Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Energy News Digest for December 2, 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)

· On This Day: Enron Files the Largest Corporate Bankruptcy in US History
· Clark County - Enron Penalty Aids Local Utility
· Avista Will Distribute Enron Settlement Funds
· Daily News Editorial - Property Owners’ Anger Is Understandable, but New Transmission Line Will Soon Be Needed
· Chelan PUD Budget Has New Holes
· Idaho Clean-Coal Permit Sets National Standard in the Fight against Climate
· North Carolina - Progress Energy to Close down 11 Coal
· California - Feds Probe Switch Problem at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant
· Roughly 70,000 Sockeye Salmon Return To South Okanogan
· Pacific Salmon Named One of “America’s Hottest Species”
· Poison Planned To Keep Asian Carp from Great
· Water Rule Raises Fears for Farms in Chimacum Valley
· Group Says It Will Sue City of Spokane over River PCBs
· Wenatchee World Op/Ed - Columbia Basin Project Goes Badly Astray
· California Projects Historic Low for Water
· New Mexico - Report Says Transmission Key to Renewable Power
· New York Eyes Offshore Wind Farms on Great
· Cape Wind inks power deal with National Grid
· Idaho - Rupert Awarded $100,000 for Energy Improvements
· Associated Press Perspective: Ohio Light Bulb Fight Offers Lessons
· UK Climate Scientist To Temporarily Step Down
· Australia’s Carbon-Trading Legislation Fails
· Five Eco-Crimes We Commit Every Day
· Gates Foundation Grants $3.4 Million for Library Internet Connections
· FCC Chairman Pushes Changes to Expand Broadband Access
· FCC Aims to Expand
· Microsoft Says Black Screens Not Caused By Security Updates
· Reality Check: Global Bing, Yahoo Market Shares Stink
· Deputies Seek Missing Shelton
· E-Mails Show Washington State Battled To Keep Clemmons in
· Prosecutor Gives Details on How Clemmons Was Helped To
· Gregoire Backs Off Move of State Parks into Department of Natural
· Online Readers, Aggregators Need To Pay For News: Murdoch

WORD OF THE DAY

Pundit • \PUN-dit\ • noun - 1: a learned person: teacher *2: authority, critic

Strictly speaking, some talking heads passing themselves off as “pundits” are anything but.

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

On This Day: Enron Files the Largest Corporate Bankruptcy in US History (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/December/Enron-Files-the-Largest-Corporate-Bankruptcy-in-U-S--History.html

Clark County - Enron Penalty Aids Local Utility: Settlement will help reduce low-income people’s heating bills (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20091202/BIZ01/712029968/-1/biz

Avista Will Distribute Enron Settlement Funds (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/02/avista-will-distribute-enron-settlement-funds/

Daily News Editorial - Property Owners’ Anger Is Understandable, but New Transmission Line Will Soon Be Needed
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/12/02/editorial/doc4b15a9859f9d5621757301.txt

Chelan PUD Budget Has New Holes (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/01/chelan-pud-budget-has-new-holes/

Idaho Clean-Coal Permit Sets National Standard in the Fight against Climate Change (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/992165.html

North Carolina - Progress Energy to Close down 11 Coal Plants - Representing 30% of total coal-fired output (Triangle Business Journal)
http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/11/30/daily31.html?ana=from_rss

California - Feds Probe Switch Problem at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)
http://www.ktvu.com/news/21771822/detail.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Roughly 70,000 Sockeye Salmon Return To South Okanogan (Osoyoos Times, BC)
http://www.osoyoostimes.com/news/2009/12/01/roughly-70000-sockeye-salmon-return-to-south-okanagan/

Pacific Salmon Named One of “America’s Hottest Species” (SF Bay Independent Media)
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/01/18631036.php

Poison Planned To Keep Asian Carp from Great Lakes (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010403991_apusgreatlakesasiancarp.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Water Rule Raises Fears for Farms in Chimacum Valley (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091202/news/312029993

Group Says It Will Sue City of Spokane over River PCBs (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/02/group-says-it-will-sue-city-over-river-pcbs/

Wenatchee World Op/Ed - Columbia Basin Project Goes Badly Astray
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/01/basin-project-goes-badly-astray/

California Projects Historic Low for Water Deliveries (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010396482_apcacaliforniawater.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

New Mexico - Report Says Transmission Key to Renewable Power (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010404109_apusenergytransmissionnewmexico.html?syndication=rss

New York Eyes Offshore Wind Farms on Great Lakes (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE5B04J320091201

Cape Wind inks power deal with National Grid (Boston Business Journal)
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/11/30/daily33.html?ana=from_rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Idaho - Rupert Awarded $100,000 for Energy Improvements (Magic Valley Times-News, ID)
http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_b282877f-3ee9-5dc1-b75f-dba9b8ca7348.html

Associated Press Perspective: Ohio Light Bulb Fight Offers Lessons
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hF4WOkdKCzzMAjJaP99313_e_SAAD9CAKLQO0

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

UK Climate Scientist To Temporarily Step Down - Pending an investigation into allegations that he overstated the case for man-made climate change (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010396116_apeubritainclimatehackedemails.html?syndication=rss

Australia’s Carbon-Trading Legislation Fails (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010403866_apclimateaustralia.html?syndication=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Five Eco-Crimes We Commit Every Day (New Scientist)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427361.900-five-ecocrimes-we-commit-every-day.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Gates Foundation Grants $3.4 Million for Library Internet Connections (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thebusinessofgiving/2010396684_gates_foundation_grants_34_mil.html?syndication=rss

FCC Chairman Pushes Changes to Expand Broadband Access (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125968577577971313.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

FCC Aims to Expand USF - But again, they probably should bother to fix it first (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Aims-To-Expand-USF-105752

Microsoft Says Black Screens Not Caused By Security Updates (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/186837.asp?source=pimail

Reality Check: Global Bing, Yahoo Market Shares Stink (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/186810.asp?source=pimail

GENERAL NEWS

Deputies Seek Missing Shelton Woman (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/1055974.html

E-Mails Show Washington State Battled To Keep Clemmons in Custody (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010400203_shootingdoc02m.html

Prosecutor Gives Details on How Clemmons Was Helped To Escape (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/1055556.html

Gregoire Backs Off Move of State Parks into Department of Natural Resources (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091202/BLOG13/912029999/0/NEWS01

Online Readers, Aggregators Need To Pay For News: Murdoch (Yahoo! Tech)
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20091201/tc_afp/usmediaindustrynewspapersnewscorpmurdochftc

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Breast-Feeding Mom Says Target Kicked Her Out, Called Police
http://www.freep.com/article/20091201/NEWS02/91201031/1322/Breast-feeding-mom-says-Target-kicked-her-out

Woman Says She Was Pressured Into Buying Car
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/21764175/detail.html

Cost of School Formals Soaring As Teenagers Glam-Up
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5B03Y020091201?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FoddlyEnoughNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Oddly+Enough%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Owl swoops down to attack dog on leash
http://www.nwcn.com/news/Owl-swoops-down-to-attack-dog-on-leash-78288942.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Little River Band - The Night Owl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFLdHx2ZXUA