Monday, April 19, 2010

Energy News Digest for April 19, 2010

Energy News Digest for April 19, 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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Power Line Proposal Galvanizes Residents - Hundreds organize in effort to seek change in plans (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

British Columbia - Decision Looms on $6.6 Billion Site C Peace River Dam Project (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Late Snowfall Helps, But Not Enough - No Pacific Northwest Drought: Summer water conservation urged (Olympian, WA)

More NoaNet Stimulus - Jamestown S’Klallam, Makah, Shoalwater Bay to Get Broadband (Indian Country Today)

Newspaper Reports Oregon Treasury Officers Repaid for Free Meals, Exceed Lodging Limits “…Seeking state reimbursement for free meals is ‘acceptable practice within the agency,’ said Ron Schmitz, chief investment officer for Treasury’s investment division…” (The Oregonian, Portland)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration Power Line Proposal Galvanizes Residents
·         Bonneville Power Administration to Address Kelso Council over Transmission Line Proposal
·         Daily News Editorial - Exempting PUD Conservation Funds from Being Taxed Is the Right Move
·         Dam Upgrades, Refinancing of Debt - Grant PUD Sells $349 Million in Bonds
·         British Columbia - Decision Looms on $6.6 Billion Site C Peace River Dam Project
·         Vancouver Sun Columnist – Peace River’s Site C will be a hard sell as green power
·         “Chainsaw Chicken” - Vandalism Damages Portland General Electric Power Poles Near Sandy
·         April 28 – Mason PUD 3 to Host Quarterly Council of Governments Meeting
·         Orcas Power & Light Cooperative Director Roger Crosby Retires
·         Ohio - Problems at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Reactor near Toledo Are Worse Than Expected
·         Cost of Indiana Coal Gasification Plant Rises to $2.9 Billion
·         Powering Up: Wiring Minnesota for the Next Generation
·         Detroit News Editorial - Electricity Theft Rising in Detroit
·         Low Reservoir Level at Dworshak Dam Means Less Cold Water for Summer Flows
·         Record Number of Steller Sea Lions Stealing Salmon from Smaller California Sea Lions
·         Vancouver Sun Op/Ed – British Columbia: Fraser River Sockeye Inquiry Needs to Stay Focused
·         British Columbia Boaters Near Orcas Face More Scrutiny
·         Declining Deer Herds Spark Debate
·         Chelan PUD Storage Yard - Rabbits Popping Up near Appleatchee
·         Congressman Norm Dicks Proud of 17.10 Pound Chinook in Anacortes Fishing Derby
·         Late Snowfall Helps, But Not Enough
·         Idaho Ranks 4th in Geothermal Development
·         Home Solar Panels Doubled Electric Output Last Year
·         Ship Shortage Could Slow Wind Power
·         Massachusetts - Opposition to First US Offshore Wind Farm Could Blow Renewable Energy’s Chances
·         Texas - Windmill Country: Small Turbines Fill the Gap Left by Their Big Brothers
·         You’re Hired: Wind-aided career change
·         Daily Star Editorial - Ghouls Rush In: Alternative Energy Is Only Answer to Coal Disaster
·         Cow-Chips-to-Power Company Sues Idaho
·         Five LED Bulbs You Can (Soon) Buy to Replace Incandescents
·         Betting on Climate Change - Is the Planet Really Warming Up?
·         Google Climate Change Chief Wants Price on Carbon
·         Researchers Explore ‘Coal without Mining’ in Bid to Slash CO2-Storage Price Tag
·         Fossil ‘Gold Mine’ Illuminates Ancient Wyoming Warming
·         To Meet State Mandate - Ephrata Adopts Green Resolution
·         Olympian Editorial - Olympia Area Takes Lead in Green Ideas as Earth Day Nears
·         Looking for a Quick & Easy Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
·         Greenmyparents Wants to Build an Army of Green Kids, Launching on Earth Day
·         More NoaNet Stimulus - Jamestown S’Klallam, Makah, Shoalwater Bay to Get Broadband
·         State Approves Sale of Verizon’s Landline Business
·         NY Times Editorial - The F.C.C. & the Internet
·         Companies Slowly Join Cloud-Computing
·         Newspaper Reports Oregon Treasury Officers Repaid for Free Meals, Exceed Lodging Limits
·         Who Killed the Washington State Water Quality Tax?
·         Washington State’s 2010 Tax Package
·         Survey Says Majority of Americans Distrust the Government
·         Oklahoma City Marks 15 Years Since Domestic Terror Bombing
·         Travel troubles from ash cloud spread beyond Europe
·         Portable Heaters Headed for Chilly Mount Si High School
·         Shelton City Commission to Take Action on Shelton Hills Rezone Monday Night
·         McCleary: Two Clerks on Paid Leave over Finances
·         Former Oregon BLM Official Admits to $481,000 Fraud
·         Aryan Nations May Buy Long Beach, WA Hotel

WORD OF THE DAY

Frowsy • \FROW-zee\ • adjective - 1: musty, stale *2 : having a slovenly or uncared-for appearance

Open the old trunk
Frowsy air comes wafting out
I gasp, air is stale

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Power Line Proposal Galvanizes Residents - Hundreds organize in effort to seek change in plans (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Bonneville Power Administration to Address Kelso Council over Transmission Line Proposal (Longview Daily News, WA)

