Energy News Digest for November 4, 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)

• Chelan PUD Floats Idea of Raising Lake Entiat Levels
• Central Lincoln PUD Awarded Nearly $10 Million in Smart Grid Funds
• How Stuff Works: How the Smart Grid Works
• Oregon Reduces Avista Utility Rate Hike Request
• Nuclear Power - Uncertainty Grows on Vermont Yankee Future
• Constellation to Use Funds from EDF Deal to Buy Power Plants
• Constellation Deal Makes Maryland Quest for Affordable Energy Tougher
• Florida - Lower Fuel Costs Lead FPL Customers to Receive Break
• Record Returns for Sockeye Salmon - 833 red fish make trip back to Sawtooth Valley
• Canada - BC Natives Claim Victory in Landmark Court Ruling on Commercial Fisheries
• Oregon - Removing Barrier Allows Big Creek to Run along Its Natural Path
• Report Says Barbed Wire Fences Deadly to Sage Grouse
• Energy Companies Offer Reward in Poaching Incident
• An $11 Billion Price-Tag - California Legislature Passes State Water Conservation Bill
• High-Tech Forecasting for Howard Hanson Dam
• Experts Say Total Impact of Hydro Projects on BC'S Rivers Unknown
• Biomass Brouhaha - Forest Service Accused of Polluting Yakima Air
• Oregon Curbs Controversial Tax Breaks for Wind and Solar Firms
• Oregon - Emergency Measures Needed To Stop Energy Tax Credit Abuse
• Oregonian Editorial - Oregonians Ask, 'Where's My Subsidy?'
• The Federal Energy Subsidy Scorecard: How Renewables Stack Up
• Officials See Challenges for Kansas Wind Energy
• Financial Post Op/Ed - Wind Power Is a Complete Disaster
• Oregon - Solar Plant's Opening May Light Salem Future
• Fire Extinguished at REC Silicon in Moses Lake
• Wisconsin - Wood-Fueled Power Makes Gain in State
• TransAlta Acquires Over 93 Per Cent of Canadian Hydro Developers
• Puget Sound Energy Selects Comverge for Smart Grid-Enabled Demand Response Pilot Program
• California State Energy Commission to Vote on TV Power Standards
• From Smart Meters to Smart Thermostats
• UN Climate Talks Focus On How to Cut Emissions
• Survey: Economists See Threat in Climate Change
• The Vagaries of Estimating Cap-and-Trade’s Impact on Consumers
• Oregon - ‘Treebates’ Might Help City Stormwater Programs Branch Out
• Rejoice! Billions More Reasons To Panic
• Microsoft Lays Off 800 More Workers Worldwide
• Cisco, EMC Form Acadia Joint Venture for Data Centers
• Microsoft to Set Up Cloud Research Center in Taiwan
• Why Run Fiber When You Can Run Ads That Pretend You Do?
• Better Business Bureau Refers Comcast 'Fiber-Optic' Claim To FTC
• AT&T to Verizon: We Have a Lawsuit for That
• Winds, Rains Heading for Washington
• Unofficial Election Results: Tight Race for Port of Shelton; 3 New Commissioners for Port of Hoodsport; and Levy Lid Lifts & School Board Redistricting Passing
• Mason County Auditor’s Election Results Site
• State Changes Mind on New License Plates
• Kellogg Pulls Immunity Claims from Rice Krispies

WORD OF THE DAY

Vagary • \VAY-gu-ree\ • noun - An erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notion.

Beatrice was the most graceful of dancers; her lithe form was pure poetry whether it floated on the strains of soft classical music or bounced along on the latest beat of hip-hop. Her friends were always amused at the vagary of her condition off the dance floor, which showed her to be one of the clumsiest persons imaginable when conducting normal human locomotion.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & 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

Chelan PUD Floats Idea of Raising Lake Entiat Levels (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/nov/03/pud-floats-idea-of-raising-lake-entiat-levels/

Central Lincoln PUD Awarded Nearly $10 Million in Smart Grid Funds (Umpqua Post, Reedsport, OR)
http://www.theumpquapost.com/articles/2009/11/04/business/doc4af0c0a43cada833804070.txt

How Stuff Works: How the Smart Grid Works (HowStuffWorks.com)
http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/122967224/53616c7465645f5f4e36fe4ff45cce03383286141d2a4db45a57a72ed74b8623

Oregon Reduces Avista Utility Rate Hike Request (Yahoo! Finance)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Ore-reduces-Avista-utility-apf-2107493167.html?x=0&.v=2

Nuclear Power - Uncertainty Grows on Vermont Yankee Future (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010201835_apusvermontyankee.html?syndication=rss

Constellation to Use Funds from EDF Deal to Buy Power Plants (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200911031104DOWJONESDJONLINE000463_FORTUNE5.htm

Constellation Deal Makes Maryland Quest for Affordable Energy Tougher (Baltimore Sun, MD)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bal-constellationletter1104,0,221160.story

Florida - Lower Fuel Costs Lead FPL Customers to Receive Break, State Agency Rules (News Press, Fort Meyers FL)
http://www.news-press.com/article/20091104/NEWS01/911040414/1002/FPL-customers-to-receive-break--state-agency-rules

FISH & WILDLIFE

Record Returns for Sockeye Salmon - 833 red fish make trip back to Sawtooth Valley (Idaho Mountain Express & Guide, Sun Valley)
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005128642

Canada - BC Natives Claim Victory in Landmark Court Ruling on Commercial Fisheries (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/natives+claim+victory+court+ruling+commercial+fisheries/2179770/story.html

Oregon - Removing Barrier Allows Big Creek to Run along Its Natural Path: Project could enhance the return of historic fishing runs (Daily Astorian, OR)
http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=65372

