Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 21, 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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The news digest is also available at the following web site:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Russia - Hydroelectric Power Plant Attacked in Caucasus (NY Times)

Bonneville Dam Completes $140 Million Makeover (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Port of Shelton Commission Ends Biomass Advisory Ballot Possibility - Commissioner Miles Starts Letter Campaign (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Logs Fly to Skokomish Fish Rescue - Logging Left River without Needed Trees (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Acidic Water No Surprise to Shellfish Growers (Olympian, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Russia - Hydroelectric Power Plant Attacked in Caucasus
·         Bonneville Dam Completes $140 Million Makeover
·         Montana - Governor at Turnbull Hydroelectric Project Ground Breaking
·         Over Okanogan PUD Case - Who Does McKenna Represent? Courts Will Consider
·         US Senator Murray Trying to License Nevada Waste Site
·         Snohomish PUD Seeks Public Input on Energy Resource Plan
·         Tennessee Valley Authority Will Raise Electricity Rates Again in August
·         Vermont Legislative Panel Releases Revised Nuke Report
·         New Mexico - Texas attorney plans to enter Socorro Electric Cooperative legal fray
·         Logs Fly to Skokomish Fish Rescue - Logging Left River without Needed Trees
·         Editorial - Good Columbia River Fish Runs This Year Deserve Better State Tourism Promotion
·         Canada - Promising Sockeye Run Looks Unlikely to Repeat 2009 Forecast Failure
·         Judge Halts Work on Removal of Rogue River Dam
·         Editorial - Acidic Water No Surprise to Shellfish Growers
·         Post Fall’s Lawsuit Blasts EPA Spokane River Cleanup Plan
·         $16 Million to Help Yakima River Basin Project
·         Rubberized Dam Breaks at Man-Made Arizona Lake
·         US to Consider Protection for Imperiled Whitebark Pine
·         Port of Shelton Commission Ends Biomass Advisory Ballot Possibility
·         Olympia Building & Trade Council Voices Support of ADAGE Biomass Power Plant Project
·         Washington Department of Natural Resources to Commission Forestry Biomass Supply Study
·         Biomass Conversion Topic of July 27 Richland Seminar
·         Editorial - Missing the Forest for the Trees: Biomass has a role to play in protecting forests & limiting carbon emissions
·         Op/Ed - Oregon Biomass Tax Credit: Change Is Upon Us
·         Op/eEd – Vermont: Clarifying Biomass vs. Coal Issue
·         North Carolina - ReVenture Biomass Plant Sparks Opposition
·         San Diego Gas & Electric Utility Wants to Invest in Montana Wind Farm
·         Wind Deal May Pose Problems for Consumers
·         Wind Farms Generating Energy & Jobs in Iowa
·         Washington State Takes on Shady Window Sellers
·         Companies, Green Groups Push for National Utility Efficiency Mandate
·         Home Star Teeters on the Edge
·         To Cut Greenhouse Gasses Fed Workers to be Urged to Commute, Travel Less
·         Carbon-Control Bill Faces Steep Hill in Senate
·         Squirrels Getting Fatter with Climate Change
·         Compost Dust-Up - Marysville Neighbors Fed Up With Rotten Stench
·         In Portland, Get a Permit before You Prune a Street Tree
·         Portland Set Jumpstart Electric-Car Future with New Policies
·         In a Climate Quest, the Roof as White Knight
·         With New Report, FCC Makes a Bid for Universal Broadband
·         Those Last Few Broadband Feet Can Cost You
·         Washington Budget-Cutting Ideas Pour into Website
·         King County Demands Millions from Merrill Lynch
·         Benton County Voters to Decide on County Seat
·         Audit Says Utah Overstating Four-Day Workweek Savings
·         Olympia Capitol Rotunda Closed After One-Pound Piece of Plaster Falls

WORD OF THE DAY

Cynical • \SIN-ick-cull\ • adjective - 1: captious, peevish 2: having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic: as a: contemptuously distrustful of human nature & motives b: based on or reflecting a belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest

Buster was grousing about his five-hour, no bathroom-break, coffee and doughnut fueled power supply meeting. “I don’t know why I go to these things,” he cynically muttered to his fresh-faced and still entranced companion. “I always go back to the ‘farm’ knowing that decisions have been made in advance, and this is just an entertaining dog and pony show.”

