Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Energy News Digest for November 2, 2010

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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

Tidewater Barge Company to Lay Off 200 for 3 Months - Cuts correspond with shutdown of Columbia River locks (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling Seeks New Trial in Houston Appeal (USA Today)

Pacific Gas & Electric Suspends Wave-Energy Project Off California Coast (SF Chronicle)

Port Angeles City Council to Raise Electricity, Other Rates Tonight (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Montana – Great Falls City Electrical Utility Offers Customers to NorthWestern (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Storm Packs Heavy Rains, Sets New Rainfall Record (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Port Angeles City Council to Raise Electricity, Other Rates Tonight
·         Montana – Great Falls City Electrical Utility Offers Customers to NorthWestern
·         Mason PUD 3 Tree Trimming on Grapeview Loop Rd begins November 8
·         Idaho Court OKs Highway 12 Mega-Loads for Petroleum Company
·         Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling Seeks New Trial in Houston Appeal
·         Can a Volcano Spawn Salmon?
·         Deer Overpopulation Taking Economic Toll
·         Tidewater Barge Company to Lay Off 200 for 3 Month
·         Decision by Ecology Leads Battle Ground to Scrap Sewer Facility
·         Editorial - High Court Backs Municipal Water Law
·         Help Available to Clean Up Arsenic from North Everett Yards
·         Pacific Gas & Electric Suspends Wave-Energy Project Off California Coast
·         Energy from the Ocean & Tides Starting to Look Promising
·         New Hampshire - Tidal Power: Making Waves in Alternative Energy
·         Vestas Gets Order for Wind Turbines in Idaho
·         Oregon Governor to Sign Renewable Energy Education Agreement with Iraq
·         Catch & Hold the Power of the Wild Wind in Your Own Home
·         Minnesota - Pipestone Wind-Turbine Factory Idled; 110 Layoffs
·         Tribe Fights Giant Mojave Desert Solar Energy Project
·         Oil Lobby in Legal Threat to North Sea Wind Farms
·         Op/Ed – British Columbia Biomass: From Waste to Watts
·         Sorghum to Electricity? Heppner Biomass Co-Op Leads Nation in Size
·         Virginia - Wood-Fired Power Facility Moving Forward in Halifax County
·         Study Details Trade-Off Between Growing Crops, Climate Change
·         Electric Concept Car - Do you plug it in or wind it up?
·         Generators OK’d at Microsoft Data Center in Quincy
·         Political Calls Jam Comcast System in New England
·         Google Sues Interior Department over E-Mail Bid Request
·         Chrome Continues to Eat Away at IE, Firefox in October
·         Blekko Launches Human-Driven Search Engine
·         Editorial - What an Unregulated Internet Looks Like
·         Time Warner Continues Legal Assault on Community Fiber
·         Mason County Ballots Due Tuesday (sic)
·         Hot Issues, Close Races Expected to Drive Strong Turnout
·         A State-by-State Glance at Tuesday’s Election
·         Olympia: State settles lawsuit with Master Builders over Campaign Finance Disclosure
·         State Revenue Director to Leave for Private Sector
·         Storm Packs Heavy Rains, Sets New Rainfall Record
·         Rain Causes Minor Flooding on Skokomish River in Mason County
·         Shots Fired in US 101 Road Rage Incident - Two men in jail after incident Sunday night
·         Lewis County Air Crash - Deputies Remove Airplane, Three Bodies
·         City of Shelton Releases Preliminary Budget for 2011
·         New Grays Harbor Plant at Satsop (PRON: SAT-SUP) Will Employ 150
·         Woman Who Hit Pedestrians Outside a Seattle Bar Blew a .30
·         Couple Finds Someone Living in Their Home-to-Be

WORD OF THE DAY

Incognito • \inn-cog-KNEE-toe\ • Adverb or Adjective - With one’s identity concealed

“Well,” sighed the flame throwing candidate for political office, “I guess I’ll have to be incognito for a few months after losing THAT bruising campaign.” “What hotel?” chirped his dimwitted campaign manager.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Port Angeles City Council to Raise Electricity, Other Rates Tonight (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Montana – Great Falls City Electrical Utility Offers Customers to NorthWestern (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Mason PUD 3 Tree Trimming on Grapeview Loop Rd begins November 8 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Idaho Court OKs Highway 12 Mega-Loads for Petroleum Company (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling Seeks New Trial in Houston Appeal (USA Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Can a Volcano Spawn Salmon? (KUOW Radio, Seattle)

