Thursday, February 11, 2010

Energy News Digest for February 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

•  City of Seattle Offers $1.6M to Pend Oreille County over Dam Operations
•  Conservation Efforts Will Play Key Role in Meeting Northwest's Energy Needs
•  Regional Power Outlook Talk Tuesday in Richland
•  Rate Hike Nears Vote at Grant County PUD
•  Kennewick Irrigation District Internal Investigation Uncovers Misuse of District Equipment
•  Shortage of Skilled Workers Worries Energy
•  Wall Street's Power Surge
•  FirstEnergy Buying Power Rival Allegheny Energy
•  Tennessee Valley Authority Distributors Get More Time to Buy Mississippi Power Plant
•  Can Germany Afford to Phase Out Nuclear Plants?
•  Venezuela Seeks God’s Help amid Energy Crisis
•  Judge Says He Can't Consider Obama Administration's Salmon & Dams Plan
•  Chinook Starting to Show Up in Lower Columbia
•  Coho Mojo: Restoring Salmon Runs in Region's Watersheds
•  Virus Ruins Steelhead Eggs at Bogachiel Hatchery
•  Language of Columbia River Gillnet Ban Initiative Questioned
•  Henderson Inlet - Oysters Are the Pearl of Community Cleanup
•  Mounting Urgency As Asian Carp Threaten the Great Lakes
•  News Tribune Editorial - Polluters’ Tax a Good Idea Gone Wrong
•  Oregon - Why the Low Flow in the Deschutes?
•  Oregon House Votes to Rein in Tax Breaks for Green Energy Projects
•  Don’t Break the Planet! Oregon Geothermal Company Ready to Drill
•  Oregonian Editorial - Steens Wind Farm Plan Signals Push to Remote, Cherished Lands
•  Group Urges Texas to Promote More Solar Power Use
•  Renewables Industry Promotes Its Potential
•  Wenatchee World Editorial - Project Aims to Cut Warming by Injecting Rocks with CO2
•  Quincy Is Cheapest Small City for High-Tech Manufacturing in the West, Report Says
•  Google Dabbling in Broadband Service, Seattle Intrigued
•  Google Doesn’t Want to Be an ISP
•  Fiber Optics, Not Magic Beans
•  Uncle Sam Still Hiding Telco Lobbying Records
•  The Glue Holding Data Center Energy Efficiency Together
•  Google Still Hugely Dominant in Search
•  State Budget Gap Estimate Grows by $96 Million
•  Wash. Senate OKs Suspension of Initiative 960
•  Bus Tunnel Victim Says She Begged Police for Help Before Beating
•  North Thurston High School Teacher Arrested for Centralia Area Indoor Pot Grow-Op
•  Washington Department of Ecology Tosses Out Roadside Litter-Pickup Programs
•  Tourists Spent $14.2 Billion in Washington Last Year
•  WA Senate Republican Complaints Cost $55K
•  City of Seattle Employee Charged With String of Computer Thefts
•  Starbucks Will Launch Pour-Over Brewing Method
•  Aerial Photos of Trade Center on 9/11 Released

WORD OF THE DAY

Effulgence • \ih-FULL-junss\ • noun - Radiant splendor: brilliance

The attending flacks stood in awe of their Chief Operating Officer’s dazzling effulgence. The rollout of a new light-emitting diode disco cape was apparently a huge success, with sparking lights from the COO’s clothes sending iridescent reflections off the mirror ball onto the slack-jawed faces of the media elites, whom had been called to witness the event.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

City of Seattle Offers $1.6M to Pend Oreille County over Dam Operations (Seattle Times)

Conservation Efforts Will Play Key Role in Meeting Northwest's Energy Needs (The Oregonian, Portland)

Regional Power Outlook Talk Tuesday in Richland (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Rate Hike Nears Vote at Grant County PUD (Wenatchee World, WA)

