Monday, March 29, 2010

Energy News Digest for March 29, 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)

·         Spring Storm Brings Gusty Winds, Heavy Rain & Outages
·         Grays Harbor PUD Won’t Join Effort to Bring Nuclear Power Back to Washington State
·         Centralia’s 5.5 Percent Rate Hike Covers Improvements & BPA’s Rate Hike for Utilities
·         $24 Million in Improvements Needed for Centralia City Light through 2014
·         Centralia City Light: Unique & Not for Sale
·         Flathead Electric Cooperative Board Opts Against Joining Portland Cooperative
·         Flathead Electric Cooperative Rate Increase Approved
·         Texas - Couple Sues Oncor for Fraud over Smart Meter Billing
·         Associated Press Exclusive: `Smart’ Meters Have Security Holes
·         FERC’s Fingers in the Pie - Grant PUD to Discuss Future of Crescent Bar Monday
·         Yucca Mountain Out: Hanford Nuke Waste Has Nowhere to Go
·         Alcoa Spends $340,000 Lobbying in 4th Quarter
·         Exelon Spent $1M Lobbying Government in 4Q on Nuclear Power, Climate Change
·         Power Generator AEP Spent $2.3 Million in Fourth Quarter Lobbying
·         Avista Social Media Man Talks His Trade - Dan Kolbet Represents Utility on Twitter, Online Forums
·         Reputations at Stake, Companies Try to Alter Word of Mouth Online
·         An Oil Spill Could be ‘Catastrophic’ for British Columbia Orcas
·         Fish-Friendly Hydro Turbines on the Drawing Board
·         Oregonian Editorial - Finding the Right Fit for Big Ships, Small Fish
·         Water Conservation: It’s a Fixture at LOTT
·         Portland Sewer, Water Rates Lack Third-Party Check
·         Birds in Conflict: Bald Eagles Attack Colonies of Herons across Western Washington
·         Grasshopper Outlook Strikes Fear on Western Range
·         Oregon - Emerald People’s Utility District’s Power Plant Falls Short of Great Expectations
·         Innovators Hope to Build Plant in Montana to Turn Trees, Shoes into Fuel
·         A Hitch for Wind Power in Wyoming & the Rest of the West
·         South Dakota Governor Vetoes Tax Refund for Wind Energy Projects
·         At Least 3 Kansas Wind Farms in Works
·         Putting Wind-Generated Power Where It’s Needed
·         Oregon in Good, But Not Great Shape for Wave Energy
·         Wisconsin - Renewables Doable But Costly, Klappa Says
·         How Non-Profits Are Using Social Marketing to Promote Energy Conservation
·         Getting Paid to Save Energy, Recycle? Incentives Expand
·         Oregon Candidate for Governor - Kitzhaber: Focus on Energy Conservation First
·         Navy’s Pacific Northwest Energy-Saving Project Getting Under Way
·         Seattle Times Op/Ed - Beyond Climate Change
·         Shareholder Questions Duke Energy’s Green-Friendly Lobbying
·         Lack of Ice (is) Killing Seals
·         Corvallis Weighs ‘Green’ Fees – Up to $5.60 per month
·         Spokane Earth Hour Event Turns into Face-Off
·         Governor Signs Data Center Bill - Includes Rural Areas
·         How Broadband Can be the Backbone for a Green Economy
·         Policy Makers, Businesses Debate Fed Role in Cloud Computing
·         US Concerned by Australian Internet Filter Plan
·         Google Will Choose Fiber Test Location by Year’s End
·         Vancouver WA Vies for New Google Broadband
·         Portland in Running for Google’s Network
·         Governor Signs New Contribution Limits for Local Elections
·         Lawsuit over Illegal Executive Sessions Costs Arlington Schools $29,000
·         Utah Governor OKs Eminent Domain Use on Federal Land
·         Obama Tags Federal Trial Court Judge for 9th Circuit Court Nomination
·         Another Warmer Than Normal Winter Reported
·         nday Morning
·         Mason County Commission Holding Briefings Monday, Special Meeting in Belfair Tuesday
·         Hoodsport Man’s Spine Fractured in Car Crash
·         Gregoire Signs New Law Allowing Cops to Pull over People Talking on Cell Phones
·         Olympia City Council - Man Wrote Letter Promising ‘More Dirt’ to Hyer
·         Ethics Probe Begun for Ex Evergreen State College Professor
·         Grant County - Washington State Appears to Win BMW Carbon Fiber Plant

WORD OF THE DAY

Discombobulate • \ \ • Verb - Upset, confuse

The house of mirrors had trapped the two teen-aged vandals. Intent on wreaking carnage on the small, traveling carnival…the instead became the victims of the enchanted structure. Their every turn seemed to discombobulate them more…that is, until the evil clown appeared, sending the pair into fits of shrieking as he performed balloon animals until dawn.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Spring Storm Brings Gusty Winds, Heavy Rain & Outages (KING-TV, Seattle)

Grays Harbor PUD Won’t Join Effort to Bring Nuclear Power Back to Washington State (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

Centralia’s 5.5 Percent Rate Hike Covers Improvements & BPA’s Rate Hike for Utilities (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

$24 Million in Improvements Needed for Centralia City Light through 2014 (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

Centralia City Light: Unique & Not for Sale (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

Flathead Electric Cooperative Board Opts Against Joining Portland Cooperative (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)

Flathead Electric Cooperative Rate Increase Approved (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

Texas - Couple Sues Oncor for Fraud over Smart Meter Billing (Dallas Morning News, TX)

