Energy News Digest for March 11, 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)

- Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 3% Rate Increase
- Mason PUD (3) Approves Rate Increase
- Mason County PUD No. 3 Adopts 3% Rate Increase
- Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Power Rate Hike Could Grow
- Lewis County Power Use Tops 1 Billion Kilowatts
- Lewis County PUD Urges Business to Support Dams
- Jobs expected to flow with planned upgrade at Lookout Point Dam
- CREDIT: Richland Electric Customers Get a Break on Bills
- Oregonian Op/Ed - BPA's Wright Thanks Congress for "A Miracle"
- Oregon Lumber Mill Sues PacifiCorp Over Grid Connection
- Idaho Power to Consult Residents on Oregon Power Line Plan
- Maryland - Rushing Into Energy Legislation Could Produce Nasty Shock
- Energy Department Made $500 Million Math Error on Clean Coal Project
- Coal to Give Way to Natural Gas for U.S. Electricity?
- 32 Vermont Towns Demand Closing of Yankee Nuclear Power Plant
- Virginia Man Pays His $350 Electric Bill in Pennies
- California Must Step Up to Save Salmon, Experts Tell Legislators
- Pacific Fishery Council Cuts Whiting Harvest
- Orcas Swim from Puget Sound to Monterey in 11 Days
- Lake Chelan Basin Snow runoff may be near all-time low
- Oregon’s US Senators Tout Dredging Projects in Bill
- Clallam County PUD Sewer System for Carlsborg Could Start 2011
- Wash. Senate Approves Measure on Energy Targets
- Seattle Times - Protect Initiative 937's Incentives for Renewable Power
- Grays Harbor Company Would Turn Wood Waste to Biofuel
- Wind Power Helps Lift Port of Longview to New Heights
- Tower of Power - Lewis County Lands Its First Wind Turbine
- Local Firm Plans to Harness The Pacific For Electricity
- Recession Has Taken Toll on Alternative Energy
- Alternative Power Revenue Soars
- Cleaner Trash-To-Energy Tech Hits the Ground
- WA Senate Passes Energy Efficiency Bill
- NW Energy Efficiency Alliance Named as Award Winner
- No Lights Policy Saves Energy and Birds
- US Utilities Gear Up For Fight over Climate-Law Revenue
- EPA Proposes National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Registry
- No Skepticism on the Energy Gap
- Telecom Firms Eager to Help U.S. Spend $7.2 Billion
- Broadband Infrastructure Meeting Standing Room Only
- Broadband Policy Plans Kicked Off in D.C.
- Hood Canal Bridge Project on Time
- Governor Gregoire Touts Commerce, Names New CTED Director
- Senate Passes 'Everything but Marriage' Bill
- Newspapers Would Get Tax Cut under House Bill
- Obama Considering Aerial Tanker Deal Delay

WORD OF THE DAY

Proliferate • \pruh-LIFF-er-rayt\ • verb - To grow or increase in number rapidly

Spontaneous generation was the only solution the PUD energy analyst had for the sudden proliferation of alternative energy “experts” that appeared seemingly out of thin air one morning. “It’s always windy here,” blustered one after a rare summer windstorm. “I’ll just dam this fish-bearing creek,” babbled another. “I’ve got a two-year supply of baked beans,” mumbled one gasbag.

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

Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 3% Rate Increase (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=515

Mason PUD (3) Approves Rate Increase (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/782901.html

Mason County PUD No. 3 Adopts 3% Rate Increase (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6646/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Power Rate Hike Could Grow - Bonneville Power Administration might boost electricity rates more than it recently projected (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Power-rate-hike-could-grow

Lewis County Power Use Tops 1 Billion Kilowatts (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1236703809&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Lewis County PUD Urges Business to Support Dams (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1236704321&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Hydroelectric Boost - Jobs Expected To Flow with Planned Upgrade at Lookout Point Dam (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/9309431-41/story.csp

CREDIT: Richland Electric Customers Get a Break on Bills (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/504581.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - BPA's Wright Thanks Congress for "A Miracle"
http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2009/03/bpas_wright_thanks_congress_fo.html

Oregon Lumber Mill Sues PacifiCorp Over Grid Connection (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1895835~Lumber_mill_sues_PacifiCorp_over_grid_connection.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Idaho Power to Consult Residents on Oregon Power Line Plan (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1896590~Idaho_Power_to_consult_residents_on_Ore__line_plan.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Maryland - Rushing Into Energy Legislation Could Produce Nasty Shock (Baltimore Sun, MD)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.hancock11mar11,0,4001160.column

Energy Department Made $500 Million Math Error on Clean Coal Project (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/science/earth/11coal.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Coal to Give Way to Natural Gas for U.S. Electricity? (Energy Current)
http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=3&storyid=16587