Kennewick Irrigation District Internal Investigation Uncovers Misuse of District Equipment (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Shortage of Skilled Workers Worries Energy Industry (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Wall Street's Power Surge - Energy Plant Tragedy Puts a Light on Banks, Private Equity Funds Pushing into Electricity (ABC News)

FirstEnergy Buying Power Rival Allegheny Energy (Associated Press)

Tennessee Valley Authority Distributors Get More Time to Buy Mississippi Power Plant (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)

Can Germany Afford to Phase Out Nuclear Plants? (Financial Times of London)

Venezuela Seeks God’s Help amid Energy Crisis (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Judge Says He Can't Consider Obama Administration's Salmon & Dams Plan (The Oregonian, Portland)

Chinook Starting to Show Up in Lower Columbia (Everett Herald, WA)

Coho Mojo: Restoring Salmon Runs in Region's Watersheds (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Virus Ruins Steelhead Eggs at Bogachiel Hatchery (Associated Press)

Language of Columbia River Gillnet Ban Initiative Questioned (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Henderson Inlet - Oysters Are the Pearl of Community Cleanup (KING-TV, Seattle)

Mounting Urgency As Asian Carp Threaten the Great Lakes (Christian Science Monitor)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

News Tribune Editorial - Polluters’ Tax a Good Idea Gone Wrong

Why the Low Flow in the Deschutes? Irrigation is partly to blame, but thin snowpack is a longer-term concern (Bend Bulletin)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon House Votes to Rein in Tax Breaks for Green Energy Projects (The Oregonian, Portland)

Don’t Break the Planet! Oregon Geothermal Company Ready to Drill - Bend’s Vulcan Power expects to begin construction on its first plant soon; other projects are in the works (Bend Bulletin, OR)

Oregonian Editorial - Steens Wind Farm Plan Signals Push to Remote, Cherished Lands

Group Urges Texas to Promote More Solar Power Use (Associated Press)

Renewables Industry Promotes Its Potential (NY Times)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Wenatchee World Editorial - Project Aims to Cut Warming by Injecting Rocks With CO2

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Quincy is Cheapest Small City for High-Tech Manufacturing in the West, Report Says (Seattle Times)

Google Dabbling in Broadband Service, Seattle Intrigued (Seattle Times)

Google Doesn’t Want to Be an ISP — It Wants to Be a Rabble-rouser (GigaOM)

Fiber Optics, Not Magic Beans - Rural Idaho hopes to liberate broadband through stimulus (Boise Weekly, ID)

Uncle Sam Still Hiding Telco Lobbying Records - Judge rules government can’t use lobbying privacy to hide immunity lobbying info (Broadband Reports)

The Glue Holding Data Center Energy Efficiency Together (Data Center Journal)

Google Still Hugely Dominant in Search (San Francisco Business Times)

GENERAL NEWS

State Budget Gap Estimate Grows by $96 Million (Associated Press)

Wash. Senate OKs Suspension of Initiative 960 (Associated Press)

Bus Tunnel Victim Says She Begged Police for Help Before Beating

North Thurston High School Teacher Arrested for Centralia Area Indoor Pot Grow-Op (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Washington Department of Ecology Tosses Out Roadside Litter-Pickup Programs (Wenatchee World, WA)

Tourists Spent $14.2 Billion in Washington Last Year (Associated Press)

WA Senate Republican Complaints Cost $55K (NW Public Radio)

City of Seattle Employee Charged With String of Computer Thefts (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Starbucks Will Launch Pour-Over Brewing Method in March to Make Quick Cups When a Pot Isn’t Brewed (Seattle Times)

Aerial Photos of Trade Center on 9/11 Released (NY Times)

DIVERSIONS

Thief Who Put Cheese in Pants Faces Life Sentence

Colbert Heads to Olympics for Medals & Mockery

Man Walks into Wal-Mart, Smashes 29 TVs with Bat

Calling Major Harris - Olivia Newton-John Tops List of Sexiest Songs

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beatles – Get Back