Thursday, May 13, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 13, 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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Acknowledges Thousands of Inaccurate SmartMeter Bills (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

$40 Million Salmon Hatchery Planned at Chief Joseph Dam – Funded by Bonneville Power Administration (Associated Press)

Conservation Groups in Oregon Seek Wind Energy Ban on Steens Mountain (Oregonian, Portland)

Cape Wind Foes Eye Law - May sue over Massachusetts ‘green’ energy-buying mandate (Boston Herald, MA)

Senate Gets Climate & Energy Bill, Modified by the Gulf Spill (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         California - Pacific Gas & Electric Acknowledges Thousands of Inaccurate SmartMeter Bills
·         California Utility Learns Painful PR Lesson
·         Spokesman Review Op/Ed - For Hanford to Improve, Yucca Must be an Option
·         Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating
·         Pacific Gas & Electric Will Reverse Opt-Outs by Marin County Electricity Customers
·         Des Moines Register Op/Ed - Look to Electric Co-Ops as a Model for America Today
·         Financing: Using Stimulus Funds to Advance Hydro Development
·         Kentucky - Environmental Groups Challenge Permit for East Kentucky Power Plant
·         Duke Energy Expects Coal Costs to Rise
·         Virginia - American Electric Power Tackles Cost Issues
·         New York Power Grid Faces Rules Impact
·         North Dakota Oil Patch Continues Path of Record Production
·         Texas - Family Hit with $8,000 Energy Bill
·         Online Bill Paying Rises to 64 Percent
·         $40 Million Salmon Hatchery Planned at Chief Joseph Dam
·         New Orting Salmon Hatchery Would be Flood-Free
·         Yakima County - Cowiche Creek Fish Plan Loses Backing of Irrigation District
·         Douglas County - Farmland Designated for Wildlife in Washington & Colorado
·         BP Caves to Pressure, Releases First Video of Oil Gushing into Gulf
·         Army Corps Increasing Green River Flow
·         Washington State Auditor Questions Spending by Puget Sound Cleanup Group
·         Power Problems at Mabton’s Treatment Plant Are Fixed
·         Clallam PUD Cooperative Wind Farm on Shaky Ground
·         Grays Harbor PUD Uncertain About Radar Ridge Wind Farm
·         Conservation Groups in Oregon Seek Wind Energy Ban on Steens Mountain
·         Cape Wind Foes Eye Law - May sue over Massachusetts ‘green’ energy-buying mandate
·         Boston Globe Editorial - Though Wind Power Isn’t Free, Benefits Justify Extra Cost
·         Wind Turbine Blade Petition Hits Ohio
·         Snohomish County’s Solar Project Under Construction
·         Grant Program Opens for Oregon Wave Energy Hydro Projects
·         Traverse City Light & Power Biomass Plant Site Won’t Fly
·         Special Report: The Pennsylvania Incinerator That May Burn Municipal Investors
·         Vancouver Sun Op/Ed - Clean Energy: You Get What You Pay For
·         Explosive Growth for LED Lights in Next Decade, Report Says
·         Curbing Kilowatts in Private Buildings
·         Nevada Regulators & Utility Debate Saving Money or Electricity
·         Avista Selected as 2009 Utility Company of the Year by Unified Foodservice
·         Senate Gets Climate & Energy Bill, Modified by the Gulf Spill
·         Energy Bill Aimed to Stem Global Warming, Create Jobs
·         States Wary of New Climate Change Bill
·         Big Utilities Weigh in on New Climate Change Bill, the American Power Act
·         NY Times Op/Ed - A Bad Bet on Carbon
·         Environmental Protection Agency Moves to Regulate Smokestack Greenhouse Gases
·         Green Practices Conflict with Homeowner Association Rules
·         Schwarzenegger Backs California as Hub for Green Jobs
·         Will the Chevy Volt get its juice from Google?
·         Cincinnati Bell Buys Data Center Operator CyrusOne
·         Verizon to Fulfill 4G Promise to Rural Americans?
·         German Court: Secure Your Hotspot or be Fined
·         Eight Websites You (Really Do) Need to Stop Building
·         Gregoire Headed to DC to be Solicitor General?
·         Soda Wholesalers Weighing Tax-Rollback Initiative
·         Infant Taken from Local Hospital Found in Idaho
·         Union Man Found Dead in his Home
·         Jury to Decide Fate of Man Who Branded Children like Cattle
·         $1.1 Million Settlement over I-5 Cable Barriers
·         Fired for Not Being ‘Pretty & Flirtatious’ Enough?
·         Emerging Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Evidence Shows Lack of Regulation

WORD OF THE DAY

Faustian • \FOW-stee-un\ • adjective - Of, relating to, resembling or suggesting Faust; especially: made or done for present gain without regard for future cost or consequences

Abernathy’s trembling hands reached out for the “holy grail” of tiddlywinks aficionados: a sixteenth century, dime-sized chip of ivory that belonged to Brian “The Thumb” Hudson-Trimble..a giant in early professional tiddlywinks circles. Unfortunately for Abernathy, he was forced to make a Faustian bargain: since all new chips are made from plastic, he could not use the famed piece in any competition.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Acknowledges Thousands of Inaccurate SmartMeter Bills (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

California Utility Learns Painful PR Lesson (Renewable Energy World)

Spokesman Review Op/Ed - For Hanford to Improve, Yucca Must be an Option

Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Pacific Gas & Electric Will Reverse Opt-Outs by Marin County Electricity Customers - Some may have been influenced by questionable PG&E tactics (San Francisco Business Times)

