The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for December 10, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Energy News Digest for December 10, 2010

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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

Some Rivers 'Certain to Flood' from Coming Heavy Rains (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/26082927/detail.html

Washington State Legislature's Special Budget Session Set for Saturday (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013640931_session10m.html

Montana - Bonneville Power Administration Sweetens Power Deal for Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant (Metal Bulletin)

http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/2729486/NonFerrous/BPA-sweetens-power-deal-for-Glencores-Mont.-plant.html

Cold Weather & Holiday Lights Boost Natural Gas (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013636509_apusoilprices.html

Sea Lions Killing Sturgeon in Lower Columbia River (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_sea_lions_sturgeon.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Montana - Bonneville Power Administration Sweetens Power Deal for Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant

· Residents Upset Over Possible Grant PUD Rate Increases

· Avista Idaho Rates Subject of Workshop

· Environmental Quality Commission Approves Early Closure of Oregon's Only Coal-Fired Power Plant

· Fitch Rates Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station Bonds 'AA' & Bonneville Power Implied 'AA'

· Power Usage Tips Police to Portland Marijuana Grow

· Seattle City Light to Make Changes in Wake of Dog Electrocution

· New Hampshire Regulators Say National Grid Not To Blame in Power Shutoff Death

· Cold Weather & Holiday Lights Boost Natural Gas

· New Jersey - Oyster Creek Nuclear Closure Deal Draws Some Fire

· New Jersey's Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Must Replace New Transformer

· North Carolina - Alcoa Power Generating Continues Battle for Control of Yadkin Projects

· North Carolina - Duke Energy Adds Hydroelectric Plants to Its Clean Power Mix

· Approaches to Boost Hydroelectric Capacity in North America

· Texas – Pedernales Electric Cooperative Insurance Could Foot Defense Bill if Former Manager is Acquitted, Officials Say

· Sea Lions Killing Sturgeon in Lower Columbia River

· Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon Run Will Return to Near Normal for 2011

· With a Concrete Wall, Researchers Improve Migrating Salmon Survival Rates at the Dalles Dam

· Oregon Public Broadcasting Show Will Examine Columbia River Cormorants' Eating Habits

· Southeast Portland: Recently Discovered Coho Salmon Carcasses Upstream on Johnson Creek

· The Eagles Are Landing – For Lunch

· US Environmental Protection Agency Delays Stricter Smog, Mercury Limits

· Wind at Their Backs: Powerful Democrats Help Chinese Energy Firm Chase Stimulus Money

· Renewable Energy Industry Banking On More Grants

· Massive Wind Power Project Proposed for Rhode Island

· Montana - Bitterroot's Lone Rock School to Get Solar Power

· Solar Developers Race Clock as Sun Sets on Lucrative Incentives

· New EPA Regulation May Discourage US Biomass Projects

· New Software Firm to Simplify Green Power Site Selection

· City of Richland Expands Energy Services Program

· Kill a Watt: Success Based On Motivating People to Act

· Climate Change Forecast is Partly Cloudy

· Future of Kyoto Protocol Remains in Serious Doubt as Cancun Talks Enter Final Day

· World Bank Will Help Finance Developing Countries’ Carbon Markets

· California - Most in State Found to Support Carbon-Trading Plan

· Time to Export Energy Efficiency?

· FCC Plan Supports Hiking Internet Access by Schools, Libraries

· New York - Massive Internet Project to Begin: St. Lawrence, Franklin counties will benefit from $33 Million in stimulus funds

· FCC's Pay-As-You-Go Internet Plan Raises Video, Access Questions

· Fairpoint Close to Missing Another Merger Condition Deadline

· Report Says NASA Sold Computers with Sensitive Data

· Google Tool Lets Companies Back Up E-Mail with Gmail

· Washington State Legislature's Special Budget Session Set for Saturday

· Special Session Deal: Here's Some of What's in It

· Washington State Workers to Lawmakers: Don't Cut My Program

· Washington State Legislature - Moeller Named To House Speaker Pro-Tem Role

· US Representative Norm Dicks Elected Top Democrat on Spending Panel

· Tenth Washington State Congressional District Decision Could Come by Christmas

· South Carolina’s Labor Chief to Fight Boeing Unionization

· California - Alameda Councilwoman's Big ($44,000) Legal Bill to City

· Some Rivers 'Certain to Flood' from Coming Heavy Rains

· Flood Warning Continues for the Skokomish River

· Washington State to Get $161 Million in Federal Rail Money

· Coalition Files Initiative to Free Seattle Taxpayers from Extra Tunnel Costs

· Credit Card Abuse - Ex-Hanford Worker Gets 20 Months in Prison

· Tacoma-Based Centralia Outlets Owners File for Bankruptcy

· Laser Pointer Incidents on Rise; Aviation Officials Worried

WORD OF THE DAY

De Rigueur • \duh ree-GERR\ • Adjective - prescribed or required by fashion, etiquette, or custom

The habit of faking a trip over the doorsill when arriving for the Christmas Eve dinner was de rigueur for the Abercrombie family. (Dunno why I wrote this one; its pretty silly. I guess having an example sentence has become de rigueur for the word of the day.)

