Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Energy News Digest for June 23, 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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

TransAlta deal with state attracts criticism - Environmental groups say it doesn’t go far enough (Olympian, WA)

With Numbers Up, Sockeye Season May Hit Columbia (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Some Columbia Basin Wells Likely to Go Dry (Yakima Herald Republic)

Dueling Views among Audubon Organizations over Radar Ridge Wind Farm (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Mason County Commission Asked Again to Hold ADAGE Advisory Ballot (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

  • TransAlta Deal with State Attracts Criticism
  • Canada - Phase out of Coal? TransAlta Responds to Policy Announcement on Coal Plants
  • Chelan PUD Financial Plan Approved
  • New York - Talks over Power Program Discount Power Program for Businesses Hit Impasse
  • Vermont Nuke Plant Says Flaw Led to Radioactive Leak
  • Nebraska Nuclear Power Plant Declares Low-Level Emergency State
  • Florida Power & Light FPL faces $70,000 fine over Nuke Plant
  • Natural Gas Prices Drop for Third Straight Day
  • Editorial - Dumb Decision on Smart Meters
  • Pickens: Americans Ready for Ten-Year Energy Plan
  • Sockeye Surging
  • With Numbers Up, Sockeye Season May Hit Columbia
  • Federal Agencies Announce Next Three Years of Fish Protection Projects
  • Couple ‘Rescues’ Baby Seal, But Does More Harm Than Good
  • Chinook Tribe First Salmon Ceremony: BlessingsAbound for Sacred Salmon
  • Some Columbia Basin Wells Likely to Go Dry
  • Tri-Cities Irrigation Water is Coming Back On
  • Montana - Recent Rains Wash Away Fears of Low Water Levels in Flathead Lake
  • Carlsborg Development Hinges on Lawsuit, Sewer System
  • Wahkiakum County to Pursue Ban on Sewage Sludge Fertilizer
  • Vancouver Island Sewage Treatment - Esquimalt Councilors ‘Appalled’ by Sewage-Plant Plan
  • Dueling Views among Audubon Organizations over Radar Ridge Wind Farm
·         A Murrelet Magician for Radar Ridge?
·         Threatened Bird Might Blow Down Radar Ridge Wind Farm
·         Mason County Commission Asked Again to Hold ADAGE Advisory Ballot
·         Port of Shelton Looking at Phone Survey Instead of Advisory Ballot on ADAGE
·         Massachusetts - Opponents of Biomass Burn Plant Subsidies Eye Ballot Alternative
·         Michigan - Traverse City Utility Commissions Study on Health Effects of Biomass
·         Q-and-A: Woody Biomass, Pros & Cons
·         Montana Public Service Commission Won’t Set Wind Project’s Rate
·         Pacific Northwesterners Sunny about Alternative Energy
·         Editorial – Nevada: Tell Us about the Unseen Cost of Wind & Solar Power, Too
·         Offshore Embarrassment: Shoddy Parts Trip Up Major North Sea Wind Farm
·         Stimulus Funds Pay for Energy-Saving Windows at Kitsap Courthouse
·         New Washington Building Energy Standards Delayed
·         Voters to Decide on California Global Warming Law
·         Op/Ed - Utilities Can Lead Way on Energy
·         In (Qualified) Praise of Utility-Only Cap-&-Trade
·         Enviro Groups Circulate Memo to Attack Former GOP Climate Ally
·         UN Climate Panel Names Authors for Fifth Report
·         California Considers Mandating Energy Storage
·         Data Center Bill Passage Celebrated
·         Editorial - Crowd Celebrates Boom in Data Center Construction
·         Energy Star for Data Centers is First Definitive Green Data Center Rating
·         FCC Takes Beating over Closed Door Net Neutrality Meeting
·         FCC Denies Qwest Application to Deregulate Lines
·         Frontier Sues over Google Voice
·         Verizon Sued by Wisconsin AG for Billing Non-Verizon Customers
·         As Phone Business Shrinks, Phone Companies Consolidate
·         Sorry Fiber Fans, I’ve Got Some Bad News
·         Editorial - ‘It’s a Great Time to Build Things,’ so Olympia is Seizing Moment
·         Washington Initiatives Face July 2 Deadline
·         Op/Ed - Bloviating Aside, The Election Will be Decided by Who Votes
·         Nuclear: Department of Energy Contractor Settles Fraud Allegation
·         Calling Treasure Hunters of All Ages to Mason County

WORD OF THE DAY

Episodic • \epp-ih-SOD-ick\ • adjective - 1: made up of separate especially loosely connected episodes 2: having the form of an episode 3: of or limited in duration or significance to a particular episode: temporary 4: occurring, appearing, or changing at usually irregular intervals

The clerk of the board was getting fed up with the episodic nature of her commission meetings; especially the behavior of the board president. Just as the board was ready to make a decision, the board chair tended to halt all action; table the motion until the next meeting; and advise all the attendees to return for the final decision “in the next exciting episode of: ‘Commissioners In Action’.” That would account for the repeated minute entry that had to be changed at each meeting from “Commissioners Inaction,” to “Commissioners in Action.”

