Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Energy News Digest for February 16, 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)

•  California - Public Power Backers Cry Foul Over Utility Effort
•  California – Pacific Gas & Electric Rate Request, SmartMeter Gripes Prompt Scrutiny
•  Fitch Affirms Cowlitz County PUD’s Bonds ‘A-’; Outlook Stable
•  Lewis County - Thousands Lose Lights as Suspected Drunken Driver Smashes into Power Pole
•  Snohomish County PUD Customers & Employees Help Those in Need
•  Idaho Power Lays Out Its Plan for the Future
•  Idaho State Representative Discusses Power Bill
•  Obama Unveils Plan to Build Nuclear Plant
•  Chinese Seen As Potential Buyer of Alaska Natural Gas
•  Wintery Blast in US a Welcome Boost for Natural Gas
•  Florida - Pasco Man Charged with Stealing Electricity by Rigging Power Box
•  California City Tries to Give Boot to ‘Shoefiti’
•  Record Low Sacramento River Salmon Runs Bode Ill for Oregon Fishery
•  Coho Forecast Best Indicator for Off-Coast Season
•  Barker: Redden Wants to Finish Salmon Suit
•  Columbia River: Will Obama’s Feds Finally Aim High?
•  What Does Council’s Sixth Power Plan Say About Removing Four Lower Snake Dams?
•  Wild versus Hatchery Debate on the McKenzie River
•  Montana - Anglers Target Flathead Lake Gill-Net Plan
•  Zebra Mussels Pose Pacific NW Threat
•  Squaxin Island Tribe Pays Tribute to Rare Bryde’s Whale
•  Critics Speak on Washington Lawmaker’s Proposal to Quit Columbia River Gorge Compact
•  Olympian Editorial - Plan for Shelton Biomass Plant Is Great News for Region
•  Georgia - Green-Minded Seeing Red over Biomass Plant
•  Biomass Energy Gets Tax Break Love
•  Walmart Made Millions off Oregon’s Renewable Energy Tax Credits
•  Trace of Chemical Leaves REC Silicon - Steam Cloud Stems from Cleaning
•  Montana - US Senator Tester Pays Visit to Power-Producing Landfill in Flathead
•  Kodiak Electric Association Named DOE Wind Cooperative of the Year
•  Vermont - A Stealth Ban on Wind
•  Vermont - Vermont Utility Pulls Out Stops to Gain Wind Project Approval
•  Texas - Energy Plan Would Put Austin among Nation’s Greenest Cities, But Comes at a Cost
•  Puget Sound Energy Offers Rebates to Customers Who Upgrade
•  Avista Customers Help Company Surpass 2009 Energy Savings Targets
•  Even Boulder Finds It Isn’t Easy Going Green
•  Is the Copenhagen Accord Already Dead?
•  Wall Street Journal Editorial - The Continuing Climate Meltdown
•  Billings Gazette Op/Ed - Montana at Carbon Emissions Crossroads
•  Boston Globe Editorial - Congress Should Take Note of Mass. Report on Cutting Carbon
•  ‘Green’ is the New Black: Northwest Retailers Offer Shoppers More Eco-Friendly Options
•  The Seattleization of Washington DC
•  Green Jobs: Environmental Red Tape Cancels Out Job Creation
•  At Shared Offices, How Green Is My Work Space
•  New Data: 40 Percent in US Lack Home Broadband
•  Summary Box: Data Show Broadband Policy Challenges
•  FCC to Propose Higher Broadband Speeds
•  Google’s Uberfast Plan Bound to Include Fine Print
•  Los Angeles Times Editorial - Google’s Broadband Venture
•  Man, 45, Held in Shooting of Pacific County State Trooper
•  Rescuers Plan Search for Mount St. Helens Climber
•  The Green File: Lilliwaup Man Watches It Rain, And Rain, And Rain

WORD OF THE DAY

Nee • \NAY\ • adjective – 1. Originally or formerly called 2. Used to identify a woman by her maiden family name

The debonair actor Cary Grant, née Archibald Alexander Leach was an Alfred Hitchcock favorite.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & Weather Alerts

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Public Power Backers Cry Foul Over Utility Effort - CA utility spends $6.5M on ballot initiative critics say would hamper public power movement (Associated Press)

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Rate Request, SmartMeter Gripes Prompt Scrutiny (Modesto Bee, CA)

Fitch Affirms Cowlitz County PUD’s Bonds ‘A-’; Outlook Stable (Environmental Expert)

Lewis County - Thousands Lose Lights as Suspected Drunken Driver Smashes into Power Pole (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Snohomish County PUD Customers & Employees Help Those in Need (Mukilteo Beacon, WA)

Idaho Power Lays Out Its Plan for the Future (Magic Valley News, Twin Falls, ID)