Report Says Barbed Wire Fences Deadly to Sage Grouse (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010194034_apwysagegrousefences1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Energy Companies Offer Reward in Poaching Incident (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010201262_apusbighornpoachedcolorado.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

An $11 Billion Price-Tag - California Legislature Passes State Water Conservation Bill (Los Angeles Times, CA)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water4-2009nov04,0,3695225.story

High-Tech Forecasting for Howard Hanson Dam (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/news/local/High-Tech-Forecasting-for-Howard-Hanson-Dam--68994887.html

Experts Say Total Impact of Hydro Projects on BC'S Rivers Unknown (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Total+impact+hydro+projects+rivers+unknown+experts/2181082/story.html

Biomass Brouhaha - Forest Service Accused of Polluting Yakima Air (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1023840.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Curbs Controversial Tax Breaks for Wind and Solar Firms (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/oregon_curbs_controversial_tax.html

Oregon - Emergency Measures Needed To Stop Energy Tax Credit Abuse (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/6146-emergency-measures-needed-stop-energy-tax-credit-abuse/

Oregonian Editorial - Oregonians Ask, 'Where's My Subsidy?'
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2009/11/oregonians_ask_wheres_my_subsi.html

The Federal Energy Subsidy Scorecard: How Renewables Stack Up (Renewable Energy World - Note: But is it truly a subsidy if it has to be paid back, I.E. Columbia-Snake hydro?)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/11/the-federal-energy-subsidy-scorecard-how-renewables-stack-up?cmpid=rss

Officials See Challenges for Kansas Wind Energy (Wichita Eagle, KS)
http://www.kansas.com/news/breaking/story/1040395.html

Financial Post Op/Ed - Wind power is a complete disaster (Canada)
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2009/04/08/wind-power-is-a-complete-disaster.aspx

Oregon - Solar Plant's Opening May Light Salem Future (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20091103/GREEN/311030001/1001

Fire Extinguished at REC Silicon in Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/11/03/news/doc4af0b6bfb5137020227061.txt

Wisconsin - Wood-Fueled Power Makes Gain in State: We Energies plans to spend $500 million on two facilities (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. WI)
http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/122897554/53616c7465645f5ffbb3c39960e4614ef353578eb89f9970dece43ca28f4c5b5

TransAlta Acquires Over 93 Per Cent of Canadian Hydro Developers (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2623084/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Puget Sound Energy Selects Comverge for Smart Grid-Enabled Demand Response Pilot Program (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS155085+03-Nov-2009+PRN20091103

California State Energy Commission to Vote on TV Power Standards (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2303689.html

From Smart Meters to Smart Thermostats (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/from-smart-meters-to-smart-thermostats/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

UN Climate Talks Focus On How to Cut Emissions (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9u9GMQj8IuTIkIKDmsiGSXq4KuAD9BOON7G0

Survey: Economists See Threat in Climate Change (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2009-11-03-economist-climate_N.htm

The Vagaries of Estimating Cap-and-Trade’s Impact on Consumers (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/the-vagaries-of-estimating-cap-and-trades-impact-on-consumers/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon - ‘Treebates’ Might Help City Stormwater Programs Branch Out (Portland Tribune, OR)
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=125731371395092500

Rejoice! Billions More Reasons To Panic - CO2 from yeast; wood stoves and fire; cow flatulence… (Cape Cod Times, MA)
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091104/OPINION/911040330/-1/NEWSMAP

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft Lays Off 800 More Workers Worldwide (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=235768

Cisco, EMC Form Acadia Joint Venture for Data Centers (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13707848

Microsoft to Set Up Cloud Research Center in Taiwan (Yahoo! Tech)
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20091104/tc_nm/us_microsoft_taiwan_3

Why Run Fiber When You Can Run Ads That Pretend You Do? And why not run those ads when nobody stops you from lying? (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Why-Run-Fiber-When-You-Can-Run-Ads-That-Pretend-You-Do-105329

Better Business Bureau Refers Comcast 'Fiber-Optic' Claim To FTC - Verizon Had Challenged the Operator's Ad Claim It Provides Services Over A ‘Fiber-Optic Network' (MultiChannel News)
http://www.multichannel.com/article/367682-Better_Business_Bureau_Refers_Comcast_Fiber_Optic_Claim_To_FTC.php

AT&T to Verizon: We Have a Lawsuit for That (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/11/03/att-to-verizon-we-have-a-lawsuit-for-that/

GENERAL NEWS

Winds, Rains Heading for Washington (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010201254_apwastorm.html?syndication=rss

Unofficial Election Results: Tight Race for Port of Shelton; 3 New Commissioners for Port of Hoodsport; and Levy Lid Lifts & School Board Redistricting Passing (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=539:unofficial-election-results-tight-race-for-port-of-shelton-3-new-commissioners-on-port-of-hoodsport-and-all-measures-passing&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Mason County Auditor’s Election Results Site (Mason County, WA)
http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/mason/Elections/ElectionResults/Pages/ElectionResults.aspx

State Changes Mind on New License Plates (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/68867962.html

Kellogg Pulls Immunity Claims from Rice Krispies (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010201944_apuskelloggricekrispies.html?syndication=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Rebels Ban Musical Ringtones on Phones
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5A24CE20091103?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Sportscaster Must Pay Ex-Wife $916,000 A Year
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091103/SPORTS/711039787/0/NEWS

Co-Worker Recognizes Voice of Woman Phoning In Bomb Threat
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21521580/detail.html

Robbery Victim IDs Suspect From Old Yearbook
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21521505/detail.html

Man Appears Alive At Own Funeral in Brazil
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21520673/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Chattanooga Choo Choo - Glenn Miller Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XQybKMXL-k&feature=related