Friday, February 19, 2010

Energy News Digest for February 19, 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)

•  Mason PUD 3 SEPA Appeal Hearing Wrapped Up Thursday
•  Avista to Seek Increase - Rate Hikes Would Take Effect by Early ‘11
•  BPA Will Hold Port Orford Meeting on Transmission Line
•  Tri-City Leaders Threaten Yucca Mountain Nuke Waste Repository Lawsuit
•  Energy Northwest, WA, Revenue Refunding Bonds Rated ‘AA’
•  Montana - Highwood Plant Closes in on Loan Contract
•  Montana - Consultants Say City of Great Falls Should Raise Power Rates
•  Outage Caused by Plane Crash Reveals Weak Link in Palo Alto’s Power Grid
•  Ohio Utility Hopes to Recoup Bulb Battle Costs
•  Staff at Southern Cal Nuclear Plant Fear Retaliation
•  Spokesman Review Op/Ed - Nuclear Revival Bound to Fail
•  Careful, Kids - High Voltage
•  Oregon, California Sign Deal Aimed at Ending Klamath Water Wars
•  Pacts Signed to Help River & Salmon
•  Klamath Dam Agreement Signed
•  Oregon’s Klamath Basin Deal Helps Farmers & Fish
•  Spring Chinook Fishing Seasons in Columbia River Finalized
•  Downer: Spring Chinook Arrive
•  Olympic Peninsula Streamflows May be “Average” This Summer; Unlike Rest of State
•  Seattle Times Editorial - Science & Policy Changes Are Needed to Rescue Puget Sound
•  Sewer Tunnel Hits a Snag - King County Exec Declares Emergency in Brightwater Tunneling
•  11 West Coast Lawmakers Oppose Feinstein on California Valley Water
•  California Water System Overhaul Struggling, Poll Finds
•  Simpson Lumber Considering Cogenerating Biomass Facility on Shelton Waterfront
•  Oregon Is First US Site For A Wave-Power Farm
•  Study Says Tall Wind Turbines Could Make More Power
•  California Governor Gets Bill to Expand Solar Energy Sales
•  Obama’s Federal Government Can Weatherize Your Home for Only $57,362 Each
•  Philippines ‘Bracing for the Worst’ in Drought
•  Stimulus Funds for Clean Energy Largely Unspent
•  Many Believe in Going Green; Fewer Actually Do It
•  College Students Impose Fee on Themselves to Go Green
•  Permeable Paving: Good for the Environment & Your Landscape
•  Microsoft, Yahoo Deal Gets Regulators’ OK
•  Grand Rapids Seeks Google Fiber Network
•  Stimulus Grant to Expand Broadband Access in Wisconsin
•  2,400 Agencies, Companies Are Cyberattack Victims
•  Judge Allows Class Action Against Internet Provider – Service called “slow & spotty”
•  Google Pops Past Coke as World’s No. 2 Most Respected Brand
•  You Want Broadband at Home? Fine, British Telecom Wants $70,000
•  Our National Broadband Plan Is a Bland, Boring Mess
•  Former FCC Boss Michael Powell Still Hallucinating Competition
•  Herbal Hubris - Olympia Mayor Pro Tem Joe Hyer Arrested
•  Texas Man Angry With IRS Crashes Plane into Office
•  El Nino Expected to Influence Pacific NW Weather through April
•  Copper Rises as Investors Confident in Demand
•  Billy Frank Jr. Featured on State Library Reading Poster

WORD OF THE DAY

Flexuous • \FLEK-shuh-wus\ • adjective - *1: having curves, turns, or windings 2: lithe or fluid in action or movement

The background music was intoxicating; a throaty, wild tenor saxophone wailed its song to the night, wrapped in velvet tendrils of flexuous cigarette smoke that wound their way to the ceiling of the small jazz bar, mixing with the scattered eighth notes that swam their way into the night from the small, but energetic music combo.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Mason PUD 3 SEPA Appeal Hearing Wrapped Up Thursday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Avista to Seek Increase - Rate Hikes Would Take Effect by Early ‘11 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

BPA Will Hold Port Orford Meeting on Transmission Line (The World, Bandon, OR)

