Thursday, February 17, 2011

Energy News Digest for February 17, 2011

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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Feinstein Says GOP Bill Would Halt Renewable Energy Projects (Associated Press)

In Pacific Northwest, a Clash over a Coal Operation (NY Times)

Opponents Square Off in Legislature over Washington State’s Coal-Fired Plant (Associated Press)

Qwest, CenturyLink Expect Merger by April 1 (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan Up for Review (Seattle Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         In Pacific Northwest, a Clash over a Coal Operation
·         Opponents Square Off in Legislature over Washington State’s Coal-Fired Plant
·         Jobs & Revenue from Mason PUD 3 Project - Port of Shelton Contracts with Rushforth Construction
·         Chelan PUD Cuts Trim Year’s Loss to $19.9 Million
·         Franklin PUD Warns of Check Scam
·         Seattle City Light: More Than 200 Contact-Voltage Incidents Found
·         Mason PUD 3 Tree Trimming on Mission Creek Road- Project Begins February 28
·         Benton PUD Board Names New Officers
·         Seattle City Light Resumes Diablo Lake Tours
·         Avista Corp. Completes New $400 Million Line of Credit
·         News Release – Portland General Electric & BPA Agree to Discuss Mutual Interests in Transmission Projects
·         And the (Snohomish) PUD Linemen…Are Still on the Line
·         Report: Texans Overpay for Electricity - Study Blasts Deregulation, Power Grid Operator
·         Obama Would Triple Guarantees for Nuclear Reactors
·         Energy Department Wants Natural Gas at Hanford
·         Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan Up for Review
·         Op/Ed - Protecting Salmon from Sea Lions
·         Sea Lice Spreading from Farmed Salmon to Fraser River Sockeye, Study Finds
·         Cattlemen Sue Fish & Wildlife over Gray Wolves
·         Birders Prepare for Count Mindful of Mass Die-Offs
·         Grays Harbor Officials Vote Down Flood District
·         Proposed Bill Would Require Washington State to Maintain Capitol Lake as a Lake
·         Conservation groups put up $9.4-million to save Flathead Valley
·         Feinstein Says GOP Bill Would Halt Renewable Energy Projects
·         Oregon Governor Announces Biomass Grant Program
·         California Biomass Plants Absorb Huge Air Pollution Fines
·         California - Redding Cancels Power Deal; Wood-Based Generator Stuck in Legal Battle
·         Oregon Wave Energy Trust Launches Commercialization Program
·         Wind Industry Group Opposes Federal Guidelines to Protect Birds
·         Staying Put? Iberdrola to Portland: “No Promises”
·         Philips 60-Watt LED Replacement Bulb Earns Energy Star Label
·         Tennessee Valley Authority TVA Rate Change a Signal to Conserve
·         Soaking Up the Sun to Squeeze Bills to Zero
·         Extreme Rain & Snow Events Linked to Global Warming, Study Finds
·         Thousands Wrongly Claimed Electric Car Tax Credit
·         Austin Is Awesome, Plans $50-Per-Year Electric Car Charging
·         Greenest Cars? Not All Are Electric or Hybrids
·         Qwest, CenturyLink Expect Merger by April 1
·         Data Seen Overwhelming Cell Networks
·         Drumming Up More Addresses on the Internet
·         Video Calling Ready to Take Leap into Mainstream
·         Egypt Leaders Found ‘Off’ Switch for Internet
·         Washington State’s Legal Notice Bill Gets a Hearing
·         Washington State Lawmakers Consider Cutting Presidential Primary
·         Murray, Smith Seek to End Automatic Pay Raises in Congress
·         The Snow: Light So Far & Mixed with Rain
·         Winter Storms Prompt Gregoire to Declare Emergency in 17 Counties, Including Mason
·         Flood Victims Worry as Army Corp of Engineers Faces Huge Cut
·         Mason County Residents Fight Rising Property Taxes
·         Theft: Copper Thieves Targeting Mid-Columbia Farms

WORD OF THE DAY

Tautology • \tot-TALL-uh-jee\ • Noun - 1: Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy 2: An empty or vacuous statement composed of simpler statements in a fashion that makes it logically true whether the simpler statements are factually true or false; for example, the statement Either it will rain tomorrow or it will not rain tomorrow.

