Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Energy News Digest for December 23, 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)

• BPA Reaches Deal on Power to Alcoa Plant
• Bellingham Smelter Workers Cheer Job-Saving Power Deal
• Governor Gregoire’s Statement on BPA-Alcoa Agreement
• Wenatchee World Editorial - Power Can Keep Building Us Up
• Douglas PUD Files Draft Application for Relicensing Wells Hydro Project
• Grant County PUD Approves Budget That Includes Rate Increases
• Avista Rate Hike Approved - A Fraction of What Utility Sought
• Oregon - High Electric Bills Spark Complaints to Co-Op
• Mason PUD 3 to Hear Appeal of SEPA Determination
• Grays Harbor PUD Cuts North Beach Truck
• Port Townsend Leader Editorial - PUD: The Voters’ Wish
• Transmission - An Electric ‘Game Changer’ Gets FERC Scrutiny
• Idaho - Would-Be Nuke Plant Builder Delays NRC Application
• Tennessee Valley Authority Is Sued in Ash Spill
• Duke Energy Strikes Pollution Settlement for Indiana Plant
• Officials Release First Year Progress Report on 2008 Salmon BiOp
• Feds Say New Adaptive Management Plan Can Be Legally Added to Salmon BiOp
• Feds Take on Bigger Role in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Protection
• Mason PUD 3 Hires Morrissette to Design John’s Prairie Waterline Extension
• SW Idaho Developer Loses Bid to Pump More Water
• SF Chronicle Op/Ed - Don’t Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
• Tons of Hawaii Trash Pile Up Awaiting Shipment
• California - Edison Power Line Challenge in the Wind
• Pacific Gas & Electric Signs Salty Solar Contract
• Looking for Energy-Efficient Alternatives to Fireplaces
• First-of-Its-Kind Deal Sells Trees for Carbon Credits, Not Harvest
• European Union Blames Others for ‘Great Failure’ on Climate
• Minnesota - Shakopee Plant to Turn Toilet Waste Into Energy
• Blackberry Users Beset by Second Outage in A Week
• Microsoft Loses Word Appeal, Will Adjust Program
• Oregon Gets $2.1 Million for Broadband
• Connected Nation Wins Huge Chunk of Taxpayer Money
• Friends, Neighbors Pray for Wounded Deputies
• Washington State Legislature’s Environmental Agenda Limited
• Lewis County Lawmaker Calls for Growth Management Act Time Out
• Seattle Most Literate City in US
• Thieves Steal Valuables from Military Family Moving to Tacoma
• Godless Heathens: Washington Ranks 36th in Importance of Religion

WORD OF THE DAY

Veracity • \vuh-RASS-uh-tee\ • noun - 1: devotion to the truth: truthfulness *2: conformity with truth or fact: accuracy 3: something true

“Who ate the strawberries?” was the guttural question posed by the querulous Captain Queeg. His attempts to use scoops of sand to disprove the veracity of his officers and crew would have been laughable, except for the fact that he was dead serious.

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

BPA Reaches Deal on Power to Alcoa Plant (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/bpa_reaches_deal_on_power_to_a.html

Bellingham Smelter Workers Cheer Job-Saving Power Deal (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6572

Governor Gregoire’s Statement on BPA-Alcoa Agreement (Washington State Governor’s Office)
http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1397&newsType=1

Wenatchee World Editorial - Power Can Keep Building Us Up
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/22/power-can-keep-building-us-up/

Douglas PUD Files Draft Application for Relicensing Wells Hydro Project (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/369791.aspx

Grant County PUD Approves Budget That Includes Rate Increases (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/23/grant-county-pud-approves-budget-that-includes/

Partial Avista Rate Hike Approved - Increase Is a Fraction of What Utility Sought in January (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/23/partial-avista-rate-hike-approved/

Oregon - High Electric Bills Spark Complaints to Co-Op (Curry Coastal Pilot, Brookings, OR)
http://www.currypilot.com/20091223114414/News/Local-News/High-electric-bills-spark-complaints-to-co-op

Mason County PUD No. 3 to Hear Appeal of SEPA Determination (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=923:pud-3-to-hear-appeal-of-sepa-determination-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Grays Harbor PUD Cuts North Beach Truck (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/12/22/local_news/doc4b3115330161a337124993.txt