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

TransAlta Deal with State Attracts Criticism - Environmental groups say it doesn’t go far enough (Olympian, WA)

Canada - Phase out of Coal? TransAlta Responds to the Federal Government’s Recent Policy Announcement on Coal-Fired Electricity Generation (Market Watch)

Chelan PUD Financial Plan Approved (Wenatchee World, WA)

New York - Talks over Power Program Discount Power Program for Businesses Hit Impasse
(The Business Review ofAlbany)

Vermont Nuke Plant Says Flaw Led to Radioactive Leak (Associated Press)

Nebraska Nuclear Power Plant Declares Low-Level Emergency State (Associated Press)

Florida Power & Light FPL faces $70,000 fine over Nuke Plant (South Florida Business Journal)

Natural Gas Prices Drop for Third Straight Day (Associated Press)

Editorial - Dumb Decision on Smart Meters (Baltimore Sun, MD)

Pickens: Americans Ready for Ten-Year Energy Plan (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sockeye Surging (Lewiston Tribune, ID)

With Numbers Up, Sockeye Season May Hit Columbia (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Federal Agencies Announce Next Three Years of Fish Protection Projects (Bonneville Power Administration)

Couple ‘Rescues’ Baby Seal, But Does More Harm Than Good (KING-TV, Seattle)

Chinook Tribe First Salmon Ceremony: BlessingsAbound for Sacred Salmon (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Some Columbia Basin Wells Likely to Go Dry (Yakima Herald Republic)

Tri-Cities Irrigation Water is Coming Back On (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Montana - Recent Rains Wash Away Fears of Low Water Levels in Flathead Lake (The Missoulian, MT)

Carlsborg Development Hinges on Lawsuit, Sewer System - Clallam PUD won’t go forward with the sewer plans until half the funding is in place (Sequim Gazette, WA)

Wahkiakum County to Pursue Ban on Sewage Sludge Fertilizer (Longview Daily News, WA)

Vancouver Island Sewage Treatment - Esquimalt Councilors ‘Appalled’ by Sewage-Plant Plan (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Dueling Views among Audubon Organizations over Radar Ridge Wind Farm (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

A Murrelet Magician for Radar Ridge? (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Threatened Bird Might Blow Down Radar Ridge Wind Farm (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

Mason County Commission Asked Again to Hold ADAGE Advisory Ballot (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Port of Shelton Looking at Phone Survey Instead of Advisory Ballot on ADAGE (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Massachusetts - Opponents of Biomass Burn Plant Subsidies Eye Ballot Alternative (Boston Herald, MA)

Michigan - Traverse City Utility Commissions Study on Health Effects of Biomass (Michigan Messenger)

Q-and-A: Woody Biomass, Pros & Cons (NY Times)

Montana Public Service Commission Won’t Set Wind Project’s Rate (Billings Gazette, MT)

Pacific Northwesterners Sunny about Alternative Energy “…poll shows broad support for expanding the portfolio of the region’s energy sources…it’s a different story when it comes to actually being willing to pay for alternative energy…” (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Editorial – Nevada: Tell Us about the Unseen Cost of Wind & Solar Power, Too (Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV)

Offshore Embarrassment: Shoddy Parts Trip Up Major North Sea Wind Farm (Wind Watch)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Stimulus Funds Pay for Energy-Saving Windows at Kitsap Courthouse (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

New Washington Building Energy Standards Delayed (Associated Press)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Voters to Decide on California Global Warming Law (Seattle Times)

Op/Ed - Utilities Can Lead Way on Energy (Politico)

In (Qualified) Praise of Utility-Only Cap-&-Trade (Council on Foreign Relations)

Enviro Groups Circulate Memo to Attack Former GOP Climate Ally (NY Times)

UN Climate Panel Names Authors for Fifth Report (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California Considers Mandating Energy Storage (Grist Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data Center Bill Passage Celebrated (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Editorial - Crowd Celebrates Boom in Data Center Construction (Wenatchee World, WA)

Energy Star for Data Centers is First Definitive Green Data Center Rating (Search Data Center)

FCC Takes Beating over Closed Door Net Neutrality Meeting (Broadband Reports)

FCC Denies Qwest Application to Deregulate Lines (Phoenix Business Journal)

Frontier Sues over Google Voice (Sacramento Business Journal)

Verizon Sued by Wisconsin AG for Billing Non-Verizon Customers (Broadband Reports)

As Phone Business Shrinks, Phone Companies Consolidate (Oregonian, Portland)

Sorry Fiber Fans, I’ve Got Some Bad News (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Editorial - ‘It’s a Great Time to Build Things,’ so Olympia is Seizing Moment “…Every time the city opens bids for a new contract, city officials are awestruck. The bids are routinely 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent below the engineering estimate…” (Olympian, WA)

Washington Initiatives Face July 2 Deadline (Associated Press)

Op/Ed - Bloviating Aside, The Election Will be Decided by Who Votes (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Nuclear: Department of Energy Contractor Settles Fraud Allegation (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Calling Treasure Hunters of All Ages to Mason County (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Pork Board Squeals over Imaginary Unicorn Meat

Let the Flame Wars Begin - Cheerleading Expert: It’s Not a Competitive Sport

Saudi to Flog 15 Men, Women for Mingling at Party

Man Fraudulently Claims $33,000 Tie Collection Stolen

SONG OF THE DAY

The Irish Rovers - The Unicorn Song