Monday, May 10, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 10, 1020

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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Bonneville Power Administration Says Low Snowpack Means Revenue Loss (Associated Press)

Decisions Coming on Radar Ridge Wind Farm Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Biomass Energy Business May be Powering Up “…the Legislature has embraced Washington Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark’s plans to use state forests to supply wood-fed power plants…” (Longview Daily News, WA)

Jefferson County Broadband Grant Application Gets Governor’s Thumbs Up (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Washington Post Columnist - Rep. Norm Dicks Is About to Go from Mr. Boeing to Mr. Spending

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration Says Low Snowpack Means Revenue Loss
·         Drought Portends Eugene Electrical Rate Hikes
·         Lack of Snow May Lead to Bonneville Power Administration Rate Hike
·         Opposition, Low Demand Doom Oregon Natural Gas Terminal
·         Oregon - Bankrupt Liquefied Natural Gas Company Owes Clatsop County $180,000
·         Idaho Power’s Oregon Transmission Plan Angers Residents
·         NorthWest Energy Employee Killed’ - No Warning at All’ in Columbia Falls Natural Gas Explosion
·         California – Pacific Gas & Electric’s PG&E’s Tactics on Community Choice Attacked
·         Tainted Oyster Creek Nuke Plant Water Reaches Major New Jersey Aquifer
·         So, You Want to Invest in Nukes
·         At 6.58 Cents Per kWh North Dakota Has Lowest Residential Electricity Rates (?)
·         How Shale Gas Is Going to Rock the World
·         The Start-Up Pains of a Smarter Electricity Grid
·         A Lag in China’s Nuclear & Hydro Power
·         Plight of the Pacific Lamprey: Is It a Keeper?
·         BPA Renews War on Pikeminnows
·         Cormorants Show Rapid Rise; With Terns Consume 15 Percent of Estuary Juvenile Salmon
·         Thriving Runs of Salmon? They Do Exist…on the Columbia River
·         Seattle Public Utilities Plan for Cedar River Hatchery Replacement on Course
·         Montana - Libby Dam Spill Test for Sturgeon Planned in June
·         New Project, ‘Working Snake River for Washington,’ Launched, Seeks Stakeholder Process
·         Canada - Sea of People Marches to Fight Fish Farms
·         Brightwater Wastewater Plant Estimates Inch Up to Between $1.82 Billion to $1.86 Billion
·         Klamath Farmers Will See Fraction of Water Needs
·         Canada - Environment Minister Has Drought Forecast for Much of British Columbia
·         Capitol Lake Panel Axed By State Legislature
·         Lake Coeur d’Alene Fills to Inches below Summer Level
·         Decisions Coming on Radar Ridge Wind Farm Project
·         Biomass Energy Business May be Powering Up
·         Wisconsin - State Regulators Want Comments on Biomass Project
·         Ohio - FirstEnergy Pressured About Biomass Plans
·         Montana - Bozeman Company Gets Backing for Wind Power Transmission Project
·         Massachusetts - Cape Wind Cuts Key Deal for Sale Wind Turbine Output
·         General Electric & British Columbia’s Private Power Gold Rush
·         Florida - Sun Sets on Solar Rebate Program, Rises on New Incentives
·         Making a Splash: Pacific Gas & Electric Dives Headlong into Wave Power Project
·         Oly Fed Is Building New ‘Green’ Branch in Belfair
·         Ten Ways to Reduce Your Summer Utility Bills
·         Senate Climate Bill to be Rolled out Wednesday
·         Oregon Is an Early & Eager Test Market for Several Electric Car Automakers
·         Student’s Idea Turns Roadsides into Biodiesel Cash Cropland
·         Resort Lights Kill Rare Birds in Hawaii
·         Colorado Marijuana Rules Could Force Truly ‘Green’ Industry in Boulder
·         Olympian Editorial - Scented Products Are So Prevalent, Potent They Are a Public Health Hazard
·         Jefferson County Broadband Grant Application Gets Governor’s Thumbs Up
·         FCC Chief Seeks Regulation of Speedy Internet
·         FCC Chief Promises Light Broadband Touch
·         FCC Study: $62 Billion to Bring Fiber to the Home to the Unserved
·         While US Bickers, Australia Builds National Fiber Network
·         North Carolina Cities, Cable Still at Odds on Broadband Entry
·         How An Unfixed Net Glitch Could Strand You Offline
·         Rep. Norm Dicks Is About to Go from Mr. Boeing to Mr. Spending
·         Shelton: Fred Finn Fundraiser to Kick Off Campaign
·         Elena Kagan Chosen by Obama for Supreme Court
·         Tri-Cities Beating the Nation in Adding New Jobs
·         Olympia City Hall takes shape – Parking?
·         Take This Down: The Craft of Compiling Notes

WORD OF THE DAY

Ad Infinitum • \AD – inn-fuh-NITE-um\ • - adverb or adjective - Without end or limit

“Lather, rinse, repeat: ad infinitum,” read the hopeful shampoo instructions.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Says Low Snowpack Means Revenue Loss (Associated Press)

Drought Portends Eugene Electrical Rate Hikes - Without a “banner” snow year EWEB expects sharp increases late next year (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

Lack of Snow May Lead to Bonneville Power Administration Rate Hike (Portland Business Journal)

Opposition, Low Demand Doom Oregon Natural Gas Terminal (Longview Daily News, WA)

