Thursday, April 28, 2011

Energy News Digest for April 28, 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

The news digest is also available at the following web site:

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion (Reuters)

US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner (USA Today)

Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’ - Planet Clark trailer will travel to tout benefits of energy efficiency (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’ “…part of a $515 million investment in solar projects…a state renewable energy mandate…” (NY Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion
·         Shattuck: Constellation/Exelon Merger Will Result in ‘Net Jobs’ Gain for Baltimore
·         Price of Power is Going Up - Umatilla Electric Will Introduce New Rates to Customers Oct. 1
·         Bellingham’s first debate on coal-for-China project reflects growing tensions
·         Chelan & Douglas PUDs to Offer Paperless Billing
·         Tacoma Power Plans Mossyrock Dam Open House
·         Fitch Affirms Chelan PUD’s $200.3 Million Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’
·         Storms Knock Out Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Units, Power Lines
·         Fill ‘Er Up - Exxon Earns Nearly $11 Billion in First Quarter
·         Shell Oil Makes $8.78 Billion Profit in First Quarter
·         At $7.1 Billion, BP First Quarter Profit Climbs 17% Despite Expenses From Gulf Oil Spill
·         Yakama Nation Prepares to Release Sturgeon
·         Canada - Metro Vancouver Development Not Responsible for Sockeye Decline: Study
·         Stillaguamish Tribe Deploys Hydrolab in Port Susan
·         Op/Ed - California-Sized Problem on the Willamette
·         Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts
·         Water Rates - Clallam County PUD to Hold Rate Increase Hearings
·         Belfair Water Lines Broken
·         New Stormwater Bill Raises Concerns
·         BC Hydro Monitors Snow Melt
·         Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind
·         Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’
·         Environmental Fight: Tortoises vs Solar Energy
·         Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use
·         Winds of Change: Challenges in an Ongoing Wind Boom in Texas
·         Wind Farm Growth Also a Windfall for Truckers
·         Google Says Investment in Renewable Energy is Long-Term Effort
·         France Set to Miss Green Energy Goal
·         California Plant Gets Biogas from Sewage
·         Green Mountain Solar Leases Give Homeowners Bragging Rights
·         Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’
·         Biodegradable Envelope, Please - How Did Readers Do on Slate’s Energy Consumption Quiz?
·         When Refrigerators Warm the Planet
·         Mabton Students Protest Ban on Water Bottles
·         Electric, Hybrid, Diesel Cars Won’t Sell Big Despite Hype
·         Going Green & Getting Rich Doing It
·         South Africa’s New Internet Cable Link Could Bring Economic Boom
·         San Francisco Delays Vote on AT&T Utility Boxes
·         US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner
·         Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia No. 18 on Pollution Scale
·         Tacoma to Blame for Puget Sound’s High Pollution Rank?
·         Southern Storms: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Survived’
·         Interior Secretary Salazar Visits Washington State
·         3,000 Hopefuls Apply for 20 Firefighter Jobs in Tacoma
·         Voice Mail? That’s So Last Century
·         Scotch Broom, That Pesky Noxious Weed, Carries an Economic Cost

WORD OF THE DAY

Accretion • \uh-KREE-shun\ • Noun – 1: the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: as a: increase by external addition or accumulation b: the increase of land by the action of natural forces 2: a product of accretion; especially: an extraneous addition

See this story below: “Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind” for a graphic and gooey example of accretion…if you dare!

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion (Reuters)

Shattuck: Constellation/Exelon Merger Will Result in ‘Net Jobs’ Gain for Baltimore (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)

Price of Power is Going Up - Umatilla Electric Will Introduce New Rates to Customers Oct. 1 (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

Bellingham’s first debate on coal-for-China project reflects growing tensions (Crosscut Seattle)

Chelan & Douglas PUDs to Offer Paperless Billing - Utilities could save thousands of dollars every month (Wenatchee World, WA)

Tacoma Power Plans Mossyrock Dam Open House (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

Fitch Affirms Chelan PUD’s $200.3 Million Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’ (BusinessWire)

Storms Knock Out Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Units, Power Lines (Reuters)

Fill ‘Er Up - Exxon Earns Nearly $11 Billion in First Quarter (Associated Press)

Shell Oil Makes $8.78 Billion Profit in First Quarter (Associated Press)

At $7.1 Billion, BP First Quarter Profit Climbs 17% Despite Expenses From Gulf Oil Spill (Seattle Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Yakama Nation Prepares to Release Sturgeon (Associated Press)

Canada - Metro Vancouver Development Not Responsible for Sockeye Decline: Study (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Stillaguamish Tribe Deploys Hydrolab in Port Susan (Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission)

Op/Ed - California-Sized Problem on the Willamette: California sea lions are a serious threat to Willamette River fish & sport fishing. (West Linn Tidings, OR)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Water Rates - Clallam County PUD to Hold Rate Increase Hearings (Sequim Gazette, WA)

Belfair Water Lines Broken (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

New Stormwater Bill Raises Concerns (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

BC Hydro Monitors Snow Melt (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind (USA Today)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’ “…part of a $515 million investment in solar projects…a state renewable energy mandate…” (NY Times)

Environmental Fight: Tortoises vs Solar Energy (Associated Press)

Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK)

Winds of Change: Challenges in an Ongoing Wind Boom in Texas (Renewable Energy World)

Wind Farm Growth Also a Windfall for Truckers (Des Moines Register, IA)

Google Says Investment in Renewable Energy is Long-Term Effort (Reuters)

France Set to Miss Green Energy Goal (Reuters)

California Plant Gets Biogas from Sewage (Earth Techling)

Green Mountain Solar Leases Give Homeowners Bragging Rights (Dallas Morning News)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’ - Planet Clark trailer will travel to tout benefits of energy efficiency (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Biodegradable Envelope, Please - How Did Readers Do on Slate’s Energy Consumption Quiz? (Slate Magazine)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

When Refrigerators Warm the Planet (NY Times)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Mabton Students Protest Ban on Water Bottles (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Electric, Hybrid, Diesel Cars Won’t Sell Big Despite Hype (USA Today)

Going Green & Getting Rich Doing It (TIME Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

South Africa’s New Internet Cable Link Could Bring Economic Boom (Christian Science Monitor)

San Francisco Delays Vote on AT&T Utility Boxes (SF Chronicle)

GENERAL NEWS

US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner (USA Today)

Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia No. 18 on Pollution Scale (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Tacoma to Blame for Puget Sound’s High Pollution Rank? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

American Lung Association State of the Air Report

Southern Storms: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Survived’ (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Interior Secretary Salazar Visits Washington State (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

3,000 Hopefuls Apply for 20 Firefighter Jobs in Tacoma (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

Voice Mail? That’s So Last Century (Seattle Times)

Scotch Broom, That Pesky Noxious Weed, Carries an Economic Cost (Olympian, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Follow-Up File - Goldfish Racing Returns to Tacoma Bar

Special Place in Hell Edition - Ann Arbor Man, 19, Uses Hummer to Run Over Ducklings

Austrian Authorities Reveal Find of Buried Treasure

Does Your Name Spell Power? LinkedIn Reveals Top CEO Names

SONG OF THE DAY

Linda Ronstadt - Silver Threads & Golden Needles