Port Townsend Leader Editorial - PUD: The Voters’ Wish
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=25904

Transmission - An Electric ‘Game Changer’ Gets FERC Scrutiny (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/12/23/23climatewire-an-electric-game-changer-gets-ferc-scrutiny-48247.html

Idaho - Would-Be Nuke Plant Builder Delays NRC Application (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1080674.html

Tennessee Valley Authority Is Sued in Ash Spill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/us/23brfs-UTILITYISSUE_BRF.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Duke Energy Strikes Pollution Settlement for Indiana Plant (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/12/21/daily17.html?ana=from_rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Federal Officials Release First Year Progress Report on 2008 Salmon BiOp Implementation (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/369797.aspx

Feds Say New Adaptive Management Plan Can Be Legally Added to Salmon BiOp Court Record (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/369798.aspx

Feds Take on Bigger Role in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Protection (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2416096.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County PUD No. 3 Hires Morrissette to Design John’s Prairie Waterline Extension (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=922:pud-3-hires-morrissette-to-design-johns-prairie-waterline-extension&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

SW Idaho Developer Loses Bid to Pump More Water (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1080605.html

SF Chronicle Op/Ed - Don’t Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/23/ED951B7SN8.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Tons of Hawaii Trash Pile Up Awaiting Shipment (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010568900_aphishippingtrash.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California - Edison Power Line Challenge in the Wind (Los Angeles Daily News, CA)
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_14052057

Pacific Gas & Electric Signs Salty Solar Contract – Molten Salt a Component (San Francisco Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/12/21/daily20.html?ana=from_rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Looking for Energy-Efficient Alternatives to Fireplaces - Fireplaces have great appeal in a house, but aren’t energy-efficient. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Bright-Green/2009/1222/Looking-for-energy-efficient-alternatives-to-fireplaces

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

First-of-Its-Kind Deal Sells Trees for Carbon Credits, Not Harvest, in Jefferson County (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091223/news/312239992

European Union Blames Others for ‘Great Failure’ on Climate (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/world/europe/23iht-climate.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Minnesota - Shakopee Plant to Turn Toilet Waste Into Energy: Turning poo into gold; A new plant in Shakopee will transform wastewater solids into valuable gases (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/79815782.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Blackberry Users Beset by Second Outage in A Week (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091223/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_research_in_motion_blackberry_outage

Microsoft Loses Word Appeal, Will Adjust Program (Associated Press)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL3FV20091223?feedType=nl&feedName=usbusinessearly

Oregon Gets $2.1 Million for Broadband (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/12/21/daily22.html

Connected Nation Wins Huge Chunk of Taxpayer Money - And will likely use that money to fight against your interests (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Connected-Nation-Wins-Huge-Chunk-Of-Taxpayer-Money-106122

GENERAL NEWS

Friends, Neighbors Pray for Wounded Deputies (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/413559_vigil23.html

Washington State Legislature’s Environmental Agenda Limited (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/1004372.html

Lewis County Lawmaker Calls for Growth Management Act Time Out to Help Spur Economic Development (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Local-Lawmaker-Calls-For-Growth-Manageme=1&blockID=106473&feedID=410

Seattle Most Literate City in US (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-most-literate-city-in-US-79926377.html

Thieves Steal Valuables from Military Family Moving to Tacoma (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/79935527.html

Godless Heathens: Washington Ranks 36th in Importance of Religion
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/188934.asp?source=pimail

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Reindeer Dung Ornaments, Jewelry Net Zoo $20K
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010577005_apusoddreindeerdungornaments.html?syndication=rss

Sonoma County’s Christmas Ornament Ban Draws Flak
http://www.examiner.com/a-2386899~Sonoma_County_s_ornament_ban_draws_flak.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Bride Marries Arriving Groom at Texas Airport
http://www.kirotv.com/family/22040044/detail.html

Vatican Paper Says ‘The Simpsons’ Are Okely Dokely
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2010573092_apeutvvaticanthesimpsons.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Diana Krall - White Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO4sPafmj_k

Brenda White - Christmas in the Northwest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn9QC9vuaDY