Idaho State Representative Discusses Power Bill - would allow power producing cities to issue reserve bonds to expand power capacity without going to the voters every year (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

Obama Unveils Plan to Build Nuclear Plant (Reuters)

Chinese Seen As Potential Buyer of Alaska Natural Gas (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

Wintery Blast in US a Welcome Boost for Natural Gas (Edmonton Journal, Alberta)

Florida - Pasco Man Charged with Stealing Electricity by Rigging Power Box (The Tampa Tribune, FL)

California City Tries to Give Boot to ‘Shoefiti’ - If you look up, you might spot them hanging from telephone wires & power lines by their shoelaces (Seattle Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Record Low Sacramento River Salmon Runs Bode Ill for Oregon Fishery (The Oregonian, Portland)

Coho Forecast Best Indicator for Off-Coast Season (Seattle Times)

Barker: Redden Wants to Finish Salmon Suit (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

Columbia River: Will Obama’s Feds Finally Aim High? (Crosscut Seattle)

What Does Council’s Sixth Power Plan Say About Removing Four Lower Snake Dams? (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Wild versus Hatchery Debate on the McKenzie River (Oregon Public Radio)

Montana - Anglers Target Flathead Lake Gill-Net Plan (The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT)

Zebra Mussels Pose Pacific NW Threat - Early detection of tiny crustacean critical, difficult (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

Squaxin Island Tribe Pays Tribute to Rare Bryde’s Whale (Seattle Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Critics Speak on Washington Lawmaker’s Proposal to Quit Columbia River Gorge Compact (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Olympian Editorial - Plan for Shelton Biomass Plant Is Great News for Region

Georgia - Green-Minded Seeing Red over Biomass Plant (Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA)

Biomass Energy Gets Tax Break Love (Politico)

Walmart Made Millions off Oregon’s Renewable Energy Tax Credits (AlterNet)

Trace of Chemical Leaves REC Silicon - Steam Cloud Stems from Cleaning (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Montana - US Senator Tester Pays Visit to Power-Producing Landfill in Flathead (The Missoulian, MT)

Kodiak Electric Association Named DOE Wind Cooperative of the Year (Environmental Expert)

Vermont - A Stealth Ban on Wind (The Times-Argus, Montpelier, VT)

Vermont - Vermont Utility Pulls Out Stops to Gain Wind Project Approval (Burlington Free Press, VT)

Texas - Energy Plan Would Put Austin among Nation’s Greenest Cities, But Comes at a Cost “…It would raise bills an estimated 20 percent over the next decade, adjusted for inflation, according to estimates from Austin Energy…” (Austin American Statesman, TX)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Puget Sound Energy Offers Rebates to Customers Who Upgrade (Issaquah Press, WA)

Avista Customers Help Company Surpass 2009 Energy Savings Targets (PR Newswire)

Even Boulder Finds It Isn’t Easy Going Green “…What we’ve found is that for the vast majority of people, it’s exceedingly difficult to get them to do much of anything…” (Wall Street Journal)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Is the Copenhagen Accord Already Dead? (Agence French Presse)

Wall Street Journal Editorial - The Continuing Climate Meltdown

Billings Gazette Op/Ed - Montana at Carbon Emissions Crossroads

Boston Globe Editorial - Congress Should Take Note of Mass. Report on Cutting Carbon

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

‘Green’ is the New Black: Northwest Retailers Offer Shoppers More Eco-Friendly Options (Seattle Times)

The Seattleization of Washington DC (Crosscut Seattle)

Green Jobs: Environmental Red Tape Cancels Out Job Creation (Online Opinion)

At Shared Offices, How Green Is My Work Space (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

New Data: 40 Percent in US Lack Home Broadband (Associated Press)

Summary Box: Data Show Broadband Policy Challenges (Associated Press)

FCC to Propose Higher Broadband Speeds (Associated Press)

Google’s Uberfast Plan Bound to Include Fine Print - Google is acting like Willy Wonka, dangling a few golden tickets to ultrafast broadband around the country (Seattle Times)

Los Angeles Times Editorial - Google’s Broadband Venture: If Google sparks a race to the top among broadband providers; it will hardly be the only one to benefit

GENERAL NEWS

Man, 45, Held in Shooting of Pacific County State Trooper (Seattle Times)

Rescuers Plan Search for Mount St. Helens Climber (Associated Press)

The Green File: Lilliwaup Man Watches It Rain, And Rain, And Rain (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Pelican Attacks TV Weatherman

Nevada Police Officer Saved from Bullet by Badge

Pork-Flavored Doughnuts? Chinese Market Beckons

Chile’s Mint Fires Boss over Coin Typo - incorrect spelling of the country’s name

SONG OF THE DAY

Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory - I’ve Got a Golden Ticket