Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Energy News Digest for March 22, 2011

Golly, sand DOES get everywhere when you visit the beach. The news digest is back and still getting some of those gritty grains out of mysterious places.

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

California Cap-And-Trade Plan Faces Setback (Reuters)

Pacific Northwest Water Supply Forecast Gets Big Jump, April-Sept. Runoff Now Projected at 104 Percent of Normal (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Vermont Nuke Plant Gets Federal OK for 20-Year Renewal (USA Today)

Washington State Data Center Tax Break May be Extended (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Idaho - Friction Grows over Wind Power: Idaho Power Wants Moratorium, End to Tax Rebate (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Vermont Nuke Plant Gets Federal OK for 20-Year Renewal
·         Washington to Argue for Yucca Mountain Project
·         If Nukes Fade, Gas Exports Will Gain
·         Editorial - Nuclear Power in America: Five Reasons Why It’s Safe & Reliable
·         US Senator Discusses Possible PNNL Cuts
·         Montana - Flathead Electric Rates Going Up June 1
·         Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Reaffirms Order Requiring Revised Definition of Bulk Electric Systems
·         Montana - Power Line Eminent Domain Bill Tied Up in State Senate
·         Mason County PUD 3 Awards Students for Electricity-Related Projects at Skookum Rotary’s March 19 Science Fair
·         US Senator Murkowski Introduces Bipartisan Hydropower Improvement Act of 2011
·         California - East Contra Costa Welcomes Power Plants in Their Backyard
·         Connecticut Lawmakers Consider Tax on Electricity Generators as Critics Cite Rising Cost of Power
·         Feds Want to Double Nesting Areas for Shorebird
·         Researcher Suggests ‘Salmon Leukemia’ Is to Blame for Decline of Fraser Sockeye
·         Fish Biologist Helps Yakamas Create First Sturgeon Recovery Program
·         Op/Ed - Saving Columbia River Salmon: A Fish Story That’s Not Just About Fish
·         Deal Takes Idaho Wolf Packs Off Endangered List
·         Seals from Canada Found as Far South as North Carolina
·         Pacific Northwest Water Supply Forecast Gets Big Jump
·         California - Late Rains Put State’s Water Managers on the Spot
·         Is Lake Powell Slowly Dying?
·         Idaho - Friction Grows over Wind Power: Idaho Power Wants Moratorium, End to Tax Rebate
·         North Dakota - Iberdrola Halts Wind Farm After Suzlon Turbine Blades Fall
·         Wind Turbines Kill 0.088% of the Birds Killed by House Cats
·         Puget Sound Waters Test Wave Energy Prototype Buoy
·         Editorial - Biomass & Gravel Mining: Scuttled Projects Illustrate the Power of Determined People
·         Op/Ed - Renewable Energy: Leaving Oregonians out in the cold
·         Oregon - Clean Energy Works Expanding Statewide
·         A Better Kind of Lightbulb?
·         Poll: More Americans Improving Energy Efficiency at Home
·         Four Ways Electricity Monitors Can Trim Your Energy Bills
·         California Cap-And-Trade Plan Faces Setback
·         Car & Truck Exhaust, Wood Smoke & Solvents Top Oregon’s List of Toxic Air Pollution Risks
·         The Wood Stove Excels at Reducing Fossil Fuels—But Can it Get Clean Enough?
·         Washington State Data Center Tax Break May be Extended
·         Chelan PUD Suggests Sharing Expense on Costlier Fiber Connections
·         FCC Gives CenturyLink/Qwest Merger Approval
·         Oregon Yet to OK Centurylink-Qwest Merger
·         Japan Quake Knocked Out 25% of Global Silicon Wafer Production
·         Google Blames China for Disrupting Email Services in Latest Spat
·         Cloud-Storage Sites Eye Billion-Dollar Valuations
·         Inslee Lets Donors Know He’s Eyeing the Race for Governor
·         Washington State Senator at Odds With Ferry Workers over Vomit Pay
·         Radiation Detected in Washington, But Poses No Risk
·         Washingtonians Raise More Than $7 Million for Japan
·         Weather Delays Opening of Columbia River Navigation Lock
·         Hearing on City of Shelton Water Rate Increase Set
·         In a Renaissance for Radio, More Listeners Are Tuning In

WORD OF THE DAY

Savant • \sah-VAWNT\ • Noun - A person of learning; especially : one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field

Peter’s ear hovered over a five-inch-square space of putty colored plastic, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to fathom the evil spirits that had possessed the company’s production-sized copy machine. With lightning fast reflexes, the technology savant slammed his doubled fist on the exact spot to clear the paper jam and resume the print job that so easily stalled the jet-like issuance of copy paper into neatly collated stacks.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Vermont Nuke Plant Gets Federal OK for 20-Year Renewal (USA Today)

