Energy News Digest for January 5, 2010

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)

•  ALCOA to Cut 90 Jobs at Tennessee Operations

•  Energy Regulators up Timeline for Columbia River Liquid Gas Terminal

•  Clearwater Power to Raise Rates in Idaho & Washington

•  SUV Hits Utility Pole on Highway 3

•  Editorial - Thanks, Oregon: Metal Recycling Regulations Now Match Severity of Washington State’s Laws

•  Mason County PUD No. 3 Receives Fifth Consecutive National Financial Reporting Award

•  Grant County PUD President Looks to 2010

•  Op/Ed - Research Will Help Chelan PUD Make the Best Decisions

•  Arizona Governor Wants More Nuclear Power in State

•  New York Lawmaker Sues Feds Over Nuke Plant Safety

•  Attorney Wagers Judge Will Approve Columbia River Salmon Plan

•  Congressman Hastings Concerned About Renewed Threat of Dam Removal

•  California Autumn Chinook Run Falls Short

•  Op/Ed - Gary Miller: California on the Hook for a Fish

•  Another Newborn Orca Seen in J Pod

•  Oregon - Toxic Chemicals in the Willamette River

•  Ground Breaking of Upgrades to Shelton Wastewater Treatment Plant Tuesday

•  California’s Groundwater Shrinking Because of Agricultural Use

•  Study: Seabird Won’t Be Harmed by Wind Project for Clallam, Other PUDs

•  New Study Shows Marbled Murrelet Not Significantly Impacted by Radar Ridge Project

•  Massachusetts - A Decision in Sight on Cape Wind Dispute

•  For Cape Cod Wind Farm, New Hurdle Is Spiritual

•  Nebraska - Wind Farms Could Create Thousands of New Jobs

•  Oregon - City of Salem Energy Strategy Gets a Boost from Forum

•  Minnkota, Minnesota Power complete energy deal For Wind Power Transmission

•  California - Small-Scale Solar Plan Clashes With Big Energy

•  Solar Panel Thefts Heating Up

•  New Mexico Utility Gets Extension on Filing Renewable Energy Plan

•  California - Trash to Gas: Landfill Energy Projects Increasing

•  Logo Creation Tips for Renewable Energy Companies

•  Don’t Let the Heat Out: Energy Audits Available

•  Maryland - Looming Pollution Regulations Threaten Energy Rebates

•  California Climate Law Faces Opposition

•  CIA Is Sharing Data with Climate Scientists

•  Rainier’s Rocks Are Filling Riverbeds

•  How Green Is My Campus? Colleges Woo Students With Environmental Initiatives

•  Greenpeace members sentenced for climbing Mount Rushmore

•  Do We Want Toilet Paper to Be Soft Or Good for the Environment?

•  Fake Fireplace Logs Can Be Better for the Environment than Real Wood

•  Washington’s DOT Web Site Has a Traffic Jam

•  Google Unveils ‘Nexus One’ Smartphone

•  Google Phone Lands with a Thud

•  DOJ to FCC: Promote Broadband Competition

•  US Seeks More Wireless Spectrum for High-Speed Internet

•  Next Up on Cable TV, Higher Bill for Consumers

•  AT&T Customers Pay for AT&T’s Tax Screw-Up

•  News Sites Dabble With a Web Tool for Nudging Local Officials

•  Washington State Ranks High in Seat Belt Use Nationally

WORD OF THE DAY

Myrmidon • \MER-muh-donn\ • noun - A loyal follower; especially: a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously

Behold! Myrmidon

Says everything I tell it

It won’t shut up now

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

ALCOA to Cut 90 Jobs at Tennessee Operations (The Daily Times, Marysville, TN)

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100104/BREAKING/100109980

Energy Regulators up Timeline for Columbia River Liquid Gas Terminal (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/energy_regulators_up_timeline.html

Clearwater Power to Raise Rates in Idaho & Washington (Associated Press)

http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=11771372

SUV Hits Utility Pole on Highway 3 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1000:suv-hits-pole-on-highway-3&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Columbian Editorial - Thanks, Oregon: Metal Recycling Regulations Now Match Severity of Washington State’s Laws

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/05/thanks-oregon/

Mason County PUD No. 3 Receives Fifth Consecutive National Financial Reporting Award (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=658

Grant County PUD President Looks to 2010 (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/01/04/basin_life/doc4b426ecaa24df308071783.txt

Wenatchee World Op/Ed - Research Will Help Chelan PUD Make the Best Decisions

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jan/04/research-will-help-chelan-pud-make-the-best/

Arizona Governor Wants More Nuclear Power in State (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010700372_apusbrewerenergyarizona.html

New York Lawmaker Sues Feds Over Nuke Plant Safety (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/01/05/23338.htm

FISH & WILDLIFE

Attorney Wagers Judge Will Approve Columbia River Salmon Plan (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/attorney_wagers_judge_will_app.html

