Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Energy News Digest for November 9, 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

Bonneville Power Administration Shrinks Wholesale Rate Hike Request (iStock Analyst)

California - Senior Pacific Gas & Electric Director Admits Snooping On SmartMeter Critics (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Duke Fires Indiana President, Ex-Regulator in Fallout from Ethics Scandal - Utility had outside firm investigate its Indiana president, ex-regulator (Indianapolis Star, IN)

Alaska - Bycatch of King Salmon Upset Sport Fishermen: 59,000 were caught unintentionally by pollock trawlers (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

Snow Forecast for Olympics & Cascades (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration Shrinks Wholesale Rate Hike Request
·         Chelan PUD Rate Increase Approved
·         Hearings Begin on Montana-Dakota Utilities' North Dakota Ten Percent Electric Rate Rise
·         Thompson Metal Ships Parts for Locks at Snake River Dam
·         Montana - Electric City Power's Fate Still in the Air
·         California - Senior Pacific Gas & Electric Director Admits Snooping On SmartMeter Critics
·         California - Proposed Pacific Gas & Electric Billing Change Puts Pressure on Marin Energy Authority
·         Duke Fires Indiana President, Ex-Regulator in Fallout from Ethics Scandal
·         Kansas Governor Defends Actions in Coal-Burning Power Plant Controversy
·         Washington, DC - Power Players Still Split on Energy
·         US Department of Energy Head Faces Grueling Year of Budget Battles, Oversight Hearings
·         Can Solar Power Lead to Blackouts?
·         German Nuclear Waste Shipment Complete
·         Alaska - Bycatch of King Salmon Upset Sport Fishermen
·         Bull Trout Redd Survey Shows Average in Flathead River, Sharp Decline in Swan River Drainage
  • “The Greatest Migration” Gives WA New View of Endangered Salmon
·         Salmon at Rocky Reach Dam - Grace Behind Glass
·         Scientists: Beak Deformities Increase in Pacific Northwest
·         Oregon - Threatened Butterfly, Plant May Mean Trouble for Yamhill County
·         Protects in Case of Leak - Free Pollution Liability Insurance Available from State for Residents Who Heat with Oil
  • Oregon Department of Land Conservation & Development Examines Rules for Big Solar
·         Micro Projects Seek To Harness Existing Hydropower Sources
·         Op/Ed - EPA Biomass Rule Threatens Economy
·         Ohio - Will Wind Farms Provide Economic Boost?
·         Maine - Protesters Arrested at Lincoln Wind Farm
·         Green Lantern: Geothermal Power Offers Hope for a Clean Energy Future
·         Researchers Make Gains in Learning About Power-generating Windows
·         Vice-President Biden Unveils Plan to Score Homes for Energy Efficiency
·         Energy Efficiency: Real Estate's Next Granite Counter Top?
·         Vampire Power Is Scary All Year Round
·         Republican Lawmaker Wants To Keep Global Warming Committee
·         A Carbon Tax Emerges Among the Ideas to Reduce the Federal Deficit
·         The Montreal Protocol - A Novel Tactic in Climate Fight Gains Some Traction
·         Cheap or Clean? The Energy Dilemma
·         Obama May Kill Key Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program
·         Study Says Biofuel Worse for Climate than Fossil Fuel
·         Portland: One of the World's Ten Greenest Cities
·         Microsoft Places Big Bets on New Smartphone
·         US Wireless Industry to Generate $54 Billion This Year
·         Web Browser Pioneer Backs New Way to Surf Internet
·         Google's Free Wi-Fi Extends to the Sky, on Planes
·         Meet Google’s Evangelist Army
·         Integra Settles with Qwest/CenturyLink
·         Rackspace Hosting’s Third Quarter Net Income Jumps 55 Percent to $11.8 Million
·         $1,595 to Chat with FCC about Telecom
·         Europe Takes Up Debate on Universal Internet Access
  • Washington Senate Democrats Re-Elect Lisa Brown as Leader
·         Clark Public Utilities - Barnes’ Lead for Utility Board Position Grows by 25 Votes
·         Too Much Money in Politics? Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
·         City of Shelton Clears another Audit without a Finding
·         Public’s Right to Know is Topic of Olympia Forum
·         Women's Suffrage Anniversary: 'They Agreed To Share Power'
·         Snow Forecast for Olympics & Cascades
·         Get Ready For a La NiƱa Winter -- It's Just Around the Corner
·         Washington State Proposes 12 Percent Workers' Comp Rate Hike
·         Losing Candy Tax Will Leave $31 Million Budget Cavity
·         Worried by Thieves, Medical Marijuana Growers Protect Crops with Booby Traps & Weapons

WORD OF THE DAY

Immure • \im-YUR\ • Verb - 1a: To enclose within or as if within walls b: imprison 2: to build into a wall; especially: to entomb in a wall

Inure • \inn-YUR\ • Verb - To accustom to accept something undesirable

Derwood realized after the first bomb fell that he would be immured in his plush, underground fallout shelter for the foreseeable future. He also recognized that he would become inured to a long-term diet of pork and beans…you know, the ones with the little square of pork fat. Yum!

