Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Energy News Digest for March 1, 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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Jefferson County PUD Logs $1-Million-Plus In Expenses To Transfer Power Authority (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Study: Lodgepole Pine Gone From Pacific Northwest By 2080 (Associated Press)

Record Run Expected For “Wild” Fall Chinook to Snake (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

New Federal Air Pollution Regulations A Challenge For Nippon Paper Mill (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Congressional District Shuffle To Begin In Washington State (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Jefferson County PUD Logs $1-Million-Plus In Expenses To Transfer Power Authority
·         Late Afternoon Fizz: Gutted TransAlta Bill Passes Senate Committee
·         Wenatchee - Alcoa Aims To Fire Up Third Potline By Tuesday
·         Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Electric Revenue Bonds 'AA'; Outlook Stable
·         Kimberly Harris Becomes New Puget Sound Energy Chief Executive Officer
·         Portland General Electric Earnings Up 32 Percent In 2010
·         Ghouls Rush In – San Francisco Woman Gets A Year For Posing As Natural Gas Blast Victim
·         Indiana Regulators Won't Probe Duke Energy
·         Tennessee Valley Authority Dives Deep In Nuclear Ventures, But Critics Worried
·         New Study from Texas Coalition for Affordable Power: $15.5 Billion in Excess Electric Costs under Texas Electric Deregulation
·         $2 Billion Power Line Project From West Virginia To Maryland Suspended
·         Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers
·         Dangerous Crime: Tampering With Electric Meters
·         Record Run Expected For “Wild” Fall Chinook to Snake
·         Strong River Runs Expected For Pink Salmon
·         Sea Lions Feast On Sturgeon at Bonneville Dam
·         Bodi Named Bonneville Power’s Vice-President For Environment, Fish, Wildlife
·         Wash. Legislature Poised To Get Tougher With Shellfish Operators
·         Washington State House Passes Limit On Phosphorus In Fertilizers
·         Does the Southwest Face a Mega-Drought?
·         Low-Flow Toilets Cause A Stink In San Francisco
·         New Federal Air Pollution Regulations A Challenge For Nippon Paper Mill
·         University Of British Columbia Gets $11.2 Million To Advance Bioenergy Project
·         Idaho Officials Pushing For Geothermal Energy
·         Native American Groups Sue To Stop Solar Projects
·         A Solar Power Struggle in Town and
·         Renewable Energy Costs in Michigan Lower than First Anticipated
·         Wind Farms and Deadly Skies
·         Netherlands - Lack Of Wind Hits Wind Energy Production
·         Op/Ed – Wind Isn't Cheap; Just Look At Denmark
·         Op/Ed - As The Power Bill Rises, Invest In Electricity Saving Measures
·         Oregon - Groups Seek Support Of Efficiency Legislation
·         Penguin Windows Plans Chapter 11 Reorganization
·         Energy Conservation, The Power of Knowledge
·         Study: Lodgepole Pine Gone From Pacific Northwest By 2080
·         “Climategate” E-Mails Rear Their Ugly Heads – Again
·         Google Backs Weather Insurance Startup For Farmers
·         A Monkey-Wrenching Environmentalist Goes on Trial in Utah
·         Around the States: California Legislation, Offshore Wind Incentives, Montana Republicans
·         Spread Wireless Technology for a Shared Future
·         Google Mistakenly Resets An Estimated 150,000 Gmail Accounts
·         Qwest: Settlement Reached In Suit Over CenturyLink
·         Congressional District Shuffle To Begin In Washington
·         Oregon Congressman Wu Says He Was Hospitalized In 2008 For Reaction To Mental-Health
·         Shelton Port Commissioner Miles Arrested for DUI
·         Boeing Already Looking For Tanker
·         Limits On Library E-Books Stir Controversy
·         Say Goodbye To Mercury Thermometers

WORD OF THE DAY

Cuspidor \KUSS-puh-dor\ noun - A receptacle for spit : spittoon

“Look,” exclaimed the excited bullfighting enthusiast. “Here comes the matador, picador, and the corporate sponsor’s cuspidor?” Apparently the inclusion of a new sponsor at the event, the local chewing tobacco vendor, had not gone over well with the fans.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson County PUD Logs $1-Million-Plus In Expenses To Transfer Power Authority (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Late Afternoon Fizz: Gutted TransAlta Bill Passes Senate Committee (Publicola)

Wenatchee - Alcoa Aims To Fire Up Third Potline By Tuesday (Wenatchee World, WA)

