Energy News Digest for March 9, 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 to Reduce Proposed Rate Increase
- Idaho Senate Votes to Kill Power Assistance Bill
- Idaho Couple Got Someone Else's Power Bill for Three Years
- Orcas Power & Light Improves Reliability with Olga Substation Upgrade
- Nuclear Power Industry Sees Opening for Revival
- Washington Post Editorial – Post Yucca: Mountain of Trouble
- Coal Plants Checked by Environmentalist Campaigns, Costs
- Will New Power Lines Run Through Your Back Yard?
- Texas Bills Aim To Cut Wholesale Electricity Prices
- Energy Execs Have Low Hopes for Stimulus Bill
- United Kingdom - Dialing Back Power Supplies
- Judge Says Columbia Salmon Recovery Plan Is 'Very Close'
- Tale of Two Headlines - Judge Faults Gov't Plan to Save Pacific NW Salmon
- Judge makes plea for environmental officials to compromise on salmon
- Liveblogging the legal fight over salmon's future
- Healthy Returns Projected For Columbia Gorge Rivers
- Skirmish Continues Over Shellfish Farming In Puget Sound
- Olympian Editorial - Shellfish dispute vs. ethics pledge
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Issues in the 111th Congress
- Lewis County PUD to make Presentation on Chehalis Dam Projects
- Brightwater Sewer Project Likely Caused Kenmore Sinkhole
- Canadian Old-Growth Forests Fall In Tough Economy
- Washington Can Be Green and Still Protect Electricity Ratepayers
- NY Times Op/Ed - Home-Grown Power
- Oregon Major Utilities Ahead Of Green Energy Goals
- Kittitas County Wind Power Backers Tout Project’s Benefits
- Boot Camp Helps Harness Wind Energy Jobs
- Solar Maker Criticizes Renewable Energy Tax Credits
- Governors Envision Eco-Friendly Fuels At I-5 Rest Stops
- Northern Wasco PUD, City of The Dalles Explore Renewable Energy
- Stimulus May Get Small Wind Turbines Spinning
- Idaho Company Weighs Ore. Hot Springs for Energy
- Biodiesel Demand Conflicts with Farm Restrictions
- Ethanol Producers Press for Higher Limits
- Green Movement, Tighter Budgets Spur Interest in Energy Audits
- 13 Ways to Cut Energy Costs Year-Round
- The Recession’s Green Lining - A global downturn is doing what activists couldn't
- House Bill for a Carbon Tax to Cut Emissions Faces a Steep Climb
- Global Warming May Stop For Years or Decades
- Skeptics Dispute Climate Worries and Each Other
- Vision Of Future Tinted In Green - Environmentalism is good for economy
- California Air Regulators Have Beef with Charbroilers
- Fight Over Internet Filtering Has a Test Run in Europe
- Verizon Plays Stimulus Keep Away In Pennsylvania
- U.S. Gears Up For Digital TV Switch Now On June 12
- Washington Lt. Gov. Brad Owen got more powerful in court ruling
- Tribes, Olympia Will Get Big Boost from Stimulus
- Lawyers’ Attack Ads Doom Bills
- Meeting Planned on Formation of Grange in Grapeview
- Newspaper Publisher McClatchy Cutting 1,600 Jobs
- Spokane school tests jamming cell phone signals

WORD OF THE DAY

Equanimity • \ee-kwuh-NIM-uh-tee\ • noun - 1: evenness of mind especially under stress 2: right disposition: balance

Instead of the normally sedate procedures, the atmosphere at the bank shareholders meeting resembled a bloody day on the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Shareholders seated next to Clancy were astounded at his seeming equanimity. Charges of fraud, malfeasance, misfeasance and other unpleasant physical shortcomings seemed to run off his back with no effect. That is, until one of the attendees realized that Clancy had quietly, peacefully passed away without a sign sometime early in the meeting.

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 to Reduce Proposed Rate Increase (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6620/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Idaho Senate Votes to Kill Power Assistance Bill (Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090306/id_utilities_help.html?.v=1

Idaho Couple Got Someone Else's Power Bill for Three Years (Associated Press)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/03/06/breaking_news/doc49b1791506106509766097.txt

Orcas Power & Light Improves Reliability with Olga Substation Upgrade (Island Weekly, Lopez Island, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isw/news/40455358.html

Nuclear Power Industry Sees Opening for Revival (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/08/MN3H16ANEN.DTL

Washington Post Editorial – Post Yucca: Mountain of Trouble - Mr. Obama defunds the nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain. Now what?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/07/AR2009030701666.html?nav=rss_opinions

Coal Plants Checked by Environmentalist Campaigns, Costs - Coal plants fall as global warming campaign makes gains; construction boom grinds on (ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=7032209

Will New Power Lines Run Through Your Back Yard? (CQ Politics)
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003069319

Texas Bills Aim To Cut Wholesale Electricity Prices (Dallas Morning News)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/030909dnbuselectricitybills.3c34978.html

Energy Execs Have Low Hopes for Stimulus Bill (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/03/09/story5.html?ana=from_rss

United Kingdom - Dialing Back Power Supplies: Economic slowdown stalls plan for electric plant (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090308/NEWS/903080339/1002

FISH & WILDLIFE

Judge Says Columbia Salmon Recovery Plan Is 'Very Close' (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/03/judge_says_columbia_salmon_rec.html

Tale of Two Headlines - Judge Faults Gov't Plan to Save Pacific NW Salmon (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ipjYpPd8lX55FO5Iz0UPfCSdVlpwD96P8U980

Plato’s Cave: Judge makes plea for environmental officials to compromise on salmon, dams in Northwest (Rocky Barker in the Miami Herald)
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/environment/story/938427.html

