Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Energy News Digest for January 20, 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)

•  Energy NW Applies for Renewal of Columbia Generating Station License with NRC
•  Alcoa Planning $20 Million Upgrade to Chelan PUD Grid
•  Editorial - Change of Course for Portland General Electric
•  Cabinet Gorge & Noxon Rapids - Avista Wants Two Dams Certified As Low-Impact
•  Energy Affairs - Jackson Hole Requires an Increasing Amount of Power
•  Contract Talks Continue at NY’s Indian Point Nuclear Plant
•  Editorial - The Coal Ash Case
•  Ship Engine Maker Wartsila Lays Off 1,400 Globally
•  Hydropower & Innovation in Fish-Friendly Turbines
•  Oregon Coast Spotters Count Hundreds of Migrating Whales
•  Is Lawn Fertilizer Next for Phosphorus Ban?
•  EPA Fines Hoquiam Fish Waste Processor $22K
•  Colorado Pipeline Proposal Stirs Utah Water Fears
•  From Snohomish PUD - Feds Receive Puget Sound Tidal Power Application
•  US Says Wind Could Power 20 Percent of Eastern Grid
•  Expanding Use of Wind Power Feasible, but May Be Costly
•  Montana Land Board Approves Wind Project
•  Fuel Cell Maker Ballard Power, Partners Buy Stake in Dantherm
•  Canada - Ontario Edges British Columbia in Green-Energy Figh
•  Does Geothermal Drilling Cause Earthquakes?
•  New Mexico - Public Service Co. of New Mexico Asks Ariz. Firm to Build 5 Solar Plants
•  More People Installing Renewable Energy Systems in Michigan, Regulators Say
•  Energy Efficiency Can Mean Lower Taxes
•  Energy Efficiency - ‘Crossing the Energy Divide’
•  Intel, Too, Eyes Home Energy Management
•  Smart Grid Investing - A Play on the Coming Energy Shortage
•  2000s Warmest Decade on Record, Government Reports
•  US Cap-And-Trade Bill Looks Even Further Away
•  Editorial - First Climategate, now Glaciergate
•  Editorial - Avoiding a Trap on Climate Change
•  $6 Million to Support Green Jobs in Washington
•  Therapists Report Increase in Green Disputes
•  Average US Broadband Speed: 3.9 Mbps
•  Columnist - Public Comments Remind Us Why ‘Net Neutrality’ Matters
•  Skype Traffic Soars, Leaving Old-School Phone Companies in the Dust
•  6.1 Richter Aftershock Rattles Nerves in Haitian Capital
•  Shelton Rotary Sending Hospital Beds to Haiti
•  Social Networking - Linked-Up in Belfair
•  New York Times to Charge for Web Access in 2011

WORD OF THE DAY

Adagio • \ah-DAWZH-ee-oh\ • noun – At a slow tempo —used chiefly as a direction in music

“Dude!” exclaimed the rooster-crowned rocker to his slovenly goth friend. “No way you can ‘rock out’ in adagio. When you get to ‘presto,’ well, now you’re rockin’”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Energy NW Applies for Renewal of Columbia Generating Station License with NRC (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Alcoa Planning $20 Million Upgrade to Chelan PUD Grid (Wenatchee World, WA)

Oregonian Editorial - Change of Course for Portland General Electric

Cabinet Gorge & Noxon Rapids - Avista Wants Two Dams Certified As Low-Impact (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Cabinet Gorge Dam (Wikipedia)

Noxon Rapids Dam (Wikipedia)

Energy Affairs - Jackson Hole requires an increasing amount of power to light & heat large homes & hotels (Jackson Hole Weekly, WY)

Contract Talks Continue at NY’s Indian Point Nuclear Plant (NY Times)

NY Times Editorial - The Coal Ash Case

Ship Engine Maker Wartsila Lays Off 1,400 Globally (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Hydropower & Innovation in Fish-Friendly Turbines - New turbine designs protect fish & could end fish busing (GreenTech Media)

Oregon Coast Spotters Count Hundreds of Migrating Whales (The Oregonian, Portland)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Is Lawn Fertilizer Next for Phosphorus Ban? (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

EPA Fines Hoquiam Fish Waste Processor $22K (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Colorado Pipeline Proposal Stirs Water Fears - Entrepreneur would tap river flow before it reaches Utah (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

From Snohomish PUD - Feds Receive Puget Sound Tidal Power Application (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

US Says Wind Could Power 20 Percent of Eastern Grid (Reuters)

Expanding Use of Wind Power Feasible, but May Be Costly (NY Times)

Montana Land Board Approves Wind Project (Associated Press)

Fuel Cell Maker Ballard Power, Partners Buy Stake in Dantherm (Seattle Times)

Canada - Ontario Edges British Columbia in Green-Energy Fight: Provinces locked in heated battle to provide best climate for investments in alternative power (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Does Geothermal Drilling Cause Earthquakes? (Renewable Energy World)

New Mexico - The Public Service Co. of New Mexico Asks Ariz. Firm to Build 5 Solar Plants (Associated Press)

More People Installing Renewable Energy Systems in Michigan, Regulators Say (The Bay City Times, MI)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency Can Mean Lower Taxes (Associated Press)

Energy Efficiency - ‘Crossing the Energy Divide’ (NY Times)

Intel, Too, Eyes Home Energy Management (C/NET News)

Smart Grid Investing - A Play on the Coming Energy Shortage (CNBC)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

2000s Warmest Decade on Record, Government Reports (Associated Press)

US Cap-And-Trade Bill Looks Even Further Away (Financial Times of London, UK)

Canada National Post Editorial - First Climategate, now Glaciergate

Washington Post Editorial - Avoiding a Trap on Climate Change

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

$6 Million to Support Green Jobs in Washington (Associated Press)

Therapists Report Increase in Green Disputes (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Average US Broadband Speed: 3.9 Mbps (Broadband Reports)

San Jose Mercury News Columnist - Public Comments Remind Us Why ‘Net Neutrality’ Matters

Skype Traffic Soars, Leaving Old-School Phone Companies in the Dust (Christian Science Monitor)

GENERAL NEWS

6.1 Richter Aftershock Rattles Nerves in Haitian Capital (NY Times)

Shelton Rotary Sending Hospital Beds to Haiti (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Social Networking - Linked-Up in Belfair (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

New York Times to Charge for Web Access in 2011 (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Car Dealer Sues Woman to Cancel ‘Good Deal’

Blooming ‘Corpse Flower’ Stinks Up Museum

Wisconsin Man Cited for ‘Rocking Out’ to John Denver

Police: Drunken Man in Cowboy Gear Threatens Dog

Cowlitz County Says Moving 90-Year-Old Barn Makes It ‘New Construction’

SONG OF THE DAY

John Denver - Rhymes & Reasons