Associated Press Exclusive: `Smart’ Meters Have Security Holes

FERC’s Fingers in the Pie - Grant PUD to Discuss Future of Crescent Bar Monday (Wenatchee World, WA)

Yucca Mountain Out: Hanford Nuke Waste Has Nowhere to Go (Seattle Times)

Alcoa Spends $340,000 Lobbying in 4th Quarter - Bonneville Power Association, & cap-and-trade & international trade (Associated Press)

Exelon Spent $1M Lobbying Government in 4Q on Nuclear Power, Climate Change (Associated Press)

Power Generator AEP Spent $2.3 Million in Fourth Quarter Lobbying - climate, carbon capture (Associated Press)

Avista Social Media Man Talks His Trade - Dan Kolbet Represents Utility on Twitter, Online Forums (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Reputations at Stake, Companies Try to Alter Word of Mouth Online

FISH & WATER

An Oil Spill Could be ‘Catastrophic’ for British Columbia Orcas (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Fish-Friendly Hydro Turbines on the Drawing Board (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Oregonian Editorial - Finding the Right Fit for Big Ships, Small Fish

Water Conservation: It’s a Fixture at LOTT - Wastewater group keeps hundreds of thousands of gallons out of sewer system by swapping old equipment for new (Olympian, WA)

Portland Sewer, Water Rates Lack Third-Party Check (The Oregonian, Portland)

ECOLOGY & THE ENVIRONMENT

Birds in Conflict: Bald Eagles Attack Colonies of Herons across Western Washington (Seattle Times)

Grasshopper Outlook Strikes Fear on Western Range (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon - Emerald People’s Utility District’s Power Plant Falls Short of Great Expectations (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Innovators Hope to Build Plant in Montana to Turn Trees, Shoes into Fuel (The Missoulian, MT)

A Hitch for Wind Power in Wyoming & the Rest of the West (Newsweek Magazine)

South Dakota Governor Vetoes Tax Refund for Wind Energy Projects (Associated Press)

At Least 3 Kansas Wind Farms in Works (Wichita Eagle, KS)

Putting Wind-Generated Power Where It’s Needed - Wind energy is gaining interest & funding, but delivering the electricity it generates requires more transmission lines (Chicago Tribune, IL)

Oregon in Good, But Not Great Shape for Wave Energy (Oregon Public Radio)

Wisconsin - Renewables Doable But Costly, Klappa Says (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

How Non-Profits Are Using Social Marketing to Promote Energy Conservation (TriplePundit)

Getting Paid to Save Energy, Recycle? Incentives Expand (USA Today)

Oregon Candidate for Governor - Kitzhaber: Focus on Energy Conservation First (The Oregonian, Portland)

Navy’s Pacific Northwest Energy-Saving Project Getting Under Way (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Beyond Climate Change: Reframing the Dialogue over Environmental Issues

Shareholder Questions Duke Energy’s Green-Friendly Lobbying - Vote at annual meeting to focus on power producer’s support of cap-and-trade (Charlotte Business Journal)

Lack of Ice (is) Killing Seals (Vancouver Sun, BC)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Corvallis Weighs ‘Green’ Fees – Up to $5.60 per month for each household for sustainability programs (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)

Spokane Earth Hour Event Turns into Face-Off (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Governor Signs Data Center Bill - Includes Rural Areas (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

How Broadband Can be the Backbone for a Green Economy (Earth2Tech)

Policy Makers, Businesses Debate Fed Role in Cloud Computing (Washington Post)

US Concerned by Australian Internet Filter Plan (Associated Press)

GA-GA OVER GOOGLE

Google Will Choose Fiber Test Location by Year’s End - Received responses from roughly 1,100 speed-crazed communities (Broadband Reports)

Vancouver WA Vies for New Google Broadband - Among 600 communities seeking ultra-fast network (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

Portland in Running for Google’s Network (Portland Business Journal)

GOVERNANCE

Governor Signs New Contribution Limits for Local Elections (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Lawsuit over Illegal Executive Sessions Costs Arlington Schools $29,000 (Everett Herald, WA)

Utah Governor OKs Eminent Domain Use on Federal Land (Associated Press)

Obama Tags Federal Trial Court Judge for 9th Circuit Court Nomination (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Another Warmer Than Normal Winter Reported (Seattle Times)

Shelton Waterfront - Fire in Simpson Mill Building Sunday Morning (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Commission Holding Briefings Monday, Special Meeting in Belfair Tuesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Hoodsport Man’s Spine Fractured in Car Crash (Olympian, WA)

Gregoire Signs New Law Allowing Cops to Pull over People Talking on Cellphones (Associated Press)

Olympia City Council - Man Wrote Letter Promising ‘More Dirt’ to Hyer before Recall Request (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Ethics Probe Begun for Ex Evergreen State College Professor - Audit had found he could not account for $50,000 he collected for study-abroad program (Olympian, WA)

Grant County - Washington State Appears to Win BMW Carbon Fiber Plant (Puget Sound Business Journal)

DIVERSIONS

CIA Concludes Study of UFOs Futile — Who’d Trust Findings?

Police: Drunken Driver Called 911 on Herself - Suspect Chatted With Dispatchers for 20 Minutes

Door to Afterlife from Ancient Tomb Found

Wi-Fi Anxiety: Man Sues Neighbor to Shut off Electronics - The Santa Fe plaintiff claims to suffer from ‘electromagnetic sensitivities’ set off by cell phones, routers & other electronic devices.

SONG OF THE DAY

Byrds - Mr. Spaceman