Des Moines Register Op/Ed - Look to Electric Co-Ops as a Model for America Today

Financing: Using Stimulus Funds to Advance Hydro Development (Renewable Energy World)

Kentucky - Environmental Groups Challenge Permit for East Kentucky Power Plant “…urged the cooperative to look instead at renewable fuels & other ways to persuade customers to use less electricity…” (Lexington Herald-Leader, KY)

Duke Energy Expects Coal Costs to Rise (Triangle Business Journal)

Virginia - American Electric Power Tackles Cost Issues: Putting some generating units on standby & reducing its work force (Roanoke Times, VA)

New York Power Grid Faces Rules Impact - NYISO president warns that new regulations could reduce reliability (Albany Times-Union, NY)

North Dakota Oil Patch Continues Path of Record Production (Associated Press)

Texas - Family Hit with $8,000 Energy Bill - Data Entry Error Blamed for Huge Undercharge (Associated Press)

Online Bill Paying Rises to 64 Percent (Washington Business Journal)

FISH & WILDLIFE

$40 Million Salmon Hatchery Planned at Chief Joseph Dam – Funded by Bonneville Power Administration (Associated Press)

New Orting Salmon Hatchery Would be Flood-Free (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Yakima County - Cowiche Creek Fish Plan Loses Backing of Irrigation District (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Douglas County - Farmland Designated for Wildlife in Washington & Colorado (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

BP Caves to Pressure, Releases First Video of Oil Gushing into Gulf (Yahoo! News)

Army Corps Increasing Green River Flow (Associated Press)

Washington State Auditor Questions Spending by Puget Sound Cleanup Group (Seattle Times)

Power Problems at Mabton’s Treatment Plant Are Fixed (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clallam PUD Cooperative Wind Farm on Shaky Ground (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Uncertain About Radar Ridge Wind Farm (Associated Press)

Conservation Groups in Oregon Seek Wind Energy Ban on Steens Mountain (Oregonian, Portland)

Cape Wind Foes Eye Law - May sue over Massachusetts ‘green’ energy-buying mandate (Boston Herald, MA)

Boston Globe Editorial - Though Wind Power Isn’t Free, Benefits Justify Extra Cost

Wind Turbine Blade Petition Hits Ohio - Wind turbine blade stirs Columbus residents to think about renewable energy (Renewable Energy World)

Snohomish County’s Solar Project Under Construction (Lake Stevens Journal, WA)

Grant Program Opens for Oregon Wave Energy Hydro Projects (Renewable Energy World)

Traverse City Light & Power Biomass Plant Site Won’t Fly - Airport Visibility Issues Force Utility Officials to Find New Place to Build (Traverse City Eagle, MI)

Special Report: The Pennsylvania Incinerator That May Burn Municipal Investors (Reuters)

Vancouver Sun Op/Ed - Clean Energy: You Get What You Pay For

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Explosive Growth for LED Lights in Next Decade, Report Says (SolveClimate)

Curbing Kilowatts in Private Buildings - Commercial structures offer huge potential for energy savings (Portland Tribune, OR)

Nevada Regulators & Utility Debate Saving Money or Electricity (Las Vegas Review, NV)

Avista Selected as 2009 Utility Company of the Year by Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-Op (Electric Energy Online)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Senate Gets Climate & Energy Bill, Modified by the Gulf Spill (NY Times)

Energy Bill Aimed to Stem Global Warming, Create Jobs (Associated Press)

States Wary of New Climate Change Bill (Nat’l Public Radio)

Big Utilities Weigh in on New Climate Change Bill, the American Power Act (CleanTechnica)

NY Times Op/Ed - A Bad Bet on Carbon

Environmental Protection Agency Moves to Regulate Smokestack Greenhouse Gases (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Practices Conflict with Homeowner Association Rules (USA Today)

Schwarzenegger Backs California as Hub for Green Jobs (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Will the Chevy Volt get its juice from Google? (Christian Science Monitor)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Cincinnati Bell Buys Data Center Operator CyrusOne (Associated Press)

Verizon to Fulfill 4G Promise to Rural Americans? (CNET News)

German Court: Secure Your Hotspot or be Fined - Musician sued vacationing user for unsecured hotspot (Broadband Reports)

Eight Websites You (Really Do) Need to Stop Building (GigaOM)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Gregoire Headed to DC to be Solicitor General? - Governor reportedly not interested in being solicitor general (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Soda Wholesalers Weighing Tax-Rollback Initiative (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Infant Taken from Local Hospital Found in Idaho (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Union Man Found Dead in his Home (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Jury to Decide Fate of Man Who Branded Children like Cattle - Children Said They Wanted It (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

$1.1 Million Settlement over I-5 Cable Barriers (Everett Herald, WA)

Fired for Not Being ‘Pretty & Flirtatious’ Enough? Former Bremerton City Employee Says Yes in Lawsuit (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Emerging Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Evidence Shows Lack of Regulation (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Paper Company Plans Campaign to Encourage Kids to Print Things Out (Note - Comment section may contain PG-13 language)

Entiat Woman Solves Mystery of Message in a Bottle

Hotel ATM Dispenses Gold Bars, Gold Coins

Subway’s Lawyers Tell Rest of World to Stop Selling “Footlong” Sandwiches

SONG OF THE DAY

John Stewart - Gold