Monday, January 11, 2010

Energy News Digest for January 11, 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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TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

•  Okanogan PUD - Enloe Dam Proposal Enters Home Stretch
•  Power Lines to Cross Grant & Other Counties Up for Discussion
•  State Tax Breaks in the Offing for Alcoa’s Intalco Works?
•  Cowlitz PUD Has Installed About 30,000 Automated Meters
•  Tacoma Public Utilities Hires Sustainability Manager
•  Experts Say Nixed Virginia Power Line Sets Powerful Example for New York
•  Montana - State Price for Coal Is Too High, Coal Owner Contends
•  Coal Production Down in Wyoming
•  Feds Recommend Approval for Two Rockies Gas Lines
•  Oregon - Spring Chinook Are Running for Their Lives
•  Editorial - Taking the Initiative on Gill Nets
•  Increased Efforts to Reduce Bird Predation at Mid-Columbia Dams Help Achieve Fish Survival Standards
•  Is Washington’s Orca Baby Boom a Fluke?
•  Lewis County Flood Control - Some Skeptical if Dams Are the Answer
•  Water Conservation Could Limit Suburban Lawns
•  Three Oregon Clean Energy Projects Land $87 Million in Federal Tax Credits
•  Solar Company Plans Gresham Plant
•  eSolar Strikes Deal to Build Power Plants in China
•  Imperium Releases Report on Biofuel Plant Explosion
•  The Unintended Ripples from the Biomass Subsidy Program
•  Wind Farms Produced ‘Practically No Electricity’ During Britain’s Cold Snap
•  Environmental Groups Try to Block Parts of California’s Green Building Code
•  US Grants $187M for Fuel Efficiency Research
•  How to Efficiently Save Energy at Work
•  States Want Delay on Emission Rules
•  North Dakota Congressman Wants to Block EPA Carbon Dioxide Regs
•  Canada - Pine Beetles Transform BC Forests Into Greenhouse Enemy
•  Oregon - ‘Green’ Jobs Offer Promise & Peril
•  Obama to Create 17,000 Green Jobs. What’s a Green Job?
•  Some Pacific Northwesterners Have a Hang-up over New Verizon Phone Deal
•  Santa Fe Wi-Fi Fears Keep Getting Weirder
•  Local Companies Wade Into Cloud Computing
•  Social Networking Among Jurors Is Trying Judges’ Patience
•  Wet, Windy Weather Blowing in from Pacific
•  New Radar to Look for Storms 150 Miles Out in the Pacific
•  State Lawmakers Have 60 Days to Solve Budget Crisis
•  On Your Mark, Get Set, Legislate
•  Here’s a “Huh?” Moment - Why Is Seattle’s Voice Rarely Heard in Olympia?
•  Rigged Tools to Electrocute - Wife Accused of Vengeance Against Man
•  Shipments of Hawaiian Garbage to Washington State Hit a Snag
•  Study Says Newspapers Still a Step Ahead in Local News
•  Franchises Sue KFC Over Shift to Grilled Chicken

WORD OF THE DAY

Disconcert • \diss-con-SERT\ • noun – 1: to throw into confusion 2: to disturb the composure of

It was a critical moment for the local high school bowing team. Down by one pin, the least proficient member of the group stepped to the line and eyed the 1-9 split. Her laser-like focus was coming into synch, nothing could disconcert her now. Nothing that is, except for the blustery sneeze of a passing barfly whom had just wandered out of the men’s room at the critical moment.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Okanogan PUD - Enloe Dam Proposal Enters Home Stretch (Wenatchee World, WA)
         
Power Lines to Cross Grant & Other Counties Up for Discussion (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

State Tax Breaks for Alcoa’s Intalco Works? - Bellingham Business leaders expecting tax increases in 2010 (Bellingham Herald, WA)

Cowlitz PUD Has Installed About 30,000 Automated Meters (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

Tacoma Public Utilities Hires Sustainability Manager (Tacoma Daily Index, WA)

Experts Say Nixed Virginia Power Line Sets Powerful Example for New York (Public News Service, NY)

Montana - State Price for Coal Is Too High, Coal Owner Contends (Billings Gazette, MT)

Coal Production Down in Wyoming (Casper Tribune, WY)

Feds Recommend Approval for Two Rockies Gas Lines (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon - Spring Chinook Are Running for Their Lives: Will recovery efforts in the Willamette Basin be enough to save a species that scientists fear could become extinct in 40 years? (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)

Oregonian Editorial - Taking the Initiative on Gill Nets

Increased Efforts to Reduce Bird Predation at Mid-Columbia Dams Help Achieve Fish Survival Standards (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Is Washington’s Orca Baby Boom a Fluke? (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lewis County Flooding - Some Skeptical if Dams Are the Answer: Groups Concerned About West Lewis County Proposal (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

Water Conservation Could Limit Suburban Lawns (NY Times)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Three Oregon Clean Energy Projects Land $87 Million in Federal Tax Credits (Oregonian, Portland)

Solar Company Plans Gresham Plant (Portland Business Journal)

eSolar Strikes Deal to Build Power Plants in China (Associated Press)

Imperium Releases Report on Biofuel Plant Explosion (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

The Unintended Ripples from the Biomass Subsidy Program (Washington Post)

United Kingdom - Wind Farms Produced ‘Practically No Electricity’ During Britain’s Cold Snap (The Daily Telegraph, UK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Environmental Groups Try to Block Parts of California’s Green Building Code (Los Angeles Times, CA)

US Grants $187M for Fuel Efficiency Research (Associated Press)

How to Efficiently Save Energy at Work (Associated Content)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

States Want Delay on Emission Rules (Wall Street Journal)

North Dakota Congressman Wants to Block EPA Carbon Dioxide Regs (Associated Press)

Canada - Pine Beetles Transform BC Forests Into Greenhouse Enemy (Globe & Mail)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon - ‘Green’ Jobs Offer Promise & Peril: Oregon labor union leaders debate possible effects (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

Obama to Create 17,000 Green Jobs. What’s a Green Job? (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Some Pacific Northwesterners Have a Hang-up over New Verizon Phone Deal (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Santa Fe Wi-Fi Fears Keep Getting Weirder - Man sues neighbor for refusing to turn off wireless (Broadband Reports)

Local Companies Wade Into Cloud Computing (Washington Business Journal)

Social Networking Among Jurors Is Trying Judges’ Patience (Washington Post)

GENERAL NEWS

Wet, Windy Weather Blowing in from Pacific

New Radar to Look for Storms 150 Miles Out in the Pacific (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

State Lawmakers Have 60 Days to Solve Budget Crisis (KING-TV, Seattle)

On Your Mark, Get Set, Legislate - During 60-day session, here are some priorities on to-do list, including renewable energy (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Here’s a “Huh?” Moment - Why Is Seattle’s Voice Rarely Heard in Olympia? (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

Rigged Tools to Electrocute - Wife Accused of Vengeance Against Man (Olympian, WA)

Shipments of Hawaiian Garbage to Washington State Hit a Snag (Olympian, WA)

Study Says Newspapers Still a Step Ahead in Local News (Associated Press)

Franchises Sue KFC Over Shift to Grilled Chicken (Washington Post)

DIVERSIONS

God Bless the Phone That’s Got Its Own - UK Vicar Invokes God’s Blessing on Blackberrys

Florida’s Tropical-Fish Industry Hit Hard As Guppies Freeze to Death

Give a Pint of Blood, Get a Pint of Beer – I’ll Drink to That

Spokane Brothers’ Christmas Tree Rocket a YouTube Hit

SONG OF THE DAY

Temptations - Ball of Confusion