Fitch Rates Energy Northwest Electric Revenue Bonds 'AA'; Outlook Stable (Business Wire)

Kimberly Harris Becomes New Puget Sound Energy Chief Executive Officer (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Portland General Electric Earnings Up 32 Percent In 2010 (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Ghouls Rush In – San Francisco Woman Gets A Year For Posing As Natural Gas Blast Victim (SF Chronicle, CA)

Indiana Regulators Won't Probe Duke Energy (Triangle Business Journal)

Tennessee Valley Authority Dives Deep In Nuclear Ventures, But Critics Worried (Tennessean, Nashville, TN)

New Study from Texas Coalition for Affordable Power: $15.5 Billion in Excess Electric Costs under Texas Electric Deregulation (Electric Energy Online)

$2 Billion Power Line Project From West Virginia To Maryland Suspended – Due to economic forecasts of weaker-than-expected demand (Associated Press)

Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers (NY Times)

Dangerous Crime: Tampering With Electric Meters (Farm & Dairy)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Record Run Expected For “Wild” Fall Chinook to Snake (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Strong River Runs Expected For Pink Salmon (Olympian, WA)

Sea Lions Feast On Sturgeon at Bonneville Dam (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

Bodi Named Bonneville Power’s Vice-President For Environment, Fish, Wildlife (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Wash. Legislature Poised To Get Tougher With Shellfish Operators (Northwest Public Radio)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State House Passes Limit On Phosphorus In Fertilizers (Associated Press)

Does the Southwest Face a Mega-Drought? (NY Times)

Low-Flow Toilets Cause A Stink In San Francisco – Not enough oomph to move the waste through ((SF Chronicle, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

New Federal Air Pollution Regulations A Challenge For Nippon Paper Mill (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

University Of British Columbia Gets $11.2 Million To Advance Bioenergy Project (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Idaho Officials Pushing For Geothermal Energy (Associated Press)

Native American Groups Sue To Stop Solar Projects (Associated Press)

A Solar Power Struggle in Town and Country (Renewable Energy World)

Renewable Energy Costs in Michigan Lower than First Anticipated as A 2015 Mandate Approaches (Muskegon Chronicle, MI – Yes, but take a look at the cost per megawatt hour in the table…YIKES!)

Wind Farms and Deadly Skies - Turbines on Texas Coast Killing Thousands of Birds, Bats Each Year (San Antonio Express News, TX)

Netherlands - Lack Of Wind Hits Wind Energy Production (Dutch News)

Op/Ed – Wind Isn't Cheap; Just Look At Denmark (Virginia Pilot, Hampton Roads, VA)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Op/Ed - As The Power Bill Rises, Invest In Electricity Saving Measures (Longview Daily News, WA)

Oregon - Groups Seek Support Of Efficiency Legislation (Sustainable Business Oregon)

Penguin Windows Plans Chapter 11 Reorganization (Seattle Times, WA)

Energy Conservation, The Power of Knowledge - With new monitors, homeowners can keep track of their electricity use in real time. It can make all the difference (Wall Street Journal)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study: Lodgepole Pine Gone From Pacific Northwest By 2080 (Associated Press)

“Climategate” E-Mails Rear Their Ugly Heads – Again (Reuters)

Google Backs Weather Insurance Startup For Farmers (MSNBC)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

A Monkey-Wrenching Environmentalist Goes on Trial in Utah (Time Magazine)

Around the States: California Legislation, Offshore Wind Incentives, Montana Republicans (IB Times, UK)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Spread Wireless Technology for a Shared Future (Seattle Times, WA)

Google Mistakenly Resets An Estimated 150,000 Gmail Accounts (Consumerist)

Qwest: Settlement Reached In Suit Over CenturyLink Merger (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Congressional District Shuffle To Begin In Washington State (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Oregon Congressman Wu Says He Was Hospitalized In 2008 For Reaction To Mental-Health Drug (Oregonian, Portland, OR)

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Port Commissioner Miles Arrested for DUI (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Boeing Already Looking For Tanker Workers (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Limits On Library E-Books Stir Controversy (Christian Science Monitor)

Say Goodbye To Mercury Thermometers (Seattle Times, WA)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Crying Toddler Gets Stuck In Bank Vault

The Patron Saint Of … What? The Internet May Soon Have A New Patron: Saint Isidore Of Seville

Royal Wedding Sick Bags Making A Splash

Tree-Planting World Record Set In Philippines

SONG OF THE DAY

Three Dog Night - Out In The Country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ1tF6LgB40