Energy News Digest for February 5, 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.

The News Digest Is Also Available At The Following Web Site:
http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- 16 bills seek to amend alternative-energy initiative approved by voters
- No appeal of PSE sale; new Whidbey PUD effort
- Pend Oreille County Wants Bigger Piece Of Wealth From Seattle's
- River Flows Affect Chelan PUD Revenues
- The Daily News Editorial - Anger Can Be Justified, but Cowlitz PUD Recall Isn't the Answer
- No easy power fix for Anderson Island resident
- POWER: Benton PUD installing new meters
- Utilities and Transportation Commission Gets New Chairman
- Oregon Report: Energy Tax Credits Created Jobs
- $375 Million Coal Plant Proposed For SE Montana
- Dallas Morning News Editorial - Electric Dereg A Bust/Ripoff in Texas?
- Retail electricity competition pumps billions in economy
- Energy Secretary's Dire California Prediction
- Michigan Man Who Froze Over $1K In Unpaid Power Bills Had $
- Iowa Board May Revamp Electric Shut-Off Rules
- JD Power and Associates 2009 Electricity Customer Satisfaction Survey
- Idaho Statesman Editorial - Salmon Need Help From New Administration
- Sacramento: Hatchery Salmon Shortage Means Fewer Fish In Fall
- Lewis County PUD Believes Chehalis Dams Would Control Flooding
- Ice Dam Creates Potential Threat In Twisp
- Oregon - How Much Klamath River Water?
- Stormwater Ruling A Win For Small Cities
- State of Montana May Get $2 Million Riverfront Property
- Dark Days for Green
- Florida - Solar powered popcorn in Palm Beach
- Energy lawyer advocates for Great Lakes wind
- WHO GETS WHAT: Tax breaks for energy
- Obama ordering energy-efficient
- Hearing Airs Views On Proposed 'Cap and Trade' Emissions Bill
- Mid-Columbia Lawmakers Fight Emissions
- Congress Delays Troubled Switch To Digital
- Washington State Lawmakers Consider Bagging Plastic
- North Mason Storm Repair Work Could Begin Soon

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Girandole • \JEER-un-dohl\ • noun - 1: a radiating and showy composition (as a cluster of skyrockets fired together) *2: an ornamental branched candlestick 3: a pendant earring usually with three ornaments hanging from a central piece

The crowd exhaled with “Oohs” and “Aahs” which pleased the bearded pyrotechnican standing near the firing site for the Alaska State Fair. He figured that the girandole finale would bring the crowd to its feet….and he was not disappointed.

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

16 bills seek to amend alternative-energy initiative approved by voters (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090205/NEWS02/702059937

No appeal of PSE sale; new Whidbey PUD effort (The Whidbey Examiner, Coupeville, WA)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=2185&TM=63271.02

Pend Oreille County Wants Bigger Piece Of Wealth From Seattle's Dam (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008704810_pendoreille04m.html?syndication=rss

River Flows Affect Chelan PUD Revenues (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090203/NEWS04/702039919/1001

The Daily News Editorial - Anger Can Be Justified, but Cowlitz PUD Recall Isn't the Answer
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/02/05/editorial/doc498a0b39ec5fd067705987.txt

No easy power fix for Anderson Island resident (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_020409WAB-anderson-island-power-KC.1df25d36.html

POWER: Benton PUD installing new meters (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/468670.html

Utilities and Transportation Commission Gets New Chairman (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008704732_webgoltz04.html?syndication=rss

Oregon Report: Energy Tax Credits Created Jobs (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/02/02/daily23.html?ana=from_rss

$375 Million Coal Plant Proposed For SE Montana (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1831723~_375_million_coal_plant_proposed_for_SE_Mont_.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Dallas Morning News Editorial - Electric Dereg A Bust/Ripoff in Texas?
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/02/electric-dereg.html

Retail electricity competition pumps billions in economy (San Antonio Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/02/02/daily12.html

Energy Secretary's Dire California Prediction (MSNBC)
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Energy-Secretarys-Dire-California-Prediction.html

Michigan Man Who Froze Over $1K In Unpaid Power Bills Had $600K (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/nationworld/story/748361.html

Iowa Board May Revamp Electric Shut-Off Rules (Associated Press)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/02/04/ap6008353.html

JD Power and Associates 2009 Electricity Customer Satisfaction Survey (Links to PDF File)
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pdf/2009018.pdf

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Statesman Editorial - Salmon Need Help From New Administration
http://www.idahostatesman.com/126/story/656237.html

Sacramento: Hatchery Salmon Shortage Means Fewer Fish In Fall Run (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1600663.html?mi_rss=Our+Region

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lewis County PUD Believes Chehalis Dams Would Control Flooding (KELA-Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews/?Lewis-County-PUD-Believes-Chehalis-Dams-=1&blockID=38420&feedID=410

Ice Dam Creates Potential Threat In Twisp (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/38931314.html

Oregon - How Much Klamath River Water? Though winter isn’t over, irrigators are concerned (Herald and News, Klamath Falls, OR)
http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2009/02/05/top_story/doc498a92878880c077721990.txt

Stormwater Ruling A Win For Small Cities (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008704765_webruling04.html?syndication=rss

State of Montana May Get $2 Million Riverfront Property – Some assistance from Bonneville Power Administration (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/local_montana/news_8766237295_01.txt

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Dark Days for Green Energy (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/business/04windsolar.html?_r=1

Florida - Solar powered popcorn in Palm Beach County (WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach, FL)
http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story/Solar-powered-popcorn-in-Palm-Beach-County/RYwznnl_5UmOkh7LE51Ovg.cspx

Energy lawyer advocates for Great Lakes wind power (West Michigan Business)
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/02/energy_lawyer_advocates_for_gr.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

WHO GETS WHAT: Tax breaks for energy conservation - Congress may soon give you a break that could save you hundreds of dollars (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008711203_apstimulusenergy.html?syndication=rss

Obama ordering energy-efficient standards – Potentially higher efficiency standards for everyday household appliances such as dishwashers, lamps and microwave ovens (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008710191_apobamaenergy.html?syndication=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Hearing Airs Views On Proposed 'Cap and Trade' Emissions Bill (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/398642_cap04.html

Mid-Columbia Lawmakers Fight Emissions Cap (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/467714.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Congress Delays Troubled Switch To Digital TV (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020402584.html?wprss=rss_technology

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Lawmakers Consider Bagging Plastic Bags (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/39119792.html

North Mason Storm Repair Work Could Begin Soon (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/feb/04/north-mason-storm-repair-work-could-begin-soon/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Man Found Stuck In Chimney - Man Says He Doesn't Know How He Got There
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18629084/detail.html

Karma Visits Identity Thief While He Awaits Trial
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/02/05/local_news/06news.txt

Washington High Court Dismisses Cow Bone Lawsuit
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/398893_dental06.html?source=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Angel from Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhe3vb0z7mY&feature=related