Word Origin - Dictionary.com: The Greek word kunikos, from which cynic comes, was originally an adjective meaning “doglike,” from kuōn, “dog.” The word was probably applied to the Cynic philosophers. The first use of the word recorded in English is in the plural for members of this philosophical sect. In 1596 we find the first instance of cynic meaning “faultfinder,” a sense that was to develop into our modern sense. The meaning “faultfinder” came naturally from the behavior of countless Cynics who in their pursuit of virtue pointed out the flaws in others. Such faultfinding could lead quite naturally to the belief associated with cynics of today that selfishness determines human behavior.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Russia - Hydroelectric Power Plant Attacked in Caucasus (NY Times)

Bonneville Dam Completes $140 Million Makeover (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

Montana - Governor at Turnbull Hydroelectric Project Ground Breaking (Choteau Acantha, MT)

Over Okanogan PUD Case - Who Does McKenna Represent? Courts Will Consider (Crosscut Seattle)

US Senator Murray Trying to License Nevada Waste Site (Associated Press)

Snohomish PUD Seeks Public Input on Energy Resource Plan (Snohomish County Business Journal, WA)

Tennessee Valley Authority Will Raise Electricity Rates Again in August (The Tennessean, Nashville)

Vermont Legislative Panel Releases Revised Nuke Report (Associated Press)

New Mexico - Texas attorney plans to enter Socorro Electric Cooperative legal fray (El Defensor Chieftain, Socorro, NM)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Logs Fly to Skokomish Fish Rescue - Logging Left River without Needed Trees (Olympian, WA)

Editorial - Good Columbia River Fish Runs This Year Deserve Better State Tourism Promotion (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

Canada - Promising Sockeye Run Looks Unlikely to Repeat 2009 Forecast Failure (The Province, Vancouver, BC)

Judge Halts Work on Removal of Rogue River Dam – Historical significance & permitting issues (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Editorial - Acidic Water No Surprise to Shellfish Growers (Olympian, WA)

Post Fall’s Lawsuit Blasts EPA Spokane River Cleanup Plan (Associated Press)

$16 Million to Help Yakima River Basin Project (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Rubberized Dam Breaks at Man-Made Arizona Lake (Associated Press)

US to Consider Protection for Imperiled Whitebark Pine - Found in harsh, high elevations of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, California, Nevada & western Canada (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port of Shelton Commission Ends Biomass Advisory Ballot Possibility - Commissioner Miles Starts Letter Campaign (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Olympia Building & Trade Council Voices Support of ADAGE Biomass Power Plant Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Washington Department of Natural Resources to Commission Forestry Biomass Supply Study (Brighter Energy)

Biomass Conversion Topic of July 27 Richland Seminar (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Editorial - Missing the Forest for the Trees: Biomass has a role to play in protecting forests & limiting carbon emissions (Mail Tribune, Medford, OR)

Op/Ed - Oregon Biomass Tax Credit: Change Is Upon Us (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Op/eEd – Vermont: Clarifying Biomass vs. Coal Issue (Burlington Free Press, VT)

North Carolina - ReVenture Biomass Plant Sparks Opposition (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)

San Diego Gas & Electric Utility Wants to Invest in Montana Wind Farm (Associated Press)

Wind Deal May Pose Problems for Consumers “…Power generated by the turbines in northern Montana won’t actually be delivered to California customers, but will instead go to Canada…” (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

Wind Farms Generating Energy & Jobs in Iowa (Politics Daily)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Washington State Takes on Shady Window Sellers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Companies, Green Groups Push for National Utility Efficiency Mandate (The Hill)

Home Star Teeters on the Edge (Grist Magazine)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

To Cut Greenhouse Gasses Fed Workers to be Urged to Commute, Travel Less (Associated Press)

Carbon-Control Bill Faces Steep Hill in Senate (Associated Press)

Squirrels Getting Fatter with Climate Change (Discovery - But will they still be able to climb utility poles!)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Compost Dust-Up - Marysville Neighbors Fed Up With Rotten Stench (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

In Portland, Get a Permit before You Prune a Street Tree - Or suffer the consequences (The Oregonian, Portland)

Portland Set Jumpstart Electric-Car Future with New Policies (The Oregonian, Portland)

In a Climate Quest, the Roof as White Knight (NY Times)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

With New Report, FCC Makes a Bid for Universal Broadband (GigaOM)

Those Last Few Broadband Feet Can Cost You - Rural Massachusetts man irked at having to pay $12,000 for cable broadband install (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Budget-Cutting Ideas Pour into Website (Associated Press)

King County Demands Millions from Merrill Lynch - Claims Merrill Lynch sold $100 million of “illiquid junk” & “toxic” assets backed by subprime mortgages as safe investments (Courthouse News Service)

Benton County Voters to Decide on County Seat (Associated Press)

Audit Says Utah Overstating Four-Day Workweek Savings (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Olympia Capitol Rotunda Closed After One-Pound Piece of Plaster Falls (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Dude, It’s Raining Weed - Family Finds Drugs on Roof, Authorities Investigating Plane Crash

Laptop Accidentally Sold for $5 at Thrift Store

Suspect Bragged He’s in Images, Police Say – Now His ‘Image’ Is a Mug Shot

Now THIS is the Absolute Definition of Irony - Heart-Attack Victim Saved By Pizza Man

SONG OF THE DAY

The Stampeders - Sweet City Woman (This song has perhaps my favorite line: “…she feeds me love and tenderness…and macaroons…”)