Energy News Digest for March 10, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- BPA Could Raise Rates More Than Expected
- Idaho Power Plans Natural Gas Power Plant in SW Idaho
- China offers 15 aluminum smelters cheaper power
- Feds To Take Control Of Electric Superhighway
- NV Energy Asks Nevada to Let It Build Power Line
- Survey Shows Huge Challenges for 'Smart Grid,' Efficiency Efforts
- Stimulus Dollars Energize Efforts to Smarten Up the Electric Power Grid
- Invisible, Underground HVDC Power Costs No More than Ugly Towers
- EPA To Study, Regulate Coal Ash Waste after Spill
- Ban Proposed On Pacific Ocean Salmon Fishing
- Oregon’s Cougar Dam Improvements Will Aid Fish
- Thin Snowpack Means Late Klamath Irrigation
- Interior Secretary Calls For Solar, Wind Energy Zones
- Washington Post Columnist - The Beautiful Wind of T. Boone Pickens
- Integrating Wind and Hydro Power in Quebec
- Idaho Energy Honcho Wants To Equip Schools with Solar
- New York Farmers Consider Saving Energy by Harvesting the Wind
- Geothermal power: A steam-powered stimulus
- Benton PUD - Energy Efficient Meters for Help Keep Green in the Wallet
- At Home with the Energy Detective
- Scientists Warn Seas to Rise Faster Than Expected
- Palo Alto Mayor Calls for Municipal 'Carbon Tax'
- Author Van Jones Tapped As Green Jobs Adviser
- Iconic Good Housekeeping Seal Goes Green
- Making Wine Bottles Lighter … and Greener
- The Broadband Gap: Why Is Theirs Faster
- Report Questions Stimulus Bill Health IT Money
- City of Shelton to Apply for Stimulus Money for Pump Station
- State Patrol Weapons, Equipment Stolen From Patrol Car
- End Could Be Near For Seattle's Oldest Newspaper
- New Rules on Banks Could Impact County Earning Power
- The Claim: Daylight Saving Time Can Affect Your Health

WORD OF THE DAY

Insipid • \in-SIP-edd\ • adjective – 1: lacking taste or savor: tasteless 2: lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge: dull, flat

Something was bothering Alfredo, something on the edge of his consciousness. Like the mild irritation of a wool shirt, he was restless and impatient with his carpool. It wasn’t until he was almost at work that he figured it out: the driver of the car had been playing a self-hypnosis CD aimed at curbing her craving for “Spam” lunchmeat. The droning new age music masked insipid subliminal messages such as: “you dislike salty meat snacks” “its made of ‘lips and snouts’” “some say it has the same texture as human flesh”.

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

BPA Could Raise Rates More Than Expected (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&id=106869

Idaho Power Plans Natural Gas Power Plant in SW Idaho (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/782419.html

China offers 15 aluminum smelters cheaper power “…part of the government's effort to shore up unprofitable smelters at a time of anemic demand…” (Reuters)
http://www.chinamining.org/News/2009-03-09/1236579654d22215.html

Feds To Take Control Of Electric Superhighway - Proposed bill could give U.S. government authority to grant permits for transmission lines when states delay approval (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/09/energy-harry-reid-business-energy-superhighway.html

NV Energy Asks Nevada to Let It Build Power Line (Associated Press)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/NV-Energy-asks-Nevada-to-let-apf-14586762.html

Survey Shows Huge Challenges for 'Smart Grid,' Efficiency Efforts (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/09/09greenwire-survey-shows-huge-challenges-for-smart-grid-ef-10040.html

Stimulus Dollars Energize Efforts to Smarten Up the Electric Power Grid (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/09/AR2009030902712.html?nav=rss_email/components

Invisible, Underground HVDC Power Costs No More than Ugly Towers (Renewable Energy World – Let the Sniping Begin!)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/03/invisible-underground-hvdc-power-costs-no-more-than-ugly-towers?src=rss

EPA To Study, Regulate Coal Ash Waste after Spill (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008832413_apepacoalash.html?syndication=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Ban Proposed On Pacific Ocean Salmon Fishing (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/09/BADD16BUCU.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

Oregon’s Cougar Dam Improvements Will Aid Fish (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/03/cougar_dam_improvements_will_a.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Thin Snowpack Means Late Klamath Irrigation (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1894558~Thin_snowpack_means_late_Klamath_irrigation.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Interior Secretary Calls For Solar, Wind Energy Zones (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008831474_apsalazarapinterview.html?syndication=rss

Washington Post Columnist - The Beautiful Wind of T. Boone Pickens
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/09/AR2009030902463.html?wprss=rss_politics

Integrating Wind and Hydro Power in Quebec (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/integrating-wind-and-hydro-power/

Idaho Energy Honcho Wants To Equip Schools with Solar (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/781506.html

New York Farmers Consider Saving Energy by Harvesting the Wind (Syracuse Post-Standard, NY)
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/farmers_consider_saving_energy.html

Geothermal power: A steam-powered stimulus (Nevada Appeal, Carson City, NV)
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20090309/NEWS/903089923/1005/NONE&parentprofile=1058&title=Geothermal%20power%20%20A%20steam-powered%20stimulus

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Benton PUD - Energy Efficient Meters for Help Keep Green in the Wallet (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/40999207.html

At Home with the Energy Detective (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/at-home-with-the-energy-detective/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Scientists Warn Seas to Rise Faster Than Expected (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/10/international/i071600D34.DTL&feed=rss.news

Palo Alto Mayor Calls for Municipal 'Carbon Tax' (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/03/09/daily25.html?ana=from_rss

Author Van Jones Tapped As Green Jobs Adviser (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008833424_apobamagreenjobs.html?syndication=rss

Van Jones “Green for All”
http://www.greenforall.org

Iconic Good Housekeeping Seal Goes Green (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008832223_aplifestyleshomesgoodhousekeepinggreen.html?syndication=rss

Making Wine Bottles Lighter … and Greener (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/making-wine-bottles-lighter-and-greener/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Broadband Gap: Why Is Theirs Faster (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/the-broadband-gap-why-is-theirs-faster/

Report Questions Stimulus Bill Health IT Money (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008832749_apstimulushealthit.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

City of Shelton to Apply for Stimulus Money for Pump Station (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6630/reftab/1632/t/CITY-TO-APPLY-FOR-STIMULUS-MONEY-FOR-PUMP-STATION/Default.aspx

State Patrol Weapons, Equipment Stolen From Patrol Car at State Capitol (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/41009202.html

End Could Be Near For Seattle's Oldest Newspaper (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_030909BUB-post-intelligencer-KC.1de8219a.html?rss?npc

New Rules on Banks Could Impact County Earning Power “…banks that hold public money must collateralize their uninsured public deposits at 100 percent - up from the 10 percent they currently hold in funds…” (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
http://www.ptleader.com/Main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=23597

The Claim: Daylight Saving Time Can Affect Your Health (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/health/10real.html

DIVERSIONS

Man Slips Climbing Power Pole, Saved By His Pants
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18888572/detail.html

Pennsylvania Using $173K to Make Liquor Clerks Jolly
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18885399/detail.html

Ga. Inmate Arrested Trying to Get Back In Jail - Man Apparently Left to Go Steal Cigarettes
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18878262/detail.html

Boy Wins Rights to Tropical Island In Lottery
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090305/od_nm/us_island_odd;_ylt=AuJA5Fa_nxb6DBLmVrnzF93tiBIF

SONG OF THE DAY

Simple Minds - Don't You Forget About Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhaHLoK3CF4&NR=1