Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 26, 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

Republican Rossi Announces Challenge to Democratic Incumbent Senator Murray (Seattle Times)

Mason County Wood-Powered ‘Biomass’ Plants Have Critics Barking (National Public Radio)

Grays Harbor PUD Won’t Budge on Radar Ridge Wind Farm (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Washington State Audit Advises Shared Services for Mid-Columbia Public Utility Districts (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

GOP Congressional Candidates Criticize Removal of Elwha Dams (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Washington State Audit Advises Shared Services for Mid-Columbia Public Utility Districts
·         Washington State Audit Says Mid-Columbia PUD Cooperation Would Save Money
·         Upgrades Under Way at Columbia River Dams
·         Montana Governor Schweitzer Tours Rainbow Dam Renovation Project
·         LNG Protest Planned At NW Natural Shareholder Meeting
·         California - Electricity Rate Tiers Drove Bakersfield Bills to New Heights
·         Iberdrola Deal to Finance Maine Power Grid Upgrade
·         BPA Reports: Salmon Ride Smoothly Through Eight Dams
·         Salmon or Political Games? Obama Administration Makes Its Choice
·         Salmon Pens to Move from Bainbridge to Manchester
·         California - How a Native American Tribe Got Their Salmon Back, by Way of New Zealand
·         GOP Congressional Candidates Criticize Removal of Elwha Dams
·         Belfair Sewer Work on Highway 300 to Resume June 2
·         Upper Columbia Precipitation Is Below Average
·         Mason County Wood-Powered ‘Biomass’ Plants Have Critics Barking
·         Pacific Northwest Biomass Becoming Viable Option for Wind Developers
·         Grays Harbor PUD Won’t Budge on Radar Ridge Wind Farm
·         Leapin’ Lizards! Rush Is on for Desert Solar Project
·         Solar Power Projects Heating Up in Northwest
·         More Wind Farms Mean Cheaper Energy - Compared to What?
·         Pacific Northwest Incentives Offered to Replace Baseboard Heaters
·         Microsoft Web Site Aims to Make Your House a Hohm
·         Cape Cod Times Editorial - Cash for Caulkers
·         Global CO2 Emissions to Rise 43 Percent by 2035
·         UW Researcher Is New State Climatologist
·         Kansas Utilities Worry About Greenhouse Gas Measure
·         Clark County Adopts New Green Building Standards
·         Do LEED-Certified Green Buildings Protect Human Health?
·         Where Are U.S. Green Jobs?
·         Northwest’s Prospective Clean Technology Business Leaders Named
·         Cost of Chelan PUD Fiber-Optics Will Increase Before It Gets Cheaper
·         Washington State is Number One - Does Your State Have Google Mojo?
·         Google Touts Its Economic Impact Amid Increased Scrutiny
·         Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate
·         Comcast 100 Mbps Residential Arrives (For Some) June 1
·         Microsoft Xbox Chief out as Unit Struggles
·         Data Center Power Like Cable: on Demand
·         Republican Rossi Announces Challenge to Democratic Incumbent Senator Murray
·         Rossi: Repeal Health-Care Law & Return to “Limited” Government
·         Governor Gregoire Won’t Rule out Leaving Office for DC Job
·         Mason County Commission Balances Board Salaries for 2011
·         Partial Victory - Former Employee Wins Lawsuit Against City of Bremerton
·         Washington May Have Drier Weather for Weekend
·         Crews Search Sewers, Canal for Missing McCleary Girl
·         Woman Steals Parents’ ID; Refinances Their Home to Get Gambling Money
·         Authorities: Three Severely Burned While Processing Marijuana
·         Widespread Tolling for Transportation Expected in Puget Sound Area
·         In a Reversal Free Olympia Parking Wins
·         Future of Local Yakima Radio Stations Unclear

WORD OF THE DAY

Peripatetic • \pare-uh-pah-TET-tick\ adjective • - Of, relating to, or given to walking b: moving or traveling from place to place

The evening’s peripatetic presentation by the economics professor caused a rush on massage and chiropractic treatment the following morning. Seems his back and forth roaming on stage was more energetic than a Wimbledon tennis volley as the attendees tried in vain to crane their necks left and right to keep up with his pace.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State Audit Advises Shared Services for Mid-Columbia Public Utility Districts (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Washington State Audit Says Mid-Columbia PUD Cooperation Would Save Money (Wenatchee World, WA)

Upgrades Under Way at Columbia River Dams (Associated Press)

Montana Governor Schweitzer Tours Rainbow Dam Renovation Project (KXLH-TV, Helena, MT)