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

Montana - Bonneville Power Administration Sweetens Power Deal for Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant (Metal Bulletin)

http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/2729486/NonFerrous/BPA-sweetens-power-deal-for-Glencores-Mont.-plant.html

Residents Upset Over Possible Grant PUD Rate Increases (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_e2d02252-0474-11e0-a10f-001cc4c002e0.html

Avista Idaho Rates Subject of Workshop (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/dec/10/avista-idaho-rates-subject-workshop/

Environmental Quality Commission Approves Early Closure of Oregon's Only Coal-Fired Power Plant (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/12/environmental_quality_commissi.html

Fitch Rates Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station Bonds 'AA' & Bonneville Power Implied 'AA' (Biloxi Sun-Herald, MS)

http://www.sunherald.com/2010/12/09/2701930/fitch-rates-energy-northwest-was.html

Power Usage Tips Police to Portland Marijuana Grow (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/20401-power-usage-tips-police-marijuana-grow/

Seattle City Light to Make Changes in Wake of Dog Electrocution (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-City-Light-to-make-changes-in-wake-of-dog-electrocution-111620459.html

New Hampshire Regulators Say National Grid Not To Blame in Power Shutoff Death (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013636430_apuspowershutoffdeath.html

Cold Weather & Holiday Lights Boost Natural Gas (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013636509_apusoilprices.html

New Jersey - Oyster Creek Nuclear Closure Deal Draws Some Fire (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/oyster-creek-nuclear-deal-draws-fire/

New Jersey's Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Must Replace New Transformer (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/12/10/financial/f085710S47.DTL

North Carolina - Alcoa Power Generating Continues Battle for Control of Yadkin Projects (Charlotte Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/print-edition/2010/12/10/Alcoa-continues-battle-for-control.html

North Carolina - Duke Energy Adds Hydroelectric Plants to Its Clean Power Mix (Charlotte News Observer, NC)

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/business/duke-energy-adds-hydroelectric-plants-to-its-clean-power-mix

Approaches to Boost Hydroelectric Capacity in North America (HydroWorld)

http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/article-display/2153853813/articles/hydro-review/volume-29/issue-8/articles/approaches-to-boost-hydroelectric-capacity-in-north-america.html

Texas – Pedernales Electric Cooperative Insurance Could Foot Defense Bill if Former Manager is Acquitted, Officials Say (Austim American Statesman, TX)

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/hillcountry/entries/2010/12/10/pecs_insurance_could_foot_defe.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lions Killing Sturgeon in Lower Columbia River (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_sea_lions_sturgeon.html

Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon Run Will Return to Near Normal for 2011 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2010/12/columbia_spring_chinook_salmon.html

With a Concrete Wall, Researchers Improve Migrating Salmon Survival Rates at the Dalles Dam (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/12/engineering_a_fix_for_salmon_a.html

Oregon Public Broadcasting Show Will Examine Columbia River Cormorants' Eating Habits (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/lifestyles/article_a3225990-03fc-11e0-afb3-001cc4c002e0.html

Southeast Portland: Recently Discovered Coho Salmon Carcasses Upstream on Johnson Creek (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/12/southeast_portland_recently_di.html

The Eagles Are Landing – For Lunch (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/dec/10/eagles-are-landing-lunch/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

US Environmental Protection Agency Delays Stricter Smog, Mercury Limits (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013625723_apusepasmog.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind at Their Backs: Powerful Democrats Help Chinese Energy Firm Chase Stimulus Money (MSNBC)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40565987/ns/business-going_green/

Renewable Energy Industry Banking On More Grants (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013640091_apuscongressrenewableenergy.html

Massive Wind Power Project Proposed for Rhode Island (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013625910_apriwindpower.html

Montana - Bitterroot's Lone Rock School to Get Solar Power (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c5cf4346-040a-11e0-bfb2-001cc4c002e0.html

Solar Developers Race Clock as Sun Sets on Lucrative Incentives (Grist Online)

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-12-08-solar-developers-race-clock-as-lucrative-incentives-sun-set

New EPA Regulation May Discourage US Biomass Projects (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/12/new-epa-regulation-may-discourage-u-s-biomass-projects

New Software Firm to Simplify Green Power Site Selection - Software could help point the way for solar and wind plants, developer says (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20101209/BIZ/712099862/-1/rss03

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

City of Richland Expands Energy Services Program (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13641635

Kill a Watt: Success Based On Motivating People to Act (Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2010/12/kill_a_watt_success_based_on_m.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Change Forecast is Partly Cloudy (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/12/clouds-climate-change-global-warming-negative-feedback-science/1?csp=34tech

Future of Kyoto Protocol Remains in Serious Doubt as Cancun Talks Enter Final Day (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/12/10/10climatewire-future-of-kyoto-protocol-remains-in-serious-62287.html

World Bank Will Help Finance Developing Countries’ Carbon Markets (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/world-bank-will-help-finance-carbon-markets/

California - Most in State Found to Support Carbon-Trading Plan (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2FBUNB1GNPUA.DTL

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Time to Export Energy Efficiency? (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS130097123020101209

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Plan Supports Hiking Internet Access by Schools, Libraries (Government Video)

http://www.governmentvideo.com/article/101004

New York - Massive Internet Project to Begin: St. Lawrence, Franklin counties will benefit from $33 Million in stimulus funds (Watertown Daily Times, NY)

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20101209/NEWS05/312099963

FCC's Pay-As-You-Go Internet Plan Raises Video, Access Questions (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/07/AR2010120706533.html

Fairpoint Close to Missing Another Merger Condition Deadline - Plays coy with regulators over 83% DSL deployment obligation (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Fairpoint-Close-To-Missing-Another-Merger-Condition-Deadline-111766

Report Says NASA Sold Computers with Sensitive Data (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B66UG20101207

Google Tool Lets Companies Back Up E-Mail with Gmail (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/12/google-launches-tool-to-get-companies-to-back-up-e-mail-with-gmail/1?csp=34tech

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Legislature's Special Budget Session Set for Saturday (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013640931_session10m.html