Monday, May 3, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 3, 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

Storm brings high winds, outages to Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle)

Jefferson PUD May Make Milestone Decision on Electricity Monday (Peninsula Daily News, Port AngelesWA)

Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating by Two Classification Levels (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Next Two Weeks Key in Determining if Upriver Spring Chinook Run a Record Maker (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Mason County Biomass Project Generating Controversy - Critics ask – If plant pollutes the air, how can it be green? (Olympian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Jefferson PUD May Make Milestone Decision on Electricity Monday
·         Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating by Two Classification Levels
·         Site Selected for New Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative’s La Grande Facility
·         Oregon - 13 year old Sandy Boy Accused of Arson, Cutting Power Poles & Felling Trees onto US 26
·         Cowlitz County - CAP Funds Available for Help with Utility Bills
·         Congdon Announces Re-Election Bid for PUD Seat
·         Morse to Vie for Chelan PUD Board
·         ission: Those Smart Meters Are Fine. Really
·         Southwest Power Pool - A New Cost-Sharing Plan for Transmitting More Renewable Energy
·         Germany - Man Steals Electricity With Meat Hook
·         Next Two Weeks Key in Determining if Upriver Spring Chinook Run a Record Maker
·         2010 Sea Lion Salmon Predation Breaking Records; Large Number of Newcomers
·         Portland General Electric, Warm Springs Tribes’ Deschutes Salmon Passage Project Finalist for Electric Industry’s Top Honor
·         A Murky Picture as Seafood Industry Eyes Gulf Coast Oil Slick
·         At Nearly 30 Pounds, Montana Pike Could be World Record
·         Sewage Fix Hard on City of Snohomish
·         California - April Rain Pushes Snowpack to 143% of Normal
·         Mason County Biomass Project Generating Controversy
·         Wisconsin Biomass Plant - Critics Call Paper Gift ‘A Bribe’
·         Wood-Fueled Boiler - Vermont College Installs 4000-Ton Biomass Plant
·         Canada - Burning Questions About Vancouver’s New Garbage Incinerator
·         Ode to a Wood Stove “…But other than hydroelectric, it’s the ultimate renewable fuel, yes?”
·         Pentagon Drops Opposition to Big Oregon Wind Farm
  • Too Much Wind Power?
  • Blown Away: Residents, Officials Look at North Dakota’s Wind Industry
  • War against a Wind-Rich Super Grid
  • Atop the Ocean, a Sea of Untapped Energy
  • Where Wind Power Is Blowing Away Profits - A surplus in Germany forces utilities to pay customers to use it
  • California - The Conversation: State in Retreat on Green Energy?
  • Save Water, Energy, Money
  • Canada - Watchdog Zaps Ontario’s Conservation Efforts
  • App Can Help Fine-Tune Your Electricity Usage
  • 1950s Home Is Remodeled to Need No Grid Electricity
  • Twelve Experts to Review UN Climate Panel’s Work
  • The Lure of Carbon Capture
  • Lacey Grand Prix Racers Are All Charged Up About Energy Fair
  • Environmental Certification Becoming Increasingly Crowded & Contested Field
  • Incentives Help With New Ecoroofs in Portland
  • Green Graduation: Gowns Now Recycle or Biodegrade
  • CenturyTel Deal with Qwest Could Hit Charities, Telecoms
  • FCC Chairman Expected to Leave Broadband Services Deregulated
  • Seattle Times Op/Ed - FCC Should Focus on Spurring Investment, Not More Regulation
  • Shelton City Commission (Expected) to Make a Decision on Fire Service Tonight
  • Storm brings high winds, outages to Western Washington
  • North of Shelton - Missing Lake Roesiger Man’s Plane Finally Found in Mason County
  • Oregon - Hunters Seeing Red over Being Told to Wear Orange
  • Warning: Don’t Press 90# on Your Phone

WORD OF THE DAY

Schmiergeld • \SHMEER-geld\ • noun - Bribe; payola; bribe money; secret commission

The small mount of gold coins lay on the rough-hewn table, the glow of the precious offering casting a ghastly yellow light over the face of the corpulent, small-town mayor. The messenger shifted nervously back and forth on his ill-shod shoes, wondering if the shmiergeld being callously offered to the local official would allow his employer to build the new-fangled flaming moat around the crumbling, walled town.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson PUD May Make Milestone Decision on Electricity Monday (Peninsula Daily News, Port AngelesWA)

Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating by Two Classification Levels (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Site Selected for New Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative’s La Grande Facility (Electric Energy Online)

Oregon - 13 year old Sandy Boy Accused of Arson, Cutting Power Poles & Felling Trees onto US 26 (The Oregonian, Portland)