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Bonneville Power Administration Shrinks Wholesale Rate Hike Request (iStock Analyst)

Chelan PUD Rate Increase Approved (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Hearings Begin on Montana-Dakota Utilities' North Dakota Ten Percent Electric Rate Rise (Associated Press)

Thompson Metal Ships Parts for Locks at Snake River Dam (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Montana - Electric City Power's Fate Still in the Air (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

California - Senior Pacific Gas & Electric Director Admits Snooping On SmartMeter Critics (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

California - Proposed Pacific Gas & Electric Billing Change Puts Pressure on Marin Energy Authority (Marin Independent Journal, CA)

Duke Fires Indiana President, Ex-Regulator in Fallout from Ethics Scandal - Utility had outside firm investigate its Indiana president, ex-regulator (Indianapolis Star, IN)

Kansas Governor Defends Actions in Coal-Burning Power Plant Controversy – Top Environmental Staffer Leaves State Government (Lawrence Journal-World, KS)

Washington, DC - Power Players Still Split on Energy (Politico)

US Department of Energy Head Faces Grueling Year of Budget Battles, Oversight Hearings (NY Times)

Can Solar Power Lead to Blackouts? (Time Magazine)

German Nuclear Waste Shipment Complete (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Alaska - Bycatch of King Salmon Upset Sport Fishermen: 59,000 were caught unintentionally by pollock trawlers (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

Bull Trout Redd Survey Shows Average in Flathead River, Sharp Decline in Swan River Drainage (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

“The Greatest Migration” Gives WA New View of Endangered Salmon (Lake Stevens Journal, WA)

Salmon at Rocky Reach Dam - Grace Behind Glass (High Country News)

Scientists: Beak Deformities Increase in Pacific Northwest (USA Today)

Oregon - Threatened Butterfly, Plant May Mean Trouble for Yamhill County (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Protects in Case of Leak - Free Pollution Liability Insurance Available from State for Residents Who Heat with Oil (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Department of Land Conservation & Development Examines Rules for Big Solar (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Micro Projects Seek To Harness Existing Hydropower Sources (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Op/Ed - EPA Biomass Rule Threatens Economy (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, MA)

Ohio - Will Wind Farms Provide Economic Boost? (WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH)

Maine - Protesters Arrested at Lincoln Wind Farm (Portland Press-Herald, ME)

Green Lantern: Geothermal Power Offers Hope for a Clean Energy Future (Washington Post)

Researchers Make Gains in Learning About Power-generating Windows (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Vice-President Biden Unveils Plan to Score Homes for Energy Efficiency (USA Today)

Energy Efficiency: Real Estate's Next Granite Counter Top? (Renewable Energy World)

Vampire Power Is Scary All Year Round (ECN Magazine)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Republican Lawmaker Wants To Keep Global Warming Committee (Associated Press)

A Carbon Tax Emerges Among the Ideas to Reduce the Federal Deficit (NY Times)

The Montreal Protocol - A Novel Tactic in Climate Fight Gains Some Traction (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Cheap or Clean? The Energy Dilemma (NY Times)

Obama May Kill Key Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program (Renewable Energy World)

Study Says Biofuel Worse for Climate than Fossil Fuel (Reuters)

Portland: One of the World's Ten Greenest Cities (Sustainable Business Oregon)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft Places Big Bets on New Smartphone (NY Times)

US Wireless Industry to Generate $54 Billion This Year (Broadband Reports)

Web Browser Pioneer Backs New Way to Surf Internet (Seattle Times)

Google's Free Wi-Fi Extends to the Sky, on Planes (Seattle Times)

Meet Google’s Evangelist Army (GigaOM)

Integra Settles with Qwest/CenturyLink (Portland Business Journal)

Rackspace Hosting’s Third Quarter Net Income Jumps 55 Percent to $11.8 Million (Associated Press)

$1,595 to Chat with FCC about Telecom - Entry bar for telecom discourse remains absurdly high (Broadband Reports)

Europe Takes Up Debate on Universal Internet Access (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Senate Democrats Re-Elect Lisa Brown as Leader (Associated Press)

Clark Public Utilities - Barnes’ Lead for Utility Board Position Grows by 25 Votes (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Too Much Money in Politics? Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Associated Press)

City of Shelton Clears another Audit without a Finding (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Public’s Right to Know is Topic of Olympia Forum (Olympian, WA)

Women's Suffrage Anniversary: 'They Agreed To Share Power' (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

Snow Forecast for Olympics & Cascades (Associated Press)

Get Ready For a La NiƱa Winter -- It's Just Around the Corner (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Washington State Proposes 12 Percent Workers' Comp Rate Hike (Associated Press – Interesting Timing…)

Losing Candy Tax Will Leave $31 Million Budget Cavity (Everett Herald, WA)

Seattle Mayor Convenes Pot Summit (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Worried by Thieves, Medical Marijuana Growers Protect Crops with Booby Traps & Weapons (Oregonian, Portland)

DIVERSIONS

Facebook Status Leads to Eight Arrests in Lewis County

Old White Guy Boards Jet, Arrives In British Columbia as Young Asian

Paper-Eating Pooch Gobbles Soccer Club's Cash

Man burning ex-girlfriend photos starts fire

SONG OF THE DAY

Bruce Springsteen – I’m on Fire