Daily News Editorial - Exempting PUD Conservation Funds from Being Taxed Is the Right Move

Dam Upgrades, Refinancing of Debt - Grant PUD Sells $349 Million in Bonds (Wenatchee World, WA)

British Columbia - Decision Looms on $6.6 Billion Site C Peace River Dam Project (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Vancouver Sun Columnist – Peace River’s Site C will be a hard sell as green power

“Chainsaw Chicken” - Vandalism Damages Portland General Electric Power Poles Near Sandy (The Oregonian, Portland)

April 28 – Mason PUD 3 to Host Quarterly Council of Governments Meeting (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative Director Roger Crosby Retires; Winnie Adams Appointed to Board (San Juan Island, WA)

Ohio - Problems at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Reactor near Toledo Are Worse Than Expected (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

Cost of Indiana Coal Gasification Plant Rises to $2.9 Billion (Associated Press)

Powering Up: Wiring Minnesota for the Next Generation - Blueprints for thousands of miles of new power lines to carry wind are sparking debate over the nation’s clean energy future (Minneapolis Star, MN)

Detroit News Editorial - Electricity Theft Rising in Detroit

FISH & WILDLIFE

Low Reservoir Level at Dworshak Dam Means Less Cold Water for Summer Flows (Columbia Basin Bulletin) 

Record Number of Steller Sea Lions Stealing Salmon from Smaller California Sea Lions (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Vancouver Sun Op/Ed – British Columbia: Fraser River Sockeye Inquiry Needs to Stay Focused

British Columbia Boaters Near Orcas Face More Scrutiny (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Declining Deer Herds Spark Debate (USA Today)

Chelan PUD Storage Yard - Rabbits Popping Up near Appleatchee (Wenatchee World, WA)

Congressman Norm Dicks Proud of 17.10 Pound Chinook in Anacortes Fishing Derby (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Late Snowfall Helps, But Not Enough - No Pacific Northwest Drought: Summer water conservation urged (Olympian, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Ranks 4th in Geothermal Development (Penn Energy)

Home Solar Panels Doubled Electric Output Last Year (USA Today)

Ship Shortage Could Slow Wind Power (Clean Technica)

Massachusetts - Opposition to First US Offshore Wind Farm Could Blow Renewable Energy’s Chances (Business Report)

Texas - Windmill Country: Small Turbines Fill the Gap Left by Their Big Brothers (San Angelo Standard-Times, TX)

You’re Hired: Wind-aided career change (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Daily Star Editorial - Ghouls Rush In: Alternative Energy Is Only Answer to Coal Disaster

Cow-Chips-to-Power Company Sues Idaho (Courthouse News Service)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Five LED Bulbs You Can (Soon) Buy to Replace Incandescents (Earth2Tech)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Betting on Climate Change - Is the Planet Really Warming Up? Just ask the corporations that stand to make—or lose—billions because of “climate exposure.” (Slate Magazine)

Google Climate Change Chief Wants Price on Carbon (Grist)

Researchers Explore ‘Coal without Mining’ in Bid to Slash CO2-Storage Price Tag (E&E News)

Fossil ‘Gold Mine’ Illuminates Ancient Wyoming Warming (USA Today)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

To Meet State Mandate - Ephrata Adopts Green Resolution (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Olympian Editorial - Olympia Area Takes Lead in Green Ideas as Earth Day Nears

Looking for a Quick & Easy Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? Paperless billing reduces paper waste & the amount of energy needed to print & deliver bills (PR NewsWire)

Greenmyparents Wants to Build an Army of Green Kids, Launching on Earth Day (The Oregonian, Portland)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

More NoaNet Stimulus - Jamestown S’Klallam, Makah, Shoalwater Bay to Get Broadband (Indian Country Today)

State Approves Sale of Verizon’s Landline Business (Associated Press)

NY Times Editorial - The F.C.C. & the Internet

Companies Slowly Join Cloud-Computing (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Newspaper Reports Oregon Treasury Officers Repaid for Free Meals, Exceed Lodging Limits “…Seeking state reimbursement for free meals is ‘acceptable practice within the agency,’ said Ron Schmitz, chief investment officer for Treasury’s investment division…” (The Oregonian, Portland)

Who Killed the Washington State Water Quality Tax? (Crosscut Seattle)

Washington State’s 2010 Tax Package (Lexology)

Survey Says Majority of Americans Distrust the Government (Reuters)

GENERAL NEWS

Oklahoma City Marks 15 Years Since Domestic Terror Bombing (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Travel troubles from ash cloud spread beyond Europe (USA Today)

Portable Heaters Headed for Chilly Mount Si High School (KING-TV, Seattle – Are they Amish Heaters?)

Shelton City Commission to Take Action on Shelton Hills Rezone Monday Night (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

McCleary: Two Clerks on Paid Leave over Finances (Olympian, WA)

Former Oregon BLM Official Admits to $481,000 Fraud (NW Public Radio)

Aryan Nations May Buy Long Beach, WA Hotel (KING-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

Downtown Spokane Duck Nest Raided, Four Eggs Taken

Pit Bull Clears out Auburn Fred Meyer

Man Arrested While Trying to Make Citizen’s Arrest

SONG OF THE DAY

Johnny Rivers - Summer Rain