LNG protest planned at NW Natural shareholder meeting (Portland Business Journal)

California - Electricity Rate Tiers Drove Bakersfield Bills to New Heights (Bakersfield Californian, CA)

Iberdrola Deal to Finance Maine Power Grid Upgrade “…Iberdrola will pay for the improvements, about half with cash, & half through borrowing. The money will be recouped from New England electric ratepayers…” (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

BPA Reports: Salmon Ride Smoothly Through Eight Dams (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Salmon or Political Games? Obama Administration Makes Its Choice (Crosscut Seattle)

Salmon Pens to Move from Bainbridge to Manchester (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

California - How a Native American Tribe Got Their Salmon Back, by Way of New Zealand (Christian Science Monitor)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

GOP Congressional Candidates Criticize Removal of Elwha Dams (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Belfair Sewer Work on Highway 300 to Resume June 2 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Upper Columbia Precipitation Is Below Average (Omak Chronicle, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Mason County Wood-Powered ‘Biomass’ Plants Have Critics Barking (National Public Radio)

Pacific Northwest Biomass Becoming Viable Option for Wind Developers (Daily Journal of Commerce, Oregon)

Grays Harbor PUD Won’t Budge on Radar Ridge Wind Farm (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Leapin’ Lizards! Rush Is on for Desert Solar Project - Developers eager for federal funding, but lizard is an issue (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

Solar Power Projects Heating Up in Northwest - One Customer Gets Energy Credits, Not Bills (KCPQ-TV, Seattle)

More Wind Farms Mean Cheaper Energy - Compared to What? (Clean Technica)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Pacific Northwest Incentives Offered to Replace Baseboard Heaters (Oregon Public Radio)

Microsoft Web Site Aims to Make Your House a Hohm (Associated Press)

Cape Cod Times Editorial - Cash for Caulkers

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global CO2 Emissions to Rise 43 Percent by 2035 (Reuters)

UW Researcher Is New State Climatologist (Associated Press)

Kansas Utilities Worry About Greenhouse Gas Measure (Bloomberg News)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Clark County Adopts New Green Building Standards - Voluntary program aims to guide builders, customers (Vancouver Columbian, WA - When are standards not standards? When they’re voluntary…)

Do LEED-Certified Green Buildings Protect Human Health? (EarthTimes)

Where Are U.S. Green Jobs? (Renewable Energy World)

Northwest’s Prospective Clean Technology Business Leaders Named (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Cost of Chelan PUD Fiber-Optics Will Increase Before It Gets Cheaper (Wenatchee World, WA)

Washington State is Number One - Does Your State Have Google Mojo? Here are the Top 10 states with the most Google business mojo per capita.

Google Touts Its Economic Impact Amid Increased Scrutiny (Washington Post)

Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate (Congressional Research Reports)

Comcast 100 Mbps Residential Arrives (For Some) June 1 - $200 a month, $250 installation fee (Broadband Reports)

Microsoft Xbox Chief out as Unit Struggles (Reuters)

Data Center Power Like Cable: on Demand (Earth2Tech)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Republican Rossi Announces Challenge to Democratic Incumbent Senator Murray (Seattle Times)

Rossi: Repeal Health-Care Law & Return to “Limited” Government (Seattle Times)

Governor Gregoire Won’t Rule out Leaving Office for DC Job (Seattle Times)

Mason County Commission Balances Board Salaries for 2011 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Partial Victory - Former Employee Wins Lawsuit Against City of Bremerton (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Washington May Have Drier Weather for Weekend (Associated Press)

Crews Search Sewers, Canal for Missing McCleary Girl (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Woman Steals Parents’ ID; Refinances Their Home to Get Gambling Money (KING-TV, Seattle)

Authorities: Three Severely Burned While Processing Marijuana (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Widespread Tolling for Transportation Expected in Puget Sound Area (Associated Press)

In a Reversal Free Olympia Parking Wins - New Council Defeats Plan for Meters (Olympian, WA)

Future of Local Yakima Radio Stations Unclear (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Study: Pac-Man on Google wasted 4.8 million hours

Pennsylvania Woman Still Driving at 103 - Woman Runs Errands for Younger Neighbors (Which basically means…everyone)

Flood of Frogs Closes Major Greek Highway

What Is a ‘Milk Moon’ Anyway? The full moon of May, also known as the “Milk moon,” will occur at 7:07 p.m. EDT Thursday

SONG OF THE DAY

R.E.M. – Man on the Moon