Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 25, 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 SIX STORIES

Grant PUD Considering $511 Million Supplemental Gas Plant - The plant would provide a hedge to back up two dams (Wenatchee World, WA)

Vancouver City Council Says Keep Power Lines out of City - Resolution urges BPA to choose alternate route for project (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

One Meeting on Mason County Biomass Projects Down; Two More This Week (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Radar Ridge Wind - Testing of Bird Radar System Could be Key to Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Google’s Washington State Impact: $2.8 Billion (Google – Links to PDF File)

Dino Rossi to Declare Run for Senate This Week; Key Staff Hired (Seattle Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Grant PUD Considering $511 Million Supplemental Gas Plant
·         Vancouver City Council Says Keep Power Lines out of City
·         Wenatchee World Editorial - Audits Speak Well for Chelan PUD
·         Feds Name New Director for Hanford Project
·         Tennessee Valley Authority Eyes Older Nuke Option
·         Ohio - Area Power Plant Uses Controversial CO2 Method
·         Competition Could Bring Cheaper Electricity to Pennsylvanians
  • Dual Strategy Ramps Up to Increase Columbia River Fish Survival
  • Oregon - Salmon Fishing Again This Year in Powder River
  • UN Fish Stocks Review Opens With Dire Outlook
  • Chicago Poisoning Operation Finds No Asian Carp
  • Migrating Thousands of Miles With Nary a Stop
  • Gregoire Criticizes Puget Sound Cleanup Agency
  • Shelton City Commission to Hold Hearing on Sewer Moratorium Next Month
  • Carlsborg Sewer, Water Treatment Plant Could be Running by Late 2012
  • Olympia-Area Water & Wastewater Organization Changes Name & Identity
  • Tri-City Herald Editorial - Public Outreach Improves Between Yakima River Sewage Spills
  • One Meeting on Mason County Biomass Projects Down; Two More This Week
  • Wisconsin - Biomass Suppliers Line Up for Charter Street Project
  • Fired Up for Jobs - Wood Scraps Go Up in Smoke to Create Electricity, Money for County
  • Xcel Rethinking Wisconsin Biomass Project
  • Radar Ridge Wind - Testing of Bird Radar System Could be Key to Project
  • Massachusetts - Governor Deval Patrick: Cape Wind Energy Will be Worth It
  • Proposed Wyoming Power Line Names Wind Farm Customers
  • Five Turbines in the Works for Wind Power Project in Lake Erie
  • Kansas’ Potential for New Energy is Getting Lost in the Wind
  • Federal Standard for Renewable Energy Sought
  • Wind Advocates Rally in Dallas
  • Ohio State Lawmakers Push Competing Tax Break Bills for Green Energy
  • FloridaLake Wales News Editorial: US Playing Catch-Up in the Clean Energy Race
·         Minnesota - Zoning Laws Collide: Private Turbine Comes Down
·         Solar Company to Install LED-Light Poles on Boise State Campus
·         Biogas - Scotch Distillery Turns Whisky into Watts
·         European Union - New Plans Try to Revive Carbon Trading
·         New Zealand - Green Law Pushes Up Power Price
·         United Kingdom - Birmingham Zero Carbon House Wins RIBA Award
·         Google’s Washington State Impact: $2.8 Billion
·         Google’s Oregon Impact: $512 Million
·         1996 Communications Law to be Reviewed
·         String of Suicides Continues at Electronics Supplier in China
·         Dino Rossi to Declare Run for Senate This Week; Key Staff Hired
·         Ex-City of Bremerton Employee’s Age Discrimination Case Now in the Hands of Jury
·         Website Lures Oregon, Washington Businesses to Idaho
·         3.4 Quake at 5:21 AM Tuesday near Duvall
·         Quilcene Couple’s Killer Gets 118 Years in Prison
·         ‘Prince of Pot’ Pleads Guilty, Accepts 5 Year Prison Sentence
·         Weather Radar to Improve Wash Coast Forecasts
·         Winlock Store Manager Accused of Stealing $100K in Scratch Tickets
·         New Washington Cell Phone Law Creating New Hazard
·         Paint Shortage Causing Road Striping Work to Stall

WORD OF THE DAY

Foppery • \FAHP-uh-ree\ • noun - *1: foolish character or action: folly 2: the behavior or dress of a fop

The pressure was mounting in the small utility’s outage center. What started out as a trickle of calls from customers had quickly become a torrent of whining and abuse for the harried phone operators. It was at that critical moment that Belvedere set the stage for his eventual firing, as he jumped on the table and started belting out “I Will Survive” in front of the astonished dispatchers and engineers. Needless to say, his foppery was about as welcome as a beer belch in church.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Grant PUD Considering $511 Million Supplemental Gas Plant - The plant would provide a hedge to back up two dams (Wenatchee World, WA)