“My building is a work of art, and it represents the art of building” drawled the street corner architect in his daily tautological missive…between frequent drags on his “Camel” unfiltered cigarette.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

In Pacific Northwest, a Clash over a Coal Operation (NY Times)

Opponents Square Off in Legislature over Washington State’s Coal-Fired Plant (Associated Press)

Jobs & Revenue from Mason PUD 3 Project - Port of Shelton Contracts with Rushforth Construction (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Chelan PUD Cuts Trim Year’s Loss to $19.9 Million - Market prices for energy continue well below average (Wenatchee World, WA)

Franklin PUD Warns of Check Scam (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Seattle City Light: More Than 200 Contact-Voltage Incidents Found (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Mason PUD 3 Tree Trimming on Mission Creek Road- Project Begins February 28 (Mason County PUD No. 3

Benton PUD Board Names New Officers (Tri-City Herald, WA)

Seattle City Light Resumes Diablo Lake Tours (Associated Press)

Avista Corp. Completes New $400 Million Line of Credit (Yahoo! Finance)

News Release – Portland General Electric & BPA Agree to Discuss Mutual Interests in Transmission Projects (BusinessWire)

And the (Snohomish) PUD Linemen…Are Still on the Line (Everett Herald, WA)

Report: Texans Overpay for Electricity - Study Blasts Deregulation, Power Grid Operator (NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, TX)

Obama Would Triple Guarantees for Nuclear Reactors (Bloomberg)

Energy Department Wants Natural Gas at Hanford (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan Up for Review (Seattle Times)

Op/Ed - Protecting Salmon from Sea Lions (Othello Outlook, WA)

Sea Lice Spreading from Farmed Salmon to Fraser River Sockeye, Study Finds (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Cattlemen Sue Fish & Wildlife over Gray Wolves (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Birders Prepare for Count Mindful of Mass Die-Offs (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Grays Harbor Officials Vote Down Flood District (Associated Press)

Proposed Bill Would Require Washington State to Maintain Capitol Lake as a Lake - Estuary Debate Lands in House (Olympian, WA)

Conservation groups put up $9.4-million to save Flathead Valley (Globe & Mail, Canada)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Feinstein Says GOP Bill Would Halt Renewable Energy Projects (Associated Press)

Oregon Governor Announces Biomass Grant Program (Sustainable Business Oregon)

California Biomass Plants Absorb Huge Air Pollution Fines (Tri-City Herald, WA)

California - Redding Cancels Power Deal; Wood-Based Generator Stuck in Legal Battle (Redding Record Searchlight, CA)

Oregon Wave Energy Trust Launches Commercialization Program (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Wind Industry Group Opposes Federal Guidelines to Protect Birds (Penn Energy)

Staying Put? Iberdrola to Portland: “No Promises” (Sustainable Business Oregon)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Philips 60-Watt LED Replacement Bulb Earns Energy Star Label (ZD-Net News)

Tennessee Valley Authority TVA Rate Change a Signal to Conserve (Decatur Daily News, AL)

Soaking Up the Sun to Squeeze Bills to Zero

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Extreme Rain & Snow Events Linked to Global Warming, Study Finds (Christian Science Monitor)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Thousands Wrongly Claimed Electric Car Tax Credit - About $33 Million in Credits Erroneously Claimed (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Austin Is Awesome, Plans $50-Per-Year Electric Car Charging (Wonkette – Note the possibility of PG-13 content in comments section)

Greenest Cars? Not All Are Electric or Hybrids (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest, CenturyLink Expect Merger by April 1 (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Data Seen Overwhelming Cell Networks (NY Times)

Drumming Up More Addresses on the Internet (NY Times)

Video Calling Ready to Take Leap into Mainstream (NY Times)

Egypt Leaders Found ‘Off’ Switch for Internet (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State’s Legal Notice Bill Gets a Hearing (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Washington State Lawmakers Consider Cutting Presidential Primary (Associated Press)

Murray, Smith Seek to End Automatic Pay Raises in Congress (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

GENERAL NEWS

The Snow: Light So Far & Mixed with Rain (Seattle Times)

Winter Storms Prompt Gregoire to Declare Emergency in 17 Counties, Including Mason (Associated Press)

Flood Victims Worry as Army Corp of Engineers Faces Huge Cut (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Mason County Residents Fight Rising Property Taxes (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Theft: Copper Thieves Targeting Mid-Columbia Farms (Tri-City Herald, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Computer Wins on ‘Jeopardy!’: Trivial, It’s Not

“Ax Men” Reality Actor Pleads Not Guilty to L&I Theft

10 Meals You Can Make in a Coffeemaker

Iowa store chain fights Subway over ‘footlong’

SONG OF THE DAY

The Police - Rehumanize Yourself (from the album “Ghost in the Machine”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxESvUdIUuE