Monday, April 5, 2010

Energy News Digest for April 5, 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)

  • Light Snowpack in Cascades Not Raising Drought Worries
  • One Pend Oreille Dam Goes to Help Relicense a Second
  • Pend Oreille River Dam Relicensing Proposal Calls for Removal of Second Dam
  • Union- Peninsula Light Company Collaboration Helps Avert Job Cuts, Rate Hike
  • Chelan PUD to Weigh New Rate Hike Monday
  • Rates Will Go Up for Puget Sound Energy’s Gas, Electric Customers
  • Utilities Panel Grants Rate Increase to Puget Sound Energy
  • Portland General Electric Files to Close Boardman Coal Plant Early, Rekindles Concerns
·         Oregon Skeptical of Idaho Power Line - Employees’ loose bar chatter undercuts the utility’s credibility
·         Part of Spokane River Hydro Relicensing - Tribe, Avista Working to Protect St. Joe River Levees
·         Vancouver Columbian Op/Ed – Northwest Energy Plan Will Save Money, Cut Emissions
·         New York Denies Indian Point Nuclear Plant a Water Permit
·         Africa Looks to Nuclear Power
·         Eye-Popping Electric Bills Spark Smart Meter Investigations in Texas, California
·         Xcel to Buy Two Colorado Gas Power Plants from Calpine for $739M
·         Oregon Hazing Cormorants to Guard Juvenile Fish
·         Federal Agencies Give Court Proposed Spring Fish Operations
·         Feds Say California Smelt Listing Warranted But Precluded
·         Two Water Plants Dedicated as Precursors to Elwha Dam Removal Project
·         Rogue River Watershed - At Unfinished Dam Site, Focus Shifts to the Land
·         Development in Kittitas County Stalled by Freeze on Wells
·         Washington State Farmers Sue to Stop Feedlot over Water Concerns
·         New Legislation Speeds Processing of Washington State Water Right Applications
·         Defiant Farmers Dig in as Drought Returns to Klamath
·         Water Bills Go Up in Down Economy as Usage Drops
·         Birds vs. Buildings - Audubon Will Track Birds Killed in Crashes
·         Sequim - McComb Gardens 70% Powered by Sunshine
·         Some Worry Pacific Gas & Electric’s Proposed New Rates Could Hurt California’s Solar
·         A Race to Reap Energy from the Ocean Breezes
·         Harvesting the Air - Tribes Struggle to Develop New Projects on the Plains
·         Texas - Wind Energy Under Fire Within ERCOT
·         Wisconsin - Rate Dispute Might Doom Local Wind Power Project
·         Environmental Groups Challenge Duke Renewable Claim for Wood-Burning Biomass
·         As Green Energy Grows, So Does Risk for Getting Duped
·         Nebraska Public Power District Seeks Small-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
·         Iowa - Congress’ Inaction Blamed for Biodiesel Plant Closures
·         Loan of Snohomish PUD Monitor Can Show You How Power-Hungry Appliances Are
·         Seattle Times Op/Ed - LEED Standards Should Embrace Products from State’s Well-Managed Forests
·         Greenspace: Pumped Up over a Smart Heat-Pump Water Heater
·         State of Virginia’s Energy Rebates All Snapped Up
·         Most Oregon Greenhouse Gas Not What You Might Think
·         Prescribed Burns Could Reduce Carbon Emissions, Study Finds
·         States Get Tough on Outdoor Wood Furnace Smoke
·         Greenpeace Suffers Major Credibility
·         King County Planning 200 Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles
·         FCC Begins Hashing out Broadband Plan Details
·         Idaho - Fed Funds Will Bring Broadband
·         The Wired Prairie: Stimulus Projects Fill in Rural Broadband Gaps
·         Stimulus Helps Plug New Mexico’s Digital Divide
·         FCC or Comcast? Who Should Control Broadband?
·         Do-It-All, Low-Power Remote Zigbee Coming into the Home
·         Wisconsin Supreme Court Backs County in IT Dispute
·         Oil Refinery Fire in Anacortes Will Have a Reaching Impact
·         Spring Weather on Hold in Washington
·         Not-So-Special Session Enters Week Four in Olympia
·         Olympian Editorial - Metro Parks Idea Good for Shelton, Maybe Olympia
·         Forest Green: Cabin Owners Seeing Red over Proposed Fee Hikes
·         Apple Sold 300,000 iPads on Day One

WORD OF THE DAY

Accretion • \uh-CREE-shun\ • noun - 1: the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: as a: increase by external addition or accumulation (as by adhesion of external parts or particles) b: the increase of land by the action of natural forces 2: a product of accretion; especially: an extraneous addition

Viktor was a procrastinator of the first sort. One of his loathed household chores was scrubbing his shower of soap scum. His aversion over a two year period did not take into account the gradual accretion on the walls of his shower stall. Then came that one fateful morning when he discovered he could not fit into the chamber for his daily ablution.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Light Snowpack in Cascades Not Raising Drought Worries - A drought is unlikely despite a warm winter that left less snow in the mountains (Everett Herald, WA)

One Pend Oreille Dam Goes to Help Relicense a Second (Associated Press)

Pend Oreille River Dam Relicensing Proposal Calls for Removal of Second Dam (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Union- Peninsula Light Company Collaboration Helps Avert Job Cuts, Rate Hike (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Chelan PUD to Weigh New Rate Hike Monday (Wenatchee World, WA)

Rates Will Go Up for Puget Sound Energy’s Gas, Electric Customers (Olympian, WA)