Vancouver City Council Says Keep Power Lines out of City - Resolution urges BPA to choose alternate route for project (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wenatchee World Editorial - Audits Speak Well for Chelan PUD

Feds Name New Director for Hanford Project (Associated Press)

Tennessee Valley Authority Eyes Older Nuke Option (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)

Ohio - Area Power Plant Uses Controversial CO2 Method (The Athens News, OH)
http://athensnews.com/news/regional-news/31204-area-power-plant-uses-controversial-co2-method

Competition Could Bring Cheaper Electricity to Pennsylvanians (Pittsburgh Tribune, PA – that is, after “competition” drove up prices)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Dual Strategy Ramps Up to Increase Columbia River Fish Survival (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Oregon - Salmon Fishing Again This Year in Powder River (Baker City Herald, OR)

UN Fish Stocks Review Opens With Dire Outlook (Associated Press)

Chicago Poisoning Operation Finds No Asian Carp (Associated Press)

Migrating Thousands of Miles With Nary a Stop (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Gregoire Criticizes Puget Sound Cleanup Agency (NW Public Radio)

Shelton City Commission to Hold Hearing on Sewer Moratorium Next Month (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Carlsborg Sewer, Water Treatment Plant Could be Running by Late 2012 - Clallam PUD to be the Operator (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Olympia-Area Water & Wastewater Organization Changes Name & Identity (LOTT)

Tri-City Herald Editorial - Public Outreach Improves Between Yakima River Sewage Spills

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

One Meeting on Mason County Biomass Projects Down; Two More This Week (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Wisconsin - Biomass Suppliers Line Up for Charter Street Project (The Daily Reporter, Milwaukee, WI)

Fired Up for Jobs - Wood Scraps Go Up in Smoke to Create Electricity, Money for County (Hickory Record, NC)

Xcel Rethinking Wisconsin Biomass Project (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)

Radar Ridge Wind - Testing of Bird Radar System Could be Key to Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Massachusetts - Governor Deval Patrick: Cape Wind Energy Will be Worth It (Boston Herald, MA)

Proposed Wyoming Power Line Names Wind Farm Customers (Associated Press)

Five Turbines in the Works for Wind Power Project in Lake Erie (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

Kansas’ Potential for New Energy is Getting Lost in the Wind (Kansas City Star, MO)

Federal Standard for Renewable Energy Sought – by Wind Power Advocates (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)

Wind Advocates Rally in Dallas “…Currently, renewables other than dams supply 3.5 percent of the nation’s electricity…” (NY Times)

Ohio State Lawmakers Push Competing Tax Break Bills for Green Energy “…funnels the tax break to projects from renewable energy sources…also extends the state handout to clean coal, advanced nuclear & co-generation projects…” (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/05/state_lawmakers_push_competing.html

FloridaLake Wales News Editorial: US Playing Catch-Up in the Clean Energy Race

Minnesota - Zoning Laws Collide: Private Turbine Comes Down (Winona Post, MN)

Solar Company to Install LED-Light Poles on Boise State Campus (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

Biogas - Scotch Distillery Turns Whisky into Watts (CNN Environment)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

European Union - New Plans Try to Revive Carbon Trading (NY Times)

New Zealand - Green Law Pushes Up Power Price (New Zealand Herald)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

United Kingdom - Birmingham Zero Carbon House Wins RIBA Award “…Wood-burning stove: top-up space & water heating fuelled by wood from the garden…regrowth of trees captures the carbon dioxide emitted by the stove…” (Green Building Press)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google’s Washington State Impact: $2.8 Billion (Google – Links to PDF File)

Google’s Oregon Impact: $512 Million (Portland Business Journal)

1996 Communications Law to be Reviewed (NY Times)

String of Suicides Continues at Electronics Supplier in China (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Dino Rossi to Declare Run for Senate This Week; Key Staff Hired (Seattle Times)

Ex-City of Bremerton Employee’s Age Discrimination Case Now in the Hands of Jury (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Website Lures Oregon, Washington Businesses to Idaho (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

3.4 Quake at 5:21 AM Tuesday near Duvall (Associated Press)

Quilcene Couple’s Killer Gets 118 Years in Prison (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

‘Prince of Pot’ Pleads Guilty, Accepts 5 Year Prison Sentence (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Weather Radar to Improve Wash Coast Forecasts (Seattle Times)

Winlock Store Manager Accused of Stealing $100K in Scratch Tickets (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

New Washington Cell Phone Law Creating New Hazard (KING-TV, Seattle)

Paint Shortage Causing Road Striping Work to Stall (KING-TV, Seattle)

DIVERSIONS

Teen Werewolves Descend Upon San Antonio High Schools

Chicago Hoarders Found Buried Alive Under Trash

Piles of Undelivered Mail Found in Michigan Shed

George Washington’s library book returned 221 yrs late

SONG OF THE DAY

Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London