Deer Overpopulation Taking Economic Toll (Washington Post)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Tidewater Barge Company to Lay Off 200 for 3 Months - Cuts correspond with shutdown of Columbia River locks (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Decision by Ecology Leads Battle Ground to Scrap Sewer Facility - Mayor upset at agency, says $780K was wasted (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Editorial - High Court Backs Municipal Water Law (Seattle Times)

Help Available to Clean Up Arsenic from North Everett Yards - North Everett residents can tap into a $34 million fund to remove soil contaminated with heavy metals by the now-closed Asarco smelter (Everett Herald, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Pacific Gas & Electric Suspends Wave-Energy Project Off California Coast (SF Chronicle)

Energy from the Ocean & Tides Starting to Look Promising (Renewable Energy World)

New Hampshire - Tidal Power: Making Waves in Alternative Energy (Laconia Citizen, NH)

Vestas Gets Order for Wind Turbines in Idaho (Associated Press)

Oregon Governor to Sign Renewable Energy Education Agreement with Iraq (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Catch & Hold the Power of the Wild Wind in Your Own Home (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Minnesota - Pipestone Wind-Turbine Factory Idled; 110 Layoffs: US demand for wind power sits becalmed for now (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

Tribe Fights Giant Mojave Desert Solar Energy Project (Courthouse News Service)

Oil Lobby in Legal Threat to North Sea Wind Farms - Trade body Oil & Gas UK claims energy policy must uphold drilling rights over offshore wind farms (The Guardian, UK)

Op/Ed – British Columbia Biomass: From Waste to Watts (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Sorghum to Electricity? Heppner Biomass Co-Op Leads Nation in Size (KATU TV, Portland, OR)

Virginia - Wood-Fired Power Facility Moving Forward in Halifax County (Gazette-Virginian, South Boston, VA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study Details Trade-Off Between Growing Crops, Climate Change (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Concept Car - Do you plug it in or wind it up? (Everett Herald, WA)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Generators OK’d at Microsoft Data Center in Quincy (Associated Press)

Political Calls Jam Comcast System in New England (Associated Press)

Google Sues Interior Department over E-Mail Bid Request (Associated Press)

Chrome Continues to Eat Away at IE, Firefox in October (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Blekko Launches Human-Driven Search Engine (Associated Press)

Editorial - What an Unregulated Internet Looks Like (SF Chronicle)

Time Warner Continues Legal Assault on Community Fiber - City of Wilson: “we’ll constantly be in court with Time Warner” (Broadband Reports)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Ballots Due Tuesday (sic) (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Hot Issues, Close Races Expected to Drive Strong Turnout (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

A State-by-State Glance at Tuesday’s Election (Associated Press)

Olympia: State settles lawsuit with Master Builders over Campaign Finance Disclosure (Associated Press)

State Revenue Director to Leave for Private Sector - Cindi Holmstrom’s Six-year term longest in 35 years (Olympian, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Storm Packs Heavy Rains, Sets New Rainfall Record (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Rain Causes Minor Flooding on Skokomish River in Mason County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Shots Fired In US 101 Road Rage Incident - Two Men in Jail After Incident Sunday Night (Olympian, WA)

Lewis County Air Crash - Deputies Remove Airplane, Three Bodies (Associated Press)

City of Shelton Releases Preliminary Budget for 2011 (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

New Grays Harbor Plant at Satsop (PRON: SAT-SUP) Will Employ 150 (Associated Press)

Woman Who Hit Pedestrians Outside a Seattle Bar Blew a .30 (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Couple Finds Someone Living in Their Home-to-Be (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

DIVERSIONS

Chapter 11 shocker! National Enquirer publisher to reorganize.

Humongous Sinkhole Opens Up in Germany

Big Chicken Vote on Wednesday in Bremerton

Movember: When Men Stop Shaving for a Cause

SONG OF THE DAY

Elvis - Way Down