Cowlitz County - CAP Funds Available for Help with Utility Bills (Longview Daily News, WA)

Congdon Announces Re-Election Bid for PUD Seat (Wenatchee World, WA)

Morse to Vie for Chelan PUD Board (Wenatchee World, WA)

Former California Power Authority manager sent to prison (Central Valley Business Times, CA)

Regulating Small Hydro - New incentives have led to a number of proposals to build small hydropower projects in the US (Renewable Energy World)

Texas Public Utility Commission: Those Smart Meters Are Fine. Really. (Dallas Morning News, TX)

Southwest Power Pool - A New Cost-Sharing Plan for Transmitting More Renewable Energy (NY Times)

Germany - Man Steals Electricity With Meat Hook (Reuters)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Next Two Weeks Key in Determining if Upriver Spring Chinook Run a Record Maker (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

2010 Sea Lion Salmon Predation Breaking Records; Large Number of Newcomers (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Portland General Electric, Warm Springs Tribes’ Deschutes Salmon Passage Project Finalist for Electric Industry’s Top Honor (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

A Murky Picture as Seafood Industry Eyes Gulf Coast Oil Slick (Associated Press)

At Nearly 30 Pounds, Montana Pike Could be World Record (Spokesman-Review, SpokaneWA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Sewage Fix Hard on City of Snohomish - The city’s treatment plant isn’t meeting standards, but the options for fixes are complicated & costly (Everett Herald, WA)

California - April Rain Pushes Snowpack to 143% of Normal (SF Chronicle)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Mason County Biomass Project Generating Controversy - Critics ask – If plant pollutes the air, how can it be green? (Olympian, WA)

Wisconsin Biomass Plant - Critics Call Paper Gift ‘A Bribe’ (Wausau Daily Herald, WI)

Wood-Fueled Boiler - Vermont College Installs 4000-Ton Biomass Plant (Renewable Energy World)

Canada - Burning Questions About Vancouver’s New Garbage Incinerator (Abbotsford NewsBC)

Ode to a Wood Stove “…But other than hydroelectric, it’s the ultimate renewable fuel, yes?” (Crosscut Seattle)

Pentagon Drops Opposition to Big Oregon Wind Farm (The Oregonian, Portland)

Too Much Wind Power? (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Blown Away: Residents, Officials Look at North Dakota’s Wind Industry (Bismarck Tribune, ND)

War against a Wind-Rich Super Grid (NY Times)

Atop the Ocean, a Sea of Untapped Energy (NY Times)

Where Wind Power Is Blowing Away Profits - A surplus in Germany forces utilities to pay customers to use it (Bloomberg News)

California - The Conversation: State in Retreat on Green Energy? (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Save Water, Energy, Money (Wenatchee World, WA)

Canada - Watchdog Zaps Ontario’s Conservation Efforts: says preoccupation with saving electricity is undermining other energy conservation efforts (Toronto Star, Ontario)

App Can Help Fine-Tune Your Electricity Usage (Boston Globe, MA)

1950s Home Is Remodeled to Need No Grid Electricity (USA Today)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Twelve Experts to Review UN Climate Panel’s Work (NY Times)

The Lure of Carbon Capture (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Lacey Grand Prix Racers Are All Charged Up About Energy Fair (Seattle Times)

Environmental Certification Becoming Increasingly Crowded & Contested Field (Washington Post)

Incentives Help With New Ecoroofs in Portland (The Oregonian, Portland)

Green Graduation: Gowns Now Recycle or Biodegrade (Associated Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CenturyTel Deal with Qwest Could Hit Charities, Telecoms (Phoenix Business Journal)

FCC Chairman Expected to Leave Broadband Services Deregulated (Seattle Times)

Seattle Times Op/Ed - FCC Should Focus on Spurring Investment, Not More Regulation

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Shelton City Commission (Expected) to Make a Decision on Fire Service Tonight (KMAS Radio, SheltonWA)

GENERAL NEWS

Storm brings high winds, outages to Western Washington (KING-TV, Seattle)

North of Shelton - Missing Lake Roesiger Man’s Plane Finally Found in Mason County (Everett Herald, WA)

Oregon - Hunters Seeing Red over Being Told to Wear Orange (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Warning: Don’t Press 90# on Your Phone (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)

DIVERSIONS

Parents Going High Tech to Avoid Kid Ears

British Tabloid Finds Life on Mars. NASA Disagrees.

Buzz off! Thousands of bees cling to Michigan SUV

Cleaners Paint over Priceless Graffiti Art

SONG OF THE DAY

David Bowie - Life on Mars?