Congressman Hastings Concerned About Renewed Threat of Dam Removal (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/851224.html

California Autumn Chinook Run Falls Short (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2435402.html

Orange County Register Op/Ed - Gary Miller: California on the Hook for a Fish

http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/california-226892-water-delta.html

Another Newborn Orca Seen in J Pod (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/04/another-newborn-orca-seen-in-j-pod/

Oregon - Toxic Chemicals in the Willamette River (Eugene Weekly, Or)

http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2009/12/31/news.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Ground Breaking of Upgrades to Shelton Wastewater Treatment Plant Tuesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=995:ground-breaking-of-upgrades-to-shelton-wastewater-treatment-plant-tuesday&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

California’s Groundwater Shrinking Because of Agricultural Use (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0104/California-s-groundwater-shrinking-because-of-agricultural-use

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Study: Seabird Won’t Be Harmed by Wind Project for Clallam, Other PUDs (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100105/NEWS/301059993

New Study Shows Marbled Murrelet Not Significantly Impacted by Radar Ridge Project (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA – Note: does not like running in Chrome or Firefox)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1286

Massachusetts - A Decision in Sight on Cape Wind Dispute: Interior secretary orders parties to meet next week (Boston Globe, MA)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/05/decision_in_sight_for_wind_farm_dispute/

For Cape Cod Wind Farm, New Hurdle Is Spiritual (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/science/earth/05wind.html

Nebraska - Wind Farms Could Create Thousands of New Jobs (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010694395_apuswindenergyjobsnebraska.html

Oregon - City of Salem Energy Strategy Gets a Boost from Forum - $1.5 million federal grant jump starts local planning (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100104/NEWS/1040315/1001

North Dakota – For Wind Power Transmission: Minnkota, Minnesota Power complete energy deal (Grand Forks Herald, ND)

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/146453/

California - Small-Scale Solar Plan Clashes With Big Energy (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F01%2F04%2FMNBU1B492N.DTL&feed=rss.business

Solar Panel Thefts Heating Up (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122242708&ft=1&f=3

New Mexico Utility Gets Extension on Filing Renewable Energy Plan (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010697214_apuspnmrenewableenergynewmexico.html

California - Trash to Gas: Landfill Energy Projects Increasing (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2403661~Trash_to_gas__Landfill_energy_projects_increasing.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Logo Creation Tips for Renewable Energy Companies (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/01/logo-creation-tips-for-renewable-energy-companies

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Don’t Let the Heat Out: Energy Audits Available (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/05/dont-let-the-heat-out/

Maryland - Looming Pollution Regulations Threaten Energy Rebates (Baltimore Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2010/01/04/story6.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Climate Law Faces Opposition (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/california-climate-law-faces-opposition/

CIA Is Sharing Data with Climate Scientists (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/science/earth/05satellite.html

Rainier’s Rocks Are Filling Riverbeds - The fallout from Mount Rainier’s shrinking glaciers is beginning to roll downhill (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010689013_rainiergravel04m.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

How Green Is My Campus? Colleges Woo Students With Environmental Initiatives (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010668592_greencampuses02m.html

Greenpeace members sentenced for climbing Mount Rushmore (KOTA-TV, Rapid City, SD)

http://www.kotatv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11765772

Do We Want Toilet Paper to Be Soft Or Good for the Environment? (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jan/04/do-we-want-toilet-paper-to-be-soft-or-good-for/

Fake Fireplace Logs Can Be Better for the Environment than Real Wood (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/04/AR2010010402838.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington’s DOT Web Site Has a Traffic Jam (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2010697274_webdotsite04.html

Google Unveils ‘Nexus One’ Smartphone (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010500948.html

Google Phone Lands with a Thud - Nothing revolutionary, in either design or pricing (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Phone-Lands-With-A-Thud-106243

DOJ to FCC: Promote Broadband Competition - Recommendations include new approaches to spectrum, better transparency (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/DOJ-To-FCC-Promote-Broadband-Competition-106235

US Seeks More Wireless Spectrum for High-Speed Internet (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14120064

Next Up on Cable TV, Higher Bill for Consumers (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/business/media/04cable.html

AT&T Customers Pay for AT&T’s Tax Screw-Up - AT&T reaches $65 million settlement, makes Missouri customers pay for it (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Customers-Pay-For-ATTs-Tax-Screwup-106231

GENERAL NEWS

News Sites Dabble With a Web Tool for Nudging Local Officials (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/business/media/04click.html

Washington State Ranks High in Seat Belt Use Nationally (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010702024_webseatbelt05m.html

DIVERSIONS

Christmas Penguin Thief Caught on Camera

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Christmas-penguin-thief-caught-on-camera-80677342.html

TSA Takes Boy’s Play-Doh Before Flight

http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/22134762/detail.html

ESPN to Introduce 3-D Sports Channel

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/22135637/detail.html

Robbery Suspect Asks for Ride to Mall

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22130515/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Sons of the Pioneers - Cool Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFBHc2qafgU