Thursday, July 1, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 1, 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

Jefferson County Milestone: PUD Signs Power Pact with Bonneville Power Administration (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Puget Sound Energy Names Kimberly Harris New President (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Seafood Watch Program Further Defines Which Salmon to Avoid - Drew a distinction between Oregon-caught salmon from the Columbia River (a “good alternative” because Columbia fish stocks are in moderately healthy condition) & salmon from the Sacramento River (Examiner.com)

Clark County Mulling Downtown Vancouver Biomass Plant - Commissioners OK $225K feasibility study (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

2009 Sees No Growth in CO2; First Time since 1992 (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Jefferson County Milestone: PUD Signs Power Pact with Bonneville Power Administration
·         Puget Sound Energy Names Kimberly Harris New President
·         Pennsylvania - Duquesne Light Names Richard Riazzi President & CEO
·         Chelan Port Wants Power-Rate Cuts for Industry
·         Edmonds Pot Raid Stuns Neighbors - Growers stole electricity fromSnohomish PUD
·         Portland General Electric - Tempers Sizzling over Plan for New Power Lines
·         Avista Rate Hikes Would Hit Older Idahoans the Hardest
·         Montana Denies NorthWestern’s Rate Hike Request
·         Cantwell: Energy Bill Coming, But How Strong?
·         Grant PUD Starts Archeology Project - Part of relicensing requirements
·         Colorado - Xcel Switches on Hybrid Solar-Coal Power Plant
·         Florida – State Committee Axes Two More Members Who Rejected Electricity Rate Hikes
·         Seafood Watch Program Further Defines Which Salmon to Avoid – Columbia Salmon OK
·         Greenpeace Flying Blimp over Costco to Draw Attention to Fish-Buying Practices
·         Canada - Observers Cautious on Potential Big Sockeye Run
·         “The Other Red Meat” - Pork Industry Defeats Copycat Salmon Slogan
·         Great Lakes - Lawmakers Seek to Speed Efforts to Stop Asian Carp
·         Feds Consider Birth Control for Oregon’s Wild Horses
·         At the New York Harbor School, Growing Oysters for Credit
·         Bonneville Power Administration Explains Rationale behind Lake Pend Oreille Level Request
·         Municipal Wells in Klamath Basin Town Run Dry
·         Clark County Mulling Downtown Vancouver Biomass Plant
·         Wood-Fired Power Plant - ADAGE Provides More Answers to Questions from May Forum
·         Oregon - A Pilot Project Pays Customers to Generate Solar Power
·         From Wave to Hydro to Biomass - Oregon Grants $158,000 for Renewable Energy Studies
·         SW Washington Renewables Plan Starts Now
·         Op/Ed - Renewable Energy Can be an Economic Engine
·         Nevada - Costs of Renewable Energy Will be Disclosed after State Ruling
·         Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance to Deliver Technical Assistance for Federal Energy Efficiency ARRA Grantees
·         2009 Sees No Growth in CO2; First Time since 1992
·         US Senate Candidate Says California Climate Law is Killing Jobs
·         Arctic Could be a Tipping Point for Warming
·         For $13.5 Million LOTT Clean Water Alliance Goes Green in New Office
·         Editorial - Garbage Argument: Burn, Bury, or Recycle?
·         Swiss Team Postpones Solar Plane Night Flight
·         Man-Made Global Warming Started With Ancient Hunters
·         Into the Great Green Beyond
·         Clearwire to Launch Faster Service in Yakima Valley
·         Baker City Data Center Job Requires Some Heavy Lifting
·         Editorial - The Price of Broadband Politics
·         Is Broadband a Basic Right? Finland Says Yes!
·         Microsoft Hangs Up on Poor-Selling Kin Phones
·         Mason County Video Voters’ Guide – Meet the Candidates
·         Washington State Income Tax Initiative Steps Closer to Ballot
·         Builders Turn in 340,000 Signatures for Workers’ Comp Initiative
·         Poll Points to Murray - Rossi Senate Showdown
·         Op/Ed - State Faces Fiscal Day of Reckoning for State Employee Contracts
·         Pacific Northwest Drivers Using More Gasoline
·         Portland Police Re-Opening Gore Investigation
·         Snoqualmie Pass - Missing Hiker Found Dead With Dog Sitting at His Side
·         Washington State Sued over Exemption of British Columbia Residents from Sales Tax

WORD OF THE DAY

Apostasy • \uh-PAWSS-stuss-ee\ • noun - 1: renunciation of a religious faith 2: abandonment of a previous loyalty

Mr. Bronte’s secret apostasy was revealed almost by accident. As the quality control agent in charge of label glue at the canned vegetable factory, he had complete charge of the colorful paper that heralded the nationally recognized brands over the generic beans and corn that issued from his company. Unbeknownst to his overseers, he had been paid millions under the table to switch the labels when the two product lines diverged. He was caught “red handed” by one of the canning specialists during the Wednesday run of sliced beets.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson County Milestone: PUD Signs Power Pact with Bonneville Power Administration (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Puget Sound Energy Names Kimberly Harris New President (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Pennsylvania - Duquesne Light Names Richard Riazzi President & CEO (Pittsburgh Business Times)

Chelan Port Wants Power-Rate Cuts for Industry - Stressed they don’t want to lure data centers (Wenatchee World, WA)

Edmonds Pot Raid Stuns Neighbors - Growers stole electricity from the Snohomish PUD by illegally tapping into power lines (Everett Herald, WA)

Portland General Electric - Tempers Sizzling over Plan for New Power Lines (Clackamas Review, OR)

Avista Rate Hikes Would Hit Older Idahoans the Hardest (Electric Energy Online)

Montana Denies NorthWestern’s Rate Hike Request (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Cantwell: Energy Bill Coming, But How Strong? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Grant PUD Starts Archeology Project - Part of relicensing requirements (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Colorado - Xcel Switches on Hybrid Solar-Coal Power Plant (Denver Business Journal)

Florida – State Committee Axes Two More Members Who Rejected Electricity Rate Hikes (St Petersburg Times, FL)

FISH & WILDLIFE


Greenpeace Flying Blimp over Costco to Draw Attention to Fish-Buying Practices (Seattle Times)

Canada - Observers Cautious on Potential Big Sockeye Run (Tri-City News, BC)

“The Other Red Meat” - Pork Industry Defeats Copycat Salmon Slogan (Courthouse News Service)

Great Lakes - Lawmakers Seek to Speed Efforts to Stop Asian Carp (Associated Press)

Feds Consider Birth Control for Oregon’s Wild Horses (Oregonian, Portland)

At the New York Harbor School, Growing Oysters for Credit (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Bonneville Power Administration Explains Rationale behind Lake Pend Oreille Level Request (Bonner County Bee, Sandpoint, ID)

Municipal Wells in Klamath Basin Town Run Dry (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clark County Mulling Downtown Vancouver Biomass Plant - Commissioners OK $225K feasibility study (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wood-Fired Power Plant - ADAGE Provides More Answers to Questions from May Forum (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Oregon - A Pilot Project Pays Customers to Generate Solar Power (Oregonian, Portland)

From Wave to Hydro to Biomass - Oregon Grants $158,000 for Renewable Energy Studies (Sustainable Business Oregon)

SW Washington Renewables Plan Starts Now - Expert on siting such energy facilities says region must look to future (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Op/Ed - Renewable Energy Can be an Economic Engine (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio)

Nevada - Costs of Renewable Energy Will be Disclosed after State Ruling (Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance to Deliver Technical Assistance for Federal Energy Efficiency ARRA Grantees (Sacramento Bee, CA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

2009 Sees No Growth in CO2; First Time since 1992 (Associated Press)

US Senate Candidate Says California Climate Law is Killing Jobs (Associated Press)

Arctic Could be a Tipping Point for Warming (USA Today)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

For $13.5 Million LOTT Clean Water Alliance Goes Green in New Office - Building uses recycled materials, vegetated roofs & efficient lighting (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Garbage Argument: Burn, Bury, or Recycle? (The Tyee, Canada)

Swiss Team Postpones Solar Plane Night Flight (Associated Press)

Man-Made Global Warming Started With Ancient Hunters (R&D Magazine)

Into the Great Green Beyond (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Clearwire to Launch Faster Service in Yakima Valley (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Baker City Data Center Job Requires Some Heavy Lifting (Baker City Herald, OR)

Editorial - The Price of Broadband Politics (NY Times)

Is Broadband a Basic Right? Finland Says Yes! (GigaOM)

Microsoft Hangs Up on Poor-Selling Kin Phones (Seattle Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Video Voters’ Guide – Meet the Candidates (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington State Income Tax Initiative Steps Closer to Ballot (Associated Press)

Builders Turn in 340,000 Signatures for Workers’ Comp Initiative (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Poll Points to Murray - Rossi Senate Showdown (KING-TV, Seattle)

Op/Ed - State Faces Fiscal Day of Reckoning for State Employee Contracts (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Pacific Northwest Drivers Using More Gasoline (Associated Press)

Portland Police Re-Opening Gore Investigation (Associated Press)

Snoqualmie Pass - Missing Hiker Found Dead With Dog Sitting at His Side (KING-TV, Seattle)

Washington State Sued over Exemption of British Columbia Residents from Sales Tax (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Oldest US Postal Worker Retires at 95

Put a Shine on That **** - Pampers Offers Designer-Brand Diapers

Prehistoric ‘Killer’ Sperm Whale Packed the Biggest Ever Bite (The Telegraph, UK)

Maggots Force Plane Back to Gate in Atlanta

SONG OF THE DAY

Joe Cocker - The Letter