Liveblogging the legal fight over salmon's future (The Oregonian, Portland - Carries through to the end of the hearing)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/03/liveblogging_the_legal_fight_o.html

Healthy Returns Projected For Columbia Gorge Rivers (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/778932.html

Skirmish Continues Over Shellfish Farming In Puget Sound (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008824523_geoduck07m.html

Olympian Editorial - Shellfish dispute vs. ethics pledge: Shelton-based Taylor case calls Goldmark into question “…a minor donor to his campaign is asking to lease the same land…”
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/781080.html

Congressional Research Reports - Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Issues in the 111th Congress
http://opencrs.com/document/R40172/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lewis County PUD to make Presentation - Chehalis Council to Vote on Support of Dam Project (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1236432820&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Brightwater Sewer Project Likely Caused Kenmore Sinkhole (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008829998_sinkhole09m.html?syndication=rss

Canadian Old-Growth Forests Fall In Tough Economy - Firms face clashes in Island towns as they struggle to make profits (Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/growth+forests+fall+tough+economy/1364932/story.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Seattle Times Editorial - Washington Can Be Green and Still Protect Electricity Ratepayers: Lisa Brown, D-Spokane argues the law can be made more flexible to account for its impact on ratepayers while remaining committed to environmental goals
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008829421_opinb09brown.html

NY Times Op/Ed - Home-Grown Power “…In the Northwest, the largest amount of green power comes from hydroelectricity…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/opinion/07bowles.html?_r=1&em

Oregon Major Utilities Ahead Of Green Energy Goals - 25 percent of state's energy has to be renewable by 2025 “…Rates have gone up because of renewables, but they would have gone up anyway…” (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090308/NEWS/903080340/1001

Kittitas County Wind Power Backers Tout Project’s Benefits (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/03/02/daily64.html?ana=from_rss

Boot Camp Helps Harness Wind Energy Jobs - Hopes are high that wind technology will replace vanishing construction jobs (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090306/NEWS02/703069967/1025/rss1025

Solar Maker Criticizes Renewable Energy Tax Credits (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/03/09/newscolumn6.html?ana=from_rss

Governors Envision Eco-Friendly Fuels At I-5 Rest Stops (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008827158_greenfreeway08m.html

Green City - Northern Wasco PUD, City of The Dalles Explore Renewable Energy (The Dalles Chronicle)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/03/news03-06-09-01.shtml

Stimulus May Get Small Wind Turbines Spinning (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/09/small.wind.turbines/

Idaho Company Weighs Ore. Hot Springs for Energy (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/780824.html

Biodiesel Demand Conflicts with Farm Restrictions (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1892355~Biodiesel_demand_conflicts_with_farm_restrictions.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Ethanol Producers Press for Higher Limits (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/05/AR2009030503815.html?wprss=rss_business

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Green Movement, Tighter Budgets Spur Interest in Energy Audits (Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area)
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2009/03/09/focus1.html?ana=from_rss

13 Ways to Cut Energy Costs Year-Round - The 'Frugal Family Challenge' Has Money-Saving Tips for Every Household (ABC News)
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=7031633&page=1

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

The Recession’s Green Lining - A global downturn is doing what activists couldn't: closing dirty factories (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/188200?from=rss

House Bill for a Carbon Tax to Cut Emissions Faces a Steep Climb (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/us/politics/07carbon.html

Global Warming May Stop For Years or Decades (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/x-1586-Baltimore-Weather-Examiner~y2009m3d3-Global-Warming-may-stop-for-a-while

Skeptics Dispute Climate Worries and Each Other (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/science/earth/09climate.html

Vision Of Future Tinted In Green - Environmentalism is good for economy; Kennedy says "…Every nation that has decarbonized its economy has experienced immediate prosperity…" (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/402601_greenbuild07.html

California Air Regulators Have Beef with Charbroilers (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1892724~Valley_air_regulators_have_beef_with_charbroilers.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Fight Over Internet Filtering Has a Test Run in Europe (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/technology/internet/09neutral.html

Verizon Plays Stimulus Keep Away In Pennsylvania - Getting free marketeers to push new anti-muni bill (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Plays-Stimulus-Keep-Away-In-Pennsylvania-101274

U.S. Gears Up For Digital TV Switch Now On June 12 (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52461E20090306?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

GENERAL NEWS

Seattle Times Editorial - Washington Lt. Gov. Brad Owen got more powerful in court ruling
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008829417_edita09kingowen.html

Tribes, Olympia Will Get Big Boost from Stimulus - HUD funds called 'brick-and-mortar money' for projects (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/779522.html

Lawyers’ Attack Ads Doom Bills - full-page newspaper ads to pressure three state senators apparently has backfired (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/650748.html

Meeting Planned on Formation of Grange in Grapeview (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/06/meeting-planned-on-formation-of-grange-in/?partner=RSS

Newspaper Publisher McClatchy Cutting 1,600 Jobs (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008830771_apmcclatchyjobcuts.html?syndication=rss

Spokane school tests jamming cell phone signals (KHQ-TV, Spokane)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9971909

DIVERSIONS

Driver Sits through 6 Lights, Faces DUI Charge - Man Fell Asleep At Intersection
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/18872188/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_4pm&tmi=sea_4pm_1_06000203062009&ts=H

Bogus Love Notes Pricey - A series of viral love notes has cost a Seattle-based marketing company a $500,000 fine
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/402642_luvcrush07.html

Seattle near Bottom of U.S. “Manliest” Cities
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/03/02/daily61.html?ana=from_rss

Man Who Tried To Kill Himself Successfully Sued the Hospital Which Saved His Life
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4944419/Man-who-tried-to-kill-himself-sues-hospital-that-saved-him-for-compensation.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Annie Lennox - Ghosts In My Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofvf3tUTGvw&feature=related