Utilities Panel Grants Rate Increase to Puget Sound Energy (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Portland General Electric Files to Close Boardman Coal Plant Early, Rekindles Concerns (The Oregonian, Portland)

Oregon Skeptical of Idaho Power Line - Employees’ loose bar chatter undercuts the utility’s credibility in its effort to build a transmission project (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

Part of Spokane River Hydro Relicensing - Tribe, Avista Working to Protect St. Joe River Levees (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Vancouver Columbian Op/Ed – Northwest Energy Plan Will Save Money, Cut Emissions

New York Denies Indian Point Nuclear Plant a Water Permit (NY Times)

Africa Looks to Nuclear Power (Christian Science Monitor)

Eye-Popping Electric Bills Spark Smart Meter Investigations in Texas, California (Solve Climate)

Xcel to Buy Two Colorado Gas Power Plants from Calpine for $739M (Denver Business Journal)

FISH, WATER & WILDLIFE

Oregon Hazing Cormorants to Guard Juvenile Fish (The Daily Astorian, OR)

Federal Agencies Give Court Proposed Spring Fish Operations; BiOp Challengers to File Alternative (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Feds Say California Smelt Listing Warranted But Precluded (Associated Press)

Two Water Plants Dedicated as Precursors to Elwha Dam Removal Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Rogue River Watershed - At Unfinished Dam Site, Focus Shifts to the Land: Army corps creating plan to mix habitat, recreation (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Development in Kittitas County Stalled by Freeze on Wells (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities)

Washington State Farmers Sue to Stop Feedlot over Water Concerns (Associated Press)

New Legislation Speeds Processing of Washington State Water Right Applications (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Defiant Farmers Dig in as Drought Returns to Klamath (Associated Press)

Water Bills Go Up in Down Economy as Usage Drops (Associated Press)

Birds vs. Buildings - Audubon Will Track Birds Killed in Crashes (The Oregonian, Portland)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Sequim - McComb Gardens 70% Powered by Sunshine: Sequim Washington Nursery installs solar panels to power the Nursery (PR News)

Some Worry Pacific Gas & Electric’s Proposed New Rates Could Hurt California’s Solar Market (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

A Race to Reap Energy from the Ocean Breezes (NY Times)

Harvesting the Air - Tribes Struggle to Develop New Projects on the Plains (The Economist)

Texas - Wind Energy Under Fire Within ERCOT (Wind Watch)

Wisconsin - Rate Dispute Might Doom Local Wind Power Project “…Wave Wind…says it needs 8 cents per kilowatt-hour to make the project viable. Madison Gas & Electric is only willing to pay 2.9 cents…” (Wisconsin State Journal)

Environmental Groups Challenge Duke Renewable Claim for Wood-Burning Biomass (Triangle Business Journal)

As Green Energy Grows, So Does Risk for Getting Duped (Dallas Morning News)

Nebraska Public Power District Seeks Small-Scale Renewable Energy Projects – Ten percent renewable target by 2020 (Lincoln Journal-Star, NE)

Iowa - Congress’ Inaction Blamed for Biodiesel Plant Closures (Des Moines Register, IA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Loan of Snohomish PUD Monitor Can Show You How Power-Hungry Appliances Are (Everett Herald, WA)

Seattle Times Op/Ed - LEED Standards Should Embrace Products from State’s Well-Managed Forests

Greenspace: Pumped Up over a Smart Heat-Pump Water Heater (Philadelphia Inquirer, PA)

State of Virginia’s Energy Rebates All Snapped Up (Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Most Oregon Greenhouse Gas Not What You Might Think “…manufacturing products & food, moving freight & managing waste produce…48 percent of the emissions…” (The Oregonian, Portland)

Prescribed Burns Could Reduce Carbon Emissions, Study Finds (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

States Get Tough on Outdoor Wood Furnace Smoke (Associated Press)

Greenpeace Suffers Major Credibility (Ajax World)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

King County Planning 200 Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Begins Hashing out Broadband Plan Details (Broadband Reports)

Idaho - Fed Funds Will Bring Broadband (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

The Wired Prairie: Stimulus Projects Fill in Rural Broadband Gaps (Bismarck Tribune, ND)

Stimulus Helps Plug New Mexico’s Digital Divide - State to see $40 million-plus in broadband stimulus funds (New Mexico Business Weekly)

FCC or Comcast? Who Should Control Broadband? (National Public Radio)

Do-It-All, Low-Power Remote Zigbee Coming into the Home “…you’re likely to see it show up in smart meters & remote controls of high-end televisions…” (Seattle Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Wisconsin Supreme Court Backs County in IT Dispute - Says county can sue a computer contractor that failed to deliver a new human resources & payroll program on time (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Oil Refinery Fire in Anacortes Will Have a Reaching Impact (Associated Press)

Spring Weather on Hold in Washington (Associated Press)

Not-So-Special Session Enters Week Four in Olympia (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Olympian Editorial - Metro Parks Idea Good for Shelton, Maybe Olympia

Forest Green: Cabin Owners Seeing Red over Proposed Fee Hikes “…Cabin owners on Forest Service land are unhappy with proposed fee increases of 100 to 1,000 percent…”  (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Apple Sold 300,000 iPads on Day One (NY Times)

DIVERSIONS

Centralia Junkyard King, 67, Dreaming of a Scrap Yard Wife

Dog Found in W. Wash. to be Reunited With Owners in Virginia

Girl Arrested After Doodling on Desk to Sue

Police: Carjackers Foiled by Manual Transmission

SONG OF THE DAY

Lou Reed - Satellite of Love