Energy News Digest for February 26, 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)

- Portland General Electric Reports Lower Earnings
- Senate Leader Outlines 3 Steps to Meeting Obama's Energy Goals
- Sources: Obama Cuts Funds for Nev. Nuclear Dump
- Obama's Energy Boost
- West Coast Salmon Numbers Up, Fishing Prospects Dim
- Forecast Predicts another Dire Year for Ocean Salmon Fishing
- South Sound Anglers Will See Big Pink Run
- Groups Welcome Rule to Protect Threatened Orcas
- Suit Threatened Over Levee Trees
- Mr. Whipple Left It Out: Soft Is Rough on Forests
- Mason County Requesting Funds for Solar Street Lights
- Company Moves Forward With Grays Harbor Offshore Energy Project
- 23 Governors Push Renewable Electricity Standard
- Wind Energy Still Slow In California
- Energy Pulse Commentary - Stimulating Wind May Take Some Time
- Solar-Car Evangelist's Journey Detours through Palo Alto
- Preparing for a Flood of Energy Efficiency Spending
- Bogus Trend Story of the Week - "Climate Fears Are Driving 'Ecomigration' Across Globe."
- How the Carbon Casino Pits Ecologist against Ecologist
- Broadband Expansion Is Popular in Stimulus Plans
- DirecTV, DISH Ask U.S. Lawmakers for Rural Incentives
- Yahoo Not Opposed To Deal with Microsoft
- FCC Fines Small Telecom Firms on Customer Information Safety Rules
- The Dark Lord of Broadband Tries to Fix Comcast's Image
- Obama Chooses Locke to Run Commerce Department
- In His Third Attempt, Obama Nominates Gary Locke for Commerce Secretary
- Obama Cabinet Strengthened By Northwest Talent
- Washington Legislature Nears Halfway Mark
- Unemployment Over 13 Pct in Three WA Counties:
- Tracking those highway stimulus dollars online

WORD OF THE DAY

Ablution • \uh-BLOO-shun\ • noun - 1a: the washing of one's body or part of it (as in a religious rite) b: the act or action of bathing 2: (plural) British: a building housing bathing and toilet facilities on a military base.

As he aged, Ambrose’ daily ablutions became increasingly complex. Washcloth for his neck, brush for his back, pressure washing for his feet, special soap for his back, a different soap for his front, another for his hands, and another for his face and hair. Every morning his puzzled coworkers would sniff the odd assortment of soap fragrances and stand in wild wonder; trying to figure out if he had experienced an unfortunate accident in the local “Bodyworks” store.

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

Portland General Electric Reports Lower Earnings (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/02/23/daily27.html?ana=from_rss

Senate Leader Outlines 3 Steps to Meeting Obama's Energy Goals (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/02/25/25greenwire-reid-outlines-3-steps-to-meeting-obamas-energy--9864.html

Sources: Obama Cuts Funds for Nev. Nuclear Dump (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008786982_apobamayuccamountain.html?syndication=rss

Obama's Energy Boost (MSNBC)
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/25/1808536.aspx

FISH & WILDLIFE

West Coast Salmon Numbers Up, Fishing Prospects Dim (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/40326027.html

Forecast Predicts another Dire Year for Ocean Salmon Fishing (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/02/forecast_is_for_another_dire_y.html

South Sound Anglers Will See Big Pink Run (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/outdoors/story/638868.html

Groups Welcome Rule to Protect Threatened Orcas (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008786665_apcanadakillerwhaleprotection.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Suit Threatened Over Levee Trees (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008787794_weblevees26.html?syndication=rss

Mr. Whipple Left It Out: Soft Is Rough on Forests (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/science/earth/26charmin.html?_r=1

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Mason County Requesting Funds for Solar Street Lights (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6486/reftab/1632/t/COUNTY-REQUESTING-FUNDS-FOR-SOLAR-STREET-LIGHTS/Default.aspx

Company Moves Forward With Grays Harbor Offshore Energy Project (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/02/25/local_news/02news.txt

23 Governors Push Renewable Electricity Standard (Red Green and Blue)
http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/02/24/23-governors-push-renewable-electricity-standard/

Wind Energy Still Slow In California (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11784557?nclick_check=1

Energy Pulse Commentary - Stimulating Wind May Take Some Time
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1959

Solar-Car Evangelist's Journey Detours through Palo Alto (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11784673

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Preparing for a Flood of Energy Efficiency Spending (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/business/energy-environment/26efficiency.html?_r=1

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Bogus Trend Story of the Week - "Climate Fears Are Driving 'Ecomigration' Across Globe." (Slate magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2212229/?from=rss

How the Carbon Casino Pits Ecologist against Ecologist (The Tyee Online)
http://thetyee.ca/News/2009/02/25/Eco-V-Eco/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Expansion Is Popular in Stimulus Plans (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/business/worldbusiness/26broadband.html

DirecTV, DISH Ask U.S. Lawmakers for Rural Incentives (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE51N5YE20090224?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

Yahoo Not Opposed To Deal with Microsoft (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11785752

FCC Fines Small Telecom Firms on Customer Information Safety Rules (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11782076

The Dark Lord of Broadband Tries to Fix Comcast's Image (Wired Magazine)
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-02/mf_brianroberts?currentPage=all

GENERAL NEWS

Obama Chooses Locke to Run Commerce Department (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008784642_apobamacommerce5thldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

In His Third Attempt, Obama Nominates Gary Locke for Commerce Secretary (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/politics/2009/feb/Obama-Goes-for-Three-With-Locke-at-Commerce.html

Seattle Times Staff Columnist - Obama Cabinet Strengthened By Northwest Talent
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008786620_opina26joni.html?syndication=rss

Washington Legislature Nears Halfway Mark (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008784237_apwaxgroutlook.html?syndication=rss

Unemployment Over 13 Pct in Three WA Counties: Cowlitz, Grays Harbor and Lewis (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_022509WAB-lewis-county-unemployment-TP.309ba90.html?npc

Tracking those highway stimulus dollars online (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090225/BLOG13/902259977/0/NEWS03

DIVERSIONS

Man Blames Seattle Construction for Sewage Geyser
http://www.examiner.com/a-1870554~Man_blames_Seattle_construction_for_sewage_geyser.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Police Say Drunk Man Let 10-Year-Old Drive
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/18792216/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Eric Clapton & Friends - White Room
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvnWuOjJDh4