Energy News Digest for March 13, 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)

- Grant County PUD Considers 3 Percent Rate Increase
- Grant PUD Reserves at Risk - Lower Stream Flows Blamed
- Chelan PUD to Appeal Whistleblower Decision
- Oregon - Wholesale Power Costs Major Issue for Coos Curry Electric
- Obama Admin Faces Power Grid vs. Public Lands Conundrum
- Warming Up: A Consumer Backlash against Rising Electricity Prices
- New York - Power Struggle Sparks St. Regis Mohawk Protest
- Wall Street Journal Op/Ed - There Is No Such Thing as Nuclear Waste
- FERC Issues Final EIS for Southern California Edison Hydro Projects
- Washington Chinook and Coho Runs Best in Years
- Coastal Coho Fishing Could Be Up This Year
- California Salmon Season Prospects Dim; Oregon Limited
- Sick Sea Lion Killed At Bonneville Dam
- NOAA Fisheries Proposes Protection for Pacific Smelt
- Columbia River Dredging Will Go At Full Blast
- Snohomish County PUD to Get $1M for Renewable Energy Projects
- Imperium Cuts 24 Jobs at Grays Harbor Biofuel Plant
- Vestas Wind Systems, Boeing join forces
- Europe’s Way of Encouraging Solar Power Arrives in the US
- Coal Plants May Add Solar Thermal Power
- PPL Providing More Clean, Renewable Electricity with Orono Hydro Plant
- Energy Pulse Commentary - Hydro Industry Seeks to Weaken Standards
- Pacific Gas & Electric Gets California Approval to Fund Smart Meters
- Connecticut – For Conservation Funds, Tax Proposed for Home Heating Oil
- Gray Areas Linger In Green Efforts
- Tribes Want to Talk To Governor about Climate Initiative
- Push to Reduce Greenhouse Gases Would Put a Price on Emitting Pollution
- Mason County Internet Provider Reports Phishing Attempts
- Everybody Wants a Cut of Broadband Stimulus Funds
- 2,000 Long Term Jobs at Stake in Belfair Sewer Project
- Oregon - From Dam Improvements to Mass Transit, Feds Pay
- Washington Department Could Be Renamed Commerce
- Moxee to Make Decision on Waste-Tire Plant Plan

WORD OF THE DAY

Flibbertigibbet • \flib-er-tee-JIB-ut\ • noun - A silly flighty person

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertigibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

WORD ORIGIN FROM MERRIAM WEBSTER - "Flibbertigibbet" is one of many incarnations of the Middle English word "flepergebet," meaning "gossip" or "chatterer." It is a word created from sounds that were intended to represent meaningless chatter. Shakespeare apparently saw a devilish aspect to a gossipy chatterer; he used "flibbertigibbet" in King Lear as the name of a devil. This use never caught on, but the devilish connotation of the word reappeared over 200 years later when Sir Walter Scott used "Flibbertigibbet" as the nickname of an impish urchin in the novel Kenilworth. The impish meaning derived from Scott's character was short-lived and was laid to rest by the 19th-century's end, leaving us with only the "silly flighty person" meaning.

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

Grant County PUD Considers 3 Percent Rate Increase (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/03/12/news/doc49b9576510905200031978.txt

Grant PUD Reserves at Risk - Lower Stream Flows Blamed (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/03/12/news/doc49b957fa9aae0676532278.txt

Chelan PUD to Appeal Whistleblower Decision (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
http://www.kpq.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=821

Oregon - Wholesale Power Costs Major Issue for Coos Curry Electric (Curry County Reporter, Gold Beach, OR)
http://www.currycountyreporter.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=4622

Obama Admin Faces Power Grid vs. Public Lands Conundrum (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/12/12greenwire-obama-admin-faces-21stcentury-grid-vs-public-l-10103.html

Warming Up: A Consumer Backlash against Rising Electricity Prices (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/03/12/12climatewire-warming-up-a-consumer-backlash-against-risin-10096.html

New York - Power Struggle Sparks St. Regis Mohawk Protest: over state’s diversion of electrical power set aside for the tribe's use (Indian Country Today)
http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/78806502/53616c7465645f5f2b08292712410b6dc927e0182963e0b1f04be603103d4b41

Wall Street Journal Op/Ed - There Is No Such Thing as Nuclear Waste
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690627522614525.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

California – FERC Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement for Southern California Edison’s Big Creek Projects in the Upper San Joaquin River Watershed (FERC)
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/enviro/eis/2009/03-13-09.asp

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington Chinook and Coho Runs Best in Years (Associated Press)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=144416

Coastal Coho Fishing Could Be Up This Year (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/12/coastal-coho-fishing-could-be-up-this-year/

California Salmon Season Prospects Dim; Oregon Limited (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_disappearing_salmon.html

Sick Sea Lion Killed At Bonneville Dam (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_or_sea_lion_killed.html

NOAA Fisheries Proposes Protection for Pacific Smelt (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1900791~NOAA_fisheries_proposes_protection_for_smelt.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Columbia River Dredging Will Go At Full Blast - Underwater explosives to tear apart mile of ancient lava flow (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090313/NEWS02/703139922/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Snohomish County PUD to Get $1M for Renewable Energy Projects (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008852466_webpud13m.html

Imperium Cuts 24 Jobs at Grays Harbor Biofuel Plant (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/03/12/local_news/01news.txt

Vestas Wind Systems, Boeing join forces (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/03/09/daily42.html?ana=from_rss

Europe’s Way of Encouraging Solar Power Arrives in the US - pay homeowners and businesses top dollar for producing green energy (NY Times – Last time I looked it was already here…)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/business/energy-environment/13solar.html?ref=business

Coal Plants May Add Solar Thermal Power (Environmental Leader)
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/03/12/coal-plants-may-add-solar-thermal-power/

News Release - PPL Providing More Clean, Renewable Electricity with Restart of Orono Hydroelectric Plant: Project part of landmark salmon restoration agreement (PPL Maine)
http://www.pplweb.com/newsroom/newsroom+quick+links/news+releases/030909+PPL+restarts+Orono+dam.htm

Energy Pulse Commentary - Hydro Industry Seeks to Weaken Standards
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1968

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Gas & Electric Gets California Approval to Fund Smart Meters (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BusinessofGreen/idUSTRE52C15720090313

Connecticut – For Conservation Funds, Tax Proposed for Home Heating Oil (Greenwich Time, CT)
http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_11898589

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Gray Areas Linger In Green Efforts - Environmentalists worry new laws could stall progress (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/403543_climate13.html?source=rss

Tribes Want to Talk To Governor about Climate Initiative (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/03/12/local_news/05news.txt

Push to Reduce Greenhouse Gases Would Put a Price on Emitting Pollution (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031203318.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Mason County Internet Provider Reports Phishing Attempts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6665/reftab/1632/t/LOCAL-INTERNET-PROVIDER-REPORTS-PHISHING-ATTEMPTS/Default.aspx

Everybody Wants a Cut of Stimulus Funds - But not all rural broadband plans are created equal (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Everybody-Wants-a-Cut-Of-Stimulus-Funds-101355

GENERAL NEWS

2,000 Long Term Jobs at Stake - Mason County Wants Stimulus Funds for Belfair Sewer (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/12/mason-county-wants-stimulus-funds-for-belfair/?partner=RSS

Oregon - From Dam Improvements to Mass Transit, Feds Pay (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1901453~From_dam_improvements_to_mass_transit__feds_pay.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Washington Department Could Be Renamed Commerce (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008853523_apwaxgrdepartmentofcommerce.html?syndication=rss

Moxee to Make Decision on Waste-Tire Plant Plan (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/2009/03/12/moxee-to-make-decision-on-waste-tire-plant-plan

DIVERSIONS

Used Couch for $27; Cat Included
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/403548_couchcat13.html?source=rss

Mom Who Bought Bogus Concert Tickets Gets Even
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_031309WAB-taylor-swift-KS.2f041d7a.html?rss?npc

Math Whiz, Dead for 450 Years, Gets TV Bill
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE52B5L120090312?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Teen Gives Away Thousands in Cash He Found - Money Apparently Tossed By Drug Dealer
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18915379/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SEULZIHru0