Entergy Go Home! 32 Vermont Towns Demand Closing of Yankee Nuclear Power Plant (InfoShop News)
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=2009entergy

Virginia Man Pays His $350 Electric Bill in Pennies (Hampton Roads, VA – Ha, Ha, Ha!)
http://hamptonroads.com.nyud.net/2009/03/virginia-man-pays-his-350-electric-bill-pennies

FISH & WILDLIFE

California Must Step Up to Save Salmon, Experts Tell Legislators (Sacramento Bee, CA – Wow! What was happening between 1995 and 2003?)
http://www.sacbee.com/378/story/1688882.html?mi_rss=Environment

Pacific Fishery Council Cuts Whiting Harvest (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1897635~Pacific_fishery_council_cuts_whiting_harvest.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Orcas Swim from Puget Sound to Monterey in 11 Days (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/782547.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lake Chelan Basin Snow Runoff May Be Near All-Time Low (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090310/NEWS04/703109948/-1/NEWS90

Oregon’s US Senators Tout Dredging Projects in Bill (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1897068~Wyden__Merkley_tout_dredging_projects_in_bill.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Clallam County PUD Sewer System for Carlsborg Could Start Service in April 2011 (Sequim Gazette, WA)
http://www.sequimgazette.com/topstory/articleDetail.exm/Index/article/2009-03-11_PUD_sewer_system_for_Carlsborg__could_start_service_in_April_2011/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wash. Senate Approves Measure on Energy Targets - Washington's largest utilities may get some breathing room in meeting new green-energy targets under a bill that passed the Senate Tuesday night (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008838512_apwaxgralternativeenergy.html?syndication=rss

Seattle Times Guest Columnist - Protect Initiative 937's Incentives for Renewable Power
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008837346_opinb11inslee.html?syndication=rss

Grays Harbor Company Would Turn Wood Waste to Biofuel (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/03/10/local_news/03news.txt

Wind Power Helps Lift Port of Longview to New Heights (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/03/10//area_news/doc49b5b5769a4e9718040286.txt

Tower of Power - Lewis County Lands Its First Wind Turbine (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1236705734&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Columbian Columnist - Local Firm Plans to Harness The Pacific For Electricity
http://columbian.com/article/20090311/OPINION03/703119994/-1/OPINION

Recession Has Taken Toll on Alternative Energy (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/10/BUVS16CRCG.DTL&feed=rss.business

Alternative Power Revenue Soars (Austin Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/03/09/daily23.html?ana=from_rss

Cleaner Trash-To-Energy Tech Hits the Ground (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10192431-54.html?tag=nl.e433

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

WA Senate Passes Energy Efficiency Bill (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9981570

News Release - NW Energy Efficiency Alliance Named as 2009 ENERGY STAR(R) Partner of the Year (PR Newswire)
http://ca.sys-con.com/node/870579

No Lights Policy Saves Energy and Birds (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/2009/march/No-Lights-Policy-Saves-Energy-and-Birds.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

US Utilities Gear Up For Fight over Climate-Law Revenue (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200903101524DOWJONESDJONLINE000699_FORTUNE5.htm

EPA Proposes National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Registry (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR2009031001445.html?nav=rss_email/components

No Skepticism on the Energy Gap (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/no-doubt-about-energy-gap/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telecom Firms Eager to Help U.S. Spend $7.2 Billion (Reuters)
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090310/wr_nm/us_broadband_usa_1

Broadband Infrastructure Meeting Standing Room Only - Agencies in charge of $7.2 billion begin process (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Broadband-Infrastructure-Meeting-Standing-Room-Only-101296

Broadband Policy Plans Kicked Off in D.C. (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/03/10/broadband-policy-plans-kicked-off-in-dc/

GENERAL NEWS

Hood Canal Bridge Project on Time (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008838806_webbridge11.html?syndication=rss

Governor Gregoire Touts Commerce, Names New CTED Director (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008837849_apwagovernorcommerce.html?syndication=rss

Senate Passes 'Everything but Marriage' Bill (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/41073467.html

Newspapers Would Get Tax Cut under House Bill (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008838490_webnewspapertaxcut11.html?syndication=rss

Obama Considering Aerial Tanker Deal Delay - Move on List of Possible Budget Cuts (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/10/AR2009031003627.html?wprss=rss_business

DIVERSIONS

Woman Hit with 14-Year-Old Traffic Ticket
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/18894241/detail.html

Is There Room For Colbert In Space?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008838199_colbert11.html?syndication=rss

One-Eyed Filmmaker Conceals Camera in Prosthetic
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090311/ap_on_hi_te/eu_eye_camera_6

Xcel Energy's Million-Dollar Bill Misprint a Shock
http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=111390

SONG OF THE DAY

Long Distance Dedication for Steve Wright: Barry Manilow - It's A Miracle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTKVm6HY25s