Tri-City Leaders Threaten Yucca Mountain Nuke Waste Repository Lawsuit (Associated Press)

Energy Northwest, WA, Revenue Refunding Bonds Rated ‘AA’ (Business Wire)

Montana - Highwood Plant Closes in on Loan Contract (Billings Gazette, MT)

Montana - Consultants Say City of Great Falls Should Raise Power Rates (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Outage Caused by Plane Crash Reveals Weak Link in Palo Alto’s Power Grid (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Ohio Utility Hopes to Recoup Bulb Battle Costs - $772,000 to be passed along to customers (Associated Press)

Staff at Southern Cal Nuclear Plant Fear Retaliation (Associated Press)

Spokesman Review Op/Ed - Nuclear Revival Bound to Fail

Careful, Kids - High Voltage (Bend Bulletin, OR)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon, California Sign Deal Aimed at Ending Klamath Water Wars (The Oregonian, Portland)

Pacts Signed to Help River & Salmon (NY Times)

Klamath Dam Agreement Signed (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Oregon’s Klamath Basin Deal Helps Farmers & Fish (Associated Press)

Spring Chinook Fishing Seasons in Columbia River Finalized - Amid potential record return of 559,900 spring Chinook (Seattle Times)

Downer: Spring Chinook Arrive (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympic Peninsula Streamflows May be “Average” This Summer; Unlike Rest of State (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Seattle Times Editorial - Science & Policy Changes Are Needed to Rescue Puget Sound

Sewer Tunnel Hits a Snag - King County Exec Declares Emergency in Brightwater Tunneling (KING-TV, Seattle)

11 West Coast Lawmakers Oppose Feinstein on California Valley Water (Sacramento Bee, CA)

California Water System Overhaul Struggling, Poll Finds (SF Chronicle)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Simpson Lumber Considering Cogenerating Biomass Facility on Shelton Waterfront (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Oregon Is First US Site For A Wave-Power Farm - Some still uncertain that the ocean holds source of clean energy (USA Today)

Study Says Tall Wind Turbines Could Make More Power (Denver Business Journal)

California Governor gets bill to expand solar energy sales (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Obama’s Federal Government Can Weatherize Your Home for Only $57,362 Each (Los Angeles Times, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Philippines ‘Bracing for the Worst’ in Drought (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Stimulus Funds for Clean Energy Largely Unspent (Christian Science Monitor)

Many Believe in Going Green; Fewer Actually Do It (AOL News)

College Students Impose Fee on Themselves to Go Green (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Permeable Paving: Good for the Environment & Your Landscape (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft, Yahoo Deal Gets Regulators’ OK (SF Chronicle)

Grand Rapids Seeks Google Fiber Network (West Michigan Business Review)

Stimulus Grant to Expand Broadband Access in Wisconsin (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)

2,400 Agencies, Companies Are Cyberattack Victims (Associated Press)

Judge Allows Class Action Against Internet Provider – Service called “slow & spotty” (Courthouse News Service)

Google Pops Past Coke as World’s No. 2 Most Respected Brand (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)

You Want Broadband at Home? Fine, British Telecom Wants $70,000 (Consumerist)

Our National Broadband Plan Is a Bland, Boring Mess - Can it be saved by last minute changes? (Broadband Reports)

Former FCC Boss Michael Powell Still Hallucinating Competition (Broadband Reports)

GENERAL NEWS

Olympia Mayor Pro Tem Joe Hyer Arrested - Accused of twice selling marijuana to confidential informant (Olympian, WA)

Texas Man Angry With IRS Crashes Plane into Office (Associated Press)

El Nino Expected to Influence Pacific NW Weather through April (KOIN-TV, Portland, OR)

Copper Rises as Investors Confident in Demand (Associated Press)

Billy Frank Jr. Featured on State Library Reading Poster (Indian Country Today)

DIVERSIONS

Burqas? No, Bacon Burgers Are France’s New Cultural Battleground

Cleveland Deemed Most Miserable City in USA

Boy Rescued from Church Drainage Pipe

Neighbors Mistakenly Loot Woman’s Home - Neighbors Feared Worst After Woman Hospitalized

SONG OF THE DAY

Sonny Rollins - My One & Only Love