Oregon - Bankrupt Liquefied Natural Gas Company Owes Clatsop County $180,000 (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Idaho Power’s Oregon Transmission Plan Angers Residents (Baker City Herald, OR)

NorthWest Energy Employee Killed’ - No Warning at All’ in Columbia Falls Natural Gas Explosion (The Missoulian, MT)

California – Pacific Gas & Electric’s PG&E’s Tactics on Community Choice Attacked (San Francisco Business Times)

Tainted Oyster Creek Nuke Plant Water Reaches Major New Jersey Aquifer (Associated Press)

So, You Want to Invest in Nukes (Wall Street Journal)

At 6.58 Cents Per kWh North Dakota Has Lowest Residential Electricity Rates (?) (Associated Press)

How Shale Gas Is Going to Rock the World - Huge discoveries of natural gas promise to shake up the energy markets & geopolitics. And that’s just for starters (Wall Street Journal)

The Start-Up Pains of a Smarter Electricity Grid (Scientific American)

A Lag in China’s Nuclear & Hydro Power (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Plight of the Pacific Lamprey: Is It a Keeper? (Wenatchee World, WA)

BPA Renews War on Pikeminnows (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Cormorants Show Rapid Rise; With Terns Consume 15 Percent of Estuary Juvenile Salmon in 2009 (Columbia Basin Bullletin)

Thriving Runs of Salmon? They Do Exist…on the Columbia River (Favstocks)

Seattle Public Utilities Plan for Cedar River Hatchery Replacement on Course (Seattle Times)

Montana - Libby Dam Spill Test for Sturgeon Planned in June (Daily InterLake, Kalispell, MT)

New Project, ‘Working Snake River for Washington,’ Launched, Seeks Stakeholder Process (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Canada - Sea of People Marches to Fight Fish Farms (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Brightwater Wastewater Plant Estimates Inch Up to Between $1.82 Billion to $1.86 Billion (Seattle Times)

Klamath Farmers Will See Fraction of Water Needs (Associated Press)

Canada - Environment Minister Has Drought Forecast for Much of British Columbia (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

Capitol Lake Panel Axed By State Legislature - Questions remain about mud snails, reverting to estuary (Olympian, WA)

Lake Coeur d’Alene Fills to Inches below Summer Level (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Decisions Coming on Radar Ridge Wind Farm Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Biomass Energy Business May be Powering Up “…the Legislature has embraced Washington Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark’s plans to use state forests to supply wood-fed power plants…” (Longview Daily News, WA)

Wisconsin - State Regulators Want Comments on Biomass Project (Associated Press)

Ohio - FirstEnergy Pressured About Biomass Plans (Columbus Dispatch, OH)

Montana - Bozeman Company Gets Backing for Wind Power Transmission Project (Billings Gazette, MT)

Massachusetts - Cape Wind Cuts Key Deal for Sale Wind Turbine Output (Cape Cod Times, MA)

General Electric & British Columbia’s Private Power Gold Rush (The Tyee)

Florida - Sun Sets on Solar Rebate Program, Rises on New Incentives (Orlando Business Journal)

Making a Splash: Pacific Gas & Electric Dives Headlong into Wave Power Project (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oly Fed Is Building New ‘Green’ Branch in Belfair (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Ten Ways to Reduce Your Summer Utility Bills (US News & World Report)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Senate Climate Bill to be Rolled out Wednesday (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon Is an Early & Eager Test Market for Several Electric Car Automakers (Oregonian, Portland)

Student’s Idea Turns Roadsides into Biodiesel Cash Cropland (USA Today)

Resort Lights Kill Rare Birds in Hawaii (Courthouse News Service)

Colorado Marijuana Rules Could Force Truly ‘Green’ Industry in Boulder - City law could require all wind, solar power for dispensaries (Boulder Daily Camera, CO)

Olympian Editorial - Scented products are so prevalent, potent they are a public health hazard

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Jefferson County Broadband Grant Application Gets Governor’s Thumbs Up (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

FCC Chief Seeks Regulation of Speedy Internet (USA Today)

FCC Chief Promises Light Broadband Touch (Reuters)

FCC Study: $62 Billion to Bring Fiber to the Home to the Unserved (Broadband Reports)

While US Bickers, Australia Builds National Fiber Network (Broadband Reports)

North Carolina Cities, Cable Still at Odds on Broadband Entry (Associated Press)

How An Unfixed Net Glitch Could Strand You Offline (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Post Columnist - Rep. Norm Dicks Is About to Go from Mr. Boeing to Mr. Spending

Shelton: Fred Finn Fundraiser to Kick Off Campaign (Olympian, Wa)

GENERAL NEWS

Elena Kagan Chosen by Obama for Supreme Court (Associated Press)

Tri-Cities Beating the Nation in Adding New Jobs (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Olympia City Hall takes shape “…It’s not clear where the city’s more than 500 employees will park…the city is studying the issue…” (Olympian, WA)

Take This Down: The Craft of Compiling Notes (Seattle Times)

DIVERSIONS

Art Official: Painting in Storage May be Raphael’s

Crash Victim Turns on Neighbors Who Try to Help Him

Autistic Girl Wins Suit over Lunch Thefts - Teacher’s Aide Stole Girl’s Money for Nearly Two Months

FBI: Ohio Woman Tried to Rob Bank with Cop in Line - Woman Attempted to Eat Note after Seeing Officer in Line

SONG OF THE DAY

Lena Horne - Maybe

Lena Horne (RIP) - Stormy Weather