Washington to Argue for Yucca Mountain Project (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

If Nukes Fade, Gas Exports Will Gain (Montreal Gazette, Canada)

Editorial - Nuclear Power in America: Five Reasons Why It’s Safe & Reliable (Christian Science Monitor)

US Senator Discusses Possible PNNL Cuts (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Montana - Flathead Electric Rates Going Up June 1 (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Reaffirms Order Requiring Revised Definition of Bulk Electric Systems (PennEnergy)

Montana - Power Line Eminent Domain Bill Tied Up in State Senate (Billings Gazette, MT)

Mason County PUD 3 Awards Students for Electricity-Related Projects at Skookum Rotary’s March 19 Science Fair (Mason County PUD No. 3)

US Senator Murkowski Introduces Bipartisan Hydropower Improvement Act of 2011 (Hydro World)

California - East Contra Costa Welcomes Power Plants in Their Backyard (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

Connecticut Lawmakers Consider Tax on Electricity Generators as Critics Cite Rising Cost of Power (Washington Post)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds Want to Double Nesting Areas for Shorebird (Associated Press)

Researcher Suggests ‘Salmon Leukemia’ Is to Blame for Decline of Fraser Sockeye (Globe & Mail, Canada)

Fish Biologist Helps Yakamas Create First Sturgeon Recovery Program (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

Op/Ed - Saving Columbia River Salmon: A Fish Story That’s Not Just About Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

Deal Takes Idaho Wolf Packs Off Endangered List (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Seals from Canada Found as Far South as North Carolina (USA Today)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Pacific Northwest Water Supply Forecast Gets Big Jump, April-Sept. Runoff Now Projected at 104 Percent of Normal (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

California - Late Rains Put State’s Water Managers on the Spot (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Is Lake Powell Slowly Dying? (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho - Friction Grows over Wind Power: Idaho Power Wants Moratorium, End to Tax Rebate (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

North Dakota - Iberdrola Halts Wind Farm After Suzlon Turbine Blades Fall (Bloomberg News)
Wind Turbines Kill 0.088% of the Birds Killed by House Cats (REVE)

Puget Sound Waters Test Wave Energy Prototype Buoy (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Editorial - Biomass & Gravel Mining: Scuttled Projects Illustrate the Power of Determined People (Olympian, WA)

Op/Ed - Renewable Energy: Leaving Oregonians out in the cold (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon - Clean Energy Works Expanding Statewide (Sustainable Business Oregon)

A Better Kind of Lightbulb? (Scientific American)

Poll: More Americans Improving Energy Efficiency at Home (Electric Light & Power)

Four Ways Electricity Monitors Can Trim Your Energy Bills (Reuters)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Cap-And-Trade Plan Faces Setback (Reuters)

Car & Truck Exhaust, Wood Smoke & Solvents Top Oregon’s List of Toxic Air Pollution Risks (Oregonian, Portland)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

The Wood Stove Excels at Reducing Fossil Fuels—But Can it Get Clean Enough? (Biomass Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Data Center Tax Break May be Extended (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

Chelan PUD Suggests Sharing Expense on Costlier Fiber Connections (NCWTV)

FCC Gives CenturyLink/Qwest Merger Approval - With Conditions Requiring the Tripling of 40 Mbps Availability (Broadband Reports)

Oregon Yet to OK Centurylink-Qwest Merger (Portland Business Journal)

Japan Quake Knocked Out 25% of Global Silicon Wafer Production (Forbes Magazine)

Google Blames China for Disrupting Email Services in Latest Spat (Washington Post)

Cloud-Storage Sites Eye Billion-Dollar Valuations (SF Chronicle)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Inslee Lets Donors Know He’s Eyeing the Race for Governor (Everett Herald, WA)

Washington State Senator at Odds With Ferry Workers over Vomit Pay (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

GENERAL NEWS

Radiation Detected in Washington, But Poses No Risk (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Washingtonians Raise More Than $7 Million for Japan (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Weather Delays Opening of Columbia River Navigation Lock (Associated Press)

Hearing on City of Shelton Water Rate Increase Set (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

In a Renaissance for Radio, More Listeners Are Tuning In (USA Today)

DIVERSIONS

Like Bobbleheads, Seattle Sports Fans? Try Free Compost Night

Court Says Prosecution of White Lies Is Censorship

Worker Rescued After Being Sucked into Sewer Pipe

AP Removes Hyphen from ‘Email’ in Style Guide

SONG OF THE DAY

The Tubes - Don't Want To Wait Anymore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0n9TdbaKtc