own Rebate
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008768034_edita21water.html

Drought to Cut off Federal Water to California Farms (Examiner.Com)
Http://Www.Examiner.Com/A-1863317~Drought_To_Cut_Off_Federal_Water_To_Calif__Farms.Html?Cid=Rss-California_Headlines

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Next Up: A National Renewable Portfolio Standard? (NY Times)
Http://Greeninc.Blogs.Nytimes.Com/2009/02/20/Next-Up-A-Renewable-Portfolio-Standard/

Energy Stimulus May Power Port Of Vancouver - Cantwell Visit Highlights Bill’s Wind Energy Provisions, Which Could Boost Business, Jobs The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
Http://Www.Columbian.Com/Apps/Pbcs.Dll/Article?AID=/20090221/NEWS02/702219968

Home Solar Firms See Wave of Mergers (Contra Costa Times, CA)
Http://Www.Contracostatimes.Com/Business/Ci_11742236?Source=Rss

Texas Home Power Producers Not Assured Of Payment For Generating Excess Electricity (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
Http://Www.Star-Telegram.Com/804/Story/1216652.Html

Seattle Times Columnist - Reality Check on Plug-In Cars
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008771363_danny22.html

Electric Cars Still Years Away From Paying Off (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101024296&ft=1&f=3

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Snohomish County PUD Offers 10 Easy Energy Savers For Businesses (Edmonds Beacon, WA)
Http://Www.Edmondsbeacon.Com/Index.Php?Option=Com_Content&View=Article&Id=724:Pud-Offers-10-Easy-Energy-Savers-For-Businesses&Catid=79&Itemid=185

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Cap-And-Invest Approach Good for Environment and Economy
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008773754_opinb23butler.html

Greenhouse Gas Plan Could Raise Kentucky Electric Bills “…restrictions on carbon emissions could mean an end to electric rates that are among the lowest in the nation…” (Lexington Herald-Leader, KY)
http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/703885.html

British Fight Climate Change With Fish And Chips (NY Times)
Http://Www.Nytimes.Com/2009/02/22/Science/Earth/22cook.Html?_R=1

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Internet Domain Names Grow To 177M (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Http://Www.Bizjournals.Com/Seattle/Stories/2009/02/16/Daily42.Html?Ana=From_Rss

New Bill Would Require Wi-Fi Hotspot Owners Retain Data (Broadband Reports)
Http://Www.Dslreports.Com/Shownews/New-Bill-Would-Require-Wifi-Hotspot-Owners-Retain-Data-101002

Minnesota - North St. Paul Caught In Middle Of Fiber Optic Fight (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Http://Www.Startribune.Com/Local/East/40009047.Html?Elr=Karksd:Adyaep:Kd:Aut:Adyaep:Kd:Auid3apc:_Yyc:Auu

Internet Taking Piece of Cable TV Business (SF Chronicle)
Http://Www.Sfgate.Com/Cgi-Bin/Article.Cgi?F=/C/A/2009/02/22/BUAQ161OOT.DTL&Feed=Rss.Business

Web Fails To Access a Screen in Our Lives: TVs (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008773810_nettv23.html

GENERAL NEWS

Allyn Standoff, Fire Leaves Man Dead, Woman Critical (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/feb/22/standoff-leaves-man-dead-woman-critical/?partner=RSS

Mileage Tax Idea Gains Steam (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
Http://Www.Mynorthwest.Com/?Nid=11&Sid=136762

Mason County Still Building, Despite Economy (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Http://Www.Kitsapsun.Com/News/2009/Feb/22/Mason-County-Still-Building-Despite-Economy/?Partner=RSS

Ex-FAA Worker Accused of Stealing Plane, Yacht (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008774009_fraud23.html?syndication=rss

Daughter Fills Father's 16th District Seat (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008774021_staterep23m.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Mice Fall from Ceiling Of Florida Courthouse
Http://Www.Kirotv.Com/News/18758936/Detail.Html

Woman's Hair Weave Stops Bullet
Http://Www.Kirotv.Com/News/18757381/Detail.Html

Arkansas Cemetery Double-Booked Burial Plots
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18750575/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Heat Wave - Marilyn Monroe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0-0ygVvv4c